Play It Away Day on 14th October 2026
Step back from the day to day, pause, break bread, connect and reflect.
Day to Evening Highlights
A Day + Evening For Creating Connection & Community With Likeminded Founders, Small Business Owners & Creatives.
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Coffee and local pastries to start the day
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Playful connection session to connect with each other
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Breath work session to connect with yourself
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Delicious lunch by our hosts Sweet Thursday
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Retrospective of 2026 to reflect on how far you’ve come and what next
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A superb five course evening meal by Heard Supper Clubs at their secret dinner party location, a short walk from Sweet Thursday
Important Details
When?
14th Oct arriving at 10 a.m. finishing dinner around 10:30 p.m.
Where?
Sweet Thursday, 95 Southgate Rd, London, N1 3JS
How Many Spots?
This event is limited to 12 people only
What Else Do I Need to Know?
The Play It Away Day will be a spacious, nourishing day and evening which will prioritise breaks, a deliciously lazy lunch and an incredible five course evening meal hosted by Heard Supper Clubs.
You'll be spending the day with a small group of like minded people building businesses and careers with an equal measure of purpose and ambition.
In between the chatting and eating there will be sessions to help you connect with each other lightly but meaningfully, connect with yourself by learning to use your breath and finishing with a creative look back on 2026 in a playful but serious way to see how far you’ve come and what might be next.
12 hours is a lot! Why such a long day?
This is a day and evening for a reason.
Pryia Parker gave me the idea for a day to evening event in her book ‘The Art of Gathering’. She wrote about one particular type of gathering consisting of a small group of friends exploring NYC together.
At the beginning of the day everyone was excited, positive and putting their best selves forward. As the day drew on she noticed that the excitement gradually subsided and tiredness inevitably set in. It was at that point people began to open up more, sharing some of their challenges and worries, which in the end gave the day much more depth.
As the sun begins to set and we wander up the road for dinner (for one of the best meals of your life) the connections you’ll have made during the day will become deeper and more meaningful throughout the evening.
Outcomes from the Experience Part I
By the end of the evening you will have
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Spent time connecting with each other meaningfully
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Have made some connections that you will meet with again
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Explored how to use simple techniques to come back to yourself and improve your attention
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Looked back on 2026 and reflected on the ups and downs
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Looked ahead to see what might be next
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Left understanding the value of engaging in activities you enjoy without the pressure to achieve anything in particular
This is for you if...
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You want to get out more
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But often find reasons not to (like you’re too busy with work and/or family commitments)
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You’re a lovely person
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And want to meet other lovely people who are doing similar things to you
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You’re building something you’re passionate about
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And you have big ambitions
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But you might have lost a bit of that passion along the way because you’ve been working so hard
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But even if you still have that fire in your belly
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You know that there’s a risk of losing it if you don’t step away from time to time (even if it doesn’t feel entirely productive)
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You rarely take time off from your business (or career) - let’s be honest it can be hard to switch off when it feels like your baby and/or you're feeling the pressure to bring in the monies
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You’re open to trying new things
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You enjoy good food and good company
This is NOT for you if...
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You’re looking for efficient solutions and clear KPIs you can walk away with
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The idea of opening up to others, trying things like breath work or experimenting with quirky approaches like the Lego Serious Play method makes you cringe, feel impatient or both
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You expect a five star luxury space
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IMPORTANT NOTE: The food, quality of people and sessions will 100% be five star, but the spaces we will occupy will be warm, welcoming and cosy rather than five star luxury
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You can’t commit to the full day and evening, you’re either fully in or not at all
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You want to know who’ll be there to gauge whether it will be a good use of your time
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You don’t care about good food that much, you just see it as fuel
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You believe a day like this is about what you’ll achieve or learn during the sessions instead of what occurs in the spaces in between
The Inspiration Behind The Day
I came up with the name thanks to the book ‘Play It Away: A Workaholic's Cure for Anxiety’ by Charlie Hoehn (best known for putting Tim Ferris - author of 'The 4-Hour Work Week' - on the map).
And Charlie was inspired by one of my favourite books, ‘Play: How It Shapes The Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul’ by Dr Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan.
I think we were both inspired by it for the same reason. Because if there’s one thing that I’ve learned in all my years of building a business and then helping others to do the same, whether it’s launching a new entrepreneurial venture, growing a creative freelance career or managing multiple business ventures simultaneously there’s a lot of daily grind, dealing with uncertainty and feeling like it all rests on your shoulders.
What often happens as a result of this is we stop playing and in turn we lose the excitement and love that inspired us to start something in the first place.
And when I say play, I mean doing the things that energise you, that release the tension in your body and dissolve the headache that never seems to go away. These are the things that bring lightness, enjoyment, optimism, connection, flow and so much more. Stress levels are reduced and replaced by a feeling of wanting to do more of what you’re doing, not less.
In the long term you’re able to deal with uncertainty and risk so much more easily, because when we engage in activities that we truly enjoy and get lost in our brain literally becomes more plastic. We can see more possibilities and think much more creatively despite not knowing what the outcome will be.
So, I decided to create something that I would have loved to have attended when I was building my first organisation (EQTY In Music) and that I believe will help my clients and the many founders, small business owners and creative freelancers I speak to reenergise.
You will probably hesitate, “I don’t have time.” Or you might think, “I can’t afford to take a whole day off, let alone an evening as well!”
If that’s you then you absolutely should be taking this time for yourself.
A Note About Sweet Thursday
I’ve deliberately chosen Sweet Thursday as a venue to remain in keeping with the theme of Connection and Community.
Sweet Thursday is based in De Beauvoir in Hackney and owned by a local business owner who is a big advocate of local businesses on this cute little high street.
They have a gorgeous retro style event space at the back of their Italian restaurant called the Cannery that is perfect for small groups. They’ll also be responsible for treating us to some of their amazing food.
What’s more, it’s just a 20 mins walk from our secret supper club location hosted by Heard Supper Clubs later in the evening.
A Note About Heard Supper Clubs
Have you Heard?
Heard Supper Clubs are designed to bring real connections to the real world.
They are the brainchild of Tom Pinchard who has become one of my favourite creators in London; Tom is the kind of person who decides to do something and then makes it happen, which is how Heard was born.
His dinner parties (which have now hosted around 1,000 people over the last five years) consist of:
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An intimate night with strangers
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Sparking unexpected connections
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At a secret location
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Served with unforgettable flavours.
I've attended four super clubs since April 2024 and hosted one in Brussels so I'm a BIG fan; it's why I wanted to end our day with one of Heard's incredible five course meals. An experience not to missed!
Sladen Consultancy
“It reminded me that imagination is a serious business when it comes to creating the future."
Music Managers Forum
“The conversations and themes brought up during the (Lego) builds were great for prompting thoughts that hadn't previously occurred to me.”
WRKWLL
“We loved Jennie's session which brought maximum play and energy to guide us through some really tricky thinking and we left feeling energised, inspired and connected with each other."