If you have the intention and the drive to do something, it will happen!
~ words from Shantanu that keep us thinking and wondering ~
Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
Notice what you notice. Wonder what you wonder. There is no quiz, no right way. Read until something stays.
this film has no words. notice what you notice. notice what you wonder. wonder out loud. and don't forget to notice what you feel, too.
Cultivating Dreams
I feel a huge sense of joy and satisfaction in running something of my own. In being my own boss. Being what people call an “entrepreneur”. No one can put pressure on me to do anything; no one can tell me how I should or should not do things. But I can still ask for advice, and I have complete freedom to think about and act on what I think is best. Best for the customer, best for the environment, best for the whole world, and best for me too. I am Shantanu, a proud owner of a tea business. But you can call me “The Chai Guy”. I grew up in a village in Maharashtra with my parents and two brothers. I loved growing up in a village but I always was excited to move to the city one day. Eventually, I made the move to the city of Pune and took up a job as a taxi driver. Being a taxi driver here is a tough job. I worked with a vendor who was a middleman between companies and drivers. They would find us jobs and companies would pay them. However, a very small proportion of the money was paid out to us. We’d often get paid late, sometimes 90 days after taking on a job. This put financial pressures on us.
Have you ever thought about what it is like being a taxi driver?
I’ve shared with you some of the challenges of the job; what do you think could be other challenges?
What could we do about this?
What could you do?
As a taxi driver, One of the things I really didn’t understand was the amount of plastic used by the companies I used to provide my services for. One of the office buildings I worked at had no glass cups! None. ZERO. Most people used 4 or 5 disposable plastic cups a day when they drank water. One day I asked the management if they could get glass cups for us so we could cut down on our waste and drink from cups that would be better for our bodies and the environment. They said it was not possible and it was a set rule to use these plastic cups. Why? Could glass cups be dangerous if they cracked? Even in that case we could still use reusable fiberglass cups, and that would be a better alternative. I don’t understand why this rule was made, but when running my own business I try to be very conscious of these things!
In the building I worked in, each person used about 4 cups a day. There were about 1200 people on each floor and there were 12 floors in the building. Can you calculate the amount of plastic cups our building used? There were about 28 such buildings in the area. Can you calculate how many cups the entire area used? What about office buildings across Pune? In India? Our world?
Do you have any ideas why this is the case?
What are the different factors driving our decisions to use certain types of cups?
What are the benefits and risks of each option?
If each person drinks an average of 100ml of water each time they take a cup, can you calculate the volume of water each person drinks per day?
What about the volume the entire building drinks?
Can you convert your numbers from milliliters to liters?
I think switching to fiberglass could be a great alternative.
Do you have ideas of other alternatives we could consider?
Would bigger cups reduce the number of cups each person uses?
What about using drink bottles?
How can you use math to calculate the implications of your solutions?
How much waste could we reduce?
I left my taxi driver role after a year and a half and took up a role as a transport supervisor, supervising other drivers. This was better but had it’s own challenges. I had a long commute to and from work getting through the traffic. But more than anything I felt I wasn’t free to do what I really wanted and to make my own decisions. I then had the thought: “why not start my own business?”
As a transport supervisor I had to commute about 7kms to work. In the morning, it took me about 20 minutes by bus to get to work but in the evening it would take me about 2 hours! Can you calculate the speed at which the bus traveled in the morning? In the evening? Do you have any ideas on how I could save time? Any ideas on how I could most effectively use my time while on the bus? How do you use your time when you are traveling? How could you use this time well?
From my experience, very few people in Maharashtra choose to start their own businesses. People from other states often come here and start all kinds of small businesses – selling food, drinks, different types of crafts, and clothing.
However few people from our state choose this path. I thought by starting my own business, I could also inspire others to do the same. Many people think it’s too difficult to start something, but I don’t think it is. You just have to try. And try again. And again. And again. Continue to try – and just don’t cry! If you have the intention and the drive to do something, it will happen! You just can’t give up too easily and you cannot be lazy; if you want to succeed, that is. It’s all hard work and effort that has resulted in my business starting and continuing to grow.
