The Year of the Host
Hey Party People!
Happy 2026! I hope the holiday season was kind to you and I hope you are reading this email while a pot of greens and black eyed peas are on the stove.
As we all start anew, I decided now is the perfect time to reset the room. Perhaps you are new here or you don’t even remember the exact moment you decided to subscribe. So allow me to reintroduce myself. That is what this time of year is for, right?
Should I start from the beginning?
Almost 9 years ago, I started a supper club called To Be Hosted. At the time, I was a 23-year-old living in Harlem and working in the digital media department at Bravo TV. Working in television and specifically, working at Bravo TV started as a dream job. (Later in my story I will discover that I’ve had many dream jobs and I’ve crossed 4 of 7 off my list so far.) Working in entertainment, I was working and guesting at a lot of events, but I always wanted more from these experiences. I was going to a lot of awful networking events, and even though I was surrounded by people all the time, I was lonely and begging for a change of scenery.
I thought that this change of scenery would come from a new job. I sent out LOTS of resumes and I had dozens of interviews. Most notably, I made it to the final rounds of interviews for a job on the events team at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but I didn’t get the job (yes, it’s still on my dream job list). I sat with that rejection and started writing and doodling everything I wanted out of work and out of life. By the time I stood up, I had the vision for what would become To Be Hosted. A supper club where strangers could meet, eat, and be together.
In 2017, there were a few supper clubs in NYC, but not nearly as many as there are now. (And the rise of the influencer dinner hadn’t taken over our social media feeds). Back then, it was me, a few good friends and a few very trusting strangers. From there, one dinner at a time, I built up To Be Hosted and along the way I built a beautiful life, too.
Then what happened?
Since then, To Be Hosted has grown from a side hustle to my full-time job. Now I plan and host supper clubs all over the US. And I’ve been hired to plan some pretty incredible dinner parties and events for top brands, too. (This was the dream job I never saw coming). Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about hosting and gathering. So I share what I’ve learned on my social media series, Soiree School; I provide party planning insights for my favorite media outlets, and I keep a digital diary here on Substack (Welcome!).
QUICK SIDE BAR:
As some of of you may recall, While Entertaining started as an indie magazine that highlighted my favorite chefs and shared recipes, tips, and playlists perfect for dinner parties at home. I loved working on this magazine (and it was good… like NYT’s T Magazine Five Things We Recommend good). The remains of my print magazine era are available at BEM Brooklyn if you are interested in collecting these very special print collections! I keep the spirit of the magazine alive here on Substack and my love of print has parlayed into my book publishing era. My first book is coming in June. My second book is just an idea on my notes app. [How many ideas do you have resting in your notes app? I bet there are a few! Remember to water them.]
What’s next?
I’m still hosting parties and making plans for my family, friends, and strangers to gather and experience life together. I am grateful that my work brings people together and I want to continue doing that in new and exciting platforms – including bigger events (coming soon), books (coming soon) and TV (manifesting). But we will get to all these things later.
Right now, I want to speak directly to the hosts (seasoned and aspiring), the party planners, the gatherers of the group chat. I moved While Entertaining over to Substack for you. People like us, hosts, we are essential. We are the glue of our families and our communities. And we are the last defense against our generation’s loneliness epidemic. To kick off this new year, let’s make a deal. If you keep hosting, I will keep posting — information, inspiration, hacks, and how-tos to keep your cup full, and so you can fill the cups of those around you. No excuses, just good times. I’m declaring this the year of the host. Are you in? Keep scrolling for my 2026 hosting bingo challenge.
Cheers!
The assignment is simple: host, gather, be together. Use this BINGO card whenever you need inspiration for what to host next.
