“Of course not.”
Stephan eased into the chair on the opposite side of Sterling’s chair. He put Bobby Dale on speaker and after introductions, they listened to him speak about the services he sought. Chandler Food Corp was looking to overhaul their entire IT system and hire his company for ongoing IT maintenance of their network.
“We can certainly do that. The first thing we’d need to do is come by to take a look at what you have in place, get a few more details and we can draw up a proposal for you,” Stephan said, sounding much more cheerful than he had minutes before.
“Sounds like a plan. When can we meet?”
“If you don’t mind holding for one moment, we can check our schedules.” The brothers took a few seconds to pull up their calendars and agree on a date that worked for everyone.
“Wonderful! I’ll see you then. Looking forward to working with you gentlemen.”
Once the call ended, Sterling and Stephan slapped a high five.
“See! Despite setbacks we have to continue moving forward.”
“I’ll call Phil to see if there’s any progress at the farm.” Stephan stood and headed for the door.
“I’ll see what’s happening with the utility company and check in to see about our customers who are being affected.”
Despite being in the middle of their current crisis, Sterling felt better. They had a promising prospect to meet with today and now a major new prospect that also happened to be the company of the woman who recently infiltrated his curiosities. Sterling made a note to call Don, who was also his mentor, and thank him for the referral. It looked like fate was helping him get a little closer to Jewel after all.
With his brother at his side, Sterling jumped headlong back into the situation, striving to lead the company out of the problem they were facing. They ended their day with a visit to their sever farm to make sure their systems would continue working through the night. Damage to the electrical lines and transformers were still being repaired at nightfall, even though their company originally estimated it to be a few hours. News cameras captured every angle while reporters updated the public on all developments. As frustrating as the situation was for the brothers, Sterling excelled under pressure, feeding off the energy it generated. By the time he made it to bed some time in the wee hours of the morning, he felt exhausted, but also accomplished and excited about the upcoming meeting with Chandler Food Corp.
Jewel took a deep breath before knocking on her father’s office door.
“Come in.” His voice bellowed from the other side.
Jewel tried not to let her nervousness show. Before coming to her father, she’d spoken to Dorothy, who’d prepped her to ask for the promotion. She also promised to coach Jewel and help her succeed in the position.
“Dad. I’d like to speak with you. Is this a good time?”
Bobby Dale peered over the rim of his glasses and sat back. The salt-and-pepper hairs along his temples and in his mustache gave him a distinguished look. “Anytime is a good time for you, my dear.”
“This is about business, Mr. Chandler.” Jewel stood straight. Bobby Dale wiggled his brows, seemingly amused by her serious demeanor. Jewel grinned letting on that she was teasing and sat.
Bobby Dale’s laugh was jovial. That eased the tension for Jewel.
“On a serious note, Dad. I’d really like to talk about the impact of Dorothy leaving and the possibility of me getting promoted to her position.”
Bobby Dale slid his glasses from his face, sat back and peered at Jewel. “Go on.” He encouraged her.
“Well.” Jewel sat up straighter in the chair. “I know that you’ll agree that Dorothy was a dedicated and accomplished leader. Under Dorothy’s and your tutelage, I’ve had the benefit of learning what I need to know to be an effective leader in operations. I recently requested feedback from her regarding what it would take to be successful in her position and determine potential areas for growth. With that, I believe I’m well positioned to take on the position of VP of operations and would love to discuss what it would take to gain that opportunity.” Jewel was relieved. She had gotten out her rehearsed speech without fumbling. She knew she had to exude confidence when speaking with her father as well as prove that she was capable and qualified.
Bobby Dale remained quiet. His expression was unreadable, which made Jewel nervous. She tried not to squirm. Jewel swallowed to keep from clearing her throat, not allowing her anxiety to show. She felt compelled to fill the silence that expanded between them. She’d played her hand. It was time for her father to play his hand and she wouldn’t ruin it with anxious chatter and shoot holes in her confident exterior.
Finally, Bobby Dale pressed his lips together and nodded. “You believe you are qualified?” It was more of a statement than a question. “Tell me why.”
Jewel went through the list of recent accomplishments she’d written down and practiced. Next she communicated the skills she’d developed through her experience and the impact that being coached by Dorothy had on her ability to meet and exceed the expectation of the position, resulting in positive outcomes for the company as a whole.
Bobby Dale went quiet again.
“Here’s what we’ll do. I will give you this new project to manage. If you prove yourself and excel in this role, within the next sixty days, we will discuss the possibility of a promotion. There’s still work and growing that you’ll need to do before you earn the role of VP. What do you think about that?”
“I think that’s a start. Thanks, Dad... I mean, Mr. Chandler.” Jewel’s chest tightened. She bit back her disappointment but wouldn’t let this get her down.
He chuckled. Jewel stood from her chair. She was getting that VP position. After proving herself this time, there would be no way he could deny her. Whatever this project was, she was sure she could meet and exceed her father’s expectations. She couldn’t wait to tell Chris about this meeting. He’d practiced with her both in person and on the phone.
“Wait!” Bobby Dale held up his hand. “We’re meeting with a company tomorrow about the project I just mentioned. We need to overhaul our IT system. Clear your calendar. This company also provides consultants to manage IT and routine maintenance, which is more cost effective for us than hiring a permanent IT professional.”
“Okay.” Jewel nodded waiting for more information.
“They were referred to me by Don. He mentioned that they are known to be the best in the area. Dorothy will join us for the initial meeting but won’t be around to manage the majority of the process. That will now be on you.”
“No problem. I’ll take care of it. Thank you for giving me this chance.”
“You’re welcome. I expect to be impressed by your professionalism.”
“You got it. Thanks again.” Jewel felt like pumping her fist. On the way out of her father’s office, she paused and turned back. “By the way. What’s the name of the company so I can do my research?”
“SB Tech Solutions.”
Jewel made a mental note to look them up. She wasn’t sure why, but something about the name sounded familiar. “You won’t be disappointed,” she told her father.
Thrusting her chest forward, she bounced back to her office. That promotion was in her hands. She sent a few emails to clear her calendar for the next day and rearranged items on her to-do list. Jewel opened a tab on her browser and was typing in the company name her father had just given her when her phone rang. She picked it up and filled her