Richard was very nervous at the restaurant. He kept looking across the table at Kate as the couple ate dessert. She needed to be comfortable, as Richard was minutes away from asking her the question.
Kate, on the other hand, was as calm as ever. She was eating her favorite ice cream in small spoonfuls so Richard would have time to calm down. She knew what was coming.
“Richard!” Kate interrupted Richard’s thoughts with her calm voice. She smiled at him and said, “Just ask.”
Richard pulled a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee. Everyone in the restaurant applauded after Kate said “yes.”
Richard heard some of them snicker when they noticed the modest size of the stone. But Kate was the last person to care about the size of the gemstone, or the fact that it wasn’t even a real diamond. She loved Richard, and that’s all that mattered to her.
Richard came from a modest background and had recently made some changes in his life. He had found a steady job in the city and had moved there two weeks ago. Kate, on the other hand, remained in the suburbs.
Richard was thrilled that Kate had accepted his proposal. After their romantic date, they had to go their separate ways. Richard dropped his fiancée off at her house and went into town.
It was the happiest day of his life. But it didn’t last long.
The blinding flash of a truck coming from the opposite direction was enough to make Richard lose control of his car. He swerved and crashed hard into a tree on the side of the road.
Richard woke up in the hospital. Doctors told him that he had suffered severe damage to his spine and was paralyzed from the waist down. Richard was devastated when the doctors said they weren’t sure he would ever walk again.
A few hours before, he was thrilled to be starting a new life with Kate. But now he was in a wheelchair. He burst into tears, thinking he was about to lose her. He didn’t think Kate would want to live the rest of her life with a disabled person; he wouldn’t want her to live like this either.
When Kate arrived at the hospital, Richard was ready to let her end their relationship.
Kate took a cab to the hospital after receiving the news of Richard’s accident.
“I’m looking for Richard Garner,” Kate asked the information desk.
The hospital employee replied:
“Ma’am, he just came out of surgery, and we can only allow his loved ones to visit the intensive care unit.”
“I’m going, I’m his fiancée,” Kate said. Then she rushed to the next floor.
When she reached the ICU floor, the doctors informed her of Richard’s condition. Kate held her head in despair.
“Is he awake now?” she asked the surgeon.
“Yes. But we just gave him the news a few minutes ago,” he replied.
“Move over, please. I need to be with my fiancé,” Kate gently pushed the doctor aside and rushed to Richard’s room.
When Kate entered Richard’s room, she saw him hiding his face and sobbing. She was heartbroken to see the love of her life crying, helpless in the wake of a terrible tragedy. She ran to him and hugged him.
Both Richard and Kate let out their emotion, crying. After a minute, Richard wiped away his tears, calmed down and said:
“I’m sorry, Kate. You know I love you. But I want the best for you. This accident also means I won’t have a job after I get out of here. So, please, go…”
“That’s enough, Richard,” Kate stopped him. “Our love is stronger than ever, isn’t it? We’ll get through this together. And don’t forget, the ‘best for me’ is right here,” Kate said, putting her hand on Richard’s chest.
Richard was moved by Kate’s love for him. She decided to marry Richard despite his unfavorable prognosis. She was committed to the relationship they both shared.
Richard and Kate were married in a quiet courthouse ceremony with a few friends in attendance. They were thrilled to get married, but knew they had more important things to focus on.
And instead of having a wedding reception with their friends, the newlyweds went straight to a small local restaurant with a notebook and pen. They decided to plan their future by setting small goals. The restaurant was relatively empty, so the couple got the best seats.
“Richard! Remember how you always talked about running your own business?”, Kate asked as she played with the pen that hovered over a blank page.
Richard chuckled, “Yeah, that was a long time ago, when I was young and stupid. It’s not easy running a business, especially without money. We’re struggling to make ends meet, so where do we get the money to pay employees and staff?”
“Hmm!” thought Kate. “But, do we really need employees? Can’t we just start at the ‘low end’? Like, say, a freelancer?”
Richard realized that Kate was right. “Sure. But my last job was as a courier at this advertising company, and I don’t think that would make a great freelance job; especially now that I’m stuck in a wheelchair.”
Kate shrugged at Richard’s statement.
“Forget about this job. Didn’t you take the branding and marketing class last year before you took this job? You can sell this as a service, right?” she asked.
“Yes, but big companies only want to hire other big companies. They wouldn’t come to an entry-level freelancer like me.”, Richard replied.
“Again, Richard. Take small steps. Forget about the big companies. Look at this restaurant. Now, why is this restaurant empty? Why can’t they get customers? What can they do to get more customers? Can they solve this problem?” added Kate.
Richard’s eyes lit up. The restaurant was a great case study in branding and marketing. He quickly grabbed Kate’s pen and notebook and started writing.
For the next half hour, Richard listed all the areas the restaurant could work on. He also added solutions to each problem and how much it would cost to solve them. On top of that, he created a six-month plan for the restaurant to work on their problems in stages. This would help them solve all of the problems without having to invest all of their money immediately.
Kate was amazed by Richard’s thoroughness, and she was proud of him for meeting a challenge without any problems.
When Kate showed the restaurant owner, Mr. Simmons, Richard’s branding and marketing strategy, he was impressed. He hired Richard as a contract consultant. Kate and Richard had a business model that worked and even landed their first customer during lunch.
The restaurant showed an improvement in sales just after the first month. There were more customers, and Simmons was thrilled. He even gave Richard a bonus check and spread the word about his services.
Soon, Richard had several clients. At first he hired freelancers, but eventually he had enough money to start his own business and hire employees. Small steps helped him run a successful business.
A year later, Richard’s business had clients all over town. And it wasn’t long before it went national. He even bought out the advertising company he worked for before his accident.
After three years, Richard’s business was worth millions. He decided to take Kate, for their third anniversary, to the same restaurant where they had conceived their business plan.
The restaurant had also grown. It became famous because it was the birthplace of Kate and Richard’s multi-million dollar business.
When new CEO Richard walked into the restaurant with his wife Kate, they received a lavish welcome. Business partners and investors cheered them on as their third anniversary celebrations began.
The business partners asked Richard to make a speech, which he did.
“Friends, today is a day we all rejoice. Our company is doing well, and there are many more milestones ahead. This success belongs to every employee who has put their creativity, hard work and dedication into the company.” Richard’s words were met with thunderous applause.
“However, I would like to tell you the real reason for the company’s success. She’s sitting here, right next to me.” Richard pointed to Kate, who was embarrassed by Richard’s effusive speech.
“Without Kate, there would be no company, and this big step, this dream that brought us all together, we owe it to her. I also wouldn’t be speaking in front of you if it weren’t for her. Without her, I would have been living in misery for the rest of my life.”
” Kate saw the potential in a man in a wheelchair who was lost in his own misery. Without her, I would have been crushed under the mountain of my pain. She taught me to take small steps to climb my mountain.”
“And that’s the value I’ve instituted in this business. In other words, Kate’s wisdom and confidence is the real reason this business is successful. People don’t believe me when I tell them, but it’s true – she made me a millionaire.”
