If you have been following this blog, by now you may have found I tend to be positive, enthusiastic, always plunging forth trying to make it in a world much taller than I am.🙂
At the firm was a salesman whose job was to visit prospective business clients looking to build. Mark's job was also to be up to date on land available too. And Mark was like me...plunging forth with a positive attitude always hoping for the best. Sometimes like me, plunging backward, but mostly forth.🤣
Besides painting what buildings would look like based upon the plans, I often helped Bailee answer the phone. So one day while I was answering the phone a gentleman called from Michigan. He was one of the co-owners of the new car company back then, called Acura. They had been looking everywhere along a busy stretch of road in a very prime location desperate to find land for sale, but after a year still had no luck. He knew we were a tiny firm, but was wondering if possible we could help.
"Why yes, of course we can, Mr. Davidson! (plunging forth I went!)😂 Our salesman Mark knows about property that is available no one else does. I am quite sure he will know of a piece of land available exactly where you want to build. And then, we can design your building and build it for you too. We do it all." [me, a theatre set design person enthusiastically promoting something totally unrelated to art, theatre, or horses!]
"Adelaide, we have called so many firms in the past year, but no one has ever been so positive and nice to speak with as you are! I believe your firm really can help us!"
"Good! May I have your phone number? I will contact Mark as soon as we hang up and have him call you."
As I called Mark, I said a prayer he actually could help these people with the huge blazing miracle I just promised we could accomplish. Told him about the conversation I just had and what all I kind of promised. Mark became incredibly excited.
"You know what, Adelaide?!! You're SO not going to believe this, but just this very morning I became aware of something no one else knows about. A prime piece of property has become available exactly where Mr. Davidson wants! What incredible timing! And what a miracle!"
"Mark! You've got to call him NOW! Please call me back and let me know what happens?"
"I will! In the meantime, you call the owners in Florida. Tell them we may have the biggest job this firm has ever had, leading to other car dealerships!"
"Got it!"
Several months later after the new dealership was built
on the very prime piece of property that had eluded Mr. Davidson and his dealership monopoly, he told a story he had told many times, honoring both Mark and I. Told the gathering how desperate they were. How many broken promises they had encountered. So much negativity. Then they call this tiny little architectural
and building firm, really not expecting anything but what the hell, call them anyway.
"So we get this lady with buckets of optimism and this huge, refreshing "can do" spirit. Then five minutes later I am speaking with Mark with HIS buckets of optimism too, who miraculously just HAPPENS to have available the very piece of land we had been desperately trying to get for over a year! I mean, just like that these two became our miracle!"
And it did lead to other dealerships being built by our firm for Acura.
They generously gave Mark and I each a $1000.00 check to express their gratitude. For me, having just been in the hospital for a long time, the money was especially a much needed gift. So sometimes having "buckets of optimism," is rewarding in more ways than one.😃
The other experience at the firm was not as happy in a way, but one where I embraced my courage and did what was not only right, but saved the firm from disaster.😱
Another time when the owners were in Florida, a recently hired architect, Bryon, who actually was not well liked had been taking steps to form his own firm. He convinced one of the other architects to join him. Then he approached me. You see, because the owners trusted Bailee and I so much, we had access to everything involving the business. Bryon wanted to steal data of all the clients about to sign contracts for our firm to change their minds, so HIS newly established firm could take off. But he needed me to provide him with the data. Even wanted ME to come work for them.
I told him I would have to think about it.
"But I need an answer right away!"
"Well, I'm sorry. This is big and I am not going to jump into such a decision without giving it some thought first."
"Whether you agree or not, Adelaide, I know enough to make these clients mine. Oh, and I will double whatever you're getting now."
Actually, I had no intention of doing anything Byron was asking, but other than Bailee in the front, and the other guy going with Bryon, I was alone at that moment. I needed to somehow talk to Bailee, so we could get word to the owners what Bryon was trying to do.😱
Eventually Bryon went to lunch. I immediately took Bailee into the conference room and told her what I had been told. While I stayed behind, she ran home and called the owners in Florida.🥴
They got the first flight out. Thankfully, Bailee and I were the only two besides the owners who had keys to the office and filing cabinets. The owners were at the office early the next morning and fired both employees on the spot. Obviously it turned out, Bryon did not really know as much as he had said, and his "firm" never amounted to anything.
