Nancy Branka

Employee 6 Is 54 Nancy Branka

Ageism in hiring is real, Jillian Johnson discovered, as door after door closed in her face. So she was elated when Desmond Hensley, a charming startup founder, offered her a dream job. How could Jillian know then, that she would be the one to lead the company of twenty-somethings to uncover his secret?

When Jillian Johnson resigns from her job, she is momentarily proud-her resignation is in protest of unfair labor practices. Then reality hits. At 54 she is too old, too expensive, and too technology-challenged to be hired. Or so it seems. Until a startup founder needs her experience as a hotel sales director. She joins the team at Sojourners, a platform that pairs hotel guests with service projects-a perfect match for her desire to do something meaningful.

At Sojourners, Jillian finds she's the sole baby boomer in a company of millennials. As she tries to learn new software, accommodate bro culture, and cope with the founder's scattered management style, she begins settling in. She connects particularly with Trevor, a 25-year-old developer. They're both concerned with the lack of financial transparency at Sojourner.

The more Jillian and Trevor dig into the financial issues of the company, the more unanswered questions arise about the founder. And the more dire the startup's financial state becomes. Then tragedy strikes and the two are forced to try and save the company from certain doom.

In a novel that brings to life the challenges of ageism, startup culture, and intergenerational teams, readers will root for the wry, middle-aged executive who finds herself on a wild ride in startup land.