People who ask good questions always end up with the best stories.

Most conversations run on autopilot because nobody opens a door. A real question, the kind that shows you were actually listening, gives the other person permission to say something they do not usually get to say. That is where the stories live. They were always there, waiting for somebody to ask past the first answer.

Ask one follow-up this week in a spot where you would normally change the subject. When somebody mentions something in passing, ask them to say more about that. Then stay quiet, because the good part almost always comes after the pause they take.