Tara Ariano November 10, 2014 Share November 10, 2014 A coffee-roasting company in Greenville, S.C., suffers from friction between the owners, who were once also romantic partners. Link to comment
Ketzel November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 (edited) Ugh, another pair of crazy exes. I hope this isn't the producers' idea of how to create drama on the show. I like the ones with the hapless but plucky owners much better. And for the life of me, I can't imagine how one would "accidentally" put the minority shareholder in a position to fire the majority shareholder by making her a director of a pension fund? Actually, I can't imagine how that could happen at all, let alone "accidentally." Did anyone understand what put her in such a position of power over him? Edited November 12, 2014 by Ketzel 1 Link to comment
LetsJustDance November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 It was a before-unheard of by-product of her being the 'President' of the shareholder's fund, if I understood. It was a position from which she had to resign, so clearly she was 'hired' and since they are they only two shareholders, I would assume it was something they decided on, together, so that she'd put in her money. He had such a large percentage of the buy-in, then they went to a bank and got $100K, finally she put in 70-something K. Anyway, it somehow kept him from being able to fire her, which that bastard would have done within minutes, no doubt. He reminded me of one of the brothers from Skullduggery...that one that would always agree with whatever Marcus was saying, would dispute any wrongdoing, then go right ahead and do the wrong thing the second Marcus wasn't staring at him. Horrible guy. That poor woman and her son working there. She probably feels like he'd fire her son, the ONLY one who knows how to ground the coffee beans, too. If I'd been Marcus I'd have stayed and fired the guy. Just sayin'. Link to comment
clod November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 Marcus really emphasized the handshake deal in this show. but then he backed out of the deal. Link to comment
rehoboth November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 Another deal called off. But it was satisfying because they seemed to deserve each other. It was kind of like that old Star Trek episode where the guy is locked in a "room" with his evil anti-matter twin, forever to be engaged in combat. I missed Marcus' deal (I came into the room to hear him say "I own 51% and will be completely in charge.") Can anyone tell me what he invested and what it was to be used for? Debt? Increased production? Link to comment
AnnaBaptist November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 I missed Marcus' deal (I came into the room to hear him say "I own 51% and will be completely in charge.") Can anyone tell me what he invested and what it was to be used for? Debt? Increased production? He wrote a check for $200k. $100k was to pay off debt, and the other $100k was for buying more inventory once they increased business by attracting new clients. They are currently producing at only one-third capacity. Link to comment
attica November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 My favorite moment was right after Marcus split, and whatshisname says with the kind of incredulity that only entitled assholes ever have, "A million dollars just walked out that door!" Made for each other, they are. 1 Link to comment
Primetimer November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 This week's coffee company only has one problem. Why couldn't Marcus Lemonis solve it? Read the story Link to comment
FastLou November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 (edited) Neither one of the owners seemed particularly on the ball. Becky seemed to want it more but of course most of the money was John's. It was Very strange that they seemed to do almost nothing during Marcus' absence - so many shows play loosely with the passage of time that I want to believe but have such a hard time. Particularly when the cameras just happened to catch them arguing at the exact moment Marcus returned. In general I'm so tired of these type of shows focusing on family drama over business savvy, but I know I'm tilting at windmills. Also - memo to Becky & John - wear some damn pants to your sales calls. Edited November 12, 2014 by FastLou 4 Link to comment
glowlights November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 Also - memo to Becky & John - wear some damn pants to your sales calls. I know, right?!?!?! Out of all the crap that happened in this episode, for some reason that was what bugged my eyes out the most. Mainly at Becky. John at least made an attempt to make it look sort of business casual, but Becky was dressed to clean out her garage. Followed up by her destructive answers to the potential customers' questions. Wtf. Marcus should have walked out as soon as they told him about the weird love triangle - it was another Worldwide Trailers mess. Btw, on Twitter he says they're still calling him. Yeesh. 2 Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 For the record. I have NEVER (well once-Larkins) been on a sales call. It's not what I do, and I have zero experience in sales. And obviously, if I knew before hand I would have dressed much more appropriately. You don't think I wasn't embarrassed to go dressed like that? Really??? 1 Link to comment
