How a Conversation Turned into a Club

How it started

In November 2024, I attended a talk in Montreal by Charles Lin of Impact Net Zero. He shared an approach to climate action that I hadn’t heard before: that personal storytelling can move people more deeply– and motivate them more effectively– than facts and figures. He talked about raising his family in Montreal without a car, and the small choices he makes each day – using less paper towel, avoiding food waste – the kinds of things he called “a drop in the bucket.” Charles’ perspective resonated with me, and his stories stayed with me in a way that statistics alone might not have.

What I did

A few months later, I invited Charles to share his climate action talk with a small group of my friends on Zoom. The guests came from different corners of my life and didn’t all know each other, but the conversation sparked thoughtful questions and honest reflection.

This was the event poster

In the weeks that followed, a few friends told me they were still thinking about it. We started talking about meeting regularly – creating a casual, consistent space to discuss things we often mean to bring up but rarely do – anything from health to climate to personal finance.

That’s how the idea for a “conversation club” began to take shape.

The format is simple: we pick a topic, show up, and talk. We meet once a month, for now on Zoom because we’re in different cities. Eventually, the goal is to gather in person, maybe in someone’s living room or at a quiet spot in the park.

Why it works

This format works because there’s no prep, no pressure– just conversation. Some topics can feel too heavy, or risky to bring up in regular meetings. This club creates a non-threatening space – not to debate or persuade – but to share, listen, and connect.

Since starting this club, I’ve learned that it’s just one version of a broader trend. Death Cafés, where strangers gather to talk openly about death over coffee and cake, have been gaining popularity around the world. In Singapore, the Casual Poet Library is an effort to “build a shared library together that is run in the spirit of ease, openness, trust and respect.”  These community-led initiatives provide “third places” – low-pressure environments for people to talk about big topics with people they’ve never met before.

Future plans

For now, our goal is just to make space for storytelling and conversation, the way Charles did. If this idea resonates with you, try it. Choose a topic, invite a few friends, and see where the conversation takes you.