In the morning, Matt only had one meeting. A regional midsized firm was acquiring a small boutique accounting firm and they needed an outside firm to determine the tax implications for the business to be acquired. He woke up fresh and ready for the day. He reflected to himself how dramatic his mood swings could be – miserable one morning and happy-go-lucky the next. He put on his “work uniform”: pants, blue dress shirt, and a nice blazer. Matt had what he thought was good taste, which he took a bit of pride in, inside of the confines of what any person in corporate finance was allowed to get away with.
He grabbed a coffee to go, kissed Sabina, and was off to the meeting. If this went well, he thought to himself, he might just steal the afternoon for himself to go to the library and lose himself in some magazines and newspapers for a couple hours to catch up on the upcoming election cycle and international current events – nothing that his job needed from him, but something that helped him feel elevated as a citizen of the world.
Matt arrived for the client meeting 15 minutes early, meeting one of his other colleagues, Rebecca, there. They were an effective sales team and frequently pitched together. They had worked together for five years and had an easy rhythm that allowed them to volley back and forth to win new business. What Matt brought in terms of technical expertise, Rebecca brought in terms of relationship-building. She had a unique ability to understand the client and the things that were not being said. They hardly required any prep.
“I'll set the stage, then you go?” Matt offered their standard play.
“Yep,” Rebecca returned as she, without looking up, thumbed through the financial disclosure documents.
The receptionist hung up the phone, stood up from her desk, and, with a pleasant smile, motioned to Matt and Rebecca. “Please follow me. You'll be meeting in the conference room just down here.”
They walked into the conference room and saw three people sitting on the other side, two older men in their late 60s and a younger African American about Matt's age with dreadlocks pulled back into a neat ponytail.
They reached across the table to introduce themselves. “Hi, I'm Matt – great to meet in person. This is my colleague, Rebecca.”
“Hi, so very nice to meet you,” one of the older gentlemen offered. Matt knew him as Karl Holtz, the founder of the small accounting firm that bore his name. “Please meet two key members of my team, Stanley and Cedric.”
Matt paused, and it felt as if time paused around him. Cedric, he thought to himself. I know this guy. But how is that possible? I have never met this client in person. Snapping back, Matt reached across to shake their hands. “Stanley, Cedric, it's great to meet you.”
The meeting commenced, and Matt deferred to Rebecca sooner than he normally would, and he kept thinking to himself that he knew he knew this guy, but how? The meeting and conversation continued at a productive, friendly pace.
And then he realized - an epiphany – but how could that be. Is this the Cedric that had been his Lyft driver the day prior? No – that couldn't be. From yesterday? His mind swirled with the question of how this could be. He discreetly pulled out his phone, opened the Lyft app, and found the ride. Yep – that's him. I'm thoroughly confused…
With that discovery he spent the rest of the meeting looking at Cedric. Did he recognize him as well? What explained this? He was the CFO of the company being acquired. Why would he be driving Lyft? Was there a backstory? Was he broke? Maybe some drug addiction or expensive divorce? I wonder if his colleagues know he drives Lyft. It was as if Matt had turned the volume on the conversation way down and moved it into the background as he sat amidst that ambient noise just looking at Cedric and wondering more about this man's story.
Matt snapped into reality when Rebecca announced loudly, “Well, then, this sounds like we have a great plan of action. Don't you think, Matt?”
Matt opened his eyes and offered a large, expressive smile. “Yes, absolutely. Dream team. Looking forward to this.”
Rebecca shot him a confused, if subtle, scold. He knew what she was thinking, Dream team? That's a little jocular, isn't it? And are you even paying attention to what's going on here? But regardless, the room didn't seem to notice, so it passed. With that they were standing, shaking hands, and concluding the meeting.
Rebecca leaned into Matt, “Well that could not have possibly gone any better. These guys love us. I've got a meeting across town. You need anything from me before I leave?”
“No, no…I agree. Great meeting. Thanks for everything. You go ahead. I'm going to gather my things and won't be long after you.”
Rebecca left the building, thanking the receptionist on her way out. The two older gentlemen, Karl and Stanley, filed out of the conference room, and as Matt looked back in, he could see Cedric gathering his papers preparing to do the same.
Matt paused, looked at him, and then announced himself, “Hey, Cedric,” Matt started, “thanks again for a great meeting today.”
“No problem, It's my pleasure. I think it's looking good.”
“I agree.” Matt stood there awkwardly, wondering what to do. “Hey, so this is going to sound totally random…but…I think I know you.”
“Really? Huh. I'm not sure how.” Cedric didn't look up. Hardly the overly talkative Lyft driver he had met the day before.
