>>>
>>> ALL
>>> ALL RIGHT. WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW.
YOU KNOW, I FOUND A STATISTIC
RECENTLY THAT CRUSHED ME.
MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICANS FEEL
LONELY.
LONELY.
LONELY. AT A TIME WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO
BE MORE CONNECTED THAN EVER.
A SURVEY OF 20,000 ADULTS FOUND
54% FEEL NO ONE KNOWS THEM WELL.
AND 40% LACK COMPANIONSHIP.
YOUNGER AMERICANS ARE FEELING IT
THE MOST.
THE MOST.
THE MOST. THE QUESTION IS, WHY?
ONE WOMAN BELIEVES SHE MAY HAVE
THE ANSWER.
THE ANSWER. AND THAT IDEA IS STARTING TO
CATCH ON IN THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST.
NORTHWEST. IT'S ABOUT CHANGING OUR
CONVERSATION, OR RATHER,
DEEPENING THEM.
DEEPENING THEM. >> PICK A TABLE, MINGLE ABOUT.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. AND
YEAH. AND THEN WE'LL GET STARTED IN,
LIKE, TWO MINUTES.
>> Reporter: IT'S AROUND
DINNERTIME IN SEATTLE'S SOUTH
LAKE UNION, AND PEOPLE AREN'T
COMING HERE TO EAT, DRINK, OR
EVEN PARTY.
EVEN PARTY. >> WHAT IS A TIME YOU DIDN'T FIT
IN AND HOW DID YOU FEEL?
>> Reporter: THEY'RE HERE FOR
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. >> I AM NOT FEELING OKAY.
HEY, I'M STRUGGLING WITH
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. >> Reporter: A MEANINGFUL
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. >> THIS STARTED BECAUSE, LIKE,
MY WHOLE LIFE I'VE REALLY NOT
LOVED SMALL TALK.
NOT VERY GOOD AT IT.
YOU KNOW, WHO'S TALKED ABOUT THE
WEATHER TODAY AND HOW RAINY IT
IS?
IS?
IS? >>
IS? >> HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN WE'RE
ENGAGING IN SMALL TALK?
WHAT'S THAT LOOK LIKE?
>> WHEN YOU'RE SUPER BORED.
WHEN YOU'RE FEELING LIKE THE
CONVERSATION'S JUST BORING.
>> AND THAT'S WHY WE CAN LEAVE A
PARTY AND STILL FEEL LONELY.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. OR WE CAN KNOW SOMEONE OUR WHOLE
LIFE AND FEEL LIKE WE DON'T
ACTUALLY KNOW THEM THAT WELL.
>> Reporter: SO HOW DID AN
AVERSION TO SMALL TALK TURN INTO
A BUSINESS?
A BUSINESS? WELL, IT WAS A 50-DAY WILDERNESS
TRIP, THREE OF THOSE DAYS ALONE,
AND SPENT WITH QUOTES SHE LOVED
TO COLLECT.
TO COLLECT. >> I HAD, LIKE, THIS HUGE STACK
OF QUOTES.
OF QUOTES. AND I GOT THIS IDEA TO WRITE A
QUESTION ON THE BACK OF EACH OF
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. AND
THEM. AND I JUST SAT THERE, LIKE, FOR
THREE DAYS UNDER THIS LITTLE
TARP IN THE POURING RAIN AND
WROTE A QUESTION ON THE BACK OF
EACH.
EACH.
EACH. >>
EACH. >> Reporter: BUT THE COURAGE TO
FOLLOW THROUGH ONLY CAME WHEN
SHE HERSELF FELT WHAT SO MANY
PEOPLE FEEL TOO OFTEN.
>> I WOULD FEEL REALLY LONELY IN
THOSE DAYS.
THOSE DAYS. LIKE I HAD FRIENDS, AND I WAS ON
A SOCCER TEAM.
AND I'D LIKE GO OUT TO BARS WITH
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. BUT I JUST WASN'T FEELING
CONNECTED.
CONNECTED. I HAD THIS BOX AND I DECIDED I
WAS GOING TO PUT OUT ON THE
WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN BASICALLY
HAVE EVENTS.
HAVE EVENTS. I SAID, LET'S GET TOGETHER FOR
MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS AT
THIS, LIKE, LOCAL BREWERY.
AND WE ENDED UP STAYING FOR
THREE HOURS.
THREE HOURS. >> WHAT?
>> WHAT?
>> WHAT? >> IT WAS LIKE TOTAL STRANGERS.
WE TALKED ABOUT MASCULINITY,
VULNERABILITY, WHAT IT MEANT TO
HAVE A FULFILLING JOB, AND I
JUST WALKED AWAY AND I WAS LIKE,
WOW, I'M SO CONNECTED.
AND I FELT LIKE FILLED UP.
>> IT'S VERY GROWN UP.
>> Reporter: AND SINCE THAT
FIRST MEETING, SHE'S HAD 40
EVENTS.
EVENTS.
EVENTS. >> WE DON'T GET A LOT OF SPACE
TO SHARE STUFF THAT, LIKE, FEELS
LIKE US.
LIKE US.
LIKE US. >> I THINK THAT'S VERY
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. >> Reporter: AND FOR AN HOUR AND
A HALF IN SOUTH LAKE UNION,
PEOPLE FOUND THAT SPACE.
>> WE DON'T GIVE OTHER PEOPLE
ENOUGH CREDIT SOMETIMES.
>> I'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH
DARKNESS.
DARKNESS.
DARKNESS. >> AND THEN IF I CRY IT'S OKAY.
>> SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE NOT VERY
CLEAR IN THEIR INTENTIONS AND
FEELINGS.
FEELINGS.
FEELINGS. >> MORE AND MORE EVENTS LIKE
THIS NEED TO HAPPEN.
MORE PEOPLE NEED TO COME OUT AND
SHARE THEIR STORIES.
AND STORY TELLING IS IMPORTANT.
>> IT, LIKE, REALLY GIVES YOU A
SAFE PLACE, A SAFE SPACE WHERE
YOU CAN BE A LITTLE BIT
VULNERABLE AND PEOPLE AREN'T
GOING TO JUDGE YOU FOR THAT.
YOU FEEL A LITTLE LIGHT, A
LITTLE BIT LIGHTER, EVEN THOUGH
THE SUBJECTS ARE KIND OF HEAVY.
YOU APPROACH IT WITH A LIGHT
FEELING BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST LIKE
A BOARD GAME KIND OF.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU JUST HAD SOME
GENUINE, LIKE, CONNECTION WITH
SOMEBODY.
SOMEBODY.
SOMEBODY. >> Reporter: SO PERHAPS THIS
CONCEPT IS HAPPY HOUR REDEFINED.
AND THE HIGH A BIT MORE
FULFILLING.
FULFILLING. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. IN JUST A FEW MINUTES WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH HOW
YOU CAN HAVE A MEANINGFUL
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. STEP BY STEP.
>> I CAN'T WAIT.
THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. I THINK SHE IS SO INSIGHTFUL.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. AND