HOW IT STARTED
Why I Created Now You’re Talking®
Now You're Talking® was created from a simple realization: people were sitting together, but meaningful conversation was quietly disappearing.
I have always known the power of a question through my work in recruitment. Some of the most meaningful conversations begin with a simple question, and often the answers reveal far more than people expect.
Why Getting People Talking Again Matters
We’ve become disconnected. Everywhere I go, I see people glued to their screens instead of engaging with the people around them.
Meaningful conversation is disappearing, and with it, the connection so many of us are craving.
Now You're Talking® was created to help change that.
The Book That Started It All
The book that inspired the game.
Every Big Idea Starts Somewhere
This one started with sticky notes, questions, and a vision to get people talking again.
A Full Circle Moment
I serendipitously reunited with the person who first inspired my dream of creating a board game. A true full-circle moment.
The Story Behind The Game
After two years of writing, I finally submitted the first draft of Unravel You. It felt like a huge weight had lifted.
For the first time in a long time, I could breathe. The process had consumed so much of my life that one evening, my husband Bob jokingly asked if we would ever talk about anything else again.
The very morning I submitted the manuscript, we were walking to a coffee shop when I casually said, “If I seem quiet, it’s because I’m thinking about a board game.”
I had no idea what it would become or how it would take shape. I just knew it had to happen.
Over the next few days, I let the idea simmer while observing the world around me. Then, on a whim, I went to a local dollar store and picked up sticky notes, a whiteboard, and a few sparkly decorations.
That night, home alone, I spread everything out across the table and started building ideas. Just like that, the very first version of Now You're Talking® was born.
But the truth is, this game had been waiting inside me for decades.
As a teenager, I was inspired by Laura Robinson, the co-inventor of Balderdash, who went to my high school. She did not know it at the time, but she planted the seed that one day, I would create a board game too.
It was not until writing Unravel You that I uncovered the real foundation behind the idea, a culmination of life lessons, work experiences, friendships, heartbreak, personal growth, and the power of meaningful conversation.
Then, in a completely unexpected and serendipitous twist, Laura and I crossed paths again. It felt like one of those moments that was simply meant to happen.
One evening, I invited a group of women from my favourite local gift shop over for wine and appetizers. We had spent so much time together in the store that they already felt like friends, but that night, we truly connected.
As I shared my journey of writing a book and creating a board game, one of the women, Meg, suddenly lit up.
“I was waiting for you to finish your story,” she said, “because I’d love to introduce you to my friend of 45 years, Laura Robinson.”
I nearly fell off my chair.
The woman who had unknowingly inspired me all those years ago was suddenly just one introduction away. That night, Meg and I sent Laura Robinson a photo of us together, and soon after, Laura and I connected.
She became an incredible mentor throughout the journey of bringing Now You're Talking® to life, a process that, fittingly, took almost as long as writing Unravel You.
Let the Conversations Begin!
Now You're Talking® is not about forced small talk or awkward moments. It is about laughter, meaningful conversation, and creating moments that bring people together across generations, experiences, and perspectives.
The right question can spark connection, unexpected stories, and conversations people remember long after the game is over.
So gather around the table, roll the dice, and let the conversations begin.
For Retailers
If you’re looking for a product that brings people together, Now You're Talking® offers something different from a typical conversation card deck. It is an interactive board game designed to spark meaningful conversations, laughter, and connection with a replayable experience that keeps people coming back to the table.