17 min to read
Episode II: Good Morning
Art of Negotiation.
Welcome to episode II of the adventure. This post was originally written in a conversation with a close friend of mine. I’ve left some of her comments & questions to add to the story.
We’ll call her A for now.
So when you see an exchange between A & J, it’s us two. B refers to Belinda. C refers to Cristina J is me!
Friday, December 6th, 2019
My entire world this morning was this orange-pinkish hue through my still-shut eyelids. I let them rest closed; I’m still tired from the day before.
I want to cherish this morsel of peace before diving into my day.
My body yearned to lay there forever; alas the weight of responsibilities inevitably crept up followed by a rush of energy (or cortisol) through my every vein.
Eyes wide open now.
After a stretch & yawn combo, I stumbled out of my room, down the hall & into the kitchen where I looked back to find the landlord, Belinda, passed out on an off-white couch in the living room.
She jumped up with semi-wild eyes (I caught her by surprise) & gushed over how nice I was to wash my dishes last night. She then profusely apologized for not having fresh towels for me.
Neither of us was awake yet really & she hit me with a flurry of so many emotions; it was a strange morning.
I noticed the age in her eyes today; she was definitely middle-aged but she had a unique vibe to her. She was slender, average height & height long straight black hair with hints of gray in it.
She acted much younger than she looked & certainly dressed like it too; tight leggings with a small pink t-shirt to bed.
A: Lol it’s probably the LA vibe J: Haha yeah, LA vibe is right! Everyone covets youth like it’s gold out here. Older folks seem to have an obsession, tell you more about that in another story haha.
Anyhow, while she spoke I couldn’t help but be distracted by a pungent odor permeating the home. My nose pointed to the right & my eyes scanned to find the source.
There, on the kitchen island, was about 10-12lbs of fried pork chunks sitting from the NIGHT BEFORE.
The meal stayed on the counter for another 24hrs just like that until she replaced it with a fresh batch of MORE chunky fried pork the following night.
It wasn’t eaten. It was tossed out.
I grew up in a Muslim family so I never ate pork. It’s been a yucky thing since I was a kid hahaha.
Random tangent lol. Anyways, back to the story.
The Mint Room became HQ for the coming week; it’s a recording studio in Glendale. Chris would go right to the Mint each afternoon where his sessions could run on all day/night when he can book them.
I worked from the office on the other side of the building while he did his thing. It was super convenient.
It was refreshing to see such a harmonious & productive workplace.
So I’m kickin’ back researching Los Angeles venture capital firms to visit next week when I remembered it was about time to check in with Cristina. It was around noon when I picked up my phone & called her.
Here’s the update: The boss wasn’t badly injured!!!!
The hospital was trying to keep her for the weekend but she’s strong & wants to get back to her work ASAP.
Cristina told me she would call a few times today to reach her & make our case. Her persistence was incredible & admirable.
When I thought about it, even in the face of a beaten & bruised boss, Cristina was willing to fight for a couple of strangers who she just met.
I remembered the way her boss scolded her on that first call - so Cristina’s continued support for us surprised me. She wasn’t fazed at all by the threatening tone or the potential of losing her job.
It didn’t make any sense; I didn’t give her any reason to help me…
Friday, Dec. 6 - 3:28 PM
I checked my phone & saw that I missed 2 calls from Cristina. Reception at the Mint Room is spotty at best. I rang back eagerly.
After a few suspenseful rings, the line connected
Cristina: “Si? ahh yes, it’s you. The boss is out of hospital now.”
Jalal: “When can I meet her? When is she coming back to work?”
Cristina: “she don’t come to the house. Only sometimes - maybe once a month. She tell me to call her again around 7 tonight.” Hmm… So it seems like I won’t be able to meet her physically. This is a bummer; I know a face to face interaction would demand her undivided attention & give me a way better shot at fixing things.
But still… At least Cristina had a specific time set up for them to speak about my situation.
THIS WAS IT. This is my chance. I’m going to catch her when she’s on the phone tonight.
I won’t even tell Cristina I’m coming, I don’t want the boss to suddenly “be busy” or postpone their call. This is the best chance I have right now…
Friday, Dec. 6 - 6:40 PM
I slowly roll into the same streetside parking spot from the first night. It was empty, as was most of the street here. This side of Pasadena isn’t a very safe area.
The sun’s light had almost entirely faded. Street lights were flickering on, one by one. As I looked to my left, the large, pastel pink building looked eerie & ominous under a dark sky.
I could see Cristina’s lights on, as usual, at the side of the main house.
At this point, I had a million things going through my head. Besides the usual fear of failure, I scrambled to get my nerves & strategy in check.
Really, it was less of a strategy & more of a “what not to do in this negotiation”.
