00:00Hi, I'm James. Today's my first day.
00:02Your first day?
00:04That's right.
00:05Did you come to the loading dock by mistake?
00:07No, front door.
00:09Because this is the professional office.
00:11I know, that's where I work now.
00:13Dana? Hmm? Look at this.
00:16Oh, I'm looking.
00:18I genuinely cannot understand how someone shows up to a professional office like this.
00:23I mean, the shirt and the shoes?
00:25Who hired you?
00:27HR process everything through the standard channels.
00:30That doesn't answer the question.
00:32The camera must have been merciful on the video call.
00:37Had to have been, because this is not how the office looks.
00:41We have a standard here.
00:43I don't come from money. My clothes reflect where I've been rather than where I'm going.
00:47I was hired because of what I know how to do.
00:50Where you're going...
00:52And what do you even do here?
00:54Strategy and analysis.
00:55Analysis and strategy.
00:58That's right.
00:59And those shoes?
01:01The shoes don't do the analysis.
01:03And what is the analysis exactly? Like, what do you do day to day?
01:07Looking at how the company operates and figuring out where the problems are.
01:12And they hired you for that?
01:13They did.
01:14And who exactly hired you? Like, what's their name?
01:17Everything went through the standard process.
01:20That's not an answer.
01:21No, it's not.
01:23It's actually kind of funny.
01:25It's not.
01:26This office has a standard and you are not meeting it.
01:30I will give you a week before you figure out you don't belong here.
01:33A week is generous.
01:35Well, I appreciate the warm welcome.
01:42James.
01:45Morning.
01:46Two days.
01:47Same clothes, same shoes, same general situation.
01:52That's correct.
01:53I'm going to be honest with you because I feel like someone should be.
01:56I'm in line for a promotion and having someone like you representing our team makes me look bad.
02:03Someone like me?
02:04A professional.
02:05That's the word I'd use.
02:07Professionalism is a minimum standard here, not an aspiration.
02:11And it's not personal.
02:12It's about what this office projects.
02:15You know, I have a sibling that I've been supporting alone for several years.
02:18Rent and stability came before a new wardrobe and I made peace with that ordering a long time ago.
02:24That's a personal situation.
02:26I'm talking about professional standards.
02:28I understand.
02:29Do you?
02:30Because this isn't something that improves on its own.
02:33There are affordable options if you look hard enough.
02:35I can send you some links.
02:36I'd appreciate that.
02:37Shut up, Dana.
02:40You don't seem bothered by this at all.
02:42I'm listening.
02:42I'm not sure you are.
02:44I understand your position, both of you.
02:46I look forward to seeing where everyone ends up.
02:48And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to work.
03:01James!
03:02Oh my God!
03:03You look incredible!
03:05Rachel, good to see you.
03:07I always knew you had something in you.
03:09Even back then, I could see it.
03:10Is that right?
03:12Absolutely!
03:13I remember thinking, this one is going somewhere.
03:16James, wow.
03:17Look at you.
03:19Dana?
03:19No.
03:22Um, we were so hard on you back then because we held everyone, everyone to a really high
03:28standard.
03:28It was never personal.
03:30I mean, you know that, right?
03:32I know.
03:32We are genuinely thrilled to see how far you've come.
03:36It's inspiring, honestly.
03:39It's good to be back.
03:41So, are you in town for long?
03:43I'll be around.
03:44And what brings you back here specifically?
03:47Just a few things I needed to wrap up.
03:51Well, if there is anything that we can do, you know, while you're here, introductions,
03:57showing you around, just say the word.
04:01I appreciate that.
04:02We always looked out for the people on this floor.
04:06How have your careers been?
04:07Did the promotions come through?
04:09The right opportunity just hasn't presented itself yet.
04:12Yep.
04:12Still working on it.
04:14It's three years.
04:16Well, these things take time.
04:18Sure.
04:18Sure.
04:19Well, I'm here to speak with the floor.
04:21Can you point me in the right direction?
04:27The transformation is surface level.
04:29I clocked it the second he walked in.
04:31Oh.
04:32Completely.
04:33The warmth was strategic.
