The Shortest Boss in the Room

by Zanaiah Williams

“What’s that for?” he asked.

  “I wish these were for me.”

  “Don’t start with the huffing and puffing and long face, Li’l Bit. Your time will come sooner than you think. Be patient. Your ideas are amazing, but you don’t want to dive into them without planning or testing. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but don’t give up. Make sure this is something you really want. Being a business owner comes with great reward, but it’s tough and requires a tremendous amount of time and dedication.” Uncle Hawatha rubbed his fingers against the edges of his hair. “You see this? You don’t want to be short and gray,” he said, poking fun of my height and pointing out his two strands of gray hair.

  “What age were you when you knew what you wanted to be?” I asked.

  “I was young. I always knew I wanted to build stuff. I used to take apart radios and put them back together. I’ve always had an interest in learning how things were made and how each part worked.” Uncle Hawatha turned back to the keyboard and clicked away.

  I propped my elbows on the table and rested my chin in the palms of my hands.

  “You want to build one?” he asked. “Gain a little experience?” He smiled and wiggled both of his eyebrows.

  My face lit up. I jumped from my chair and rushed over to the other side of the table. He walked me through each step, and just as he said, it wasn’t as hard as it looked. He explained every piece and what it does so I’d have a better understanding. I built, with his assistance, of course, and he typed.

  “Not bad, huh?” he asked when we finished the last chip.

  “Nope. That was actually pretty fun.”

  “Cool. Now, clean up time.”

  We both let out a groan. Mine turned into cheers when he handed me a crisp twenty-dollar bill and the leftover hardware.

  “Practice makes perfect,” Uncle Hawatha said. “I’ll check in soon and see how much progress you’ve made, and just maybe, we can talk about the future of iZight.”

  I’m not sure, but I think I fainted. I’ll count this as one step closer to my dream coming true.

  Chapter 16

  “Hey, girlie, what are you up to?”

  I closed my journal and tossed it over to the side so I could give Mama my attention. “Just reading back over some goals and trying to create a plan using what I’ve learned since working with you and Uncle Hawatha.” The broad smile that spread across Mama’s face made me feel that she was proud of my efforts.

  “I’m very pleased to hear that. It lets me know that you’re going to be successful in whatever you do. Keep perfecting your passion, and it will all work out.”

  I believe that. My parents had never been wrong about anything in all of my short years. Plus, they used every experience in life as a teaching moment, so I’m confident I’ll excel in anything I do. I’m ready for everyone to love my product and to cheer me on as the Junior Sharks did in my dream.

  “By the way, Hawatha told me you were a big help to him. How was the experience for you?”

  “Super fun. It’s the exact vision I have for iZight. Plus, I’ve already built a few trackers with the material he left with me. They aren’t programmed, though. That’s the hard part.”

  Mama eyed my desk. “I see. It’s a mess over there.” Mama was a stickler for cleanliness. “Keep working at it, Zaria, and your day will come.”

  Although I nodded, deep down inside, I was frustrated because everyone kept telling me to keep working on it or wait until I’m older. That’s going to take forever. “One day, I guess.”

  “All right, kiddo, I know you’re working on something, but you and Zaddy scoot on over and make room for me. We need to go over the details for the event one more time.”

  “Again?”

  “Yes, ma’am, again,” Mama said and climbed into my bed with her work stuff. “I told you this was a tedious process. This is what happens when you’re in charge. You go over it multiple times to ensure everything is as perfect as can be. You want your clients to keep coming back for more. If a client refers you based on how well you worked for them, that’s a major bonus. Word of mouth is a great way to grow business.”

  Mama flipped open the red binder that held every detail of the event and settled on the first tab.

  I groaned. “We have to start over from the very beginning?”

  “We do. Starting with goals and objectives,” she said and then popped a mint into her mouth.

  My mouth dropped open for several reasons. First, anytime Mama planned to spend a long time on something, she constantly munched on chocolate mints. She had a bag full in her hand. In fact, she had extra, which meant some for me and probably a lot of hours. Second, we’ve been over every detail of this party since Mama asked me to help her with it, so why do we have to start over from the beginning every time?

  “I guess this is pro bono too?” I asked. Mama was so tickled when I ran downstairs to inform her that I had looked up the word and how I wouldn’t receive any money for services rendered. Then she reminded me, as she often does, that everything isn’t always about money.

  Mama laughed. “Not really. Sometimes the experience is more beneficial than the monetary gain. Having the ability to put a smile on someone’s face is a reward in itself. You’ll see what I mean during the event. Right now, your specific task is to read the information from the binder to me. I want to ensure what’s written aligns digitally and that everything is in place. We want to avoid all unnecessary surprises.”

  “This sounds like it’s going to take forever,” I said. I slid the binder from Mama to me.

  “What do you think I meant when I said we needed to go over every detail?”

  “I don’t know exactly, but I thought it was going to be something quick.”

  “You have a lot to learn, daughter. It costs to be the boss.” Mama winked at me and then gave Zaddy a little attention using her best baby voice. “Isn’t that right, Zaddy? Tell her. It takes dedication and a lot of work.”