It went a little like this: DO NOT rush, get mad, speak over her, or shout. Instead, keep cool, listen intently & be respectful; people return those gestures of kindness naturally. DO NOT allow her to walk all over you with “policy” this or “business” that. Don’t let classic scare tactics or aggressive behavior phase you. DO NOT take no for an answer, no matter how inflexible she might act like during this call.
We’re getting on this call to figure out a resolution for us both.
I keep telling myself that she knows it’s not right to take someone’s money like this. She would feel the same way in my position… I just have to bring this empathy out in the open.
My heart was pounding at the thought of getting on this phone with her; I almost wished she would keep postponing her calls so I wouldn’t have to do this tonight… Or ever.
I wished everything would just solve itself & I didn’t have to go through these intense emotions. I knew it was make or break once I got on the phone.
I was so scared of messing this last chance up; it felt like the success of my entire business depended on this one moment.
I had to win.
I looked into my eyes in the car’s rearview mirror & quickly checked to make sure my face was clean.
The time on the dashboard read 6:55 PM. It was time.
As I arrived at Cristina’s door & raised my right hand, I noticed it shaking like I was freezing cold.
Knock knock!
In a moment, Cristina’s surprised face showed up. I mustered up an awkward smile & waved hello - there was a security screen between us.
She removed the guard rail & asked:
C: “what are you doing here?” J: “I came to speak with the boss. You have a call with her now, don’t you?”
She looked at me in silent confusion. She signaled one moment & rushed away.
These next few moments felt like I was in suspended animation… She was taking an awfully long time.
Finally, she came around with a huge smartphone in hand, its bright screen lighting up her face. She put the phone to her ear & looked up at me with a serious face. I knew exactly what that meant: it’s time.
The line connected, they were on. Cristina spoke in rapid Spanish to her & I could make out her mentioning: “a gentleman is here to ask for a refund from before”. Cristina went silent as the boss began to speak.
I couldn’t make out a single word from the other end.
Cristina’s eyes darted to meet mine to convey some sort of an emotional message. I quickly realized that she was trying to let me know what kind of a mood her boss was in. I was fully absorbed in the call now, I held my breath & waited for more information.
The looks started out very serious. Cristina would only nod & respond “si”.
It seemed like her boss was chewing her out again. I figured this was because Cristina let me catch her on the line & she can’t avoid dealing with me now.
Then, Cristina’s eyes softened & the quick flashes became brief eye contact. The scolding was over, she was out of the fire now. They continued the conversation with both of them speaking now.
After another minute or so, Cristina started to look into my eyes more intently as if to say “your turn is coming really soon”.
My mouth dried instantly, my lips felt like a desert dune & my heart kicked like an 808 drum from an electro-dance build right before the drop.
Next, with a piercing look, Cristina told me it was time. As she slowly got off the phone to hand it over, I saw a gentleness to her expression which told me “things are going to be OK”.
Those words were so vivid in my mind’s eye in that split second - she really meant it & it calmed my nerves. My attention flipped back to reality the moment her phone made it into my hand.
Here we go…
I raised it to my ear & said:
J: “Hello?”
Boss: “Yes?”
J: “Hi, this is Jalal Ibrahimi. We spoke Wednesday night about my reservation. First of all, thank you for taking this call with me. I know you were in an accident & must be going through a difficult time so I appreciate your time right now. What was your name?”
I stuttered through this so fast with my pasty mouth, she probably heard my lips smacking the entire time LOL.
Boss: “Thank you. It’s Irene. What can I help you with?”
J: “Okay, Irene. I’m calling about my reservation for 2 weeks that was supposed to start Wednesday but… we had problems with the room. We can’t stay here and we need a refund. Can you please issue one?”
I almost mentioned the pests & a whole list of problems but decided against it. I didn’t want to reveal my hand yet or get Cristina in trouble.
Irene: “I know. Cristina called me a thousand times & explained this to me before. I understand your situation but I can’t issue anything right now. I’m not at the office, I don’t even know what your reservation is.”
Her tone was very formal & her accent was perfect English with a hint of Spanish. She spoke professionally.
J: “My reservation was for Dec. 4 to Dec. 18. It came out to $673 (USD). When would you be in the office to issue a refund?”
Irene: “As I told you before sir, we can’t give you a refund for that amount according to our policy, I’m sorry.”
J: “Hmm… Well, I’m not staying here so you have an open room you can book, you don’t lose anything. Please understand that I really need this refund to find a place to stay. When can you issue a refund??”
I was getting heated now. I really tried to keep my cool & not let the anger take over me.
Irene: “Look. I can’t do anything about this right now -”
Suddenly, Cristina took the phone from me & put it on speakerphone. This turned into a 3-way convo now.
Cristina jumped in by nonchalantly excusing herself for interrupting our conversation, then continued to tell Irene about all our issues with our room HERSELF.
