Dubai is the city of networking, but sometimes you find it hard to meet people with the same interests. While a drink at one of the fancy bars at DIFC can facilitate business networking, sometimes you want to meet people from all walks of life.
A few months ago, I had heard about Restronaut from a few friends. The concept is to gather people from around the city over a meal to discuss their shared interests. When you log onto the site, you can see the various tables that have been created for the upcoming week. You then sign up, pay for the set menu that has been already decided on, and that’s it. You’re booked.
Maybe you’re a photographer who just can’t find other photographers to mingle with. Maybe you’re an entrepreneur who wants to pick the brains of other entrepreneurs in the city. Maybe you’re just a food lover who wants to discuss spices and sauces with other foodies. You can even start your own table if you can’t find one that interests you.
Recently, I signed up for a table called “Get Sh!t Done: Productivity in the Digital Age”, based off the book, Get Sh!t Done: From Spare Room to Board Room 1,000 days by Niall Harbison. The author had just finished a two-week book tour in the U.S. and was in Dubai for a few days.
Besides loving the subject, I really wanted to meet new people in Dubai. I was a bit nervous on my way when I realized I was about to have an intimate dinner with people I had never met before. I had read the book, so I was also excited to meet the man who started off as a chef who bounced from yacht to yacht around the world cooking for celebrities and billionaires and ended up starting and selling a business for millions.
I walked in to El Sur, a Spanish restaurant in the Westin in the Dubai Marina, to find a few people sitting at the table. We introduced ourselves and I sat down. I’ve had more awkward dinners with people I’ve known for years. As people began rolling in, we were all chatting away. Everyone was interested in getting to know one another, and actually listened to what you had to say. It was really refreshing.
I met an inspirational speaker, a media manager at Chanel and an innovator at Dubizzle, just to name a few. The author was so interested in learning about everyone else and Dubai that I didn’t actually realize it was him until a few minutes into the conversation.
The food was pretty good, but having eaten at El Sur beforehand I knew that the food could’ve been better. Although I’m pretty sure I cleaned the crème brulee rice pudding plate while everyone was talking.
I leave you with a few pieces of advice from Niall Harbison’s best selling book:
“Too often we take the easy route, but by pushing ourselves and never resting on our laurels the biggest opportunities will always present themselves out of nowhere”
“Somebody who is loud and pushy during their first week rarely stays long. Sometimes you need to be patient and play the long game. Keep the head down. Earn respect. Nobody is going to get promoted in their first week in the job.”
“Most people don’t like to think about the fact that we are here for a finite amount of time, but acknowledging that and starting to take bigger risks Is a key step towards having a remarkable life”
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss our chat with Michelin star chef Greg Malouf, who’s yet-to-be-opened restaurant Cle Dubai is already making waves.