  Zaddy soaked up all the love. He even rolled over for a belly rub. “You’re cute and all, sir, but Zaria and I have work to do.” Mama unwrapped her second chocolate mint. “Ready, Zaria?”

  Not really, but I nodded anyway.

  “Read off the goals and objectives to me. Next, we’ll go over the venue and a few tasks and guest relations.”

  “Goals and objectives: To support the product launch, awareness, and to assist with garnering preorders.”

  Other than this part, it’s been fun working with Mama. She and I made a great team, and I’ve been learning a lot. Mama told me several times that she was impressed with the work I’d done when she’d asked me to do it. I couldn’t wait for us to work on more projects, especially when it’s my turn to become an entrepreneur and launch my products. More than one. Even more than two. I don’t plan to stop with just iZight.

  “What is the final number of confirmed attendees?” Mama asked.

  I scanned the binder. “Fifty-four.” That didn’t seem like very many. When I have my launch party, everyone is invited. I would mail out pink and purple invitations to the entire world. Dream big, no matter what age.

  “Fifty-four,” Mama slowly repeated and typed. “Great. I’ve already called Ariel Groves Event Space to confirm the booking and the arrival of staff to set up in the morning.”

  “Can I help with setup?” I asked. The only thing I’ve ever decorated was my bedroom, with my mother’s help, of course.

  “No, honey. Not this time. But definitely the next one.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said, even though I was disappointed.

  “Run down the food list for me, please.”

  I got hungry reading off all fourteen menu items. I flipped to the next tab. “What about the budget? Do you need me to read that to you?”

  “Actually, we are well within the budget, thank goodness. That is an impo
rtant aspect to look out for when planning. You never want to go back to your client and ask for more money. That is not a good look.”

  “So, you’re saying we saved them some money?”

  “We sure did,” Mama said.

  About two hours later and multiple chewed mints, we were finally done.

  “Thank you for helping me, Zaria. I couldn’t have done this without your input.” Mama leaned over and kissed my cheek. She tapped her nails against my journal. “I’m sure Gran-Gran is extremely proud of you.”

  “Strike while the iron is hot, right?” I asked and playfully batted my eyes.

  Mama chuckled. “Absolutely, baby.”

  Chapter 17

  My heart pumped extra hard in my chest as Mama and I walked from her car to the building. I loved what we created, and I hoped our client loved it just as much. I couldn’t wait to meet her. I didn’t know much about her other than her being a young boss like I dreamed of becoming. No one could ever replace Cassidy and Piper, but I hoped whoever this person was, she’d want to be friends. I’m sure there was so much that I could learn from her about starting and running a business at a young age.

  I wondered if Mama was nervous. She didn’t talk much. She was focused ahead as her high heels clicked against the pavement. Her ivory dress that wrapped around her waist flowed with the wind. My dress was similar to Mama’s. I wanted to wear purple and pink, like the décor, but Mama insisted we wear a neutral color, so we’d stand out as the hosts and didn’t clash with the event colors.

  “We’re approaching,” Mama said into her watch like she was a member of the FBI. She stopped right before opening the doors and knelt in front of me. “Make sure you work the room. Smile and thank the guests for coming.”

  “Why do I need to do that?” I asked. “I won’t know anyone here.”

  “It’s good business practice.”

  “Congratulations, Zaria!” Yells came from every direction.

  I jumped back, startled, but calmed down when I recognized every face within the crowd, even McKenzie. My birthday isn’t until August 17th. “What’s going on?” I looked at Mama for answers.

  “Well, you know how you thought you were helping me plan an event for a girl your age?”

  I nodded.

  “You are the girl, Zaria.” Mama clapped. “Look around and take it all in, little boss lady.”

  Boss? The crowd moved to the side to reveal a pink aisle runner that led to Zion and Daddy. Both were dressed in matching suits, bow ties, and glasses. That’s weird. Neither of them wore glasses. I stopped in front of Zion. He held a small case. “These are for you,” he said and pushed the case out for me to take.

  I opened it and gasped. Looking back at me was my very own iZight product attached to a brand-new pair of glasses. “How did . . .” I couldn’t finish my sentence. I was overcome with emotion. How did I become so lucky? My parents were simply amazing.

  Daddy removed a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped my tears. “Zaria, your mother and I want you to know how proud we are of you. You’re a straight-A student, well behaved, . . .” Daddy spun in a circle before adding, “and super innovative. When your mother and I saw how well received the mock version of iZight was, we had to get it out there.”

  I hugged him so tight that I could’ve cracked a rib.

  “You are officially the entrepreneur that you wanted to be—and inspired me to be,” Daddy said. “Your mother and I can’t take all the credit. We had some help.”

  “Thank your uncle for volunteering to build the first batch pro bono.”

  I turned around to Mama’s voice, and Uncle Hawatha was standing beside her. “How does it feel now knowing that you helped me build your own product?” he asked.

  My mouth popped open but then closed back like a ventriloquist controlled me. I had no words. That explains why we didn’t go over the budget.

  “Sorry for tricking you, Li’l Bit,” Uncle Hawatha added. “Queen made me do it.”

