Gigi’s Corner
I just completed an intense two week trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But those two weeks were merely the epilogue of a more than decade-long odyssey that included the “second” worst day of my life. I went head to head with General Electric, more specifically, the financial arm of the GE, GECDF, on a contractual dispute that dates back to 2008. Being so deep in the weeds with all of the details of the trial, it was tough to zoom out on the proceedings – to get perspective. I called on our In House Writer, RV Advisor Podcast Host, and Creative Guy, Tom Alexander, to sit in on the trial and give us his take. Tom takes it from here.
The Day Gigi Beat Goliath
With a title like that, it sure sounds like a sword and sandal epic you’d see at the children’s matinee on a Saturday afternoon at the neighborhood theatre – that is, if you’re old enough to remember those things. Even though the title gives away the ending (we all know how “Titanic” ended, but we saw it anyway), the thrill is in the details. I was witness to a great spectacle – something I’d like to share.
Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that I’ve spent many years over my career writing. From commercials, jokes for comics, and radio and TV show monologues to film scripts, speeches, press releases, even instruction manuals, if it had words, I wrote it. But in the past couple of weeks, I got the chance to dial back a few decades when I worked for a local newspaper in Pennsylvania. It was mostly sports and community news reporting. Reporting is reporting, but sitting in a courtroom following an important trial which has its origins dating back to 2008 was a little out of my bailiwick. But being notoriously curious by nature and the fact that it was part of my job, I was dialed in and fascinated right from the jump.
Gigi Stetler, owner of RV Sales of Broward took on a monolithic conglomerate with a parent company we are all familiar with. GE Capitol’s (Yes, that GE) finance division, GECDF, was the Goliath in the room – towering, brooding, powerful, never loses. Playing David, Gigi Stetler, the unstoppable force with a big heart, the people person, and most decidedly, the underdog. Now that we’ve identified the leads, let’s see some action and hear some dialogue.
