With my sister, I visited some institutions in the city where I've met business executives, workers, and so on. We talked about a possible conglomeration and of course, issues on mental health.
"Shy, do you have the documents needed?" I asked as we drove to Family Hour, a promising start-up restaurant.
It's not really a red ocean business idea but I like the whole scheme. The restaurant served food depending on a person's health condition hence counting one's calorie intake per serving. Plus, a wide range of outdoor activities such as camping near a small manmade lake, biking around the lake, manmade cliffs for climbing, and many more were available within their vast vicinity. Pretty impressive, I thought.
"Good morning, Mr. Anderson. It's my honor to finally meet you," Mr. Leigh, the owner, greeted. He's young and good looking. No wonder my sister couldn't get her eyes off of him. "Welcome to my humble restaurant."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Leigh. And this is my sister, Sheryl," I greeted and introduced. After shaking hands, we went to his office.
"Wow!" Sheryl couldn't help but exclaimed when a glass office overlooking a beautiful landscape was unveiled before our eyes. Every furniture was ash-colored... from the desk to the sofa and bookshelves, highlighting the garden view.
"Exquisite," I said. "My brothers would be delighted to see this spectacle, Mr. Leigh," I commented which made him smile widely, seemingly proud of his taste of architectural designs.
"Thank you... means a lot to me," he replied as he offered us seats. "Do you want tea? Coffee?"
"Tea is fine," my sister replied. He smiled at her before talking to his secretary through the intercom. Not long after, a beautiful secretary came in with a teapot of jasmine tea and three teacups.
"So, there are many restaurants providing healthy diet plans to their consumers and most of them failed to succeed. What makes your health campaign stand out and most importantly, what would make it successful?" I asked before taking a sip of the tea which was rather good. I was more of a coffee person but the tea was superb.
Mr. Leigh cleared his throat first. Then, he explained the vision and mission of his business.
"You see, most people, especially in big cities like here, are bent on making money more than anything, making health as a secondary priority if it even makes the list. Why?" he asked. Then, he turned on his laptop containing graphs and data relevant to the matter.
"Simple. Believe it or not, around ninety percent of workers are struggling to make ends meet. Here is the annual income of a regular employee and here are the average household expenses for single, married, and couples with at least two children...,"
I looked at the graph. I knew this because I experienced the hardship firsthand, but seeing the graph still got me.
"We are living in a first-world country, yet this is still shocking to see. Health being neglected in pursuit of success? I don't think so. People in this ninety percent don't even care about becoming successful. All they knew is to work and survive in this cruel cycle," he added.
"So, what's your company's mission? To provide healthy food for everyone?" Sheryl asked.
Mr. Leigh smiled. I don't really like the obvious attraction on display so I cleared my throat deliberately. Work with pleasure is a big no-no for me. Sheryl instantly looked away while Mr. Leigh apologized.
"Carry on," I said. He continued.
"This restaurant doesn't only provide healthy meals and affordable diet plans. It also gives people the opportunity to be with nature even if they are at the heart of the city...,"
"Are you saying that your gardens and outdoor activities are free?" I asked with my eyebrow raised. I was skeptical of his idea. It was good for the people, but not for the business. That's why many companies go bankrupt. They cause traffic but no real consumers.
"Not certainly. It's free for children aged ten and under, half price for teenagers, and full price for adults. But, we give discounts to families who come together. The idea is providing families the opportunity to bond and be healthy... as a family," he explained. "Not only that, we encourage them to plant organic vegetables in our greenhouse which they can buy later on with discounts depending on the vegetable."
Point made. He wanted to give families, especially those with young children, to have quality time amidst their busy schedule.
When I presented our mental health campaign, he was more than delighted to agree. And signed up with a fifty thousand dollars donation.
"I agree with your vision, but I think we have to discuss more on the business side. Have a nice day, Mr. Leigh, and thank you so much for the donation," I said.
I was so happy with the result of the campaign. Not only that I was able to widen my network, I was picking up brilliant ideas.
"Who's that?" I asked Sheryl as I started the engine. She shook her head. But the excitement was apparent in her eyes.
"Do you like him?" I asked which caught her off guard.
"I... wah... what?" she mumbled. I chuckled at her reaction.
"Mr. Leigh," I said as I drove. "I heard he has a girlfriend."
"What?" she asked and became annoyed. "Are you sure? Where did you hear that?"
"A little bird tweeted," I replied. I watched her type something on her phone. I smiled. "I was just joking," I said.
She turned to me with her eyes wide open. I knew instantly that the message was already sent.
"How dare you, kuya?" she hissed, really irritated this time. "What am I gonna tell him now? Oh my gosh! You're crazy. Eiiiish!"
I burst into laughter when I saw her panic. Then I stopped laughing when I saw her wicked smile after grabbing my phone on the dashboard.
"Shy, what are you doing? Hey... I was just joking, alright?" I nervously said. She huffed. "Who are you texting?"
She focused on texting without removing her demonic smile. I tried to snatch my phone but she was quick to dodge.
"Done!" she said triumphantly and put my phone back on the dashboard.
Helena hadn't spoken to me since she arrived from NY and I blamed Sheryl for it. I called Helena as soon as I've read the message Sheryl sent to her.
"Hi, just want you to know that I am finally dating someone. I hope you'd be able to meet her. That would be dope!" -Brad
"Can't wait to meet her." -Helena
My eyes were rounded as I read the message over and over. I tried to call her but she's always out of reach. Her words even sounded sardonic.