She announced sweeping changes: fairer pay, respectful treatment for all staff, kindness-based leadership, and a foundation to support the homeless. Skeptics, including the ousted Tom, doubted her. But Nancy spent time with employees at every level, listening and learning. Her humility began to shift hearts. A memorial event honored Richard’s legacy, unveiling The Richie Fund to help employees in crisis and fund homelessness support. Managers would now volunteer quarterly at shelters to stay grounded.
The company didn’t collapse—it thrived. Morale rose, customers noticed, and skeptics came around. Nancy, who called herself a steward, kept Richard’s letter framed in her office. One winter morning, Nancy saw an employee offering food to a homeless man at the door. She joined them and invited him inside. Kindness, once tested, had become the company’s guiding light.
