A Small-Business Blog is Born

I’m a former journalist the way some people are former smokers. They only smoke around other smokers. They only smoke when they get really stressed. They only smoke when they drink. Face it. They smoke.

The last time I called myself a journalist, Bill Clinton had just made a mess of his legacy, not to mention Monica Lewinsky’s dress.

Newspapers weren’t much worried about what the Internet might do to their business model. That’s about the time I parted ways with the editorial board of the St. Petersburg Times and, after 15 years, my career in journalism. I embarked instead upon what (thankfully) became a far more prosperous path as a small-business owner.

My particular business included a monthly magazine, which I redesigned, published and edited. Time passed, and I watched as the Internet rose up to challenge newspapers. Too many realized too late that they were to the 21st century as railroads were to the 20th. And I began to dabble in HTML, multimedia, blogs and social media.

Face it. I still did and still do; journalism, that is.

Is there room in this virtual world for someone with an incurable jones for journalism and a background in local business? I believe there is, and I believe this is it. I won’t bore you with my CV but I’ll tell you this: I’ve lived in the same house in Trinity for 17 years (and counting). I’m father to four, husband to one (first and only), and concierge to a charismatic Jack Russell/Beagle. These days I make my living in commercial insurance helping small and medium-sized businesses close insurance gaps and open new markets.

What can you expect to read on this blog? I’ll cast a wide net. Business angles are everywhere. Numbers provide context but business is fundamentally about personal fortune, good and bad. Business is about opportunity, timing and adversity. Business is full of humor. Business is about politics, too.

My intention is to post two or three times a week. Chances are I’ll do more in some weeks and less in others. Beyond that I’ll try to let this blog define itself post by post. Look for me at chambers of commerce meetings and networking events. Please, tell me, if you know of something worth posting and be sure to post your own comments here should the spirit move you.

David can be reached at 727.916.7429 or by mail at FLInsurancenetwork@gmail.com. Read more at his personal blog.