How this Melbourne DJ created a platonic speed dating event with a focus on ambitions and dreams

“Inspiration is precious, and it comes to us because we have the capacity to birth it into reality.”

For Melburnians, it’s almost guaranteed that Adriana Lazaridis has soundtracked at least one of your weekends – during a Friday bar-hop, at the main stage of a festival or during a dinner party. She’s become a safe bet for a good time, and her focus on empowerment and positivity now extends beyond track selection.

Interested to hear how others navigate the world? Head to our Life section. 

Created, curated and hosted by Adriana, Speed Dreamin’ is the Melbourne event designed to kick-start your next chapter. The first of its kind, Speed Dreamin’ connects strangers who are looking to progress and evolve their ideas and ambitions. A spin on speed dating, the event opens up space for conversation around your dreams and provides an opportunity to give and receive feedback. I chatted with Adriana about her journey to find out what we can expect from this exciting event.

Hi Adriana, how are you? 

Hi Anna, I’m feeling great! Things are flowing and the sun is shining.

Most people know you for your DJing skills, but you also work in life guidance. Can you take us through that aspect of your world? 

Most certainly! I am someone who aims to help people be their most authentic selves and live up to their highest potential. DJing and presenting on the radio for as long as I have has helped me to develop the ability to communicate deep topics in a light-hearted, yet captivating way.

Personal development can feel heavy, deep or sometimes too ‘woo-woo’ for some, so it is my mission to make it fun, light-hearted and entertaining. I want people to feel excited about their personal journey and to be inspired to create a meaningful life.

What does goal-setting look like to you? 

What I’ve found most effective for me is to think about a ‘mission statement’ that succinctly describes my purpose. I believe my mission is to make personal development cool, fun and entertaining. By getting clear on my ‘why’, I can have the drive and passion to achieve my goals. For me, 2023 is about developing rapport and trust with my community and developing and sustaining habits that will help me achieve my mission.

At the beginning of each month, I set an intention that supports the above – a statement that shows where you are directing your energy and includes the emotion/s you wish to feel. The trick is to make your intention short, positive and in the present tense. What’s really essential is that you write your mission statement, intentions and goals down. Studies show that you are more likely to achieve your goals if you put pen to paper!

Can you tell us a little about what it means to be authentic? 

Humans are relational beings that have survived for as long as we have because of our ability to fit in. Although it can be beneficial, fitting in can also be to the detriment of our authenticity. By learning to hide our rejected qualities and exaggerate our celebrated ones, we risk morphing into a [different] version of ourselves.

To be authentic, you need to unlearn who you are not in order to remember and express who you are. The more you can do this, the more you will attract who and what is meant for you, leading to a much more joyful and fulfilling life.

Your Speed Dreamin’ event is the first of its kind in Melbourne. What motivated you to create it?

Inspiration is precious, and it comes to us because we have the capacity to birth it into reality. When I first thought of Speed Dreamin’ I had all kinds of ideas, including its potential location at Runner Up. Like most dreams though, I left it on the back burner…

 

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Out of the blue a few weeks later, Runner Up asked if I had ever considered hosting speed dating. I knew that this was inspiration knocking on my door and decided to take a leap of faith.

What, in your opinion, can come from sharing your goals or dreams with strangers?

There are three levels to creation: thinking, speaking and doing. Most of our ideas don’t go beyond the thinking stage. At Speed Dreamin’, people are given an opportunity to speak about their dreams and progress to the next level of creation.

By bouncing off other dreamers, people have a chance to get excited, gain constructive feedback, figure out what still needs ironing out and build genuine connections. The more you speak about your idea, the more likely you are to actually do something about it.

Take us through what people can expect from attending. 

I will be hosting and DJing throughout the night, so expect it to be light-hearted and fun! To kick start the evening we will be joined by Figr, who will share how they ditched their corporate jobs to create a natural and aesthetically pleasing lube, as well as one of the most successful speed dating events Naarm has seen.

From there, people will be given the opportunity to speak amongst themselves about their creative ideas and dreams. Just like traditional speed dating, they will rotate from table to table, with optional questions to help promote inspiration and feedback!

Any tips on preparation beforehand? 

I suggest rocking up between 6.30pm and 6.45pm to settle in and grab yourself a drink. Bring a notebook and pen, alongside any questions you might have for me or Figr. Your dream chose you for a reason, so take action and come on down!

Speed Dreamin’ takes place on April 26 at Runner Up Rooftop Bar. Details and tickets can be found here.