It was a huge change moving from the world of taxis to selling chai.
But with a positive mindset, hard work, and determination, I managed to start my business.
What other qualities do you think are important in making such a choice?
How do you practice these qualities?
How does mindset play a role?
For now I want to continue running and expanding my chai business. There are many other foods I can sell and I am enjoying experimenting and trying new things. Looking ahead into the future, I know I definitely want to keep running businesses. I would like to also stay in the “hospitality” sector where I can serve people. Maybe I can even run a resort or a hotel. It’ll mean finding the right business partners and team to make this happen. For now, I am excited to learn as much as I can and to take these experiences with me as I continue to try new things and push myself to dream bigger.
Start with BIG QUESTIONS: “What is your biggest dream? What factors influence you achieving your dream?”
“What is your biggest dream? What factors influence you achieving your dream?” You can begin the conversation by talking about dreams and what they are (e.g.
“What are dreams? Why are dreams important?”). Have students share their dreams (depending on your preference, students can shout out their dreams or raise their hands before sharing). No matter how big or small a person’s dreams are, the point is to have fun and make students feel like they can do or say anything without judgment or limitations. Depending on your preferred approach, this could also be a pair and share / turn and talk! Next, tell students to close their eyes and think about their biggest dream. While students’ eyes are closed, go around the room and pass out sheets of paper, pens, and markers (do not use pencils or anything erasable for this activity.) Have students create their dreams on the paper (e.g. draw, write sentences, write a poem, etc., depending on student preference). Now their dreams are tangible; they can hold onto and be reminded of their dreams. After students have documented their dreams, together as a class you can brainstorm the internal factors (e.g. talent, determination, grit, personal motivation) and external factors (e.g. opportunity, privilege, economics) that may influence their ability to achieve their dreams. You can write these responses on the board to track the conversation. You may want to prompt students by asking, “How do you determine if a factor is internal or external?” and, “What are some benefits and challenges of internal and external factors?” Then, open up a larger discussion on how and why certain factors are the way that they are. For example, you may want to have a discussion on privilege. You can ask, “What makes someone privileged? What can privilege look like?” Once students have a chance to think about privilege on a broader scale, ask questions that allow for students to self-reflect: “Does privilege affect people the same way worldwide, or is it specific to a community or a person?” “Why might privilege look different depending on where you are and who you are?” “How can we be mindful of our privilege?” Note: You can substitute the word ‘privilege’ with other factors, such as ‘economic status’ and ‘opportunity’.
With your class, watch the video “I am Shantanu” and read the story “I am Shantanu”. After watching the video and reading the story, ask students which internal and external factors from the previous activity they think are the most important to Shantanu and why.
Factors may include location, previous experiences, economic status, and motivation. Check for reading comprehension by asking the following questions: “What is Shantanu’s current job, and what were his previous jobs?” “How did Shantanu’s previous jobs and experiences influence how he operates his current business?” “What does Shantanu hope to achieve with his business?” Ask students if they know what a mind map is and if they have ever created one before. Allow students to share what they believe a mind map is. Then, explain to students that a mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. It allows you to show relationships between different pieces of a whole. Then, have students turn over their sheets of paper from the first activity and rotate it horizontally. Have students write their name and, in one to three words, what their dream is in the center of the paper. Next, in different directions from the center, have students draw lines and write the most important factors needed to achieve their dreams (there is not a set number; instead, have students write as many as they believe are needed). If a factor is both internal and external, they can circle it. If that factor affects another factor, they can draw lines to connect them. Next, have students indicate which factors they feel they need to be most focused on to achieve their dream (this can be indicated by highlighting the factor, or drawing a star or a heart near it). When finished, come together as a group and reflect on what the experience was like to create their mind maps. Ask students if anyone circled factors as being both internal and external and to explain why. Ask students if anyone drew lines to connect different factors and share why. Ask students: “How and why can a factor be both internal and external?” “How and why can factors affect one another?“
What does it take to achieve your dream? Let’s take a deeper look into Shantanu’s experiences as a taxi driver and The Chai Guy!
