Weekly Startup 04 – Book Coach

This week’s AI project draws inspiration from Seattle EO Accelerator, an entrepreneurial coaching program that I am honored to chair. Every member in the Accelerator program gets a copy of the book Scaling Up by Verne Harnish, and I wanted to create an interactive tool that makes it easier for entrepreneurs to apply the information […]

Weekly Startup 03 – The Wine Shop Advisor

This week’s prototype draws inspiration from my sister’s wine shop on Whidbey Island. Utilizing her existing wine inventory, prices, and information about the Greenbank Farm, I developed a wine recommendation tool linked to her store’s inventory and pricing. ➡️ wineshopadvisor.com Feel free to ask an open-ended question, like suggesting a pairing with an upcoming meal, […]

Weekly Startup 02 – AI “Flashlight Apps”

Each week I’m learning by launching a new AI-enabled web application, product, or startup. This week we start with three straightforward single-page apps that utilize OpenAI prompts: CocktailGenius.com — Let me mix you a drink. NextBookClub.com — Let me suggest your next read. MadameZephyra.com — Let me tell you your future. All three apps are […]

Weekly Startup 01 – Ideaizer

This week marks the kickoff for the Weekly AI Startup Sprint. For better or worse, I’m committing to launching a new AI app, product, or startup every week from here on out. What I’m witnessing today with AI is one of the most significant industry-impacting events I’ve seen in my career. I’m moving into “public […]

Old School Photoshop Techniques (circa 1995)

Who here remembers when dial-up internet connections, floppy disks, the first PostScript laser printers, and desktop publishing tools were the cutting edge innovations for modern graphic designers? Back in 1994, as a 24-year-old IT support person for graphic designers, I knew mastering the latest version of Adobe Photoshop 2.5 was essential for my career. I […]

Wyatt’s AquaSox Baseball Camp 30-second film

Back in 2015, Wyatt and I shot a demo 30-second film to document his week at the Everett AquaSox baseball camp. This was the first FreeFilmCamp prototype. Our aspiration was to help kids learn filmmaking by having them make a 10-shot film that has a beginning, middle, and end.

Podcast Co-Host Wanted

This is a selfie from 2015 with updated text in Photoshop. I was starting a new venture, and I turned my morning run around Green Lake into a micro-recruiting opportunity for future technical co-founders. It started off as a joke about the team we needed to attract for 2016 — and we decided to play […]

Mixergy – Startup Stories

The Mixergy podcast was one of the first tech business podcasts I followed. And I love how Andrew Warner pushes below the surface for a deeper understanding of how startups work and doesn’t accept pat answers. In this conversation with Andrew Warner, we returned to the startup days at CreativeLive.

Mastering Your Exit Strategy

In my first two decades as a small business owner, I couldn’t imagine selling my business. And I think, like a lot of small business owners, I felt a small touch of moral superiority over business owners who did sell. In this conversation with Christine Trumbull on her valuable Mastering Your Exit Strategy podcast I […]

Smashing the Plateau

I love talking about sales. I was fortunate to be exposed early in my career to what professional sales looks like. David Shriner-Cahn invited me to discuss my early days in selling IT services on his Smashing the Plateau podcast. “My view of sales was framed by professionals. I was trained with a group of […]