This one goes out to the guys! Introducing Crewmen, the social connection app founded by Guy Thompson, aiming to address social isolation among men through real-world interactions, callouts, volunteering opportunities, and curated resources.
So this happened….
Just recently, I got to meet the CEO and Founder of the social connection app Crewmen, Guy Thompson. We had a great chat about men’s wellbeing, the challenges of shrinking support networks over time and how men can become isolated as they navigate the big transitions in life. We also talked about the Crewmen app.
The problem Guy is trying to solve…
Crewmen is a social connection app that aims to bring mates together and champion the health and well-being of men. Guy was inspired to create Crewmen to help men find more mates who share similar interests, situations, experiences, and values, and who can support each other through the ups and downs of life. It was built on the experiences of his own life of going through many highs and lows in his life and realising he wanted more mates to enjoy those good times with and have around him when he was going through a rough patch.
The basics of the app….
Its core functionality is to bring mates together in real life by making and participating in ‘callouts’, which are in-person experiences that can range from drinks, exercise, movies, or anything else. As a member you can put out a callout, inviting others to join you for an activity, or respond to a callout, taking part in another’s suggested activity. Thinking of going fishing one Saturday morning? Put a callout to see if anyone wants to join you. Regularly frequent the local coffee shop but sick of doing it on your own? Put a callout to find fellow caffeine addicts. And, of course, you can see the callouts that others have made and get in on their activities. A great way to meet new people who you know share common interests. The app supports communication between callout participants in the lead-up to an activity (for scheduling support) but the goal is the real-world interaction, not another online chat app.
The app doesn’t end there in terms of what it offers.
Guy has built and continues to build a network of organisations providing volunteering opportunities and special offers/discounts. Volunteering is an activity that we know is related to feeling more connected to community, improved physical and mental health, advancing your career and bringing fun and fulfillment your life. As such, you could use the app as a kick-start to your volunteering life. As for the retail partners, the goal here is to provide premium (i.e. paid) members of the Crewmen community with additional value for money – namely to offset the cost of premium membership with discounts at desired retailers.
Finally, Guy is curating a collection of articles and links that have resonated with him in terms of building a better life. You can actually access many of these just from the Crewmen website.
There were a number of things that impressed me about Guy, his mission and the app….
First, Guy’s focus is real-world interactions and he’s using the technology (mobile app) to catalyse new interaction opportunities. His goal isn’t that you spend lots of time on the app scrolling and liking, rather that you use the app as a tool to create and participate in real world events. That translates into how he interacts, favouring face-to-face and telephone over messages and emails.
Second, Guy has set up a charity foundation called the Crewmen Fund and a percentage of all Crewmen membership fees will be donated to the Crewmen fund. “The intention of the Crewmen Fund is to provide grants to national charities to support their beneficiaries and communities.”
Third, Guy built an app that intended to solve a challenge he had encountered in his own life. As a result, he’s committed to the process and to addressing the problem of social isolation and loneliness among men. The app is an extension of his core values.
Fourth, Guy is working hard to continually add value to the app, with more retail partners, volunteering opportunities and memberships.
So, is it for you?
Sign up and have a look! Basic membership is free and that will give you access to resources, the ability to create and accept callouts and build a tailored profile. If the concept appeals to you then you might consider a membership. With regards to that, Guy is willing to offer 6-months free (Annual or Monthly subscriptions) or 50% off Monthly Crewmen subscriptions for 12 months for those of you who are interested. Make sure you sign up with your Flinders address.
I have the app on my phone and it is slick and easy to navigate. I can’t tell you whether or not it will be a valuable addition to your life, but I can say that I admire what Guy is doing and happy to point you in his direction.
If you do explore it, would love to hear your experiences.