Take some time to discuss with students the pros and cons of working for someone else and working for yourself: Working for someone else: Pros may include: Ideally (and more commonly), your pay is steadier. You don’t have to put as much of your own equity on the line. You may also choose to discuss what equity is (in life in general and in business). Cons may include (and in Shantanu’s case): Relying on someone else for a paycheck (Shantanu was not paid out the full paycheck and he’d often get paid late). You also may not be as motivated to get the job done because you don’t have as much invested in the business. Working for yourself: Pros may include: Creating your own schedule and having creative and operational freedom. Cons may include: Less reliable pay and not having the financial ability and security to handle a loss/several losses early on. Get students thinking about the financials involved as a taxi driver and business owner. You can start by asking students if they know what “standard of living” means, and then explore the following situations: ((Average taxi fare) x (number of rides driven each day)) x (percentage that Shantanu was able to take home himself from the profits) Calculate the cost of living in Maharashtra (brainstorm what should be taken into account when calculating the cost of living.) “How much would the average taxi fare have to be, how many rides would Shantanu need to take per day, and what percentage of the total pay cut would Shantanu need to make to live in Maharashtra?” (You can share how most taxi companies take a percentage of a driver's fares to cover other expenses including operational costs and car rental.) “If Shantanu could keep 300 rupees per ride, and the cost of living (per day) in Maharashtra was 3000 rupees, how many rides would Shantanu need to give per day to meet the minimum standard of living?” (Answer: 10) Then ask, “Do you think that the standard of living is the same worldwide?” Have students brainstorm the internal and external factors that affect the costs of living. “How many rides per day would Shantanu need to give to live comfortably?” Allow students to first discuss what it means to live comfortably, and then brainstorm and identify what expenses they believe are important to live comfortably. Imagine that Shantanu gives three rides, then becomes sick and cannot finish his work day. “If Shantanu needs to give ten rides in one day, how many rides will he need to give the following day to make up for the previous sick day?” (Answer: 17) “ How might this setback affect Shantanu’s daily routine?” Students may discuss the additional time Shantanu will need to account for to make up the rides, and therefore his reduced time for other activities like sleeping and spending time with his family. When students increase the average taxi fare, you may want to discuss how increased fares may deter customers and how competitors like private ride-share companies affect local businesses. (Chai profits) - (operational costs) = net profit/ revenue Start with low profits and high operational costs so that the net profit is either low or negative. Discuss with students why this may happen and ask if they think all people can take this kind of loss. Ask students what Shantanu could do to increase profits. Ask if what he does to increase profits also increases operational costs. Ask what Shantanu could do to reduce operational costs. Have students play around with different numbers and have them explain the numbers in their equations and scenarios. This is a great opportunity for students to think realistically and creatively. For example, “I think Shantanu would have high chai profits and low operational costs 5 years into his business when the whole city knows who The Chai Guy is. His operational costs would be lower because he would be spending less on cups since he would be reusing them. I also think he would receive an award for his innovative efforts to be environmentally-friendly, and as a result, he would be more popular”.
Find your dream accountability support system! Come together as a class and reflect on the activities.
