Brand Strategy

Details **Location:** Bus Boy and Poets (K st) The purpose of Thinkers and Drinkers is to facilitate casual but meaningful and interesting conversations with other people in a face-to-face setting. The topics cover a wide variety of issues and are different for every meeting. While conversations may get heated at times, we ask that all members be respectful of each other and refrain from personal insults. **Topic: Party Politics and the Future of the Two-Party System** For more than 150 years, American politics has been dominated by two major parties. While third parties have occasionally influenced elections or introduced new ideas, the Democratic and Republican parties have remained remarkably resilient. In recent years, public frustration with the current system has become increasingly apparent. According to a 2025 [Gallup poll](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/05/01/americans-continue-to-view-both-the-republican-and-democratic-parties-negatively/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), **62% of Americans believe the Democratic and Republican parties are doing such a poor job that a third major party is needed.** This dissatisfaction has led the percentage of Americans identifying as political independents to increase from **33% in 1988 to a record 45% in 2025**, **Questions to Consider:** 1. Could a third party ever find success within the near future? 2. Will the main parties see an increase in factionalism? (Socialist faction in the Democratic Party MAGA in the Republican Party) 3. Would electoral reforms such as ranked-choice voting or proportional representation improve political representation? 4. Is today's political polarization primarily caused by the two-party system? 5. What do you think American politics will look like 20–30 years from now?

It's the first Thursday of the month, and that means we will be replaying a game we played recently: ***Bruxelles 1893.*** From BGG: ***Bruxelles 1893*** is a worker placement game with elements of bidding and majority control. Each player is an architect of the late 19th century and is trying to achieve, through various actions, an architectural work in the Art Nouveau style. The most successful building yields the most points. Each player can also create works of art to increase their score.

**The concert has been cancelled due to the forecasted extreme heat** The band Bansy will be part of the Summer Concert Series I. Bethesda. Their set list spans genres and generations. They blend classic guitar anthems with today’s most popular pop hits. With multiple lead vocalists, instrument switching, and an energetic, interactive stage presence, they focus on keeping the crowd engaged, singing along, and having a great time from start to finish. Bring a chair. Try to get there early to help me grab some tables.

The city of Laurel has reopened the community centers! GCOM Laurel will be happening again Thursday night! We’ll be gaming from 6-9pm. Masks are still required and if you’re not feeling well, get better and join us next week. We’re at the Robert J DiPietro center!

Let's get together to play some fun BB level Double games at Bluemont. **Format**: Doubles **COST**: FREE **Court Type**: Outdoor grass **Minimum Skill Requirements**: Intermediate-BB (click [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/mobilebasic) for details) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Smiley Social documents:** 1. [Group Rules ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HrG35p_0M08leRvCp8XWG3CMkr_GL928XFabl5T6Dvg) 1. [Liability Waiver ](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2mq-7m99lmvd7gdWYaSUFtvVg4UGnzV6koafAbHmco) 1. [Volleyball Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PojSi4qdlRsv1msCHhvpQ43iDc4FfzQwpWCc3kafVMY/)

Have you been thinking about trying self-defense training, but do not want a loud, aggressive, or overly competitive environment? This free intro class is a simple way to get started. Maryland Systema offers practical self-defense training for adults in Takoma Park with a focus on movement, awareness, breathing, posture, and calm under pressure. This class is designed for beginners and first-timers who want real-world self-defense training in a welcoming setting. You do not need experience. You do not need to be in top shape. You do not need a martial arts background. You just need to show up ready to learn. This is not a sport-based class built around winning points, memorizing routines, or trying to look impressive. It is a more practical approach to adult self-defense training that helps you stay balanced, aware, and functional when things feel uncertain. If you have been searching for self-defense classes in Takoma Park, beginner self-defense near you, or practical self-defense training for adults, this class is a good place to start. **What you will work on** * Breathing and staying calm under pressure * Movement that improves balance and mobility * Awareness and posture * Simple partner drills * Practical self-defense training for beginners **Who this class is for** * Adults new to self-defense training * Beginners looking for a low-pressure class * People who want practical self-defense instead of sport martial arts * Adults in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Rockville, and nearby areas looking for realistic self-defense classes **What to wear** Please wear comfortable workout clothes. No uniform is required. **Why start with this class** This free intro class gives you a chance to experience the training, meet the group, and see whether Maryland Systema is the right fit for you before joining regular weekly classes. **RSVP** Reserve your spot and come try a beginner-friendly self-defense class in Takoma Park.

