The 500 Lunches Effect: A Lesson in Social Courage

On Thursday, 24th September, I had the privilege of attending the launch of Nick Bendel’s new book, The 500 Lunches Effect.

Nick’s epic journey was originally inspired by Kaley Chu – a woman who transformed her shyness, built an extraordinary network, and opened doors for herself simply by having lunch with 100 strangers. From the moment Nick read her book, he decided to (as I like to say) “steal with pride” – and he executed it masterfully. To be honest, I not sure if just anyone could pull off a challenge like that, but Nick did.

I first met Nick back in late April 2021 when he invited me to be guest #190 in his quest. (And yes, we had to reschedule a few times due to lockdowns!) What started as a bold idea eventually spanned a full six years of meeting 500 complete strangers over lunch.

At the time, intentionally inviting strangers to lunch was a totally foreign concept to me. As a highly inquisitive new entrepreneur, I was dead keen to dive in and find out more.

I’ve stayed in touch with Nick ever since, even reaching out to several of his lunch guests over the years to feature their stories in The Post.

I think Nick and I share a common drive: the willingness to step outside your comfort zone, even when you’re not entirely sure you’re ready.

I’m now learning there’s a formal term for this mindset: social courage.

So, what is it exactly? As Nick describes it, social courage means:

“Doing things that feel uncomfortable or scary in social settings. It’s inviting a stranger to lunch. It’s cold-calling a potential client. It’s giving a conference speech. It’s presenting to your company. It’s speaking up in a meeting. It’s asking someone out on a date… essentially, it’s the decision to move before you feel ready – and to let confidence catch up later.”

I absolutely love this.

This is how great things happen – before we get bogged down in indecision and fear, convincing ourselves not to act. Not to make that cold call. Not to put our hand up for an opportunity at work we feel ‘almost’ ready for. Not to ask someone out on a date because we’re afraid they might say no. But here’s the thing: they might say yes, too.

I won’t give a full deep dive into the book – partly because I’m still devouring my copy, but mostly because you really should pick up a copy on Amazon and experience it for yourself. What I can say is that it’s a fantastic read that perfectly captures who Nick is. He shares simple, powerful observations that deeply resonated with me: a bigger life doesn’t arrive all at once; it expands gradually. And the more connections you make, the more opportunities, support, and self-belief you create along the way.

If you’re curious about the diverse range of people Nick met along his 500-lunch marathon, you can explore the full archive here: 500lunches.net/category/lunches.

I’ll leave you with this final thought: What is one small act of social courage you’ve been putting off – and what could happen if you decided to move before you feel ready?