Thomas heard all of that and was still speechless. He just nodded his head. He said, “Well…that’s, ah…pretty powerful. A mother’s love for her son is about the strongest love in the world. In fact, you make me want to call up my mother tonight and tell her that I love her for the hell of it.”

He said, “But you keep on being brave, Ivan. That’s what holds a whole lot of us back from making ourselves good money: a lack of courage. And a lot of folks just don’t know any damn better. They’re scared straight, thinking the earth is still flat and shit. Like their money’s gon’ fall off the edge of the world if they invest it in something.”

WHEN IVAN ARRIVED back at his downtown apartment that night, Thomas’s comments were still ringing in his ears. Being scared held you back from making good money.

Thomas had traveled west to California from his own roots in Greenville, South Carolina, to make himself some brave money thirty years ago.

But you gotta be smart, too, Ivan argued to himself. He figured his partner Lucina Gallo was smart. But she still has to learn she’s gonna have to be a little more patient.

He mumbled, “It’s all gonna happen in time.”

Then he looked at the clock on his kitchen microwave and came up with an idea that would surely please her, another brave money deal.

It was only ten thirty, and one of the few nights when he didn’t have anywhere to run out to. So he called Lucina up to chat.

“Hello, Ivan,” she answered.

He said, “I got an idea,” and walked toward his apartment balcony to look out at the San Diego skyline. It had become one of his favorite things to do.

“And what is that?” Lucina asked him.

He said, “First of all, we’re gonna start doing those celebrity invitation parties. We can do two to three of those a month with different crowds and make up to fifty, sixty thousand.”

Lucina said, “Ivan, we talked about that already. And I’ve already started making my contacts. So that’s not a new idea.”

Ivan said, “Well, I have a birthday coming up on March fifth. And I want to call up the Manchester Grand Hyatt to see what their ballroom capacity and rates would be for my own birthday party.”

Lucina told him, “First of all, you can’t call them only a month in advance and expect for them to have availability there. Second, the price will be high, including in-house catering.”

Ivan said, “We’re gonna make it all back. We can charge fifty dollars a head and make a hundred thousand.”

Lucina asked him, “Are you crazy? Who are you going to invite for fifty dollars? That’s a concert ticket.”