“I don’t see obstacles, I only see dreams,” Sree Sathish told me. Wow. I was so impressed by Sree, the 28th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers. Sree exudes strength and determination. She’s also extremely friendly and positive. We spent only an hour together, but I came away convinced that [...]
I really admire people who take risks and aim high. That’s why I was so impressed by Ishara Ananda, the 27th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers. Ishara has experienced some big changes in 2019. Earlier this year, he moved from Sri Lanka to Sydney. Despite not having a job [...]
I can’t speak highly enough of Daniel Seldon, the 26th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers. Dan is the owner of The List Group, a marketing agency that specialises in providing marketing lists and data management services. During the course of our two-hour meal, Dan generously shared 20-plus years of [...]
We all know that companies need to nail their marketing and customer service. But what I didn’t realise was that marketing and service isn’t just something that companies need to do with their customers. They also need to do it with their staff. This was a lesson I learned from Joseph Fallone, the 25th person I’ve [...]
One reason I’m having lunch with 500 strangers is because I want to make new friends. Another reason is that I want to learn. I got to tick both boxes when I had lunch with James Killick, the 24th person I’ve met on my #500lunches journey. One thing that struck me about James was his generosity. [...]
Andrew Squires, the 23rd person I’ve met on my journey to have lunch with 500 strangers, is proof that one moment can change your life. Andrew became a qualified painter after leaving school. After a few years of working for others, and then running his own successful small business, his curiosity of the world led him [...]
You know that thing your gut tells you is definitely true? Well, what if it isn’t? Our gut is often wrong: either because we don’t have enough data to reach an informed decision or because our cognitive biases skew our analysis. That’s why businesses need high-quality researchers to collect the right data and analyse it correctly. [...]
During my years as a journalist, I became adept at extracting information from people. To get the right answers, you need to ask the right questions – and then shut up. You also need to be curious and keen to learn, because that’s what inspires you to ask questions and really listen to the answers. That [...]
One of the reasons I'm having lunch with 500 strangers is because I want to learn new things. My 20th lunch companion, Sandro Hogan, taught me a lot of new things – about cybersecurity. Sandro, who owns IT Awareness, knows cybersecurity inside out. His company protects clients from attacks from all over the world. Most originate [...]
It’s always nice to meet someone who’s making their community a better place. Enter Greg Twemlow, the 19th person I’ve met on my journey to have lunch with 500 strangers. Eleven months ago, Greg founded SEVENmile Venture Lab, a not-for-profit start-up accelerator in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. SEVENmile is the perfect project for someone who [...]
