It was counter intuitive. Zach didn’t understand why his mentor was forcing him to take a break at this critical juncture of launching his business.
“I respect you, RR.”
“Then stop resisting my guidance.” Reid gave Zach a stern look. “I’m paying for the weekend. It won’t cost you a dime.”
“The time,” Zach looked away from Reid Renzo. He quietly repeated, “It costs me the time.”
By the time Zach looked back, the cart they rode in came to a stop. Reid stood up and stepped out of the open seat. Zach followed him. A young man dressed in form fitting uniform including relaxed long pants and a polo shirt with a logo above the front pocket walked over from the executive jet that waited for them.
“Mister Renzo, good to see you again. Darren, our pilot today is already completing the pre-flight in the cockpit.”
“Thank you, Sam. This is Zach Korn.”
Sam nodded at Zach. “Nice to meet you sir.”
“Thank you.” Zach followed RR up the short mobile staircase leading into the jet.
Sam grabbed their bags from the back of the open cart and followed Zach up the stairs. As he closed the door, Sam hummed a nursery rhyme from his childhood.
Zach rolled his eyes at Sam. “It’s not like I haven’t heard that one before.”
“Which one?” Reid asked.
“The nursery rhyme.” Both RR and Sam looked at him now and waited for his explanation. “Jimmy cracked corn and I don’t care. Jimmy cracked corn and I don’t care. Jimmy cracked corn and I don’t care. The master’s gone away.”
“Oh, I forgot that you’re from the South.” RR smiled at Sam.
“Yes sir.” Zach and Sam answered RR together.
Zach turned his attention to Sam, “Where?”
“Nawlins. And you?”
“MoBeal.”
“You’re awful pale for growing up in Mobile.”
“It’s what’s on the inside that counts.”
Reid smiled at both of them. Suddenly, Zach felt self-conscious. “I’m sorry RR. Forgive me if that was inappropriate.”
“It’s important we remember where we came from, as long as we leave our bad habits there.”
Sam fell into his role as steward. He prepared both men food and drinks as soon as the jet leveled off at just under thirty thousand feet. The three and a half-hour flight passed by quickly as Reid laid out the weekend agenda.
“We’re about to land, please buckle your seat belts.”
Zach and RR sat upright in the recliner chairs and locked themselves in the safety position.
“I’ve never flown into Henderson Executive Airport before.”
“First time of many to come for you, I am certain.”
“Not if I don’t get that business launched next month.”
“As your primary investor, I don’t want you to mention that again until we’re on our return flight.” Reid watched as Zach’s confusion dissipated from his face, softening the hard lines of stress into the fullness of relaxation. “I’m serious. Not a mention for the next three days.”
The wheels of the jet settled on the smooth pavement of the runway.
“Like a feather falling out of calm skies,” Zach observed.
Sam was busy tidying the interior as the plane came to a complete stop. Once the stairs were available, he took their travel bags down to the waiting executive coach. It was a black SUV with tinted windows. Reid was next down and Zach followed him.
As Reid settled into the SUV with Sam’s assistance, he handed Sam three Benjamins.
“Thank you, Mister Renzo. Very generous of you.”
“Should I?” RR grabbed Zach’s hand before he could reach into his pocket.
“No. I told you this is on me. I don’t want you to think about anything other than having a good time.”
“Melissa and I talked about what I am allowed to do while here.”
“Well, if you change your mind, what happens here stays here. Between us.”
The Strip was a short drive West from the Henderson field. What seemed like minutes later, the two were escorted from the SUV to a two-bedroom, two bath suite at Caesars Palace. Reid generously tipped the bellhop who not only brought their luggage into the suite but also stayed to unpack it.
“I could get used to this,” Zach admired the details of the dining room / conference room that was in the center of the suite’s floor plan. “Will we be entertaining here?”
“Yes, but not tonight. Tonight, we have a meet and greet with Kelly Clarkson before her concert. Freshen up.”
“I’ve got to call Melissa. If you hear screaming, that will be Melissa dying on the other end of the call. She’s going to be jealous. Kelly has been one of her favorites since her first appearance on American Idol.”
The weekend was fully booked. Back-to-back events and meetings starting with the concert the evening of their arrival. Entrepreneurs seeking angel fund investments from RR joined them for brunch, catered in the suite, on both Saturday and Sunday. Reid asked Zach to compile three pros and three cons from each presentation. He also instructed Zach to state initial terms for negotiating any investment that he thought Reid should pursue.
