by Mark T. Wayne
“Quit talking business! This is important!” A shocking pronouncement coming from one’s employer! I go mum. We sit behind thick glass, watching the Chicago Blackhawks clobber the Anaheim Ducks in the final game of the series. The Hawks will win this game and go on to the coveted Stanley Cup. That is correct, sir—an opportunity for a third championship in just a few years! Continue reading
By Mark T. Wayne
Weeks have passed since my last conscious memory. Weeks, I say! A man can lose his hat and perhaps even his pants, but to lose several weeks is inexcusable. Think what mischief might transpire over such a span of time! Continue reading
by Laurence K Hayward
Most likely you’ve played the game 20 questions. As the contestant, you use your best combination of questions, which can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” in order to discover a piece of information held secret by the other player. The objective is to discover the unknown information with the fewest questions (from the 20 you’re allotted), as quickly as possible. Continue reading
Filed under Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
By Nick Arvis
“Why am I doing this?” That’s the question dominating a President’s Advisory Committee board meeting (PAC). None of the members—all business owners—intend to give or sell their business to their children. Instead, in a reversal of traditional social norms, all of them plan to use their wealth to empower their children on whatever paths the kids happen to choose.The members range in age from early forties to mid-fifties. Each of them has done very well. Their children range in age from the early grades to out-of-the-nest adults.
Filed under Conflict, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Giving, High Tech, Low Tech, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, The Economy
by John Jonelis
What if you can make oil out of water? What if, you also end up with more water? A discovery like that will benefit our country and the world.
The technology now exists. Commercialization is beginning. Continue reading
Filed under Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, The Economy
by Howard Tullman
From the Journal of the Heartland Angels
Today, entrepreneurs have tools and technologies to collect, monitor, and document more data than ever before. You’re likely swimming in data, since customers leave a trail of it everywhere to be captured and analyzed in real time. Continue reading
Filed under Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
By Mark T Wayne
“He’s in Tahiti,” says Loop Lonagan. “Dat’s where Jonelis is. Them guys at Heartland Angels oughta know.”
Speaking strictly for myself, I see no excuse for a man like Lonagan and place no weight on his opinions. I may fire him—I have not yet decided. After all, Jonelis ain’t here. He announced a sabbatical and disappeared. That is correct, sir! I am in charge! That is my hat on the hook. Those are my boots resting on the WWII Air Force desk. I will take this opportunity to exercise my power as I see fit. Any fool that criticizes my splendid white suit or magnificent mustache may face instant dismissal! Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Games, Mystery, Relationships, Story
by Robert Jonelis
Ever face a crisis situation? Raw panic? Of course you have. We’ve all been burned by miscalculation, greed, and shoddy research. People have been making the same mistakes for quite a long time and a young woman from the 10th Century can teach us a pointed lesson about the importance of accurately sizing up the competition. Continue reading
Filed under Biography, Characters, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Influence, Low Tech, Politics, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, Story
John Jonelis
This is outrageous. I’m concentrating on my computer screen when a huge mitt grabs me by the back of the belt and plucks me from my chair. Next thing I’m dangled high over the desk, arms and legs flailing till I steady my balance and end up nose-to-nose with Big Bill Blair, our urban Paul Bunyan.
“‘Scuse me, Mr. Jonelis,” he says in a slow polite rumble that carries with it a stale smell of corned beef and cigar.
Big Bill slowly chews gum. Looks disinterested. Acts like nothing’s unusual. Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Faith, Giving, Poverty, Relationships, Startups, Story
Why entrepreneurs have to make time to think about who they really want to beby Howard Tullman
Very few things in our lives are absolute. Everything is measured by degree, from our attention to our patience to the range and intensity of our emotions.
At the same time, some things are absolute: You can’t be all things to all people; you can’t dance every dance; and, throughout your life, you’ve got to make hard choices, sacrifices, and compromises, and then you’ve got to live with them through thick and thin for a very long time. Continue reading
Filed under Characters, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Faith, Influence, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups
by John Jonelis
Kids are dropping dead on the athletic field. Dead! These are our kids—those highly cherished and precocious little brats, grades K-12. Just a few years back we suffered a miserable year—120 deaths according to the Youth Sports Safety Alliance. Here’s a huge problem waiting to get fixed. Continue reading
Filed under Conflict, Death, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
by John Jonelis
This is a winner. You wanna wow the judges? Win the crowd? Get your game face on, kiddo! Hit ’em with real passion, overflowing personality and a canon shot of enthusiasm.
Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups
Controlled Design Management – Part 1
Controlled Design Management – Part 2
Controlled Design Management – Part 3
Controlled Design Management – Part 4
How Hyperlocal Social Economies Evolve
Investors Losing Patience with Pivots
Millennials are Becoming Obsolete–Already!
Chicago–the Best Incubator in America?
Driving Value When Funding Runs Low
The 10 Commandments of Startups
Your Business and Your Children
The Hidden Danger in Your Data
Underestimating the Competition
The Girl in the Black Leather Pants
The Apprentice Meets Digital Boot Camp
Fear of Failure Is Not an Option
The Secret World of 3D Printing
Fascination of a Thought Leader
If We Build it, They Will Come
Shark Tank Meets The Apprentice
The Gamemaker's Father 