Amarsir November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 It was Very strange that they seemed to do almost nothing during Marcus' absence - so many shows play loosely with the passage of time that I want to believe but have such a hard time. Particularly when the cameras just happened to catch them arguing at the exact moment Marcus returned. It's pretty clear to me what happens. The two avoid each other in the office until they get a call that Marcus is coming in. Then they both have to show up and that leads to drama when the crew is there. I agree time lapses can be questionable but this seems straightforward enough. I actually thought they did OK on the sales call without having had notice. It doesn't seem like they've made a lot of new sales so I was expecting a complete lack of term sheets, etc. Marcus could have let them know before he showed up that they'd be having a meeting, but I think he wanted to see them under pressure. Both Becky and John were better than the Worldwide Trailers people. But I also didn't get the impression that either wanted to run the business so much as just say they had a business. Something probably could have been worked out for Marcus to buy out John, but since Becky (by her own admission - Hi Rebecca) doesn't do sales that's a problem. I don't think they had the money to hire a sales manager. And there's no way Marcus wanted to swing down to North Carolina just for daily operations. 1 Link to comment
glowlights November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 (edited) Both Becky and John were better than the Worldwide Trailers people. But I also didn't get the impression that either wanted to run the business so much as just say they had a business. Something probably could have been worked out for Marcus to buy out John, but since Becky (by her own admission - Hi Rebecca) doesn't do sales that's a problem. I don't think they had the money to hire a sales manager. And there's no way Marcus wanted to swing down to North Carolina just for daily operations. I agree that's a problem, and more to the point it's a problem not knowing how to answer a potential customer's questions. I get that sales isn't everyone's thing (it sure ain't my thing!) but I didn't get the impression Becky was leading on that pitch. A small business owner should be able to - needs to be able to - attend a meeting with a potential client and field questions appropriately. Those were softball questions, like what happens if the equipment breaks and what's the timeline on a custom blend. They shouldn't need any prep time to know how to answer about basic procedures. And to top it all off, didn't Becky say she handles sales and client management when asked by Marcus? I get that the roles weren't clearly defined (hello, disaster) but I thought she claimed to do that, along with John. Cringe-fest, this episode. Edited November 12, 2014 by glowlights 1 Link to comment
Ketzel November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 It was a before-unheard of by-product of her being the 'President' of the shareholder's fund, if I understood. It was a position from which she had to resign, so clearly she was 'hired' and since they are they only two shareholders, I would assume it was something they decided on, together, so that she'd put in her money. . . . . Anyway, it somehow kept him from being able to fire her, which that bastard would have done within minutes, no doubt. But shareholder funds are a balance sheet calculation. I don't think she could be President of that. I'm assuming that, since the two of them are the sole stockholders, that they are also the only the Directors of the corporation and they have divvied up the officer roles and she is the President (and he is the Secretary and/or Treasurer?). That probably gives her the authority to execute contracts on behalf of the corporation, but everything would have to be approved by the Directors in any case, and I still don't see what would give her the ability to fire him. I wonder what on earth the articles and bylaws of this corporation look like that she somehow ended up with that authority over a Director who is the majority shareholder, too. Link to comment
Amarsir November 12, 2014 Share November 12, 2014 At the time they set it up, Becky and John were getting along great. So I'm sure that one "firing" the other never crossed their minds. In order to put 401k money into a business you have to do some paperwork. It's not like a simple savings withdrawal. What they (probably) did was transfer his external 401k into a "West End Coffee Company Employee Retirement Plan 401k". Where he just happened to be the only employee with cash under management. And then because they were setting up a company 401k there's a line on the paperwork saying "who will be the director of the employee fund?". Since they were doing it together, John said "well why don't I put your name here so we're both in?" Only later when things turned sour did it become apparent how they'd structured the power. As director, her job was to ensure his 401k got paid back. So she could technically fire him "in the best interests" of his own retirement plan. Of course then if it didn't get paid back he would have an excellent case to sue for mismanagement or fraud. It all could get very ugly and I think everyone's best interests would be for Marcus to remove that clause as he did. But I do believe it was, as he said, just an accident it got set up this way. 3 Link to comment
