Me, Entrepreneurship, and a shout out to the TTC

"Entrepreneurship is not just someone who owns a business venture; it is a mindset and a way of thinking" - an anonymous Impact Exec at the Impact National Conference 2009.

That was in fact the first definition of entrepreneurship I had ever heard, and I immediately took it to heart. During my work-term here in Toronto, I have had some experiences which revealed to me how much I've changed since last year - and grown into an entrepreneurial
mindset. Working with Impact, and working at Xtreme Labs (which shares its office with many upcoming business from Extreme Venture Partners), living with my uncles (who are very successful entrepreneurs themselves), I am constantly around entrepreneurs. Naturally, I started to think like them.

Anecdote #1:

About a month ago, I saw the Karate Kid movie with my friend Nick, and i thought it was ammmaazing. Smith and Chan did amazing and the entire theater was laughing and cheering on like I've never seen before. The drive I got from watching this kid train, and overcome the odds through rigorous training truly inspired me. Naturally, I HAD to see it again.

I went again with my cousins Nikesh and Navin. When we got to the counter, I realized that their coupons don't work at this particular theater and I didn't have my wallet. Luckily, I had a random 20$ bill in my pocket. Fortunately it was also a Tuesday so tickets were half-price. Unfortunately, the total came to something like $21.27! Oh no!

My Freshman self would have started panicking and would eventually have called my aunt to pick us up or to ask for money.

But this is how it happened: "That would be $21.27." Without even skipping a beat, knowing I only had $20, I had no doubt in my mind that we would somehow get away with this. With intense eye-contact I started:
"Look, I only have $20 but my cousins really want to see this movie."
"Yeah...but..."
"I forgot my wallet at home, we need to see this movie and this $20 bill is all I can give you"
"Hm okay, let me see if I have any money!"

Simple. That's all it took! After many gracious "thank you"s we went to see the movie. Only until the car ride home did I realize how my natural response to situations have done a complete 180 degree turn.

Anecdote #2:

Last Friday, I lost my wallet on the TTC bus on my way to work. I only realized this as I was approaching the subway entrance.

My Freshman self would have once again started panicking and maybe in desperation would have gone to the guy sitting behind the ticket booth, who would in turn have me fill out an extensive 'lost' form...which may or may not have resulted in me retrieving my wallet again - yes, I got it back this Tuesday afternoon.

The following are the steps I took after I realized I lost my wallet.
I immediately go back to the bus station to see if the bus was still there. There were about 6 buses but none of them were the one I was on. I saw a guy with a gigantic fluorescent orange TTC pinny and a "captain's hat". I went to him, explained to him what happened, and he says "follow me." We go to this door which I had never noticed before, he tells me to wait. I wait for about 10 minutes. He comes back and tells me, "You're lucky that you caught me when you did, since I'm one of the only ones allowed back here and have access to the bus list directory and schedules for the day. I found the bus you described, called the driver and he has located your wallet, which will be at the 'Malburn Station lost and found'.

I graciously thanked him and arrived at work an hour late. What surprised me on the ride there was that even though I felt an initial panic upon the realization of the lost wallet, I overcame it in a second and took the correct necessary options so confidently that it was almost as if I did this type of thing all the time.

I went to the Malburn Station only to realize that my wallet was 'lost in the lost and found'. No worries, I called the main lost and found office at Bay Subway Station and they had it there. Shout out to the amazing TTC lost and found system! Now I have my driver's license back so I can drive to Philly this weekend!

I need a Penseive

It's been 6 months since my last post, before I forget any of the information/feelings/anecdotes/epiphanies acquired in the past half-year, I need to write it all down. Stay Tuned!