The road to the World Cup continues! Join Volo as Portugal takes on Croatia in a win-or-go-home World Cup showdown! **What you can expect:** 🍺 **2 Free Anheuser-Busch products** **Free Giveaways**\- Registered players receive a koozie and a stress ball or beach ball *(while supplies last).* 🔥 Exclusive, soccer-themed Volo Pass swag (Members Only, [sign up here](https://www.volosports.com/volo-pass)) **Registered Volo Pass members** also score an exclusive FIFA T-shirt *(while supplies last).* Bring your friends, wear your Portugal or Croatia gear, and come ready to celebrate, cheer, and enjoy the game together! Note: General admission and entry to Wunder Garten is free, but the immersive Volo experience and perks are available only with this registration. [Volo Registration](https://www.volosports.com/d/cd795550-52e9-405f-865d-e96fbf6349da)

Social Sips & Bites is setting sail in style! 🚢✨ Join us for an unforgettable escape filled with ocean views, elegant evenings, and island indulgence. The Bermuda await. Exciting updates coming soon—keep an eye out!

This meetup is for people that want to play table games: board games, strategy games, episodic RPGs, eurogames, card games and co-operative games. NOT A GAMER BUT WANT TO LEARN? We teach them all... Melinda is bringing: * 7 Wonders * Architects of the West Kingdom * Azul * Blockus * Cards Against Humanity * Castles of Burgundy * Century - Spice Road * Century - A New World * El Dorado * Ethnos * Harry Potter Clue * Harry Potter - Hogwarts ??? * Ingenious * Its a Wonderul World * King of Tokyo * Parks * Photosynthesis * Quacks of Quedlinburg * Qwirkle * Sherrif of Nottingham * Sagrada * Suburbia * Ticket to Ride - Europe * Ticket To Ride - Nederln * Unearth * Villanous * Villanous Expansion * What do you Meme * Wingspan We are open minded on all games. Games we plan to teach and play include Ascension, Azul, Azul Summer Pavillion, Splendor, Magic The Gathering, Melee/Wizard, Backgammon, Castallan, Chess Variants, Compounded, Dead of Winters: Crossroads, Dixit, Dominion, Exploding Kittens, Flux, GravWell, Ghost Stories, Hanabi, Heroquest RPG, Hive, House Divided, House on the Hill, Illuminati, Ingenious, King of Tokyo, Lost Cities, Machi Koro, Munchkin, Pandemic, Pirate Dice, Ogre/GEV, Qwirkle, Race for the Galaxy, Roll Through The Ages, Ricochet Robot, RoboRally, Settlers of Catan, Sagrada, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Splendor, Spot-It, Sushi-To-Go, Takenoko, Ticket to Ride, Tsuro, Up Front, Yahtzee, Advanced Wizards Card Game, etc.

**The Annual Boomerang Ride is back and ready to deliver another unforgettable day in the saddle!** **🔥50-Mile Route – Ready to test yourself? Join the big boys and take on the full challenge. - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36599221** **🚴40-Mile Route – Prefer a more conservative approach? Enjoy a great ride with plenty of fun and accomplishment along the way. - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35568591** **Both routes will have one rest stop at the Royal Farms on on Deal Churchton Road.** **No matter which route you choose, one thing is certain:** **The Boomerang never disappoints!** **Great roads, great riders, and great memories await. So gather your crew, tune up your bike, and get ready to ride.** **Come catch the Boomerang! 🪃🚴‍♀️💨** **Your bike. Your fitness. Your ride. Your Boomerang.** **This is not an AVS event**

Learn to manage stress and achieve self-growth through simple relaxation and Meditation. Heartfulness Meditation is a simple, modern, methodical approach to meditation. Rather than homing in on your breath or repeating a mantra, you simply focus inward, on your heart, to cultivate inner strength and serenity. Heartfulness meditation is gaining traction in recent years. It focuses on the heart, allowing individuals to connect with themselves on a deeper level, and ultimately achieve peace, relaxation, and clarity. It is a practice that encourages patience, self-compassion, and acceptance, helping cultivate a deeper appreciation for the present moment. This practice is offered with love and at no cost

