On this week's How We Connected, Aaron checks in from Memphis, where the Peabody has a duck parade and the tailor who once dressed Elvis, then heads to Nashville to meet leaders hoping to open a Chamber of Connection. Charlotte is off to see her grandma and family in Minnesota for the Fourth of July.
This week's guest, Erik Hillesheim, moved to Seattle from Minnesota knowing just one person and figured the fastest way to find his people was to build something. It started with Seattle Swim Club, a Friday cold plunge that grew to hundreds on TikTok. Paddle Rave followed last Fourth of July, when a group text for 20 people turned into 100, then 500, then 1,000 paddleboarders around a DJ on Lake Union.
Erik lays out the part nobody sees: six city offices, 15 partners, neighborhood associations, insurance, and federal permits filed 135 days ahead with the Coast Guard so others can be spontaneous. He believes water is a conductor of connection, and Paddle Rave stays free, a triangle of music, nature, and each other. This year it becomes Lake Union Concerts, adding Dock Rock, a rock series for a wider crowd.
As Erik says, \"If it floats, it's invited.\"
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How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community.
Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy.
Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship.
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Erik Hillesheim, Seattle Paddle Rave
Erik created of Seattle Paddle Rave, one of the largest floating concert series in the country, which draws around 1,000 paddleboarders to Lake Union to dance to a live DJ spinning from a boat. Originally from Minnesota, he picked up a paddleboard during the pandemic and brought the habit with him to Seattle, where he set out to thaw the Seattle Freeze by building community on the water. Before Paddle Rave he started Seattle Swim Club, a Friday morning cold plunge that grew into a weekly ritual and he now runs the events under a broader banner called Lake Union Concerts, including a new rock series, Dock Rock. He is also the co founder of Abundant Social Club, a holistic social wellness community, and a frequent collaborator on gatherings like sauna raves and the Enchanted Forest. By day, Erik is a sustainability and social impact consultant who helps organizations use business as a force for good. His guiding belief is that water is a conductor of connection, linking people to music, nature, and one another. As he likes to say, if it floats, it's invited.
Heylo
Heylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms.
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