You Never Know Who You’ll Meet

#WeeklyNRG – A Snapshot of All Things #NRG

This week’s theme? You never know who you’ll meet… and how those encounters can help you laugh, learn, recharge and remember what all the busyness is for.

The Weekly Debrief

As readers know, last Saturday I travelled back to the UK for two weeks in Cardiff: board meetings, family get‑togethers, nights out with friends and business events. It promised to be a fun‑packed 14 days and I can confirm it’s been very busy. We’ve had to be adaptable as plans changed with the heat, and patient and kind when others were losing their heads.

By the end of last week and over the weekend, I was reminded what it was all for. I went to visit a friend’s new house by the seaside in a small village on the south‑west coast of England. It’s very much a “doer‑upper” and I was there to labour for wine: the task of the weekend was painting one of the bedrooms and trying to make some sense of the front garden.

Getting there was an exercise in patience and adventure. I watched the Birmingham New Street departure board tick from “1 minute delay” to “5”, “7”, “12”… Eventually we were 1.5 hours late, and because three trainloads of passengers tried to squeeze onto the same service, I stood all the way from there to Bristol Temple Meads. Halfway through, our train decided it wouldn’t stop at my station, so I had to swap again. Five hours later, I finally arrived. But it wasn’t all lost. Along the way I met some lovely older ladies and young army recruits (16–17‑year‑olds). Different generations, same attitude: “We’ll get there eventually; it’s all part of life’s journey.” That mindset, more than the timetable, set the tone for the weekend.

At the seaside, it was glorious. A quick trip to the pub for fish and chips, then an early night before the DIY really began… or so we thought. At the pub we met locals curious about what my friend was doing with her new house. The next evening, out for dinner, at ten past eight my friend said, “I’m shattered, shall we pay the bill and go home?” The table next to us said something similar, my friend leaned over and said, “We’ve just said the same thing…” and before you know it someone said “Sambuca” — and we got home after midnight. It was like a switch flicking a light on. Suddenly, my friend was back at 100% battery. Conversation, laughter and new connections were exactly what she needed.

Sunday morning, walking the dog on the beach, we rescued a duckling separated from its mother (with more help from locals), then met Jenny as she opened her beautiful garden to the public for charity. Everywhere we turned, someone was there with a story, a helping hand or a reason to smile. My friend already has many people rallying round her in a village I suspect she’ll one day call home — a place to connect, relax and recharge. It’s the living definition of “slow down and smell the flowers.”

The Week Ahead

This coming week looks set to continue the theme: a week of meeting people and catching up over food. I’ve got two events I’m particularly excited about.

On Wednesday, we have the Women Angels of Wales pitch evening, where we’ll meet some amazing founders with big ideas and serious ambition. On Thursday, I’m at the Business Wales Accelerator Growth Programme conference on Growing Talent, Growing Wales — and I’m especially looking forward to hearing Russell Beck speak (his book on the future of work really stayed with me).

Friday it’s back onto the Eurostar and home to France, ready to reconnect with hubby and friends there. Different countries, different trains, different rooms — same thread: you never quite know who you might meet or what you’ll take away from the conversation.

Lessons Learnt

This week has reinforced something simple but powerful: if you stay open to people, life gets richer. A delayed train becomes a chance to talk about families and British weather. A “doer‑upper” by the sea becomes a magnet for neighbours, stories and sambuca‑fuelled laughter. A beach walk turns into a duckling rescue mission. A garden opens not just its gates, but its community.

In leadership and in life, we often focus on plans, tasks and outcomes. But the real #NRG often comes from the people we bump into along the way — the ones who help us laugh, help us think, help us rest, help us feel at home.

Here’s to staying open, starting conversations, and remembering that you never know who you’ll meet… or how they might help you, in ways big or small. Just the right dose of #NRG.

Question for you: Who surprised you recently by the impact they had on your day — and how can you stay more open to those unexpected connections?