Anyone who knows me well also knows that I love technology. I spend all day working on technology-based projects at Devika; I am lucky to have a job where I do what I love. Luckily, I have had the good fortune of working in industries that I am truly passionate about.
This includes a long stint at my family-owned company, Speedmaster, working in the auto parts industry. This was great because, spoiler alert, I love cars. I especially love the adrenaline that is paired with speed (achieved through proper training, ensuring that it is controlled). This passion led me to purchase a Radical SR3 where I learned to push my boundaries and driving skills to the limit and tested myself against some of the best drivers in Australia. Racing is not only a buzz, but it has taught me a helpful life lesson; to not be afraid of failure, and to appreciate learning from mistakes.
To unpack the mistake in the video, I began the race in a good position to achieve the lap record...But I made a small mistake and slid sideways. This cost me the fastest lap at Eastern Creek Raceway for a Radical.
Radical’s approach to knowledge sharing provided me with the opportunity to get within reach of the record. This is because Radical allows drivers to share data which increases the driver development curve, provides unique coaching, and mentoring programs to master an array of skills. Additionally, Radical’s long-term coaching programs use a combination of data and world-class coaching to help participants achieve optimal results.
Their approach to knowledge sharing has taught me, both in my personal and professional life, the importance of sharing insights. Sharing experiences enables us to learn and grow from success and failure and also creates an ecosystem that fosters growth and innovation. Achieving growth also stems from asking for advice and assessing what led to success. Most importantly, it means acknowledging failure and being willing to learn from mistakes.
It’s natural for us to be afraid of failure but if we don't take the risk, we'd never go anywhere. I will admit that driving at speeds over 160 kilometers/hour, with many other professionals around me, was intimidating. Radical made it extremely easy for me to assess my shortcomings. This is because decisions and consequences occurred in split seconds.
Despite my anticipation, I was not afraid to get on the track and have a go. If I was determined to avoid failure, I never would have participated in Radical. I would have stayed on the sidelines, not taking any risks...But what was the point in that? I chose to race and didn’t win, but I got pretty close. And for a first attempt, that was a pretty good start.
While this is a seemingly trivial example, I recognize the difficulty in high stake decision making. I have experienced many of these decisions in my career, a particularly evident example is the launch of my own company, Devika. I know how easy it is to look at others and point out areas of success or failure. However, I believe that the most valuable information comes from internal reflection. It takes honesty to admit and accept personal shortcomings and is an essential thought-process to improve.
This is why I still race at the Radical and every time I do, I edge closer to the lap record.
