Izyyk (pronounced “eye-zic”) Social Club provides individuals aged forty years and up with opportunities to meet people and make new friends at happy hours, dinners, and live events. Small groups and a welcoming culture enable new attendees to emotionally connect with the group and feel comfortable from their very first event.  

Currently, middle-aged people outnumber children in the US, and by 2034, older adults (age 65+) will outnumber children under age 18 for the first time in history (United States Census Bureau, 2019).

However, mature adults are often underrepresented in new businesses and startups. Izyyk Social Club addresses critical issues for end users associated with finding new friend groups during significant life transitions, such as when they lose life partners due to death or divorce, relocate, retire, and when their children reach adulthood and leave home. This is of even greater importance following the COVID-19 pandemic, when many individuals experienced extreme loneliness during shutdowns, limited social activities for safety reasons, and perhaps even became “used to” being alone and/or fearful of returning to active social lives.

The pandemic also took a toll on venues such as restaurants, bars, and facilities hosting live events. These industries have returned to a period of sales growth, but competition is fierce, and margins in the restaurant industry continue to be razor thin. Coordinated events for people to meet new people drive revenue from customers who would likely otherwise stay home that evening and introduce the venue to new prospects who will post about the business on social media, evangelize for it to other friends and family, and potentially return for another social club event or separately with new friends from the group.

Social media offers many opportunities to interact with others from the comfort of one’s home. However, loneliness in the US continues to rise – by more than 13% in 2020 compared to 2018 – with three in five Americans reporting feelings of loneliness (Demarinis, 2020). Luckily, social media also offers opportunities to connect with other people in real life. Research conducted by Izyyk Social Club since its first event in Florida in 2017 indicates that people over aged 40 are willing and able to meet twice per month or more with strangers who are potential friends and appreciate getting to know them while enjoying beverages, dinner, and occasionally other activities, such as listening to live music.

Izyyk Social Club events generally draw 10-40 people each. The types of events include social activities like happy hours, dinners out, karaoke nights, trivia nights, listening to live music, and much more. Members meet new people for possible friendships in a controlled, but fun, environment and develop connections with other individuals that become supportive and enduring friendships.

About the Author:
Rachaelle Lynn is the founder and CEO of Izyyk Social Club and has been hosting events for people to meet new people for over five years. She currently manages the Canyon Lake, TX chapter of Izyyk Social Club. Rachaelle’s professional background includes 25+ years of marketing experience, 18 of these in digital marketing. She holds a BA in Communications from the University of Florida and is an MBA candidate at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Rachaelle’s personal purpose is to follow her heart’s calling to alleviate loneliness by enabling friendships for people age 40 and over, and to create true meaning by helping people understand that lack of social connections is a health issue that must be rectified to improve quality of life. 

References:
Demaranis, Susie. (2020, June 28). Loneliness at epidemic levels in America. National Library of Medicine.

United States Census Bureau. (2019, October 8). The U.S. Joins Other Countries with Large Aging Populations. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/03/graying-america.html