PhD

My foot was tapping wildly before the American Airlines counter, and I was watching for my husband to come out of the terminal. He would be stopping for coffee or maybe a snack before checking his bag. I never understood why he needed such a heavy box lunch to get through the day.

My hair was pinned up today, and my taupe business suit with fitted jacket was complemented by matching high heels. Every hair in place, I was ready for the presentation by one of our largest customers — the biggest challenge for our two-year-old company in many ways. The project would go over the food options for new employees at this major airline company's four different headquarters locations around the country. We had the logistics tracking data from the company's HR department, and our goal was to offer a variety of healthy, easy-to-transport choices.

I had met Joseph as an exchange student in college, and we married soon after I got back home to San Francisco. He was working on his PhD at the time, and we both stayed in the area as the Bay Area is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. I learned about his family's restaurant business and the dozens of cafés they operated throughout the Bay Area and even one restaurant in San Jose, far north of where we lived. He worked for the family business for a few years, and we eventually started our own small company, developing a line of food delivery services. We were rapidly succeeding in this field, and the contract with this particular airline would be the crown jewel of our business. Our first two years of marriage were a whirlwind of all the hard work of our startup, and the past year was progressing better than I could have imagined.

In my family, businesses were acquired by other companies, and it was rare to see a family-owned enterprise go beyond third or fourth generation. We were the exception to the rule, but I was proud of what we had built. Joseph was a great boss, great to work with and respected by everyone on our staff. The contracts were hard won, and I was proud of the way I developed and presented the materials. Two years of marriage, and I already had the best husband in the world.

Joseph Starling first entered my life when I was a junior in high school, and he was a senior. His father and grandfather started the small business in San Francisco, but Joseph was the first one in his family to go to college. They were a very tight, focused family, and it was fun to see how many restaurants they had in the city. The corporate headquarters was in the city, so we were rarely in touch once he went off to college.

He made a vibrant impression on my senior year in high school as a quick thinker, smart, and strong. I knew he was headed for MIT after high school, and when we met at a party at our college, I was impressed by his intellect and his ability to find interesting interests outside his family business. I fell deeply in love with my partner in a very short time, and we entered a marriage based on passion and shared goals.

Joseph was always fun in a playful way, and we were a team. He was quick to jump from one thing to another, and he was fascinated by new adventures. It was fun to be with him, as he was full of ideas. He read voraciously, followed sports, and kept up with technology and other news. We did not travel as much as we soon hoped to leave the family business behind, and we concentrated on our startup.

Since we started our business, Joseph rarely had to work for the family business, which grew mostly with Joseph being there. He had a way of talking with customers that appealed to them so they would buy, and he worked to encourage them to collaborate as a team, resulting in long-term contracts going beyond the family into the second or even third generation. The airlines loved him, and he was well-respected among the service staff. We were growing fast, and we expected to take our business public in many months.

Our contract with the airlines was due in two days, and I was impressed by our presentation. I was proud of the written materials that we had worked on over six months, and I was looking forward to seeing the promotion in person. Several meetings with the airline travel professionals had encouraged us to make our presentation as much like a deli as possible, avoiding salads, sandwiches, and other typical food choices for the airlines. We wanted to highlight the healthy and convenient options, which happened to be gluten-free, especially since this company specialized in catering to dietary requirements. In this day with so many food allergies, the airlines were looking to enhance their options.

I was given less than two weeks for this presentation, which was a huge challenge for me, though I was used to pressure. I started the process by going to lunch or ordering take-out from their four different restaurants around the country. I carefully listed every item that was gluten-free, and I kept a tally of the options. Then, I made sure to include many delicious and nutritious meals that would be easy to travel with. I was more frustrated with the food available through delivery, and we would make adjustments there. I also made sure to bring by the bakery items that were a part of this group.