Page 4 of The Frock Up
Being a billionaire sucked.
I pinched the bridge of my nose barely suppressing a frustrated sigh.
"Ash?" James, my brother and the Chief Financial Officer for our company, turned to look at me. "Thoughts?"
I hate it. It should never have seen the light of day.
I cleared my throat, softening my reaction. "It doesn't have any connection to our brand."
The mock-ups were for a new company logo. Now that we were only months away from floating on the Federal Exchange, our media team had suggested we unveil a new logo. Considering the current logo was just our name with a line underneath it, I could see why we might want to explore alternatives.
Didn't make this process any easier though.
Who knew graphics were so hard?
"Can you explain what's wrong with it?" Sally, the head of my PR branch, asked, her tone overly patronizing.
Sally regularly acted as if I were a naughty schoolboy given too much candy. She was good at her job, but damn if I didn't hate every moment of our conversations.
Last time I ever employ a head of division without meeting them.
"Everything." I gestured at the logo that proudly took up the majority of the giant screen. "I know you think it looks like two trees but all I see are two people engaging in… you-know-what."
All heads swiveled towards the screen, silence descending.
"Oh, they're fucking," James said, his voice choked with laughter. "Well damn."
"Ah…." Sally cleared her throat, a faint flush working its way up her neck. "We'll fix it."
"Who did we have on this one?" I asked, glancing at the clock on the wall.
Only twenty minutes until I can get out of here.
"It was Ronald Media."
I rolled my eyes. "So, another big-name company?"
Sally's face took on a pinched look. "Yes, sir."
"Ash," I corrected her for the millionth time. "Fire them. If they didn't realize they were producing pornography then I don't trust them with my brand." I stood, tucking my hands into my pockets. "We done?"
"No, we're not." Sally gestured at the logo. "This is the last major company willing to work with us. You've fired the rest. You're too extracting. You need to meet us halfway."
The room went electric as I stared at her.
"Sally, this company was founded on three principles—the core of which is that we don't compromise." I looked pointedly at the screen. "I'm not meeting anyone halfway on junk like that."
"There's no one else! None of the big firms will work with us."
"Then find a small business." I looked pointedly at the logo. "The last three launches have been by big corps who have screwed it up. Does no one else remember the plastic issue at the cell launch?"
There were winces around the table.
"We need to get this right." I gestured at the room. "This all started because James and I took a gamble. We were small but determined. Let's get back to our roots. Let's give someone else the same opportunity we had."
Sally closed her eyes, sucking in a long breath. "And who would you suggest? Do I just pluck someone from the phonebook?"
I pulled my phone from my pocket searching for graphic designers in the local area. "Here, there's a list right there." I handed her the phone. "Pick the top recommended, set them a task—say like designing a logo for the new water filters we're rolling out next month—and I'll pick one from there."
