Vanessa Van Edwards shares five conversation topics that work with millennials: Enneagram types, self-care routines like cold plunges, travel to meditation retreats, digestive health trends including "poop-maxing," and cultural touchpoints like astrology and microdosing. Use these to keep the conversation flowing.
Do you ever have trouble talking to millennials? What digestive issues should we be exploring now? Why do we love cold plunges and crypto so much? Does it seem like everyone is either an amateur astrologer or an aspiring gardener? When did we stop wearing shirts over our athleisure? This is your guide to conversation with people ages 30 to 45, or with our old soul Gen Z ages 20 to 30, or young at heart Gen X 45 to 55. Heart you. First up, Enneagram. Millennials simply won't stop talking about it. Are you a 7? Are you a 5? It doesn't matter because it's completely made up. But if you're an introvert and want to get your millennial talking, just ask them their number. Now, this is where things can turn dark for millennials. If you don't know your Enneagram number, certain millennials will badger you, bully you, and not stop guessing your number until you promise to take the test. I get very upset about this because I'm a 3. Second, Self-care routines. Ask about their morning routine, if they prefer sauna or cold plunging. Are they getting enough protein? Do they even lift, bro? Ask their thoughts on non-alcoholic beverages, and you will never run out of things to say. Be careful though, 9 PM is the new 11 PM. Millennials will passively-aggressively argue about times to get together so no one has to sacrifice their self-care routine. Third, travel. Which is better for vacation? But all you have to do is mention locations that are not too mainstream, and it will be socially accepted. Want at least 20 minutes of small talk with a millennial? Ask about their ideal retreat. Hoffman or a silent meditation retreat in an abandoned salt mine in Eastern Europe? Fourth, digestion. Cycles, hormones, fiber. Are you making your own nut milk? Do you eat enough fiber? Where is the best spot for avocado toast? One thing we know for sure, everyone is poop maxing. Except for those Enneagram 4s who have constant constipation. Could it be the lactose? Could it be the nightshades? Could it be the gluten? Millennials wonder, would everything be better if they just ate bread in Europe? Let's wrap up with a quick overview of the biggest questions millennials are facing that you can ask for never-ending conversation. Is Mercury in retrograde? Should everyone have more houseplants? Are you microdosing GLP-1s? Ketamine? Have you thought about it? Are we starting our midlife crisis or ending it? Is it too late for Bitcoin? Have you ever tried a psychedelic? Actually, you probably don't need to ask this. If someone has tried a psychedelic, don't worry, they will find a way to bring it up. And then you get to decide what's worse, hearing about what someone dreamed last night or a minute-by-minute blow of their latest microdosing experience. I'll leave that up to you to decide. For more tips, check out my book, Conversation.
