Issue #25

Story Time:

The other day, I had a craving for something light and traditional after a long day at work. A casual scan on Google led me to a place that was apparently just one minute away from where I was standing.

I followed the address, and it took me to a housing society.

My first thought was that this must be a closed restaurant and I’d been misled. But I spotted some children playing nearby and asked if there really was such a place.

One kid answered, “Yes, there is. Just go to the first floor of that building.”

I thought to myself: Am I walking into someone’s house? Is this a tiffin service I’ve mistaken for a restaurant? I double-checked the address—it was indeed the exact same flat number.

Reluctantly, I rang the bell, more out of curiosity now, looking for closure to this adventure than actual food, honestly.

A young man opened the door. I asked, “Is this really the place I’m looking for? I’m sorry to bother you unnecessarily.”

But he smiled and welcomed me into his house.

The Unexpected Discovery

Turns out, the restaurant I was looking for was actually a cloud kitchen running from his home.

The young man—let’s call him Sushil—was a hotel management graduate who had decided not to take a job but to start his own business from his house.

He took my order gracefully, immediately put on his kitchen apron and cap, and got to work.

All the while, his mom was watching us, and all three of us were feeling a mixture of awkwardness and delight at the whole interaction.

What I Learned

I was pleasantly surprised by their warm hospitality, and there were many things I learned about passion, success, and ambition in this brief interaction that I want to share with you today:

The power of unwavering support. Sushil’s mom was extremely supportive and not once doubtful of her son’s capabilities.

No one knows the future, but if we have a belief and intuition that things will work out in the end, then that itself becomes a great starting point.

I believe in India, having faith in your children, regardless of the challenges the world has to throw at you is a rare thing that many don’t usually get.

That, I think, is the real silver spoon you can be born with—the spoon of non-skeptical parents and friends.

Starting small doesn’t mean thinking small. As we spoke further, I realized that the cloud kitchen was just a starting point for their family business.

It would lead to opening a formal restaurant after gauging the response. And all of this venture was less than a month old.

It made me wonder why so many people doubt themselves, despite having much higher qualifications and experience.

People skills matter more than anything. By the time our chitchat was done, my order was ready.

They were delighted to have an unexpected visitor, excited to gain live feedback about their offering, and super gracious about being hosts.

This tells me a lot about how your upbringing, your manners, and your people skills leave an indelible mark in the minds of others, like they left on mine.

I realized every business is a people business. The better we are at behaving nicely and fairly with people, the more doors we open for ourselves, whether you’re talking to a patient, a client, or a romantic partner.

A Memory Worth Keeping

After getting my order, we politely exchanged greetings and bid each other farewell, with a great memory of serendipity to remember for the rest of our lives.

Sometimes the best lessons come from the most unexpected places—even from ringing a stranger’s doorbell.

What do you think?

Awaiting your reply.

Cheers,

Dr. Vishal.

I helped a student LIVE in planning his coming year.

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