Every day, I strive to Be My Best in every way, personally and professionally. Here’s why: After spending nearly 10 years as an Executive Chauffeur, I realized there are a lot of similarities with my “new” career as a professional driver and my 25 years in medical communications (from 1987 to 2012). Applying what I have learned has given me the realization that I can “Be My Best” – my motto and daily goal. This motivates me to get out of bed every day.
SWOT Analysis
I lost my job in pharmaceutical marketing in 2012, after 25 years in that industry. I decided to put together a SWOT Analysis of myself. This is something done in a marketing plan when launching a product into a market. This includes:
- Strengths you must capitalize on
- Weaknesses you must overcome
- Opportunities in the market
- Threats from the market
Time Management
As a chauffeur, the number one rule (besides driving safely and smartly) is to not speak to the passenger unless they initiate the conversation first. I have a well-rehearsed “script,” where I introduce myself and explains where we will be going, how we will get there and our estimated time of arrival (ETA).
If a passenger initiates the conversation with a conversation starter like: “So, how long have you been driving?” or “When did you start working today?”, I see that as a green light for me to answer their question(s) and engage in brief, polite, positive conversation with them.
Similarities
My previous 25-year career and my current 10-year career both require good “account management” skills. This includes excellent written and verbal communication skills and effective preparation and planning in order to ensure a successful result.
Differences
The biggest difference between my previous career and this one is my outlook. When I was a pharmaceutical executive, I was just going to work every day to get a paycheck to support my wife and two daughters.
With my new career as a Senior Executive Chauffeur, I am very goal-oriented and I have multiple ways to achieve my goal of being the best chauffeur I can be.
My financial targets are broken down by:
- Number of successful trips
- Total regular and overtime hours
- Weekly pay based on hours
- Cash tips totaling at least $100
- Survey rating of “5” from all passengers
By setting and achieving these five definable and measurable goals, I am motivated each day and each week to Be My Best.
In addition to the above goals, I also have the privilege of being a chauffeur trainer and mentor for new chauffeurs. I have trained more than 200 people in the past decade. This has given me tremendous pride and satisfaction in my career.
Finally, the opportunity that Neil Weiss at Black Car News has given me to write my Street Stories column every month has enabled me to document my true adventures on the street and life lesson experiences. I majored in journalism when I graduated from NYU in 1985. I’m grateful to Mr. Weiss for the opportunity to apply my two passions: driving and writing.
The moral of this Street Story is: If you have the desire and motivation to “Be Your Best,” this will give you purpose and actually make you want to work harder and be successful. Ultimately, this will make you happier.