“I think…,” Matt cautiously started, “you drove my Lyft yesterday to O'Hare.”
Cedric stopped and now looked up at him, slowly casing the environment around to see who else might have heard. “You know what? You're right.” Matt could see that Cedric was beginning to put the pieces together as well and felt slightly uncomfortable. “Let's, um, take a walk.”
Matt followed him out of the conference room and out of the building. They walked through the parking lot and around the building toward a path that connected the different corporate office buildings.
Cedric didn't say anything at first as they walked, and Matt decided to break the silence. “Look, it's obviously none of my business why you drive for Lyft. It's just that I wanted to place how I knew you. I enjoyed our conversation yesterday. It's just that…”
Cedric interrupted, “You're surprised that I have a real job as well?” Cedric smiled, relieving the pressure.
“Well, not just that you have a job, but you have a big job. You are CFO of this company undergoing a major transformation. Obviously, you are talented and, without getting into your personal life, I presume decently paid.”
“What if I told you that me driving Lyft has nothing to do with money?” Cedric asked.
Matt paused, confounded, “Then why do you drive?”
“Research,” Cedric offered.
Matt repeated slowly, as if trying to process, “Research….”
They walked slowly outside, side-stepping about a half dozen geese crossing the path in between two manicured ponds.
“Look, I didn't want to talk about this inside the company offices, but my wife and I are starting our own business. I'm almost 40 now, and I finally realized what I want to do with my life. It's now or never.”
Pushing 40. Matt could relate.
“I haven't really told anyone at work yet, but my wife and I are opening up a retreat center, about an hour from downtown Chicago.”
“Wow,” Matt offered, his interest genuinely piqued at this guy who, now having seen him twice in 24 hours in two totally different contexts, was proving to be as fascinating as he was mysterious. “That's…cool. I think it's awesome that you are starting your own business. I'm also pushing 40 and, um, sort of on my own journey of trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
Cedric didn't respond – not aware of the depths to which this conversation had the potential to tap something deep inside of Matt.
Matt continued, “What does that have to do with driving Lyft?”
“Everything,” Cedric answered, “Yesterday, we had an entire conversation about retreat centers, the last time you used one, the kind of company you work for, how you use them, the price that you pay, the ones in the marketplace that you considered. One you mentioned I had never heard of, so when I got home, looked it upon online. I called them, pretended to be planning our next corporate retreat, and asked them for a quote sheet. Thanks to you, I knew the price points for a typical retreat. You gave me a lot of detail. In your mind I'm just a talkative Lyft driver, but in my mind, I'm getting paid to pick your brain.”
“But you didn't tell me any of this stuff yesterday,” Matt said.
Cedric laughed. “Why should I? I'm the one doing the research – customer research. I only do morning routes from the North Side to O'Hare because that is when guys like you are taking trips, guys who have insight into corporate retreats, how often they take them, what they spend, what they need, and lots of other details. To date, I've probably conducted around 86 customer interviews or so. I'm also a 4.8-star driver and have made about $2,800. I also have a better sense of the business we are creating, our go-to-market strategy, target customer, and our pricing model.”
Matt was confused, and amazed, all at the same time. “This is all so random – that I just happened to get in your Lyft yesterday, that we happened to talk about retreat centers, that I happened to know something about retreats, and that I would run into you today.”
“Actually, it's not random at all, except the last part. Those first few things I very intentionally designed for. It's part of a strategy that I follow very closely, being what we call the Third Shift Entrepreneur.”
We, Matt thought to himself, an interesting term. “Third Shift Entrepreneur,” Matt repeated, curious. “How did you learn this stuff? What is your plan now?” Matt found himself thinking about the business that Cedric wanted to start.
“It's a long story but I am part of a network of people who are each starting their own businesses. They're my tribe – people like me with dreams who are pursuing them and doing the hard work to make it happen. It's not easy, but we are working together and following a playbook. To be honest…trying to do this out here is no joke, man. I didn't come up with money or role models on how to start a business. My mom cleaned houses and my dad worked for the post office. Everything I've done in my life I've had to work my ass off for. Being a Black man does not make this easier, which is a whole conversation we don't have time for…but I committed to being an entrepreneur and I've found a group that's helping me make that happen. It's personal for me.”
Matt thought about what he had heard. “You're right. I definitely don't know what you've had to do to get to where you are. But I want to learn more. I need some of what you're putting out in the world and I don't know where to get started.”
