Feminist CEO Fired Her Data Team for “Bad Energy” — Then Lost Everything in 30 Days

Añadido: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Be me, 31F, founder/CEO of Pulse Layer Marketing. Small-batch digital agency in the coolest district downtown.

[00:00:11]Office used to be a loading dock. Now it's all polished concrete and plants.

[00:00:16]Giant LED sign behind reception says, "Rewrite reality."

[00:00:22]Technically started this 2 years back.

[00:00:24]Initial cash came from my dad's private investment pool. Basically, his retirement stash.

[00:00:29]I never bring that up. Doesn't align with the scrappy, self-made narrative I push on LinkedIn.

[00:00:35]Team of 19 employees. Culture is my whole personality.

[00:00:40]We don't have bosses. We have facilitators.

[00:00:44]We don't have issues. We have expansion signals.

[00:00:48]We don't do deadlines. We align with timeline arcs. Honestly, exhausting remembering all the phrasing.

[00:00:56]But the language is the brand, and the brand is everything.

[00:01:01]Lately, though, something feels off.

[00:01:03]Like the energy in the room is slightly sour. Been deep diving into essays about matriarchal leadership structures in business.

[00:01:12]Decided that standard agency models are too rigid, too aggressive, too male-coded.

[00:01:18]Started rolling out what I call intuitive feedback systems. Basically, if an idea doesn't feel right emotionally, we pivot away from it, regardless of what analytics say.

[00:01:30]Because data is just a framework, usually biased anyway.

[00:01:34]I genuinely think I'm onto something groundbreaking.

[00:01:38]But there's pushback. Quiet, simmering pushback coming from the back row of the office, strategy plus engineering corner.

[00:01:46]Source of my daily irritation is Daniel, 35M.

[00:01:50]Lead strategist. Been here since launch day. I'll admit, he's skilled, knows SQL, writes Python scripts, handles all our back-end API pipelines, manages ad budget modeling like it's nothing.

[00:02:04]But his vibe is completely off.

[00:02:07]Always in faded black hoodies, staring at spreadsheets like they owe him money.

[00:02:13]Never joins mindfulness Fridays.

[00:02:16]Never participates in emotional check-ins during Monday sync.

[00:02:20]Every time it's his turn, he just goes, "Clear skies, possible rollout."

[00:02:25]Same line every week. Feels pointed, like low-key mocking.

[00:02:32]And he's got his two sidekicks, Kevin, front-end dev, and Mark, data analyst.

[00:02:37]They sit in the tight triangle in the back, headphones on, typing non-stop.

[00:02:42]Sometimes laughing quietly at something on their screens. I can't see what.

[00:02:48]Makes me uneasy.

[00:02:49]Like I'm being laughed at.

[00:02:52]Probably the culture stuff.

[00:02:54]Probably me.

[00:02:55]Last month, I decided their silence isn't neutral.

[00:02:59]It's strategic.

[00:03:01]By not engaging, they're undermining morale for the creative team.

[00:03:05]I've been drafting a think piece about it.

[00:03:08]Monday morning rolls around. Big meeting. Project Radiance. New client in clean skin care space. VC-funded.

[00:03:16]Massive spend potential.

[00:03:19]This is our breakout campaign.

[00:03:21]I walk into the meeting room in my oversized structured blazer.

[00:03:25]Vintage find. Altered to fit perfectly.

[00:03:29]Cost me $380.

[00:03:32]Holding an iced matcha.

[00:03:34]Olivia, social lead, already seated.

[00:03:37]Hannah, cultural coordinator, there.

[00:03:40]Jake, creative director, there.

[00:03:43]And of course Daniel, Kevin, Mark, all the way at the far end. Laptops open, zero eye contact.

[00:03:50]I clap once.

[00:03:52]All right, team. Let's center ourselves.

[00:03:55]Take a breath.

[00:03:57]Olivia and Hannah close their eyes immediately.

[00:04:00]Slow inhale.

[00:04:02]Exhale.

[00:04:04]Daniel keeps typing. I pretend not to notice.

[00:04:07]So, vision for Radiance is disruptive.

[00:04:11]I pull up the mood board. It's stunning.

[00:04:14]Grainy textures, blurred edges, abstract forms, typography you can barely read.

[00:04:20]Women in photos looking away, distant, soft, kind of melancholic, but beautiful.

[00:04:26]"We are not selling skin care," I say.

