First Steps at BCN Social Club
Honestly, joining felt weird at first. I walked in last month with my shiny new membership card and just kinda… stood there. Everyone seemed to know each other already. I grabbed a drink, stood near the coffee machine, and waited. Nobody talked to me. Big mistake. Paid $300 a year to feel awkward, great start.
Getting Over Myself & Talking to Strangers
Week two rolled around and I decided, screw it, I paid for this. Saw a guy looking equally lost near the weird abstract painting. Walked right up and just said, “This painting’s confusing, huh?” Bam. Instant chat. His name was Alex, member for three months and still figuring things out too. Lesson learned: just open your mouth and say literally anything. Nobody bites. Well, usually.
Started doing this every time:
- Arrived 30 minutes early to events. Fewer people = easier to spot fellow loners. Got chatted up by the organizer once because I was literally the first one there. Ended up helping set up chairs. Free brownie points.
- Asked dumb questions on purpose. “How do these fancy coffee machines work?” or “What’s the deal with the ping pong tournament sign-up?” People LOVE explaining things. Made like five connections just playing clueless.
- Stopped trying to stay for everything. Sometimes events just sucked or were overcrowded. If it felt like a waste after 20 minutes? I bounced. No guilt. My time, my rules.
The Big Win: Actually Using The Perks
Found out last week they have this “members only” co-working space tucked away upstairs. Seriously, nobody told me! Wandered up there, badge clipped on. Free coffee, comfy chairs, quiet as hell. Started going there Tuesday afternoons to write blog drafts. Why hadn’t I used this sooner? Because I never freaking asked. Turned out you also get:
- Booking meeting rooms for free. Used one last Thursday for a video call. Client was impressed with the fancy background. Felt pro. Cost me zero extra dollars.
- Member discounts on food truck Thursdays. Saved like $4 on tacos. Adds up! Missed the first three food trucks because I didn’t check the monthly email properly.
- Guest passes. Brought my buddy Mark last Friday night. He bought drinks, I looked cool. Win-win. Used two so far. Gotta max out the four they give per year.
Mess-ups Happen – Learned Anyway
Almost lost out on the rooftop concert because I RSVP’d two days before. Place was “sold out” for members, whatever that meant. Annoying. Showed up anyway, flashed the badge, argued politely with the door staff about “it’s not sold out if I pay monthly dues, right?” Got waved in. Apparently “sold out” often just means “we hope not everyone shows up.” Now I RSVP for cool stuff the second the email hits my inbox. Lesson: the written rules are more like… suggestions sometimes. Be politely pushy.
My Membership Isn’t Wasted Money Anymore
Took a solid month of feeling stupid and showing up consistently to crack this thing. Now? I know the good coffee spots, when to skip Yoga Wednesdays (always), who to ask about discount codes, and that back corner where the Wi-Fi actually works. Used the printers twice, scanned some old photos using their equipment, networked with three potential clients. Stopped treating it like fancy background noise and actually dug into the benefits. Feels less like flushing cash now. Almost… worth it. Almost.
