On a mission to make 10,000 new friends
While on a journey to meet 10,000 strangers, keynote speaker Rob Lawless discovered the incredible power of intentional connection and how organizations can use it to create positive, connected cultures.
Meet Rob Lawless.
Originally from Norristown, PA, Rob Lawless has always understood the value of relationships.
His childhood best friend, Kurt, helped him reach his academic potential (Kurt was the smartest kid in the school). His high school boss, Rich, piqued his interest in entrepreneurship. His 2 older siblings, Meg and Chuck, showed him the value of attending Penn State.
Rob studied Finance there, but more importantly he formed countless friendships that drove his fulfillment. So when he joined Deloitte Consulting, despite fulfilling his dream job he felt lost.
In an increasingly disconnected world, Rob didn’t know where to turn for authentic connection. And after leaving Deloitte and feeling the same way at a venture-funded startup, he came up with a crazy solution.
In 2015, he set off on a journey to spend 1 hour with 10,000 different people.
No agenda, no set list of questions, no end goal. Meeting for the sake of meeting and finding common ground. Rob began forming genuine human connections, but he never could have predicted where they’d lead him.
To date, he's connected with over 6,000 individuals from more than 90 countries worldwide. He’s road-tripped across the nation 6 times, has spoken across the globe and has been featured by outlets like the "TODAY Show with Hoda and Jenna” and even “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Above all, though, Rob’s discovered that by hearing people’s stories, you find gratitude, inspiration, belonging and hope - and by turning chance interactions into intentional connections, we have the power to manufacture fate in our lives!