On December 20, 2011, with the close of the Christmas season less than a week away, Janet and Michael Thompson received yet another call from their attorney: it was time to make some difficult decision s about their fledgling business. For the past three years, the couple had been operating their dragonfly teenage clothing stores in Seattle, trying to earn a living and keep the business alive despite continuing losses. Now their angry landlord is threatening legal action if dragonfly did not deliver on its overdue lease payments.

The Thompsons’ attorney was pushing them for an answer: what did they want to do?