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April 19, 2014
Sonia and Lin gathered around the dining room table, surrounded by the fragrant ambiance of essential oils and spices. Lin's laptop took center stage as they looked at their personalized perfume website.
Lin, cheeks flushed with excitement, guided Sonia through the website's features, showcasing the scent options and accompanying artwork. Sonia leaned in, nodding and smiling at the realization of their hard work materializing into a functional website.
“It’s not final yet. Dani and I disagree, but I think it’s coming together,” Lin said, and Sonia could hear the smile in her voice.
A warm glow bloomed in Sonia’s chest, evaporating every worry.
Lin explained the inspiration she used from other websites, showing Sonia their thoughtful questions and captivating artwork.
It’s all coming together, and it looks fantastic!
“You captured everything perfectly,” Sonia responded, her eyes crinkling with a wide smile.
“Let me show you the welcome page,” Lin said with enthusiasm.
Lin clicked to the home page, and she read the welcome aloud to Sonia. Sonia took a deep breath to calm herself and give her full attention to the welcome page wording. Sonia closed her eyes and listened to the words, imagining she was hearing them fresh and picturing herself as a first-time customer.
Welcome Dear One,
There are so many things you care about: your career, your health, your loved ones.
Every day, you make decisions about how to present yourself to the world. What outfits to wear. What jewelry and accessories to wear. What drink to order. What food to eat. How to keep your body healthy. How to use your free time.
The scent you wear is a part of that presentation. Until now, you always had to wear what someone else created. Now you have the chance to create a scent that is yours and yours alone. It will reflect your likes, your activities, and your personality.
Answer the questionnaire and a scent sample pack will be sent to you to help you finalize your preferences for your brand-new signature scent.
Spend time smelling each option for the notes of your perfume. You may want to have plain coffee or plain tea to help cleanse your palate between sampling each scent. When you have decided which scents to use, come back to your perfume profile and make your final selections. You can come back and create a new scent combination as often as you like.
“I want you to do a test run. Make your own perfume,” Lin suggested, placing her laptop in front of Sonia.
I hope this all goes well. Sonia felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach as she said, “Okay, sounds fun.”
Lin’s chair screeched against the floor as she scooted closer to Sonia. Her steady, rhythmic breathing caused a light stir of air across Sonia’s hands.
Lin said confidently, “Everything should work, but nothing will be live until launch day.”
“I don’t see why we don’t have our party the same day as the launch,” Sonia said.
“It’s a celebration party, not a launch party. We invite the people and businesses we partnered with and show them what we accomplished. There’s nothing to show the day the website launches,” Lin said.
“I guess that does make sense.”
Sonia used her screen reader app to navigate the webpages herself. The welcome message was read, and it captured the essence of their venture, Sonia thought. She answered the questionnaire, enjoying the process of picking the scents she liked best and imagining what they would smell like together. This really feels fun and personal!
However, the joyous atmosphere quickly turned tense when the wheel on Sonia’s screen spun endlessly, failing to provide further results. Sonia’s heart sank and her mouth felt dry. I don’t understand what is happening. What does this mean?
“Damn! What’s wrong now?” Lin said. Lin’s breathing became uneven and hurried, mirroring the tension in her voice.
Sonia felt sweat trickle down her forehead and a tremor appeared in her hands. This website is the heart of our business. If it doesn’t work, we have no business. Sonia’s voice sounded like a squeak when she said, “We launch soon.”
“I know, I know,” Lin replied. The air in the room was thick with tension. Lin pulled the computer away from Sonia and began typing and clicking at a furious pace. Sonia felt the weight of impending launch day pressure, her heart racing as Lin worked diligently to resolve the issue.
Sonia felt the pressure to have a successful launch weigh on her like a pile of bricks. As Lin’s breathing became more ragged and her typing more furious, Sonia’s mind raced. What if Lin can’t fix it? What if she has to start over? We don’t have much time.
Sonia took a deep breath and willed herself to be calm. At that moment, the room fell silent and Lin’s breathing halted. Sonia found herself holding her breath too, waiting for Lin to say something.
“I don’t understand. It should be working,” Lin said in a whisper.
Sonia’s heart plummeted. If the website doesn’t work, our business is doomed. Is everything on the verge of unraveling?
Lin took a deep breath. “Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out.”
“And now I understand why the party is not the day the website goes live,” Sonia said.
Sonia felt the crushing weight lift off her chest. Lin wasn’t giving up. They would find a way to make their launch day a success after all.