The Shortest Boss in the Room

by Zanaiah Williams

  Now was my time to shine, and I had to make not only myself proud but also my parents too.

  “Hello, Sharks. I am nine-year-old Zaria Carter, and—”

  “I’m her handsome four-year-old brother, Zion!”

  I did a double take. Where on earth did he come from?

  “I’m seeking fifty thousand dollars in exchange for ten percent of my business.”

  The Junior Sharks started scribbling on their notepads.

  “Shark Juniors, I am sure you’ve all been in a position where you’ve misplaced something important that you use on a daily, like your keys or glasses. If you’re anything like me, it happens often. Well, I’m here to make life a little bit easier with my new device iZight!”

  “iZight? I adore the name!” Devin sat back and crossed his legs. He wore glasses and always matched his frames’ color to his bow ties. He was the perfect model for my pitch.

  “Devin, your glasses always color coordinate with your bow tie. Imagine having an important business meeting. You’re dressed and ready to go, but then you realize you’re missing your glasses. I mean, sure, you can always grab another pair, but that wouldn’t be the signature ‘Devin look.’ If your outfit isn’t right, your business mind won’t be either. Time is ticking, and now you’re running late. You search all over the house and even question your dog . . .” The Sharks laughed. “The dog didn’t eat them, just like he never ate your homework . . .”

  They all laughed again. The more they laughed, the more energy I put into my pitch. “You search under your bed and in your closet. Now, you’re really late. So late that you may lose this business opportunity. You happened to walk past the mirror and catch your reflection. What do you know? The glasses were on top of your head all along. All of that wasted time could’ve been avoided with iZight.”

  Zion walked the basket filled with samples over to each Shark.

  “I’d like to show you how it works. Some of these have a chain, and some of them have a lanyard. Each one has a small tracker inside. You can clip it to any item, but I have already attached the lanyard or chain on a pair of sunglasses for demonstration purposes. You can put them on your face, on your head, or let them hang around your neck. Only one is programmed. If it beeps, then that means you are the lucky winner.”

  “And what do we win?”

  “I’m glad you asked, Little Magnificent. The winner wins the chance to partner with me!” I pointed to the custom-designed T-shirt that I was wearing, “The Shortest Boss in the Room.”

  “Whoa!” Morgan stood up and applauded me. “I love your enthusiasm, Zaria!” He was much taller than he appeared on TV.

  I closed out my pitch with a demonstration. Everything I was doing on my phone could be seen on the projector screen.

  “So it’s really user-friendly. You go to the iZight app, click on ‘Find my stuff.’ You can label any item: glasses, car keys, headphones, whatever you need help keeping up with. Select the missing item, and an alert that says, ‘Over here,’ will sound off. When you locate the item, you simply silence the alert.” I pressed the button, and Lauren jumped up from her seat.

  “I won!”

  “Yes, Lauren, you’d definitely win by seeing this through with me. So what do you say?” I flashed the biggest selfie smile.

  “This was an excellent pitch: so much energy and confidence—one of the best I’ve seen. Job well done,” Morgan said.

  “What was the name of the app again?” Bobby asked.

  “iZight. The letter i represents the word ‘eye.’ Zight represents the word ‘sight’ but is spelled with a Z like my name.”

  “Very creative.” Lauren smiled and winked at me.

  “This is an amazing concept. How did you come up with this idea?” Bethany asked.

  “Well, after losing my glasses more times than I can count, I had to come up with a solution.”

  “Excellent! A responsible and business savvy approach!” Little Magnificent said.

  “The iZight chains come in various colors and material, right?” asked Devin.

  “That’s correct. I want my customers to have options. To be able to mix and match just like you, Devin.”

  “Sales,” Morgan said bluntly. “How many of these have you sold?”

  I was quick on my feet. “I don’t have any sales on the books yet, which is why I really need your experience and partnership. These are all prototypes, and at this stage, I am looking for the capital too—”

  “No sales data, no deal. I’m out.” My eyes bucked when Bobby dropped his notepad on the table in front of him. I lost one Shark, but I was not going to give up.

