We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Playfessionals. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Playfessionals below.

Playfessionals, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Playfessionals was born out of a moment of realization—one of those small, everyday observations that slowly grows into something you can’t ignore. At the time, we were attending networking events regularly, doing what many professionals do: exchanging business cards, shaking hands, and engaging in conversations that were often polite, productive… but rarely personal. We noticed a pattern. People showed up out of obligation, not excitement. They came to expand their networks, but left feeling drained rather than energized.

That contrast lit a spark.
We started to wonder: What if networking didn’t feel like networking? What if professionals could build real relationships through play, shared experiences, and social engagement—while still gaining the career and business benefits they were seeking?
The idea felt instinctively right. It merged two worlds that had always been separate: professional development and authentic social connection.
As we thought more deeply about it, we realized we were addressing a real gap:
Traditional networking often feels transactional and forced.
Social clubs can spark great relationships, but rarely create intentional professional bridges.
And busy professionals struggle to maintain work-life balance while still building meaningful networks.
Playfessionals became the solution that tied all of this together.

What made Playfessionals feel truly worthwhile was the realization that we are not just creating and curating events—we are addressing something deeper: the need for human connection in a professional/entrepreneurial/creative world that often overlooks the “human” part. We offer a unique approach: blending play and professionalism, something rarely done intentionally or thoughtfully.
We knew Playfessionals would work because the logic was simple:
When people feel comfortable, engaged, and genuinely happy, they build stronger relationships.
Stronger relationships lead to more meaningful networks and retention.
And meaningful networks enhance both personal lives and professional trajectories.
That’s the heart of Playfessionals—a company built not just to help people meet, but to help people connect. To merge work and life in ways that feel balanced, energizing, and fulfilling.
And that’s what excited us most from the very beginning: the chance to redefine what networking can feel like and to help professionals merge with businesses to build relationships that truly matter.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Playfessionals is a networking and social engagement company dedicated to enhancing the personal and career lives of professionals. The company organizes events and activities designed to merge working professionals with businesses, organizations, and other individuals to build strong personal and professional relationships and foster work-life balance.

Mission: To create a community and host unique, inclusive events that help professionals connect, relax, expand their networks, and feel valued. A specific focus is on retaining diverse professional talent in the Twin Cities area, where the company originated.

Ultimately, Playfessionals aims to provide a “Playfessional lifestyle” where individuals can “work hard, play harder” by creating a balanced and engaging social and professional ecosystem.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing Playfessionals’ clientele has been creating experiences that speak for themselves and intentionally designing every event to build community—not just attendance. Rather than focusing solely on marketing, we focused on cultivating genuine engagement from our secret sauce and letting the value ripple outward.

Our growth has come from three key approaches:

1. Experience-Driven Word-of-Mouth (We still live by this)
From the beginning, our events were designed to be memorable, energizing, and different from typical networking environments. When people walked away saying, “I’ve never been to something like this before,” or “I resigned my contract to stay in the Twin Cities because of Playfessionals.” They naturally share their experience with coworkers, friends, and social circles. That authentic excitement has been our strongest growth engine—because people trust recommendations made from real connection and personal enjoyment.

2. Partnerships With Organizations and Local Businesses
This year we’ve intentionally developed relationships with companies, coworking spaces, community organizations, and industry groups. These partners often co-host or curate events, giving us exposure to new audiences while offering them a fresh, engaging way to support their employees or members. Partnerships created a win-win:
Businesses gain unique engagement opportunities.
Professionals discover Playfessionals through trusted networks.
We gain consistent access to new market segments.

3. Building a Community, Not Just Hosting Events
We understood early that professionals are hungry for belonging—not just business cards. So we focused on fostering a sense of community:
Returning members receive personalized invitations.
We curate events based on feedback and shared interests.
Attendees make friends, not just contacts.
This community-first approach keeps people coming back and, more importantly, brings others with them.

When people genuinely enjoy an experience and feel connected, they naturally want more—and they want others to have it too. That organic enthusiasm has been the key to our clientele growth. Instead of chasing numbers, we built relationships—and those relationships built the numbers with us.

How’d you meet your business partner?

We are all transplants from different cities. Nick and Jemika use to host and curate events under different companies. Eventually both partners came together to collaborate on different projects outside of Playfessionals. Once we realize that Playfessionals was our ace in the hole we solely began to focus on building the concept and mission behind the company. However, we realize something was missing and that missing piece came from Jemika meeting Corey who is our marketing and branding guru, and like that a three headed monster was created. “I’d like to say it was divine intervention that the three of us met.” – Nick Hooks (Co-Owner/Chief Engagement Officer)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://playfessionals.com
• Instagram: Playfessionals
• Facebook: playfessionals
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/playfessionals
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@playfessionals
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/track/2SOEMuUbziw2SwO2JYnkWR?si=gmsYGkSxQzGckhSLwZSdzg

Image Credits

Assandra Baysah Photography
Manny Williamson Photography