“It’s a job you love.”
“Used to love,” she corrected. “I don’t want to work there anymore.”
“Are you angling for a pay raise?”
She slowly shook her head. “Nope. I don’t work there.”
“Why would you walk away from the firm I know you loved? From your people, as you called them.”
She leaned forward. “I didn’t walk away from them. I walked away from you.”
That was kind of harsh. “It’s a job,” I shot back.
“It was a little more than a job to me. It is more than a job to the people that work there.”
“Then we’ll pretend this didn’t happen,” I said. “You can come back tomorrow.”
She looked at me with frustration. “Are you out of your mind? No. I quit. I will not work for you. Your management style is atrocious. You managed to turn a successful company on its head in a matter of weeks. That is one very special talent. Not a talent I admire, but a talent nonetheless.”
“I might have made some decisions that you didn’t appreciate, but that does not mean they were bad decisions.”
“In your opinion,” she shot back.
“You can run the business,” I offered. “I will leave the daily decisions to you. My hands are full, and I don’t have the time to handle the stuff at the tax firm.”
“You should hire someone to run it for you,” she said with a smile.
“I have someone that runs it. You.”
“No. You don’t have me. I don’t work for you. I gave you plenty of opportunities to pull back, but you didn’t listen. You know it’s only a matter of time before the others leave.”
I shot her a hard look. “Are you trying to convince them to quit?”
“I haven’t spoken to any of them.”
“You know you want the job,” I said with a hint of disgust.
“No, I wanted the job. I liked the job. Then you bought the company.”
“I am making improvements,” I said. “You might not be able to appreciate the changes, but they are for the best. They will make the company run smoother. Profits will increase. The firm will grow.”
“Congrats,” she said in a snide tone. “Sounds like you don’t need me.”
“No one has to know you tried to quit,” I told her. “I haven’t discussed it with anyone at the office. You’ll come back and nobody will know.”
“No, I won’t go back.”
She was being extra stubborn. “Are you asking me for a raise?”
“No. I’m not asking for you anything. I don’t want anything from you.”
I couldn’t believe she was being so damn ridiculous. I was sitting in her house and it was pretty clear she wasn’t wealthy. Then it hit me. “You’ve got another job!” I accused. “That’s why you quit! Who? Who poached you?”
“No one poached me,” she said with disgust. “You’re paranoid.”
“I’m not paranoid. Did you go to another firm?”
“That’s none of your business,” she shot back.
“What are they paying you?” I asked. “I’ll match it.”
She shook her head. “No thanks.”
“So, you are working somewhere else?”
“No, I’m not. I don’t have a job. I will not work for you. I do not and will not work in an office you own. And seriously, I feel like I’m reading a Dr. Seuss book. Are you really so used to people doing whatever you ask?”
“I am used to that, yes, but that’s not what I think this is,” I said. “No one else can do that job like you did. You know you are the right fit.”
She smiled and I realized I said something wrong. “I am the perfect fit. I was great at the job and the firm prospered under me and George. You are turning it upside down. I have to say it’s impressive at how fast you managed to destroy something good. I can just imagine what you’ve done to the other business you purchased. I can’t believe you are the same guy who told me he flipped a laundromat after doing the work with his own two hands. I bet that was bullshit.”
“It was not bullshit,” I said, bristling at the accusation.
“Too bad you weren’t as good as you used to be.”
“I’m better.” I was struggling not to lose my temper. She was out of line. “Just because I’m not fixing rusty washing machines and scrubbing walls, it doesn’t mean I’m not as good as I used to be. I’m better. I’m smarter and I know what works. The changes I made are going to make the business better.”
“Great!” she said and slapped a hand on the table. “You make your changes, and you live with the consequences. I won’t.”
“Just come back,” I said, unable to hide my frustration. “You can have your job and your people. I’ll check in once in a while. I need someone in there that knows the business. I need someone to keep the staff under control. That business can’t run without you.”
She gave a tight smile. “No. You made the mess. You wallow in it.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“You made these problems. These are your failures. You don’t know the first thing about what it takes to keep good staff. You want to treat people like crap and demand they jump at your beck and call? Then you deal with the fallout. It’s about time you had to learn to deal with your mistakes. When my son makes a mistake or does something that is wrong, he has to deal with the consequences. That’s your problem. You’ve never had to deal with the consequences. You get to go on your merry way like nothing happened and everyone else picks up the slack. You get to be a jerk, and no one can say anything to you because you are Nash Aarons, billionaire extraordinaire. No, you made your bed. You lie in it.”
I was stunned for about half a second before I got pissed. “You know, I thought because we knew each other a little better than boss and employee, I would extend a courtesy to you. I don’t beg anyone. There are a hundred other people out there that will be willing to fill your shoes. You underestimate my drive to succeed. I will make that firm into something great. You and George were okay, but I’m great. I make money. I know what it takes to be successful.”
“Good luck,” she said as she rose. “I need to go pick up my son. Thanks so much for coming by. Please never come back.”
I got to my feet and stared at her. “You are not the person you used to be,” I said with surprise. “You used to be kind and gentle.”
“Life has a funny way of teaching people to be just a little tougher. I’ll show you out.”
I had underestimated her. I didn’t do that often. I walked to the door and paused on the porch. “Good luck to you too, then.”
“I won’t need it,” she said and closed the door.
I walked to my car and understood the finality of the situation. That was a woman who had been pushed too far. She wasn’t interested in taking any crap from me. It wasn’t something I was used to.
She was right. Most people did end up doing what I asked of them. Mostly because it benefited them in one way or another. It wasn’t like I was asking her to come back and work for free. I even offered her a pay bump.