  Mama playfully hit him. “I did no such thing.”

  Words finally came out after I gasped. “The whole time you pretended.”

  Uncle Hawatha shrugged his shoulders and then pointed to Mama. “She made me,” he said again. “But at least now, you have an idea of how to make it.”

  “Thank you,” I said through more sobs mixed with a bit of laughter.

  “There’s more,” Uncle Hawatha said and pointed toward my dad.

  When Daddy moved to the side, Piper and Cassidy popped up.

  “OMG!” I screeched.

  “We have to capture this moment,” Cassidy said and pulled out her cell phone. Even though my parents hired a professional photographer, we took a zillion pictures on Cassidy’s phone, and I couldn’t wait to see how they turned out.

  “Let us show you everything!” Piper jumped up and down and grabbed my hand. “Your parents let me design your logo.” Piper twirled her finger in the curls of her usual bouncy ponytail. “As you can see, the logo is simple. Just the letter Z. Notice the diagonal line is made of a chain like your product, which also shows it cannot be broken. I was inspired by our friendship and my parents’ marriage.”

  Piper pointed across the room to Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. They were holding hands, which was a great sign. I think.

  “And I created the color scheme,” Cassidy said before snapping a picture of the table.

  “And I helped move everything in.”

  I turned around to the voice I only heard in the hallways of A. J. Stanly Elementary. Shock wrinkles rippled across my forehead.

  “Wes Bevins helped?” I asked.

  “I had a little something to do with that,” Piper joked.

  “I helped too,” Ian added.

  “Oh wow!” I was so happy.

  The tour started with the round table that was the focal point of the room. A purple light shined on the medium-sized ice sculpture in the middle of the table that spelled out “iZight.” In front of the ice sculpture was an upright frame that held my imitation utility patent certificate. And at the bottom of it were my parents’ signatures. I’d researched plenty about the meaning of trade secrets and the importance of trademarks and patents. Now I finally had my own!

  I walked around the table and looked into the five small glass display cases. Five iZight designs with preorder forms were filled with names. A cell phone and tablet with the iZight app already downloaded for customers to test stood next to the display cases.

  “We took the liberty of leaving the specific naming of each chain and lanyard to you, except for one,” Mama said. “This one here, we named Three Wayz. It combines your favorite color, Piper’s favorite color, and Cassidy’s.”

  My glasses were foggy and wet. This time, Zion offered me his little handkerchief. “Thank you, Zion, for everything. I was so mad at you for uploading that video, but if you hadn’t, none of this would be happening.” I gave him the biggest hug.

  “I’m so proud of you, Zaria,” Mrs. Scott said as she rocked little Gage, her new baby. It was his first public appearance, and it happened to be at my event. “I can’t wait to start using iZight. I preordered three, and I plan to order more.”

  “Zaria, Mrs. Scott was your first customer,” Mama said.

  Someone pinch me. This has to be a dream, just like when I was a contestant on Shark Tank Junior.

  “Thank you so much for doing business with me, Mrs. Scott. I’m sure iZight will exceed your expectations.”

  Mama and Daddy eyed each other and smiled. I hope this is what Mama meant when she told me to “work the room.” And I did exactly that until I got the biggest surprise of all.

  “We have a bonus for you,” Daddy said.

  I don’t know how much more I can take.

  “Look!” he said and pointed to the backdrop made of curtains.

  The curtains
moved, and my peers erupted in cheers. OMG! OMG! OMG! No way! My knees buckled, and the closer BrittBrax got to me, my body quivered.

  “Hey, Zaria.”

  OMG! She knows my name. I had no words. I stared into her face like she was an alien.

  “This is an awesome idea, and you are an awesome young lady. I wanted to document this for my channel. You are inspiring so many young people to follow their dreams, and I’m so proud of you. When your mom reached out, no way could I miss it.”

  I looked at Mama. I didn’t have to ask. She already knew my question.

  “Perks of being an event planner. I know people.” She winked at me. When Mama pinched my cheek, I knew this was all real and not a dream.

  Eventually, I returned to my body and had a conversation with BrittBrax. Before she left the event, she preordered one hundred chains and lanyards as giveaways, spoke to Mama about featuring me on her show in person, promised that we’d keep in touch, and even gave me her personal cell phone number. Perks of being a BOSS!

  “One good picture of you for your website,” Mama said.

  I have a website?!

  The photographer held up the camera and said, “Say ‘cheese.’”

  Cheese wasn’t appropriate for this moment. “BOSS MAGIC!” I said and flashed my best selfie smile a second before the camera captured the most incredible moment ever!

  The End

  From the Author

  Thanks to everyone who helped me bring the first book in my Boss Magic series to life. We would not be here without you. You rock! And for those who have joined us on this journey, let’s keep in touch. Follow me on social media using @iambossmagic, and don’t forget to drop a note for Zaddy and me.

  Discussion Questions

  Who was your favorite character? Why?

  What emotions did you feel reading Gran-Gran’s words to Zaria?

  Do you have something or someone symbolic in your life that makes you feel like you can conquer anything in the world? If so, who or what would it be?