Looking at me, it's hard to believe that actually I'm a middle-aged businessman. It's all the result of FOSE, where due to a careless thought, I swapped bodies with my daughter's friend Ellia, neither my daughter (who swapped with her boyfriend) nor her friend held it against me (although Elia was not happy with her new age), my wife however thought it was no accident, as a result we got divorced. She managed to take most of the assets, but I was left with the company, so I quickly got out of the hole, although it was hard to maintain control of the board in my new body.
Running a multi-million dollar company in the body of a 19 year old was, to put it mildly, a challenge. The biggest one wasn't the technology or finances; it was the perception. No one took me seriously. They saw a naive teenager playing dress-up, not an experienced CEO who had run that company for decades.
I quickly realized that I had to play a different game. I couldn't fight my way through meetings or rely on my reputation. I had to be smart, anticipate their doubts, and defuse them. I learned to use Elia’s appearance to my advantage, feigning naivety while strategically steering the conversation.
The first few months were tough. But I persevered. I spent hours studying market trends, memorizing financial reports, and practicing presentations. I sought the support of trusted colleagues. To my surprise, several were willing to listen, to look beyond the teenage facade and see the business cleverness underneath.
Slowly, I began to regain control. I secured the deal, implemented a new marketing strategy, and silenced the unbelievers. I proved that even in Elia’s body, I was still Richard Harding, CEO, and a force to be reckoned with.
