A muddy car drove into my car-detailing centre two weeks ago. Decorated with sponsorship stickers, it had all the frills of a fancy rally car. The driver had driven all day from Trivandrum, where his boss had just won a race. The team at Drywash got to work, restoring the car to its pre-race glory. As the man was about to pay for the clean-up, I stopped him and said it was a complimentary service. I wrote a congratulatory note for his boss (a man I'd never met) and gave it to the driver.
Thirty minutes later, the owner of the car, the rally race driver, showed up at Drywash to thank me. He explained how he organises races, seemed to be very passionate about racing. He invited me to his boutique the next day - a swanky shop which specialises in custom-fitted suits for men. We worked out a plan to organise a rally in Hyderabad, with Drywash as the main sponsor. That seemed to make perfect business sense. At the end of our conversation, I mentioned my interest in fashion consulting to my new friend. He pulled out his phone, made a quick call and connected me with the most popular finishing school in the city. "Call them," he said, "I'm sure they would love to meet you."
The next day, I made the call and sent my portfolio to the CEO of the finishing school. A few days later, she invited me for a meeting. Dressed in a suit, I was expecting some form of an interview, but got thrown in the deep end because one of their consultants had gone home early. "You're a trainer, can you teach our group how to tie different knots with a necktie?"
For sure.
After an impromptu session on global culture sensitisation and power dressing for men, I figured they'd want to hire me. They offered me a full-time position as an image consultant and facilitator. I thanked them for the offer and negotiated a freelance package instead that wouldn't interfere with the operations of my business.
At the finishing school, I met a lady who claims to be the best trainer in Hyderabad. I believe it to be a fact. After a brief conversation, we worked out a plan for her to mentor my foray back into corporate training.
A week later, two gentlemen visited Drywash, curious about the no-water, organic carwash. They came on the recommendation of my rally driver friend. One of them runs a textile mill and the other supplies fabrics to major clothing brands in the city. We had an enlightening conversation about the manufacture and supply of high-end cotton, which ended with them promising to supply the best cotton threads when I start my own menswear label.
One random act of generosity has potentially set me on course to complete a number of goals for this year. Don't ever underestimate the power of giving something for free in a business. It's true - the world of a generous man gets larger and larger.