Rose Herceg, the 245th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, had an important lesson drummed into her during her childhood – to be fearless.

Don’t worry about jumping off cliffs, her parents taught her, because you’ll find a parachute on the way down.

So Rose grew up to be confident, ambitious and self-reliant.

When Rose was 21, she had the courage to start her own business – an agency that specialised in innovation, social trends and business strategy. Several years later, she sold that company for a handsome sum.

These days, Rose has a corporate role with WPP, the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company. She’s president of the Australian and New Zealand business and oversees a team of more than 2,000 people.

Rose credits a lot of her success to the mindset her parents instilled in her. I would add a few more reasons – she thinks big, she’s got a great strategic brain and she’s a brilliant marketer.

More importantly, though, Rose is the loveliest person you could meet. She’s proof that you can be successful and ambitious while still being thoughtful and generous.