Chapter 18
GINNY
“This sounds amazing. We’re in.”
I look at the two pretty women across the table from me. Maggie, on the left, is the president of Athena Acres, the small farm operation in Northeast Texas where I am sitting this afternoon. Her sister Krista is the VP.
“I love everything about this,” Krista agrees.
“What do you mean by we’re in?” I ask.
The two sisters and I hit it off immediately, and the meeting has gone well.
They’ve seemed interested in everything I’ve said and have asked perfect questions.
But this is just a preliminary visit. No one from IAS has talked to them about the structure of the indoor farms, Graham hasn’t presented anything to them about the green-energy part of the project, and Everett hasn’t given them any numbers.
They look at one another, then back to me.
“It means we’re in,” Maggie says. “We’d like to build four buildings. I think we can get the funding in order pretty quickly.”
I stare at her. “Four buildings? Really?”
They’re a small-ish operation. They grow fruits and vegetables that they use to make their own line of salsas and sauces, which they sell in local grocery stores. They also supply a local bakery chain with shops in four cities, as well as an online business.
“Yes. We want to expand. We have big plans. We need to be able to offer a greater variety of foods and a bigger volume.”
“But…” I sit forward. “Do you need to have those contracts in place first?”
Maggie shrugs. “I think we need to have the production capabilities in place before we go out and try to recruit more business. I guess it’s a chicken-or-egg thing. What do you think, Ginny?”
I think about the question. I’m not sure it’s my place to say. But they asked.
“Who do you plan to talk to?”
“Restaurants, a family that has a fleet of food trucks, and another Texas company that does jams and jellies and salsas.”
“Then yes, I agree you need to be able to provide them with the crops right away if they say yes.”
The sisters nod their agreement.
“It’s a gamble,” I point out. “You’ll be putting a lot of money into these indoor farms without certain contracts in place to recoup your money.”
“But we believe that with the right marketing we can get those companies on board easily.”
I nod. “I agree. You are both delightful, your farm is already impressive, the women-owned and operated angle is unique and interesting, and adding in the green energy and ability to produce any crop year-round, you could have an advantage over other suppliers.”
The sisters exchange a big, pleased grin.
I’m happy they’re happy. They are not a part of our ten-farm goal for the year.
We’ve already hit that. In the past week, we’ve contracted the additional four farms in New Mexico and four more in Sapphire Falls.
These ladies are just icing on top of the cake.
They’re one of four farms that are turning into icing on the cake.
Things have been moving fast, but it’s all been good. The Albright brothers' investment has enabled us to exceed our initial goals. Everyone with IAS and IES is thrilled.
“Well, we don’t need to sign anything today,” I say with a laugh. “There’s a lot more information to share.”
Maggie waves her hand. “This is exactly what we want. We want to be the full fresh-food supplier for the businesses we work with. With what you’ve told us today and what Sofia has already shared, we’re good.”
Wait a second. I frown. “Sofia Romero?”
Maggie nods. “Sofia is who talked us into contacting you. Didn’t you know?
I didn’t know. That’s interesting. “No, I guess I missed that part.” Did Graham and Everett leave that out on purpose?
Or maybe they figured it didn’t matter. I was coming to this meeting with Maggie and Krista no matter what. And it’s great that Sofia got them interested in us. The more our current clients tell others about our programs, the better. There’s really no better marketing.
“Sofia and I were friends in college,” Maggie says. “She’s been one of our biggest cheerleaders and called almost a month ago, telling us we should talk with you. We’ve just gotten to it.”
“Which we regret now,” Krista says.
“Well, I’m thrilled to hear that Sofia is so happy that she’s talking about us.”
Obviously, it’s more than that. Sofia did a fantastic job in New York, helping Margot and Graham with the Albrights.
In fact, from the sounds of it, she was key in getting the Albrights to go ahead with the funding.
Which means Sofia is a lot more than a client. In fact, Graham and Everett offered her a position as a marketing consultant after that meeting. And rightly so.
“Does this mean that Sofia did not tell you the other reason we wanted to talk to you?” Maggie asks.
I shake my head. “I haven’t talked to Sofia about you at all. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Obviously, we want to make the pitch ourselves.”
“Pitch?”
The women exchange a smile before turning their smiles on me.
“We want to offer you a job,” Maggie says.
I feel my brows arch, and I lean in. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“We know that IAS and IES are your family’s businesses,” Maggie says. “We know this is a long shot, but we have to try. Sofia said it was worth at least discussing.”
Did she? That’s…interesting.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” I say to be polite, but also because I am actually curious here. These ladies don’t know me. They definitely didn’t before today. But they brought me here intending to offer me a job?
Maggie leans in, obviously excited that I’m at least willing to hear them out.
“We’re not the first, or the only female-owned farm, of course, but only about thirteen percent of farms in the U.S.
are exclusively female-owned. About forty percent of new farmers are women, but female primary operators are, on average, older than their male peers.
The average age is a little over sixty! We’d love to get more young women into agriculture and show them that owning and operating their own businesses in ag is possible. ”
I’m listening intently now. “I love that. So you definitely want to push the women-owned business aspect.”
“For sure. And we want to partner with other women in the restaurants and food creation businesses we work with.”
“I don’t really know anything about the restaurant business. Though…” I have a feeling that if I tell them what I was about to say, they’ll be excited. I go ahead. “My mom owns a bakery. I’ve grown up inside a women-owned food business.”
I was right. Maggie and Krista’s eyes light up.
“Oh, you really are perfect,” Krista says.
“So you know about partnering with suppliers and things like that?”
“Some,” I say with a nod. “And I’d love to talk with her more about it.”