[00:04:29]"We are selling detachment from need.

[00:04:32]Campaign name is Hollow.

[00:04:35]No product shots, no bottles, no pricing, no features, just atmosphere.

[00:04:41]The audience will project meaning onto the emptiness."

[00:04:44]Olivia literally gasps.

[00:04:47]"That's so bold."

[00:04:49]Jake nodding. "Like crazy. It deconstructs transactional marketing."

[00:04:55]I feel it.

[00:04:56]That warmth in my chest.

[00:04:58]This is leadership. This is vision.

[00:05:02]Then a throat clears. Dry, annoying sound.

[00:05:06]Daniel hasn't even glanced at the board, just staring at a spreadsheet on his screen.

[00:05:12]"Emily."

[00:05:13]My shoulders tense.

[00:05:15]"Yeah, Daniel."

[00:05:17]"Do you want to contribute something energetically?"

[00:05:20]"I have some data."

[00:05:22]Voice flat, almost robotic.

[00:05:25]"Ran split tests over the weekend.

[00:05:27]Compared your abstract concept against standard product-driven ads.

[00:05:32]He rotates the laptop. Ugly charts, red bars, green bars.

[00:05:37]The abstract creatives you're proposing, CTR is 0.2%.

[00:05:42]Bounce rate, 93%.

[00:05:44]Users click, see nothing concrete, leave immediately.

[00:05:49]Product-focused ads showing bottle plus price, CTR 3.8% conversion around 2.7%.

[00:05:58]He looks straight at me.

[00:06:00]If we run Halo, we burn through the entire Q2 ad spend, about 60,000 in under 2 weeks with basically no return.

[00:06:10]Client needs revenue to close their next funding round. This approach tanks them.

[00:06:15]Room goes dead quiet.

[00:06:18]Heavy silence.

[00:06:19]I glance at Olivia.

[00:06:21]She looks nervous now.

[00:06:23]I look back at the charts. It's clearly correct.

[00:06:27]But it feels hostile.

[00:06:29]Like a direct hit. Not just at the idea, at me, at my instincts, at my authority.

[00:06:36]He didn't soften it. No, this is creative. No buffer, just drop numbers like a hammer.

[00:06:43]I feel heat up my neck. Adrenaline kicks in. Fight mode, but corporate-approved version.

[00:06:50]"Daniel," I say, voice controlled but sharp. "I'm going to pause you there. We already discussed this mindset last quarter. You're locked into short-term linear metrics. You're choosing capitalism over connection."

[00:07:05]Daniel blinks.

[00:07:07]"I'm choosing the client, not collapsing financially."

[00:07:11]There it is.

[00:07:13]I point at him.

[00:07:14]This tone, defensive, dismissive. You're actively gaslighting the creative team.

[00:07:20]You're trying to control the room with numbers because ambiguity makes you uncomfortable, because real art isn't clean or predictable.

[00:07:27]Daniel glances around, then over at Kevin.

[00:07:31]Kevin is locked in, staring at the table like the wood grain is fascinating.

[00:07:36]Daniel exhales long and slow.

[00:07:39]Like he's already tired of this.

[00:07:42]"That's not gaslighting, Emily. It's math. 0.2% is lower than 3.8%.

[00:07:49]That's not subjective. Stop.

[00:07:52]My palm hits the table hard enough to echo.

[00:07:55]You are dismissing my lived experience as a founder. You're making this space unsafe for creative risk.

[00:08:01]Hannah, please document this.

[00:08:04]Hannah is already typing fast on her tablet. "Got it." She murmurs.

[00:08:09]Data used as a microaggressive tool.

[00:08:12]Daniel opens his mouth, then pauses.

[00:08:15]Actually looks at me.

[00:08:17]This time something shifts, like a switch flipped off.

[00:08:22]Whatever spark he had left just disappears.

[00:08:26]"Okay, you're the CEO. We'll run the abstract campaign. I'll configure everything exactly how you want it."

[00:08:33]"Thank you." I smooth my blazer sleeve.

[00:08:37]"Let's keep things collaborative moving forward. We're a team here."

[00:08:41]Meeting wraps.

[00:08:42]I feel powerful.

[00:08:45]Like I just defended creativity itself.

[00:08:48]Walk back to my office, open LinkedIn, type out a post.

[00:08:53]Leadership isn't about obeying data.

[00:08:55]It's about trusting instinct when others doubt you. #founderlife.

