by Jason Letts
“Nothing all that special, I guess,” she said, shrugging and putting out her hands. “Respect for each other, listening, boundaries.”
She was nearly the same age I was, and I could sense that she hadn’t escaped the same hole I’d been fighting to get out of either.
“Have you been more comfortable here with your TechUp startup?”
I started to feel like I was drifting away from my list of interview questions, but I wanted to hear more about where Lena was coming from. In a way I wanted her to keep reciting my own story back to me. I could see a sense of kinship materializing.
“Mostly yes,” she said. “Tomas can be somewhat aloof, as I’m sure you noticed, but he generally minds his own business. But I don’t kid myself that people are coming here because of me. He’s one of those programmers who really has the gift, and that same aloofness is attractive to a lot of people who have a desire to get affirmation from those who are reluctant to give it.”
I nodded, wishing that her story had remained more relevant to my professional life than my personal life. Was I clinging on to Keenan because he was a high flyer who gave out his affection in small doses?
“I thought I’d be doing this for a long time,” Lena went on. “There’s going to be a demand for good programmers probably forever, and we went through the hassle of getting this space and getting everything setup. The equipment, the course materials. To be honest, we’ve barely just broken even on the expenses, but to hear Tomas say he’s bored and ready to move on…if this is his last term I don’t think I’ll be able to keep going without him. Forgive the outburst, but it seems like a waste that destroys all of the work I’ve put in.”
I watched her confession with affection and I couldn’t shy away from how I was already sold on her. Lena was someone I was going to want to see at work, who I knew would contribute to our culture in the way I wanted. A nagging part of me kept saying that Tomas was a better programmer and that was what Keenan wanted, but maybe part of being the best programmer was a sense of humility and being a team player. After a few more back-and-forths, I was ready to pop the question.
“I think the workplace you’ve been looking for is with us. It’s going to be different. We’re going to focus on the work and our ideas, not letting it get messy or personal,” I said. “Would you be willing to come aboard?”
“I don’t think I have much choice. No sense being the last one on what is evidently a sinking ship,” she said.
We talked a little bit more about the details of our website revamp and the location of our office. On the way out I noticed Tomas, who had a resentful look for me. This may have been the only time in his life he’d been passed over, but if he’d wanted the job it wasn’t a stretch to say he could’ve done more to act like it.
I had more important things on my mind anyway, like what the situation was back in the office with Keenan. It was well after five by the time I left, and I waffled between returning there with the possibility of seeing Keenan or going straight home. Waffling between things was one of my favorite activities. It just sounded so delicious.
Luckily my phone buzzed, indicating an email from Keenan that put to rest my quandary and spurred some excitement.
“Not much luck on the phone. I managed to arrange a meeting, but it’s in Providence. We’ll leave shortly after we get in.”
It sounded like we were in for a road trip to take an important meeting that would decide the fate of the company, but in my stomach the butterflies bouncing around were all screaming that I was about to go on a hot date. With a quiet evening in front of me, I knew the smart thing to do would’ve been to find out what company we’d be visiting and learn everything there was to know about them, but instead the best preparation I could think of was going to the gym and putting in an hour on the treadmill.
Hey, what was there to do in the car other than study?
CHAPTER 8
It was a little awkward welcoming Lena to her new place of employment, an entire remodeled floor with fifty workspaces of which only two were occupied, and telling her I was immediately going to be leaving for an all-day trip with the boss.
But as Keenan and I went for the elevator and I looked back over my shoulder, what worried me more was seeing that she’d be spending the entire day alone with Chelsea. I shuddered to think what Chelsea would say about me, and me and Keenan, to our new programmer who expected a workplace of professionalism where gossip and personal issues didn’t come into play. I wondered how many minutes would pass before phrases like “office slut” and “got into his car after work” were uttered.
I tried to focus on the task ahead of me. I was wearing leggings and a slim black skirt that ran just above the knee and a black jacket over a dressy white shirt. Competent and trustworthy were what I was hoping would get across to anyone we met.
“You’re going to freeze,” Keenan said as we exited into the car park.
“It’s not the cold that bothers me, just the slush and ice. We should be free from that down here,” I said, but as we got into his car there was a personal hint set out that was harder to brush off. The armrest between the seats was up and it was stuffed with a bag of chips, McDonald’s fries, a couple of Snickers bars, and a can of Coke.
“What’s all this?” I asked, leering at it uncomfortably. It was like a snake was coiled in there looking at me.
“Something to snack on in case we get hungry along the way. I know when I’m in a rush I sometimes forget to have breakfast. What about you?” And when I didn’t immediately answer his question, he went on. “It did occur to me that you might not’ve had much sushi because you didn’t have much of an appetite.”
“I didn’t eat much because I could barely get the food to my mouth,” I said, trying to be upbeat and humorous about it. The last thing I wanted was to start a fight at the start of a long drive, so it seemed better to just roll with it for now. He’d get the point when I didn’t eat any of that junk.
