Gianna's Gem: The Ace up Your Sleeve That Makes Awkward Vanish
hi there,
Ever since I launched Conversation Gems, one question keeps landing in my inbox:
"I’m obsessed with the design and the questions and categories on your cards… but how do I actually use them without feeling socially awkward pulling out a deck of cards?"
Totally fair. Here are three of my favorite ways to bring them into any room, no awkwardness required.
1. Blame it on your "friend" Gianna.
I'm still piloting these cards, which gives you the perfect excuse: "My friend is testing a new deck of conversation cards and asked me to try them out. Mind if I ask you one?" It works everywhere, from birthday parties to parent gatherings to team offsites. People love being part of a test run. And if it flops? Totally my fault. 😉
2. Bring a secret cheat sheet.
Pick two or three cards before you head out and slip them into your pocket or purse. If the conversation starts to stall, excuse yourself to the restroom, take a quick "refresher" on the questions you have ready, and walk back in with a fresh question that opens the door to a deeper, more engaging conversation. Nobody has to know your secret.
3. Keep a deck ready for when the moment strikes.
At a dinner party I attended recently, I asked the host one of the questions I have memorized during a 1:1 chat. He loved it so much he wanted to share it with the whole table. That sparked requests for more, and I became the "hero" when I pulled the deck out of my purse and offered to gift a set to everyone there. The lesson: start with one great question, and let the cards be the encore.
Ready to try them?
Conversation Gems come in two themed decks: Spark Serendipity & Good Stories and Deeper Connection, Surprise & Delight. They're available now for pre-order and start shipping in late October, just in time for the holiday season (hello, hostess gifts, social lubricant, offsite help and stocking stuffers).
Grab yours now, as there's always a chance supply runs out.
Tell me your stories! Message me about how you've used your cards for a chance to be featured in a future Gianna's Gem or to receive a bonus gift.
What I'm Obsessed With This Week: ImmersionLive by Paul Zak
As event pros, we've all been there: the event wraps, the surveys come back, and we're still left wondering what actually landed? That's why I'm so excited about ImmersionLive from Immersion Neuroscience.
I met with Paul Zak on Friday, and he’s one of the most brilliant and magnetic humans I’ve spoken with - what a gift! I'm thrilled to be demoing the product, because it finally gives us real proof of what resonates with attendees. Their tagline says it all: "Your guests can't tell you what worked. Their brains can."
Here's what caught my attention:
It measures what people value, not what they say. Guests wear a common fitness wristband, and ImmersionLive translates their signals into two scores: Value (how much the brain rewards each moment) and Safety (how comfortable and at ease they feel). Both are tracked second by second, across every person in the room. No surveys, no cameras, no screens.
It solves the post-event survey problem. Our memories really only hold onto the peak and the end of an experience, so traditional surveys and NPS scores give us a fuzzy, distorted picture. ImmersionLive captures the whole journey in real time, so you can tie every peak and dip directly to your run-of-show.
It tells you what to fix. Their AI surfaces the three highest-impact changes to make before your next event, and you can see which audience segments loved it and who tuned out. Every event makes the next one smarter.
The science is legit. Paul created the field of neuroeconomics, is the most-cited scientist in consumer neuroscience, and is a four-time bestselling author. His team has spent about 25 years on this research, and it was independently replicated as part of DARPA-funded work. Read more about the science here.
It's privacy-first and easy. The system doesn't store or transmit health or neural data, and participation is opt-in and anonymous. No engineers, integrations, or hardware installs. If you can hand someone a wristband, you can run it.
For anyone who has ever had to justify an event to a CFO (hi, past Gem!), this is a game-changer. Want to see it in action? Book a demo here, and tell them Gianna sent you!
Grazie mile!
Gianna
Want to design experiences with more intention, personalisation and delight?
Book a 15 - 60 minute consulting call here on INTRO: intro.co/GiannaGaudini