Cory Watson, the 262nd person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, told me a story that reveals a lot about her personality.

Not long after finishing school in her native Adelaide, Cory got a bar job in the Sydney CBD, where she made a fortune in tips. Her secret was to remember the regulars’ orders, engage them in conversation and take a genuine interest in them.

Simple, yet powerful.

Another thing that stuck me about Cory is that she’s got a very optimistic outlook. Good things seem to happen to her because she expects good things to happen to her.

Simple, yet powerful.

Cory is such a warm, outgoing person that, without even trying, she’s good at sales. But Cory also honed her natural sales skills with a lot of hard lessons.

As a young woman, and now living in London, Cory got a commission-only sales role selling hair products on the street to passersby. That high-pressure job forced her to learn the art of hunting for business, dealing with rejection and overcoming objections.

Cory then went on to build a standout career as an event director, launching and running a string of events in a range of sectors. 

Today, Cory is general manager of One Fine Collective, a group that does events, marketing and e-commerce in the wedding and baby sectors.

The most important skill in life, I’ve long believed, is being good with people. Cory proves the point. If you know how to build relationships, and if you also have a positive attitude, you’re almost certainly going to be successful.