  “Thank you for your time, Bobby,” I said with a smile, and my head held high.

  “How do you plan to market this?” another Shark quizzed.

  I swallowed what felt like a large rock in my throat. Then all of a sudden, the lights dimmed, and the projector lit up. I was as surprised as the Sharks when BrittBrax popped on the screen. OMG! I screamed on the inside.

  “Hi, guys. It’s BrittBrax coming to you with the ChitChat. I lose my sunglasses all the time. I know you Sharks value a dollar, and I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve wasted countless dollars replacing my shades. That was until I stumbled across iZight. Luckily, I didn’t turn a blind eye to it. Pun intended. iZight has been a lifesaver! It’s easy to use and so very stylish. I back this product one hundred percent, and so should you.”

  My legs wiggled with excitement. BrittBrax loved my product!

  “Wow!” Morgan was on his feet, clapping again. “You got an endorsement from YouTube sensation Brittany Braxton! Do you know how amazing that is?”

  “Wait a minute,” Bobby said. “You didn’t tell me you had celebrity backing. I’m back in!”

  “No, no, Bobby. You cannot do that. You dropped out, so stay gone,” Lauren said. “Zaria, unlike Bobby over here, I see your vision. And although you have not launched iZight to generate any real data, we can change that. I am in love with your energy, your pitch delivery, and the overall product. I believe I can help you, especially in my area of expertise. Your product is versatile, Zaria. These chains can work on purse straps. I’d love to partner with you and invest in iZight. We need this product in the market!”

  OMG, again and again! Lauren really wants to work with me.

  “Lauren takes on too many projects. When will she have time, Zaria? Your product is good, but it needs the magnificence of Little Magnificent. I’m your guy!”

  I had to remind myself to breathe.

  “Oh gosh, Kyle. This product is better than magnificent. You’re wasting your time. Listen to me, Zaria.” Bethany slid to the edge of her chair. “I’m the girl for this. Think about how this will sell in my stores. To piggyback off Lauren and her idea with the purses, we can incorporate the same idea for my backpack line. Some parents would save money that is usually lost to missing backpacks and lunch bags. iZight is the answer.”

  Devin sat back in his chair, rubbing his hands together. “I have an offer,” he said.

  “Before you say anything else, Devin, let me add a word.” Morgan paused. My heart pounded with the scary shark music playing in the background. “Let me tell you. I loved everything about your presentation. The only reason I’m going to drop out is that this is not my area of expertise, and I feel as though my fellow Sharks will be able to take this to the next level. You can’t go wrong with any one of them.”

  One and a half Sharks out. Half because I wasn’t sure if Bobby was in or out.

  “Thank you, Morgan,” I said.

  I looked back at Devin, waiting to hear what else he had to say.

  “Because of how I rock my glasses, I feel like adding the chain and lanyard as an automatic option will be the best way to introduce this product. Think of how headphones are automatically included with cell phones. I feel like you have something
special here, and I want to come on board and partner with you.”

  “You know, Devin is somewhat right,” Bethany added.

  “What do you mean ‘somewhat right’? I’m confident I can help her brand take off.”

  “You are half perfect for this, but if we team up, the three of us will be a total unstoppable package.”

  Devin rubbed his hands together. “I like your thinking, Bethany.”

  “Don’t leave me out,” Lauren said.

  Bethany leaned over to Devin and Lauren, and they started whispering. I hated this part, but it was a good sign. I only wish I could hear what was being said.

  “Don’t exclude me,” Little Magnificent spoke up. “I’m not willing to partner up because I don’t need to. I can grow this business in record time!”

  I looked over at Zion, who had found himself a comfy spot on the rug. He couldn’t help me because he was too busy coloring. I was on my own now.

  “Okay, Zaria, here are the offers . . .”