She didn’t mention the pests or uncleanliness but spoke of every other reason why we couldn’t stay in the room.
She then pleaded for Irene to be fair & give some money back to these two boys; especially because she would make extra money by renting it out while keeping part of our reservation’s rent.
Irene was thoughtful for a few moments. I could hear her turn signals in the background, she was clearly driving somewhere.
J: “Irene, in all fairness I understand you run a business & my cancellation was last minute. But like Cristina said, you can rent that room out still. Are you open to refunding half the amount?”
Irene: “Okay. I’m driving now. I’ve had a long day. I can look into this once I’m at the office.”
Her tone was softer. She wasn’t lying about being tired. I could feel like the tides had turned in our favor after Cristina’s concessions on our behalf. I can’t believe she went that far.
J: “When will you be at the office?”
Irene: “I don’t know.”
This answer was REALLY not good enough for me.
J: “You mean, tomorrow, this weekend, next week? When are you going in next?”
Irene: “Yes, then. I couldn’t tell you exactly when. But when I get in I’ll be able to access the computer & look at your reservation.”
J: “So when you get to the office you’ll be able to issue a 50% refund?”
Irene: “Yes, when I get to the office I can check everything out.”
The answer wasn’t exactly clear but it felt like she conceded; she gave me a yes. I was also energetically drained at this point. She felt like a broken record through the entire call.
I still had one more thing to get though.
J: “OK… What’s your email address?”
She spelled it out for me.
J: “I’ll send you an email shortly. Please send me a confirmation email once you’ve processed the refund as well as proof of process. Thank you, Irene”
Irene hung up.
I took a deep breath in & slowly let it out while I handed the phone back to Cristina. She was BEAMING. I’ve never seen her so happy!
She was celebrating a victory with me, even though I wasn’t entirely convinced. I wasn’t in the clear until the money was back in the account. But in her joy, I felt all the negative feelings I kept pent up just melt away.
I faced my fears & got through the call. I did it with Cristina’s help. I felt so relieved & free as if I did everything in my power to fix the situation & I was allowed to leave the rest to faith.
I looked at little, old, wrinkly Cristina again with a deep feeling of appreciation and amazement. She didn’t care one bit. She was as happy for me as she would’ve been for herself.
She harassed her own boss for 2 days straight to help me after I treated her disrespectfully on the first night we met. I still hadn’t forgiven myself for driving off on her Wednesday night.
Yet she still loved me as if I were her own boy. What an incredible, unbelievable, angel of a person.
I left her side that night with my faith in humanity restored. Both she & Irene exercised compassion for this unfortunate stranger. What a gift of an experience.
506 San Luis Rey Rd. AKA Home
I got home quickly tonight, there’s no traffic heading east from Pasadena to Arcadia.
The first thing I did was throw off my collared shirt, jeans & socks. My sweat pants & loose t-shirt felt like home.
The house was freezing cold at night but my bed was warm & comforting. I jumped into it with relief. Then, I quickly opened my laptop to send the refund reminder email to Irene. It was about 10:00 PM when I sent it.
As I laid back in contemplation of the day, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I was to have the opportunity to even be in California right now. I’m living my dream by building a company out of nothing, finding support from the most unlikely people & growing every single waking moment.
As extreme as these experiences feel in the moment, I realize how crucial this training is for future situations.
The person I want to become is a lot stronger than who I am right now, but with each challenge, I grow one step closer to that vision of my best me. The me that’s able to help more than my immediate relationships. The version of me that people can trust to lead them.
The guy who’s secure in his identity, strong in his values/morals & liberated by his financial freedom.
Gotta remind myself to be thankful & look at these unpleasant experiences as opportunities to grow instead.
A lot of times, the world seems like a cold, dark place. But tonight, a light in Cristina shined through it all to brighten my day. I couldn’t stop thinking about her random act of kindness.
She inspired me to be that light in someone else’s day, every day. & I want to carry this with me forever.
I thought, people truly are good. All of them, no exception. It felt good to have this faith.
At around midnight, my phone vibrated. I’ve melted into the bed at this point, I was exhausted & barely awake.
I checked the notification to see that I received an email. “Must be some random newsletter I haven’t unsubscribed from yet,” I thought.
I opened it anyways & it turned out to be from Irene. It had an attachment as well.
The first thing I saw was a screenshot of what looked like a bank statement. I’ll post it here.
Hmm? What’s this mean.
wait
DID SHE DO IT?
I couldn’t believe it… She stayed true to her word. She went all the way to the office TONIGHT & processed the REFUND.
NOOOOO WAAYYYY
Dreams do come true yall
Best believe I slept with a smile on my face tonight.
Now to figure out a place to stay after next week… Or be forced to sleep in a car. More next episode!
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