TRUE STORY – Read this post, to your family at dinner today.
We were working extensively on a branding, marketing and advertising proposal for a very large project. My flights were booked a week earlier for the presentation, but just the evening before the meeting, I received a call saying the meeting was postponed indefinitely because the team had something urgent to attend to and couldn’t make it.
I complained that my flights were booked, my strategy, and creative deck were ready. My team at Synapse Marketing Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. had been working on this for weeks, but the reply was that there was no way that meeting could happen.
A few days later, I got a call saying their calendar was available but there was a disclaimer that some key people had seen the initial proposal and was not convinced with the whole plan, and the meeting could swing in any direction.
Nevertheless, we were determined and we chose to meet and present.
Finally, the big moment came.
Imagine this:
A huge conference room.
A large presentation screen.
A massive 24-seater table.
And just me – versus the rest of the client’s team.
Note: The picture of Goddess Sheraa Maa was right there, on the right of the huge screen.
The presentation started.
The room was very tense.
Not many nods, not many smiles.
I was taking the team through the slides, one by one.
It was all going to be summarized in one particular big idea film that was going to capture the whole plan.
I played the film.
And then it happened…
The exact moment that our film ended, the flower which was resting on Sheraa Maa’s idol – Fell at her feet.
Right at that very moment.
(See the pink flower picture again)
I noticed it fall.
And I looked at the team and just uttered, “Did you see that?”
They did.
One of them looked at my visiting card again, and said, “You know, Aleem, nothing happened in this room that could have made that flower fall.
No one came in at that moment.
The AC was not suddenly turned on.
No big sound.
No movement from anyone.
It just fell.
We both smiled and moved on with the presentation.
(Something told me I was going to have a good day)
At the end of the meeting, the vibe in the room was different.
The plan was given a green signal, no questions asked.
They asked me, “What time is your return flight?”
Since my flights were cancelled the last time, this time I had just booked one way this time.
So I told him that I hadn’t booked it yet.
“Good, let’s sign your proposal today and only then you go back.”
And that’s that.
There were so many things that led to this moment.
The right day, the right time, the right sign, the right person, and it all worked out.
Yes, there was some vibe in the room that day, and I am blessed to have experienced it.
I hope your family enjoys this story of hard work, hope and faith and motivates you’ll to believe in the Higher Power.
