I've been trying to improve myself more than normal recently, in an effort to get an even higher quality of ladies to what I am used. I should start by saying that I'm a very confident guy and great at holding a conversation, but this was an interesting challenge that I made up for myself.

I work on the fourth floor of an office building and use the elevator about four times a day, morning, lunch, and night. Almost every time, someone else is in the elevator, and I invariably wouldn't really communicate beyond a brief hello. Most of the people were not my coworkers, instead they are all kinds of people: men, women, businessmen, receptionists, cleaners, delivery men, IT guys, etc. The ride to my floor is perhaps 20-30 seconds.

So I decided to try and have a meaningful conversation every time I encountered someone in the elevator. This is astonishingly hard, but it's been really fun doing it. The first few days my conversations were mostly one sided and probably came off as really weird; I'd say hi and introduce myself, and maybe ask them how they were doing, and then the elevator would open.

The last week though has been really awesome, all because of my elevator challenge.

  • I've befriended the valet (useful guy to know!).
  • I've met a load more of my coworkers (we are 200 strong, hard to know everyone).
  • I was invited to the leaving party of a guy on a different floor in the building (he and a friend were heading down in the evening and they asked me along).
  • I ended up having lunch with the CEO of a major company you've probably heard of, he was going down for lunch in my elevator one day and he liked my confidence so much we kept talking off the elevator and went to get lunch.
  • I got invited up for breakfast at another company one morning (their admin was bringing it up, and asked me to join them).
  • I had lunch with two hot chicks and a dude from yet another company; I got one of their numbers after the meal.

It's really raised my game, and I've noticed my conversational skills elsewhere have improved too, and I've generally been more successful outside of the elevator too.

So as a challenge, whenever you ride the elevator from now on, try to lighten your traveling partner's day.