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Tuesday, March 02, 2010

A Humbling Experience!!!

Most of us dream of getting jobs in companies that are brands by themselves. A company so popular that once you tell people you work for them, they ask "What are you doing there?" instead of "What does your company do"? I moved into one such brand recently and I should be honest to accept the fact that my lifestyle improved ever so noticeably. New car, branded accessories, fine dining, high flying, etc., etc,.

However, the beauty of working with a brand company is that you relate to the things you do more than a service provider. You fall in love with the idea that your product is and your product starts featuring in your dreams as well. You invariably, live, walk, talk, eat, sleep the product you manage.

All that apart, there was a humbling experience on one of the field trips. We went to a farmer's vineyard to understand them better and their needs. Not that I wasn't aware of the problems faced by farmers at all, but the warmth and love these people showed to absolute strangers was very touching. I then suddenly realized that these are the very people who are paying for my car's EMI, my monthly apartment EMI, my son's schooling, my daily food, my parent's medicines...

I stood there indebted to the people who earn less than $5 a day but end up supporting a complex ecosystem. I came back promising myself that I will work more diligently, have nightmares if the product is not on par, ensure that what we offer indeed becomes a vector to the people using it to succeed in their lives. For, their success is actually what defines my life!!!