Once You Find Your People, What Comes Next?
Alan Prewitt, Co-Founder of The Getaway Club App and Founder of Lambda NextGen Houston, building communities around connection, belonging and shared experiences.
The post-podcast Q&A following Episode 6 of Ticking Junction, “You Don’t Find Your People. You Build Them.”
Jen: You said coming out in college was “the decision that set everything in motion.” After recording the episode, did reflecting on your life reinforce that for you, or did another turning point start to feel just as significant?
Alan: At the time it was quite an identity crisis, but once I turned the corner on it, a huge weight lifted. I wasn't hiding anything so everything felt easier from then on. So it was the most vivid in memory based on the emotional charge it.
Jen: You talked about being bullied and withdrawn growing up, then deciding after moving to Houston that having friends outweighed the risk of awkward moments. Do you think that decision is where your instinct to build community actually began?
Alan: It really linked closely to my time at university. It was new terrain so I applied to be in every club or group that sounded like it would be fun. I got into a few of them and that let me take root a bit. New friends, new tribes, and over the years took on leadership roles and learned the hard work that goes into building and running groups like that.
Jen: Lambda NextGen started with around ten people and eventually grew to hundreds. What did building something you personally needed teach you about creating belonging for other people?
Alan: Start small and grow organically. After years of plugging into whatever avenues in the community I could find and meeting people, the idea planted over a coffee with a friend. Then the idea got some energy about it and people wanted to help and spread the word. A simple happy hour may have had 10 people but there were a lot of quality interactions and it was approachable. Word of mouth did the rest.
Jen: You said India taught you that community is something you can build and become part of “no matter where.” Do you think you would have had the confidence to build The Getaway Club later without that experience?
Alan: It was formative, kind of like a social experiment. I had no one from back home as a safety net, so I got to live an alternate reality as whoever I wanted and tapped into a more adventurous and outgoing side. I also really got the travel bug after seeing much of Asia.
Jen: One of the most striking things you said was that, on paper, you had everything you grew up wanting, yet you were “absolutely unhappy.” Looking back now, which of those old goalposts do you still want, and which ones no longer matter to you?
Alan: Burnout made all of the good things going on feel like they didn't matter because I wasn't enjoying them
Jen: The Getaway Club App partly grew out of you and Thomas wanting to take a long trip while you were both overwhelmed and burned out. How much of what you’re building now is really about travel, and how much is about solving the isolation and disconnection you experienced yourself?
Alan: Its all about connection, opening up new life experiences, and removing the barriers to that. We were our own customers and use cases which laid foundation to build from.
Jen: You described your life as being shaped by “tiny, small conversations with huge ripple effects.” Which conversation do you think created the biggest ripple, and is there one happening in your life right now that could become the next one?
Alan: Nothing definitive that I can decipher as of now, there are a lot of moving parts at the moment.
Jen: At the end of the episode, you said your current Ticking Junction might be about “reclaiming space” as you prepare to return to Houston and work out what comes next. What would reclaiming that space actually look like for you over the next 12 months?
Alan: It would be characterized as an environment that gives energy, showcases the best version of myself, and that feeds growth.
Haven’t heard Alan’s full story? Watch or listen to Episode 6 of Ticking Junction: You Don’t Find Your People. You Build Them. on Spotify or Youtube Now :)
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Stay up to date with us by following @TickingJunction on Tiktok, Instagram, Spotify, Youtube, & Facebook
CONNECT WITH ALAN
Instagram: @mpalp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-prewitt-036316107/
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE GETAWAY CLUB APP
Instagram: @thegetawayclubapp
Website: https://thegetawayclubapp.com/
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LAMBDA NEXTGEN HOUSTON
Website: https://lambdahouston.org/ I
nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lambdanextgen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LambdaNextgenHouston/ Houston LGBT Chamber: https://www.houstonlgbtchamber.com/lambda-nextgen/
