Third Shift Entrepreneur

Chapter 9The Space to Discover

Matt spent a full day at the office. It was as if the workload had caught up with him after a couple of days of being mentally checked out of work and checked into the Third Shift Entrepreneur group. He had lost track of time and had spent the better part of the afternoon in his office with the door closed, cranking through PowerPoint presentations and client deliverables. When he looked up, he realized it was 6:20 p.m. He put his things together, including some work to take home, and dashed out of the office to make the 7:00 p.m. event that Kenneth invited him to. Though he didn't know a lot, or anything for that matter, about what to expect at the event, he knew he had to be on time.

Matt jumped in a cab and gave the address. He recognized the neighborhood, a swanky part of the Near North Side of the city where people lived in four-story row homes on tree-lined streets even though they were only blocks away from piercing skyscrapers. “Here we are,” offered the cab driver. Upon arrival, Matt took in the broad and dramatic poured-concrete staircase that led up to an oversized oak door with a brass knocker the size of his fist. Gas-fired lamps flickered on either side of the door, and Matt could hear people bustling about as classical music emanated from within.

As Matt stood there, the door swung open as a woman propped it open with one hand while holding a tray of champagne with the other. “Welcome. Please come in.”

Matt stepped into the house, ...