Thomas explained that he worked in healthcare investment and knew Martin Ellery, a senior decision-maker at the pharmaceutical company my agency had hoped to win as a client. He wasn’t promising to fix everything, but he wanted to tell Martin the full story. I hesitated because I didn’t want Eleanor’s family to feel responsible for my problems. Thomas reminded me that I had stopped for his mother without knowing who she was or what might happen afterward. He simply wanted the opportunity to explain what my former boss had done.

I agreed to let him make the call. Three days later, Thomas contacted me again with surprising news. Martin had heard the story and wanted to meet me personally. The meeting wasn’t about reopening the presentation or helping my former agency. Martin had a senior marketing director position available at his own company, and he wanted to discuss it with me. I was cautious. I had spent seventeen years working in marketing, but I had never led an internal marketing department. When I shared my doubts with Claire, she reminded me that being nervous didn’t mean I wasn’t qualified. After thinking it through, I called Thomas and accepted the invitation.