What we’re about
Do you wish you could have more of the kinds of conversations you have late at night where for some reason, you feel safe talking about the things you actually care about?
Then you'll probably be into this Meetup. We host events called Skip the Small Talks where we use question prompts designed based in psychology research to help strangers have meaningful conversations with each other.
Not feeling like answering a particular question? No worries, we'll have plenty to choose from, like, "When are you the happiest?" and, "If you were going to become close friends with me, what would I need to know about you?" We'll give you ground rules to make sure you feel comfortable and safe sharing as much of yourself as possible while still feeling in complete control of how much you divulge.
Upcoming events
14
$5 First Fridays Stand Up Comedy Shows at Chicago's best venue!
Laugh Factory Chicago, 3175 n Broadway, Chicago , IL, USThe Laugh Factory in Lakeview (Broadway & Belmont) is open for comedy and we all could use some laughs! We always get A LOT of people to attend these shows. Often times over 100 Meetup members!
If you attend by yourself or with friends and want to be seated in the Meetup group section, simply request this when you check in at the ticket booth! Then just say hi to those around you :)
Every First Friday of the month we get $5 TICKETS to their shows at 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30 pm. They're ALWAYS hilarious!
--------------------------------
Get your $5 tickets ASAP before the quantity they give us get sells out. And with our "laugh or get a refund" policy (that has never in 4 years been requested), I know you'll enjoy your MUCH NEEDED night out! This event is posted in lots of different Meetup groups, so the RSVP # won't show how many are actually attending.
READ THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHOW AND GET YOUR $5 TIX HERE: https://tinyurl.com/firstfridayslaughfactory
*You can purchase tickets for several people and multiple shows this night through the link. No physical tickets will be issued. Your name will be on a list at the door and all tickets will be under the purchaser's name. Groups of up to 6 people can be sat together if arriving together.
Please Note: These shows are for ages 18+ w/ ID. If you show up after start time you will not be able to enter. There is a 2 drink minimum per person per show (non-alcoholic or alcoholic). Drinks are reasonably priced, and a comedy show is funnier with a few drinks, so this shouldn't be an issue with how cheap our tickets are :) Also, an 18% service fee (aka gratuity) will be applied to all drink tabs at payment to be given directly to service staff.
No refunds or exchanges but tickets can be transferred.
--------------------------------
Is there parking? Street parking and some garages are available throughout the area. However, public transit, ridesharing apps, and taxi services are highly encouraged.
What is the dress code? There is no dress code. Be comfortable!
READ THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHOW AND GET YOUR $5 TIX HERE: https://tinyurl.com/firstfridayslaughfactory
Enjoy the laughter!
-Ben
10 attendees
Skip the Small Talk Night at Uncommon Ground
UncommonGround - Lakeview, 3800 N Clark St, Chicago, IL, US###PLEASE NOTE: Even if you RSVP on Meetup, you will need to grab a ticket here https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/skip-the-small-talk-night-at-uncommon-ground-monday-november-10-2025 in order to attend### This event is cross-posted so Meetup RSVPs won't accurately reflect the actual number of attendees; typically there are around 30-40 people in attendance.
What's It Like?
Do you wish you could have more of the kinds of conversations you have late at night where for some reason, you feel safe talking about the things you actually care about?
Bring your friends (or come by yourself- most people do!) and spend your Monday night at an event where you know everyone else is there for the same reason.
We'll be offering 'big talk' conversational prompts on them to get you started, and we'll have lots of structure to make sure that you actually talk to people and that it's not awkward.
There will be food and drinks for sale!
Check-in for this event will begin around 6:15 pm. Please do your best to arrive before 6:30 pm so we can begin as close to on time as possible.
Skip the Small Talk is dedicated to providing an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone. Check out our safety policy here: tinyurl.com/ststSafety
Please see our event page for more accessibility info.
Ready to Skip the Small Talk With Us?
Grab a ticket since entry is on a first come first serve basis and we tend to sell out in advance for these-- once we are out of tickets, we will NOT be able to accommodate folks at the door.
To see what else Uncommon Ground has going on, check out their website here! If you want to be the first to hear about our events before we sell out, feel free to join our mailing list at Skip the Small Talk Mailing List Sign-Up
###PLEASE NOTE: Even if you RSVP on Meetup, you will need to grab a ticket here https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/skip-the-small-talk-night-at-uncommon-ground-monday-november-10-2025 in order to attend### This event is cross-posted so Meetup RSVPs won't accurately reflect the actual number of attendees; typically there are around 30-40 people in attendance.
16 attendees
•OnlineSkip the Small Talk Night Online
Online###You'll need the event URL, so be sure to register in advance at https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/skip-the-small-talk-night-online-thursday-november-13-2025 so we can send it to you. We'll send you an e-mail with the Zoom link a few minutes after you purchase a ticket (and we’ll also send it again the day of the event)-- please check both your “spam” AND “junk” folders if you don't see it!###
You may expect this event to run from 7:00-8:15pm ET/ 6:00 - 7:15 pm CT/ 5:00 - 6:15 pm MT/ 4:00 - 5:15 pm PT. Please be aware of time zone differences.
These Zoom events are designed based in psychology research to give you all the warm fuzzy feelings of human closeness, without that feeling of Zoom-fatigue afterward.
We use question prompts and a structure designed based in psychology research to help you get vulnerable with strangers in a way that actually feels safe, and that brings out the best in people.
All our events are trauma-informed and facilitated by folks with therapeutic training. According to our surveys, a lot of our guests report feeling nervous about coming, but 100% of the people who say they were nervous also end up saying they were glad they came. There might be some selection bias going on, but we still think it's promising :)
We even had an academic paper come out about our online events showing that they improve mood and reduce loneliness! Check that out here.
What's it like?
The whole thing is on Zoom.
We'll put you into pairs in breakout rooms, and you'll switch partners so you're not just talking to the same person the whole night.
We'll give you question prompts to spark conversations to make sure you're getting the most out of your conversations.
Some examples of our research-backed prompts are, "What's something you're proud of that you don't usually get to share with people?" And, "What's something I would need to know about you in order to be friends with you?"
But if you hate our prompts, you'll always be invited to make up your own or talk about whatever feels right.
What do people say about it?
Here's some stuff people have told us (unprompted!) about the online Skip the Small Talks:
"I was surprised at how good this was! I'll definitely be coming back!"
"This has turned into my weekly self-care-- going to this event every week is something kind I do for myself to stay sane."
"I'm an introvert, and to be honest, I even think of myself as someone who generally hates other people, but I actually feel energized after Skip the Small Talk online. For some reason, I feel Zoom fatigue in pretty much every other online interaction, but I'm usually, like, giddy after these."
Ready to Skip the Small Talk with us?
You can grab a ticket here.
Please do your best to arrive a couple minutes before 7pm ET/ 6pm CT/ 5pm MT/ 4pm PT if you haven't been to one of these before so you don't miss the intro, but feel free to come late if you need to-- you'll still be able to participate just fine!
If you've come to an online Skip the Small Talk before and would rather skip the intro, feel free to come at 7:10 pm ET/ 6:10 CT/ 5:10 MT/ 4:10 PT.
Skip the Small Talk is dedicated to providing an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone. Check out our safety policy here.
Need accessibility accommodations?
Please see ticket page for more details.
Want to keep up with our events?
If you want to be the first to get access to tickets, and also get free exclusive content about how to improve your relationships, communicate more effectively, and more deeply, join our mailing list (don't worry, we hate mailing lists, too-- we only e-mail when we have something useful to tell you about, like new events).
If you are interested in buying Skip the Small Talk question prompt cards to use in your everyday life, you can check those out here
###FYI that Meetup might say that "you're going" if you RSVP as "going," but you'll need to sign up at https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/skip-the-small-talk-night-online-thursday-november-13-2025
This event is being cross-posted, so the number of RSVPs shown won't accurately reflect the number actually attending.
Hope to have you there!
2 attendees$5 First Fridays Stand Up Comedy Shows at Chicago's best venue!
Laugh Factory Chicago, 3175 n Broadway, Chicago , IL, USThe Laugh Factory in Lakeview (Broadway & Belmont) is open for comedy and we all could use some laughs! We always get A LOT of people to attend these shows. Often times over 100 Meetup members!
If you attend by yourself or with friends and want to be seated in the Meetup group section, simply request this when you check in at the ticket booth! Then just say hi to those around you :)
Every First Friday of the month we get $5 TICKETS to their shows at 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30 pm. They're ALWAYS hilarious!
--------------------------------
Get your $5 tickets ASAP before the quantity they give us get sells out. And with our "laugh or get a refund" policy (that has never in 4 years been requested), I know you'll enjoy your MUCH NEEDED night out! This event is posted in lots of different Meetup groups, so the RSVP # won't show how many are actually attending.
READ THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHOW AND GET YOUR $5 TIX HERE: https://tinyurl.com/firstfridayslaughfactory
*You can purchase tickets for several people and multiple shows this night through the link. No physical tickets will be issued. Your name will be on a list at the door and all tickets will be under the purchaser's name. Groups of up to 6 people can be sat together if arriving together.
Please Note: These shows are for ages 18+ w/ ID. If you show up after start time you will not be able to enter. There is a 2 drink minimum per person per show (non-alcoholic or alcoholic). Drinks are reasonably priced, and a comedy show is funnier with a few drinks, so this shouldn't be an issue with how cheap our tickets are :) Also, an 18% service fee (aka gratuity) will be applied to all drink tabs at payment to be given directly to service staff.
No refunds or exchanges but tickets can be transferred.
--------------------------------
Is there parking? Street parking and some garages are available throughout the area. However, public transit, ridesharing apps, and taxi services are highly encouraged.
What is the dress code? There is no dress code. Be comfortable!
READ THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHOW AND GET YOUR $5 TIX HERE: https://tinyurl.com/firstfridayslaughfactory
Enjoy the laughter!
-Ben
2 attendees
Past events
101
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