He Doubled My Rent,So I Moved My Empire and Watched Him Beg

After graduation I stayed down South and started my own company. It grew from three people to more than eight hundred.

This year we landed a big contract. Everyone had ground through three straight months to get it done, so I made the call and gave every single employee a thousand-dollar raise.

The day after the raise notice went out, the landlord called.

"Maddie," he said. "Rent's going up a hundred grand a month starting next month. Get ready for it."

I froze. Five years ago this had been empty lots, cheap to rent, which was exactly why I'd planted the company here.