This week, I spoke to Elias. From Germany, he was traveling to New York City, where I happened to be, and we struck up a delightful conversation.

We chatted about travel, the openness of being in America, and the beauty of making new connections with strangers, near and far.

Thank you, Elias...and safe travels!

This week, I was stuck in the airport. And it turned out to be the greatest opportunity for a podcast episode. I ran into Juan and we chatted about so many topics: east coast vs. west coast, family, traveling, and being yourself.

Hope you enjoy.

Thank you, Juan!

This week, I sat down with Lauren. She was incredibly kind, warm, and full of generosity. As an equestrian, she trains horses in Los Angeles. AND she was even brave enough to rescue many of them from the recent LA fires and the Woolsey Fires, years ago. She was such an inspiration.

Thank you, Lauren...and Dobby!

This week, I met Katarina. She was incredibly vulnerable and open and was evacuated during the recent LA fires. I admired her bravery so much. I hope you do, too.

Thank you, Katarina!

For the very first episode, I sat down with Mark. After being turned down by three strangers, Mark was willing to chat. We talked about him moving from the East Coast, the hustle he brought to Los Angeles, making friends, and how he manages stress in an ever-changing world.

Hope you enjoy. Thank you, Mark!

Hi, everyone! This is Joe Quenqua, and I am so excited to be launching my podcast, "How to Talk to Strangers."

It's a question you might have googled - because let's face it; talking to strangers can be scary! But I love talking to strangers (and people in general) to hear their stories, their heartbreaks, their struggles, and their joys and successes.

I've found that no matter how different we may seem, we are ALL fundamentally the same. And this podcast celebrates that.