This is Help Wanted, the show that makes your work work for you.

I'm Jason Pfeiffer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine.

And I'm money expert, Nicole Laffett.

On Tuesdays, Jason and I answer the helpline and help callers solve their work problems.

And on Thursdays, I give you

one way to improve your work and build a career or company you love. And it starts now.

So Nicole, today I am told you are going to tell me a story. Is that correct? His story, a story of sorrow and of being ghosted. And the point of this is ultimately to get to a

question of what do you do when someone who you trust has given you a referral? Like, you should

work with that person. That person is going to be great. That person is exactly who you want to hire.

And then you hire them and it turns out to be an absolute disaster. What do you do about that? Because now it's like personal connections and disastrous work. But I don't know what actually happened. You just told me that something was a real disaster. What a tease. That's what they call a tease and podcast. You know, I just like to get people excited up front.

All right. So you're going to tell me this story and then we'll unpack what you should actually do.

Okay. Yeah, because I think we've all been asked or have asked for referrals or recommendations for all sorts of things.

Contractors, nail people, PR people. It runs the gamut. And so the story of sorrow includes ghosting, but I am married, so it doesn't have to do with that kind of ghosting. This is the first time that I've been ghosted professionally. I don't even know that's the first time.

I've been ghosted professionally a million times.

But in a active partnership.

Okay, let me explain it.

So went to New York was great to see you.

I know that this is heartbreaking, but didn't only go to New York to see you.

I'm appalled. That is reason enough only go to New York to see you. I'm appalled.

That is reason enough.

Went to New York primarily to interview Ray Dalio.

Uh-huh.

...