Bullding a Greater Family

Mindy was already home when I dragged myself through the door at seven. The minute she saw me, her face dropped and then brightened back up a little.

"So how did it go today? You don't look like things went very well."

"I don't know Mindy; the world out here just doesn't seem to be working like it should. My first interview was good. I thought I made a good impression and the discussion was solid. Then it came out that they were really looking for an entry level person rather than one with five years of experience. The next two wanted a miracle worker to save dying companies. Then this last one kind of put the icing on the cake. They wanted everything I had to offer in terms of experience and training and they offered me the job...but at half the pay I was getting before. So we need to talk about it. It might be a decent long term opportunity except that their industry is a flat one. All of these people who talk about all of the jobs available out there have been looking at raw numbers and haven't been out on the streets looking for a real job, that's for damn sure."

She put a glass of wine in front of me and let me drink half of it before she responded. "I'm sorry, honey; I didn't think that you would be having this much of a problem. You have a great work personality and resume. I guess that you were right; you have too much experience to be an entry level guy and not enough to be a senior level." She paused and then looked down at her own wine glass as she continued. "You have another interview at noon tomorrow. This is somewhat different than what you are looking for but it might prove to be worthwhile."

I looked at her closely before I asked, "Min, what are you saying? You are being a little mysterious and also seem to be a little shy about this. Tell me what is going on."

She took another drink of wine and then began again, "Helen in HR called several of us together a couple of days ago and told us that we would be getting a new area manager to cover all of the offices in Texas. The person coming down from the corporate office wants a personal assistant who has strong analytical skills, who knows the area, and who can work to develop new business in the area. She asked us if we knew anyone who fit that description because they didn't want to go through reams of resumes to find someone. I immediately thought about you; so I told her to put you on the list for an interview. I didn't say anything because of the ones you had today. If they worked out, then I was going to take you off the list."

"Ok, I hear what you are saying but I also see that you are holding something back. Could it be the company policy against spouses and siblings working in the same region?"

"I told her that you were my cousin. Look; no one there has met you and I talk about my husband as being Robby. I don't think that I have even mentioned you by the name Robert. If we are cousins, the same last name won't raise any eyebrows. I know that you want a good solid place to work and we are growing and stable. I just felt that if we can keep our personal lives separate at the office, we can pull this off. What do you think?"

"You are probably right. What do you know about this new manager? What is he looking for?"

"That is the big question; we don't know anything about him. All the HR person knows is that he is totally new to this area, has ten years with the company, and is a supposed to be a strong leader. Like I said, he wants someone who can show him around the area and help to get acclimated and who can analyze a variety of information to help him understand our area and the people working here. His name is Vick Sanders and he is staying at the Marriott downtown. You are to meet him there at noon for lunch and the interview. As far as I can tell, there is only one other guy on the list. Monica recommended a guy who is a year out of college who is a friend of her husband."

"Did she say anything about the salary?"

"Sort of. She said that the base would be $40,000 but that it could be higher depending on your experience and other qualifications."

"That is better than the $30,000 the company offered me today. Ok, then I will look forward to meeting Vick Sanders and seeing what I can do for him."

Mindy looked relieved and said, "I was worried that you might not want to because of the spousal rule but I think that we can work around that. I've got dinner ready and you need to get a good night's sleep. I have a good feeling about this."

"I'll let you know after my interview." Actually, I was concerned. Mindy's company was a medium-sized investment company working with individuals and small businesses to develop and manage retirement plans. Mindy had started working for them while she was in college as a back office person processing orders and generating reports. When she graduated with her degree in marketing, she transitioned into the sales side as an account manager and had been successful for a couple of reasons. The first was that a number of account managers had left the company during the one of the market downturns and she was able to pick up a dozen existing accounts to manage. The second reason was that she had been able to bring in new accounts fairly quickly because of her contacts with her sorority sisters and their husbands. Because of the company compensation program, she was making a nice living after only three years as an account manager.

I, on the other hand, was very much a back office person. My degree was in business analysis. We had gotten married when I graduated five years ago while she was still in school. I had held two market analysis jobs during the last five years with medium-sized manufacturing companies and had cut my teeth doing solid analysis work. Unfortunately, both companies were successful and became buyout targets by bigger companies who trusted their home analysts over a local one. I had good recommendations and a quality resume but little direct experience in investments. I felt that I could analyze a business for potential investment but probably couldn't offer much if it was just about a stock market investment. That might hurt me for this kind of company. However, it was the most promising opportunity that I had heard of recently and I was prepared to give Vick Sanders the best interview I could give.

The next morning, I cleaned up and dressed to impress before I adapted my resume to say that I was single and printed out a fresh one along with copies of my recommendation letters. Not knowing much more than the most basic requirements, I left home at eleven for the thirty minute drive downtown. As I was leaving the house, Mindy called. "Hi, Helen told me to tell you that you are to go to the top floor of the Marriott rather than the downstairs restaurant. They have some private dining rooms up there for these kinds of meetings. Tell the receptionist that you are there for the Williams-Adams meeting."