Paws November 13, 2014 Share November 13, 2014 Why was John trying to "shush" Becky when Marcus was asking about the financing of the business? When She said how much the bank put in he started going " ssshhhh" and making a gesture like she should stop divulging that info. What is with all these places that don't want Marcus to know their business? He always finds out anyway. 2 Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm November 13, 2014 Share November 13, 2014 1. West End HAS a sales manager. 2. Threat(s) of firing was the ONLY reason the paper hadn't been signed previously... Link to comment
glowlights November 13, 2014 Share November 13, 2014 Why was John trying to "shush" Becky when Marcus was asking about the financing of the business? When She said how much the bank put in he started going " ssshhhh" and making a gesture like she should stop divulging that info. What is with all these places that don't want Marcus to know their business? He always finds out anyway. I agree. It was weird - was he trying to hide something or was he just being disrespectful, like "shush, woman, I'm doing the talking here". It would have been nice if Marcus spent more time holding their feet to the fire on business issues. Here's a funny thing: Becky is not listed on their website. Her son is, and John is, but there is no mention of her on the "about us" page or the "our story" page. Was she just manufactured drama by the producers??? And no mention of a sales manager on their site, for that matter. :) I prefer the eps like Mr. Green Tea or Key Lime Pie where the owners need someone like Marcus Lemonis, not Iyanla Fix My Life. 2 Link to comment
attica November 13, 2014 Share November 13, 2014 It was weird - was he trying to hide something or was he just being disrespectful, like "shush, woman, I'm doing the talking here" It could always be both... 1 Link to comment
Cranky One November 13, 2014 Share November 13, 2014 Rebecca Schramm, so what's your side of the story? What are you doing now? Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm November 14, 2014 Share November 14, 2014 Attica- it's the latter... Cranky- Still @ West End (but...TBD) Link to comment
Lola16 November 17, 2014 Share November 17, 2014 Never knew there was a roasting school. Liked how Marcus seemed to blush when the love triangle was brought up. Wish that Marcus had seen earlier that the male owner never took responsibility for anything (it was his wife's fault he had an affair, his wife's fault that he went into business with Becky, it's Becky's fault about anything related to the business including their arguments). He seemed like he had a salesman's personality as he would say what people wanted to hear but never follow through. Definitely a toxic environment. The sales call was cringe worthy. I'd have brought product and laid out the presentation ahead of time. I did like how Becky read the other partner's texts out loud to Marcus. That was the eye opener for him that the guy was blowing smoke. I prefer the eps like Mr. Green Tea or Key Lime Pie where the owners need someone like Marcus Lemonis, not Iyanla Fix My Life. Agreed but it looks like we'll get more of that this season according to some tweets Marcus made a couple weeks ago. Link to comment
Guest9 November 17, 2014 Share November 17, 2014 It's a heavily slanted, heavily edited, quasi-reality show. Want to know the reality of this show? Go to the Swanson Fish Market website and click on The Profit. That's reality. Link to comment
glowlights November 17, 2014 Share November 17, 2014 Never knew there was a roasting school. Liked how Marcus seemed to blush when the love triangle was brought up. Wish that Marcus had seen earlier that the male owner never took responsibility for anything (it was his wife's fault he had an affair, his wife's fault that he went into business with Becky, it's Becky's fault about anything related to the business including their arguments). He seemed like he had a salesman's personality as he would say what people wanted to hear but never follow through. Definitely a toxic environment. The sales call was cringe worthy. I'd have brought product and laid out the presentation ahead of time. I did like how Becky read the other partner's texts out loud to Marcus. That was the eye opener for him that the guy was blowing smoke. Agreed but it looks like we'll get more of that this season according to some tweets Marcus made a couple weeks ago. According to Becky on another site she and John were told out of the blue that they had a sales meeting and had to meet Marcus in 15 minutes, so they had no time to prepare. That's assuming Becky's side of the story is correct. Which still doesn't explain why she didn't know how to speak to a customer and field basic questions. The deleted scenes are wowzers. Becky has a ring given to her by her mother - that looks exactly like an engagement ring - that John says she used to wear when out in public with him. John had a minor meltdown over trying to print an envelope. After John got caught out about calling brokers and then said he wouldn't sell to Marcus, Marcus said he's getting into coffee either way and he will now make it his business to kick John's butt (in business). Cringe, cringe and cringe. Mind you, I wouldn't want cameras around when I get in a fight with my printer. :) 2 Link to comment
