Rob Lawless
Create more connected, empathetic, and successful relationships in the workplace and with your clients through the exponential power of human connection.
In 2015, Rob Lawless set out to meet 10,000 people, spending one hour with each person to truly understand their stories. His project, Robs10kFriends, is all documented on his instagram @robs10kfriends.
Rob believes that genuine human connection is something important in today’s world and through his journey, Rob has discovered how the power of intentional connection can unite, connect and empower us in ways far deeper than we ever imagined.
Key Speech Themes:
Communication, Networking, Creating a Positive Corporate Culture, Improving Client Relationships, Creating Meaningful Connections, Attract, Engage and Retain top talent, Diversity & Inclusion
Ideal Audiences:
All Audiences, Human Resources, Associations, Sales
Meet Rob
Rob Lawless initiated the "Robs10kFriends" project in 2015, committing to spend an hour with 10,000 people. With a finance degree from Penn State and a stint at Deloitte Consulting, he transitioned to a start-up, dedicating full-time to his project after its 2016 acquisition. Having connected with over 6,000 individuals globally to date, Rob emphasizes the transformative impact of intentional connections.
In his keynote, Rob shares insights on fostering positive, inclusive organizational cultures through intentional connections. Citing research on workplace exclusion's productivity impact, he empowers leaders to unlock value through meaningful connections, fostering belonging, innovation, and opportunities. Rob's interactive FRIEND framework aids audiences in facilitating conversations, practicing active listening, and setting intentions for connection, creating lasting and meaningful relationships. Drawing from his experience connecting with thousands worldwide, Rob demonstrates how intentional human connection enhances business outcomes and fosters inclusive environments. Attendees leave inspired and equipped to implement intentional connection strategies within their teams and customer interactions.
Topic & Description
Discover the Untapped Value of Human Connection
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In 2015, keynote speaker Rob Lawless began a journey to make 10,000 new friends.
Today, Rob shares insights on the transformative impact of intentional connections in creating positive, inclusive, and empowering organizational cultures.
The power of meaningful and intentional connection.
As companies strive to stay competitive in a fast-paced and ever-changing market, there is an increased need to attract, engage and retain top talent.
According to BetterUp Labs, employees who feel excluded from the workplace experience a 25% reduction in productivity, as well as a 50% greater risk of employee turnover.
Through his keynote Rob empowers leaders to unlock the value of meaningful connections to foster belonging, innovation, and opportunities within their organization.
Rob's interactive and captivating keynote will take you through his incredible experience of connecting with thousands of people and how meaningful connections can drive growth and innovation.
Audiences will walk away from Rob’s keynote with the ability to:
Foster a sense of belonging & community, By leveraging the potential of deliberate and significant connections, companies can nurture a heightened sense of unity and belonging within their workforce.
Broaden their collective vision. By embracing diverse perspectives through intentional interactions, organizations can expand their shared outlook and drive innovation.
Unlock unprecedented opportunities. Meaningful connections pave the way for discovering untapped possibilities, enabling corporations to excel in their respective fields.
During his keynote, Rob also shares his interactive FRIEND framework which makes creating lasting and meaningful connections easy (even for introverts!) and intentional.
Rob has used this to create meaningful connections with over 6,000 people from 90+ countries.
With the FRIEND framework, audiences walk away with the tools they need to:
Facilitate conversations. By knowing what questions to ask, individuals will have the ability to dig deeper in their conversations to connect on a deeper level and create strong relationships.
Practice Active Listening. Active listening will ensure that conversations are meaningful and productive allowing for greater understanding and connection between people.
Set Intentions For Connection. Becoming more intentional about connection will help audience members tap into the compounding value of connection over time.
Through his experience in connecting with over 6,000 people from 90+ countries, Rob demonstrates how investing in human connection can lead not only to better business outcomes, but also create more inclusive environments where everyone feels welcomed and valued.
Ready to put the power of intentional connection to work for your organization?
Your audience will leave inspired and ready to create meaningful connections with their teams and customers.
Videos
Full Bio
Rob Lawless is a 33-year-old originally from Norristown, PA, with a genuine passion for getting to know new people. Graduating with highest honors in May 2013 from Penn State University, he earned a Finance degree with minors in Accounting and Entrepreneurship. Rob then joined Deloitte Consulting as a Business Analyst in Strategy & Operations, fulfilling his dream job. However, after a year and a half, he made a typical Millennial move, accepting a significant pay cut to join RJMetrics, a $24 million venture-funded startup.
