Page 86 of Rival Hearts
“It’s easy for you to talk about footprints when you’re not as financially affected by this,” Sasha snapped. “The financial risks are big. This will require a significant upfront investment. For something we don’t know will be successful, that’s a risky venture. We don’t know if it’s a sustainable initiative. Research and development, new materials, retraining staff or getting new ones… it’s a lot of money we might just be throwing in the water.”
Oh, God. They really weren’t happy with this so far. I glanced at my dad, but he was watching the investors, not saying anything.
When I’d become CEO of the company, he’d let me take the reins and he hadn’t once tried to backseat drive. He’d always been the person to encourage me from the sidelines, but he’d never been controlling, trying to take over when he’d said it was my turn at the helm.
Now, with everyone losing it over my proposed changes, I wished he would say something to help me out here.
But this was what I’d wanted to do, and it wasn’t always a given that investors were going to agree. Being a leader meant taking the bad with the good, figure out which way to turn and sticking to my guns when the going got tough.
“I don’t think there’s something wrong with this per se,” Elena Marini said. Finally, someone else on my side. “I think it’s aboutexecution. The Blackwood yachts have a big enough name that the public might just bite. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a part of an innovative shift? Especially when it’s about status.”
“Sure,” Henry said. “If they go for it and the yachts are a great success, then sure, it will be a good move in the long run. But what about right now? Moving away from what we know means that there might be a lot of new things to learn. Take the tech, for example. This doesn’t align with my work. Can you successfully innovate this new domain?”
Chris was the one who knew all about that. I wished he’d been here and not called to the factory on some emergency. What could be more important than this right now?
“How married are you to this idea?” Victoria Sterling asked, her eyes narrowed.
“I’m serious about it,” I said. “I think this is the right thing to do, the way to move forward. I don’t think it will be a waste of money or that the market won’t go for it. It’s something new, something exciting, and with the changing climate, it’s our job to all do our part in making this world a better place for our children. We all hear this all the time, but we have to start focusing on doing things differently if we want something to change at all.”
“Be the change we want to see in the world,” Samuel Bennett said, nodding.
As cliché as it was, it was true.
Sasha shook her head. “Look, I get that you’re trying to do something new and different, and I’m all about innovation, but I’m not going to spend money I could potentially lose. It might seem short-sighted to prioritize short-term returns, but that’s business. If you’re going in this direction, I’m afraid I won’t be able to go with you.”
Her words were clipped and straight to the point.
My blood ran cold.
“You’re willing to withdraw as an investor if we change?” I asked.
“That’s right,” Sasha said. “You’ll understand, of course, that it’s not personal. It’s business.”
“I’m afraid I have to lay down the law with that, too,” Nigel said, more confident to put his foot down now that he wasn’t the only one. “The regulatory landscape around sustainable practices and green technology is complex and ever-changing and having to jump through so many hoops only to not be allowed to do something isn’t a risk I’m willing to take with my money. I’m with Sasha on this. The adage never change a winning plan still stands true and if you’re going to pivot, then it will be away from my core values.”
I stared at them, shocked.
“I’m afraid I feel the same,” Victoria said softly. She looked like she didn’t want to hurt my feelings, but she was serious about business, and ultimately, that was what this was—a business they were investing in. They had a say about where they wanted their money to go, and if they were unhappy, nothing stopped them from taking their money away.
I waited for a moment longer to be sure no one else wanted to jump on board, and then I nodded curtly.
“I appreciate your feedback. I’m very sorry to hear that this is how you feel. I’ll take your comments under advisement and discuss it with my brothers.”
The atmosphere was strained, and the investors were all tense. Three of the six had threatened to leave if I changed something without even offering to see if it was working first.
But that was because of their money, because unless there was sufficient proof and market research that there would be a positive return on their investment… they weren’t going to keep investing.
The meeting concluded, and they all stood, filing out of the office until it was just me and my dad.
“Well, that was unexpected,” I said.
Dad didn’t answer me. He looked pensive.
“I would have thought they’d be excited about the idea of change.”
“People don’t like change,” Dad said. “I think it’s a good idea, but I see where they’re coming from.”
I sighed. “Yeah, me too.” What worried me the most was their wanting to withdraw their funds. If we lost at least fifty percent of our investment funds, this company wasn’t going to make it, even if we decided to stay on the same course as we were now.
