How A Subway Riding Experience Beats an MBA Education
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 12:53AM Living in the heart of NYC and Brooklyn over the past 13 years has not only given me a unique perspective on life, but also a means to learn the fundamentals of business in the most random of places. Some people learn best by reading books. Others love taking classes. For me, riding the NYC subway for over 13 years has been my MBA education. I’ve literally learned how to navigate the business world by observing and taking part in the subway experience.
Funny as it sounds, I thank the NYC transit system for these lessons:
HAVE PATIENCE
The early morning commute can be challenging for most. Most of the time you are packed in as sardines and fighting for the center pole so you don’t fall when the unreliable train jerks back and forth. On top of that, the stench of people who forgot to shower after their morning workout fills the air and you are about to pass out from exhaustion. I often visualize myself on a sunny beach drinking margaritas in a hammock under the sun.
Lesson Learned: Keep your eye on the prize. Stay calm. Keep your cool. The subway conductor will inaudibly announce your stop in no time.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
I’ve seen the same woman over the years who likes to scream at the top of her lungs while reading passages from the bible. I remember one time, she was literally a half a foot away from me on a mission (literally) to preach her message to the masses. On the one hand, I wanted to wait for the doors to open and rush to another vestibule to relieve myself from her loud voice. However, I stayed as I loved watching the dismay on all the other subway riders faces. I won’t comment on the religion part, but I did realize something very important: The audience she was preaching to on that day (literally) had no interest in what she had to say.
Lesson learned: When presenting to a crowd, know who your audience is first.
PROVIDE CONTEXT
I’m always fascinated by musicians who are trying to sell their mix tape CD’s on the train. Somewhat unrelated, who still buys CD’s? But I digress, I find it fascinating that the only thing I know about the music is what the artists verbal interpretation of what they sound like. Key Point: I never actually HEAR the music. Why not carry a boom box (do they still make those?) and play a track or two? I, among others, would definitely be more inclined to shell out some cash to support a local artist.
Lesson learned: Be as transparent as you can. It’s one thing to tell someone how great a product is, it’s another to actually experience it.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Greg Reitman is Director of Marketing at Textingly. Follow him on Twitter @30secondlife and @textingly.
