GARY: Hey Cindy, remember the other day when we were talking about optimizations?

CINDY: Yeah, I wanted to circle back on that.

GARY: Me too. You said you wanted to see hockey-stick growth. Well, I’ve realized that I want to see hockey-stick growth too—in our relationship.

CINDY: Unpack that for me.

GARY: This relationship has been such a value-add. Some of my friends were worried that it would take too long for us to get into alignment. But you have been an absolute rockstar.

CINDY: I feel the same way, Gary. The ROI on this relationship has been unbelievable. You’ve really given 110 percent.

GARY: So I wanted to close the loop. In addition to the other deliverables, I have one more. (He takes a knee, and holds out his hand.) It’s this wedding ring. Cindy, will you marry me?

CINDY: I will, Gary. You have been an absolute ninja. This moves the needle in a significant way.

GARY: Getting married will represent a huge pivot, but I see it as a quick win, and a real solve.

CINDY: Me too. And we can talk about this later, but—I do want to make sure we go forward with a single source of truth.

GARY: Break that down for me.

CINDY: I used to be with a guy who was full of valuable insights—but his insights weren’t actionable, let alone fundable.

GARY: Sounds like low-hanging fruit.

CINDY: He was. And I know you’re different. The synergy is unbelievable. But I want to make sure we stay focused on core values. Which, for me, comes down to the bottom line.

GARY: By bottom line, you’re talking about the financials?

CINDY: Not having enough spend was a big pain point for me. I don’t know how else to say it. You’re more than your financials, but you’re not less than them.

(Long pause.)

GARY: I think I understand.

CINDY: Just wanted to touch base on how you’re feeling about that.

GARY: Well, look. We both know the importance of data-driven insights. So I think I’ve got a solve. What if we set up a weekly one-on-one to check in and stack hands on the financials as we start to plan for our new normal?

CINDY: I would love that. But I’m so sorry, I have a three-thirty.

GARY: Okay, let’s table this for now. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

CINDY: Sounds good. Let’s circle back tonight, and we can action on our solve.