Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Chapter 23

“Developing new products called for fresh components, and back in the day, what you called innovation was siphoning off resources from other parts of Integral Elements Inc., causing the original production lines to operate below capacity. Plus, you went ahead and splurged on some fancy new production machinery, which sent costs skyrocketing and profits tumbling down. Open innovation turned into a pretty facade for haphazard experimentation. Quality parts, that’s where Integral Elements Inc. really shines. You’re on Dorsey International’s radar because of that unwavering quality. But aiming for the untapped education market? You strayed from your main game five years ago.

Brielle’s voice was steady, her fingers tapping lightly on her laptop, filled with all the datal she’d compiled for Integral Elements Inc.

“Mr. Tanner, you should know that if someone opens a burger joint in a small town, the business model isn’t one-size-fits-all. Because if that person tries to set up shop in another town, there’s a good chance they’ll find another burger joint already flipping patties, and suddenly there’s nothing special about the original place. It’s the uniqueness that’s the real deal.”

“Mr. Tanner, the initial interview was very enlightening for me. The reporter asked you a question about the business boundaries of Integral Elements Inc. Do you recall that?”

It was the company’s first brush with the press. Tanner was a self-made man, riding high

at the time.

How had he responded? He said too many folks focused on boundaries, not the core.

is-the farther from the core, the less the pull.

put such stock in a company’s core, but success can blind you. After many years, for the first time,

realization and amazement crossed Tanner’s eyes before he finally asked, “Ms. Brielle, when do you

“If all goes

here’s to

coffee, her phone. chiming with a bank transfer notification. The funds had gone to charity, leaving her account just shy of

never mattered much to her. Other than her modest apartment,

1/2

16.06

everything to charity.

was on the brink

felt indebted, so most of her paycheck went to living expenses

years, she hadn’t

salary from Dorsey International was decent, but even after three

her phone showed today was Miranda’s birthday. Having lived with the Haywood family for over a decade, it was still necessary to buy gifts, but even if she spent the whole twenty grand, Miranda probably