Thanksgiving (or any gathering really that involves food, bevvies, and people) can be a lot of fun. But, for those shy souls who would rather be in comfy solitude, on their own couch with their own pumpkin pie – it can make your heart skip a beat when you think of having to strike up a conversation with someone.

Well, my lovely, I’ve got your back!

Whether it’s a festive fall shindig, or a massive sit-down dinner, I’ve got some game-changing conversation starters that’ll make mingling a piece of cake (or pumpkin pie).

Picture this: you’re about to strut into that holiday gathering, armed with a newfound confidence to conquer any conversation. 

Or at least, a smile on your face and a few charming, genuine conversation pieces in your back pocket.

Most of my career consisted of diving headfirst into conversations with strangers. From interviewing guests to cold calling folks and asking for interviews (even showing up unannounced and knocking on people’s doors sometimes), so I’ve learned some things along the way that can get you through the upcoming holiday season.

Whether you’re going to be stepping into your partner’s,  friend’s, or your own family’s gathering, the easiest (and quickest) way to get the conversation flowing is to ask how you can help, or if there’s anything you can do. It’s polite and easy.

Another super easy one, thanks to it now being the start of fall, is to ask how their summer was…. “Did you do any traveling, camping?”, “Did you get some time to relax and enjoy yourself?” 

From there, you can ask about their favourite vacation spot! Who doesn’t love talking about travel, right? It’s a great way to find common ground and spark an interesting conversation.

This next one is super low hanging fruit, but the trick is to dig deeper… “How’s work going?” BUT you can always follow it up with something like “Yea, work-life balance is super important! Outside of work, I love trying new recipes, getting lost in a good book (insert your hobbies), what about you? What do you enjoy when you’re not hustling at work?” It’s another great way to find common ground, or just have a lovely convo with someone!

And I’ll wrap this up with my favourite, fail-proof way to make mingling a breeze… “Watched anything good lately?”, and again, follow it up by going deeper and encouraging them to converse with you: “Recently, I binge-watched ___________ and I can’t stop raving about it. Have you watched anything good lately?” And you can always transition to “And how about podcasts? Any recommendations?” Most people like some form of entertainment – books, podcasts, movies, tv shows, musicals… it’s a pretty safe bet!

So, let’s make this October, November, and December, the holiday season that you embrace your inner conversational superstar! Let’s banish those awkward silences and embrace the power of connection with these conversation starters – you can do this!!