I’ve been quiet for a bit.

That changes now.

If you’re serious about operating at a higher level, this is worth your attention.

At lunch a few weeks ago with Steve Rosenbaum, whom I met at a New Canaan Society gathering, I got asked a simple question:

➡️ “Do you mind if I record our conversation?”

Most people hesitate there.

I didn’t.

Steve pulled out his Plaud device.
I pulled out my phone and started Otter.

That moment led to a better question:

What’s the right way to ask permission to record a conversation?

Here’s what we landed on:

“Do you mind if I record our conversation so I can be more in the moment? I’ll be glad to share the recording with you.”

It’s respectful.
It’s transparent.
And it communicates the real intent: presence.

I’ve used Otter for years to capture and transcribe my meetings.

But using it in a lunch conversation unlocked something different.

Afterward, Otter automatically captured the key details, including action items from our conversation. I especially appreciate how clearly it surfaces those, so I can honor our time together and follow through well.

Within seconds, I had a clean, structured summary—key details I could add to his contact record.

In my book Leadership Recall, I talk about something called Network Gold—the key details that strengthen relationships over time. A lot of that Network Gold was captured effortlessly here and added to Steve’s contact record, so I can immediately pick up where we left off the next time we meet.

Because relationships like that matter.

Here’s the shift most people miss:

Without AI, you’re forced to choose.

Be present… or take notes.
Listen closely… or capture details.

With AI, that tradeoff disappears.

You can give someone your full attention—and still walk away with everything that mattered.

No notebook.
No divided focus.
No mental scrambling to remember later.

Just conversation.

Then afterward, the meeting becomes something more powerful:

A searchable record you can think with.

You can revisit it.
Extract insight from it.
Recover details you would have lost.

For leaders who care about relationships and execution, that’s a serious advantage.

For me, this started with meetings.

Now it extends to lunch, coffee, and even the occasional happy hour conversation—any setting where the relationship matters and the details count.

Going forward, every one of those conversations starts the same way:

“Do you mind if I record our conversation so I can be more in the moment?”

AI doesn’t replace relationships.

It removes the friction that keeps you from being fully present in them—if you do the work afterward to capture key details and put action items in flight.

Meet with precision. Deliver excellence.

Steve Kahle |  ELITE OPERATORS
In Pursuit of Elite

P.S. Want to turn conversations into a lasting advantage? Get a copy of Leadership Recall at no cost.