'Why Not' Moment Of My Life

I always wondered about people from the same type of background achieving different levels of success.

 

Right from childhood, I was told that right attitude was a must for succeeding in life. It was an altar, where, till recently I laid a lot of offerings. 

 

But now I believe attitude, though important, is not the only thing. It needs something more- Why Not!

 

Confused? Let me explain with a Why Not example from my life.

 

I work at one of India’s largest independent public relations agencies in the Banking and Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) space.

For the past 18 years, we have been one of the top two PR agencies in financial communications for Initial Public Offering (IPO) in India.

 

Most of the time companies going for an IPO have never interacted with the media and need to be trained for it. We had a former journalist who helped us train our clients in media interactions.

 

Some years ago, one of the largest business groups in the southern India was having an IPO for one of their group companies and the mandate was with us.

 

Shortly, before the IPO roadshow, they wanted to carry out media training for their IPO marketing team. Our media training expert was on leave. Most of the other guys did not want to do it.

 

Just then I walk into the office and my boss calls me in his cabin.

“Do you know anyone who can do media training?”, asks the Boss.

 

“Yes”. And I name our trainer.

 

“He is on leave.” Informs Boss.

 

“Why don’t we ask David to do it” Chips in my CEO.

 

“Me!” I exclaim in surprise. “I have never done it!”

 

“I Think he can do it” butts in Boss.

 

“I don’t know what to do.”, I nervously exclaim.

 

“Don’t worry we will give you the presentation and you just have to make it to their team” both of them reply in unison.

 

“Well… Why Not!” Says me feeling a tinge of excitement.

“When is it?” I ask.

“Tomorrow morning at 10. Am” comes the reply.

 

“What!” said I gasping for breath like a beached whale. “Where is the presentation?”

 

“We are just making it ready” was the prompt reply.

 

So, the next few hours were spend making the presentation ready and having me rehearse it before them.

 

In evening as I was walking out of the door, I asked, “How many people will be there from their side?”

“Around 10 or 12” was the reply.

 

I continued towards the door.

 

“Humm, David wear a formal jacket tomorrow for the meet.”

The only formal jacket, I owned was part of my marriage suit. Back home Tried to fit into the jacket but could not.

 

Took wifey with me and picked up a jacket. “Will they reimburse it?” inquiries wifey. No wonder she has a better bank balance then me.

 

Next morning, I am in office at 9.00 am. Both the bosses are there. “They company has hired a conference room at one of the nearby 5-star hotels.”

 

“Conference room for 10-12 people?” I wonder. I suppose they have money to spend.

Bosses leave early to meet and greet the clients at the hotel. I arrive at the venue and walk towards the room.

 

I open the door and freeze like an injured Deer in front of a three day hungry Tiger! The room is full of people. Later on I came to know that there were around 120 people there.

 

Spied my bosses and walked towards them doing my best impersonation of a Zombie lurch.

 

“You said there will be 10 or 12 people!” I croaked accusingly at my boss. “Even I did not know. I am sure you will do well” said my bosses surreptitiously crossing their fingers.

 

Then I heard my name being called. Went up the stage and looked at the audience and realized how the royalty felt in front of the French peasantry, before the guillotine.

 

I opened my mouth and the next hour and half were a blur. In the end got a standing ovation. I still have the video somewhere.

 

Some of the people, I met later in life and all of them remember me and the training.

 

After this, we started media training as a separate module and recently one of the foreign banks paid us good money to media train their Indian management.

 

So, as I look back, it was not the attitude, but saying Why Not at the right time and not Why, which help me find something I really love doing.

 

In your life, you will encounter many such moments, you have to decide.

 

So Why Not! Till the next time.