Lola16 November 17, 2014 Share November 17, 2014 According to Becky on another site she and John were told out of the blue that they had a sales meeting and had to meet Marcus in 15 minutes, so they had no time to prepare. That's assuming Becky's side of the story is correct. Which still doesn't explain why she didn't know how to speak to a customer and field basic questions. The deleted scenes are wowzers. Becky has a ring given to her by her mother - that looks exactly like an engagement ring - that John says she used to wear when out in public with him. John had a minor meltdown over trying to print an envelope. After John got caught out about calling brokers and then said he wouldn't sell to Marcus, Marcus said he's getting into coffee either way and he will now make it his business to kick John's butt (in business). Cringe, cringe and cringe. Mind you, I wouldn't want cameras around when I get in a fight with my printer. :) lol. I hear ya. When technology doesn't work the way it's supposed to, it can be frustrating. Some people just don't have customer facing skills. Not sure what kind of job Becky had before they bought the coffee business but maybe she was back-office. And not everyone can think on their feet. Marcus probably want to suss that all out. Like he did with the screen printing business when he took the lead salesman out to the firehouse and the guy just talked about order quantity and discounts without any prelim or selling of the products. Between the animosity of the owners and the lack of a work flow plan, they will continue to struggle. Marcus had said the problem was People. And while it was, it was also with Process as there was chaos with inventory and no sales or marketing plan. 1 Link to comment
glowlights November 18, 2014 Share November 18, 2014 I'm pretty sure the only experience on Becky's LinkedIn is West End, so maybe she was a SAHM and this is her first foray into the working world. Some people make a great transition but imo Becky's not quite ready for prime time. At least she and John didn't pull a Skullduggery and tell the Larkin's people to justify why West End should bother to do business with them. So it's a step up. :) (it's not just technology - last week I got in a mixed martial arts contest with a filing cabinet) 2 Link to comment
Cranky One November 19, 2014 Share November 19, 2014 Didn't y'all notice that Becky (Rebecca Schramm) from the show is posting here?? Lol 1 Link to comment
glowlights November 19, 2014 Share November 19, 2014 Didn't y'all notice that Becky (Rebecca Schramm) from the show is posting here?? Lol I always take it with a grain of salt when someone shows up claiming to be a cast member or insider but doesn't really give any info or insight that couldn't be gleaned from just watching the show or reading other sites. Maybe I'm wrong. Call me jaded. 1 Link to comment
Cranky One November 19, 2014 Share November 19, 2014 I always take it with a grain of salt when someone shows up claiming to be a cast member or insider but doesn't really give any info or insight that couldn't be gleaned from just watching the show or reading other sites. Maybe I'm wrong. Call me jaded. True... Link to comment
citychic November 25, 2014 Share November 25, 2014 (edited) It's a heavily slanted, heavily edited, quasi-reality show. Want to know the reality of this show? Go to the Swanson Fish Market website and click on The Profit. That's reality. Although I agree there is heavy producer manipulation in every reality television show, including this one, but Marcus didn't become wealthy and successful by making mistakes. In her letter the daughter admits in the first paragraph that her father makes mistakes, immediately followed with the excuse "but who hasn't?" Well, Marcus hasn't and if you read the entire letter she backtracks, makes excuses and adds unneeded drama along with several more apologies and excuses for her parents past actions. She ends her letter the same way, she had good parents who made some mistakes, but who hasn't? What she doesn't know is that her parent's have made more than a few bad decisions over the years and covered their own butts, and their daughter calling the Profit for help and someone digging through their financial cover ups was the last thing her parents needed or wanted and it didn't take Marcus very long to uncover the deceit. This my dear, is why your mother is on xanax. Marcus knows what he's doing legally every step along the way, love him or hate him he's honest and can back every move up. I'm fascinated by him. Edited November 25, 2014 by citychic 2 Link to comment