I was praised for saving the firm, but only did what I knew was right.
I worked at the firm for a little over two years, but theatre was my passion and my calling. When a position for a scene designer was offered to me at a new performing arts center, I grabbed it.😃
The owners of the architectural firm begged me to please reconsider and stay. But I had to turn them down.
Nevertheless, they had a lovely going away party for me, and said I would always have a place to work there if I ever changed my mind.🙂
Sadly, the firm went bankrupt after the owners spent a fortune building their own building on the wings of expecting to build many more car dealerships. Only that didn't happen because the economy dropped which affected car buying at the time. Then with some bad business decisions the owners made too, the firm went out of business I heard. Of course I was very sad to hear this, yet very grateful I followed my heart back to theatre.😃💕
Even so, working at the firm during that interval certainly was a learning experience! All in all, it was a good one though.🙂
"So we get this lady with buckets of optimism and this huge, refreshing "can do" spirit. Then five minutes later I am speaking with Mark with HIS buckets of optimism too, who miraculously just HAPPENS to have available the very piece of land we had been desperately trying to get for over a year! I mean, just like that these two became our miracle!"
And it did lead to other dealerships being built by our firm for Acura.
They generously gave Mark and I each a $1000.00 check to express their gratitude. For me, having just been in the hospital for a long time, the money was especially a much needed gift. So sometimes having "buckets of optimism," is rewarding in more ways than one.😃
The other experience at the firm was not as happy in a way, but one where I embraced my courage and did what was not only right, but saved the firm from disaster.😱
Another time when the owners were in Florida, a recently hired architect, Bryon, who actually was not well liked had been taking steps to form his own firm. He convinced one of the other architects to join him. Then he approached me. You see, because the owners trusted Bailee and I so much, we had access to everything involving the business. Bryon wanted to steal data of all the clients about to sign contracts for our firm to change their minds, so HIS newly established firm could take off. But he needed me to provide him with the data. Even wanted ME to come work for them.
I told him I would have to think about it.
"But I need an answer right away!"
"Well, I'm sorry. This is big and I am not going to jump into such a decision without giving it some thought first."
"Whether you agree or not, Adelaide, I know enough to make these clients mine. Oh, and I will double whatever you're getting now."
Actually, I had no intention of doing anything Byron was asking, but other than Bailee in the front, and the other guy going with Bryon, I was alone at that moment. I needed to somehow talk to Bailee, so we could get word to the owners what Bryon was trying to do.😱
Eventually Bryon went to lunch. I immediately took Bailee into the conference room and told her what I had been told. While I stayed behind, she ran home and called the owners in Florida.🥴
They got the first flight out. Thankfully, Bailee and I were the only two besides the owners who had keys to the office and filing cabinets. The owners were at the office early the next morning and fired both employees on the spot. Obviously it turned out, Bryon did not really know as much as he had said, and his "firm" never amounted to anything.
I was praised for saving the firm, but only did what I knew was right.
I worked at the firm for a little over two years, but theatre was my passion and my calling. When a position for a scene designer was offered to me at a new performing arts center, I grabbed it.😃
The owners of the architectural firm begged me to please reconsider and stay. But I had to turn them down.
Nevertheless, they had a lovely going away party for me, and said I would always have a place to work there if I ever changed my mind.🙂
Sadly, the firm went bankrupt after the owners spent a fortune building their own building on the wings of expecting to build many more car dealerships. Only that didn't happen because the economy dropped which affected car buying at the time. Then with some bad business decisions the owners made too, the firm went out of business I heard. Of course I was very sad to hear this, yet very grateful I followed my heart back to theatre.😃💕
Even so, working at the firm during that interval certainly was a learning experience! All in all, it was a good one though.🙂
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