Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
My sarcasm hits as intended, and their eyes narrow on me in a way that makes me want them again—hell, I never stop wanting them.
“You don’t want pleasant,” Jansen says. It’s true, and what does that mean about me?
But as we sit eating and talking, there’s a pleasurable feeling of warmth and comfort between us, and it’s different from anything I’ve felt with them before.
“So things were so rough at your friend’s house that she didn’t want you to visit?” Derek asks, and I nod.
“She said she’s okay, but that it wasn’t a good time. I worry about her, though. We’ve tried to get her to move here and live with us, but Stella always resists the idea.”
That’s enough about me and my friend. I rarely have the opportunity to talk to these men about anything aside from my work or my underwear, and I’ve never seen them so talkative.
After a bite of a banh mi slider, I look to Jansen. “Derek told me how you met each other, and I’ve been curious about how you went from college to starting your business. It’s amazing how successful you’ve been.”
Jansen scowls, and I wonder if I was wrong to bring up business, though I can’t imagine why it would be a sore subject for two CEOs.
Seeing my confusion, Derek says, “Community Bean wasn’t our first business.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize. What was your first venture?”
“It was the same kind of business.” Derek suddenly sounds weary. “We were roasting beans and selling direct to customers while also trying to get our product into stores. We hired people—we had a small team working for us, several of them older than us and with families who relied on them—so it was devastating when the business failed. It made us question if we’d chosen the right path.”
“Oh, how stressful. I’m sorry that happened.” I understand how business owners face a lot of pressure, but even though I’m in HR and I’m very much invested in people’s careers, I haven’t spent much time thinking about how the stability of it all ultimately rests on the shoulders of a company’s CEO.
Of course, there are a lot of leaders out there who don’t seem to care about their employees at all, based on the actions they take and the level of greed they display. These two men in front of me are running their current business successfully and doing a lot of good in the community at the same time.
“A lot of businesses fail. You shouldn't be so hard on yourselves about it. I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”
“It was entirely our fault,” Jansen says.
“There are some factors that are out of our control,” Derek says, “but essentially, it’s all down to us.”
“But you tried again.”
“Yeah, we may have failed, but we weren’t quitters. We studied the competition, made a stronger business plan, and we started again. We’ve been determined not to make the same mistakes.”
I’ve been half-jokingly looking for reasons why these men are so perpetually unpleasant—things like too much caffeine and not enough love from pets—but now I’ve finally found the reason. Though you’d never guess from their demeanor, they care a lot, and I’m sure this is what leads them to try to keep everything so firmly under their control.
“As Community Bean enjoys success, I hope you can relax a little and celebrate how well you’ve done.”
“We’re still growing,” Jansen says. “We can’t afford to take things easy. People are relying on us.”
“I love that you take that responsibility so seriously, but I wish you weren’t so hard on yourselves.”
There’s silence for a minute or so as we finish the food on our plates. I notice that Jansen’s jaw is still tense, and I wish I hadn’t brought up a sensitive topic, but I also love having the opportunity to learn what makes these men tick.
I remember Derek telling me how displeased Jansen’s parents were with his career path, and I’ll bet a business failure must have made that situation a million times worse. I’d love to talk to him about it, but the mood is already heavy, and I don't want to upset him, so I search for a lighter subject.
“Did you notice that the office was on a caffeine high today?”
“Is that right?” Derek asks.
“People were probably more productive, but they were also getting into arguments, and I’m pretty sure Rob was listening to death metal while he worked.”
This makes them both crack a smile, and I’m glad. I want more of that.
“Can I confess something?” This question gets their full attention, even though they’ve actually both been very engaged throughout the dinner. “Prior to today, I never had more than a sip of coffee in my life … and I hated it.”
They both seem confused by this piece of information—not by the fact that I hadn’t told them I’m not a coffee drinker, but because they can’t imagine that anyone could dislike coffee.