Now that students are aware and have had some time to think about the factors that influence a person’s ability to achieve his/ her/ their dream, ask what they believe are the first steps they can take to reach their dreams. Ask students, “What is a support system?” Discuss the importance of support systems and accountability buddies with students. Ask students: “Why does Shantanu think people from his state do not start their own businesses?” “How can Shantanu inspire people from his community to start their own businesses?” “Who was and is Shantanu’s support system? Can we tell from the story?” “Whom does Shantanu want to support?” Have students turn to their neighbor and share their dreams. Referencing their paper, have each student share one factor they believe they can work on today to start achieving their dreams. Then ask students what is one thing they can do to support their partner in achieving their dream. Label the four corners of the room with different support systems (e.g. family, self, friends/classmates, and other role models). Count students off from one to four, and have them move to the corresponding corner (with their papers) to discuss the importance of each support system in small groups. Before rotating to the next corner, have one to two students in each group share something interesting they learned about their classmate’s dreams and how that support system can help in reaching their dreams. Rotate until all groups have discussed the importance of each support system. Let students return to their seats. For each factor they wrote on their mind maps, have students add who will be a part of their support system. It may be that for some of the factors, the student (himself/ herself/ themself) is the only support system, while other factors include more people. Have students reflect on who appears among their support systems and why different factors may include the same or different people.
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Better Together
Just yesterday actually, I received a call in the evening from one of my friends. He is a taxi driver in my community and he had a car accident. As soon as I heard the news I told him that if he needed me I would be there immediately. I would close up my Chai Stall early and support him however I could. My business is important, but these friendships matter most. After all, money isn’t the main reason I have chosen to enter this business.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
What does friendship mean to you?
How important are friendships to you?
How are you a good friend to others in your daily life?
I have loved making friends with all sorts of people. People from the village and people from the city, young people and older people, people from all walks of life, from politics to business and even to education. People who work and people who are at home looking after their families. I love connecting with them all and I really enjoy sharing stories.
This was the main reason I started a chai business of all things: to create a space for people to connect and build friendships. Chai is something that almost everyone drinks here in India, and my little cups of chai are something that almost everyone can afford. This chai brings people together in our community, and getting to know someone over a cup of chai is a very rewarding and relaxing process.
Having something in common such as a love for chai has helped me connect with people – especially new people I have just met.
Do you think it is important to connect with people?
How do you connect with new people?
Do you find it difficult?
Why or why not?
How can we all form deeper, more meaningful connections with each other?
About 80% of people who come to my stand are working on construction for the surrounding area.
Another 15% drive taxis.
The remaining 5% are various other friends and people who live or work or pass through the area.
a) How many people from each category above come to the stall if I sell 200 cups in a day?
b) What if I sell 400?
c) What if I sold two cups to each of those people from (b)?
I don’t have a set up with tables and chairs or anything of that sort. But I have pulled together a couple of stools and repurposed a few containers that my customers in the community can sit on. They aren’t in clusters or tables as you’d see in a restaurant or café. All the seats are together so that all my customers can sit together and get to know one another. I’m always thinking about how the space around my chai stand can be best used to build a community here. If it rains, I make sure to put up a sheet so that my customers can still stay here and connect with one another without getting wet.
A couple of days ago the rocks that my cart stands upon had been moved around after some construction work and the ground was uneven. I saw quickly that a few customers were struggling to stand on the uneven surface so I immediately called my friends from across the street, who are construction workers, to help me out. We quickly cleared the ground to make an even surface that would be most comfortable for my customers. I want to create an environment where my customers feel welcome, comfortable, and happy. A community.
Six months ago the average person who came to my chai stand stayed for about 10 minutes.
a) Three months ago, the average person who came stayed for 15 minutes.
What is the increase in the percentage of time spent by the average person?
b) Nowadays the average person who comes stays for 20 minutes.
What is the increase in the percentage of time spent by the average person?
What does this information tell you?
Why do you think my customers spent more time at the chai stand?
Is it a positive step?
What are some of the creative things you could do to help people make connections and build friendships in your community?
Want to create a calm and focused space to start the community conversation? Try out a group breathing exercise ? Or you could do some group stretches! Or serve some chai?!
“What are some of your favorite occasions to get together with friends?” We might hear about holidays, birthdays, sporting games, and field trips.
Share a place that you frequently see friends in your community. “Who has been responsible for these gatherings? What kind of preparation was needed to make them possible? How does the location for these gatherings play a role? What kinds of different people were attending the gathering? Anyone with different perspectives?”
