Mom Said ‘Skip Thanksgiving – Your Brother’s Wife Thinks You’re Too Poor’ — Then The News Broke…
My team had mostly gone home to their families. The acquisition deal would close in two weeks, pending final regulatory approval.
Everything was in place. My phone buzzed with messages from the family group chat.
Tyler: “Everyone excited for tomorrow? Vanessa’s been cooking for two days!”
Dad: “Can’t wait. Heard her parents’ place is incredible.”
Mom: “Vanessa sent me photos of the table settings. It looks like something from a magazine!”
Aunt Linda: “Can’t believe Sarah’s missing this. What’s she doing instead?”
Mom: “Oh, you know Sarah. She’s probably working on her computer thing. She doesn’t really enjoy these family gatherings anyway.”
Tyler: “She’s better off honestly. Vanessa’s crowd is pretty high-end. Sarah would have been uncomfortable.”
I muted the chat. Around 8:00 p.m., my phone rang.
It was Marcus Chun, my co-founder and CTO.
“You see the email?”
he asked.
“Which one?”
“PR team. CNN wants to do a segment on the acquisition. They’re running it during their business news block tomorrow evening, 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Thanksgiving evening.”
Apparently, it’s a slow news day. They’re doing a whole piece on tech acquisitions, and we are the lead story.
They specifically want to highlight the supply chain angle. You know: young entrepreneur builds company from nothing, sells for nine figures. Feel-good story stuff.
I checked my watch.
“Do they need me for anything?”
“Nope. They’re using the interview footage from last week and our press materials. Just wanted to give you a heads-up. Figured you’d want to know before it airs.”
“Thanks, Marcus.”
“You going to tell your family?”
I had told Marcus bits and pieces over the years. He knew the situation.
“No. I don’t think I will.”
He laughed.
“This is going to be interesting.”
I spent Thanksgiving alone in my apartment. It was not the studio I’d lived in for years; I’d moved six months ago to a high-rise downtown.
I hadn’t told my family about that either. As far as they knew, I still lived in the same rough neighborhood, still drove the same dying car, and still struggled to make ends meet.
I made myself a simple dinner: turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I ate at my kitchen counter, scrolling through my phone.
The family group chat was active. Mom posted a photo of an elaborate table setting.
“Isn’t this gorgeous? Vanessa really outdid herself!”
Tyler added:
“My wife is amazing!”
Dad followed:
“This is the nicest Thanksgiving we’ve ever had.”
Vanessa had been added to the chat. She posted a selfie with Tyler.
“So grateful for family! The real family who shows up and supports each other.”
I almost laughed. At 6:00 p.m., I turned on CNN.
The anchor was a woman I recognized from watching the business news. She was professional, polished, and authoritative.
“Tonight we’re looking at a trend in the tech sector: small, bootstrapped companies being acquired by major corporations for significant sums. Our lead story is about a 30-year-old entrepreneur who built a supply chain optimization platform from her studio apartment and just sold it for 160 million dollars.”
My photo appeared on screen. It was from the interview I’d done two weeks ago—a professional headshot, in a blazer, looking nothing like the version of me my family knew.
“Sarah Mitchell started her company, ChainLink Solutions, four years ago with 5,000 dollars in savings and a laptop. Today, her software serves over 3,000 companies across North America. Last month, she finalized a deal to sell ChainLink to Meridian Global Technologies for 160 million dollars.”
They cut to footage from my interview.
“I saw a gap in the market,”
my recorded voice said.
“Small and medium businesses couldn’t afford enterprise-level supply chain software. They were using spreadsheets and outdated systems. I knew there was a better way.”
The anchor continued.
“Mitchell’s story is particularly remarkable because she built the company without venture capital funding. Instead, she relied on revenue growth and strategic partnerships. Industry analysts say the acquisition represents one of the largest exits for a bootstrapped tech company this year.”
More interview footage played.
“I wanted to prove you could build something valuable without taking the traditional path. You don’t need an Ivy League degree or wealthy investors. You need a good idea, strong execution, and persistence.”
The segment ran for six minutes. They interviewed industry experts who praised the innovation and showed footage of our office, our team, and our growth trajectory.
They mentioned the acquisition price four more times. My phone started ringing before the segment even ended.
The Revelation and the New Reality
The first call was from my college roommate, Jessica.
“Oh my God, Sarah! I’m watching CNN! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t final until recently.”
“160 million dollars, Sarah! That’s… I can’t even… holy shit!”
“Yeah,”
I said, smiling.
“It’s been a good year.”
“Wait, does your family know?”
“Not yet.”
“Sarah, it’s on CNN! I know!”
She started laughing.