candall November 25, 2014 Share November 25, 2014 This is the first one I've seen and I'd never heard of Marcus, so I was very concerned when he was trying to convince Becky to sign over the only authority that gave her any kind of power, or "leverage," if you prefer. His argument was that "it's the right thing to do" and that's totally great when everyone's all honorable and ethical, except that seemed to be the only thing keeping John from bouncing Becky out on her butt. I thought it took a huge leap of faith for her to relent and give up her power, regardless of how she came to be in that position in the first place. And then what happened? Marcus took control of the resignation document and tucked it away for his own little instrument of leverage. As far as all that honor and ethical behavior, the "gentleman's handshake" didn't manage to bind John OR Marcus to the agreement. When the dust settled, Becky was the only one who had put her money where her mouth was, so in spite of it all being a huge fubar, I'm glad she got her document back. . Link to comment
glowlights November 25, 2014 Share November 25, 2014 what do you want to know? Okay well I feel a bit rude ignoring the offer of info after I expressed skepticism, so... for starters, why aren't you (if you are Becky) listed with the employees on the West End website or mentioned in the paragraph about acquiring the company, if you are co-owner? 1 Link to comment
Amarsir November 26, 2014 Share November 26, 2014 This is the first one I've seen and I'd never heard of Marcus, so I was very concerned when he was trying to convince Becky to sign over the only authority that gave her any kind of power, or "leverage," if you prefer. His argument was that "it's the right thing to do" and that's totally great when everyone's all honorable and ethical, except that seemed to be the only thing keeping John from bouncing Becky out on her butt. I thought it took a huge leap of faith for her to relent and give up her power, regardless of how she came to be in that position in the first place. And then what happened? Marcus took control of the resignation document and tucked it away for his own little instrument of leverage. The only importance of Marcus getting the document is that John didn't have it. Marcus wouldn't need any leverage because he would already be the 51% partner. He could fire either or both any time he felt like it, with or without. And if Marcus is in control, neither John nor Becky could fire the other anymore anyway. And the paper doesn't make Marcus director, it just puts John back in control of his own 401k. Which meant nothing because even with it he's a minority partner. Furthermore as I said up thread, the document was at best a mutually assured destruction. Anything she did via that control would be via the primary obligation to pay back his 401k. If for any reason that didn't happen it would be a very easy lawsuit for him. So Marcus asked for a gesture to help them work together, which let her off the hook and required her to give up a power that didn't mean anything anymore. However, by keeping it himself instead of giving it to John, he was protecting Becky's position in case the deal went south. (As it did.) On top of which, getting "fired" would have been the best thing to happen to either of them! They weren't getting a salary and there were no profits to split. They fought all the time and as a result it chased Marcus away. If either had been mature enough to say "I'll step aside, you work with Marcus and just send me my checks when the profits start," this story would have had a different ending. But each had their hands around the other one's neck and refused to let go. 2 Link to comment
candall November 27, 2014 Share November 27, 2014 The only importance of Marcus getting the document is that John didn't have it. Marcus wouldn't need any leverage because he would already be the 51% partner. He could fire either or both any time he felt like it, with or without. And if Marcus is in control, neither John nor Becky could fire the other anymore anyway. And the paper doesn't make Marcus director, it just puts John back in control of his own 401k. Which meant nothing because even with it he's a minority partner. Furthermore as I said up thread, the document was at best a mutually assured destruction. Anything she did via that control would be via the primary obligation to pay back his 401k. If for any reason that didn't happen it would be a very easy lawsuit for him. So Marcus asked for a gesture to help them work together, which let her off the hook and required her to give up a power that didn't mean anything anymore. However, by keeping it himself instead of giving it to John, he was protecting Becky's position in case the deal went south. (As it did.) On top of which, getting "fired" would have been the best thing to happen to either of them! They weren't getting a salary and there were no profits to split. They fought all the time and as a result it chased Marcus away. If either had been mature enough to say "I'll step aside, you work with Marcus and just send me my checks when the profits start," this story would have had a different ending. But each had their hands around the other one's neck and refused to let go. Okay, good, thank you. I've now seen the Key West/Lime one and I thought it was interesting when Marcus offered to swap the 49%+$1/pie for the 51%. Between the two episodes, I'm beginning to see that neutralizing owner resentment is a top priority for him. Link to comment
