What Starts with a Simple Reach-Out
What a great Dialogue Miles™ walk with Daniel Shomo, an experience that captured so much of what this platform is meant to be: intentional connection, curiosity, and the simple act of reaching out.
Dan and I originally connected because he noticed one of my recent Dialogue Miles posts where I was walking the Richland Creek Greenway; a favorite spot of his. He commented, I replied, and one message later we were scheduling a walk at another great Nashville location: Percy Warner Park.
How It Started
When we arrived, we were each finishing up the inevitable pre‑walk phone calls in our cars, met near the stairs at Percy Warner, and set off on a relaxed 2.5‑mile loop. Right away, Dan stood out as an authentic and humble person, a former DIII basketball player so was not aware of the height difference until we met.
Shared Threads
As we traded stories, we found many shared experiences. He lived in the Boston area during the 2004 Championship. He moved to Nashville from Virginia 15 years ago; I came here from Ohio 10 years back. He went to a small liberal arts college; I went to a slightly bigger one but still with that same spirit. He has a Great Dane; I had a Westie. Different dogs, same love of dogs. Different paths, similar contours.
Takeaways
The center of the walk was the conversation.
A simple reach-out can open a meaningful doos. This all started because Dan commented and I responded. You never know what’s on the other side of a simple gesture.
Real connection happens when you release the idea of ‘networking.’ This wasn’t about business deals or professional opportunity pipelines. It was two people getting some exercise and sharing stories.
Dan mentioned how important it is to hear people. We each have had countless interactions over the years with random people: you never really know what someone is carrying, and taking the time to listen matters.
Humility shows up in how people tell their stories. Dan asked thoughtful questions about me and I was equally curious about him. Reminding me that most people have far more in common than we realize.
First connections create the path for long-term relationships. When you show up authentically and share a bit of who you truly are, it helps the other person do the same. Today laid the groundwork for more walks, more conversations, and a developing friendship.
Disconnecting from devices reconnects us with the world. Sometimes you need to drop the headphones and listen to the birds, the wind, the noise of life happening around you.
A Final Thought
At the end of the walk, Dan said he was grateful we met, grateful for the time, and grateful for the chance to hear parts of my story. The feeling was mutual. We’re already talking about a second walk and I’m certain it will happen soon.
Dan, thank you for the conversation, the curiosity, and for reaching out in the first place. It made all the difference.
