If anybody reading this knows Rob Lawless, hook us up. This concept is so up my alley in a million different ways.

I saw Rob interviewed about his 10KFriends project on CBS last week and just loved what he was doing (link here).

I am so jealous I didn’t come up with this idea.

Those of you who know me well will understand why I would be drawn to this:

• I love meeting people
• I love connecting people
• I love learning about the world through people I meet serendipitously.

Besides the concept itself, I also found Rob’s backstory fascinating. He was working at a startup in sales – making cold calls, trying to get people to get on the phone with him for 30-minutes to talk about his company’s offerings. It was a struggle. To combat some of those rejections, he started his “10KFriends” project with the sole aim of meeting strangers, spending an hour talking with them 1:1 (with no ulterior sales motive) and posting about the experience on Instagram.

In 2016, after his company was acquired and he lost his job, he decided to make his 10K Friends project a full-time endeavor.

“Since then, I’ve met over 2,900 people across 20+ cities in the U.S. & Canada, have driven across the United States 6 separate times and have been featured by some awesome press sources.”

Rob Lawless

He doesn’t explain what drives him to do this but I get it. Meeting new people and making new friends is profoundly gratifying.

His project and his unexplainable passion for it reminded me of Matt Green’s 6-year NYC walking project which was turned into an excellent documentary that I’ve previously written about (The World Before Your Feet).

Scroll down to read more about how both Matt and Rob have impacted the world around them.

How both Matt and Rob have impacted the world around them.

After seeing Matt’s walking movie, I became much more attuned to my surroundings, e.g., I now often stop to read historic plaques when I’m walking and I go out of my way to take alternative routes to discover new things.

Rob Lawless and his 10KFriends project, on the other hand, has inspired me to become bolder and more pro-active in my friendship-making.

At the end of the day, the quality and quantity of our friendships are what make life rewarding and pleasurable. So while my goal is less lofty than Rob’s, e.g., I’ll aim to make one new friend per week versus Rob’s 10K over 10 years. But whatever the number, it is a worthwhile endeavor and I suggest all of us consider how we can add new friends to our circle.

Bottom Line.

Both Rob and Matt are driven by curiosity and a passion for learning. I am 100% on board with that kind of ambition.

I’ve also always been intrigued by people who are fearless in their quest to find meaning in today’s crazy world. Whether it’s exploring every nook and cranny of a city or deciding that everyone has an interesting story and you’re going to uncover it and make a new friend in the process. It’s an inspiring way to lead one’s life.

And, finally, I wish there were a way for businesses to incorporate this kind of curiosity-seeking and exploration into their corporate cultures. I believe it could be very beneficial to both the companies and their employees.