Trust

when you're looking specifically when you're going to a market, sometimes you're looking for one thing. I'm going to the market to find some leggings. But, then if go and see some science-y leggings, then maybe that could be a point for me to learn. But again, I think you have to have both that time to have that human engagement so that we can then build that connection for people to then have that emotional connection to actually want to actually buy it. So to be able to want to buy something, there needs to be some type of emotional connection towards it. And then Science Engagement can build to that emotional engagement because you could be like, "This is a cool thing because of x, y, and z." But it then takes time,

And those kind of I guess kind of specialty shops or I can, me and my mom used to go to those things all the time and it feels like you've been, I go to those and it's a different experience from Aiden to go to Walmart or whatever like a big store, because then you're like going to these boutiques and you're getting to know the people and it feels like a different kind of shopping. And I think it's all about being then there's a loyalty there that gets that you then translate to other people because you're like, "Oh, I found this really cute shop." And then you want to buy from those people and then introduce your friends to this kind of special experience that you've had.

I just want to add as I'm going to come as a person who loves to go to these things and shop. And also I think that when you have those conversations, it adds to the experience. And then I come away with the merchandise that I feel good about. And something that I'm like, "Oh, I really remember why I bought this thing. And I want to shop more from those ... I want to get something else." When I'm thinking of buying more earrings. And I will remember that experience and then want to go back to that person.

When you first are asking you start to realize that you're going to be demanding so that you will asking somebody for a chunk of their time and for their attention and for them to build something of a trusting relationship with you. What is important to you in going into that relationship? I think Being honest and just being upfront about the fact that I am an academic and this is helping me to get my dissertation and this is actually helping my career. It's helping me financially doing this project. So I can't act as if it's just for the love of the research topic. And of course I'm passionate about the issue, but also this helps me... This is my job, my career. So I think being honest about that and thinking about what my goals and aims were and trying to make their relationships feel as least exploitative as possible. That's what I just try to do. Because I know there's an imbalance in terms of resources from off the top. I just try my best to mitigate that by just being honest about it and also just doing what I say I'm going to do for people being on time and showing up in those key ways, and having that face time with them. I think that's really the only way because people have to decide whether they want to trust you or not. And I think they can only decide that after getting to know who you are and say, if you're consistent and you show up and you're honest, I think that lets people start trusting you and then they want to support you from that point forward. That's been my experience. I love how these conversations tend to go. They get deep and thoughtful and often times some of the answers as you get deeper, start to sound very straightforward. Show up on time. That's thinking that actually... I think behind that is a humility in a sense of your place in the relationship. I agree with you, Ben. That's why I do it.

I wonder if there might be a way to build those connections, I think if there's a way to team up with organizations and see ways to make this something that's usually beneficial. So it's not like we're just volunteering and giving a bit of time to this event, but are there certain partnerships that can be built that can extend beyond particular events, and is beneficial to them? Maybe it's probably about just figuring out, particularly in a neighborhood where the resources aren't as bountiful and people are stressing in terms of capital, resources, time, energy. I think about ways that maybe partnerships can be made, it's usually beneficial so the people don't feel like, "I'm going out and giving out my time on a Sunday, when I could be at church. Or I could be doing something else with my family." Where they feel like, "No, I'm doing this because I'm getting from it as well, I'm not just volunteering and get getting more side effects of doing this, but I'm helping to advance my organization, or my classroom or something like that, in some way." Maybe that could mitigate that feeling, "I'm always asking people to do something." But in fact we can just build a relationship and go from there.