[00:09:00]60 likes in under 15 minutes. Instant dopamine.

[00:09:05]Wednesday, I schedule a one-on-one with Daniel. Hannah sits in as witness.

[00:09:10]I've got a full document ready. Formal performance improvement plan.

[00:09:15]Daniel sits down, looks exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, probably up all night gaming or whatever.

[00:09:23]"Daniel, we need to talk about Monday."

[00:09:26]My tone soft, controlled.

[00:09:28]"I don't feel alignment with our core values right now. Empathy, adaptability, flow."

[00:09:35]Daniel stares past me at the wall.

[00:09:38]I was doing my job. Strategy means evaluating risk.

[00:09:42]It's not what you did, it's how you did it.

[00:09:45]Hannah leans in with her HR voice.

[00:09:48]It came across as confrontational.

[00:09:51]It created emotional distance.

[00:09:53]We need you to improve your interpersonal approach.

[00:09:57]This PIP is about reducing sharp communication and practicing active listening going forward.

[00:10:03]Before offering critique, identify three positives first and frame feedback as I feel statements, not the data shows statements.

[00:10:13]Daniel takes the paper, reads it quietly.

[00:10:16]Bullet point, smile more during meetings. Don't interrupt creative flow with technical limitations. Use inclusive language at all times.

[00:10:26]He looks up. Slight smile spreads across his face.

[00:10:30]Not warm. Not friendly.

[00:10:32]Just calm.

[00:10:34]Understood. I will fully comply. I will not obstruct. I will support the vision.

[00:10:40]Signs it immediately. No pushback, no argument.

[00:10:45]Just stands up and leaves.

[00:10:47]Hannah and I exchange a look, then high-five.

[00:10:51]That went amazing, she almost squeals.

[00:10:54]He really crossed the line before.

[00:10:56]I nod.

[00:10:58]This is what structured coaching does.

[00:11:01]Fast forward 2 weeks.

[00:11:03]Something feels off in the office.

[00:11:06]Not just off.

[00:11:07]Dead quiet.

[00:11:09]The tech corner especially.

[00:11:11]Used to be loud debates about messy code versus clean systems, arguments over keyboards, Kevin asking Mark about grabbing lunch.

[00:11:21]Now, nothing.

[00:11:23]Total silence whenever I walk by.

[00:11:26]Screens minimize or they just stare straight ahead.

[00:11:30]I drop a message in Slack.

[00:11:32]Hey team, how's the Radiance landing page? Let's keep the energy high.

[00:11:36]Kevin replies instantly.

[00:11:39]Completed per requirements. Staging environment ready.

[00:11:43]No emojis, no GIFs, no personality, just compliance.

[00:11:49]I tell myself this is progress. They respect authority. Now they understand structure.

[00:11:55]I'm leading. The system is working.

[00:11:58]Launch day.

[00:11:59]Project Radiance goes live.

[00:12:02]The holo campaign, we spend 18,000 just on the launch event. Rooftop lounge downtown, influencers invited. All of them asking for free product plus $400 appearance fees. Client is there. Her name's Laura. Nervous energy. Invested everything she had plus VC funding.

[00:12:24]Emily, I'm really anxious. She grips a champagne glass too tight. My investors are tracking performance in real time.

[00:12:32]If we don't hit 2.8 ROAS this week, they might pull funding.

[00:12:37]I squeeze her hand.

[00:12:39]Laura, trust the vision. People don't want to be sold to, they want to feel understood. This campaign understands them. Revenue follows emotion. She nods, still unsure. I keep layering buzzwords until she backs off.

[00:12:55]Midnight, campaign launches. Ads go live across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. I head home buzzing.

[00:13:04]Check the site on my phone. Looks incredible.

[00:13:07]Blurred photo of a girl alone in a field. Text overlay.

[00:13:12]What are you missing?

[00:13:13]No obvious button. Have to scroll to find a tiny explore link. Mysterious.

[00:13:20]Elevated.

[00:13:22]Perfect.

[00:13:23]Next morning, I roll into the office at 11:00.

[00:13:27]CEO schedule.

[00:13:30]Expecting celebration, maybe champagne, maybe applause.

[00:13:35]Instead, silence.

[00:13:37]Olivia at her desk chewing her nails.

[00:13:40]Hannah hiding inside the meditation pod.

[00:13:43]I walk straight to the tech corner.

