From Hotel Breakfast to Lasting Connection
By Dayna Del Val, Founding Member of The Prosper Network
What One Hotel Breakfast Taught Me About Building Relationships
Recently, I was in Denver with my husband, who was attending a leadership conference.
One of the joys of running my own business is the ability to work from anywhere, and I took full advantage of that flexibility.
Our hotel offered breakfast each morning, and on Thursday, I smiled and said hello to a couple as we passed each other—me heading out, them heading in.
On Friday, we crossed paths again. This time, his face lit up as he recognized me, and we struck up a conversation. I learned they were visiting from Atlanta for his son’s wedding.
On Saturday, I found them again just to wish them well. And on Sunday, I caught myself scanning the dining room, hoping to see them one last time and hear how the wedding went.
Why? Because in just a few short moments across a few days, I had become invested.
I wanted to know they’d had fun, that everything had gone beautifully, that they’d danced and celebrated and felt joy.
And I wasn’t disappointed. When they appeared, we visited again. She told me there were so many young people there from the bride and groom’s college years—and that it was wonderful to be surrounded by that much energy and happiness. I could feel her joy as she described it. For at least one evening, they were immersed in a love, celebration and connection. Doesn’t that sound lovely?
Before we left, we had one more conversation—this time, a deeper one. We exchanged names, stories, LinkedIn profiles and even phone numbers. As we said goodbye, I turned and said, “We’re coming to Atlanta—can’t wait to see you again!”
And I truly meant it.
What began as a simple hello at breakfast turned into the start of a new friendship. And it reminded me of something important:
We are surrounded by potential connection—but so often, we miss it. We’re distracted, busy, head down, earbuds in. We’ve stopped being curious about the people around us.
The Prosper Network is a space designed to reverse that.
It’s a place for intentional, meaningful interactions. For striking up conversations that might start with a simple hello—and lead to your next colleague, collaborator, client or lifelong friend.
Are you curious?
Then come join us. You never know who you’ll meet. But you can be sure: it will be someone worth knowing.
Dayna
Del Val is a coach, speaker, writer and retreat leader who empowers individuals to unlock their creativity, confidence and communication for meaningful impact. Her work centers on bold transformation, guiding others to find clarity, embrace authenticity and share ideas that inspire change.
Find out more at www.daynadelval.com
Or connect at dayna@daynadelval.com