Reach out
Best ways to get a response
It’s easier to reply in between things. I’ll try to get back to you within a day. If I don’t, I don’t mind a nudge—as long as you promise not to take it personally. I just have lot going on (just like you!)
You can also try:
I’m not as fast to reply here unless there’s a specific urgency or opportunity. I want to reply faster, but I’ve also been saying that to myself for the last 10 years.
Professional inquiries
I’m generally most interested in speaking or podcast interview opportunities. You can learn more about my speaking background and experience here.
I’m less available for consulting or formal advisory, but I try my best to provide advice when I’m asked for it. If you’re working on something I wish I came up with myself, I’m more likely to make it a priority.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve spoken regularly on topics ranging from community, belonging, and loneliness to branding, social impact, and starting movements like Tea With Strangers.
I’d like to speak more—especially to young people—about mindfulness, building a relationship with yourself, making a life of art, meaning making and purpose, the journey of growing up, and being a brown person in America.
“Can we meet for coffee?”
If you want to meet for a general chat or talk shop—about Tea With Strangers, relationships, connecting with others, how to build a community, where the community industry is going, the space between connection, consumer technology, and meaning—I’ll do my best.
I love these conversations, and I could have ‘em forever, but it’s generally hard for me to prioritize these.
It’s more likely that I suggest a middle ground, like a phone call during a walk, which I think can be similarly effective in jumpstarting a relationship (and maintaining one, for that matter).
Just reach out.
I’m a big believer in reaching out. My life has been defined largely by the product of cold emails, messages, invitations.
My first internship came from someone I met on Twitter in 2007. From 2010-13, I spent 3 months a year working in rural India after emailing a social worker in rural Varanasi out of the blue. My girlfriend and I started dating after I messaged her on FB to let her know how impressed I was with her toned arms (6 months after we talked for 5 minutes at a conference). I started a global community organization based on the idea of inviting strangers to meet for conversations for literally no reason at all.
Most of my greatest relationships grew from just taking the leap and saying something in the face of inertia.
In other words, try me. I love a good seed for serendipity.