RadioActiveRich November 30, 2014 Share November 30, 2014 I have ONE HUGE QUESTION that I would love answered. John has proven that he will screw over any and every person he comes into contact with. 1) Screwed over his wife 2) Tried to screw over Marcus (calling brokers) 3) OBVIOUSLY tries to screw Becky over at every turn. So why doesn't Becky just do what John's so afraid of and fire him? Kick him out and pay the pension it's fair share, but without John around. FIRE HIS ASS! Now - having said that I don't give Becky a 100% pass. She screwed her friends husband. Not cool. #2 She is a little goofy. That sales meeting was a freaking disaster. #3 She did nothing Marcus asked for. The one redeeming thing about her appears to be her well restrained son who appeared to be a class act. Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm November 30, 2014 Share November 30, 2014 Glowlights~ It's really pretty simple. JOHN CONTROLS the website and he either removed it during the show or immediately after. It really doesn't matter at this point, as I am a woman of my word and John has his signed paper and his 82% control which is enough to "fire" me, which he has. It's basically in the hands of our attorneys at this point. It's a sad situation if you ask me... 1 Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm November 30, 2014 Share November 30, 2014 (edited) RadioActiveRich~ I am sorry but I'm not really sure what your ONE HUGE QUESTION was??? Why I didn't "FIRE HIS ASS?" Because he had the majority financial investment, it wouldn't have been right. Never even considered it. And I don't think it's right that he's okay with 'firing" me. But....that's just me... At the time of contacting the show, I simply wanted to neutralize that option for either of us and get back to the business of roasting coffee... As far as your comments about me personally... 1. unfortunately, John didn't explain it quite right... but neither here nor there... he said what he said and they aired what he said so it is what it is at this point. 2. I'll accept that... Only response I can say, is when you have a tv camera following you around, then I'd ask you to tell me how "natural" you feel, and I have NEVER been on a sales call. We have a Sales Manager who does that ~ But admittedly, I was a fish outta water fer sure... 3. In my opinion, that's not true, and I will leave it at that. Thank You, I accept your compliment on my son Bryan. I agree. However, I can only take partial credit, both of my parents should receive the lion's share of credit~ they were Wonderful people (both educators) and I really miss them now more than ever... Edited December 4, 2014 by Rebecca Schramm 1 Link to comment
RadioActiveRich November 30, 2014 Share November 30, 2014 (edited) Rebecca - Yes. My question is, why not fire him. And yes, I see that you stuck it out because that simply wouldn't be right, but you're past that now. This is (of course) just my opinion, but you can't do the nice thing all the time when you're dealing with scoundrels. I am not suggesting you screw the guy out of his investment, by the way. What I am suggesting is that you get him out of the day-to-day operations of the business and get on with making MONEY! Then you send him his profits every quarter and that's it. I don't mean to be provocative here, but is there a reason you won't let HIM go? Don't answer me on that, it's none of my business, but for your own peace of mind and quality of life, ask and answer that question and then for God's sake MOVE ON ALREADY! Whatever that looks like has to be better than where you are now. As for the sales call, I think everyone understands you were caught off guard. We empathize, but the truth is the truth. It's not your strong suit. So what!? Nobody is perfect and there are plenty of things you do that others can't. So, as I said just take that criticism for what it is and either prove it wrong or accept it. It's no big deal. You have a HUGE opportunity with that business. I envy you that, but don't blow it. If you have ANY legal means to protect yourself from abuse in the workplace, just use it and share the profits. Think about it. I personally would call a lawyer and get that done before John sinks the ship with both of you in it. Be well! Edited November 30, 2014 by RadioActiveRich 1 Link to comment
RadioActiveRich November 30, 2014 Share November 30, 2014 Wish that Marcus had seen earlier that the male owner never took responsibility for anything (it was his wife's fault he had an affair, his wife's fault that he went into business with Becky, it's Becky's fault about anything related to the business including their arguments). He seemed like he had a salesman's personality as he would say what people wanted to hear but never follow through. Definitely a toxic environment. Perfectly stated! This guy can do no wrong even though he doesn't seem to do anything right. And don't forget, for all his "Ms. 18%!", he put up the minority cash investment. Using a pension fund is one thing, but treating your partner like crap when she put in over $70K to your $12K is absurd. It seems like there are MANY more adolescent acting adults these days and he's sure one of 'em. Wonder why that is. Link to comment
