Business
“It kinda felt like a punch in the gut, and felt guilty for even thinking that I could know what someone’s story was before sitting down to talk with them.” Rob LawlessRob Lawless is on a mission to connect with strangers one on one and get to know one another for an hour. His starting goal is 10,000 conversations, and I was his 3,097th.Rob has crisscrossed the United States and ventured into Canada as he catalogs his steadily increasing numbers on Instagram @Robs10kFriends. He discusses his reasons behind wanting to connect with others, his vision for the future, how to build empathy, and being an active listener.Our initial connection was in October of 2018 at the intersection of his project and my #YearOfConnection (@kenwoodward99) project on Instagram. This conversation includes some of my stories as Rob sought to learn about my connection journey to ensure he was faithful to the spirit of counting me among his 10k conversations.I am grateful to the Tru by Hilton Audobon Valley Forge hotel for hosting our discussion. The background sounds were indicative of the happy hotel staff and guests.