I’m 30 years old, I’m originally from Norristown, PA and I enjoy meeting new people.

Back in May of 2013, I graduated summa cum laude from Penn State University with a degree in Finance and minors in Accounting & Entrepreneurship. After graduation, I began my career with Deloitte Consulting as a Business Analyst in Strategy & Operations. It was my reach job at the time, but about 1.5 years into it, I pulled a Millennial move – I took a large pay cut and left the Powerpoint decks and spreadsheets for the laid back, $24 million venture-funded RJMetrics.

While at RJ, I worked as a sales rep where I cold emailed people every day asking them to hop on the phone for 30 mins to chat about our product. And my job being sales, I often received responses like these actual replies (s/o to all my reps still in the game):

“Take me off your mailing list, cockroach”
“I understand that this is your job. This being said. If asking a girl out for coffee and she ignores you twice and finally says no, you do NOT ask whether this is a no just now or a now forever – and you certainly do not ask her why you are not her type” (Disclaimer: I have never used this strategy on girls)
“Not interested (and you’re really starting to annoy me)”

So along with a bunch of factors that I mention in my first blog post, I started this project to see if I could meet with people to chat for an hour for absolutely no reason and held my first meeting on November 11, 2015. I was rejected way less, the responses were all positive and encouraging, and I’ve met amazing people with incredible backgrounds who would all consider themselves normal.

On Monday, June 20, 2016, RJMetrics was acquired by a larger company, which didn’t require my position, so I dove in full-time on my endeavor to meet 10,000 different people for an hour each.

Since then, I’ve met over 4,400 people from over 80 countries and 35 US States. I’ve driven across the country six times and also been featured by some awesome press sources, including Ryan Seacrest on his nationally syndicated radio show, “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” as well as “Your Morning,” a national Canadian morning show and the TODAY Show with Hoda and Jenna! I also got the chance to appear as a guest on the Kelly Clarkson Show alongside Jane Lynch and Jo Koy where the audience was made up of ~100 friends from the project – an awesome experience!

I love adventure and I love potential – over the last 5.5 years, I’ve found this project to have both so I’ve been greatly satisfied with how it’s gone so far and can’t wait to continue giving it 110% to see where it takes me in the future!

Last thought, I’ve had a great experience meeting new people – if you feel so inclined, give it a try and let me know how it goes for you :).

Throughout our collegiate experiences we have the opportunity to create bonds that will outlast our time on campus. Whether it’s recruiting new members into our organization, socializing with Greek orgs or independent clubs or even talking to recruiters for our full-time jobs, we all need to be well-versed in the art of conversation. Every great connection begins with a conversation, and every great conversation begins with an understanding of how to tell our stories and how to learn those of others.

By understanding the right questions to ask within the categories: Family, Occupation, Recreation and Dreams, we can clearly explain our backgrounds while naturally learning about those of our counterparts. We will increase our sense of belonging, our empathy and our ability to open doors for the future.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

- Approach new connections with a proven framework for meaningful conversation.
- Share their life stories in a clear, chronological order.
- Ask effective questions of anyone they meet.
- Confidently connect with other students on campus.
- Better understand the backstories of 4 of their classmates.

Intended Audience: fraternity members, sorority members, student athletes, incoming first-year class, the entire student body

As we form new friendships with our classmates, we must understand that human connection provides multiple levels of value. Too often, our society thinks about connection in terms of networking or dating, especially after graduation; however, our ability to bond with those around us provides much more.

We will teach you with proven examples the importance, both near term and long term, of establishing strong relationships during your time on campus. We will help you treat human connection as an experience rather than a transaction, which will shift your perception and help you unlock the potential in every interaction you have.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

- Identify the key benefits of human connection.
- Describe how to increase their sense of belonging on campus.
- Demonstrate how to unlock the knowledge and perspective of their classmates.
- List the ripple effects and long term value of their college relationships.
- Place higher value on their involvement on campus and within the community.

Intended Audience: fraternity members, sorority members, student athletes, incoming first-year class, the entire student body

Whether it’s peer pressure or the weight of social media, we live in a world in which we’re constantly comparing ourselves to the people around us. Too often, we see curated versions of each other’s lives while losing touch with reality and our authentic selves. To be the best versions of ourselves, however, we need to understand what makes us unique, why our individual stories hold value, and why we need to stick to our truths when approaching our goals.

We will discuss with you techniques for better understanding your backstory, how to be more present in the real world and how to anchor your identity when going through the cycles of confidence and doubt in life. Drawing from real world experience, you will gain a better understanding of why being your authentic self is the best strategy for your present and future life.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

- Identify who they are and why their specific backstory matters.
- Better manage the comparison culture of social media.
- Root themselves in the reality of in person connection.
- Establish daily or weekly activities to anchor their identity.
- Trust their own passions and interests.

Intended Audience: fraternity members, sorority members, student athletes, incoming first-year class, the entire student body