I had a really good conversation with Josh, Joshua, about his business club initiative Business Club Côte d’Azur.

It is a business club that is so much more than just about business, it’s very much about people. Josh and his partner Robin, who now have a small child, started the club around 5 years ago when they decided to move to the Riviera for a better way of life far away from the rain in the Netherlands!

Joshua and Robin arrived and did the usual exploring of the region, something no one ever stops doing, settling in Vence. They found it not as simple as expected to make social contact with people let alone form friendships. The kernel of an idea seeded itself and has now grown into something vibrant and engaging.

Having come from a marketing background they saw immediately that bringing together business people in an informal setting would bear fruit, not only on a business level but also on a social interactive level. From an initial meeting of fifteen or so people they have now spawned a group that has more than 50 attendees. It shows that the organic growth created by committed, dynamic and welcoming hosts works.

One aspect that we discussed was the loneliness, perhaps isolation is a better word, experienced by those people in business that settle in villages and towns rather than hubs like Nice or Cannes. Even with great French and being from France the different culture on the Riviera can feel like a barrier both in business and social terms. Joshua is aiming to fix that!

As with any club, the aim is to create a network of like minded individuals. Josh would like the club to be a pivot point for the Riviera as a whole and not just the conurbations. It is not limited either in terms of nationality, all are welcome with the club members already a tapestry of nationalities from all continents.

I very much admire his energy and enthusiasm!