Place Your Bet, it is night and we are inside the office space of a creative agency.  Company owner Hersha and her right hand Latoya discuss the fate of the agency.

Place Your Bet

Hersha:  I’m not happy.

Latoya:  And?

Hersha:  I have ideas and you keep trying to hold me back.

Latoya: If I don’t hold you back, you will take us out too far.

Hersha:  I didn’t start this company to be like everyone else.  I started this company because I believe there needs to be innovation.

Latoya:  I’m all for innovation but you need to have some common sense.

Hersha:  You see, that’s the problem, that’s the problem right there, that phrase, common sense.  You don’t know how to use your gut, everything with you is logical, you’re too damn brainy.

Latoya:  Isn’t that why you hired me?

Hersha: Yes it is but I didn’t think you would be so overly cautious.

Latoya:  Overly cautious?  I am the voice of reason.  I’ve steered us away from disaster multiple times.

Hersha:  You need to take more risks.  If things fail it doesn’t mean the end of the world, it means we’ve learned something valuable and we try again.

Latoya:  You can’t keep betting the company.  You can’t take such big gambles.  You are responsible for a company of people who have families and depend on—

Hersha:  Don’t you think I know my responsibilities?  I understand perfectly well the risks involved with the risks I take.

Latoya:  Where is this going?

Hersha:  You hold me back!  I’ve told you time and time again that we are in this to make a difference.  I can’t have you holding me back all the time.

Latoya:  Not every idea you have is pure genius.  You think everything you imagine is great.  Some of your ideas are insane.

Hersha:  How are we going to keep moving the needle?

Latoya:  We can move the needle without betting the company.  If we spend our entire budget on this one creative campaign for our biggest client and we fail, we lose everything.

Hersha:  But what if we win?

Latoya:  What if we lose?  We won’t get a second chance.

Hersha:  But I feel this one in my gut, it’s screaming out at me, I know the concept will work, I know we will score big on it.

Latoya:  I think we’ll be making a mistake.

Hersha:  Damn it!  I know you like the idea.  I know you dig the concept.  Everybody on our team loves the concept, including our client.  This is the way to go.  You can’t tell me it won’t work.

Latoya:  I do love the concept.  I do.  But you are betting the entire company on it and that’s the problem.  Why can’t we bet half the company?

Hersha:  Half the company?

Latoya:  I’m saying it as a joke.  You know what I mean.

Hersha:  You really think I’m insane?

Latoya:  At this point, I really don’t know.

Hersha:  We’ve taken on more than we can chew, haven’t we?

Latoya:  Without a doubt.

Hersha:  I mean, if this thing fails, it will blow up in our faces and the company will crumble within months.

Latoya:  Yes.

Hersha:  We really won’t have any recover time.

Latoya:  This is what I’ve been trying to say to you.

Hersha:  Right, right…well, well, well…I see it, I see this thing so clearly, (holding her hands up) right there, it’s, it’s a beautiful sight…I’m gonna take a swing because I have to take a swing.  If I don’t, I’ll never know if I was able to hit the ball…yeah, I can swing and miss but I am locked in, feet planted, eyes sizzling and I have the tightest grasp on this thing so help me God, I am going to swing and smash it out of the park!  That’s where we are taking this thing.  No point in living if all you’re doing is thinking about dying.

Latoya:  I give you my resignation.

Hersha:  You’re leaving me?

Latoya:  I can’t be part of this one.  I can’t work for you anymore.  I’m sorry.

Hersha:  That’s okay, that’s…I get it.  Can’t say the feeling isn’t mutual…we’re just too different.

Latoya:  I’m afraid so.

Hersha:  …Got a better offer?

Latoya:  …I do.

Hersha:  …How much they buy you for?

Latoya:  I have my family to think about…

Hersha:  Of course you do.

Latoya:  …I’m sorry.

Hersha:  Are you?

Latoya turns to leave the office and exits.

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