Groove Theory #5 - The One Level Up Principle

Late Friday afternoon in Fort Greene Park. Sun shining down. Yogis, puppies, smokers, strollers converge. At the park's highest point above Brooklyn's sprawling grid, a circle forms. Strangers share what's on their minds, then take a 20 minute stroll together.

Welcome to Summer Fridays - a biweekly ritual that started as one person's reaction to pandemic isolation.

People always say it's amazing, but they can't explain why.

Its secret? Adding just one level to what was already there.

The Tension

Spring 2023. Later stages of the pandemic. New York had a weird, fragile vibe.

NYC is by design a city about being with other people. But if you stayed here through the pandemic, how do you reconnect? Especially when Zoom calls do nothing for you?

Josh Upton is a lifelong New Yorker who knew what he didn't want. No more video calls that drained his energy. No stodgy event spaces where he'd get stuck next to someone. And he craved being outside. Even the more thoughtful events were stuck indoors.

"After the pandemic it really felt like not prioritizing time outside with others was cutting off my oxygen - both literally and figuratively." Josh says.

But starting something from scratch can feel overwhelming - especially when you're already drained.

Step Into It

You're designing your next team gathering. Or planning a client event. Maybe organising a neighborhood thing. Your brain probably jumps to themes, logistics, agendas.

What if the answer isn't more planning? What if it's finding something completely natural and adding just enough extra to take it somewhere else?

The Groove: Structure

Structure → Shape the idea

Josh's insight was simple: he already loved being outside and regularly walked through Fort Greene Park. It was already a place where he'd bump into people he knew (including me).

"This is my community," he says. "And the park is already a natural community center."

Instead of aiming to invent something revolutionary, Josh took something simple that worked - hanging out in the park - and took it just one level up.

He called it Summer Fridays. Simple name, simple concept. Every other Friday at 5pm, people gathered at a meeting spot to… well, walk and talk.

Here's how it works:

• 5pm (slightly subversive timing that says work isn't everything, you can start your weekend now).
• Quick circle intro. Everyone shares their name and three things:
  • looking back – a highlight from the prior week
  • looking forward – something you’re looking forward to
  • something on your mind
• Split into groups of three for 20-minute walks anywhere in the park.
• Come back and share any themes, ideas or insights, as well as any public events others might want to join - gallery openings, gigs, activities where new connections can continue
• Wine for whoever wants to continue at a local bar. 'It's not a drinking event,' Josh clarifies. 'No pressure to drink - it's just continuing the hang.’

Total time: 90 minutes.

Summer Fridays works incredibly well, yet people can never quite find the reason. They'll tell Josh afterward how great it was, but struggle to say exactly why.

This is invisible structure at work. Let’s make it more visible.

• Permission-giving goes first. Josh always goes first and shares something personal, not professional. "I try to share a real thing going on in my life, going beyond the surface level". When the organizer is vulnerable first, everyone else can be too.
• Prompts that skip the small talk. "Literally anything" qualifies as a highlight from your week. This fast-tracks the understanding of each other without any formal introductions.
• Three is the magic number. Pairs can be intense for strangers. Anything beyond three, it's easy to just break into separate conversations.
• Scales without breaking. "You can have two of you or 20 of you, and it still works." More people just means more groups of three. No need to panic about no shows, or a big attendance.
• Walking, not staring. "On Zoom you stare at faces. When you're walking, you're moving, seeing things, next to each other rather than face-on. It's just a good environment for people to engage."

Most event organisers get this backwards. They think more planning equals better outcomes. Josh proved the opposite - the more you plan, the less magic happens. Some of the best gatherings feel effortless precisely because they're designed to feel undesigned.

But early on, Josh fell into this trap himself. He overthought how to structure the walking conversation. Tried setting themes. Defining discussion topics. It felt forced.

The revelation: "This is not my event with any agenda. I’m just creating the space to let conversations flow. Whatever happens, happens.”

Structure is one of the five elements of Groove Theory. Learn more >

The Release

Three years later, Summer Fridays proves that over-design kills magic.

The structure is so subtle it's almost invisible. And the discussions always go somewhere interesting. Every single time.

Sometimes the best experiences feel like they're barely trying to be experiences at all.

Your next breakthrough isn't hiding in a complex new system. It might already be there in what you do - waiting for you to take it one level up.

Next time, Groove Theory takes a trip to Melbourne... or Copenhagen. I haven't decided yet. Maybe a walk in the park will help.

Howard

Extended Mix

• The music: Josh also brings his facilitator mindset to making his music in the studio. Part of the process? Finding ways for his collaborators to feel at their most comfortable and natural. Listen to his latest song “Games” >
• The work: Summer Fridays is a taste of Josh's practice in action. His work is anchored in helping creatives turn their diverse interests and talents into thriving projects and careers. joshupton.com
• The gathering: Learn more about Summer Fridays