After college graduation, I built a line of four city magazines in the early 2000’s. As fate would have it, two vastly larger national publications also competed in those markets. Without providing the tedious details, let’s say that the game on the playground was not conducted fairly. I smile on the inside here.

This short story of woe is vague; and for good reason. While receiving a schoolyard thrashing, many customers questioned my ability to prevail in the market. By simply directing those clients’ attention to applicable state and federal statutes, the status quo (the way media services had always been provided in my market segment) appeared to be “incongruent” with the law. This was enough to quell their concerns of my capacity to provide marketing services.

Most exciting was becoming a stronger, better version of myself. It was required. Catharsis demanded that the corruption which destroyed my businesses and personal life be faced with courage. At the outset of building my ill-fated publishing firm, I failed to see unfair trade; instead focusing on the opportunity before me; fostering the belief that anything was possible with the proper attitude and unyielding grit. Many Seneca Speaks characters experience similar events. Wonderful and terrible things happen on the road to enlightenment. 

I learned through personal experience that our county's justice is not fair; it’s paid for. While this sounds cruel, it reflects a state of nature. Meaning, no one hates the shark for feeding on seal pups; not a pretty picture but necessary for life. It takes having been crushed multiple times in business to accept this truism. The protagonist in Seneca Speaks experiences this same revelation.