Back in 2016, Jess Weiss quit her job, with a vague sense of what role she wanted to do next, but without knowing exactly what it was or how she’d get it.

The next day, Jess discovered the answer to both those questions at a business event.

Jess, the 169th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, had been working as a personal trainer. She’d realised that while she enjoyed working with clients, she was most passionate about mentoring the other staff. When she quit her job, she hoped to find a role along those lines … but had no idea what it might be.

At the event, Jess met a woman who owned a consultancy called Human Tribe, which helps businesses with leadership, teamwork, accountability and other performance issues. Recognising Jess’s skills, she offered her a job then and there.

In mid-2019, the owner offered Jess the business.

And then Covid hit.

Jess lost many clients, which had a profound psychological impact. But she had the strength to fight back and rebuild her new business, one client at a time.

Jess had one big thing to drive her on: a passion for management consulting. That was why she’d quit her job all those years before.