❤️ Dating With Purpose Meet, Mix & Mingle with Singles Seeking Marriage, Family & Long-Term Commitment (Ages 30–45) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dating-with-purpose-3045-singles-seeking-marriage-family-commitment-tickets-1991951742283?aff=meetup 💍 MARRIAGE-MINDED SINGLES MIXER (AGES 30–45) Dating With Purpose: Meet Relationship-Focused Professionals Seeking Long-Term Commitment ❤️ Looking for Something Real? If you're tired of endless swiping, casual dating, and conversations that never lead anywhere, you're not alone. This event is designed for singles who know what they want and are ready to meet others who feel the same. Join us for an evening of meaningful conversations, genuine connections, and the opportunity to meet local professionals who are interested in building a lasting relationship. No games. No mixed signals. No situationships. Just real people seeking real connections. Whether you're hoping to find a life partner, build a future with someone special, start a family, or simply meet people who share your values and relationship goals, this event was created with you in mind. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📍 Location: Public Bar Live \| Sports Bar Dupont Circle 🚇 Metro Access Conveniently located near major Metro lines with nearby parking available. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎟️ RESERVE EARLY & SAVE ❤️ Early Bird Admission — $15 Limited quantity available. ❤️ General Admission — $20 Available after Early Bird tickets sell out. ❤️ Last Chance / Door Admission — $25 Only available if space remains. ⚠️ Attendance is intentionally limited to create a balanced and meaningful experience. Most Spark Vibe events sell out before the event date. Reserve your spot early and save. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 💍 WHY THIS EVENT IS DIFFERENT Most dating events focus on meeting as many people as possible. This event focuses on meeting the right people. Everyone attending is looking beyond casual dating and is open to meaningful relationships, long-term commitment, marriage, and building a future with the right person. Many attendees are interested in: ❤️ Long-term relationships 💍 Marriage 👶 Starting a family 🤝 Intentional partnerships ✨ Shared values and life goals You won't have to guess what people are looking for. You'll already know you're surrounded by singles who are dating with purpose. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🌟 WHAT TO EXPECT 🍸 Relaxed Social Mixer Meet local singles in a welcoming, low-pressure environment designed to make connecting easy. 💬 Guided Conversations Fun icebreakers and conversation prompts help conversations flow naturally. ⚡ Meet Multiple Relationship-Minded Singles Connect with professionals who value commitment, communication, and genuine connection. 🎤 Friendly Event Host Our host will welcome guests, facilitate introductions, and ensure everyone feels comfortable throughout the event. 🤝 Real Conversations Skip the endless texting and discover chemistry face-to-face. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❤️ PERFECT FOR SINGLES WHO ARE ✅ Seeking a serious relationship ✅ Interested in marriage and long-term commitment ✅ Tired of dating apps and casual dating culture ✅ Looking for compatible, relationship-focused partners ✅ Interested in building a family or planning for the future ✅ Ready to meet people in person ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🌟 WHY PEOPLE LOVE PURPOSE-DRIVEN EVENTS When everyone shares similar intentions, conversations become easier and connections happen more naturally. Instead of wondering what someone wants, you'll meet people who are clear about their goals and open to building something meaningful. Many attendees arrive solo. Most leave having made new connections. Some leave with a date. Others leave with new friendships and renewed optimism. Everyone leaves knowing they took a step toward something real. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ✨ ABOUT THE AGE RANGE This event is designed primarily for singles ages 30–45. The age range is intended as a guideline rather than a strict requirement. If you feel you'd connect well with this group, you're welcome to join us. Our goal is always to create a balanced environment where meaningful connections can happen naturally. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⏰ IMPORTANT INFORMATION • Please arrive 10–15 minutes early. • Check-in closes 15 minutes after the event start time. • Most attendees come solo. • Dress code: Smart casual or business casual. • Tickets are limited and often sell out in advance. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❤️ STOP SWIPING. START BUILDING SOMETHING REAL. The best relationships don't begin with an algorithm. They begin with a conversation. Reserve your spot today. Spark Vibe Where Strangers Become Stories.

The road to the World Cup continues! Join Volo as Argentina takes on Cabo Verde in a win-or-go-home World Cup showdown! **What you can expect:** 🍺 **2 Free Anheuser-Busch products** **Free Giveaways**\- Registered players receive a koozie and a stress ball or beach ball *(while supplies last).* 🔥 Exclusive, soccer-themed Volo Pass swag (Members Only, [sign up here](https://www.volosports.com/volo-pass)) **Registered Volo Pass members** also score an exclusive FIFA T-shirt *(while supplies last).* Bring your friends, wear your Argentina or Cabo Verde gear, and come ready to celebrate, cheer, and enjoy the game together! Note: General admission and entry to Wunder Garten is free, but the immersive Volo experience and perks are available only with this registration. [Volo Registration](https://www.volosports.com/d/56eb7b0b-1776-4c89-a942-4c6f5e884bef)

One of our favorite bands in playing this Friday. Tell them at the gate you are there for the band and they will direct you to the terrace bistro.

You can sleep in on the Sesquicentennial (observed), we’re shifting to the following Friday. But join the local UX community for a chat and some biscuits to catch up. If you were in CA for Figma Config, tell us all the lines and you can tell me how I can animate an SVG without coding it by hand, and why I’d even want to. Thanks to the team at Nationwide of supporting the group.