We made it out of the city and onto I-95 with idle chitchat about the stuff around us when I decided that it was past time for me to get down to prepping for the meeting.
“If you want to let me know who we’re going to be meeting with I can start doing some more research about it,” I said.
Keenan had one hand on the wheel and was leaning back comfortably in his seat. Something classical leaked out of the speakers so lightly it was almost imperceptible.
“Meeting? There’s no meeting. I just said that to get you in the car. We’re going to my cabin in the woods,” he said.
“Really?” I was suddenly apprehensive from head to toe. For a second I unconsciously held my breath.
“Gotcha! No, I’m just kidding. The meeting is with Mana Foundries, a chipmaker and parts producer. You probably haven’t heard of them. They’ve been struggling to break through because of competition from low-cost, foreign manufacturers, and I want to see if I can help even though business-to-business marketing is a big shift from what we did before. You don’t need to bother with any research though. I was up all night getting the presentation together. Sit back and enjoy the ride,” he said.
I tapped my fingers anxiously on the door’s armrest. Sitting back right before something as important as this wasn’t in my nature.
“Are they big enough to save the business if we get a deal with them?” I asked.
Keenan nodded emphatically.
“Even the small players here are making serious dough, but Mana Foundries isn’t used to big expenditures on marketing and need to be convinced of the value of it.”
After getting that out of the way, I couldn’t hold back from asking the question that was really on my mind.
“If I’m not going to know any details of what you’re proposing until you’re sharing it with them, what am I going to be there for?” I asked. I cast him a fearful look that fortunately he didn’t notice. I had a sudden image of him saying I was there to keep him company on the ride or as eye candy in the meeting.
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After a moment he did glance over at me with a serious look.
“If it weren’t for you yesterday my company might’ve been over and done with. You’ve earned a seat at the table when it comes to striking a deal that’ll save it. But as a matter of fact I do have something specific in mind for you. As you’re doing the hiring and managing the staff now, I want you to be able to tell them about our culture and put it in a positive light that’ll impress them. They’re going to know that we’ve basically shed all of our staff, and a big part of what we need to accomplish is convincing them that we aren’t washed up,” he said.
I nodded and smiled while inwardly chiding myself for suspecting something degrading from Keenan. I blamed it on the bad joke about going to a cabin.
“I can do that,” I said.
“Good. And what about Lena? Is she going to be able to handle what we need done? I hope you got the best,” he said, and I swallowed.
“Finding someone able to come in the next day wasn’t easy, but she’s got experience, she’s very bright, and I think what she needs is a quiet environment to do her best work,” I said.
“Well the floor has never been quieter,” Keenan said.
“She’s not going to have any issues with our website revamp and picking up whatever we would need done with Mana Foundries,” I said, hoping I was right.
We continued on down the long road through Connecticut. I spent most of the time trying to come up with a few good lines about our company culture and felt like I was closing in on a good one when Keenan disrupted my thoughts. At least this time I wasn’t distracted because of his looks.
“I know this is going to work out, but I have thought about what happens if it doesn’t. If landing other clients doesn’t happen soon, I don’t think it’d be the worst thing in the world if I left this company behind and started on a new path, maybe something more in line with social analytics and structures like I was researching back in school. I hope you don’t mind that I’m telling you about this,” he said.
I blinked three times as I realized what kind of territory he was taking me into.
“You can talk to me about it,” I said. “Is that what you want, to move on to something like that?”
He sucked his teeth and took the wheel in both hands.
“Not necessarily. It’s not the money or the interviews that interest me about what we’re doing now. I’m the kind of guy who believes that change is best achieved from within, and I always felt that if I was successful enough at this one part of it, the marketing, I’d be able to influence who wins and make sure the people who did so were deserving. Maybe it’s the anthropologist in me again, but things like exploiting workers in low-wage and developing nations really bothers me.
“If the good companies had enough of a megaphone, maybe they’d be able to win for a change. I had been hugely successful with Connoisaurus, but they’re really the problem and I was never able to help the people I wanted. It made me realize that I should’ve been working for the right people all along. That’s what I spent a lot of time in my office yesterday doing, researching the companies I wanted to work with rather than dialing up anyone with big pockets. This could be my chance to do it right, the way I should’ve done it from the beginning.”
I felt a bloom of excitement growing within me. Following your dreams, bucking corrupt systems, taking a big risk based on what you feel in your heart? All of that was right up my alley.
“It’s going to work, Keenan. I can feel it. It’s a big opportunity for us, but it’s a bigger one for them too. They’d be lucky to work with someone who cares as much as you do.”
He didn’t respond much to that, just kept his eyes on the road mostly. It did create a little more pressure on me to come up with a really great pitch for our company’s culture, which was tough because this was only my second day working on it and I was making it up as I went along.