[00:13:45]Daniel sitting still, hands resting on his knees, staring at the analytics dashboard on the big screen.

[00:13:52]I look up.

[00:13:54]Traffic. 62,000 visitors. Good.

[00:13:58]Ad spend already 9,000.

[00:14:01]Bounce rate. 99.6%.

[00:14:05]Conversions? Zero.

[00:14:07]Revenue? Zero dollars.

[00:14:10]I blink, rub my eyes, look again.

[00:14:13]Still zero.

[00:14:15]Not even one accidental purchase.

[00:14:18]What is this?

[00:14:19]My voice comes out shaky.

[00:14:22]Is the tracking pixel broken or something?

[00:14:25]Daniel slowly spins his chair toward me, still wearing that same calm, almost eerie smile.

[00:14:32]I checked the pixel, Emily. It's firing exactly as expected.

[00:14:36]Then why is nobody buying?

[00:14:39]Well, he pauses slightly.

[00:14:41]I feel like the customer journey may be too abstract for current user expectations.

[00:14:46]I feel like the absence of a visible call to action above the fold is introducing friction.

[00:14:52]And mostly, I feel like users don't understand what is being offered.

[00:14:57]I just stare at him.

[00:14:59]He's doing it. The I feel language. Word for word from the PIP.

[00:15:05]Daniel, fix it, I snap. Update the page, add the product, put a huge button that says buy now.

[00:15:12]Daniel gently shakes his head. I would love to help with that, but that would require altering the creative direction.

[00:15:19]And per my improvement plan, I'm not supposed to override or invalidate your vision.

[00:15:24]Your concept was emptiness.

[00:15:27]If I add a button, I'm filling that emptiness.

[00:15:31]I don't want to be forceful.

[00:15:33]My stomach drops.

[00:15:35]He's using my own rules against me.

[00:15:38]I turn to Kevin.

[00:15:39]Kevin, just add the button. Do it right now.

[00:15:43]Kevin looks up slowly, eyes wide like he's innocent.

[00:15:47]I can't do that. That wasn't included in Monday's sprint scope. You said unplanned scope changes increase stress for the team. I need to protect team well-being.

[00:15:57]I can schedule it for next sprint.

[00:16:00]Next sprint? I almost yell.

[00:16:03]We're losing about a thousand dollars every hour. Do it now.

[00:16:08]I'll need a ticket, Kevin says calmly.

[00:16:10]Please submit it through Jira. Once it's approved by creative, copy, and legal, I'll begin implementation.

[00:16:17]I look at all three of them.

[00:16:20]Completely still.

[00:16:21]Completely unmoved.

[00:16:24]Like they're watching everything collapse and refusing to act because I told them acting was toxic.

[00:16:30]Fine, I snap. Olivia, do you know how to use WordPress?

[00:16:35]Olivia freezes.

[00:16:37]I mean, I've posted articles before.

[00:16:40]Good enough. Log in and add a button.

[00:16:43]She tries, immediately breaks the layout. CSS completely destroyed. The entire site turns into raw error text.

[00:16:53]Now it's not even aesthetic anymore.

[00:16:56]Just a wall of code and failure messages.

[00:16:59]I have to call the client.

[00:17:01]She starts screaming the second she answers. Loud enough I pull the phone away.

[00:17:06]Cancels the contract on the spot.

[00:17:09]Demands refund. Threatens legal action.

[00:17:11]Says gross incompetence at least three times.

[00:17:15]Call ends.

[00:17:17]My hands are shaking.

[00:17:19]I look over.

[00:17:20]Daniel is putting on his jacket.

[00:17:22]It's noon.

[00:17:24]"Where are you going?" I say quietly.

[00:17:26]"Lunch. Then I have a dentist appointment. I'm taking the rest of the day off. Self-care matters, right?"

[00:17:33]He walks out. Kevin and Mark stand up right after. Solidarity.

[00:17:38]Kevin mutters something.

[00:17:40]They follow him out.

[00:17:42]I'm left there.

[00:17:43]Broken sight. Silent room.

[00:17:46]Olivia crying. Hannah pacing.

[00:17:49]Next few weeks feel like a slow collapse.

[00:17:53]We lose the Radiance account completely.

[00:17:56]Word spreads. Reputation tanks.

[00:17:59]Pipeline dries up. Cash flow goes negative.

[00:18:03]I can't even cover payroll without using my personal credit, which is basically maxed out.

[00:18:09]I need something to work.

