Josh pulled into his private parking spot in the garage of the tall office building that bore his last name. He slowly got out of his car and headed towards the open elevator that would take him right up to his office floor.
He wanted the company but not as early as he had gotten it. Joshs' parents were killed in an accident when he was 27. A drunk driver blew through a red light and hit them broad sided, and like that his entire life had changed. He now had a multi million dollar empire.
He could have given it all up, let the suits take over, and he would have been fine. He still would have gotten paid for the company and he could have lived his life very comfortably on the trust set up for him. Many of his friends encouraged him to do just that, probably because they wanted to live that life with him. But that wasn't how Josh was wired. His parents always told him to work for what he wants, and to work hard for it. He also got advice from those close to his father on the decisions he should make.
"Let us run it." "You come on when you are ready, we will find a spot for you." "You don't know anything about running a business of this size." All of the things that he was told in the lead up to making his decision. But the main question he had, was "what would his parents want for him"? "Was everyone right" also played a big role in his decision making. He had in front of him one of the largest privately held companies in the state. Hundreds of millions of dollars in assists all across the globe.
Josh made his decision and told the attorney's to draw up the paperwork to turn over control to a board of directors to then take the company forward. The night before he made his signed the papers he called over his fathers' long time assistant and friend Mark to discuss what the next step should be for him. Mark's answer was plain and simple. His father had built that company from the ground up, worked tirelessly for over 30 years to get it to where it is now. Mark knew because Mark had been with his father since before Day 1. Josh knew what was in the best interest of the company and he knew then how to move forward.
The day of the signing everyone was in the boardroom some were laughing and chatting away, some more somber because they knew what it meant to turn everything over to a Board. They knew that they probably wouldn't have a job come the end of the day. There were already talks.
As Josh walked in with his attorney the crowd all started coming to their seats. High powered MBA's smiling and shaking his hand. Some of the older crowd who had been with his dad from the beginning while still happy to see him, Mark could see in their eyes they were worried.
"First of all I want to thank you all for coming in today. I..." He started but stopped for a second. "I have given this a great deal of thought over the last few weeks..." Stopping again. He started listing off all of the names that had convinced him to step down and allow them to run the company, to be the members of the board that decided how the company would be led into the future. They smiled broadly at the praise they were about to receive, the courage they employed, the...
That's when it happened. Those smiles went to shock at Josh's next statement. "I would like to thank you for your commitment to this company over the years however your services are no longer needed."
That was it. The room went quiet for a second. And then erupted of angry calls of "you can't do that", "you'll pay for this", and "you don't know what you've just done." Although he did know what he had done, and his attorney assured him he had every right to do it.
Josh grabbed the papers he was due to sign as the group was being led out by building security. Looking at the remaining members at the table, the group that helped his father start the company, he tore up the papers giving up his rights to control of the company. Proud smiles and nods came from the group.
He looked at Mark, the guy who trusted his father so much in the beginning that he took a chance on a crazy idea. Then back at the group at the table.
"You know..." He started. "I have no idea how to run a company. I watched my father growing up and I know how he would want it to be run, and while I believe I can get there I don't believe I am there yet. With that said I am still going to stay on and remain as President of a new Board of Directors, but Mark it's time for you to step down as an assistant..."
He paused again looking at Mark, who while looking hurt understood why Josh was asking him to step down.
"Mark.." Josh started again, grabbing his attention back. "It's time for you to officially run the company that you have been running from the beginning. Would you be interested in becoming the next CEO?"
That decision that Josh made back then was probably the second best decision he made that week. The best however was taking the advice his father had given him when he first learned he would be taking over the company sometime in the future. He remember being in his dads' office when he was younger, probably 7 or 8, and asking about Mark and why his dad trusted him so much."
"Son, one day hopefully with Marks help, this company will someday be yours." His father told him. "When that day comes, find the smartest person you know, and ask them to be your assistant, and trust their guidance."
Josh did that two days later in a meeting with his attorney's. He asked his lead counsel who the smartest person in the room was.
Laughing, the old attorney looked at him. "Son you're in a room full of attorneys, that's a loaded question." He thought for a minute.