Before reading Shantanu’s story about community, discuss why he might have started a chai business. What are some possible reasons he would do this? (A T-chart may help, here.) Read the “Shantanu Builds Community” story and then revisit the same questions.
Free write for 4-6 minutes. “What does community mean to you? Can you think of communities you are a part of? Are there any communities you’d like to join? Are there any differences between people in the communities? What unites these communities despite those differences?”
“How can communities encourage change? Are communities more or less effective in doing so than individuals? Why? Can you think of some issues in the world that are being addressed by communities?
Have you seen groups of people come together, even when they have differences, to work towards something they see needing change? Are there any communities you’d like to form to do so?”
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Junk Re-Thunk
Running a chai business is great fun. It’s one of the best jobs I have ever done. It’s also fun working in the sun. Okay, I’ll stop rhyming now. The best parts of the job? I love being my own boss, deciding when I work and how I work. I love meeting and getting to know my customers. I love thinking about how I can grow my business. And I really love to prepare tea and serve my customers. I am so grateful to be able to call this my job.
Most of my days begin at around 5am. I wheel over my cart and set up my chai stand by 8 or 8:30. My day is spent standing. My whole day. Mostly nonstop until 8:30pm, as I serve my customers and by 9pm I pack up and head home. I run the stall 6 days a week, and I take Sunday to relax, spend time with my friends, and also to learn and experiment with new foods that I could sell at my stand.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to sell food on the street?
Have you ever done it?
As a job, at a festival, or at a fair?
Was it to provide for your family?
To raise funds for an organization?
If not, have you ever bought food from a roadside stall?
Can you imagine what it is like for me?
How might you step into my shoes?
What are some of the beliefs and ideas you have about the work that I do?
Also, I'm curious if you can figure out the volume of my cart.
How might you calculate that?
Maybe you can figure out from the video you've seen about me?
If you asked me what was challenging about this work, I would struggle to give you an answer. Like I mentioned before, I feel there is nothing not to like about this work. If I had to tell you what I enjoy least I would have to say cleaning the glasses. But even that I have learned to really enjoy. You see when I clean the glasses all my worries leave me. I am so focused on the task and don’t think of anything else. And it’s so important that the glasses are cleaned well. I need to make sure everything is clean and safe for my customers. But more than this, if the glasses are dirty I find I feel more tired. When the glasses are clean, I feel fresh and good. And when I feel fresh and good, my customers will feel fresh too. I want my customers to have the best experience that they can. It’s this feeling that helps me do every task well. And I enjoy it too!
Every day I usually bring 100L of water from my home to add to my chai and to drink.
There is water nearby my stand that comes from the bore well.
But the water I get at home in my taps tastes much better.
So even though there is a lot of added effort to bring that water all the way, I still do it.
I use an additional 40L of water a day for cleaning which my friend brings from a nearby lane (street). How many cups of chai can I make per day? How about if 1⁄2 of my chai is comprised of milk (which it is!)? I'm going to leave you to figure out how much chai each of my glasses can hold! :)
I am always experimenting with new things I can sell. If a customer tells me they like a certain food, I always think about whether I could sell it! These days, alongside chai, I’m selling samosas, poha (a savory rice dish), and cream rolls. I’m also learning a few new popular Indian savory snacks including vada pav (a delicious bun with a potato patty). It’s a continuous experiment in learning about my customers and trying new things.
What do you think I should consider when deciding what foods to sell?
How do I consider costs when I determine what to sell and when I determine prices?
What do you estimate my costs might be?
Are they only for the goods themselves?
What would the costs for these same line items be where you live?
What would you pay for these kinds of snacks?
Are the prices different where you are?
What percentage of my final price should be profit?
