One of the reasons I wanted to go 1099 was because I'm not really a team player.

I like to do my own thing.

I always rolled my eyes at company parties at social events. They always seem forced and awkward.

So going 1099 was right for me.

BUT, there is a risk you can isolate yourself. Going solo means you actually need to be more deliberately social than if you work for a bigger company.

This WSJ article wrote about a Swedish tradition called, "Fika," which is basically a planned group coffee break.

​Sweden Has a Caffeinated Secret to Happiness at Work​

"Pronounced “fee-kah,” the Swedish culture of breaking for coffee involves much more than a schlep to Starbucks. It’s meant to be a deliberate pause to provide space and time for people to connect ...

“Fika is where we talk life, we talk everything but work itself,” said Micael Dahlen, professor of well-being, welfare and happiness at the Stockholm School of Economics. The ritual helps drive trivsel, he says, a term that means a combination of workplace enjoyment and thriving. The concept is so fundamental to Swedish workplaces that many companies in Sweden have trivselcommittees, he said."

Sounds pleasant! And I believe, if done right, it works.

There are two ways I did something similar on my projects:

• Set up a coffee run to the Starbucks in the building with my colleagues
• Set up happy hours

The coffees were more frequent and I'd chat with my colleagues on the way to the Starbucks, in line, and for a few minutes when we were back in the office.

Happy hours were maybe once per quarter and it'd offer a longer time window (in a mildly intoxicated state) for deeper bonding.

It achieved a few things:

• Made me a few friends
• Gave me good intel/gossip about work stuff
• Put me in a favorable position to ask for help later

It's also fun for what it's worth.

Put in a little effort into establishing your own "Fika" ritual. It's worth it.