Yesterday, I sat with two young guys who were starting a business—mobile car detailing using eco friendly, organic products and very little water. Great idea.

They were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and both had a terrific work ethic. They detailed my car to show me how it worked. Wow. They even had uniforms and a color scheme—sharp. Cooler still, they had taken the time to get a $1 million dollar insurance policy to put wealthy car owners at ease. Thoughtful and smart. What Bentley owner wouldn’t appreciate that?

They were trying to build a clientele and needed some advice. It took me less than an hour to share some: to give them the benefit of my experience (which translated to hit the road with your mobile truck and wash cars) and to help them with a website, hook them up with a Twitter account and a few vendors who would help them in exchange for a fantastic car detail.

Less than an hour.

Then…tonight, I got some coaching for myself.  My friend, Bob (a PR genius) and his lovely wife, Marcia, sat down with me over dinner. “3Lunches is more than a book,” he said. “3Lunches is even more than a movement…it’s a state of mind. It’s people helping people…in real time. It’s 3Lunches for businesses, for out of work executives, for the lovelorn. It’s 3Lunches to find your mate, 3Lunches to close a deal, 3Lunches to learn something you don’t know, to make a career transition, to learn a new skill, to test out an idea.” He paused to take a sip of his martini. Marcia ate his olive. “I know things you don’t know,” Bob continued “You know things I need to learn. 3Lunches is our way to make the transaction. It’s a face-to-face download. That just can’t happen online. It’s also a magic number—3—it’s the trinity, the cross, it’s ‘make 3 wishes’, it’s the 3 bears, it’s the 3-date rule, it’s the right number…it’s in the collective unconscious. We all know the power of 3.”   

Then he sort of yelled at me and told me to get going and spread the word. “Use your skills, write, market, get people enthused about getting in the business of taking some face-time with one another. Go make it happen.”  

OK. OK.   

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