Hi, I don’t know if you guys enjoy personal stories or not, but I thought I’d share my little story about a business where I worked a couple years ago, and the tragic stories of the two business partners who ran the company. I’m keeping some details about the nature of the business and the characters involved intentionally vague, just in case.

Boss # 1 was the primary investor behind the company, he financed the operation and paid all the bills, but had other work and didn’t spend much time around us. He and his wife had dreamed of running a business together, and so he bought the place, hoping to turn it into the family business and live out his days working there with his wife, and someday in the future, his children. However, after one or two shifts, his wife decided that she had no interest in working there and quit, leaving him without a partner and in substantial debt. He had to find some kind of situation to try to salvage the business, so he worked out a deal with another local businessman(Boss #2) who had fallen on some hard times.

Boss #2 was a much older gentleman, who had lived one hell of a life. He was born into severe poverty, but had an incredible work ethic and an undying sense of cheerfulness. He was a college athlete, a first generation college grad, and a very successful businessman, sending his children to Ivy League schools and retiring a very well to do man. That was until his wife of decades decided that she wasn’t feeling satisfied anymore, and took everything that he had worked for. He ended up homeless, living out of an ancient Honda Civic that had 400,000 miles on it. Luckily, was able to contact Boss #1, and they were able to work out a deal. Boss #2 ran the business, but it barely broke even, and he wasn’t even paid by the hour, his pay was food, a place to sleep (basically a shed) and some pocket change that got his car to and from work. He was over 70 years old and worked all business hours, over 80 hours a week. He noticed a lump on his neck, but ignored it because he didn’t have the money to get it checked out, and he continued to work insane hours. Finally, it got bad enough that he decided to ask for some help from others, and he was able to get his lump examined. Sure enough, cancer. He was a bit of a beloved character in the community, and was able to scrounge up enough money from several generous donors to pay for treatments, but they were to no avail, after several months he finally passed away. Boss #1 kept the business open as long as Boss #2 was alive, but soon after his death, we closed our doors for the last time.

As far as I know, Boss #1 is still married, but every time I see him, he tells me “never get married.”