"Here." He said writing down something on a piece of paper and handing it to him. "Go down to the counsel's office and ask for her. Spend a few minutes with her. I think she will impress you."
Josh did just that, and she did impress him. He offered her the position as his personal assistant.
The elevator dinged, bringing him out of his thoughts, and the door slid open.
Alex, the young woman whose name his attorney wrote down on the sheet of paper, was standing there waiting on him. She was tall, 5'8" and made to look taller when she wore heels, as she often did. Slender, with long toned legs, you could tell that she worked out regularly. She had black hair and piercing blue eyes, a cute face for sure.
"We have a problem." She said
"Yeah." Josh said still groggy from the morning, and not sure how Alex was so awake and alert this early in the morning.
Alex reached behind her and grabbed a coffee, handing that and the folder already in her hand to Josh, she grabbed her own coffee and they both walked to the office.
"Is it the purchase?" Josh asked
"It's the purchase."
"Shit..." Josh said entering his office and heading for the desk. "As soon as Mark gets in send him to my office would you?"
"He's already on the way."
"You didn't call him too did you?"
"Of course I did."
"You didn't need to wake him up for this." Josh said grabbing the folder and opening it up to read where the issue was coming from.
"He was already up."
"Doesn't anyone in this company sleep?" Josh asked sarcasm in his tone.
"Only you." Alex said smiling in the same sarcastic tone.
"Didn't I fire you last week?" Josh asked
"Yeah." Alex said returning to leave
Josh turned in his chair to look out over the city. The sun had just barely started coming up. The rest of the staff was probably just now getting up to come in. He started getting lost in his thoughts again.
He wasn't there long before his intercom went off with Alex on the other end. "Mark is on his way up."
"Ok thanks, send him in when he gets up here." Josh responded
A couple of seconds later. "You know I can't hear you if you don't speak towards the mic, I will send him in when he gets up."
Speaking towards the mic. "I'm going to fire you again..." but she had already hung up her end.
A short time later Mark comes into the office.
"We have a problem." Josh said looking at him.
"Yeah Alex told me."
"Yeah..." Josh said opening the folder.
"Is it the price?" Mark asked
"Yeah..." Josh responded
"We offered them a fair price, they agreed to it. What's the problem?"
"They don't agree to it anymore... ALEX" Josh yelled.
"You know sir, we have an intercom system."
"Yeah, but Alex prefers it when I call for her, human to human communication."
"I hate it when you yell like that, you know we have an intercom." Alex said coming into the office.
"Human to human communication." Josh responded. "What options do we have with this?"
"They agreed to the price so we can force the sale." Alex said plainly
"Well that's good lets do that then.." Josh responded
"We'll take a hit, the media will spin it." Alex replied
"That's bad right?" Josh asked, looking to Mark. Mark nodded. "Why will the media attack us?"
"They will say that a big organization is capitalizing on the circumstances of a small family run organization." Alex responded.
"Aren't we a family run organization?"
"Yes but..." Alex started to respond.
"That was rhetorical." Josh interrupted.
"We can put some numbers together, see what the guys down in legal come up with. Present a new offer." Mark said adding to the conversation.
"At what point does a company go from being a family run operation to a soulless corporation?" Josh asked. Alex goes to respond. "Rhetorical again... Mark get with legal and let's figure out the real number that they will accept so that everyone can be happy and we don't look like we are taking advantage."Have you heard that it is good to gain the day? I also say it is good to fall, battles are lost in the same spirit in which they are won.""
"Walt Whitman.." Mark says.
"That's right." Josh replies. "Let's get it done Mark."
"Yes sir, is there anything else?" Mark says standing to walk out.
"That's all for now, but I'm sure we can take care of that pretty quickly around here." Josh states in the sarcastic tone again.
"Thank you sir." Mark says headed out the door.
"Do you need anything else from me?" Alex asks standing at the edge of the desk.
"No, I'll call you if I need you."
"With the intercom?" Alex asks turning to leave.
"Don't make me lie to you..." Josh says to her back. "You know... You used to do that." The emphasis on that referring to something but Alex not quite knowing what "that" was.
"Do what?"
"Call me sir..."
A slight smile coming across her lips. "Do I need to remind you about when that stopped?"
