Just Start: Meeting New Friends

What if you could enjoy this?

Author

Daniel Baarns
November 08, 2025

Dear Andre, (3 min read)

What if you could enjoy meeting new people? (there’s an AI prompt at the bottom grab that before you go)

Have you ever been to a networking event where 30 people go around the room introducing themselves?

“Hi, I’m John, I’m a project manager at PG&E”

“Hi, I’m Sarah, I’m a teacher.”

“Hi, I’m Mike, I work in finance.”

It’s painful. Soul-crushing. Boring.

I was at a young professionals event a year ago, and we were doing exactly this. One by one, 30 people gave their stock, lifeless introductions. My turn came up.

“Hi, I’m Daniel. I KARATE CHOP the dirt off the inside and outside of cars.” (Cue the actual karate chop motion.)

The room erupted in laughter.

Not because it was that funny, but because everyone else had been SO BORING. I was the only person who added even a little bit of fun to their introduction.

And here’s what happened: People remembered me. They came up to me afterward. They wanted to know more.

What if you could be that person?

The one people actually remember?

The one who makes networking events (or simply meeting new people) feel less like a chore and more like an actual conversation?

You can. And it starts with understanding the secret to a great first impression.

The Secret to a Great First Impression

A killer first impression has four components: (I made free doc with all of these broken down if you don’t want to wait)

  1. Fun

  2. Trust

  3. Respect

  4. Turning the spotlight back on them

Let’s start with fun.

I used these ideas in a speaking engagement I did earlier this week. (youtube video)

Where Most People Go Wrong

Most people lead with respect (by flexing their credentials, achievements, or job titles). Or they start with a generic compliment, but something feels… off.

What’s missing? Energy. Enthusiasm.

That’s where fun comes in.

Sidenote: the last three newsletters were all about enthusiasm.

How to Add Fun to Conversations

Here’s a simple hack: Be “better than good.”

When someone asks, “How are you?” don’t default to “good, fine” or “not bad.” What if you responded with, “I’m excellent!” or “Solid!” or even “Amazing!”—with a glint in your eye and a spring in your step?

It can’t simply be a word. It must be communicated in your voice and your eyes.

And what if you felt that way? (At least a little?)

What If You Don’t Feel Amazing?

If life’s tough right now, that’s okay. But here’s a question: Are you just defaulting to “good” because it’s a habit? (It still happens to me sometimes.)

When someone asked me yesterday how I was, I said: “I’m tired, but excellent—excited to write your story!”

Both can be true: tired and excellent.

Most people lack enthusiasm. They’re just surviving. So if you bring even a small spark of energy, you’ll stand out.

Lead with Fun

When people ask what I do, I don’t start with a boring answer.

I say: (one of these not all five)

  • “I clean up after aspiring artists.”

  • “I karate chop the dirt off cars.” (Cue the kick for effect!)

  • “I type things and sometimes people read them on purpose.”

  • “I convince people my internal monologue is worth $10.”

  • “I charge money to tell people what their customers actually want.”

  • “I help people yell about their business on the internet (strategically).”

Then I laugh and explain what I actually do. The result? Laughter, curiosity, and a memorable conversation.

Fun is disarming. It puts people at ease and creates connection.

Your Mission (prompt to create your fun intro)

This week:

  1. Bring “better than good” energy into conversations

  2. Find a funny way to describe what you do for work.

Here’s a prompt you can use: (just copy and paste this)

PROMPT: Create Fun Ways to Introduce My Work I want to create 5-10 fun, memorable ways to introduce what I do for work (instead of the boring, standard answer everyone gives at networking events). My current boring introduction is: [INSERT YOUR STANDARD INTRODUCTION HERE] What I actually do: [DESCRIBE YOUR JOB/BUSINESS IN 1-2 SENTENCES] Please create fun, playful alternatives that: • Make people laugh or smile • Are memorable and stand out • Still give people a sense of what I actually do • I can say with energy and confidence • Aren’t too long (1-2 sentences max) Examples of the style I’m going for: • “I clean up after aspiring artists” (car detailing) • “I karate chop the dirt off cars” (car detailing) • “I charge money to tell people what their customers actually want” (marketing) • “I help people yell about their business on the internet (strategically)” (marketing agency) • “I convince people my internal monologue is worth $10” (author) Give me options ranging from subtle humor to more bold/playful. I want to test a few and see which one feels most like me. Copy this prompt, fill in your details, and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude to get your personalized fun introductions!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Create one fun way to introduce yourself or what you do. Practice it. Use it at your next networking event or when meeting someone new.

It’s simple. Simple isn’t easy.

But you’ve got this.

Talk soon,

Daniel

P.S. If you want to see these ideas in action I spoke last week in front of 30 business owners. I bring a lot of fun into my speaking: https://youtu.be/yuVYSF6uK2U