While I’d imagined Providence having cute streets lined with shops and views of the ocean, the industrialized area we went to outside of town was much different. There were huge warehouses, smokestacks, and a lot of large equipment. The Mana Foundries building had an imposing facade and a large parking lot. The gray sky didn’t do anything to add to its appeal.
“I think another storm is coming,” Keenan said as we got out of his car and headed to the entrance.
The receptionist directed us to take the elevator to the fourth floor, and there we met the three men who were in charge of their sales department. All three of them were named Chris and they were all at least ten years older than we were.
“Come on in,” Chris said, showing us into a conference room and pointing to a computer station where Keenan was able to load up his presentation. I was a little nervous, but I smiled brightly and complemented them on their comfortable office before taking a seat at a table opposite the three Chrises.
I immediately noticed Keenan assume something of a strut and his confident grin as he crossed the room and took a position standing at the head of the table.
“I know you want to hear about what we can do for you, but if you don’t mind I’d like to start by talking about us at Mouse Roar. By now I’m sure you’ve heard about our shakeup and the new digital marketing division at Connoisaurus. It’s possible they’ve even contacted you and are trying to solicit your business as well.
“Let me tell you that the reality of the situation is a little different than public perception. I enjoyed working with the team at Connoisaurus, but the truth was that they weren’t helping me do what I really want to do. Some might call it naive or trite, but I really do want to make the world a better place. I want to change things and lend a hand to those who are trying to do things right and take care of their people. So I said to Connoisaurus, why don’t we get you guys to handle this stuff for yourselves so that I can reinvent my company as a mission-based organization.”
I kept a close eye on our hosts. While one of them seemed earnestly interested, the other two were at best listening politely. It seemed a little crazy to me, because I found Keenan’s speaking to be nothing short of entrancing. He was masculine and smart in a way I’d never had the pleasure of seeing before.
“Part of this reinvention is how we do things right in our own offices, and I’ve brought Sarah here to tell you about that. She’s heading up our managerial team now.”
The men’s gazes turned on me suddenly. I hadn’t expected to speak so soon, but I swallowed quickly and dove right in.
“Our new drive can be summed up in three words. Authenticity, sensitivity, and productivity. Part of delivering the best service we can is being true to ourselves and constructively open about the different perspectives we bring to our work. This ability to collaborate and even argue in a healthy atmosphere is what allows us to arrive at the absolute best strategy that’s going to work for you. What you want is the best argument and the most sense driving your strategy, not seniority or the biggest personality in the room,” I said.
I opened my mouth to go on, but a quick look and nod from Keenan let me know that he already had it in mind to move on. When one of the Chrises subtly glanced at his watch, I had to agree.
“That’s why I want to start this new chapter of Mouse Roar with you. Mana Foundries is hardly a mouse, but I don’t think you’ve nearly reached full roar yet. Revenue stretching up to a billion dollars a year is nothing to sneeze at, but there’s a lot of market share to take from foreign producers. Conventional wisdom suggests that the only thing most companies are interested in is price, but there’s something even more crucial that you can take advantage of. That’s being there when the decisions get made. Let me show you how.”
Keenan went on with a few slides before we broke into more of a discussion about what they were currently doing and how we could add to that. I did find a few more opportunities to speak, mostly asking questions to coax out more information about what their decisions might be weighing on. Keenan ran with the answers perfectly, and I thought we d
id a marvelous job of speaking to their biggest priorities.
But as time went on I began to suspect that if we were going to get an agreement out of them the signs would’ve already appeared. During a discussion about social media, the Chris in the center broke in abruptly.
“I think this sounds great, but we’re going to have to think about it and get back to you if we decide to move forward,” he said.
The slightest bit of strain showed on Keenan’s face.
“Let me see if I can make it an easier decision for you,” he said. “We’ll run the first campaign commission free if we can strike a deal today. That’s how much we want to help you succeed in what you’re doing.”
The Chris in the middle exchanged looks with the other Chrises. There were raised eyebrows and pursed lips.
“We just can’t commit to anything right now, and we’ve got to move on to some other meetings. But this has been very informative and we’re going to be in touch.”
Keenan looked like he was going to continue to press them for an agreement, but he froze, perhaps realizing it would be a step too far.
“Of course. We appreciate you having us in and giving us a chance to tell you in person what we’re doing.”
I smiled and shook hands, thanking them as well. On the way out I waited for a sign from Keenan about how he was taking their deferral, and it turned out not to be a short wait. We were all the way back in the car when he squeezed the steering wheel tight and chewed on a fingernail.
“They’ll come around,” he said through clenched jaws. I nodded emphatically.
“I think so too. The way you spelled it out, it’s a no-brainer for them.”
It was a pleasant surprise that Keenan didn’t continue to take the setback too hard. We listened to jazz on the way back and watched the light flakes of snow grow into thick sheets. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon it looked like the dead of night out, and the worsening weather seemed to have deterred a lot of people from getting out on the road.