I was new in Chennai; I boarded an auto while returning from the office. The auto driver offered me newspapers and magazines. I refused, then he gave tablet and shared a Wi-Fi password.
Both amusingly and confused, I thought-
How much money will he ask?
Did I sit in some wrong auto by chance?
Will he charge for all these services?
At the end of the ride, he asked for only ten rupees and gave a card of amazing auto.
Out of curiosity, I googled Amazing auto and found several motivational speeches by him, his website, and his Facebook page. This auto driver taught MBA graduates how to do business. Many corporate giants invited him as a trainer.
I sat in his auto on few other occasions but never got a chance to indulge in a conversation. A couple of years back, my husband and I ran into him at a tea shop. I invited him to join us, and he humbly accepted the request. My curiosity behind what drives him was high, and I asked him to tell something about his journey.
He came into the auto-driving business due to family influence, but he kept looking for ways to do something different. He started with giving newspapers and magazines to travelers. Then he observed people prefer to use phones more than reading newspapers, so he started providing free Wi-Fi. Later, he started focusing on local music to improve the traveling experience. If a traveler speaks Hindi, he played Hindi music. Each year he added something new to his auto and had a great plan to extend his business. He also did his bit of social work by giving free rides to teachers. There was wisdom in each word he spoke.
These fifteen minutes conversation with him is one of the most enlightening conversations of my life. I learned two big things: Take utmost pride in what you do and always look for ways to improve and upgrade.
If you feel your job is small or too small to make a difference, read about this man.
The man who drove his auto like Ferrari!