There’s a phrase we use a lot at CatchMeOffline: intentional dating. But what does that actually mean?
It doesn’t mean every person you meet has to be "the one." And it certainly doesn’t mean turning every conversation into an interview about marriage, kids, and where you see yourself in five years.
It can be much simpler than that.
Being intentional means knowing why you’re dating, and being open to genuinely getting to know someone.
Married people have a ring. What have singles had?
For generations, we’ve understood what a wedding ring represents. You see a ring on someone’s finger and generally understand that the person is married and has made a commitment to someone else. It’s a simple visual signal.
But what has traditionally identified a single person who is actually open to meeting someone?
Singles don’t wear a special ring. There isn’t a piece of jewelry that says, "I’m single, I’m open to meeting someone, and I’m being intentional about dating." So two single people can pass each other at a coffee shop, grocery store, park, gym, or restaurant, and never know that the other person might have been open to an introduction.
CatchMeOffline was created to help change that.
The evolution of a signal
The wedding ring.
A recognized, everyday signal that someone is married and committed. Currently, we don’t believe there is a universal signal for a single person who is open to meeting another available single.
The CMO cap.
Now, we believe that we have created the universal signal for a single who is open and intentional.
The cap gives members a recognizable way to identify one another while they’re out living their everyday lives. And it says something specific, in a simple, visible way.
I’m a CatchMeOffline member. I’m single. I’m open to meeting. And I’m being intentional about dating.
The CatchMeOffline cap also gives members another way to recognize when another member may be nearby. Each member’s QR code encompasses their profile and is linked to our locator. With the locator active, participating members can be signaled when another CMO member is close by.
The cap helps members recognize each other naturally. The locator provides another way to become aware of one another nearby. And then the most important part happens the old-fashioned way: you meet.
The rest is up to the two of you.
CatchMeOffline isn’t meant to decide who you should date. That’s personal.
See someone wearing the cap? Say hello. Introduce yourself. Have a conversation. See how you feel.
If there’s mutual interest, you can agree to exchange profiles by scanning each other’s QR codes. Then you decide whether you’d like to plan a first date.
And if there isn’t a connection? That’s okay too. Not every hello has to become a date. But sometimes, all it takes is knowing that it’s okay to say hello.
Wear it.
Be seen.
Be intentional.
Meet First. Date Next.
Continue reading
More field notes on meeting well, offline.