"Is there going to be more people there than me?" I asked in surprise.

"No. Helen said that she reserved the room before she knew the name of the person coming. The other guy went for breakfast this morning and you are there for lunch. She didn't know anything else over what I already told you. Have a good interview."

"I'm already on my way. I don't want to be late."

"I will be in client meetings all afternoon and maybe for dinner. I'll text you my schedule later. OK?"

"Fine."

I hung up as I entered the traffic mess that was a twenty-four hour a day experience around here. In spite of that, I was parked in the Marriott lot at 11:45 largely because I knew the back streets and short cuts to avoid the traffic. Having grown up here did have some advantages. At noon, I was standing in front of the top floor receptionist. She smiled and led me down the hall to one of the dozen private dining rooms available. She knocked and then opened the door for me. "Have a good meeting, Mr. Calvert."

"Thank you." I entered and things were immediately turned upside down. Waiting for me on a sofa wasn't a man but a very beautiful and well-dressed woman who stood to greet me with a firm handshake.

"Thank you for being on time, Mr. Calvert. That is a plus in my book. I am Victoria Sanders but I go by Vic. Please have a seat. I thought that we would have an appetizer and a glass of wine over here first before we have lunch. I like talking in a more casual setting than sitting at a desk or table."

"I am pleased to meet you Ms Sanders." I said as I tried to reformat my thinking to interviewing with a woman rather than a man.

"Have a seat. Technically, it is Mrs. Sanders but I am Vic or Vicki on a day-to-day basis and Victoria in professional situations. Do you go by Robert or Bob or what?"

"My cards and signature are always Robert but Bob is just fine for day-to-day use."

"Great, I am not a formal person except when I need to be. Normally, I would wear something more casual than this but they said that I needed to make an impression on you today. Are you impressed?"

"Impressed? Yes. Also surprised."

"Surprised?"

"They told me that you were Vick Sanders and I was expecting to impress a man. So I am having to regroup a little to see if I can impress a woman."

"Ah yeah, that crap. In the investment world, people still trust a man more than a woman; so I don't discourage people from thinking I am a man until we meet in person. I hope that this doesn't discourage you. Can you work for a woman?"

"If you know what you are doing, I can work for you; if you don't, it doesn't matter anyway."

"I like that answer. So tell me how you can impress me."

"Well if you aren't impressed with my new power tie, then I guess that I will have to wow you with my credentials." She laughed at my sarcasm as I handed her my resume. "They didn't tell me much about what you wanted except that you wanted someone with local connections and experience in analysis. I grew up here and know the city as well as anyone. My degree is in Market Research and I have worked for two companies doing some serious marketing research. Are you impressed?"

"Yes but for several reasons other than your resume. As I said, I am not a formal person. I prefer to work with someone I can relate to and trust. What I want is a confidante who I can bounce things off of and who can support me in what I need to do. And yes, I know exactly what I want and need to do. So far, I am impressed with your subtle humor and the fact that you don't appear to be intimidated by me. The guy I interviewed this morning was in awe and would have made a nice boy toy but a useless working partner. That is the key to what I want to find and why I didn't want to waste time plowing through a lot of resumes."

"All right, I understand that. So where do you really want to go and how can I help you get there?"

"I like that too. You cut through the idle chit chat and get to the heart of the matter. I am coming down here for two reasons. The first is to consolidate a number of the area offices. Some are strong and some are weak. There should be more consistency between them. That will be third thing you will be working on. The second thing will be to help me introduce a new investment strategy to our account managers and clients. That is what I have been developing over the past six years and why so few people in the company know anything about me. I was behind the scenes."

"I don't see a problem so far except that you mentioned the second and third priorities first. Unless I miss my guess, if the first priority isn't taken care of satisfactorily, we won't get to work on the others together. So what is your first priority?"

She eyed me carefully and then said, "I think that you just earned the job. You start today and you will start at $60,000 per year. If we get the new strategy in place and working, you will also get a bonus based on the success of that. What do you think? Are you ready to go to work for me?"

"I think that the answer is yes but you are still ignoring the first priority. Assuming that you don't want a hit man or drug dealer, I assume that the first priority is somewhat more basic and requires the local knowledge. Since you don't seem to want to directly answer questions about the first priority, perhaps you would prefer to tell me the downside and why I might not want to do this."

She blushed a little and replied, "The downside is that I am helpless and I don't like to feel that way. I don't know the city or the area. I don't know the roads or how to get around. I don't even know where to go shopping for things. Therefore, I have to trust you to be my chauffer and guide so that I can get settled and up and running quickly. That will demand a lot of time from you doing things that might not appeal to you. That is why I asked for a personal assistant and for now, that is what your title will be."

"That doesn't rise to the level of concern; so what is the rest of it? Let's get it on the table now and save any surprises. There will probably be enough of those anyway; let's don't start out with any added baggage."

She looked directly at me and said, "In the next two months, I have to visit all thirty offices and probably host a reception for most of them. I also have a number of other social obligations to meet. We are talking about four or five a week during this time. I need a quality escort for all of these things."