  I felt something wet on my face. I was sweating pretty hard. The more I wiped, the wetter my face became. I jumped up to find Zaddy standing over me with his tongue wagging.

  “Oh no, Zaddy! You ruined my business meeting with the Sharks!”

  Chapter 9

  OMG! That was the most fantastic dream. It couldn’t end now. I needed to know if I would have chosen to work with Little Magnificent or if I would have decided to develop a Four Wayz with Devin, Lauren, and Bethany.

  I ignored Zaddy’s whimpering request to go outside. Instead, I lay back against my pillow and squeezed my eyes shut. I can do this. I replayed the dream in my head. There I was again on the pitching rug. I was face-to-face with the judges. Zion wasn’t there this time, but Zaddy was. He ran from judge to judge, sniffing around at their feet. Maybe he was trying to help by sniffing out my partner.

  “What’s it gonna be?” Morgan asked.

  I inhaled and prepared to select a partner when . . . “Ugh, Zaddy! Not again. I love you, but I’m so mad at you right now.”

  I lay still, hoping the third time was the charm, but it was more like three strikes, and I was out. My legs paddled around underneath my blanket like I was treading water. When my blanket flew to the floor, Zaddy jumped down and started rolling around in it. I watched him and smiled. That’s when the journal Gran-Gran gave me caught my eye, and an idea hit me like a dodgeball during recess. I felt terrible that I’d allowed it to sit and collect dust for so long.

  I hopped over Zaddy and rushed to my desk, where I clicked the table lamp, flipped the book open, and read what Gran-Gran had written inside:

  “I love you too, Gran-Gran,” I said, picking up one of my sparkly glittered ink pens.

  I knew exactly what I wanted to accomplish. I began to write myself a letter, titling it “Note To Self.” Once that was completed, I started on my goals.

  In Mrs. Scott’s art class, I learned that you always want to list what you want to achieve with your creativity when creating art. My first goal was to develop an iZight gadget similar to my dream so people will have a backup plan if they lose something.

  Next, Mrs. Scott always said to list supplies and gather them, so you won’t become distracted by things you don’t have when creating. How could I make this gadget? I drummed the pencil against my desk, trying to think of what I would need to pull this off. I opened my drawer and made an even bigger mess. There was a bunch of junk that made me question why I still had it. Old hair barrettes, erasers, crayons, gummy bears, and even letters Cassidy, Piper, and I passed back and forth in class. “One day, I’m going to clean this thing out.” I dumped all the contents out and found a couple of valuable items.

  I now had my tablet to record the video, blue and white yarn that I got from Gran-Gran when she was trying to teach me how to crochet a baby blanket for Zion, a pair of scissors, and Zaddy’s training clicker. And the best find of all . . . an old pair of glasses from kindergarten. I definitely needed these for more than one reason. They were way smaller than my other glasses, but it was better than nothing. And it was required to demonstrate iZight.

  Building my product didn’t take much work. I cut a piece of yarn and tied it tightly to the arms of my glasses. It fit perfectly around my neck. And since I couldn’t add the tracker or develop an actual app just yet, Zaddy’s clicker was a great substitute.

  Zaddy whined again.

  “Okay, buddy, give me one second, and I am going to take you outside,” I promised. He wagged his tail and whimpered some more.

  Finally, the test. Mrs. Scott taught us always to complete a draft or sample first. That way, you can work out any unexpected kinks before presenting your creation to the world.

  “Okay, now for my promo video!” I propped up my tablet and hit record but immediately paused it. What should I say? I grabbed my journal and wrote out my spiel. I even came up with a name to call my fans. Beyoncé has the Beyhive, Rihanna has the Navy, Taylor Swift has the Swifties, and now, Zaria Carter has the Zans. You know, fan but with a Z.

  My hands trembled a little. I don’t know why. It’s not like anyone would see this video. I was only experimenting.

  “Here goes,” I said, satisfied with what I had written. I pressed record again. I smiled so wide I could see every last tooth.

