100 Lunches With Strangers interview

A simple way to step out of your comfort zone and transform your life

Finding herself in a humiliating situation because of her shyness, Melbourne author Kaley Chu decided something had to change and pushed herself to accomplish an incredible challenge - to have lunch with one hundred complete strangers. What came next completely changed Kaley's life.

In the new book, 100 Lunches with Strangers, Kaley shares how a shy immigrant girl became a successful 'People Connector' in just one year. When she finished the challenge, Kaley realised that not only had her confidence grown enormously, the experience had transformed every single aspect of her life, and decided to write a book to help others to get out of their comfort zone.

Not only sharing Kaley's fascinating personal journey, the book features 15 powerful life lessons exploring fear, mindset, diversity, patterns, judgements, understanding yourself and more. Kaley also shares the exact letter she used to ask strangers to lunch, as well as practical tips, reminders and insights to help readers better connect with people and live a more fulfilled life.

A smart and engaging read for those looking to expand their personal experiences and professional networks, 100 Lunches with Strangers shows that life truly begins at the end of your comfort zone.

Melbourne-based Kaley Chu is an author, speaker, people connector and Business Development Manager at Equi Wealth. In 2018, Kaley turned lunch into a life changing experience. Not just one lunch, but 100 of them with total strangers over the course of a year. After publishing a book based on her learnings, Kaley now shares her journey and the lessons distilled with the rest of the world. Described as one of the freshest new faces on the motivational speaking circuit, Kaley has polled higher in post-session feedback than most seasoned speakers. Her story has not only inspired many to get out of their comfort zone, but it has also motivated entrepreneurs, franchisees and seasoned sales professionals to re-examine their business networking and connection strategies. 100 Lunches with Strangers is her first book.

100 Lunches with Strangers
Kaley Chu Publishing
Author: Kaley Chu
ISBN: 9780648492405
RRP: $9.95

Review:  I loved this book, teaches you to challenge yourself to grow as a person.  With some great stories with exception insight into how to live your best life by just taking the time to listen to what others have to say.

Questions: What originally inspired you to start your journey of 100 Lunches with Strangers?

Kaley Chu: I was shy, I was low on confidence, I was full of limiting beliefs – and I knew I had to do something big to change all that. I thought that if I forced myself to have lunch with 100 strangers, I would make more friends and improve my social skills. It worked! By the end, I'd become confident around new people and built a great network.

Questions: At what point did you decide to turn your adventure into a book?

Kaley Chu: My book happened by accident. After my 100th lunch, I started writing a blog so I could thank my lunch guests and share all the lessons I'd learned. Thoughts just poured out – and before I knew it, I'd written 3,000 words! That was too long for a blog, so I turned it into an ebook. I continued writing, and my ebook turned into a book.

Questions: What did you learn, about yourself, whilst writing 100 Lunches with Strangers?

Kaley Chu: That I could change my life just by changing the story in my head. Before my lunches, I had a lot of negative self-talk, so I used to say 'no' and think of reasons why things wouldn't work. But as I became more confident, I started saying 'yes' and thinking of reasons why things would work. The more challenges I took on, the happier and more successful I became.

Questions: What's the main message you hope readers take from 100 Lunches with Strangers?

Kaley Chu: We're in full control of our destiny. If we're unhappy about something, we can change it. I would encourage everyone to have lunches with strangers, because it will change your life too. The more people you meet, the more you'll learn and the better a woman you'll become.

Questions: Can you share with us 3 life tips featured in the book?

Kaley Chu: First, think big. We're all capable of achieving so much more than we realise. Second, keep an open mind about meeting strangers. The next person you meet could offer you a great opportunity or connect you to somebody important. Third, put love above all else. I met poor students through to rich CEOs and learned that the happiest people were the ones who had the most love in their life.

Questions: What's next, for you?

Kaley Chu: I'm trying to inspire other people to live happier, more fulfilled lives by meeting strangers. I've become a keynote speaker and I'm sharing my story so people can see what's possible. I've set up a 100 Lunches group on social media and I'm creating a 100 Lunches app so we can build a community of like-minded people who want to grow together.