living backwards

February 2nd, 2007 at Pepperdine’s West LA campus
Email Header: Semi-Finals!!!!

Adoree was the fuel behind the fire.  Ever since she had presented the idea of a business plan in our class, we moved forward at super speed, researching every aspect of the plan with the passion and persistence of entrepreneurs.  Now, four months after the initial idea – we had made the semi-finals of Pepperdine’s competitive business plan competition.

Marty just had a baby. Susan was crazy with work. And Sarah was trying to rebuild her company. . .  Besides that, everybody was still in school.  But, there was something about this plan that could not be overlooked, we really believed in it’s potential. We truly felt for its future.  We could not help but take it seriously.

And that we did. We found ourselves tweaking the plan and powerpoint in the wee hours, preparing for the “Fast pitch” semi-final round. Apparently, we were one of ten teams invited to present out of the otherwise large pool of applicants. We were just about ready.

Adoree was sleep-talking the presentation- mastering the statistics, the accents, and the logistics behind each slide. And we found ourselves tweaking the final presentation just moments before the presentation. She looked sharp.  Slim and dark with a touch of lime green, just like our logo. The presentation was even sharper.  Clean and simple, appealing visuals throughout. And the research was phenomenal.  I was impressed by us.

One of the panelists reached for a deliciously large cookie and begins to munch.  She is quickly deterred upon realization of our concept: healthy fast food.  We laugh and encourage her to enjoy it in moderation. So the presentation begins. I felt like a proud mother, watching Adoree deliver the presentation with poise and confidence.  And when she closed the deal with our last slide, our favorite slide, the panelists broke into applause.

We were shocked. . . did they do that for everybody?

We felt like a bag of money was fork-lifted off our shoulders and deposited into our bank account and stood anxiously before the panel of professors, awaiting the much-anticipated Q and A.  We had practiced our “um, we have no clue” line that could be adapted, depending on the nature of the question:  “That is a wonderful question, indeed.  That is something that we will consider and most certainly discuss with our board of advisors.”

Hiccup.

She just asked about financial percentages and spoilage. Our financial specialist was trapped on the 405.  Two minutes into the Q and A, I had already used our line, allowing us to carry on.  So we carried on and beautifully fielded the other questions, primarily clarifying our general concepts in greater detail.

Our financial expert enters the room, slightly distraught from her experience on the world’s most frustrating highway. She quietly placed herself in the corner and I quickly retreat to her side, seeking answers for the previous question.   In no time, Susan recites the percentages and appeases the judges with credible answers – teamwork and Timing. That is what this is all about.

Thank You, Susan. Great work, Adoree.  Our heads are high and our eyes are on the prize.  The cookies, that is – we were starving!