If You Get the Chance to Ask…
One thing I’ve learned is that when you meet someone new, particularly if it’s a business introduction, it may end up being the only time you ever talk to that person, so if there is something interesting about them, you should ask about it, because you may never get another chance. And this is how I ended up derailing a conversation between Emily and I and an investment banker when, in the course of telling us about his background, he said that he had worked in the accounting department at Enron from 1996 to 2001.
You know, 2001? When that entire company collapsed amid a massive accounting scandal.
“You worked at Enron from 1996 to 2001?” I asked.
“Yes,” he confirmed.
“What was that like?” I got out before Emily kicked me under the table.
“Uh, stressful,” he replied.
“Could you tell? Did you know?”
He said, “No, not really, I wasn’t in the top levels, but I did start to think something was odd when I saw what the company was valuing its Venezuelan investments at. I mean, Chavez had just taken power and it didn’t seem like they could be worth much. But that’s why I got subpoenaed by the Department of Justice?
“You got subpoenaed by the Department of Justice!?” I spit out.
At this point, Emily was not amused. Breakfast was close to over and we knew nothing more about the deal he was there to tell us about. But this was too good.
“So what was that like?” I continued before she could redirect.
“Uh, stressful,” he repeated. “I went in there without a lawyer thinking it would be a pretty straightforward conversation since I didn’t know very much.”
“Was it?”
“No.”
“Hmm. What’d you learn?”
“Well,” he thought it over, clearly reliving the experience in his mind. “I learned to never again respond to a Department of Justice subpoena without a lawyer.”
And that, I thought, was a pretty good learning to get and well worth the time spent getting it. That said, we also didn’t get the deal.
Have a great weekend.
-Tim