At RJMetrics, Rob worked as a sales representative, engaging in daily cold emailing and requesting 30-minute phone calls to discuss the company's product offerings. Yet in his post grad life, he missed the authentic connection he'd experienced in college. As a result, he set off on a journey in November 2015, aiming to meet 10,000 people for an hour each for no specific reason. The responses were overwhelmingly positive, and he began meeting people from incredibly diverse backgrounds.
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Following RJMetrics' acquisition on June 20, 2016, Rob, not having a position with the new company, committed full-time to his endeavor and has been making new friends ever since. To date, he's connected with over 6,000 individuals from more than 90 countries worldwide. His travels have taken him across the nation six times, and he has been featured in prominent media outlets, such as "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" and the "TODAY Show with Hoda and Jenna." He even appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show, alongside Jane Lynch and Jo Koy, in front of an entire audience of friends from the project!
Rob Lawless remains deeply passionate about the value and adventure of connection, is excited to meet the next 4,000 of his friends and is eager to continue sharing what he's learned from his journey - that every human interaction holds the potential to change your life!
Testimonials
"We hired Rob for our 2024 HR Retreat because we wanted an uplifting message that reminded us of the importance of human connection. He spoke to 30+ of our members across business, legal, labor relations, security and our creative services teams. He made our attendees feel empowered and reinvigorated to make real connections with our colleagues, he left us with a framework to build those connections and he set the tone for how our teams can create a better culture. We absolutely loved Rob's session and found his theme of connection and communication to be a common thread throughout our retreat!" - Chelsea Merriman, Director Business Operations, FOX Sports
"After seeing Rob at an event in late 2023, I couldn't wait to bring him in as a keynote speaker for our 2024 full team annual meeting. We were looking for a keynote speaker that would be of value to our team members professionally, but also a message that would be of value for personal growth as well. Building true connections is difficult when working in a remote environment. Rob engaged our team and helped us bring our 70 member team closer together. The presentation was customized to align with our company core values. We received very positive feedback and thanks from the team for investing in them, with the gift of Rob Lawless sharing his story and the relationship tools he provides." - President & CEO, Veritas Association Management
"We had Rob come to speak to the Washington State Chapter of the American Public Works Association in April as his project aligned well with my theme for the year. He was a hit! We had just under 500 participants in attendance and Rob did a great job of engaging them all! No one was looking at their phones and everyone participated in mini 1:1 sessions that Rob facilitated. So not only did we have his message on the value of Intentional Connection, but through these mini-session he was able to demonstrate the value. And of course it was fun! Highly recommended as your next keynote speaker!" - Tara Davis, President, APWA Washington State Chapter
"We hired Rob for our NACUFS Spring Conference - Buffalo where he spoke to 225+ of our collegiate dining professionals and industry members. Many of our members have experienced challenges with burnout and student staffing and retention since Covid so we wanted to focus on connection and inspiring growth. Rob’s talk gave our members a tangible framework for building relationships in their own trainings, it reignited their curiosity in the people around them and even helped introverts feel comfortable asking questions and having conversations with new people. Rob was amazing to work with behind the scenes and he’d make a fantastic speaker for any organization!" - Andrea Grove, Event Professional, NACUFS
“We partnered with Rob to speak at our 2024 Sales Summit because building strong connections with our clients and employees is how we live out our company Purpose everyday. Rob spoke to 240+ of our salespeople and helped our team get to know each other more deeply through his breakouts, which I enjoyed more than I anticipated. He made our team feel connected, he left us with the framework to conduct meaningful conversation, and motivated our team to not just build relationships for business but in their personal lives as well. Rob was a pleasure to work with and would be a great fit for any team's sales event!” - Sales Business Partner, Brokerage Services, Holmes Murphy
"Rob recently spoke at our event and shared his message, the power of intentional connection. After many years of holding events and working with keynote speakers, it is challenging to find a new speaker who shares a unique message and also provides value for our clients, Independent Business Owners from all across North America. Rob spent a lot of time listening to our needs and was very open to customize his message for our clients. In addition to sharing his own story, Rob provided a clear path our clients could follow to implement what they learned in their own businesses and personal lives. He was very well received by everyone in attendance and would be a great addition to any audience who would benefit from learning more about the power of intentional connection. -Royalty Rewards VP of Operations
"Rob was the only external speaker at our annual sales event because we felt his theme of connection was something our attendees needed to hear! He spoke to 60+ of our employees, made them feel comfortable breaking out of their silos and building real connections with each other outside of the usual work chatter. I’ve already run into colleagues who are using Rob’s tips in the workplace and think he’d be a great addition to any speaker lineup!” - Jody Brandes - Gilead