Cedric pulled back a bit, “Well, here is the thing. It's only for people who are serious about starting something and who are serious about putting in the work. You seem, from our meeting today, pretty good at what you do and pretty committed to your career, so I'm not sure there is any…”
“That's not true,” Matt jumped in, cutting him off. His abrupt objection startled even Matt. He paused and continued. “I'm good at this job, yes, but something is missing, and I've known it for years. I'm a creator at heart, someone who takes on big challenges. I did 10 years in the Army, and just imagined afterwards that I would be having some public sector impact or be a change agent. I never even say these things out loud, let alone to a client, but I know there is more I want to do, and it's like you've just opened my eyes to the fact that there might be a strategy to make something happen. Or at least that there are people crazy enough, no offense, to go and take action in some form.”
“Oh,” Cedric said, leaning in, “there most definitely are people out there taking action. I don't want to sound condescending, but for some people, life just happens. But for other people, they make life happen. You've got to decide where on that continuum you are.” Cedric looked around, as both of them wondered how silly or perhaps suspicious they must look standing outside of the corporate offices talking after the meeting had ended 20 minutes earlier.
“If you are serious,” Cedric continued, “Meet me this Thursday morning at 6:00 a.m. I'll text the address to the mobile number on your business card. We can pick up on our conversation then. I need you to decide, though. Don't come if you aren't serious. This group doesn't mess around, but they do get results. New members are rare and only come when someone vouches for them. I'm going out on a limb here but I like you and you seem sincere. If for some reason this doesn't work out, then let's just pretend that this conversation never happened, and we will get this transaction done as the professionals that we are.” Cedric cracked a smile and extended a handshake.
“Deal,” Matt returned. He watched Cedric turn and dash back into the building as he stood there thinking about what had just occurred. Thursday morning at 6:00 a.m. What was this even all about?
At home that night, Matt had prepared dinner, had music on, and was in a dreamlike state thinking about his day, his conversation with Cedric, and the possibilities that lay ahead. Sabina walked in, threw her keys in the bowl, and caught Matt in a little dance with himself. He promptly went to her, kissed her, and told her dinner, chicken marsala her known favorite that Matt had learned to perfect, was served.
“Well. you're in quite the good mood,” Sabina offered, with a tinge of suspicion.
“I am – it's weird. I had the strangest meeting today with a guy whom I met the day before who was my Lyft driver.” Matt began to share his day, his pace quickening as his eyes opened wider with enthusiasm. “In any event I'm there staring at him like, I know this guy, and then we put the pieces together. The Lyft driver! How crazy…like I never would have thought – and then he's the CFO for this accounting firm that we are leading the transaction for. Makes no sense – or makes perfect sense. I have no idea…In any event he invited me to this meeting Thursday morning at 6:00 a.m. and I'm going, and I'm just ready to make this move.”
Sabina looked at him with loving confusion, still taking her jacket and shoes off. His story didn't really make sense, but it didn't matter to her. She hadn't seen this buoyant of a version of her husband in a long time. It's like he was suddenly, in a sense, unlocked. Nothing had changed, but a rambling and excited Matt Carney was a better husband, in her mind, than the brooding depressant that otherwise roamed the house. It was a version of him that she hadn't seen since they were dating in DC – the optimistic, idea-of-the-week dreamer, inspired man she fell in love with.
She looked at him, “Well, I have no idea what you just said but if you feel like this and act like this, it's good by me.”
“I just feel…,” Matt paused to try to put his sentiments into words, “I just feel like meeting this guy Cedric was a validation that (a) I'm not crazy, and people out there are also feeling a desire to do more, be more, and (b) there might be some sort of path. It's a world I know nothing about. He's a person, frankly, about whom I know very little, but just knowing that there is a tribe of people out there that share some sort of this aspiration, or this struggle, whatever you want to call it, just feels like a world opened up.”
Sabina stepped around the kitchen island and moved closer. “Can I be a therapist for a second?”
“Are you ever not?” Matt asked with a coy smile.
“In your mind, the resolution for you is to determine a professional path forward for yourself, and once you have made those decisions and it's actually public or announced on LinkedIn or whatever will be the moment that you are fulfilled or resolved, as it were.
“As a therapist, what I would say is that the condition you are working to resolve is this malcontent, anxiety, restlessness – all of these things and a few others. If resolving those conditions is the goal, then I would argue that whatever happened today has already moved you forward – before you even know what changes your professional future holds, if any at all. And If I wanted to be your nagging wife – I might just say something like ‘I told you so' – that all you really need to do is to take action. It doesn't matter what it yields. The fact that you are feeling like you are making progress and suddenly on a path, as it were, will in and of itself bring resolution. Okay, I'm done preaching.”
“I'm seeing why your clients love you,” Matt smiled, “you can always preach to me. I know you always will.”