Three different teams made consecutive presentations at 8:30, 10, and 11:30 on both Saturday and Sunday. Out of the six, Zach only offered an investment to one hopeful. It was the second one on Sunday morning and was for AI enlivened robotic pets. The quality of the prototypes far exceeded the cheap Chinese imports that had flooded the toy market the previous holiday.
“The reason I went with Proto Pets,” Zach explained to RR, “was more for the team founding the company than for the potential of the product. Those guys were fun, and crazy enough to get a hit. If not this product, then the next and we’ll be in on the ground floor.”
Reid silently raised his eyebrows at Zach.
“Did I do you wrong?”
“No. I was surprised that you will be in on the ground floor with my money!”
“Oh, I didn’t mean.”
“I’m giving you a hard time. I am glad you are as concerned about the people as about the product ideas. I like your choice.”
“Did I miss an opportunity that you would have chosen?”
“There’s always someone else seeking investment money. This weekend the decision was yours and yours completely. I’ll keep you in the loop of Proto Pets as we progress.”
Zach updated Melissa on the weekend activities just before dinnertime and their evening event on Sunday. On Saturday afternoon, he and Reid had a private tour of the Las Vegas Athletics stadium which was still under construction but on schedule to open the following baseball season. On Saturday evening they enjoyed dinner with Reid’s contacts from Silicon Valley before heading to a comedy magic act.
“I don’t remember who it was,” Zach confessed to Melissa. “It wasn’t one of the more famous magicians. I’ll bring the ticket home with all the details. I’ve got something exciting to tell you.”
Zach told the story of the afternoon event that he had just left. After the financing pitches Sunday morning, Reid had advised Zach to dress in his three-piece suit. Dressed for a formal event, Reid and Zach went to another suite in the Caesars complex. They were met by aggressive security at the entrance which raised Zach’s concern.
“Should I be worried?” Zach asked Reid as they were led into the suite by a guard.
Reid ignored his question and stared straight ahead. Just a few feet into the suite, the Vice President of the United States met them. The man hugged Reid and then stuck his hand out towards Zach. “You must be Zach Korn.”
“Yes sir. Nice to meet you Mister Vice President.”
“Oh, don’t be so formal.” As he led them to leather sofas in a sunken living room area, the VP pointed at a woman who stood nearby. “Susan, please offer our guests drinks.”
Zach was silent, unless he was asked a direct question by either of the men. He was starstruck by the VP. He listened intently trying to catch every nuance in the banter between RR and the VP on domestic and global economic policies.
On the call with Melissa, she was surprised by the excitement in Zach’s voice. “You sound more excited than when I said ‘yes’.”
“The man is likely to be our next President. I never thought that I would speak to him, much less have him talk to me.”
“Well,” Melissa felt a little insecure by the distractions and enthusiasm that Zach was experiencing. “What are you doing tonight? It’s your last evening there before you fly home in the morning.”
“Oh, some Star Wars preview event at the Sphere.”
“Wow. I heard about that on E! Entertainment. I think you’ll recognize many of the celebrities in attendance.”
“Who are they compared to the VP?”
Melissa was silent for an uncomfortable minute. Zach could tell she was upset even though she pointed the camera on her phone away from her face.
“What is it?” He asked her.
“Honestly, your voice has changed this weekend.” Melissa spoke quietly when she asked, “Is it a good change?”
“Good, for certain.”
“And your business here.”
“I’m ready to give it my all until I succeed. Then I will move on to the next thing and the thing after that. Reid has awakened my potential and my dreams this weekend. I didn’t want to come here, but he was right. I needed this reset. I’m going to exceed my highest hopes.”
“I have faith in you.”
“Thank you.” Zach was so thrilled by the events of the weekend, he didn’t listen to Melissa. “I found a new faith in myself. I can’t wait to do it all, to be like Reid one day soon.”
“I’ll support you,” Melissa had breaks of hesitation in her voice.
“I’m going to become the king of the world.”
After Melissa ended the call with her husband, she sat down in a chair. She took a deep breath and stared at the flower arrangement on the coffee table.
Her lips rolled and pressed together. She repeated words of warning that she learned from her entrepreneur professor in graduate school. “Those who can’t, don’t. Those who can, do. Those who do, can’t get enough of themselves.”
Ecclesiastes 5:7
When dreams increase and boasts grow, vanity and pride dominate the man. Only the fear of God can save him.