"Rob was the 2024 closing keynote at the Inclusive Leadership Conference co-hosted by Temple University and Campus Philly. He spoke to 300+ students from across the region, helped them feel significant and seen, and left them with tangible strategies to build authentic relationships with people in their network now and throughout their lifetime. Rob’s message was spot on for our goal of having students think more deeply about each other’s stories to foster diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging. He would make a great speaker for anyone looking to encourage more inclusivity and connection across their organization." - Jen Johnson Kebea - Campus Philly
“Rob was a guest speaker at a quarterly program for the Strategic Marketing & Patient Engagement team at Penn Medicine. His talk was not only inspiring but also highly interactive, fostering engagement and participation. His incredible cooperation and ease of collaboration behind the scenes contributed to the seamless execution of the event. He instilled a sense of empowerment among our group of 90+ employees, creating stronger connections within our team. I'm confident that every individual in the audience left the room motivated to cultivate deeper connections in their life. Based on his exceptional delivery and the positive response from our team, I know Rob would be a fantastic speaker for other organizations!” - Associate Director, Marketing, Penn Medicine
"Rob was EXCELLENT. Everyone loved him. He is such an engaging and energetic speaker with such a warm personality. I really think he enjoyed getting to know everyone during the welcome reception. The survey results were all positive!” - Events & Marketing Manager, North Carolina Dental
"Rob was our closing keynote at our annual CoreNet Global India conference, which had 450+ attendees. His talk was about human relationships and the unexpected ways they can transcend boundaries. Our audience was truly inspired by Rob and the insights he gave on the power of human connection, leaving our attendees equipped to foster a workplace environment that has a genuine feeling of belonging. Rob was a joy to work with and we would definitely recommend him for other organisations." - Katleen Beeckman (VP of Member & Component Relations at CoreNet Global)
"I loved the active participation. I really enjoyed meeting colleagues that I otherwise would never have interacted with in my normal job duties.” - Meeting planner, Shell
“ Best DEI session in the past 2 years!” - DEI Team, Amazon
"One of the most impactful presentations I've seen this year. A clear call for improving communication, but more importantly making the effort to connect more deeply." - Credit Union National Association
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“Rob Lawless' speaking engagement for GVFHRA Connect was truly remarkable. He engaged the audience effectively and introduced us to his method, a simple yet powerful tool for making genuine connections in all aspects of life. Rob's emphasis on the universality of human challenges aligns perfectly with DEIB principles. Rob's interactive approach encouraged us to go deeper with strangers, and his method is an easily applicable framework. His dynamic presentation left a lasting impact, promoting meaningful connections and active listening. In my opinion, Rob Lawless is a fantastic speaker, and I wholeheartedly endorse his message on the 'Power of Connection.' Don't miss the opportunity to hear him speak; it's a game-changer!" - Chapter Management Professional, Greater Valley Forge HR Association (GVFHRA)
“Rob’s session was the perfect opening keynote for our event. His framework for meeting new people really set a tone of community for our conference. He gave our audience tools to use that same day to create connections and network which was a goal for our attendees during the conference. His message is one that every leader, manager, and employee should hear. In HR we talk often about building community and connection through our culture, but we don’t enough teach people how to do that organically. Rob’s framework provides actionable ways to actually form those connections and get to know others which we know will help build a more inclusive community!” - Associate Director | Villanova University
“Our president loved the event so much! They will be incorporating the breakout rooms into our next quarterly all hands meeting to keep the connections going. Just wanted to pass along the impact!”- Chemistry Agency
“Love love love this presentation. So refreshing. So engaging. So human!! More of this!!!”- Attendee, SHRM Conference 2022
“Rob’s presentation, the closing session of our conference, provided an upbeat, hopeful reminder to our attendees that human connections are a sort of currency, not only for business success but for our individual well-being.
The better we know one another, the more likely we are to find shared experiences, values, hopes, dreams – and that sharing can enrich us all. In a short time, Rob managed to reveal for us that potential.” - Meeting Planner, Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding
“Rob's message is exactly what young people need to hear today. In a world that's emerging from solitude to connection, he models the ownership of interaction that empowers teens (and adults!) to bridge the gaps in their world. Connection isn't just transactional with Rob... and his message doesn't require us to imagine ourselves in an impossible or life-changing scenario. Rob asks us to change our lives in the little things, and that's probably exactly the message our kids, schools and communities actually need.” - Director, New York FFA
“The Survey resulted in a perfect score. It’s the first time we have ever had a speaker get all 5s. We started tracking in 2015.” - Meeting Planner, American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management - Philadelphia Chapter