Welcome back to Connections with Eric! In this eleventh episode, I share my experience with Timeleft, where I paid 25 bucks a month to have dinner with five random strangers every Wednesday, and how it led to piano lessons for my kids and the most unexpected conversations.
If you caught episode 10 where I broke down how to use icebreakers as a cheat code for engagement, this episode explores a completely different approach to meeting people: showing up to a restaurant with zero control over who you’re eating with.
This episode is all about the difference between scrolling Instagram and actually showing up, why not every dinner was perfect but all of them were worth it, and the German guy who travels the world for free by cat sitting.
Keep reading below for what happened when I stopped saying I wanted new friends and actually did something about it, including the plastic surgeon who told me 20% of her clients are straight men getting butt implants.
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Most People Say They Want Friends
Most people say they want to meet new friends, but then they go sit at home scrolling Instagram. I tried something different: I paid 25 bucks, showed up at a restaurant in Bucharest, and had dinner with five total strangers. Sounds awkward, right? Except it wasn’t. It turned into piano lessons for my kids, new friends at my cocktail parties, and even a wild conversation about men getting butt implants.
What Is Timeleft?
So here’s the deal. Most people say they want new friends, but then what do they do? They sit at home, scrolling Instagram, double-tapping memes like that counts as a social life. Me? I decided to try something different.
I signed up for this thing called Timeleft. You pay about 25 bucks a month, and every Wednesday night they slot you into a dinner with five total strangers. They pick the restaurant, you just show up. No swiping, no “hey, what’s up?” messages that go nowhere. It’s just, boom, here’s your table.
The First Dinner
And I’ll admit, the first time felt weird. Like, “what am I doing, speed dating for friends?” But it turned out awesome. Dinner started at seven, we didn’t leave till after 11. Great conversation, lots of laughs, and two of those people ended up in my actual life. One guy now comes to my cocktail parties. Another woman’s a pianist, and she’s teaching my kids how to play piano. Not bad for 25 bucks and some pasta.
Not Every Dinner Was Perfect
Now, not every dinner was perfect. The second one had this guy who just would not shut up. You know the type, no awareness, just monologuing like he’s on a TED Talk nobody asked for. I’m sitting there like, “Buddy, I didn’t come here to listen to your podcast.” But hey, I still clicked with another guy at that dinner, ended up inviting him to my cocktail parties too.
The Surprises
And there were surprises. Like the plastic surgeon at dinner number two. I ask her, “So, I guess most of your clients are women, right?” She says, “Actually, 20% are men.” And I’m thinking, “Okay, must be gay guys, right?” Nope. Straight dudes. And get this, most of them are getting butt lifts. Straight guys getting cheek implants. I didn’t even know that was a thing. Now I can’t go to the gym without side-eyeing the guy on the glute machine.
Another time, I met this German guy who travels the world for free by cat sitting. That’s it. He watches cats. I’m like, “What’s the job description? Feed it, scoop the litter box, try not to step on it? That’s your world tour ticket?” He’s lived in 30 countries like this. Meanwhile, I’m paying for Airbnbs like an idiot.
Every Dinner Was Worth It
Not every dinner leads to lifelong friends, but honestly? Every single one was worth it. The conversations were fun, it pulled me out of isolation, and yeah, sometimes I even recruited people to come to my cocktail parties which leads to other social outings. Win-win.
The Real Lesson
So look, if you’ve ever thought “I need more friends,” but your big plan is Netflix and DoorDash, do something different. Dinner with strangers sounds awkward, but it’s way less depressing than being the guy sitting at home talking to his cat.
Conclusion
Saying you want new friends while scrolling Instagram at home is not a strategy. Actually showing up to dinner with five strangers you’ve never met? That’s a strategy. And while it sounds awkward in theory, the reality is often surprisingly good.
Through Timeleft, I found a pianist teaching my kids piano, recruited people to my cocktail parties, and had conversations I never would have had otherwise. Not every dinner was perfect, some guy monologued like a TED Talk nobody asked for, but every single one was worth showing up for.
The lesson? Stop waiting for friends to magically appear. Take action, even if it feels weird. Pay the 25 bucks, show up to the restaurant, and see what happens. It beats talking to your cat.
But here’s what I’ve been thinking about lately: all these parties, all these dinners, all this effort to build connections. Where did that drive even come from? In episode 12, I share the crazy idea I had back in 2007 that gave me more purpose than my actual career and why the stuff we think will make us happy loses its shine in about a month. Episode 12 drops next Wednesday!
For more episodes and stories like this, check out my complete episode guide. And fyi, if you didn’t know, I’m rebuilding my social life after separation through cocktail parties, game nights, and even Timeleft. Want the playbook? Get it by clicking here.