It was just a few days before the end of the quarter in September 2016. I was on the phone with a colleague discussing a large deal and the steps to close. We had just received frustrating news that the customer was challenging the terms of the SaaS licenses in the larger deal. The call was intense and we were not sure there was a way through the customers’ issues.

I was walking along rue de la Grande Chaumière in the 6th arrondissement in Paris, not far from my flat. The road was quiet, dark, and provided an ominous atmosphere, a dark tunnel to complement the call.

As I turned the corner on to Boulevard Montparnasse I was overcome with the beauty of the sun setting over Paris. The sky looked like it was on fire. But to me I saw an absolute beauty that awestruck me. It gave me a sense of optimism.

Later that week, after several very late nights of negotiation with the customer, we signed the large deal.

When we are in the darkest tunnels… remember there is light at the end, or around the corner.

Boulevard Montparnasse, Paris