Philly Man Aims To Meet 10,000 People In 10 Years
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Northern Liberties man has walked away from corporate America so he can spend his time meeting 10,000 people over the next 10 years.
KYW's Suzanne Monaghan is number 828.
Rob Lawless, 26, is a man on a mission, meeting with up to five people a day for one hour each.
"In a way, in collecting everyone else's stories, I'm writing my own," said Lawless.
He started the project about a year-and-a-half ago, after finding he was unfulfilled in his jobs following his graduation from Penn State.
He missed the camaraderie of college life, and wanted to find a way to connect with people.
"My mindset was that, if I start to get to know everyone around me in Philadelphia, I'll start to bump into them in the streets and I'll know their back stories as I pass by, and I found that to be true. I run into people at least every week from the project," Lawless said.
Lawless has met with people from all walks of life: street artists, students, homeless people, business owners, and even former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.
He says the experience has taught him a lot about others, but also a lot about himself.
Rob keeps track of the people he has met with on his Instagram @Robs10Kfriends