Tag Archives: Life

TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE BAG

John Jonelis

I’ve asked it before, “The way you conduct business—is it meaningful to those left behind?”  Is it? 

I’m here at the Levy Entrepreneurship Group, talking with some of the most brilliant business minds in Chicago.  This group’s been meeting for over 60 years.  It’s the genius of Joe Levy, the prolific entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist—the son of a south Michigan Ave car dealer.  Joe was an endless entrepreneur—constantly learning, constantly experimenting—the quintessential gentleman who gave everybody an at-bat—who spoke quietly but directly and told the truth as he saw it.  He pushed people off the bag“You’re lousy at this.  What are you good at?  Contribute.  Help somebody.”  People found inspiration and hope.  Never a disparaging word about Joe.  “If you don’t have a satisfied customer, you’re compromising your future.”  He was the original automobile mega dealer, angel investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.  “God put me on this earth to produce, not to consume.”  Joe Levy is dead at 92. Continue reading

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Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Characters, Death, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Giving, Influence, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, vc, venture capital

CLOSURE

John Jonelis

How do you deal with the death of a loved one? For me, an important facet of grieving is closure.  This is an account of what I did at the burial of my mother. Continue reading

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Filed under Conflict, Death, Faith, Relationships

REAL LIFE

In a previous post, I told about flying a small plane on instruments through a series of thunderstorms and the shock and delight of making it back alive. I made the case that, whether we write about it in fiction or experience it in real life, there’s something wonderful about the thrill of imminent death—a feeling for which I have no words. Then the death of a loved one brought home a forgotten lesson. In the article that followed, I presented stark images—sights the bulk of us avoid. I made the case that, in real life, common events move us—events too mundane for fiction. Is that strictly true? I now have yet another side of the question to explore. Let me tell you a story about a loving mother who did her best. Continue reading

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Filed under Death, Faith

TERRIFIED

Why does a kid ride a rollercoaster? Why does an outdoorsman shoot a rapids, climb a peak, hunt shark with a spear gun? Is it just the adrenaline rush? It can’t be. I can get that from a couple pots of sweet coffee. So why do we get such a kick out of being terrified? Continue reading

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Filed under Suspense

NEW YEAR

A couple articles back, I pointed out that drama encompasses human change and I cited Scrooge. Little did I know that real change would be visited upon me so soon after writing those words. Continue reading

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Filed under Conflict, Influence, Relationships