I am also very conscious of how much waste I produce. I strive to minimize the amount of plastic I use – it isn’t good for the environment or for one’s health to drink from plastic cups so I avoid these as much as possible. And can I tell you something funny? Sometimes customers ask for plastic cups thinking I haven’t cleaned my glass cups. They often assume that because it is a roadside stall, I might not care about cleanliness and that I might not use clean water. I don’t really understand this, as it’s even worse to drink chai from a melting plastic cup! I buy foods and ingredients in reusable containers, and once they are empty I clean and use them to store other foods like salt and sugar. And I always make sure I don’t leave any waste lying near my cart when I have finished every evening.
How might I run my business in an even better way? What other kinds of waste can you think of that I might accumulate through running this business? If I have about 200 customers per day, how much waste do you believe there might be per person? What about in total? What about the weekly or monthly waste? And how do these numbers change on weeks when an average of 250 customers come per day. Is there a way to generate less waste? What about no waste? Do you know anyone who runs a business or who lives his or her life without generating much waste?
“Have you ever re-used an object for a new purpose instead of throwing it out?” Some common things might be containers for pens and pencils, jars for spare change, toys, and even clothes.
If not many answers are shared, give some examples: “Many people turn old clothes into rags for cleaning” or “Creative musicians and street performers have used garbage cans as drums. They can work great!” Read “Shantanu Sells Tea” to discuss how Shantanu reuses objects. Ask if this triggers any more thoughts on times we’ve seen people reuse objects, whether in our own homes, in public, or in another business.
“When do we decide to throw something in the trash? When it breaks? When we simply don’t want it anymore? When we decide it has served its purpose?
About how much trash do you produce a day?” Have any of us considered these questions before? Ask if anyone is willing to share why they throw things out. Have we thrown anything out today? What was it? Did we have to? Brainstorm some ways we could have avoided throwing these things out. You could use the example that buying one reusable water bottle could save you from throwing out tons of plastic water bottles. This could be a great time to use math. Shantanu has 200 customers per day. Usually 50 of these customers will take their tea to go in a plastic cup. After one week, how many cups will have been thrown out? After a month? If Shantanu only served tea in plastic cups, how many cups would be wasted per week? Per month? Compare these numbers. How much waste is being avoided by serving chai in glass cups? Per week? Per month? How do these numbers change on weeks when he has 250 customers per day?
Make a list. Look around the room and pick an object that you think could have multiple uses other than what it is currently being used for.
Make a list of as many things that you can imagine it would also be useful for. “What are some things you throw out everyday that can be reused?” First, share an example of a paper clip. A paper clip is “meant” to hold papers together, but you can use it as a bookmark or even to fix a zipper. We can use it to remove dirt under our nails and as a worm hook for fishing. After 5 minutes of brainstorming objects in the rooms that have other uses, go around the room and share these new observations. “Did this exercise make us see the room differently? Have we ever thought these objects could be used like this? Why do you think we never did? Did we assume all of these objects were already serving THE purpose they were designed for? Have we considered that there are all sorts of uses for the stuff around us?”
“How do we define what is valuable? Is value something that we assign to objects? Is it relative across communities around the world? Do some communities throw out more stuff than others?
How can those that throw out more change? Is it important to be resourceful? How would throwing out less stuff improve our planet? Would buying less stuff also help? How? If not, why not?” Approach this as a closing group discussion. These are pretty big, important questions so coming up with specific answers isn’t as important as getting us to think and reconsider our habits. Becoming aware is the first step. Ask if we’ve changed what we consider trash. Do we think this will resonate as we leave the classroom? What are ways we can practice the ideas we have in our daily lives? How can we track these changes together?
This is one way to teach this story. You could also weave your own way, threading two or three other people the AI finds for you alongside.
Want to weave a full lesson around this story?
The weaver finds 3-4 real people whose stories thread together with this one.
Weave a lesson →Not hers. Not yours. People are always more than the chapters anyone could share. Hold what is here gently. Approach with curiosity, before judgment.
If a moment stayed, follow it. If a question rose up, hold it. The quiet teaching is still teaching.
Three or four real stories woven into one lesson, your topic, your time. Shantanu is one. The weaver finds the others, threads the math, the literacy, the values, the reflection.
Open the weaver →