glowlights December 1, 2014 Share December 1, 2014 Glowlights~ It's really pretty simple. JOHN CONTROLS the website and he either removed it during the show or immediately after. It really doesn't matter at this point, as I am a woman of my word and John has his signed paper and his 82% control which is enough to "fire" me, which he has. It's basically in the hands of our attorneys at this point. It's a sad situation if you ask me... Aw jeez... I'm sorry to hear that. :( I trust your attorney will be able to work something out. (It was stinky of John to remove you from the website -did he even tell you he was going to do that?) 1 Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm December 2, 2014 Share December 2, 2014 Nope, didn't tell me... Read it on the internet . When I asked him why he did that ~ only reply I got was "the stink eye" and a face full of grimace. Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm December 2, 2014 Share December 2, 2014 Rebecca - Yes. My question is, why not fire him. And yes, I see that you stuck it out because that simply wouldn't be right, but you're past that now. This is (of course) just my opinion, but you can't do the nice thing all the time when you're dealing with scoundrels. I am not suggesting you screw the guy out of his investment, by the way. What I am suggesting is that you get him out of the day-to-day operations of the business and get on with making MONEY! Then you send him his profits every quarter and that's it. I don't mean to be provocative here, but is there a reason you won't let HIM go? Don't answer me on that, it's none of my business, but for your own peace of mind and quality of life, ask and answer that question and then for God's sake MOVE ON ALREADY! Whatever that looks like has to be better than where you are now. As for the sales call, I think everyone understands you were caught off guard. We empathize, but the truth is the truth. It's not your strong suit. So what!? Nobody is perfect and there are plenty of things you do that others can't. So, as I said just take that criticism for what it is and either prove it wrong or accept it. It's no big deal. You have a HUGE opportunity with that business. I envy you that, but don't blow it. If you have ANY legal means to protect yourself from abuse in the workplace, just use it and share the profits. Think about it. I personally would call a lawyer and get that done before John sinks the ship with both of you in it. Be well! Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm December 2, 2014 Share December 2, 2014 (edited) Hey Radio~ "Scoundrels" or not, I was raised/taught two wrongs don't make a right... So I will continue to live my life doing what (in my opinion)is right... Can't make apologies for that... For the life of me, I do not understand why people think I haven't moved on/let him go??? We have not been "a couple" for WELL OVER a year, believe it or not but... I HAVE (personally) moved on. And couldn't be happier, my (personal) life is SsOOOOoooo much EASIER now... The business is the ONLY reason we are still connected. Unfortunately, I do still love West End AND all of her potential, so yes I know what an excellent "HUGE" opportunity it is, hence the "fight to my death" trying to save her, and my eventual "fall on to my sword" (signing the paper). So now I'm confused on your comments? Should I "MOVE ON ALREADY" or not "blow it?" Seems to me, I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't... Edited December 2, 2014 by Rebecca Schramm Link to comment
glowlights December 2, 2014 Share December 2, 2014 Nope, didn't tell me... Read it on the internet . When I asked him why he did that ~ only reply I got was "the stink eye" and a face full of grimace. That's flat out odd, imo. Messy situation all the way around. Hopefully you can settle via lawyers and find a better work situation down the road. Link to comment
RadioActiveRich December 3, 2014 Share December 3, 2014 (edited) Hey Radio~ "Scoundrels" or not, I was raised/taught two wrongs don't make a right... So I will continue to live my life doing what (in my opinion)is right... Can't make apologies for that... For the life of me, I do not understand why people think I haven't moved on/let him go??? We have not been "a couple" for WELL OVER a year, believe it or not but... I HAVE (personally) moved on. And couldn't be happier, my (personal) life is SsOOOOoooo much EASIER now... The business is the ONLY reason we are still connected. Unfortunately, I do still love West End AND all of her potential, so yes I know what an excellent "HUGE" opportunity it is, hence the "fight to my death" trying to save her, and my eventual "fall on to my sword" (signing the paper). So now I'm confused on your comments? Should I "MOVE ON ALREADY" or not "blow it?" Seems to me, I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't... Let me start by saying that I don't know you. I am offering my point of view having only seen what the episode showed added to what has been said here. So, don't think that I am acting as if I know you. Secondly, I am a little confused by the fact that you're still confused. But before we get to that let's back up a second. "Two wrongs don't make a right" doesn't apply here unless you think what I am suggesting is wrong. I don't think any adult in America thinks what John is doing is in his best interest any more than