Say Yes When They Say No

During the late 1950s, a young man in his twenties found a job as a stenographer in a small Bombay (now Mumbai) company called Fassalboi.  The namesake and owner was a visionary, and was trying to introduce fluorescent (tube)  lights and transistor radios to rural India. His slick salesmen returned empty handed, saying that bad electricity and fear of “black magic” from a little box not connected to anything were respective deterrents.

The stenographer offered to step up to the task. Mr. Fassalboi liked the attitude, and gave the boy some money to buy a suit, and sent him off to his village in Palakkad, Kerala. On the first day,  the young man’s excitement generated a lot of  interest in the  tube light, but the transistor radio was still off limits. Voices from a little box spooked everyone in the village. The next morning, he was able to bring divinity into the picture when he discovered a radio station that played religious hymns. Everyone in the village followed him around like he was Pied Piper. They were sold on the new gadget.

He got a promotion upon his return to Bombay. For unrelated reasons, Fassalboi went through some troubled times, and the stenographer turned sales representative bailed out and found a new job. For years, he would regret his move, because Fassalboi prevailed and was bought over by a giant radio & appliance company, and prospered. I would have become the President of the company, he would say.

K.V.S Ramakrishnan was his name, and they called him KVSR. He was my father. He ended up working for the government for over 40 years, but the entrepreneur in him surfaced a couple of times. The first time was in the seventies, when he and his brother  started a mattress foam (U Foam) business which closed down before it really took off. Then, in 1998, as our business expanded into India, my parents joined us. Before he passed away in 2007, my father was able to realize his dream to become a successful entrepreneur. My parents got respect and recognition from thousands of people in India, as they appeared on stage on a several occasions. It was exhilarating to be able to witness the standing ovations they received.

On the day before he was admitted to the hospital for the last time, my father climbed two floors in Chembur, Mumbai, in the process of booking a venue for a weekly business meeting. He was relentless.

My father did not have a mentor or a guide for the most part. He relied on his optimism, sense of humor and a “why not” attitude. Of course, he had my mother’s unconditional support, and together they lived an energetic life and worked hard so their children could have a strong future.

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You may have heard that “NO” stands for “New Opportunity”. Every challenge comes with an opportunity. A “why not” attitude opens doors to a world of unlimited possibilities. My father taught me never to feel  “old and weary”. We never heard him complain about his  age or health.

“Every morning, wake up with the feeling that you are just getting started in life, no matter your age. Be grateful and happy”.  He never actually said these words, but he lived them.