Notes

Coffee with the Paper

Sep 30, 2026 · 1 min read · ♥ 3

I was at Verona Coffee Co this morning, a day after the Collinsville Chamber’s Coffee Talk, for a roundtable on the future of local news. Stephanie Malench, who publishes the Collinsville Daily News, had invited a group of business, civic, and community leaders. The paper…

The Whole Picture

Sep 29, 2026 · 1 min read · ♥ 4

This morning I gave a talk at the Collinsville Chamber's Coffee Talk for Rendered, at Verona Coffee Co, on how to market your business. Here's the whole thing, lightly edited. The short version is that before they've paid you a dollar, your customer has already…

Helping With a Friend's New Beginning

Sep 3, 2026 · 1 min read · ♥ 4

Update, September 10. The Beach Off 111 is open for business! Visit beach111.com and take a look around. Congrats to my friend Mike Redenbeaux and everyone at The Beach Off 111 coworking space on their open house in Pontoon Beach last night! And I’m hoping…

Now You Can Listen

Aug 19, 2026 · 1 min read · ♥ 2

Every note on this site now has a Listen button. Tap it and the note reads itself to you, images and all. It’s a generated voice, not mine, and the player says so. There’s a speed control for people like me who listen to everything…

Business Before Breakfast

Aug 19, 2026 · 2 min read · ♥ 3

The State of Illinois will help lower the interest rate on a small business loan, and I had never heard of the program until this morning. I learned about it at a chamber event in Troy called Business Before Breakfast, hosted by the TMSM Chamber…