  “Hi, Zans!” I said, looking directly into the camera. “Zaria Carter here bringing you the latest product review, which happens to be my own.” I bounced in my chair and clapped my hands. Zaddy even got excited and barked a few times. I thought about editing it out, but just like I used Devin in my dream, I decided to use Zaddy in my marketing campaign.

  “My product is so amazing that even my dog gets excited about it.” I removed the yarn and glasses from around my neck and held them to the camera. “Everyone can relate to losing or misplacing something very important, right?” I paused. “Well, me too,” I said as if my Zans had answered my question. “With iZight, everything will be all right!”

  I made a drum sound on my desk and a mental note to edit in the spelling one letter at a time. “My new product is designed to benefit everyone. Missing something?” I shrugged and turned my neck like I was looking around my room. “All you do is open the iZight app on your phone, press the name of the preprogrammed missing item, and . . .” I grabbed Zaddy’s clicker and clicked away, which made him bark. He was expecting a treat, and once my product gets discovered, I’ll have enough money to buy him all the goodies in the world.

  I gasped as I reached for my glasses on top of my head. “What do you know, Zans? My glasses have been with me all this time.” I slipped my glasses on my face and finished the video. “The iZight chains have built-in trackers that make finding any item stress-free.” I remembered what Bethany said, and I used that too. “Ladies, those purses that hold so much important information . . .” I winked into the camera. “Interested? Comment on my video, and a representative will be in touch. ZC signing off . . . and remember, iZight will make it all right!”

  I stopped the video. Now, all I needed to do was play it back, edit it, and add some special effects. I couldn’t wait to show the Three Wayz. Maybe this will get Piper talking. Differences aside, Piper and Cassidy could be my representatives. It couldn’t be any more complicated than being a class representative or a member of our Student Council, which we all took very seriously.

  Zaddy’s paws hit my lap. “I’m sorry, Zaddy. I forgot. Please give me five more minutes. I promise.” I rubbed his head, and that seemed to settle him a bit. Before I hit play, Zion barged into my room.

  “Zariaaaaaaa!”

  “What do you want, Zion?”

  “I’m bored. Can you play with me?”

  “You’re supposed to knock before you enter closed doors!” I reminded. “And I can’t play right now. I’m working.”

  Zion stuck his tongue out at me.

  “Go back to your
blanket fort. I said I’m working!”

  “You don’t have a job!” He giggled and started jumping on my bed. That really got Zaddy going.

  “What’s with all the noise in here?” Mama appeared out of thin air.

  When Zion saw Mama, he plopped down on the bed and tried to act innocent.

  “Zaddy is going crazy because Zion won’t stop jumping on my bed.”

  Mama gave Zion “the look.”

  “Have you taken him outside yet?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Don’t you think you need to do that, Miss Lady?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Mama, Zaria told me to get out because she has a job!” Zion blurted.

  “Well, Zaria’s job right this moment is to see to her responsibilities. How would you feel if you had to wait hours to use the bathroom,” she asked, her eyes directly on me.

  “I understand. I’ll take him out now.”

  “And when you’re done, both of you wash up for breakfast,” Mama said before disappearing.

  At least the video was recorded. Everything else would have to wait.

  “Let’s go, Zaddy!”

  Chapter 10

  Because I was in a rush to get back to my tablet, Zaddy took an extralong time to potty. I tugged on his leash for the umpteenth time. He finally followed me back into the house.

  I unhooked his leash and hung it in the laundry room. I tried to make a mad dash to my room, but my dad stopped me.

  “Whoooaaa! You competing in the Olympics?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Well, you sure flew past me like you are.”

  “I’m sorry. Good morning, Daddy.” I slumped my shoulders and dragged my feet across the hardwood floors until I was close enough to lean in and hug him.

  “You ready for breakfast?”

  “No, sir. I’ll eat cereal or something later.”

  “Did you at least feed Zaddy and give him fresh water?”