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“I need to be thanking you,” he says firmly. “Because you are going to help us develop a very niche—and very profitable—revenue stream in merchandise. Now, are we ready to go have a meeting?”
“We are.” I turn to his assistant and smile at her. “Hello, Celine. Thank you for coordinating this meeting.”
“My pleasure,” she says. “I’m very excited for you, Catherine. Your line is a brilliant idea.”
“Thank you.”
We head upstairs. When we reach the glass-walled conference room, about ten people are already seated and waiting for us. Including Nicola and Marissa.
Everyone leaps up as soon as Grandfather enters the room, shaking his hand, telling him what a pleasure it is to meet with him, blah blah blah. I’m introduced to Jules, the other gossiper in the toilets that awful day, and I give her a big fake smile as she tells me what a pleasure it is to meet me.
Meanwhile, I’m remembering everything she and Marissa said about me.
We all sit down, with Celine taking the seat next to Grandfather on his right. I take a vacant seat across the conference table from him.
As soon as he’s given a coffee and a glass of water, he clears his throat. “Thank you all for rearranging your schedules to hold this meeting today. I appreciate that very much, and I know Catherine does, too,” he says. “Before we start, however, there’s something I’d like to say. About the elephant in the room, that is.”
All eyes are glued on Grandfather now.
“Catherine is my granddaughter. Because of that fact, I know most of you sitting around this table are sceptical of being here this morning. You think I’m giving Catherine an opportunity because she’s my granddaughter. You don’t have to say it. I can not only smell it, but I can see it.”
I bite the inside of my cheek as I see panic in more than one set of eyeballs around the table.
“And if you think I’m wasting a single pound on a bad idea just to give my granddaughter a job within the company, I take that as a complete insult,” he continues, his voice firm and authoritative.
I think some people might be sweating. If I were Nicola, Marissa, and Jules, I know I would be.
“I’ve seen what Catherine has created. Not just the shirt that went viral, but her idea for a capsule collection. It’s not just good. It’s brilliant. But if her ideas were total rubbish? I’d tell her so. Do you think I’d honestly fly in from Zurich to attend a marketing meeting for an idea that was not viable? No. I absolutely would not. I’m not in the business of misbranding Collings Motors. Nor am I in the business of burning money. So this is my way of saying Catherine has my complete backing on this project, not because she’s my granddaughter, but because it’s good business.”
I love my grandfather so much. He’s making it very clear this isn’t nepotism. This is about what is best for his company. What is going to be successful in the merchandising arena, where he believes money should be invested.
And that is in CM by Catherine.
“Catherine’s background is digital media. She’s going to have a learning curve. A steep one. But her eye for opportunities to sell to our growing female demographic is a good one. I’m leaning into that. So yes, she’s going to learn as she works, but I also know she’s willing to work hard. I hope I have the support of everyone around this table for this line and to assist Catherine. Does anyone have a problem with that?”
The question is met with a chorus of “no” and “of course not.”
“Very well. I’m going to share my thoughts on her idea, then I’ll let Catherine speak and show you some samples. Please jump in with any concerns or questions.”
Then Grandfather starts the meeting. His brain never ceases to amaze me. He’s reeling off stats and data that I had shared with him, plus more things he obviously researched on his own. He also pulled data from the social media team and my own social media numbers and emphasises how he wants to move on this collection now.
Then he hands the floor over to me, and I thank them all for their time and explain the test I did with the ruched T-shirt. I show the samples I had made for the athleisure-wear collection and talk about the potential we have for a collaboration with Vibrance. I answer questions, and we have some productive conversations. I do see some expressions shift to respect the longer I talk.
The meeting lasts an hour, and various tasks are given out to different members of the team. I’m to work closely with Nicola, and we agree to go over some next steps offline and coordinate a meeting.
“Before I go, I have a few quick questions for Nicola, Marissa, and Jules,” I say. “I don’t want to bother the group with them. Do you all mind staying back for a second?”
Marissa and Jules shoot each other a questioning look but nod. “Of course,” Marissa says, smiling at me.
I turn to Grandfather. “Are you off, or can I steal you for a cup of coffee before you go?”
“I’ll wait for you in the canteen,” he says, smiling. “Celine will probably have the notes from the meeting distributed by the time we get down there.”
“Stop,” Celine says, smiling, too.
“I’m not exaggerating, and you know it,” Grandfather tells her.
They head out, and when I’m left in the conference room with Nicola, Marissa, and Jules, I go over to the door and close it. Then I sit back down at my seat and casually shut my laptop. “I would like to clear the air between us before we start working together,” I begin.