[00:18:11]One client left. CoreChain. Huge B2B logistics SaaS company.

[00:18:17]Boring, but stable.

[00:18:19]Pays 45,000 a month.

[00:18:22]We manage their entire back-end systems and lead generation.

[00:18:26]It's insanely complex. Servers, APIs, databases.

[00:18:32]Daniel, Kevin, Mark handled everything.

[00:18:35]I don't even know login credentials.

[00:18:38]I call an emergency meeting.

[00:18:40]"Okay, team." I try to sound confident, voice slightly shaking.

[00:18:45]"Radiance didn't go as planned, but we're pivoting. We're focusing everything on CoreChain. They need a full server migration this weekend.

[00:18:54]Daniel, I need you to lead it."

[00:18:56]Daniel looks at me calmly. Slides a clean white envelope across the table.

[00:19:02]"Actually, I'm resigning effective immediately."

[00:19:06]My chest tightens.

[00:19:08]"You can't do that."

[00:19:10]"I can. Already accepted a role as VP of growth at a logistics startup. Double salary, equity, and they make decisions based on data.

[00:19:20]Kevin stands up, places his own envelope down.

[00:19:23]Same here. Daniel brought me in, senior engineer role.

[00:19:27]Mark stands up next, another envelope.

[00:19:31]Me, too. Head of analytics.

[00:19:33]I look at the three envelopes, then at them.

[00:19:36]You're leaving right before a migration in 2 days. That's sabotage. That's unethical. Daniel shrugs.

[00:19:44]At-will employment. Besides, you said we were holding things back, that our energy was heavy.

[00:19:50]We're moving that energy.

[00:19:53]This is what you wanted. Now, you've got a fully aligned environment. Good luck with the migration.

[00:20:00]They walk out. No packing, no hesitation.

[00:20:04]Like they planned this for a while, which they probably did. Panic hits.

[00:20:10]Real panic.

[00:20:11]Just me, Olivia, Hannah, Jake, and two interns. Everyone looks at me.

[00:20:18]Olivia crying, Hannah almost hyperventilating.

[00:20:22]"What do we do?" Jake asks. "Who even knows how to handle the migration?"

[00:20:26]I swallow.

[00:20:29]I'll figure it out. I'm the founder. I'm not stupid. How hard can it be? It's just servers. It's just clicking buttons.

[00:20:38]I walk over to Daniel's desk. His computer is locked. I call IT support, some outsourced help desk.

[00:20:46]I yell until they unlock it remotely.

[00:20:49]Screen opens, just black windows with green text everywhere.

[00:20:54]Looks like something out of a hacker movie. I spot a folder.

[00:20:58]corechain_migration_scripts Okay, that has to be it.

[00:21:05]I open one file.

[00:21:07]First line says, "Warning, do not execute without verified backup."

[00:21:12]Dramatic. Guys like him always exaggerate risk to feel important. I open the cloud dashboard.

[00:21:20]See two buttons, terminate instance, launch instance.

[00:21:24]Makes sense. Shut down old one, start new one. Basic logic.

[00:21:29]I click terminate on the production server.

[00:21:31]Confirmation pops up.

[00:21:33]Are you sure?

[00:21:35]I click yes.

[00:21:36]Green indicator turns red, then disappears.

[00:21:40]"Step one done," I say out loud. "See, I don't need a man to click a button."

[00:21:45]I hit launch instance.

[00:21:47]It asks for some kind of key.

[00:21:50]PM key.

[00:21:52]No idea what that is.

[00:21:54]I type password 1 2 3.

[00:21:57]Error.

[00:21:59]Try admin.

[00:22:00]>> [clears throat] >> Error.

[00:22:01]Uh I glance back at the team.

[00:22:05]"It's not letting me start the new server, and the old one is gone."

[00:22:09]5 minutes later, my phone rings.

[00:22:12]It's the CEO of CoreChain.

[00:22:14]He never calls.

[00:22:16]"Emily." His voice is cold. "Why is my entire platform offline?

[00:22:22]Why is our customer database returning errors?"

[00:22:25]"Hi."

[00:22:26]I try to sound calm.

[00:22:28]"We're mid-migration. Just minor issues."

[00:22:31]"Minor issues?" He snaps. "My CTO just told me the production server was terminated, completely deleted, and there's no backup because the backup system was on that server.

[00:22:43]Did you delete it?"

