What’s new?

A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF!

As the two year anniversary of my move to Minneapolis approaches, I figured it was high time I get back to talking with strangers. I’ve missed the conversations more than I would ever have expected. I knew the format was in need of a refresh – I just wasn’t clear on what it should look like going forward. After many months of thought, and several “unofficial” conversations with strangers, the answer become clear.

Shorter. Bolder. Action-Focused.

Much will stay the same:

• Coffee + conversation with total strangers
• Strangers will still be referrals or folks from my wish list (keeping the “no self-nominations” rule in place) *Someday I may write an entire blog post dedicated to all the uncomfortable moments, odd conversations and strange requests that necessitated that rule. But for now, trust me when I say the rule has serious merit!
• Skipping the fluff and going deep will still be the order of day when it comes to conversation. Maybe even more so with the condensed format. Rest assured, the conversations will be honest, unpredictable, from the heart and full of soul.

A few changes:

• My aim will be to share weekly. But since this is meant to be fun and add to my happiness, I vow to never let it become a burden. That means some weeks it will have to take a back seat to a priority item. It’s all good. I know you understand. I’m actually stating it for myself more than anything.
• Selective sharing – by which I mean I won’t be telling every detail of someone’s life. 3000 word blog posts don’t get read. And I want people to read all about the fascinating people – so I will keep the stories short and look for ways to share actionable ideas you could implement right away if you wanted to.
• Beams & Bolts – if you want the full story on the name, check this out. Essentially, Coffee With A Stranger 2.0 will be highly focused on people best described as “beams of sunshine” or “bolts of lightning”. They light up the room with their radiant warmth or with their explosive brilliance and energy. You know these people. You probably are one of these people. And I’m guessing you want to hear about and learn from these people. Me too!

Some changes, but largely the same. I’ll share all the good stuff so you will still feel like you are right there at the wobbly table with us, cappuccino in one hand and a tissue (just in case) in the other. We’ll throw our heads back with laughter. We’ll lean in when the sharing gets tough. We’ll nod along when the stories feel like our own. And we’ll hold space for the silence when words fall short. We’ll start of as strangers and we’ll leave as friends. We’ll walk away once again floored at the beauty of humanity. Flawed and scarred, tattered and torn. We are all a part of one glorious, coffee-stained tapestry and we’ll be grateful for time at the table, side by side with a fellow journeyer.

Thank you for being along on this adventure. I look forward to hearing from you as we welcome new strangers into the fold.

Until next time, stay curious!