I realize that’s absolutely true. It would be really fun to talk business with my mom.
I’ve always been aware of certain things—her long hours, how much care she puts into everything she creates, and how she balances pricing with her costs while keeping it affordable for customers.
But we haven’t talked about suppliers and how she chooses her ingredients.
She uses fruits and vegetables grown in my dad’s farms now, but I’m guessing, knowing them, she had input into how he did things so those foods would work for her.
“Well, we need an amazing marketer,” Maggie says.
“Someone who can go to the jam and sauce company, and the restaurants, and pitch us. Help them see why we’re the perfect partners.
Everything from the variety of super fresh food, to who we are.
We’ve finally grown to the size where we can afford to bring someone on.
You seem perfect. You’ve been successfully pushing a family-owned business.
You believe in and understand agriculture at a level that is important.
And you seem to have a passion for small business and entrepreneurship. ”
I lean in, resting my forearms on the table. I can’t help it. I’m intrigued.
“Go on,” I say.
Two hours later, I am in my hotel room, dialing the number for the last person I expected to be talking to today, or really at any point.
“Hello?”
“Sofia, it’s Ginny Riley.”
“Oh, hi, Ginny. I thought I might be hearing from you.”
I kick my shoes off and sit on the bed, folding my legs into a crisscross position. “Then I assume that means you’re ready to tell me why you’re trying to get me to leave IES.”
There’s a beat of silence, then she says, “Ginny, you have to know that’s not my intention.”
“But if I take this job with your friend, I would leave IES.”
“Yes.” I hear her take a breath, then she says, “When we were in New York, Margot shared the whole situation with me. The reason the Albrights were upset. That you and Everett are together. All of that. I hope that’s okay.”
“I assumed you’d find out since you were called in on an emergency basis.”
“And trust me, I understand how hard it is to work with family sometimes. Or just people you’re close to.
I know you love working for IES. And you’re incredible at it.
But what Maggie and Krista are doing is so impressive, and they have big plans, so I guess when they were talking about marketing, the chance to connect amazing women who are really incredible at their jobs seemed like a no-brainer. ”
“You did an amazing job in New York for IES,” I say, not fully sure what I’m feeling.
There is an excited fluttering in my stomach, which doesn’t make sense. I’m a little suspicious of Sofia, I have to admit. But that is not the predominant feeling here. I’m flattered because I actually believe that she thinks I would be good for this job.
And I would be.
“Thank you,” she says. “I felt really good about it. I hope you know how much I believe in IES. And I understood how important the Albrights were for the company.”
“I think it’s probably obvious to everyone, including you, that you could do a great job stepping into my role with the company,” I say.
She laughs. “Well, I don’t know about that. But I do think that I could help the company if they want me.”
“Are you interested in that?”
“If you’d asked me six months ago, I would’ve said no.
I didn’t think I would do anything but work with my father’s farm.
But now, after meeting all of you, seeing what IES and IAS have planned, and having a chance to be part of it, yes.
It’s exciting to do something new. To step outside my comfort zone and find out that I’m good at something I didn’t even realize I could do. ”
I take a little breath. That is all very familiar to me. I always knew that I could come home and work with my family, but leaving Sapphire Falls and doing something on my own was very exciting and rewarding.
“Have you thought about working for Maggie? Helping her in the way that you helped IES?”
Sofia’s laugh is louder now. “Oh, definitely not. What I do for IES is based on the fact that I’m a farmer.
I can talk to people about what your family’s company is doing from my perspective as someone who has benefited from it.
That’s completely different than marketing Maggie’s business to other businesses I know nothing about. I’m a farmer. Not a marketer.”
She has a point. And I appreciate that she understands both roles. It’s also interesting to me that she made me feel like what I’m doing with IES might be smaller than what I could do for someone else.
Maggie wants to expand her business. She’s a farmer, yes, but she’s thinking about how what she produces can be used by multiple other businesses in a variety of ways.
Becoming a supplier to other small businesses requires developing a business network, finding like-minded people, and building relationships. It’s not just about selling them a product. I would need to sell Maggie and Krista.
That’s not that different from what I have done for my dad and brothers.
But while no one will understand and love my dad, Carver, and Graham the way I do, what they’re doing has less competition. They just need to get in front of the right people.
Maggie and Krista have set themselves apart from many others.
The fact that their business is female-owned is something I really love.
And once they add in green energy-powered indoor farms, that gives them another unique aspect to their business.
But they’ll still be competing with many other suppliers.
I’d have to be really good. It would be a challenge.
I feel that excited fluttering sensation intensify.
“Ginny? Are you still there?”
I realize I’ve already let my mind start to spin with possibilities.
“Yes, I’m still here.”
“I just want you to know, I admire you a great deal. And I really like you. That’s why I mentioned you to one of my dearest friends. I understand what it’s like to want to have the people you love working with great people who will take care of them and really work for their best interests.”
I think about that.
That describes Sofia working for IES.
“Would you consider working for IES?”
“Definitely. But I’m not trying to push you out.”
“Sofia, I have to ask you a question. Straight up.”
“Okay. Anything.”
“Do you have feelings for Everett?”
She doesn’t rush to deny it, which I actually appreciate.
“I like Everett. And he’s very attractive,” she admits.
“And if he were single, I would probably flirt with him and see if he wanted to go out sometime. But he’s very much not single.
In fact, he’s crazy in love with a woman I really like and hope to become friends with.
So absolutely nothing will ever happen.”
I realize that’s a very good answer. “Thank you for that.”
“Of course. And thank you for asking. I’m glad we can talk about it and be upfront.”
“Me too.” I feel myself smiling. “And as for that, hoping to be friends? Me too on that one, too.”