Wanna Connect With Others? Here’s a Better Question To Ask

His name is John. He was my Lyft driver recently for a ride into downtown Denver.

After we exchanged, “Good Morning” greetings, he asked me where I was visiting from.

“San Diego,” I chimed in. “But I lived in Denver for 9 years.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” he responded. “I’ve lived in Denver for 15 years.”

“Nice,” I retorted back. “So where are you originally from,” I asked

“Ohio,” he responded.

[Big smile on my face] — “Me too. I’m from Columbus.”

“Dayton, man,” he responded. “After that, Indianapolis.”

[Laughter] — “Me, too.”

As a connector, there is nothing that gets me more jazzed than a spirited conversation like this.

And what’s my secret sauce for fueling them? In short, I always ask strangers the question:

“Where are you originally from?”

Try it sometime and watch that person light up like a Christmas tree.

Honestly, whenever I go to a networking or social event, I find myself totally nauseated, ready to vomit when someone I’ve newly crossed paths with asks that age-old question.