"So you need a permanent date or a work husband especially for the start. Is that it?"

"Yes. I will need and expect a lot of personal attention until I get my feet wet. Are you up for that?"

"Yes, that will be easy. However, I need to ask you if I live up to your needs and expectations? Also, you said that you are a Missus; is there going to be an irate husband hanging around in the wings?"

"There is a Mister but don't worry about him. You worry about keeping me happy. As for the other, the guy this morning looked like a college student. You look like a professional man. I am not impressed with your power tie except as a sign that you dress well and will be easy to look at as my escort. You also have the intuitive sense I need to evaluate who we meet and give me your honest opinion. I don't like the work date concept but a work husband fits the situation best in a casual sense. So are you on board?"

"Do you really have any doubts? Of course I am. You said that I start today; what is first on the agenda?"

"Lunch; than I am going to change clothes while you lose your pretty power tie. After we eat, we are going to meet a real estate agent. The first thing I need to do is to find an office and then I need to find a place to live that is close to the office. Are you up for that today?"

I held out my hand to help her up. "Let's eat and you can tell me what you are looking for. I know the area and can offer some suggestions for you to consider."

She smiled a broad and warm smile, "I think that I have just hit pay dirt. I ordered lunch and it will be here in about five minutes. Is that all right with you?"

As I held out her chair at the table, I said, "I work for you and those decisions are yours to make. So tell me what you are looking for in an office and a place to live."

As we ate a very nice roast beef lunch, she explained that she wanted an office with good access to downtown, the freeways, and the airport. She preferred a mid-rise building to a high rise and wanted four or five offices with a reception area and a conference room that could seat about twenty people. She preferred to find a place to live within a couple of miles of the office and preferred a nice, quiet green area to a busy one. I immediately thought of the Turtle Creek area. It had access to everything, was a nice upscale area, shopping was close, and had both office and living areas close by.

When we finished, I walked her to her room and sat in the living room while she changed. I took my tie off but wished I had worn a sport coat rather than my suit. I preferred wearing sport coats to suits anyway but a sport coat would look better without a tie than a suit jacket. I needn't have worried because Vicki reemerged wearing slacks and a sweater. That told me that I could leave the jacket in the car and would fit well with her look.

"We are supposed to meet the agent at the Galleria area at three. Do you know where that is?"

"Sure; but from what you told me, that isn't an area I would recommend. If we leave soon, I can drive you by an area that you might like better. It isn't too far from here and it is on the way to the Galleria."

"That's what I want from you; be honest and direct with me. It will take a little time for us to get used to each other but I like the way you think so far. And you will look fine when you lose your jacket."

"I was planning on it. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes; let's make it a slow drive so I can look around. Let's take your car. I rented one but since I don't know my way around, you better drive in what is comfortable for you. When we come back here later, I have some things for you to work on while I am gone."

"What is your schedule since you said that you will be leaving?"

"Ah yes; tomorrow, I have a luncheon meeting that I will need you to take me too and then a dinner tomorrow night. If you can take me to the airport, Saturday morning, I will fly home and be back on Wednesday. I will let you know the specific details for next week by e-mail."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get going and I'll take you on the scenic route."

When I left the hotel, I took the back ways through some of the areas that had been run down twenty years ago but had undergone revitalization and were now popular night spots. As we drove, I told her about the area and the developments that we passed. Fifteen minutes later, I turned off and into the Turtle Creek area. Vick immediately exclaimed about how much she liked the look and feel of the drive. I pointed out a number of mid-rise office buildings as well as mid- and high-rise apartment and condo complexes. I pointed out the shopping areas with the bistros and cafes along with the boutiques. Then I drove her through Highland Park as we slowly wound our way north towards the Galleria.

As soon as we crossed the freeway, I could tell that Vicki had lost interest. The traffic was horrible and it was still only early-afternoon. All of the side streets were crowded and the mall was a full of people entering and leaving the area. Finally, she said, "If this is what she is going to show us, it will be a short afternoon. I do not want to live and work in this mess."

"I agree totally. She will probably also want to talk about going farther north. It is more of the same. The residential areas are newer and classy but the traffic is just as bad. There are a couple of other areas inside the loop that you might like but I have always been partial to Turtle Creek and that area. That is my prejudice."

"I think that we share the same prejudice. What is wrong with that area?"

"People who live north don't want to drive that far into town. It is well established and not flashy for those who like that stuff. There are some good restaurants out here but like the saying goes, they think that 'It is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live here.' From what you said, you would be happier in town. The big downside is that the good areas are a little pricey. That I don't know a lot about since I am not in real estate. I can't say for sure but that is my impression."

"I would rather pay more for a nice established area than to overpay for glass and traffic out here. Let's see what the agent has to say and then we will suggest taking a look down there. By the way, where do you live? Helen said that you live with your cousin."

I had to catch myself before I said, 'My wife and I...' "Yes; we share a house over near the university. It is small but convenient to most places. It is about ten minutes to the Turtle Creek area."