Chapter 21 - DANIEL WITHOUT THE COMPANY
I stepped down as CEO two years after the Blackmere deal closed.
As promised.
Marcus took over.
No family successor.
No dramatic board coup.
I remained a shareholder through rollover equity and a nonexecutive adviser for one year.
Then left that too.
For the first time since college, my daily schedule did not belong to Reed Industrial.
I hated it for three months.
Then learned to make pancakes badly.
Lily loved that.
I invested in smaller logistics technology companies.
No board chair title at first.
Therapy made me notice how much of my identity depended on being the strongest man in the room.
Strength had been useful.
It also became a shortcut.
At the party, I protected Lily correctly by removing her.
Then I turned protection into punishment.
Slapping Robert felt powerful.
Calling police felt slow.
Years later, only one of those actually protected her.
May you like
That lesson changed me more than anger classes did.
Though the anger classes were surprisingly decent.
