Summary: Start with hello. Yes, it's that simple, start your interaction with "Hello, my name is..." and see what comes of it. Our guest for this week's conversation is Jason Simon. A self-proclaimed coffee aficionado and principle voice of caffeinatedconversations.com , Jason believes in creating opportunities for conversations. As you'll hear during our conversation, Jason is passionate about the art of conversations. He describes his philosophy this way on his website: It’s not necessarily who you know, but who you’ve yet to meet that often becomes the most consequential in shaping what you do next, offering ideas and a perspective that’s different from your own. And even if it’s just hello, short of a conversation, acknowledging someone can make their day—little things can make a big difference. Next time you find yourself in Seattle, I encourage you to look him up. He's likely to be the guy wearing a t-shirt that reads: "tap me on the shoulder if you'd like to chat." About Jason Simon My Grandma introduced me to coffee when I was young and I still drink it black. I was a casual coffee drinker until college at University of California, Santa Cruz where spending time at coffee shops became the norm. I didn’t know good coffee from bad, but I enjoyed lively conversation. Years later, frustrated with the politics of the day while studying Conflict Analysis & Resolution at George Mason University, I met Lucy at a local coffee shop. Starting with hello, a conversation emerged, and soon enough, we became friends, meeting nearly once a week for coffee. Soon after graduation, I moved to Seattle, the coffee capital of North America, and immersed myself in all things coffee and conversation. I started reading about the history of coffeehouses, attending conversation cafes, and initiating conversations with strangers at coffee shops; weak ties soon became strong and many became friends. Jason also wrote a guest post for our website. You can view it here! Jason's Reading List East of Eden (Affiliate Link) Foucault and Social Dialogue: Beyond Fragmentation (Affiliate Link) Photos courtesy of Jason Simon and CaffeineatedConversation.com
