Professional Life

  I just finished shining my leather shoes from Italy. I remember when I first met Sayan and Twisham, I really admired their professionalism. The dress pants, the collared shirt, and the tie. I remember visiting Twisham and Sayan at their office and the professionalism appealed to me.  I also remember my first week in Pittsburgh, and that weekend I flew to Atlanta, Georgia to visit yet another Indian friend of mine. And there I was arriving at the Atlanta airport in dress pants, a blue collared shirt, and a pair of New Balance shoes which simply didn’t match. Days later it was typical to find Twisham coming home after a long day, and he he would simply spend the majority of the weekends talking with his family over the computer.

  I admired it all really. I looked up to those guys. And here I am fresh out of college as a young Silicon Valley professional. My days at the office mainly consist of making phone calls with senior software managers and engineering manager’s from the world’s largest technology companies. I think back to my business management class with Krishnamurty at the International Center for Management and India Studies in Bangalore. Krishnamurty would always praise me, everyday he thought up something to make me smile. He would say things like, “Rory’s going to have the greatest tea business in the world”, emphasizing world with a a sincere, slow and exaggerated tone. I also think back to our international business class with Vinay Kumar and all those discussions with Sunny, Areli, and that Indian girl whose names alludes me.

  Then, there was always Takatoshi Iwashita and my first company Beat Generation. I would watch Taka spending entire nights studying for his master of business administration at Point Park University. He’s still one of my greatest inspirations. And now, here I am taking the bus to the office in the morning reading the business and technology section of the morning newspaper. I leave for work at 6:25am and return home at about 7pm, tired, and simply wanting to chill out. Chilling out, this is my balance. And then Draden wakes me form my rest calling me to let me know that he’s been researching suppliers for our clothing business. And it just continues on as I glare out at Silicon Valley from the balcony of our office, high in the sky, never forgetting where I came from.