The Billionaire's Fake Fiancee - Lauren Wood Page 0,45

might get married and have kids someday! It was too much to take in all at once … especially with a boardroom full of men staring me down expectantly.

Everything with Ben would have to wait. I circled back around in front of the projector and took in a deep breath.

“Nesters Toy Company is based on a timeless aesthetic for children’s toys,” I started. “The look is inspired by the woodworkings that you and your grandfather used to make together when you were a boy. And while that may be a nostalgic choice for you, it turns out that there are benefits to that you may not have been aware of.”

I started flipping through my slides, explaining that research had shown that simple toys were actually better for a child’s development and imagination. Flashy electronic or battery operated toys with all their sounds and lights may have looked more enticing, but they do all the work for a child’s brain. While simple wooden shapes, like what Nesters was offering, begged the child to use their own imagination to fill in the gaps.

“That’s why in my observations, older children who have already had their senses and minds dulled by video games or other flashy toys, seemed to be less interested in your toys,” I explained. “While younger children, who are still malleable and open to new things, are intrigued and entranced by the opportunity to be creative with the toys. They engage with them and use their imaginations.”

“That could be a problem,” Jim noted. “We don’t just want to sell our products to infants.”

“I see it as less of a problem and more of an advantage,” I replied. “Additional research has shown it’s not too late for older children to be rewired back to the basics. And in a day and age where so many people are yearning for a simpler time … while more and more people are trying to get back to nature and minimalism, away from the busyness and convenience of our technology consumed lives, your toys could be marketed as a fresh start. A reset. An alternative to video games and other things that are proven to be more harmful to a child’s brain development.”

I told them my strategy for marketing their products as a perfect start for healthy development for infants, and an opportunity to shift thinking when it came to play in older kids. After dimming the lights, I played a commercial pilot I had put together that showed an old man whittling wood with his grandchildren on the front porch, followed by the kids playing with the toys they made for hours on end. Then cherishing those toys as keepsakes for the rest of their lives. And with Nesters’ products, all families had an opportunity to enjoy that same experience that inspired them to start the company in the first place.

“In conclusion, this is less about a new line and more about the roots of your company. It’s about going back to basics. We all know the idea is something people are longing for. That’s why we’re all sitting in this room today, in this building. Cherry Falls used to be just another small rural town. But everyone wanted a piece of that so badly that they all started flooding here, us included.”

I looked out to Ben pacing in the hall outside the door. “That man out there … Ben Wilder. He’s a real estate mogul who has managed to be successful without pillaging the original essence of this city that existed before the population boom. And rather than harming his profits, it increased them. Because people want to give their money to people with integrity.”

“Pfft,” Chuck huffed. “You’re one to talk about integrity after the lies you’ve told.”

I knew he was just trying to pull out all the stops to keep my pitch from being a hit. I ignored him and kept going anyway. “I think your products fulfill a growing need in homes and families around the country and maybe around the world. You don’t have to be a parent to know that. Because parents won’t be the only ones buying these toys. It will be the family friends and aunts and uncles who aren’t so stressed with clouded judgment in their day to day lives that they can’t see what these kids need the most. I think I’ve said all I can say. Any questions?”

To my delight, Jim and his associates asked a few questions delving deeper into my research and some of the specifics about how we