[00:22:45]"I I was just following "Did you delete it?" "Yes."

[00:22:51]Silence.

[00:22:52]Long, heavy, expensive silence.

[00:22:56]"I'm losing $10,000 a minute. I'm suing you for everything. Negligence. Do not touch anything else. You're done.

[00:23:05]Call ends.

[00:23:06]Everything collapses after that.

[00:23:09]CoreChain files a lawsuit. Damages over 2 million.

[00:23:13]My insurance refuses. Says gross negligence isn't covered, especially when I ignored explicit warnings.

[00:23:21]I lose everything.

[00:23:22]Get seized. Computers, desks, even the LED sign.

[00:23:28]I have to let everyone go.

[00:23:30]Hannah cries the hardest.

[00:23:32]"But Emily, I thought this was a safe environment." "Safe environments cost money." I snap. "I need engineers. I need people who actually know how systems work. I need someone who can restart a server."

[00:23:45]She looks at me like I'm a stranger.

[00:23:48]"You've internalized everything you said you were against."

[00:23:51]Then she leaves.

[00:23:53]I'm alone.

[00:23:55]I filed Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy.

[00:23:59]My dad won't help.

[00:24:00]"I gave you 200 grand. You turned it into a lawsuit. Learn something from that."

[00:24:06]My condo gets foreclosed.

[00:24:09]I sell my clothes online.

[00:24:11]Move into a tiny basement apartment. Bad area. No sunlight.

[00:24:16]I start applying for marketing jobs.

[00:24:19]Nothing.

[00:24:22]Nobody wants me. My name is ruined.

[00:24:25]The Radiance campaign becomes a case study. What not to do.

[00:24:30]Six months later, I'm working retail in a mall, folding sweaters. $15 an hour.

[00:24:37]Feet constantly aching.

[00:24:39]No more manicures. Just chipped nails.

[00:24:43]Name tag says Emily. No title. Just Emily.

[00:24:47]Random Tuesday afternoon. Store is empty.

[00:24:51]Then a group walks in. Loud. Laughing.

[00:24:55]I freeze.

[00:24:57]It's them.

[00:24:58]Daniel, Kevin, Mark, and a few others.

[00:25:02]They look successful, expensive vests, watches, relaxed.

[00:25:07]Daniel looks healthy, laughing.

[00:25:10]"Yeah, IPO might hit Q4." He says casually.

[00:25:14]"My options vest soon. Thinking about buying a boat." Kevin laughs. "A boat is a terrible investment."

[00:25:21]Mark goes, "Yeah, ROI is negative."

[00:25:25]Daniel shrugs.

[00:25:26]"Joy ROI is high, though."

[00:25:29]They all laugh.

[00:25:31]They're thriving, building things.

[00:25:34]I duck behind a rack, heart racing.

[00:25:37]Please don't notice me. Please don't.

[00:25:40]They stop right in front of my section.

[00:25:43]Daniel grabs a gray hoodie.

[00:25:45]"This is nice.

[00:25:46]Office AC is freezing."

[00:25:49]He turns, sees me.

[00:25:51]I'm holding messy stacks of jeans, hair tied badly, exhausted.

[00:25:57]We lock eyes.

[00:25:59]I brace myself, waiting for him to say something cutting, something smug, but he doesn't.

[00:26:06]His expression softens.

[00:26:08]Not victory, not anger, just pity.

[00:26:12]Like I'm something unfortunate, not his problem.

[00:26:16]He nods once.

[00:26:18]"Emily?"

[00:26:19]Quiet.

[00:26:20]Acknowledging I exist.

[00:26:23]Then turns away.

[00:26:25]"Actually, never mind. Let's grab lunch.

[00:26:27]Steakhouse, my treat."

[00:26:30]They leave laughing, walking out into their lives.

[00:26:34]I just stand there, store quiet again.

[00:26:38]My manager walks over, 19 years old. Her name's Kayla.

[00:26:42]"Emily, you're spacing out again. Can you refold this table? It looks messy, doesn't meet visual standards."

[00:26:49]I look Look the table, then at her.

[00:26:52]I want to scream, "Say I used to run a company."

[00:26:56]But I don't because reality says otherwise.

[00:27:00]"Yes," I say, "I'll fix it." I start folding left over right, smooth it out, repeat over and over until my shift ends.

[00:27:11]At least I don't have to think about servers anymore.

[00:27:14]Guess I got my empty space, just not the way I planned.