Chapter 19: Everything changed

Four years later

“Well, what are we looking at?” I asked as Marlo, my cousin, projected his presentation on the screen for me and the eight other board members to see.

“Expansion, Ms. Garcia,” he answered. “The Garcia Group has dominated the European market since its inception. I believe it is time to expand.” He concluded with pride that I couldn’t wait to tear down.

“We are the most dominant financial firm in Athens, Paris, Australia, and South Africa,” Kian Lopez, a board member, countered. He, too, seemed not to get the point Marlo wanted to make.

“They aren’t the biggest market; the United States is,” Marlo argued.

His research plan was half-baked at best, and he wanted us to run in and approve it just because he presented it.

“The United States market isn’t the best place to expand, at least not with your presentation. We don’t just look at the country’s market size and decide on expanding our firm. We look at economic stability, security, competition, the availability of resour