This is a free, in person meeting. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

At Evolve Synergy Sessions, you'll be part of a supportive mastermind where we share challenges, brainstorm solutions, and inspire one another to take bold steps in our businesses. Grow your network, gain fresh perspectives, and build meaningful relationships with like-minded women who are committed to success. Whether you’re looking to move the needle in your business or simply need a space to connect and recharge, this is the perfect place to fuel your entrepreneurial journey. [Add Event to Calendar](https://evolvecolumbus.eventcalendarapp.com/) \*\* Please note, we will be arriving around 8:15a for open networking! Get there early and get connected! Contact Alexis Morley at [alexis.morley@edwardjones.com](mailto:alexis.morley@edwardjones.com) or Terri Lawson at [terri.lawson@e-merge.com](mailto:terri.lawson@e-merge.com) for more information.

Want to learn pickleball in a fun, low-pressure setting? I’m hosting a free beginner-friendly meetup at Olentangy Parklands to help new players learn the basics and get comfortable on the court. I’m a pretty skilled player and will walk everyone through the essentials, including rules, scoring, serving, basic strategy, and how to start playing real games. No experience needed. We’ll meet on the upper courts. Bring a pickleball paddle if you have one. If not, no problem, I’ll have some extras available for people to use. This event is meant for beginners and anyone curious about trying pickleball for the first time. Come ready to move, learn, and have fun.

Monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners. One specific topic, one to three actions you can run this week. You can be the best at what you do and still be invisible. If local buyers cannot find you, the phone does not ring. Marketing Monday Lunch + Learn is a monthly working lunch for Columbus business owners focused on building relationships, local networking, and local marketing. Every kind of local business welcome. No pitch round, no pressure, no upsell. **This month** Most local businesses pick one or two places to be visible and call it good. The result is inconsistent calls and a feeling that marketing is not working. We will walk through the three places every local business needs to show up, plus the fourth place most owners ignore that quietly produces the warmest leads. **What to expect** Doors open at noon. Order lunch and drinks at the cafe counter or bring your own. You get real conversation with other local owners and a focused marketing lesson. You leave knowing people and with one to three actions to run that week. The room is reserved through 1:30 PM. **Who this is for** Any local business owner who wants clearer marketing direction and real local relationships. Service businesses, retail, home services, professional services, online owners building local presence, anyone serious about being part of the Columbus business community. **Not the right fit if** You are here to pitch the room or recruit for an MLM. **Details** * Second Monday of every month * 12:00 to 1:30 PM * Good Cafe Easton, 4400 Easton Commons, Ste 150, Columbus, OH 43219 * Order lunch and drinks at the counter when you arrive * Free to attend, RSVP required, space is limited **About the host** Rita Suzanne is a local marketing strategist and the founder of Local Marketing Method. She runs Visibility is Profitability, the membership where local business owners build the system that keeps their phone ringing. Learn more at learnlocalmarketing.com. Register here: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989964540509?aff=oddtdtcreator)

**✅ Bachata Mondays with Todd Smith!** **👉 Beginner Bachata Class** **$15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** 7:00 pm – 7:15 pm … Registration 7:15 pm – 8:15 pm … Beginner Class **👉 Intermediate Bachata Class** **= $15 In Advance / $20 At the Door** 8:15 pm – 8:30 pm Registration 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm Intermediate Class **👉 If You Take Both Bachata Classes** **= $25 In Advance / $35 At the Door** **👉 Buy Advance Tickets Now at:** https://columbussalsadancing.com/bachata-mondays-dance-class-tickets/

**Practical Curiosity: Learning from Everyday Data** How do we actually get better at utilizing our day-to-day data? Fancy dashboards and complex models might look nice and draw attention, but that’s not where most of us spend our time. In fact those shiny outputs frequently sit unused, while the real insights are drawn from the analyst’s daily practice. Sometimes it’s as simple and as powerful as noticing that a segment is shrinking, a channel is underused, or certain links keep getting all the clicks. There’s many different places that the spark of insight can come from, but you have to keep your head in the data and know where to look. In this session, we’ll explore real-world examples of how segmentation, testing, and click behavior can uncover practical digital marketing opportunities. You’ll leave with inspiration for your own use cases, along with a few simple ways to ask better questions, spot meaningful patterns, and make smarter decisions without overcomplicating it. **About Our Speaker:** [Elaine Armbruster](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainearmbruster/) is a Director of Digital Experience at the [American Diabetes Association](https://diabetes.org/), where she focuses on using data and insights to create smarter, more effective digital experiences. A lifelong Columbus resident, she has built her career in email marketing and the broader digital user journey, and is finding she most enjoys working in the messy middle where systems, data, and big ideas don’t quite line up yet. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)