From the Desk: What I Got Wrong in 2026
The year-end letter: the AI cold-calling system that never earned its keep, two client relationships that ended cleanly, the pricing lesson in staying with long-term clients, and what actually grew the business this year.
From the Desk: What Actually Changed in Local Search This Year
This month: what actually changed for Rapid Dry after switching to Local Services Ads, an honest look at AI search referral traffic (none confirmed yet), and why being 100% referral-based might be part of the reason.
Three Years on the New Baltimore Arts & Culture Commission
Three years on the New Baltimore Arts & Culture Commission, this year as treasurer. Why community participation is worth more to a local business than another advertising channel.
From the Desk: You Don't Need That
This month: the logo I rebuilt instead of redesigning, the client work I never invoiced, and why showing up consistently in the community has done more for my business than any single referral I could trace.
From the Desk: The Stale Statistic Problem
This month: two numbers I couldn't verify anymore, why I pulled my own service guide off the site, and how doing the real math on one of them found a bigger, more honest number than the one I'd been guessing at.
From the Desk: Why I Just Published My Prices
The first of a monthly note from Jon. This month: why I put our prices on the website, what I had to correct in our own marketing, and the twenty-minute check that most local businesses aren't doing.
