Hi there, my lovely readers!

The world is feeling heavy lately, which makes me more grateful than ever to have this newsletter.

I need the weekly reminder that people can be generous and gather others. That folks who value love, kindness, and community are in abundance.

Thank you all for being here, and for your commitment to make NYC a sweeter place.

Now, onto the GIF and the good stuff:

Phone Freedom Circles: Get Your Attention Back

Struggling with smartphone use? Good news: change is possible and it feels seriously amazing. Phone Freedom is a 7-week, small-group program for adults who want a healthier relationship with their phones. Through deep work and shared accountability, participants develop effective and personalized strategies to decrease screen time and reclaim their minds. Virtual and hybrid options. $350 total; Individual coaching also available. 20% discount for Joy List readers!

Gatherings

Double check details before you go, and contact the organizers with questions! The Joy List does not run these events.

Monday, March 2: Collaborative Care Lab

“When have you felt most yourself — and did gender matter in that moment?” Collective Care Lab is a monthly, facilitated 90-minute group gathering at Fabrik. It exists to practice something simple and rare: being human together. One magic question, real conversation. Come curious. Leave fueled up.

$15. 5-6.30pm. Fabrik Dumbo, 20 Jay street Suite 218, Brooklyn. Info here.

Tuesday, March 3: Break Up Your Day: Laugh, Move or Rant

​Break up your work day with an opportunity to laugh, move or rant. We will be creating spaces for you to shake the stress away, laugh out your tension or rant about everything and anything that’s happening in your world.​ Stop by, enjoy a snack, drink, conversation or hug and dive back into your work day feeling revitalized.

Free, suggested donation: $5. 2-3.30pm. Fabrik Dumbo 20 Jay Street Suite 218 Brooklyn. Info here.

Thursday, March 5: The Spades Workshop: Learn How to Play

Come learn how to play Spades or brush up on your skills in a fun, chill, safe environment. Tables first come, first served! (Or share with a friend who doesn’t know!)

We'll be learning Ace High (the most basic way to play) and Joker Joker Deuce Deuce. By the time we're done, you'll know a lil somethin somethin.

Note from Jillian: This event is for black folks. I LOVE when people send me events for communities that I’m not a part of, because they come on my radar less often. Send me stuff like this!

$5. Waitlist-only right now. If you don’t get in, this creator has more events coming up. 6:30 PM. The Bush. Info here.

Thursday, March 5: The Sparkle: Non-Cheesy Speed Connection @Crossroads Cafe

Join us at The Sparkle—an interactive event designed to create playful moments among strangers, ignite chemistry, and foster meaningful connections. Whether you’re seeking romance, new friends, or simply a fun night of human interaction, this experience takes you far beyond small talk. Throughout the evening, you’ll rotate through a series of engaging activities that mix laughter, curiosity, and vulnerability—one moment you might be sketching a questionable parrot with a stranger, the next laughing about the weirdest thing about being human, and later reflecting on the last time you truly felt seen.

Sliding Scale $7pm Cross Roads Cafe. Info here.

Thursday, March 5: Here & Now: A Phone-Free Experience (NYC)

Join us for a curated, phone-free evening for ambitious and intentional people who want more out of their time offline.Upon arrival, you'll check your phone with us for safekeeping.From there, it’s simple: be fully present, sink into deep conversation, and enjoy board games and conversation cards with a group of exceptional humans.

$25, 630-9pm, 146 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002. Info here.

Friday, March 6: Creator Economy x Fractional Model: The Crossover

Creators are getting hired inside companies, and fractional leaders are building personal brands to access new opportunities. This event explores what happens when expertise, visibility, and leadership start to overlap in the modern career landscape. We’ll hear from creators stepping into advisory and executive roles, and fractionals navigating how to build presence without becoming influencers. If you’re thinking about how to position yourself in today’s market, this room is designed for you.

Note from Jillian: I’ll be at this!

$0, 5:30-8:30, Brainstation 136 Crosby St. Info here.

Saturday, March 7: Restorative Contact: Mindful Touch & Movement for Women

In honor of Women’s History Month + International Women’s Day, this month's Restorative Contact session is a space to celebrate female friendship, love and the particular warmth and power that emerges when women gather. We’ll move, breathe, soften, laugh, maybe cry, and practice the art of supportive, consensual touch in a way that restores rather than depletes. In a culture that so often pulls us into comparison or competition, this is a space for open-heartedness, generosity, and being held. For women — however you define that for yourself. If it feels right, it’s for you.

$50. 6-8pm. 200 Columbia St. Brooklyn, NY 11231. Info here.

Saturday, March 7: Sauna Beat Drop: Space for Women

Join Othership for a 2-hour Beat Drop gathering designed to celebrate connection, expression, and collective energy, led by and for women and trans feminine folks. With a live DJ takeover, the sauna becomes a dance floor - loud music, towel waving, aromatherapy, impromptu sauna landings, and high-vibe Saturday-night energy included.

$64. Get 22% off your first time with this link. 9 PM. Othership Williamsburg. Info here.

Sunday, March 8: House of Scorpio Sinema Club

Green Porno (2008) is a series of short films on animal sexual behaviour conceived, written, and directed by its star, Isabella Rossellini. The three seasons of the series cover insects, marine & ocean life. The series is delightfully DIY, with homemade costumes, cardboard cut-outs and foam-rubber sculptures. Followed by a screening of the original French version of the feature Sexual Chronicles of a French Family (2012) and a talkback discussion.

$12 + 7pm + 267 Douglass St, 3rd fl. Info here.

Jillian’s Deranged Referral Corner

I love a free thing. So here I am, with my cornucopia of referrals in one place. (Okay, the first one is not a referral. It’s a course I’m actually leading. But everything else is above board.)

• Make LinkedIn Weird: My course that teaches you how to stop hiding in the LinkedIn shadows, post consistently, and get business. Sign up and learn more here. We start Monday, and only have 4 spots left!
  

• Beehiiv: I’m partnering with the platform I’m writing this newsletter on. META. Get 2 free weeks, and 20% off your first 3 months. If you’ve ever thought about starting a newsletter— or changing platforms— this is your sign. Use this link.
  

• Bathhouse: You know the deal. Get 25% off your first visit to Bathhouse Williamsburg or Flatiron. With all the snow, saunas are essential.
  

• Barry’s: The demonic workout that will lovingly chew you up and spit you out. 80 of you have signed up for your free class, and only 7 have gone. This is me shaming you into working out. Use this link, if you haven’t already.

That's it for this edition. Sending hugs.

Stay cozy,

Jillian