The Human Innovation Garage

Here's a story that will hopefully make you consider joining us. No cost for the event. Just you, your energy and dinner. And then allow me to invite you to think about this:

That stranger sitting next to you at the conference? They might just change your entire perspective.

Last week, a CEO shared how a random conversation with a barista led to his company's biggest breakthrough. Not because of what they knew about business, but because of how they saw the world differently.

We spend so much time in our familiar circles - same industry events, same types of conversations, same predictable outcomes. But transformation happens in the unexpected spaces between comfort zones.

When you intentionally sit next to someone outside your usual circle, you're not just networking. You're opening yourself to new ways of thinking, fresh approaches to old problems, and authentic connections that could reshape your legacy.

The question isn't whether you have time for these conversations. It's whether you can afford not to have them.

Who's the most unlikely person you've connected with recently? What did they teach you about leadership that your usual circle couldn't?

I was stuck in an airport for almost 6 hours during a snowstorm last winter, and I was sitting next to a janitor who'd been there for 30 years.

Instead of scrolling my phone, I listened. Really listened.

He told me about how he remembered every frequent flyer by name, how he'd slip extra snacks to stressed travelers, and how he saw his being joyful at work as "making people feel good". And maybe it's just being seen as a traveler in airport that makes you unseen?

This conversation every tome I go to the airport today makes me think about that conversation. If we apply this encounter of mine to leadership, it's very quickly clear, that it isn't about the corner office or the title on your business card. It's about those moments when you choose to see someone's humanity instead of their function.

It's why we created the Dinner That Connects Series. Most transformative leadership lessons often happen in the most unexpected places.

What's one leadership lesson you learned outside the boardroom that changed how you connect with others? Share your story below - I'd love to hear it.

Seats are limited. Reserve yours via the link in the comments.

Last week, I overheard a conversation next table between a daughter and her father. It opened my thoughts to the following. And yes, I know how rude of me to even listen in.

".....when you talk about work, your eyes light up. But when you talk about your day, they don't. Why?" That's what she said to her Dad.

That one question when you ask yourself can shift everything. Maybe it will make also you realize that you are so focused on achieving success that you have forgotten what fulfillment actually felt like.

The most profound leadership insights often come from the most unexpected places - sometimes right at our own dinner table. These conversations don't just change our perspective; they change our trajectory.

I personally believe the greatest transformations happen when we're brave enough to listen to the voices that matter most - even when they challenge everything we think we know about success.
What's one conversation around your dinner table that changed your perspective forever?And if you crave connection and a table that invites you to be real and build connections then please join us for one of the dinners in Boston, NYC, or Stamford. Please join via the link in the comments.