[36:05] What would happen if you committed to having lunch with 500 strangers? In this episode, host Greg Gazin reconnects with Nick Bendel (Episode #250), who not only reached that goal, he surpassed it. What began as a business experiment to improve social skills became something much deeper, a lesson in confidence, curiosity and personal growth. This episode isn’t really about lunch. It’s about what happens when you choose discomfort long enough to grow.
Now, at 516 lunches and counting, Nick reflects on what changed, not just in his network, but in himself, and in the ordinary people with extraordinary stories he’s met along the way.
More importantly, he discovered something about human nature: we’re all riddled with insecurities. Once you understand that, it becomes easier to do the very things that scare you.
In this follow-up to our first interview, you will hear:
Why achieving 500 lunches was satisfying, but not the real win
How meeting strangers strengthened Nick’s social skills and mindset
How his conversations evolved from trying to impress to truly listening
How a quarterly coffee meetup sparked an unexpected matchmaking idea
Why confidence comes after action, not before
Nick also shares a practical framework he discovered through experience and his four keys to achieving anything. It’s simple, but grounded in lived experience.
Referenced in this episode:
500 More Lunches with Strangers: This Toastmaster Is Hungry to Continue — Toastmaster Magazine, January 2026,
500 Lunches with Strangers — Toastmaster Magazine, April 2024,
#250: 500 Lunches with Strangers: Breaking Bread for Personal Growth — The Toastmasters Podcast,
#275 & #276: Better Conversations, One Question at a Time – Dr. Alison Wood Brooks — The Toastmasters Podcast.
About Nick Bendel
Nick Bendel is from Sydney, Australia, and is the owner of Hunter & Scribe, a copywriting agency serving property and finance businesses. A Toastmaster since 2016, he is a member of Dynamic North Shore Toastmasters Club in Sydney, Australia.
Nick can be reached via LinkedIn.