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When Debbie Schleicher tells us that a football game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Clemson Tigers became her door-opener to the CFO office, we can\u2019t help but want to listen.

Back in 2014, she and her family were invited by a former client and serial CEO to one of the most anticipated games of the season.

\u201cUnfortunately, Georgia Tech beat Clemson 28 to 6,\u201d remembers Schleicher, whose husband is a proud Clemson alum. \xa0\xa0

As the game unfolded, Schleicher recalls, her one-time client asked her if she would consider joining his start-up company as finance leader.

\u201cI was really surprised, and I remember taking a really long pause before saying anything,\u201d comments Schleicher, who can still hear the question \u201cAm I ready to be a CFO?\u201d echoing through her head.

\u201cHe looked at me, and said: \u2018Is there anything about this role that you don\u2019t think you can do?,\u2019\u201d explains Schleicher, who says that she immediately replied, \u201cNo.\u201d

To add more substance to her reply, Schleicher says, she subsequently began sharing some of the experiences from her past to add some luster to her CFO candidacy.

Reports Schleicher: \u201cThe reason that I thought I was ready was that I knew that I had the technical ability. I had a track record of building teams and I had built service lines from the ground up, so I was confident that I could build a company.\u201d \xa0\xa0

Looking back, Schleicher notes that besides the Clemson loss and the CFO job offer on the infamous \u201cgame day,\u201d the outing can also be credited with putting in motion one other unexpected development: It seems that Georgia Tech gained a second win when some time later Schleicher\u2019s \xa0collegebound son opted to become a Yellow Jacket. \xa0\u2013Jack Sweeney\xa0