What We Learned From Our 365 Day Project Meeting ONE Person A Day

The WHY behind our project.
During the summer of 2013, as the Founder of Best People Business, I traveled to Spain to walk 790 kilometers on the Camino de Santiago. 

Everyday I would meet a new person from around the world.  I was fascinated by the stories I heard and decided to share them in my virtual journal (Instagram and Facebook). 

When I returned home, I realized there were a large number of people who were intrigued with the stories and the pictures.  Some of my friends told me they would wake up every morning with excitement and anticipation to see whom I had met that day.

I thought to myself, what would happen if I walked outside my front door in Laguna Beach, CA with my camera in hand, and met ONE Person A Day for 365 days. 

Thus, the journey began on January 1, 2014 when I committed to meeting ONE Person A Day.  I decided to ask the same four thought provoking questions to every person I met, then I took their photograph and created a movie poster featuring them as the star of their movie.

As I reflect on the people I met and the stories I heard, I am overwhelmed by what I've learned and I feel an enormous responsibility to share this information with the world.

My role in this project was to guide the person in drawing out their personal unique story and make them the "Hero" in their own personalized movie poster.

The Four Questions

Question #1: How would you describe your life today in one word?
The first question opened up as a good icebreaker.  Most people chose words that were reflective of where we were standing, whether on the beach, on the rocks overlooking the ocean or on the ocean on our stand up paddle boards.

The follow up question to the One Word was, “Why did you choose this word?”.  The obvious answer was because of the beauty of Laguna Beach.  Beyond the beauty, there was a sense of gratitude and thankfulness to be fortunate enough to be experiencing life in Laguna be it an hour, a day, on a vacation or as a permanent resident.

Some of the answers spoke to the reality that, no matter how beautiful your surroundings are, there are difficulties and challenges.  A few of the words that described these challenges were:

• Chaos
• Confused
• Ditching
• Hectic
• Lonely
• Searching
• Violent

The conversations when the words were less optimistic were heartfelt and at times difficult.  On a few occasions, I was in tears as the person shared their heart as if I had known them forever.

I quickly began to understand this project was less about me and all about the person I was interviewing.

Question #2: If you could change one thing in the world, what would you change?
When I asked this question, it caught people off guard.  They were not expecting to answer a question that exposed their personal and worldviews. 

I later learned that this question opened the door to some of the most engaging and meaningful conversation people have ever had with a complete stranger.  

There were conversations where people were in tears as they shared personal struggles about their family and friends. 

• One person shared with me that he wants kids to stop "bullying" him.
• A husband shared with me that he wished there was a cure for cancer so that his wife, who was sitting next to him, would be cured.
• Another person shared with me that she would like to change the way people are treated in their last stages of life so they could be more comfortable as they are taking their last breath on earth.

The most common answer I heard over and over again was:

• "I want to feel part of something bigger than myself and to work for an organization and a leader who values me personally and professionally."
• "I want to be connected to others in an authentic and transparent way where our thoughts and ideas can be shared respectfully and where each person is valued no matter what their race, religion, economic or social status."
• "I want to work for an organization and a leader who mentors me and draws out my gifts and talents so I can make a difference in the world and live a life of significance."

Ultimately, people are coming to the realization that even though social media has allowed us to meet hundreds and thousands of people around the world, there is something missing.

People shared with me that they miss face-to-face human interaction, the kind of interaction they were experiencing with me as we engaged in meaningful conversation.

Several people were inspired by our project and have said they would like to follow our example and meet new people in their own communities.

Question #3: What is one goal or dream you would like to accomplish one year from today?
The common thread between questions #2 and #3 intrigued me. People are hoping and dreaming of working a job and finding a career where they are fulfilled and are passionate about the vision and mission of the company.

Over half the people I met said they wanted to have deeper connections in their jobs and in their relationships.

It was interesting to hear from people who are in a successful career or own a successful business.  These people shared with me they felt valued in their jobs and they had meaningful relationships with their family, friends and co-workers.

These people are dreaming of traveling around the world to exotic locations to surf epic waves, climb the tallest mountains and swim long distances in the ocean.

Some of their dreams and goals are:

• Graduate from college
• Make one small difference in a person's life
• Swim the Strait of Gibraltar
• Get married
• Have children
• Become a U.S. citizen
• Become closer to God
• Write a book
• Make a documentary film
• Play music at the Ahmanson Theater
• Cured from cancer

As I looked back at all the goals and dreams, I learned that people are looking for significance and connection.  As much as people want to travel, live in their dream homes and pursue their hobbies, most desired to be connected in their relationships both at home and at work.

Question #4: If your life were a movie, what would the storyline be and what would the title be?
By the time I asked this question, I had helped to lay the foundation of their life story and it became a creative collaboration in writing an original screenplay about their life.

I had a lot of fun helping to draw out their stories and coming up with an original title for their movie.  Some of the titles were very creative:

• “Feet”
• “Tony”
• “Why Not?”
• “#No Ragrets”
• “Sicky Rolla”
• “Reckless Abandon”
• “Derping With 5SOS”
• “The Love Revolution”
• “A Passion For Fashion”
• “Rise Of The Warrior King”
• “I’m Singing In My Chains Like The Sea”
• “The Man Who Would Be Steve McQueen”

Their movie and their story became a moment in time that was captured for them to remember for the rest of their lives.  They have a movie poster and a memory that hopefully will inspire and encourage them to live the story they shared with me.

My hope was always to leave each person better than when I first met him or her and I believe I was able to do that on most occasions.

What Did I Learn?

1. People genuinely care about each other.
2. People want an opportunity to make a difference in the world.
3. People want to feel valued and want an opportunity to value others.
4. People are passionate about living a life of significance.
5. People want to be in an authentic connected community.

In Summary
The main message I learned from meeting and interviewing 365 people this year is, PEOPLE are all about PEOPLE.

I am committed to taking this message to leaders who are in the PEOPLE business and to leaders who have a desire to be in the PEOPLE business. I want to help them create a culture where PEOPLE (team members and customers) are valued.

Our project illuminates what many leadership experts are talking about in their messages to help companies become more successful.

The most popular TED talks of 2014 included:

• Simon Sinek “Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe”
• Roselinde Torres “What It Takes To Be A Great Leader in the 21st Century”

Our One Person project gained media attention in Laguna Beach Magazine, Coastline Pilot and KX@OneLaguna.

In his book "The Advantage", Patrick Lencioni says, "Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business."

Most leaders will tell you that their people are their greatest asset.  This is partly true.  We believe when people feel valued, then they will become their greatest asset.

We are on a mission to be the catalyst to help businesses become the Best People Businesses to work for!