Hello Reader, from your friend Nick, author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party.

In this issue: A note from me, apps that match you with strangers for a meal​, a cool art project, networking tips for conference organizers, September life recap, and more.

NICK GRAY FRIENDS NEWSLETTER

Why you’re getting this: I'm Nick Gray and this is my Friends Newsletter. I send this every month to interesting people I’ve connected with and friends I want to keep in touch with. You can un-subscríbe any time and I won't be mad. I won't even be notified!

A Message from Nick

Hey! I'm going to write something out here instead of just sending links.

How was your week? You good?

I send this Friends Newsletter for fun. I hope you like it. And I wanted to say thanks. Thanks for reading, truly.

I write this newsletter and send links and photos because I don't really like most newsletters. But also because I like to share stuff that I think is interesting.

Plus my newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with so many of you. Some of you read my newsletter and we haven't hung out in so many years… but we're still connected here. I love it when I meet people and they tell me they read my newsletter.

I live in Austin, Texas now. I moved here almost 4 years ago. I met a lot of y'all when I was in New York City. I can say "y'all" without irony since I grew up outside Dallas, Texas. I still think NYC is the best big city in America. But I love my little life in Austin. (See my best NYC tips here.)

I sold my company Museum Hack a few years ago. It was a great exit and I keep my living expenses low, so I don't have to work. But I keep super busy. I get to wake up every day and work on whatever I want. That freedom is a luxury that I don't take for granted. I need to do more charitable stuff, honestly, I know I'm a broken record there. Next year, I promise.

I spend a lot of time working on articles on my blog, trying to make viral videos, talking to readers of my book (see all their happy photos here!), and reading the news because I'm addicted to the news. I make most of my money these days nursing a basket of investments, mostly tech stocks, which you can read about on my little investment website here.

I've been trying to date more intentionally these last few months. So I spend a lot of time going on dates. My viral Tokyo blind date experience taught me that I'm ready to share my life with someone. I want to find a girlfriend, and then I hope to fall in love, and get married, and have kids. I want to buy a house and get a dog and do all those things that many of you have already done.

That kind of life sounds nice. Did you do those things, and do you love it? Any advice? Reply back and tell me your juicy tips. I won't share what you send.

But I'm working on it and I'm happy.

Sometimes companies hire me to help with conferences. I'm flying today to Mexico to be the Master of Ceremonies for a real estate conference (BiggerPockets) with 1,500 attendees. I do this work because I love it, and I like a good challenge, and if I'm honest, I like to be the center of attention, and I hate bad events, so I try to make their events better.

After 20 years I'm still experimenting with my morning routines, productivity tricks, caffeine intake, and optimizing my health. I still struggle with my sleep at times. I have a short attention span, and drink too much diet soda and not enough green tea. But I believe I am getting stronger, and a bit smarter, and I have a little more patience some days. I also think I've become a better speaker, sometimes a better friend, and at times a better writer.

I'll quit blabbing but I hope you're well. I read every reply here and try to write back. Say Hi sometime or send me cool links for my next issue. Now to the newsletter!

Random Links

🍛 ​A new loneliness cure: Apps that match you with strangers for a meal​​

Archived WaPo article: "Several services are trying to help isolated remote workers and others find offline friends."

🔊 BOP SPOTTER​

What a great tech / art project. A guy in SF installed a box high up on a pole somewhere in town. Inside is a crappy Android phone, set to Shazam constantly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's solar powered, and the mic is pointed down at the street below, and it gives you Spotify links to what it hears. So cool.

🚀 SLS is still a national disgrace​

“This document is so sad and infuriating. NASA once made the near impossible possible. It seems irreparably lost now," via Ashlee Vance.

📚 Networking Session Guide for Conference Moderators​

I wrote this! Networking at conferences is often awkward and ineffective... Many attendees leave feeling like they’ve wasted time on shallow small talk. But there’s a better way to create meaningful connections among strangers. It’s called strategic networking facilitation. Use these tips if you run an event or meetup.

September 2024 Life Recap

I wrote up my notes and added 30+ favorite photos. My buddy Neville got married, I met the co-founder of Cloudflare, and I even got pitched on stage to 400+ single women. Read the full recap on my blog here.

My Most Popular Videos

I've received over 100,000,000 views on my short videos across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts now. I put all my most popular ones on a single page. I think they're fun and maybe you'll learn something new. See the full list of videos on my blog.

The End

Thanks for reading my Friends Newsletter. Have a great weekend and week ahead xoxo

🤠 Nick Gray

p.s. Here's the About Me on my website if you forgot who I am. We met [HOWWEMET GOES HERE].

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The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings
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