Today we’d like to introduce you to Jolié Higazi
Hi Jolié, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been drawn to genuine, authentic connections. They’re magical–whether romantic, friendship, or otherwise, they bring such hope and love and joy and purpose. Esther Perel even says, “The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our relationships.” I agree wholeheartedly, and as a life and relationship coach, I help people unlock what’s in the way of having more of the relationships they want, with others, and ultimately, with themselves.
There’s a magic that happens when we connect in real life that I think we all suffered from 2-D connections during the pandemic, and even until now. People want to make real connections and find a partner, but swiping through online profiles and dealing with dating apps can make things feel hopeless.
Pitch-A-Friend Cleveland is meant to bring those genuine, in-real-life connections to Cleveland in a fun and lighthearted way where people can meet a date or even just a friend with some common interests.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. Pitch-A-Friend Cleveland is just one of the ways I’m working to bring authentic connections to Cleveland. As a relationship coach, I also host workshops, seminars, and brunch n’ learns around town to help people develop healthy relationship skills like communication, boundaries, emotional intelligence, and negotiating conflict. I offer some of these tidbits of advice during parts of the Pitch-A-Friend Cleveland events, which I’ve found attendees appreciate.
It’s also hard bringing a new concept into town. Even though it’s a model that’s been proven in other cities like Philadelphia (where the original Pitch-A-Friend started), Cleveland bar/brewery owners were still nervous about how people would respond to an event like that going on here. A big shout out to Jukebox and Bookhouse Brewing for being our first event hosts!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Pitch-A-Friend Cleveland is an event series I host through my coaching practice. It’s a way to get people together in real-life for events at bars/breweries to pitch their single friends in a 3-5 min Powerpoint presentation. It’s fun, lighthearted, but also vulnerable and authentic.
These events are open to all ages. Many people assume it’s just for the younger crowd, but we have people that are over 50 that pitch and are pitched! In the future, I look forward to having specific 40+ age events, but in the meantime while people are still finding out about us, it’s a mix at every event. There’s men, women, and non-binary people who are in their 20s-60s, gay, straight, poly, and everything in between. It’s a very inclusive environment. As long as you’re kind and respectful of others, you’re welcome here!
As the facilitator of these events, I bring a great laid-back energy to these events. It doesn’t feel so serious and uptight. We’re here to have fun, and I model to the audience that we don’t need to take ourselves so seriously. Actually, the more yourself you can be, the more attractive you become.
How do you think about happiness?
I know it sounds weird, but I really love holding space for people in their really hard, sad, dark moments. For most people I get how that would totally scare them away, but my friends all laugh at me because I’m actually energized by the ability to hold space for someone who is processing some grief or trauma. I guess because I’ve been there and walked through that myself to get to the otherside, those fires don’t scare me anymore. And I feel so lucky and grateful that I can support other people through those tough times the way some people where their to support me.
I love the happy moments too–the small wins that I see my clients have that are actually HUGE for them, but that nobody else might realize or notice. Like someone even asking a girl on a date. Someone voicing a boundary. Someone saying no. Someone not beating themself up for missing a day at the gym. When they can learn to practice self-compassion and just be nicer to themselves, man, that lights me up so much.
Pricing:
- Pitch-A-Friend Cleveland events are free to attend. Bars and Breweries pay to host the event at their location.
- My coaching pricing ranges. People can come to a workshop or seminar for free. I do small group coaching in the $100 range, and 1:1 coaching is typically $200/session. I do work on a sliding scale as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pitch-a-friend.com/cleveland
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pitchafriend.cleveland/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pitchafriend.cleveland
- Other: https://www.joliehigazi.com
