Month: April 2026
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How to Find a Mentor for Your Startup in 2026
Most advice on how to find a mentor for your startup is bad. It tells you to “network harder,” “ask successful people for coffee,” or send a bunch of chirpy LinkedIn messages and hope one lands. That advice creates a pile of shallow conversations with people who like talking about startups more than helping founders…
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How to Turn an Idea Into a Product: A Founder’s Guide
You’ve probably got it sitting somewhere already. A note on your phone. A sketch on a napkin. A half-baked Figma file. A weird little folder on your laptop named “big idea” or “startup stuff” or “don’t steal this.” I know that moment. You can see the finished product in your head. You can feel customers…
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Find Factories in Chicago IL: The Founder’s Playbook
You’ve got a prototype on your kitchen table, a rough cost sheet in Google Docs, and ten browser tabs open for factories in chicago il. Every tab feels the same. A giant industrial company with no pricing, no clue if they take small runs, and a contact form that looks like it goes straight into…
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Contrarian Thinking Reviews: A Founder’s Honest Take
You’re probably seeing Contrarian Thinking everywhere right now. A short clip about buying a laundromat. A tweet about skipping startups and buying cash flow instead. A polished pitch that says you do not need to invent the next big thing. You just need to buy something boring that already works. I get why that message…
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10 PPC Advertising Strategies for Founder-Led Brands in 2026
I get it. You're building a brand from scratch, maybe here in Chicago like the founders I work with, and every dollar feels precious. You hear 'PPC' and you think 'money pit.' It can feel like a casino where the house always wins. But what if I told you PPC is more like a well-stocked…
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A Founder’s Guide to Soho House in Chicago
First, let's get one thing clear: Soho House Chicago is not your grandfather’s stuffy country club. Forget golf polos and quiet, wood-paneled rooms. I think of it more like crashing at the massive, perfectly curated loft of your most creative and successful friend—you know, the one who seems to know everyone. What Is Soho House…
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Your Founder’s Business Exit Strategy Guide
You're pouring everything into your brand—late nights, weekends, all of it. Let's talk about something most founders push to the back of their minds: your business exit strategy. This isn't about giving up. I'm telling you this is about making sure all that hard work actually pays off in the end. Thinking about your exit…
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A Founder’s Guide to a Workshop for Business
A business workshop isn’t another boring conference where you collect business cards and listen to someone drone on from a stage. I think of it as a confidential command center. It’s a focused, small-group session where you and a handful of trusted founders solve stubborn problems, get brutally honest feedback, and find real support. It's…
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Run a Workshop for Marketing That Builds Your Brand
Let's be honest. You've sat through enough webinars to know they usually miss the mark. They're often just a one-way lecture, and frankly, you're probably tired of being talked at. A marketing workshop is a completely different beast. I'm talking about getting your hands dirty and actually doing the work, not just watching someone else…
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How to Find a Business Mentor: Your Ultimate Guide for 2026
I get it. You're building something from scratch, running on fumes and ambition. You keep hearing you need a mentor, but how do you find one? Let's reframe this whole thing. Stop looking for one mythical guru. Instead, you need to build a personal board of advisors. The best person to help you is often…
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