Nice to Meet You These BIZ Experiencess proved you can find business partners in the strangest places.

Paige Goldberg Tolmach on how she met fellow thirtysomethingMary Kumble, to found Swoon, their home décor company in LosAngeles:

"We [met] on a plane to New Orleans, "Tolmach, 36,recalls. "We'd both been working in the entertainmentfield. We both wanted to try something new, and we had the samesort of ideas in mind-to do something creative, fun and feminine.We were both ready to [decorate] our homes; we wanted to create aline of products we wanted to buy."

Brian Reynolds, 31, on how he met co-founder Jason Moody, 28, tostart PowerHouse Timing LLC, a company that provides racetiming equipment and software in Cambridge, Massachusetts:

"We were beating the hell out of each other trying to get aseat in a boat race at U.S. Rowing Nationals Championship and thenthe Head of the Charles [regatta] later in the year. We ended upseat-racing each other both times-really going at it, this brutalstyle of selection. The first time Jason won, the second time Iwon. [In] rowing, the competitions are generally spread out, so weoften had six-hour car rides. It's amazing how quickly you getto know someone when you're traveling and competing withthem."

Bobby Rodriguez, 45, on how he first met co-founder ScottGinsburg, 51, to start Boardwalk Auto Group, which includes Audiand Porsche dealerships in Plano, Texas, and a Volkswagendealership in Richardson, Texas:

"I met Scott in 1997. I was a sales manager for aPorsche-Audi [dealership]. He came in to buy a car. He was a Type Apersonality and wanted to talk to the manager right away. [Our]relationship was built out of the fact that when I maderepresentations, I kept doing what I said I would do for him.

"I recognized him as someone who would be buying a lot ofproduct. I've always said work every day like today's theday you kiss your frog. When I met Scott, I just wanted to workhard, and it just so happened that I met someone who wanted to bein the car business."