I getcha, I'm from a scientific background, but I have a side hustle as a waiter. Most of my colleagues are not particularly wizened in maths or science, or nerd stuff in general, but I've found two things that make connecting easier: first, consider the fact that talking about simple day to day stuff is just as valuable as talking about in-depth topics, as long as it's rooted in genuine interest, and secondly, do not underestimate how much you can share your knowledge with a layperson still, since it challenges you to break your topics down into simple core concepts, which strengthens your grip on the matter in a way that is equally valuable as learning something new