Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 17

"Good morning everyone, and welcome to the meeting," said Jonathan. "Today, we will be discussing the latest sales figures and projections for the upcoming quarter."

The hotel's conference room was full of the usual suspects - the VP of Sales, the CFO, and the VP of Marketing. They all sat around the conference table, their laptops open and ready to take notes. Jonathan began by going over the latest sales data, and the mood in the room was tense. The sales figures had been lower than expected, and everyone knew that something had to change.

"We need to increase our market share," Jonathan continued. "We need to be more aggressive with our marketing, and we need to start thinking outside the box. Any ideas?"

The room was silent for a moment, and then the VP of Sales spoke up.

"I think we should consider expanding our target market," he said. "We've been focusing on the same group of customers for too long, and it's time to try something new. We could try targeting a younger demographic, or we could start focusing on international markets."

The CFO nodded in agreement. "I think the VP of Sales is onto something," the CFO said. "We need to be more innovative and take some risks if we want to increase our market share. We've been playing it safe for too long, and it's not working. We need to shake things up."

The VP of Marketing cleared her throat and spoke up. "I have a few ideas that I'd like to share," she said. "First, I think we need to re-evaluate our marketing strategy. We've been relying too heavily on traditional methods, and we need to start experimenting with new technologies and platforms. "Secondly, I think we need to rebrand our company. Our current branding is a bit stale, and it doesn't reflect who we are as a company. I think we need to create a new, modern brand that will resonate with our target audience. And finally, I think we need to invest more in social media. It's one of the most effective ways to reach our target audience, and we're not taking advantage of it as much as we should be."

"These are all great ideas," Jonathan said. "Let's make a plan to implement them over the next few months. "In the meantime, we need to make sure that we're delivering on our current commitments," Jonathan continued. "We have several important projects in the pipeline that need to be completed on time and on budget. Can you make sure that the team is focused on those priorities?"

"Absolutely," the VP of Marketing said. "I'll make sure that everyone is aware of the deadlines and deliverables. And if anyone needs additional resources to get the job done, I'll make sure they have what they need."

"Great," Jonathan said. "Thanks for your hard work on this. I know it's going to be a challenge, but I'm confident that we'll be able to get it done," Jonathan said. "I really appreciate your dedication and your willingness to take on tough projects. You're a real asset to this company."

The VP of Marketing blushed. She was flattered by Jonathan's praise. It meant a lot to her to know that he valued her contributions. "Thank you, that means a lot to me," she said. "I love working here and I'm glad to be part of such a great team."

"I'm glad you're here, too," Jonathan said.

Suddenly all eyes turned towards the stairs as they fell on Sky alighting with an air of confidence.

"Good morning Father. Good morning everyone." He greeted when he got to the bottom of the stairs.

"You're late!" His father remarked, staring down at his watch.

"I had a slight mishap in the bathroom," Sky tried to appear confident even though inwardly he dreaded what his father might say to him in front of his sales team as he took a seat at the conference table and made himself comfortable.

The people at the table began to mumble and exchange nonverbal cues amongst themselves. They were surprised as to why Sky was there. He had never attended any of their meetings before and most of them that were aware that the Beleza exhibit was less than a week away were even more baffled at his presence.

Jonathan sighed in disappointment as he turned to his team and announced, "Everyone, meet my son, Sky Everest." He gestured toward Sky who nodded his head in the form of a slight bow.

Jonathan acknowledged that everyone recognized his son due to his online presence, but he deemed it appropriate to formally introduce his son to them.

"The meeting has been adjourned till later this evening. Thank you all for your time." Jonathan got up and began to shake hands with each of them as they took their turns to retire to their respective hotel rooms.

When Jonathan was sure they had all left, he turned towards Sky who knew typically what to expect from his father.

"Today was the first meeting we had and you barely made it." Sky thundered.

"I'm sorry. I had a slight accident in the bathroom that's why I was late," Sky replied.

Jonathan ran his eyes over Sky's body searching for any form of injury. Even though he knew he was being hard on him, he still cared about him.

"I brought you along with me so you can toughen up. You've been soft for so long." Jonathan said.

"Dad, you don't get it. I'm not cut out for all of this," he opened his arms wide as he spoke.

Jonathan's eyes grew red with anger. He began to wonder where he had gone wrong in raising Sky.

"Sky!" Jonathan thundered once more.

"I didn't raise you to be cut out for what weaklings find interesting. You are my only son and one who will inherit my empire when I pass. You have to start acting like a real man and quit throwing your life away."

"But dad...."

"Save it!" Jonathan hushed him up. "Are you even thinking of settling down?"

"I haven't found the right one yet," Sky said against his breath.

"Such nonsense talk. For how long will you continue to look for the right one? And what about Pixel?"

Sky's face contorted in disgust when he heard Pixel's name. He didn't know how to tell his father that Pixel didn't excite him anymore, but Jonathan was smart enough to read the expression on Sky's face. "Very well then!"

"9 pm tonight, don't be late," Jonathan said and walked out of the conference room leaving Sky alone to his thoughts.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter