After leaving Anya alone at the bar that night, I threw all my energy into work and visited Sonomas much less. I took on audit engagements nobody wanted to run, accepting each with enthusiasm regardless of the stress they created. The toughest part of public accounting wasn’t the complicated audit issues or the hostile clients, but rather the long hours and travel. The minute I got off a flight, I had to jump into a rental car and immediately head over to a client’s office to begin working. By the time I reached their headquarters, I was usually already wiped out. Sitting down all day forced me to exercise after work each night just to stay in shape, making it harder for me to get up in the morning. Unable to get out of bed early enough to grab a cup of coffee, I resorted to using a few over the counter pain relievers with caffeine to get me through those days—scarring my liver instead of my teeth.
The firm’s Senior Audit Department Manager and my mentor, Kevin Kash, who I worked under for three years before being promoted to Audit Manager, was always interested in hearing about my weekend. I guess he wanted to live vicariously through me since he was married. He stood about five feet ten inches tall and was rail thin, likely from eating carrots and celery sticks throughout the day. His face was long but it easily contained his wide smile. He sported dark thin hair parted down the middle and maintained lengthy sideburns that flowed into a well-groomed goatee. A manager for six years, he was the most senior audit supervisor at the firm. When the news recently broke that one of the partners planned to retire at the end of the next year, he was ecstatic—Kevin was next in line to replace him. After the Enron scandal which resulted in Sarbanes-Oxley requiring companies to document their processes and report on their internal control environments, it presented a large local firm like ours with a tremendous opportunity for growth. This development turned the opening for partner into a life altering lucrative position. Although I also had a chance to be chosen for partner, Kevin taught me pretty much everything I knew—there was no chance the firm would consider me before him. I wasn’t ready and had more to learn before attaining his level of expertise. His being promoted to partner was a win-win for me—my path would be much easier with Kevin being promoted. The firm bypassed on promoting him last year after the unexpected passing of one of its five partners, making it highly unlikely he would not be considered for the opening this time around. The firm would risk losing Kevin and his clients if they didn’t offer the promotion to him.
“Hey Land! Did you hit up Sonomas this weekend?” Asked Kevin, appearing at my door just before I reached my black leather desk chair inside my office.
“For the first time in four months, believe it or not.” I nodded, taking my laptop out of its computer bag and placing it down on the desk.
“How’d it go?” He asked, coming inside then closing the door behind him.
“It was pretty fun.” I said. “You’re not gonna believe this, but before I started talkin’ to this one girl, I checked her ring finger…and there wasn’t a ring on it.”
“You’re a pro now!” He laughed. “I still can’t believe that story.”
“Yeah, me neither.” I said. “Oh well, it is what it is…man, I hate that phrase.”
“What phrase?”
“It is what it is.” I clarified. “It’s like admitting things can never change and I might as well just give up.”
“Oh well, it was what it was.” Teased Kevin, placing his hands on his hips. “How’s that sound to you?”
“Still unacceptable.” I smiled, shaking my head.
“How’d the Systex audit go?” He asked then taking a seat in one of the two chairs in front of my desk.
“Systex? It went well. I’m wrappin’ it up right now.” Informing him, while turning on my laptop. “But not without adding a going concern disclosure to the financials though.”
“How’d Jack feel about that?” He wondered, as he crossed his leg and fiddled with the end of his tan slacks. “I heard he could be a real jerk.”
“He’s a business owner, Kev. Of course, he didn’t like it and tried to hassle me, but in the end, he understood—he had to.” I said while reaching into my bag for a mouse—I had trouble using my computer without one. “Decreasing revenues, negative operating cash, a negative profit margin along with increasing liabilities for three consecutive years during an up economy? How can I get around that?”
“You can’t, Land—you have a responsibility to the bank and to protect the investors.”
“That’s what I told him.” I sighed, clicking and moving my mouse to open the Systex file. “We can’t always be right but we’re not always wrong. I don’t have an ego anyway.”
“We can’t make everyone happy as auditors.” Said Kevin, picking at the soles of one of his black shoes. “He would’ve left the firm years ago if you hadn’t stepped in and resurrected that engagement from the dead.”
“He just wanted to be heard.” I explained, taking my eyes off the laptop screen and focusing on Kevin. “I’ll always try to see their side of things…as long as it’s ethical to do so.”
“The fifty-thousand-dollar engagement fee doesn’t hurt either.”
“Nope. Not at all.” I replied, leaning back in my chair then placing my hands on the back of my head.
“I think you’ll make a great partner one day, Land. I’m glad we’re on the same team.”
“If I have any chance to be a great partner, I owe it all to you.” I declared; a bit overwhelmed by his kind words. “How’s Sadie? Has she come around?”
He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.
“Not really.” He sighed, his head dropping. “I guess it’s just gonna take some more time.”
“Sorry to hear that.” I replied, disappointed by the update. “Well, just know this office is always open if you need to vent.”
“Thanks…it’s really been eatin’ me up, you know? With our first child on the way. Maybe you can set up a couch in here for me.”
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”
Kevin and his wife Sadie were having problems. She was a nice person, but a fairly high maintenance spouse who got used to living the good life his senior management salary gave them. When a house they eyed for years came on the market last year, they were unable to place a bid on it because he wasn’t considered for the partner opening. Now that Sadie was one month into her pregnancy, it caused a great rift in their marriage. He tried mightily to bridge the gap between them, but not even flowers, dinner dates and assurances could warm her stance. Since he confided in me, I was well aware of the pressure he faced to make partner. He hustled every day on the job, putting in long hours and knowing every single accounting standard in the book—he deserved the promotion more than anyone. The only strike against him was his inability to bring in new business—the most admired skill needed to make partner with the firm. Under all the pressure he had at home, his professionalism remained remarkably intact—I don’t know how he did it. He already had a ton of pressure to deal with here and didn’t need to deal with more pressure from the place that should’ve provided a respite. The firm we worked for was extremely conservative, hiring character employees and not just the scholastically gifted. Even our client base came mostly by referrals from church members. I loved that our firm pursued an ethical clientele but it made us work under unrealistically low budgets. So low, in fact, it felt like we were masquerading as a non-for-profit business. When one of the partners recommended that we consider joining a church group to meet new clients, I chose to invest my time building relationships with lending managers at various banks instead. Wary of being asked to network at church by the God-fearing people at my firm only made me question religion even more.
Later that afternoon, while leaving the office to visit a client, I ran into Alan Kanian, my firm’s lead partner.
“How’d your meeting go yesterday with Frank Curtis at West End Bank?” He asked, leaving me surprised he remembered, but even at sixty-eight years old, he was still sharp.
“It went really well.” I said. “He has three clients who need audits and another who needs a review done. He referred the work to us.”
“No kidding! Did you reach out to them yet?” He wondered, his eyes widening with excitement.
“I’ve reached out to three of them. One wanted to meet for lunch before they made a decision but two of the potential audit clients accepted over the phone. I’m going to fax the engagement letters over to them today.”
“How much was the engagement bid?”
“Forty thousand each.” I informed him, hoping I didn’t bid too high for his taste, but there were things he didn’t know about. Our audit staff began to complain we were setting them up for failure rather than success with our ridiculously low budgets. Afraid to lose any of them, I had their concerns in mind when I made the offer.
“Forty Thousand?” He asked, slightly raising his voice. “Each?”
“Yes, Sir.” I nervously replied. “I figured we could use the room to work with on the budgets since they’re new clients.”
“Well done, Landyn!” He exclaimed, patting me on the back. “Keep up the good work!”
“Thank you, Mr. Kanian.” I recovered, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Be careful on the roads, it’s wet out there.”
“Will do.”
There weren’t many things I hated more in life than the rain—preferring the comfort of sun rays over the inconvenience of rain showers. Since I was still four to five years away, I didn’t give much thought about how life would change if I made partner. My focus was to gain all the experience and knowledge I could to be exceptional at what I did. After Arthur Anderson was sanctioned, Public Accounting became an industry under intense scrutiny—the Enron scandal alone nearly corrupted the entire profession. It became much harder to sell audit services as CPA firms became the enemy, and not the trusted savior. If the public couldn’t put faith in an auditor’s independence, they could never rely on a Company’s financial reports to make investing decisions. The Enron fiasco dealt a monster blow to the public’s trust in Big CPA firms. If public accounting firms wanted to survive, they now had to offer value added services to their clients on top of providing auditing and tax work.
I naturally stumbled upon providing value-added services to one of our clients during my fourth year working for the firm. While managing an audit, I uncovered fraud committed by the company’s Controller. He circumvented their accounts payable controls and created a fictitious vendor in the system with a P.O. Box remittance address. He’d create fake invoices for this vendor and authorize them to be entered into the accounting system by the Accounts Payable Clerk. He would then authorize the Accounts Payable Clerk to cut a check each week to pay the fake invoices he authorized, signing the check then giving it back to the clerk who in turn mailed the check to the P.O. box he setup. During an audit, we’re required to compare account balances to the prior period and when I noticed the Company’s cash decreased significantly compared to the previous year, I inquired about it. When I talked to the Controller, quite casually, he claimed salary and legal expenses increased compared to last year. He was right, and his answer appeared reasonable on the surface since the Company’s increase in revenue basically offset the increased expenses. It wasn’t until I noticed a significant increase in notes payable that his answer didn’t pass the smell test—cash should’ve definitely increased, not decreased. When I brought it to the Controller’s attention, he was noticeably uncomfortable, telling me he was super busy and would get back to me about it. When I interviewed the Company’s Senior Accountant, she directed me to a vendor on the AP aging that didn’t sound familiar to her. It wasn’t until I examined the invoices did I decide to ask the Accounts Payable Clerk about it. She confessed the Controller had her add the vendor without any documentation or even the CFO’s approval. When I asked her why she still entered the vendor in the system, she said he threatened to fire her if she didn’t. Knowing she was a single mother with two kids, he used that knowledge against her to get what he needed to be done. After I presented my findings to the owner and CFO, they conducted a quick investigation of their own before having the Controller charged, fired and then eventually convicted for embezzlement. It was estimated before the fraud was found, the Company lost nearly three hundred thousand dollars in cash over an eighteen-month period. The owner was grateful for my work and even asked if I would be the Company’s new Controller. He made it very tempting, offering me a very generous six figure salary with a great benefits package but I respectfully turned it down. I could make five to ten times more a year staying with KSR if I made partner. When I returned to the office a bit of a hero, Alan Kanian took me out to lunch for my yearly review.
“I’ve been makin’ a bit of a push for you to be a partner with us.” He revealed, the cool breeze bringing his thin gray hair to life as he sat across from me. “I don’t want to push too hard but I want to make sure your contributions don’t go unnoticed.”
“I don’t know what to say, Mr. Kanian...Thank you.” I said, while holding a menu to reflect the sun’s glare as we sat at a patio table.
“If we’re to meet our growth objectives, we need people like you to help us get there.” He continued, while scanning the menu in his hand. “We’re really excited about your future here at KSR, Landyn.”
“I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity.” I replied, hoping I found the right words to convey my appreciation.
“With that being said, I have an opportunity I’d like to share with you.” He told me as he pulled his eyes away from the menu to look directly at me. “Strictly confidential.”
“Sure.” I nervously acknowledged.
“I have a meeting next week with the President of the Caiaphas Property Group. Have you ever heard of them?”
“I can’t say I have.” I answered, shaking my head while hoping not knowing who they were wouldn’t alter his decision about putting me on the fast track to partner.
“I’m meeting with Jackson Caiaphas. He’s the founder and President of the Caiaphas Property Group, or CPG. He owns a majority of the commercial properties right here in southern California and has a corporate office in Newport Beach.” He informed me. “Over the last year CPG has expanded their portfolio into northern California, Nevada and Arizona. Jackson has also been serving as a councilman in San Francisco.”
“Wow…where does he find the time? He sounds super busy.”
“Oh, I should also mention he’s running in next year’s district election for a congressional seat.”
I shook my head in pure astonishment. I considered myself a fairly driven person but nothing even close to this. The man seemed super human.
“Mr. Caiaphas is a prominent leader and businessman not only locally, but also nationally. He knows a lot of the ‘well to do’ and he’s generously given our firm some time to talk with him.” Mr. Kanian continued. “We plan to meet for lunch in San Francisco a week from tomorrow. It’s much more than a lunch meeting though—he wants to change auditors and is interested in hearing about our services. It’s a huge deal for us.”
“How huge?” I wondered.
“Let me ask you this. What do you think our annual revenues are?”
“I would say somewhere between three to four million dollars?”
“It’s a little closer to five million.” He corrected me. “If we land the CPG account, and mainly due to his referral base, we could easily grow our annual revenues five times…if not more.”
I didn’t know what to say. Of course, it would be great for the firm but what were our chances of landing the CPG audit? It was ambitious but we were small potatoes and didn’t have enough experienced staff to handle all that potential work.
“Why isn’t he considering a larger firm?” I asked.
“He doesn’t trust them after Enron. He wants to work with a local firm and not a regional one.”
“Oh, I see…but what about our staff? Could we handle all that audit work?”
“We’ll just have to recruit at more colleges.”
“I see.”
I recruited at six college events a year, talking to many new college graduates who majored in accounting about the opportunities at our firm. I enjoyed them for the most part, it was nice to catch up with my old professors, but after working all day, these events really drained me. Our lunch meeting started off great, but all I could do now was wait for him to ask if I’d be willing to work more college events. To be honest, I was hoping to cut down on recruiting this year. I wanted to focus more on building my banking relationships. When Mr. Kanian mentioned he was making a push for me to become partner; I got my hopes up he’d give me more opportunities to do that. Now it seemed the only reason he took me out to lunch was to ask if I’d do more college recruiting events—there was no way I could say no.
“Since Kevin is dealing with a slew of retirement plan audits right now, I’d like for you to join me to meet Mr. Caiaphas.”
When Mr. Kanian asked me to be a part of the CPG meeting in San Francisco, I couldn’t move. I knew he wanted to put me on the fast track to partner, but this was more like a wormhole to Pluto. Was I ready for this? I thought he would ease my way into the position, but this meeting was all or nothing—if I failed, my entire career was over. But if I failed to accept his invitation then my career would be over before it began.
“Thank you for the opportunity…for having so much faith in me.” I nervously told him, trying desperately to keep eye contact as trepidation filled me. “Yes…please count me in.”
Mr. Kanian beamed, clasped his hands together and grabbed his menu.
“Excellent. I’m starving.” He said, scanning the list of food options.
I returned his smile but suddenly lost my appetite as anxiety washed over me. To know my entire career, all I ever worked for and all I left behind was riding on this meeting made it impossible to focus on the menu. I didn’t have much trust in people anymore, losing that quality over the years and white knuckling it to where I was today. It was easy to be skeptical of Mr. Kanian’s motive to have me join him in San Francisco. Just like the women I’ve met in my life, I now had a boss who used me up as well—the price for being a nice guy, for being enthusiastic and willing to do what it took to be loved. Was Mr. Kanian any different from Denise? Every single thing I did in my life with great passion seemed to always explode in my face. Did Mr. Kanian just put me on the fast track to failure? He said he wanted me to be a partner at the firm and it even seemed as if he liked me, but I’ve been duped before. Although this threatened to end my hopes of becoming partner, I had to bargain with myself and find a way to accept what he just gave me—an opportunity to make this dream of mine a reality. I just needed to think positively, which was like walking on a bed of nails. My greatest challenge wasn’t Jackson Caiaphas, but myself. I simply couldn’t afford to think negatively about my life anymore.
After my meeting with Alan, and it being a Friday, I drove to my parent’s house to share the news. Even with all its risks, the opportunity was a great one I wanted to share with them. I knew my mother always worried about me and anytime I could ease her mind, I made a point to do so. With having Cancer, it was important to help alleviate her stress levels. She needed to know that the man who used to walk with his head hanging, and his eyes fixed on the ground, no longer existed. I hoped to share this news with my father, but he wasn’t home when I arrived. It was also a bit of a relief too. Often times, even when sharing positive news, he’d find a negative light to cast upon it that led me to question myself. I refused to let him bring me down like he had done in the past so I rarely shared anything with him about my life. The day I decided to avoid his negative spins on everything was the day I finally turned things around.
The backdoor was open, as usual, so I walked inside and straight to my mother’s bedroom. Through the wide open door, I could see she was sitting at the edge of her bed watching television with her bare feet dangling off the ground. She was dressed in her faded pink pajamas with the remote control in her lap at six-thirty p.m. on a Friday night—nothing new to see here.
“What are you doin’ here?” She gawked, unwilling to rise off her perch to hug me.
“Happy to see you, too.” I retorted.
“You never visit on Friday nights.” She stated as she put on her glasses…I guess to make sure it was me.
“Were you expecting other visitors since you left the back door open?” I teased.
“The back door was open? I asked your father to lock it before he left for the park!” She shouted as she zoomed past me and through the hall to lock the back door. When she returned, she blew past me again and sat back down in her original spot on the bed.
“Ughhh…now I have to rewind to see what happened to Austin and Sammy.” She muttered as she aimed the remote at the television. “Your Father…”
“Keep it on pause for a second, I have somethin’ to tell you.” I instructed then snatching the remote from her hand.
“What is it?” She demanded, breathing heavily with a look of exasperation on her face while trying to grab the remote back from me.
“I had my yearly review today with Mr. Kanian.” I said, flipping the remote in the air and catching it.
“Stop that! Gimme that back…you’re gonna break it! I just put new batteries in there!” She scolded, making another feeble attempt to snatch it back from me. “Who’s that?”
“He’s the lead partner at the firm. The “K” in KSR.”
“What’s KSR?” She inquired, rolling her eyes while I continued joyously tossing the remote control in the air and catching it.
“The firm I’ve been working at for the last…uh…the last six years?”
“Oh, I thought it was KFC.” She told me. “I guess I must be hungry.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but Colonel Sanders isn’t my boss. I can’t get you a free bucket of extra crispy fried chicken.” I said, tossing the remote control lightly into her lap.
“You know I have dyslexia, Honey. I don’t know KFC from CPK.” She tried to explain, clutching the remote control.
“You must be really hungry.” I said. “And dyslexia is when you have a problem when you’re reading writing or spelling, not when you’re speaking.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised, Honey…I have all sorts of issues with my dyslexia. Can you go and grab me two tacos?” She asked, with excitement in her eyes suddenly seeing a purpose that benefited her by my surprise visit. “I’ll buy something for you too…hand me my purse in the cabinet over there.”
“Mom? Can I just tell you what happened today without your hunger pains gettin’ in the way?”
“I’m sorry, Honey. Go on…you had an interview today with VCR. What happened?”
“It’s wasn’t an interview but my yearly review.” I clarified, steering clear of the acronym crisis she further experienced.
“Oh okay, hey Landy…how do you like my hair?” She wondered, dodging my good news yet again. “I had it permed today.”
“It looks the same as it always does.” I remarked.
“You can’t tell the difference?” She said, moving her head to the left and right, hoping to show me the supposed transformation.
“Oh, it looks nice.” I obliged her, still unable to see a difference.
“Now who is Mr. Canadian?”
“It’s Mr. Kanian, he’s my boss…The founding partner of the firm.”
“Well are you gonna tell me what happened?” She asked, throwing her hands in the air. “I need to finish my soap.”
I could never tell if my mother had her hair permed, but I could definitely tell she needed a color change to blonde. After I stared at her for a few seconds in disbelief, I finally broke the news.
“He gave me a sterling review…he’s puttin’ me on the fast track to partner.” I informed her. “I’m going with him to San Francisco next week to meet with a potential new client. A big new client.”
“That’s great, Honey!” She smiled, getting up from her bed and giving me a hug.
“Thanks, mom.” I said as she sat back down.
“Umm…What does that mean?” She wondered, her face now wearing an expression of confusion.
“What does what mean?” I laughed. “It means I’m getting an opportunity to buy my first house sooner than later!”
“Here in Harbor City?” She asked, her hazel eyes widening.
“Harbor City? I don’t think so, Mom.” I answered honestly. “I need to live in Orange County—it’s closer to the home office. It’s too long of a drive to work from Harbor City.”
“Oh.” She exhaled.
“Newport Beach is a straight shot down P.C.H. It’s only forty minutes away from Harbor City. That’s not too far.”
“No…I guess it’s not.” She said, aiming the remote control at her television and hitting the play button.
At times, my mother could treat my excitement like a piece of paper, crumpling it into a ball and tossing it inside a wastebasket. I also understood it was hard for most people to comprehend what I did for a living—especially someone who was sixty years old who never graduated from Junior High school. I was just so used to being beaten down by my Father, and by life itself, that it became impossible to hide my disappointment whenever she failed to understand all I’ve accomplished. She was the only person I had in my life who was genuinely happy for me, and it was natural to want to share any good news I had with her—she was the only person I trusted. Like she hoped I’d move back to Harbor City, I hoped she’d understand what a big deal this was for me, but I couldn’t blame her—my career path was a bit complicated for anyone to understand. As effective as the Femara treatments were in fighting back the Cancer that metastasized to her bones, they likely also affected her memory in some way. I tried hard to understand her reaction had nothing to do with me.
“What happened?” I asked, noticing a significant bruise on the top of her hand.
“They had a hard time finding a vein on me yesterday.” She replied, looking at her hand then placing it under her bottom where she sat. “It’s no big deal.”
“Did Dad take you to your treatment?”
“He had to work at the park—I usually go to my treatments alone anyway. I’m fine to drive home.” She told me. “Doctor Collins did tell me the Femara is working. They’re going to take me off of it soon.”
“That’s great news!” I said, relieved to know she was winning and not having to be on it for the rest of her life.
“I was super happy when he told me! I need to be more active—I plan to start exercising every day!” She happily announced, moving her arms back and forth to mimic walking.
Living with Cancer for the last seven years, it became routine for her to think positively even after receiving bad news. Since she treated a disease that took over 500,000 lives a year like the common cold, it felt that way to my Father and I as well. My Dad seemed to check out more often than not though, and it bothered me. She needed someone to be there for her more often, and that was another reason I stopped going to Sonomas every weekend—to keep her company instead. On my way to visit, I’d usually stop by a Target and grab a DVD we could watch together, or sometimes, we’d just watch the movies she already had. The only problem was “Sleepless in Seattle” seemed to be on an endless loop whenever I visited. She also kept up with the Kardashians too much for my taste, paid homage to “The Golden Girls” reruns and transported herself to and from the “Third Rock from the Sun.” Her guilty pleasure was “Days of Our Lives”, a soap opera she watched religiously every day since the show’s very first airing. All of her favorite shows to me were cringy—I despised them all. After a while, though, I demanded Bo and Hope updates, wondered how Bruce would deal with Kris, and even laughed at Estelle Getty’s wisecracks. Over time, these shows brought my mother and I closer together. After a run to grab her two tacos, I caught up on the weekly episodes of “Days of Our Lives”, annoyingly finding humor in them to my mother, before heading home.
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On the morning of the meeting, I tried on six different ties getting ready. When I finally settled on a dark blue one with my black suit, I nervously glanced at my watch—I had just fifteen minutes to get to the office. Luckily for me, traffic was light and I made it with just a few minutes to spare. Alan arranged for us to be picked up by a limousine at the office—we needed to be at the airport by nine in the morning. When we arrived, we passed through security with flying colors and had a half hour before our forty-five minute flight to San Francisco departed at ten-thirty. The meeting was set up for one that afternoon at a restaurant called Morelli’s. Alan had never met Mr. Caiaphas in person—we really didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t speak for my boss, but I was both confident and uncomfortable. I struggled to hide behind all of my apprehensions, but I had no choice—netting this client would be like hitting the lottery for the firm. His revenue stream alone could carry the partnership for years while giving us instant name recognition throughout the profession. Since Mr. Caiaphas sat on the board of directors for various large privately and publicly held real estate companies, the opportunity for referrals were endless if we landed him. We faced fierce competition from outside firms, but obtaining him as a client would truly set us apart from the rest of them.
Twenty-five years ago, Alan humbly started the firm from out of his garage. John Sharp and Ken Rutledge joined him five years later, or twenty years ago, to form Kanian, Sharp and Rutledge; KSR LLP. Since then, the firm grew to a hundred employees consisting of a tax department of thirty-eight preparers and consultants and an audit department of sixty-two auditors. As we rode in the limo together, he told me without considering a positive outcome from today’s meeting, he could’ve never imagined the firm’s growth even ten years ago. I thought back to my own life ten years earlier and our lives couldn’t have been more different. I was too busy dreaming about love and building a family of my own out of it. Having a successful career with a six or seven figure salary was the furthest thing from my mind. The universe worked in strange ways and unbelievably, I intersected with KSR at the right time delivering us both to an opportunity we couldn’t have imagined.
On the plane ride, I anxiously peered out the window from my middle seat as we lifted off. Although I flew quite a bit, being in the air always made me feel a bit uneasy. Although this was one of my shorter flights, Murphy’s law was always in effect for me. Things were going so well professionally, dying in a plane crash would make my good luck logical. As much I would’ve loved to see the world, I lacked the adventurous spirit needed to get on a plane long enough to see Paris or Rome. I even worried about the plane being hit by debris or a space rock burning up in the atmosphere. Have those kinds of things ever happened in aviation history? I really didn’t know. Let’s just say, I lacked the mental fortitude to be a pilot knowing every single day I could die in a plane crash. Then again, would anyone be a commercial airline pilot if that truly had a great chance of happening? Before the first business flight I ever took, I found a book on flying written by a pilot. He claimed air travelers had a better chance at winning the lottery than dying in a plane crash. That alone got me through most of my flights whenever experiencing tough turbulence.
On this particular flight, though, my mind raced for completely different reasons—my career was simply on the line at this lunch meeting. Feeling confidence in myself behind a laptop was one thing, but this was a lopsided matchup. While in the air, I did some research online about CPG and its owner, Jackson Caiaphas. I learned he was more than just an opportunistic businessman, but also a jetsetter. Even Alan Kanian, the founding partner of a large growing local CPA firm, fell far short of Mr. Caiaphas’s credentials. Researching further, I learned he was running for District Fourteen’s congressional seat, and not District Eight that covered San Francisco. When I read District Eight was headed by Nancy Pelosi, it seemed like a smart decision for him to run for another district since she’s held that seat for fourteen years now. Even if I stripped away all of his accomplishments, how would an introvert, like myself, be able to keep up a conversation with him? He lived in a far different world than I did and seemed to possess a more superior sense of being. It wasn’t too long ago I felt like jumping off a bridge and now I’m supposed to act as if I’m on the same playing field of success he was? How could I sell myself to someone who was far more accomplished and important? He’d see right through me and to the fraudulent being I was. It really made me question if I was qualified to even be in the same room with him. What made Mr. Kanian believe he’d want me at the same table with them? A man who has failed for most of his life? I felt really good about where things were headed for me, but it was still aiming low compared to Mr. Caiaphas’s rich life.
Before I stepped a foot on the plane, I felt super confident about my ability to sell the firm to Jackson Caiaphas. After reading up on him and learning how he built himself to not only become a successful entrepreneur but a well-respected member of society, I couldn’t help but wonder one thing—why Alan chose me to join him instead of his other partners. If anyone should be in this pitch meeting, it should be them or Kevin, not me. Mr. Kanian had too much faith in me to trust his instincts. I wasn’t ready for this—not even close. I felt like a vampire being thrown out into the sunlight—doomed from the beginning. When I got off the plane, I suddenly felt dizzy seemingly forgetting to breathe regularly from all the stressful thoughts circling in my head like vultures. After catching my breath for a few seconds, the light headiness subsided and I was able to walk off the plane. After being rejected by love in my life, I now found myself preparing to be shunned by my career too—the only hope I had left.
From the airport, we jumped into another stretch limo that took us directly to the restaurant in downtown San Francisco. With twenty minutes to spare before our meeting, Mr. Kanian briefed me on my role during lunch—as if I didn’t feel enough pressure already.
“Landyn, I need you to answer any questions he might have about our audit process.” He instructed. “How we achieve efficiencies to ensure his personnel can concentrate on running their business without being bogged down with audit requests.”
“I understand.” I nervously replied, trying to read his face for any hints as to the real reason why he asked me to be here.
“Just really drive home how efficient we are—that we understand how their business operates day to day, month to month, quarter to quarter and year to year.” He continued. “That we’re extremely detailed and concise with every audit request we make.”
“Basically, let him know the goal of our audits is to keep their costs down while satisfying our audit objectives.” I added.
“In a nutshell.” He nodded. “If you can provide examples, even better.”
To be competitive in the market place, we worked with low budgets since our firm usually won a client by offering the lowest price. Often times, I felt we shortchanged ourselves, by sacrificing quality for quantity. Staying under budget was impossible for me, but I never billed our clients for the extra work I put in at home on the weekends. I refused to sacrifice the quality of my audits and had to go over budget to achieve it most of the time. Fearing we’d lose out on potential business, I never complained about the time constraints the small budgets put on me. But at times, the stress they caused was overwhelming—a big reason why Sonomas became a weekend hotspot. The opportunity to net a monster catch like CPG would not be possible if we weren’t willing to take a couple hits on low budgeted jobs.
We entered Morelli’s five minutes early, telling the hostess we had reservations but wanted to wait for the other member of our party to arrive before being seated. She couldn’t have been more than nineteen years old, with long straight brown hair, an angelic face and a cute smile. As we stood fifteen feet from the door, Mr. Kanian continued to brief me on CPG, but by this time it was old news to me. As the minutes winded down, I became anxious and felt light headed again. I was now mere minutes away from what I knew would be a career defining moment. All the work I put in over the last six years, to move past what used to consume and drive me in life, was now all on the line. I couldn’t afford to take any steps backwards. A successful career, a promotion to partner was my only hope after love left me behind. There was just so much on the line for me. I’m sure Mr. Kanian felt a lot of pressure, but if he came back without landing CPG as a new client, he was already successful being a partner at KSR. For me, I was on the verge of losing everything I’ve ever worked for. Being successful in business was never as important as being successful in love was for most of my existence on earth. I grew up from those times, though, and all those failures with love led me to this day. If I lost this, only one thing would be certain—I’d never be successful at anything.
At exactly one o’ clock, a tall, lean and well-groomed man, with a briefcase in tow, dressed in a tailor-made navy-blue suit, white shirt and a red tie walked inside the restaurant. I only had a picture to go off from, but I knew who just stepped inside the building. Alan approached this gentleman with a respect all its own and extended his hand out to greet him.
“Mr. Caiaphas.” He acknowledged. “Alan Kanian with KSR.”
“Ah! A pleasure. An absolute pleasure.” He replied, giving him a hearty handshake. “This is mine and my wife’s favorite spot!”
“Laura and I have been here many times and it’s a favorite of ours too.” Responded Alan. “Jackson, this is my associate, Mr. Landyn Lastman. As I mentioned on our phone call, he would be joining us for lunch.”
“Oh, you did bring along the associate I see.” He nodded, extending his hand to mine. “I’m certain you will enjoy the food here.”
“I’m sure of that Mr. Caiaphas.” I smiled, as he shook my hand firmly. “A pleasure to meet you.”
Jackson Caiaphas carried himself with a distinguished dignity, a Presidential quality as he strode through the restaurant to our table. One could easily tell from the very onset he was someone of great importance as he knew the hostess, waiters and waitresses by their first names. He even knew them on a personal level, asking various questions about their lives. As he strode past people seated in their booths, he patted a few on the back. Just walking through the restaurant created a buzz as patrons whispered to each other about who had just walked past them, and likely wondering aloud about who was with him too. After escorting us to our table in a secluded part of the restaurant, he leaned in and lightly pecked the hostess on her cheek. When we were seated, our waitress greeted us and placed a menu in each of our hands. After we thanked the waitress, Mr. Kanian thankfully started to make small talk, something I didn’t do well—especially in this type of setting. Telling of his travels to Italy inspired Mr. Caiaphas to talk of his fondness for the “old” country.
“Ah, yes! My wife and I particularly enjoyed Rome.” Announced Jackson Caiaphas. “We lived off of wine for nearly two weeks there this summer. The food was absolutely extraordinary and the people were delightful.”
“I had the same experience although not for two weeks this past summer.” Laughed Alan.
Mr. Caiaphas smiled at Alan’s candor as he affixed a white cloth napkin upon his lap. Mr. Kanian and I then both followed in kind. A few seconds later, a waiter appeared at our table, presenting our potential client with a bottle of wine.
“Sir, compliments of Mr. Morelli.” Said the gray-haired server who gently handed the bottle to him. “A two thousand nine Screaming Eagle cabernet sauvignon, please enjoy.”
“This is very kind, very kind indeed…thank you.” Replied Mr. Caiaphas as he showed the bottle to us.
When he accepted a bottle of what surely had to be a highly priced wine, I likened it to a scene in “The Godfather”, but the waiter never said he hoped his newborn would be a masculine child. Being around Jackson Caiaphas and feeling a part of his significance, miraculously eased the uncomfortable feelings I had before the meeting. Strangely, I began to feel I actually belonged at the same table. Although we were in our own corner, it seemed everyone in the restaurant knew where we were—their glances over at us revealing their interest. The topic then shifted to a conversation about the best food choices on the menu. When I saw the price for a bottle of Screaming Eagle cabernet sauvignon was nine thousand dollars, I couldn’t get it off my mind as I scanned the menu. After we placed our lunch orders with the waiter, it was time to talk business.
“Thank you for meeting and allowing us an opportunity to talk to you about our audit services.” Started Mr. Kanian as our server placed a basket of bread in front of us.
“I guess since I’ve met you here, we should discuss that.” Smiled Mr. Caiaphas, as he moved the bread basket towards him. I guess the man loved the bread here too.
“We truly value the opportunity you’ve given us today.” Alan continued. “We’d like to ask why you’re leaving your current auditor and what you’re seeking by making a change?”
“Quite frankly, I don’t like the CPA firm we’re using now.” He answered, peeling away the white cloth the bread stayed warm in. “Why, you ask? Other than their fees no longer fitting into our budget, but after fifteen years with them, we’ve received nothing more than an audit.”
“Are you sayin’ they didn’t meet your expectations?” Asked Alan.
“We expect them to perform an audit, but I find it impossible to believe our operational and accounting processes are without fault.” He elaborated, as he took a piece of bread from the basket and halved it with his hands. “They offer no added value to MY Company yet the fees go up each year without valid reasons.”
“I think it’s fair to point out that Sarbanes Oxley caused most CPA firms to raise their prices because the internal control processes needed to be documented. They had to adjust their budgets upwards due to the increased work that needed to be done—most companies had never documented any of their controls.” Mr. Kanian explained, as Mr. Caiaphas pushed the bread basket to him.
“I’m not talking about Sarbanes Oxley, they have always, without fail, raised their fees on us each year. Other than providing us with an audit, where’s the additional value we’re receiving to justify these yearly increases?” Added Mr. Caiaphas, irritably dipping his bread onto a small plate of vinegar and oil. “My employees are constantly bombarded, almost harassed, to fulfill their audit requests each year. They’ve had to work late into the night fulfilling audit requests causing me to pay them overtime on several occasions. The way they run their audits is costing me even more money on top of their fees! It’s criminal!”
Mr. Caiaphas bit into his piece of bread while Alan and I both shook our heads. We couldn’t believe how an audit could be run in such a manner. I wanted to speak out but decided best not to. Watching Mr. Caiaphas eat prompted my stomach to growl, but was too afraid to make a move for the bread basket in front of Mr. Kanian. It seemed bread containers always eluded my reach whenever I went out to Italian restaurants.
“The way this particular firm goes about doing business is not only unacceptable but unethical—it’s maddening to me.” Mr. Caiaphas continued, dipping another piece of bread onto the oil and vinegar dish causing my stomach to growl again—I loved vinegar on bread. “The bottom line is I’m looking to lower what its costing me to get through an audit. I’m too busy to deal with these CPA firms. So…let me ask you this.”
“Certainly.” Said Mr. Kanian as he leaned in.
“What does KSR bring to the table? Do you plan to increase my payroll costs on top of my audit fees too?” He inquired, sardonically. “What do I get for the price of an audit with KSR?”
Mr. Kanian nodded his head without saying a single word as both Mr. Caiaphas and I anxiously waited for a response.
“I’ll let Landyn have the floor on this one.” Mr. Kanian said then turned to me, dipping his hand into the bread basket.
Four sets of eyes, like a pair of owls on a mouse, focused with great anticipation upon me. I tried to hide the fear swelling inside, regardless of its relentlessness within—I could not believe he left this question up to me. I thought he wanted me to be a partner at the firm, not a casualty! How could Mr. Kanian have this much confidence in me? Did we never have a chance for the account to begin with and this was just a trial by fire? Did he even realize we arrived in a kayak to catch a whale? How could he put the future of the firm, and all of its employees, in the hands of an associate? It didn’t matter how prepared I felt, one wrong answer from this lowly apprentice and this meeting was adjourned. I looked directly at Mr. Caiaphas noticing his eyes awaiting a response I didn’t know the answer to. If I didn’t belong at this table, the look in his dark brown eyes only confirmed it.
“Well then, let’s hear what the associate, whom I’m assuming is just one of many staff accountants at your firm, has to say.” Declared a scathingly skeptical Mr. Caiaphas that caused me to feel light headed again. If I didn’t know what to say to someone who was likely a master negotiator, I surely questioned myself now.
“Actually, Landyn is a Senior Manager at our firm…” countered Mr. Kanian. “and he is very knowledgeable about many of the accounting issues affecting companies in your industry. He specializes in property accounting and is more than qualified to address your concerns.”
“Let’s hear it then.” Said Mr. Caiaphas, turning his attention back to me.
“Well, Mr. Caiaphas…” I started.
“Kai…ah…Fuss.” He pronounced. “Mr. Cai…a…phas.”
“Please pardon me, Mr. Caiaphas.” Quickly responding and correcting my pronunciation of Kaya Fuss—a major detail I fumbled. This wasn’t the way to start the end of my career. Gathering myself, I proceeded with even more caution. “I’ve been with KSR for six years now—tackling many complicated audits over that time. I’m sure Mr. Kanian could attest I’m comfortable working with small budget engagements.”
“Why would that concern me?” He demanded.
“I just know our fees will be competitive, if not the lowest you’ll find out there.” I answered confidently knowing without a doubt that was true. “We know you don’t make money to pay for audit fees. If you’re business isn’t successful, neither are we.”
“What would be the difference between KSR and another firm out there? I’m lookin’ for a cost effective audit—not just a low cost one.”
“The difference between us and other firms, including the one firm you currently use, is that we truly put an emphasis on finding what your expectations are in the beginning and then try not just to meet them, but to exceed them. That includes providing a high quality, cost effective audit at a low price.”
“That all sounds fine and dandy, but we’re being greatly inconvenienced each and every year with these audits. How would KSR be different from the firm I’m currently shellin’ out all this money to?” He asked, as I noticed having another piece of bread was the furthest thing from his mind.
“You’re right, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn most audit firms inconvenience their clients by asking for documents they’ve already sent them. I can tell you, KSR has a more proactive audit approach than a reactive one.” I explained. “Everything requested from a client has to go through our managers first before they are asked by an audit staff to provide it. We have a strong document control system that ensures there are efficiencies from our side. We know you have a business to run during an audit and by using a proactive planning approach, this helps ensure you can stay focused on running your business instead of fulfilling back end audit requests.”
“What do you personally bring to the table?” Haughtily inquired Mr. Caiaphas. “What qualifies you to handle our audit? What do you know about the private side if you’re just a public accountant?”
“I’ve worked at a private company for five years before joining KSR.” I smiled recalling my prank phone call that almost destroyed my career. Now I know why I answered the fax advertisement that day—its memory calmed my nerves during my career’s most defining moment. “Believe me, I’ve also gone through what you have during the audit process. It always unnerved me to be pulled away from my work for no legitimate reason. Giving an auditor the same document, they asked me for two weeks earlier, used to frustrate the hell out of me. So…I understand how you feel from my past experience in the private sector.”
I could notice a small shift in his expression—an opening I had to seize.
“I take great pride not bothering my client’s employees during an audit.” I continued. “I want to get in and out of there as badly as they want me in and out of there. I can assure that you will never accumulate added payroll costs with a KSR audit because I’ve been on your side before.”
“You can assure me? How do you go about doing that?”
“At the beginning of each audit, I create an extremely detailed list of items needed, tailor made to your balance sheet. Each day during the audit, I’ll report our progress to you to make sure we’re on track and your expectations for the audit are in line.”
“Where’s the extra added value though?” He responded, hammering me with a gotcha question. “I guess so much for exceeding expectations.”
“KSR has developed additional audit tests we perform, at no extra charge to you, that we obtain from documents you would’ve already provided to us. They are designed to detect for fraud you may be unaware of—like an employee embezzling from the company. These added procedures can’t guarantee we’ll discover fraud, but it does increase the chances it could be caught. We also put together a performance report for each client after an audit, highlighting ratios and key performance indicators to help show how your business is doing and where it is likely heading. We also make recommendations if we come across anything during the audit that could improve your processes.”
“And this is at no extra charge?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“At no extra personnel cost?”
“That’s correct.”
Jackson Caiaphas leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. Unable to shift my eyes to Mr. Kanian, I couldn’t tell what he was doing or thinking. Without a consensus to know if all I said was good or bad, I couldn’t take a chance of falling short—I had to up the ante. If my career was over, I had no choice but to go out with a bang.
“Personally, and with all due respect, I feel you’d be makin’ a terrible decision by going with another firm.” I declared. “You’ll notice a definite difference in your first audit with us. I truly believe you’ll thank Mr. Kanian one day if you gave us the opportunity.”
Mr. Caiaphas kept his eyes on me, expecting me to waver or to look away, after making such a proclamation. I could even feel Mr. Kanian’s eyes bearing through my skull—we were a very conservative firm who never guaranteed such things. The problem was my foot was on the gas and I had to try to take this job all the way home to KSR where it belonged. When Jackson Caiaphas began to shake his head, I felt another failure in a life full of them, fall upon me. All I could do was sigh in resignation.
“That’s quite the pitch.” Stated Mr. Caiaphas, bringing his arms upon the table and leaning in. “Quite the pitch indeed—I must say I’m intrigued. How much are we talkin’ here?”
“How does your balance sheet look?” Mr. Kanian wondered, putting down a piece of his bread back upon its dish.
“I’ll tell you what.” Said Mr. Caiaphas, opening his briefcase and handing Mr. Kanian a two-sheet document. “Here you go…You tell me.”
Without hesitating, Mr. Kanian quickly handed it to me and smirked at Mr. Caiaphas. At this time, our food also arrived, buying me some extra time to study each line item. A few minutes later, I handed it back to Mr. Kanian.
“I see extensive cash and revenue testing. There’s no inventory of course, but there’s a lot of AR and could be derivatives within the notes payables that may need to be vetted out.” I ascertained. “There’s also a line of credit so we’ll have bank covenant calculations. Other than that, it looks pretty basic.”
Alan nodded his head in accordance with my assessment and then addressed Mr. Caiaphas as he handed him back the document.
“How much is your current auditor charging you?” Alan inquired.
“Three hundred thousand.”
“Per yearly audit?” Questioned Mr. Kanian with a hint of incredulity.
“We have several subsidiaries.” Mr. Caiaphas exclaimed, folding his arms across his chest again. “I gave you a consolidated balance sheet.”
Mr. Kanian then looked back over to me.
“Two.” I stated.
“If we could save you a hundred thousand dollars on your next audit….” Alan smiled, his eyes shifting from his plate of risotto to Mr. Caiaphas. “would you be interested in signing an engagement letter with KSR to have us do the work?”
He grinned at both of us and slowly leaned back.
“Very. I’ll present your proposal to the Board next week.”
“Of course, we’ll send you a formal engagement letter first thing in the morning so you’ll have something to present to them.” Assured Mr. Kanian.
“Excellent.”
I wasn’t sure if I could breathe a sigh of relief or feel more anxiety until Mr. Caiaphas put it all in proper perspective for me.
“Let’s open that bottle of wine, shall we?” He exclaimed.
As he did the honor of uncorking the wine bottle, I breathed one of the greatest sighs of relief in history. After he poured us each a generous glass, Mr. Caiaphas voluntarily spoke about his life.
“You’re lookin’ at a self-made success.” He proclaimed, taking a sip from his wine glass as we did the same. “Of course, I’ve eaten some people on my way up, but I don’t apologize for anything—it’s just the business of politics. It’s never personal, it’s business. Unless someone makes it personal…then I must take care of business.”
We all laughed together after he made that statement even though I didn’t understand where it came from.
“I can tell you I’m more revered than hated. After all, one has to know you can’t make everyone happy in this world.” He stated, taking another sip from his glass. “How do you like the wine?”
“It’s excellent.” Declared Alan.
“It’s very good.” I replied honestly, definitely the best I’ve ever tasted.
“Mmm…a bit minty but maintains its elegance—I’ve had better.” Added Mr. Caiaphas. “As you know, commercial property is huge in Orange County—it’s a serious business. When you own most of it, people come at you from every direction—all wanting a piece of something they can’t get their hands on. And trust me, they’re willing to take every piece of you to get it, too.”
“When did you acquire your first piece of property?” Mr. Kanian inquired, as he dug his fork into his hot food.
“In nineteen eighty-five with the inheritance money my father left me after he passed—God rest his soul.” Answered Mr. Caiaphas. “It was a small building with just a few floors. I achieved hundred percent tenancy in the third year I acquired it, locking in most of the leases on ten-year terms—it pretty much paid for itself. To be frank, I never thought it would. For the first two years, even buying a morning cup of coffee was a struggle.”
Mr. Caiaphas’s humble beginnings seemed to mirror Mr. Kanian’s, leaving me even more impressed.
“I then picked up another commercial building a few short years later in developing Irvine.” He continued, neglecting his hot plate of rigatoni. “At that point I generated investor interest due to the success I was having enabling me to acquire three large thirty floor commercial buildings in Irvine with their funds. After incorporating in nineteen ninety-five, I sold my first acquisition for twenty times the amount I paid for it, reinvesting that money into more office buildings.”
“Sounds like you took advantage of Section Ten Thirty-One.” I smiled, finally brave enough to stick a fork into my mozzarella portobellas entree.
“That’s exactly what I did.” Mr. Caiaphas informed me. “I put all my resources into developing Irvine and other parts of Orange County. Since then I’ve acquired buildings in downtown Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. I now own over fifty commercial office buildings, achieving an average of ninety percent tenancy with most of those leases being fifteen years or longer.”
“Do you own office buildings in Arizona and Nevada as well?” Asked Alan. “I thought I read you did.”
“I just own multi-family properties in Arizona and Nevada right now. I have plans to open office buildings there in the future though.”
“That’s just so impressive and inspiring.” I broke, recognizing how achieving high tenancy rates and also securing those in long-term leases took great resolve and negotiating ability. His passion for the commercial real estate business just blew me away.
“It wasn’t by any stroke of luck…I can assure you.” He added as he poured himself another glass of wine. “I had to work many years before I saw my first opportunity and when I did, I seized it. I’m thankful for where I am and I give back when I can, being active in many philanthropic endeavors.”
“We have some non-profit organizations we work with.” Interjected Mr. Kanian. “Are you involved with any such organizations?”
“The American Cancer Society. Red Cross. Goodwill. The Temple by my home.” He said. “I wish I could volunteer more time, but when duty calls, I have to fly back up here at least a day or two each week.”
Mr. Caiaphas was a hundred times the man I could ever be. The way he spoke. The manner in which he worked. How his every move seemed to be formulated precisely to ensure his success. He even found the time to give his life to others while I claimed every single second after work for myself. I needed to get in his head. How was he able to be successful even while sacrificing much of his life for others?
“Mr. Caiaphas, if you don’t mind me asking, what is your mindset? How are you able to be so successful regardless of all the time you give to others?
Mr. Caiaphas took a sip from his wine, and with furrowed eyebrows leaned in to answer my question.
“When I see somethin’ I want, I don’t wait…I don’t ask—I just take it.” He responded. “The minute I want it, is the very minute it’s mine.”
“How does it come so easy for you…with so much on your plate?” I wondered purely fascinated.
Mr. Caiaphas turned to Mr. Kanian and smiled, then returned to face me. He leaned back and moved his neck, I assumed out of stiffness. As he sat straight up and flattened his tie with his hands, he began to speak.
“What’s your name again?” He asked. “Landman?”
“Oh, no it’s Landyn.” I politely corrected him.
Jackson Caiaphas then extended his right hand out across the table.
“This ring on my finger?” His question directed at me.
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’ve been married for a long time, I’m now fifty-one years young and have children of my own. I’m a family man…every single thing I do is for my family. Building a strong family name is something I take great pride in and work very hard at. Providing security for my family is what drives me.”
His words made a lot of sense to me. I could see how his ambition and drive was connected to a great love for his family—the one thing I’ve always wanted in life.
“Being a true role model is very important to me. I’ve sustained great success over time because of it.” He continued. “Carrying a heavy burden of responsibility to my family, I felt the need to run for a seat on the city council in San Francisco.”
“Don’t you have to live in San Francisco to run for its city council?” Asked Mr. Kanian.
“I have a residence here from an inheritance. I also have many connections to San Francisco through Orange County.” He explained. “Many people advised me to run for a congressional seat, but I had to drum up a ton of financial support for my campaign to do so. I’m extremely fortunate to have neighbors and friends donate so generously. Once they knew I wanted to run, it was easy for me. It also helped knowing Nancy—she encouraged me.”
“Pelosi encouraged you to run?” Asked Mr. Kanian, taking a sip from his wine glass. “It’s interesting because she’s a democrat and you’re a republican.”
“We naturally stand apart on some issues but in the end, we’re both politicians.” He said. “She made sure I didn’t run against her. She encouraged me to run for another district’s congressional seat.”
“She’s pretty popular.” I said, trying to show off the researching I did earlier. “She’s held District Eight for fourteen years now.”
Mr. Caiaphas put his lips to his wine glass and slowly slid them off before he responded.
“When I want something—I always get it. I did her a favor by running for District Fourteen…and she knows that. Otherwise, she’d no longer be in power.”
“Isn’t the district, you’re running for, the third wealthiest in the country?” I asked, still mystified how Jackson’s palate was so refined he could taste the mint in the wine…I couldn’t taste it.
“That’s because it covers San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz.” He smiled. “For that reason alone, District Fourteen was much more attractive to run for than District Eight.”
“Sounds like there’s no way you can lose.” I remarked.
“If you want something in life, you must envision it and then you go for it even if the odds are stacked against you...regardless of all circumstances.” He advised, as he swirled the wine around in his glass. “I’ve helped create jobs and build businesses…I’m revered here and in many other counties in NorCal. I’ve leased office space to government officials and have built many personal relationships with police superintendents, D.A.’s, city prosecutors, superior court judges and mayors over the years. As a moderate conservative, I’ve received mostly bipartisan support. Losing is not in my DNA—I like winning too much.”
“Sounds like you should be running for the White House.” Grinned Mr. Kanian. “You could help with all the gridlock.”
“Who knows?” He laughed. “I may very well take up residence at sixteen hundred Pennsylvania Avenue one day.”
“Wouldn’t that be something?” Chuckled Mr. Kanian while taking another piece of bread from the basket.
“Do you know the governor?” I inquired.
“Indeed…my wife and I had the honor of dining with Governor Schwarzenegger just the other evening.” He detailed, as he adjusted one of his gold cufflinks. “He sought my counsel on a city attorney who’s up for a judiciary seat this year…very casually I must add.”
Upon learning he dined with “The Terminator” himself, even Chuck Norris had nothing on Jackson Caiaphas at this point. Before I could ask him a follow-up question, he fed us another tidbit of information.
“About a month ago, my lovely wife and I went to a cocktail party attended by many of music and Hollywood’s finest. It was actually a charity function.” He announced. “A musician, who I’ve gotten to know over the years, insisted on returning a favor for allowing him to have a three-month lease on an open office space I had. I even had it soundproofed for him at no extra charge so he could finish recording his latest CD. Since my wife’s birthday was coming up and she adores his music, he promised he’d make it a night she wouldn’t forget if she wanted to catch one of his shows. Needless to say, I love my wife so much that I took him up on the offer.”
“If my wife ever finds out about this story of yours, she’ll leave me.” Joked Mr. Kanian.
“Being the perfect husband isn’t easy!” Mr. Caiaphas proudly bellowed. “But a happy wife equals a happy life, right?”
“It sure does.” Smiled Mr. Kanian as he nudged me on the arm. “I hope you’re taking notes.”
“I’d still fall short.” I smiled back, wishing I had the opportunity to be a good husband one day but knowing it was a pipe dream I used to have.
“It’s all about building and cementing relationships with the people around you.” Reiterated Mr. Caiaphas. “I didn’t go to Harvard or Yale. I went to a small college in Irvine—Concordia. I’ve learned over the years, in this life, it’s not what you know but who you know, and because of that, I’ll soon be sitting on the House of Representatives representing California’s Fourteenth District.”
Although I hated politics, and disliked people who boasted just as much, if not more, all I could do was sit there in awe. I knew humility mattered; I’ve been humbled my entire life. It’s supposed to matter, but I was neither envious or jealous of those who succeeded in life. Those who were, could never understand all the hard work and sacrifices that went into being successful—how many times they failed in life before they made it. How many times they felt like giving up but never quit—the difference between winning and losing in life. Mr. Caiaphas didn’t owe anyone his humility…especially me. He shouldn’t have to apologize to those less successful than he was. We all make bad decisions in life, but Jackson took responsibility for his while the envious never do. He owed them, including me, nothing. Although I’ve seen the worst side of people, I still always looked for the good in them. I didn’t mind that he referred to me as “Landman”. It’s easier for me to remember names—I hardly know a hundredth of the people he did. Needless to say, I represented a liability to him, not an asset anyway—why would he want to know my name after all the prior bad luck with his auditors? I felt confident he would remember my name one day and I looked forward to earning his respect. I could only pay homage to a man who worked hard, respected his wife, loved his family, knew what he wanted in life and put that all together to become successful. After hearing of his accomplishments, witnessing his charisma first hand and how impressionable he was on others, it left me with zero doubt he would be elected to Congress next year. He also left me with zero doubt, he’d have all he wanted in life, even those things he didn’t know he wanted yet. But I also had no doubt, I could never attain the same success of a man of such a high caliber as Jackson Caiaphas. All I could do was raise a glass in celebration of him, like those around us seemed to do on this day.