yours and is SURELY not in the best interest of the business. So, your allowing him to continue is not automatically right. What I am suggesting IN NO WAY would screw him out of a single dollar. In fact, assuming that you can run the business better without him (which I believe to be true) you would actually be doing him a favor by running it better and by sending him his profits. Moreover, he would also benefit from not being in this situation day in and day out. While he may not be adult enough to put distance between himself and this situation - you could do it for him. I don't see any of that being wrong. My final thought on this particular point is that it wasn't an accident that you were put in charge of his pension. Legally he couldn't be in charge of his own pension so he needed a name to put on the piece of paper so he could access money that he wasn't entitled to yet. You didn't "trick" him into this. This is the way the law works. You have the position you have and you are in a place of abuse and danger. On that note, let's go back to my earliest point. If you are really confused about what I'm saying, perhaps you need an objective third party who already knows YOU and your situation. If they're worth a damn, they'll say the same thing I'm about to, although their advice may be to take a different course of action. They SHOULD tell you that your number one job is to ensure that you have ZERO abuse in your life. It's not good for you and it's not fair to those who love you. As I mentioned in my first post, I thought your son came off like an honorable and decent person. He deserves to see his mom protect herself. He deserves to work in a place where he's not tempted to slap the crap out of a guy who verbally abuses his mom. You HAVE to protect yourself and your loved ones from your bad decisions - and let's face it, that's what John is. He's what is leftover from a bad decision on your part. As for damned if you do etc - You are damned if you wait until it's too late. John WILL screw you over sooner or later. You know that's true. All I am saying is that hoping it all works out and claiming that you have the high ground because you haven't engaged in "two wrongs" is just plain crazy. You've made your mistakes. We're WAY PAST two wrongs here. All that is left is to do what is in the best interest of the business, the employees, and your family. AGAIN - I am not suggesting that you screw John over. I am simply suggesting that you run the business without him and send him his profits. He is free to take his money and go do as he pleases. A clean break would be just as good for him as for you. I sincerely believe that. And the reason that people think you may not be totally over him is that you don't seem to think the clean break is as important as some of us do. I've been in a bad relationship. I owned my part of that and moved on. There is NO PART of my life that didn't benefit from that. I think you're a good person, but even if you weren't - abuse is toxic to you and everyone around you. Stamp it out. I think you'll find that even the things you feel guilty for will start to melt away. In summary - I think allowing abuse is wrong. Find the solution that doesn't allow abuse, but protects your investment. That's the winner. Good luck! Edited December 3, 2014 by RadioActiveRich 1 Link to comment
glowlights December 3, 2014 Share December 3, 2014 In fact, assuming that you can run the business better without him (which I believe to be true) you would actually be doing him a favor by running it better and by sending him his profits. To the bolded part.... why do you believe she could have run the business better without him? As opposed to him running it without her? Just curious. I'm wondering how you propose she take control of running the company and just send John his profits. By what mechanism would she take that directorship back after she already willingly signed it over, let alone "screw John over before he screws her" when he's already terminated her? She signed it over, then he fired her, she's left with the 18% and her lawyer is trying to work out a deal. (Rebecca - what resolution are you hoping for? Would you be happy to sell your 18% and walk away?) Link to comment
selhars December 3, 2014 Share December 3, 2014 Of the two of them HE seem better in terms of management. Sorry to say, I wasn't impressed with her at all. She didn't seem to know much about her own operation. And if you're one of only two principles -- even if they handle different parts of the business. I would have known my stuff for Marcus and TV. Talk to the Planet Popcorn lady about not coming off well on TV when you're trying to grow a business. Link to comment
Kiss my mutt December 3, 2014 Share December 3, 2014 I'm starting to wonder if middle aged people going into business together is the older version of let's have a baby. It will make us closer? Or make it harder to leave? Link to comment
Rebecca Schramm December 4, 2014 Share December 4, 2014 Hey Radio~ Touché! Well Said & Point (s) Taken! I sincerely appreciate your observations, comments and suggestions. Thank You... (really) And Thank You for taking the time from your day to share (and care). Living and Learning as I go... 1 Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.