ONE
Always sayno to a Monday morning interview.
That was 101-level CEO knowledge, but I still found myself staring down a notification on my computer that saidVantive Interview 10:15.
Why, oh why, had I consented to a Monday, of all days?
Scratch that. I knew why. And I’d have agreed to a lot more. Vantive Ventures could’ve asked me to put on a Cat Woman suit and meow at strangers on the street, and I’d have Googled the closest costume store.
I was good at saying no—you didn’t get to be the CEO of a thriving tech startup without developing that skill—but when a renowned venture capital firm like Vantive expressed enough interest in your company to ask you to do something as simple as an interview? You’d have to be a fool to say no, not to mention totally selfish. Twenty-eight current employees and an untold number of future ones were counting on me to pull in our next round of funding.
I pushed my glasses higher on my nose, dismissed theeat somethingnotification—who had time to eat on a Monday morning?—and searched my inbox until the email came up. I had fifteen minutes before the interview, and I needed a refresher on what exactly I’d agreed to sell my soul for.
We’ve been in touch with a journalist who’s working on a piece about tech-driven relationship platforms. We think Matchify would be an excellent example of innovation inthis space. Would you be open to an interview next Monday at 10:15?
A knock on the glass door echoed in my office.
The middle third of the glass was heavily frosted—despite running a matchmaking app, I’d flat-out rejected the suggestion ofpinkfrosting—but the vibrant magenta heels were a dead giveaway that my visitor was my marketing manager, Brooke Ellis.
She also happened to be the one who’d suggested the pink frosting.
“Morning, Viv!” Brooke said in her bright voice.
I may have been the brains behind Matchify, but Brooke was the heart, and that’s what she looked like: wavy brown hair, brown eyes with constant smile lines, and clothes that brought a pop of color into my office full of black, glass, and gold accents. Our personalities didn’t have much overlap, but I would’ve done anything for Brooke, and she would’ve done anything for me. She made Matchify look goodandfeel good.
She wasn’t just my marketing guru, either; she was one of the original five founders. In fact, Matchify got its start in her house.
“Just came to remind you about your 10:15.” She gathered up a few papers on my desk and organized them. She wasn’t a neat-freak, but she knew I’d cringe letting anyone in my office if it was looking the least bit messy.
“Thanks.” I opened a drawer and pulled out my compact and lipstick. “I just saw the notification.”
She stuck a couple of pens in my pen holder. “I feel kind of weird about this interview. Like I’m flying blind.”
I slowed the glide of my lipstick to reply, “You realize I’m the one doing the interview, right?”
Her eyes widened. “Gosh, can you imagine if it were me?”
“I can. You’d do a fantastic job.”
Brooke might not survive on Matchify stats like I did, but she knew how to market our vision.
“That’s definitely a matter for debate,” she said. “AllI meant was that I’m usually the one who sets this stuff up, you know? I always do some recon and prep you.”
Holding up the mirror, I shifted my head from right to left and back again, then checked my teeth for lipstick to make sure I wouldn’t be doing an interview looking like a vampire fresh off the hunt. “I know, but Vantive’s comms director passed it along and asked if I’d be open to it. I didn’t want to risk seeming uptight or resistant by pushing for too many details.” I shot a look at Brooke, who was nice enough not to laugh at my reluctance to be labeled with the worduptight, which was a very apt description of me, according to my ex—or possibly anyone who knew me.
I set aside the compact, then spritzed perfume onto my neat black blazer. “It’s just a puff piece anyway. Vantive wants to make sure we show well.”
“Which we do.”
“They said we’re one of the most promising players in the space?—”
“Themost promising player, but go on.”
I smiled. I loved that Brooke believed in the company as much as I did. I was very much aware how lucky I was to have her and our other three founders by my side. I was an only child with parents who lived all the way across the country, but my Matchify friends kept me from feeling deprived of family.
“The point is,” I said, “if a little interview makes Vantive feel more confident giving us an obscene amount of money, I’m all for it. It’ll go a long way toward reassuring them. Apparently, they had an unfortunate incident with a wellness company where the founding couple used the app to livestream their breakup. They’re understandably a little gun-shy now.”
Brooke clenched her teeth. “Yikes. No pressure on you, right? Oh! That reminds me.” She dashed out of the office, using her foot to prop the door open as she reached for something just out of sight.
