What we’re about
✨ A People Skills Lab Meets Bookstore Social — for Kind Humans Building Community
Looking for deeper conversations, meaningful connections, and a space to intentionally grow your people skills alongside a professional coach? You’re in the right place.
We’re part cozy bookstore social, part people skills lab—a welcoming space for kind, curious humans to connect, practice authentic communication, and build friendships that feel good and real.
This is for you if you’re:
- A socially anxious (or awkward) queen/king 👑
- A natural connector curious to grow
- New to Montreal and craving intentional community
You’ll be welcome here.
✨ What to Expect at Events✨:
- Charisma Workshops
Led by an ICF-Certified Authenticity Coach, these workshops help you design people skills that actually matter—like presence, reading social cues, and navigating awkward moments with confidence, rooted in your personal values.
You’ll walk away with:
- A values-based design of your ideal social presence & a playbook of how to embody it
- 'Market research' on how others perceive you now (anonymous, only for you)
- A safe, guided simulation to try out your new social energy with kind support
- A bump-up of your social confidence :)
- Bookstore Socials
Stick around to connect more casually. There is a beautiful authenticity to people interested in taking care of their social health and who are thoughtful about their presence and how they show up in the world. They're the kind of people I love being friends with!
You might leave with:
- A smile
- A new friend (or two)
- A book that starts a conversation
Your Host: Amy Zhou
Amy is an ICF-Certified Authenticity Coach who supports professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs go from self-doubt to self-aligned. She's hosted Friend Meet Cutes around the world inspired by the search for our truest selves & closest friends, and believes friendship is a radical & needed act of care.
She’s also a newcomer to Montreal, a fan of big ideas, and a Swiftie who once nearly died getting to a Taylor Swift concert in Brazil. (True story.)
Upcoming events (2)
See all- 📚💬 Charisma Workshop & Bookstore Social for Friends-To-Be | ART OF GREETINGSPhoenix Books, Montreal, QC
✨A people skills lab meets bookstore social. For thoughtful humans intentionally building community ✨
☕ The art of conversation is the difference between an espresso with milk, and an artisanal latte.
🧠 Some reasons to learn it:
- It's the most important adulting skill. Networking, persuasion, finding friends & partners - all are extensions of the art of conversation
- It's a health imperative to have friends and be in community. The World Health Organization even considers humanity's rising loneliness a public health threat
- It's really fun :) contrary to the addictive joy of social media, hanging out with real people is waaaay more fun than parasocial YouTuber friends
🔥 I'm really tired of interacting with people who learned their social skills from social media, who think being rude is a privilege of being right, and who are thoughtless about about how their words affect others.
😊 I want to be with the kind of people who are thoughtful about how they show up in the world, who communicate with intention and care, and who are the kind of people I want to know and be.
👋 If you've read this far, I'm guessing that's you :) this event is for:
- Natural connectors curious about designing their social presence
- Socially anxious (or awkward) queens/kings 👑
- Newbies to Montreal craving intentional community
- People who love to meet people who read
---
✨✨ What to Expect✨✨:
🎉 1. Charisma Workshops (1 hr)
Led by ICF-Certified Authenticity Coach Amy Zhou (hi, that's me!) these workshops are all about designing a social presence that feels like you based on the topic of the week. They're also a deterrent to people who don't care about how their social presence affects others :)
💪 You’ll walk away with:
- A values-based design of your ideal social presence + a playbook to embody it
- Anonymous “social mirror” insights (aka how others perceive you, for your eyes only)
- A safe, supportive simulation to try out your new social energy
- A confidence boost rooted in who you really are
Optional: Please bring a pen & paper!
📚 2. Bookstore Socials (1 hr)
The second half is slow and simple: connect with someone from the workshop, browse a book, or just sit in shared presence. No expectations—just human conversation and gentle community.
📍 The Venue: Phoenix Books is a charming used bookstore in NDG that's so much more.
Offered free of charge for the moment, as I invest in building nurturing, inclusive spaces, while also mindful of my own capacity and the bookstore that holds this work.
- 🕕 Hosted biweekly Thursdays 6–8PM & Saturdays 3–5PM in July
- 🗓️ Find my other events on Meetup & on my calendar
---
❤️ Your Host: Amy Zhou
Amy is an ICF-Certified Authenticity Coach who supports professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs going from self-doubt to self-aligned. She's hosted Friend Meet Cutes around the world inspired by the search for our truest selves & closest friends, and believes friendship is a radical & needed act of care.
She’s also a newcomer to Montreal, she's lived in 6+ cities on 3+ continents & building new friend groups along the way, and a Swiftie who once nearly died getting to a Taylor Swift concert in Brazil. (True story.)
Follow me!
- 📚💬 Well Spoken & Well Read: ART OF THE GAZE | Charisma Workshop & Book SocialPhoenix Books, Montreal, QC
✨A people skills lab meets bookstore social. For thoughtful humans intentionally building community ✨
☕ The art of conversation is the difference between an espresso with milk, and an artisanal latte.
🧠 Some reasons to learn it:
- It's the most important adulting skill. Networking, persuasion, finding friends & partners - all are extensions of the art of conversation
- It's a health imperative to have friends and be in community. The World Health Organization even considers humanity's rising loneliness a public health threat
- It's really fun :) contrary to the addictive joy of social media, hanging out with real people is waaaay more fun than parasocial YouTuber friends
🔥 I'm really tired of interacting with people who learned their social skills from social media, who think being rude is a privilege of being right, and who are thoughtless about about how their words affect others.
😊 I want to be with the kind of people who are thoughtful about how they show up in the world, who communicate with intention and care, and who are the kind of people I want to know and be.
👋 If you've read this far, I'm guessing that's you :) this event is for:
- Natural connectors curious about designing their social presence
- Socially anxious (or awkward) queens/kings 👑
- Newbies to Montreal craving intentional community
- People who love to meet people who read
---
✨✨ What to Expect✨✨:
🎉 1. Charisma Workshop (1 hr)
Led by ICF-Certified Authenticity Coach Amy Zhou (hi, that's me!) these workshops are all about designing a social presence that feels like you based on the topic of the week. They're also a deterrent to people who don't care about how their social presence affects others :)
💪 You’ll walk away with:
- A values-based design of your ideal social presence + a playbook to embody it
- Anonymous “social mirror” insights (aka how others perceive you, for your eyes only)
- A safe, supportive simulation to try out your new social energy
- A confidence boost rooted in who you really are
Optional: Please bring a pen & paper!
📚 2. Bookstore Socials (1 hr)
The second half is slow and simple: connect with someone from the workshop, browse a book, or just sit in shared presence. No expectations—just human conversation and gentle community.
📍 The Venue: Phoenix Books is a charming used bookstore in NDG that's so much more.
Offered free of charge for the moment, as I invest in building nurturing, inclusive spaces, while also mindful of my own capacity and the bookstore that holds this work.
- 🕕 Hosted biweekly Thursdays 6–8PM & Saturdays 3–5PM in July
- 🗓️ Find my other events on Meetup & on my calendar
---
❤️ Your Host: Amy Zhou
Amy is an ICF-Certified Authenticity Coach who supports professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs going from self-doubt to self-aligned. She's hosted Friend Meet Cutes around the world inspired by the search for our truest selves & closest friends, and believes friendship is a radical & needed act of care.
She’s also a newcomer to Montreal, she's lived in 6+ cities on 3+ continents & building new friend groups along the way, and a Swiftie who once nearly died getting to a Taylor Swift concert in Brazil. (True story.)
Follow me!
