Nevin Kamath is fundamentally a helper. He knows this about himself, has confirmed it with his Myers-Briggs assessment, and has oriented himself toward a personal and professional life in which success is measured by his ability to, well, help people. Nevin’s not Batman or anything; he’s just a guy who has figured out creative ways to add value to his own life while doing the same for others.
Take Tutoria: Nevin’s parents were both immigrant entrepreneurs. He lived their experiences of starting and running businesses — the highs and the lows. He also saw them through the process of becoming citizens, and says frankly, “My parents were both struggling at one point, trying to acclimate to the United States, and as a result, I’ve always felt a soft spot for people who are treading the same path.”
So, when Nevin was interested in further developing his skillset in strategic planning and organizational development, he went to Taproot and sought out organizations in need of those services. Discovering that Tutoria focused on preparing people for the U.S. citizenship exam and learning English, and that they were looking for help with strategy and planning, well: “It just seemed like a perfect fit.”
Nevin’s work at Tutoria has come with another unexpected benefit: feeling part of a community. After nearly a year working on the strategic planning process, organizing meetings and tracking progress toward goals, Nevin looks back and says, “The strategy team had a lot of fun last year — we worked really well together. That year went by pretty quickly and I’m very proud of the work that we did.”
Nevin devotes about three hours a week to Tutoria. When asked about the time commitment, he says, “It’s a very valuable three hours and I get a lot out of it.” Nevin hasn’t forgotten that Tutoria is benefiting from his time; he just chooses to focus on how he benefits, as well.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to develop a professional skill or just network with other like-minded people, consider seeking out a nonprofit that needs your help: you might just find you get as much or more out of that experience than they do. Maybe if Batman had taken that approach, he might have been a more cheerful guy