04:35Of course it was.
04:36When someone has clearly done well, you just warm to them.
04:39That's how it works.
04:40Money and a good suit don't change what someone actually is underneath.
04:44No, they do not.
04:46Underneath, he's still the man who showed up years ago looking like he slept in his car.
04:51Did you see the shoes even now?
04:53I mean, they're nicer, but same energy.
04:56Same energy completely.
04:58He just dressed it up.
04:59That's all.
05:00I've heard enough.
05:01Oh, no.
05:01No, save it.
05:02James, we were just-
05:03I know what you were doing.
05:05It was just venting.
05:06Everyone vents.
05:07It wasn't personal.
05:08I've now heard two versions of how you feel about me.
05:10The one you performed 20 minutes ago and the one I just heard.
05:13Both of them have been very useful.
05:15What do you mean useful?
05:17I'm going to tell you who I am.
05:18Not the man in worn shoes who showed up on a Monday three years ago.
05:22But what I am on paper.
05:25Formerly, as of this week, I am the CEO of this company.
05:27You're-
05:28I spent those first two days in this office to find out what the culture looked like
05:31when no one believed anyone important was watching.
05:34I wanted to see what people actually were when they thought the room was empty.
05:38Thank you for showing me.
05:40James, that was years ago.
05:43People changed and the context was so different back then.
05:46You just said 30 seconds ago that underneath, I'm still the man who showed up looking like he slept in
05:50his car.
05:51That's not a comment from years ago.
05:54I didn't know you were there.
05:55I know.
05:56We were just talking, you know, venting.
05:59I didn't mean anything by-
06:02The promotion you've been working towards for three years, Rachel, it's not coming.
06:07And same for you, Dana.
06:09You can't do this based on a conversation you overheard.
06:12I'm doing it based on three years of data.
06:14The conversation today was a confirmation, not a cause.
06:17You're basing a firing over something you overheard?
06:20I'm basing it on three years of data.
06:23Today was the confirmation.
06:25Three years ago, we didn't know who you were.
06:27That was the point.
06:28I mean, if we had known, we would have-
06:29If you'd known, you'd have been warm to me.
06:31I know.
06:31That's exactly why I didn't tell you.
06:34So we're being fired for how we've treated someone who was lying about who he was.
06:38You're being fired for how you treated a colleague.
06:41What I was on paper had nothing to do with what you did.
06:44This is not fair.
06:45You told me on day two that having someone like me representing the team made you look bad.
06:50I thought about that a lot over the years.
06:52And I think you were right.
06:55Both of you are dismissed.
06:56Effective now.
06:57Not at the end of the week.
06:58Not pending review.
07:00Now.
07:00Collect your things.
07:01You're firing us.
07:02Yes.
07:03Over this.
07:04Over all of it.
07:05Today was the last entry in a long record.
07:07I'd offer to help you with your things, but I'd rather not.
07:11We were just trying to maintain standards.
07:13I know that you believe that.
07:15Have a good life.
07:19Oh my God.
07:20Did that really just happen?
07:22I think it did.
07:26I have Sabrina Carpenter tickets.
07:28What am I going to do?
07:29I can't believe this.
07:31Let's do one more.
07:33Like a little final.
07:34Hell Sabrina goodbye.
07:35Like, I know you believe it.
07:37Like, let's just have you.
07:38Did that seriously just happen?
07:41Yeah.
07:42But still be facing the camera.
07:43You know what I'm saying?
07:44Yeah, just shocked.
07:45Yeah, exactly.
07:45Exactly.
07:46So give that very final line.
07:48And then, and then just give us like a little.
07:50Like he'll exit.
07:51Exactly.
07:51He just walked out.
07:53Gotcha.
07:53Here we go.
07:54And I know you believe that.
08:00Oh my God.
08:01Did that really just happen?
08:03I think it did.
08:06Shut up, Dana.
08:08Cut.
08:14I did.
08:14I'm afraid we could do that.
08:14I don't even know.
08:14I have to say that.
08:14I can't do it.
08:14I'm sorry.
08:14I can do it.
08:15I can do it.
08:15I can do it.
08:15I can do it.
