By all outward appearances, I was walking into a very successful environment.
The cars in the lot. The lobby. The big offices.
“Do I need my mask?”
“Nah, you’re fine.”
“Fist bump, elbow, handshake?”
The second awkward question of in person encounters these days.
Two strong handshakes followed from the two fellas.
“Can I get you anything, a water, coffee?”
Their turn.
“Nope, I’m good, thanks,” as I sipped my old man tea I already had.
We rolled into their fancy conference room, sat down, and started the conversation….
“The story starts in the 1950’s…”
It’s an amazing story, the one of this company’s founding, growth, and then some terror.
In the 1990’s, due to several big economic and industry changes, it all about went under.
Uncertain to say the least. Verge of collapse to say the worst.
He threw in this line, that I instantly scribbled down, as he continued the story.
“The scared is all gone now, man,” as he described the ascent and climb into what the company is now.
The thing was burning down. The deck was stacked against them.
But they stared it in the face, and the fear flinched.
It seems to be the way with fear, once you’ve experienced the power of pushing through it, its inferno seems to implode.
The scared’s all gone.
