Who Am I? Where Am I Going? The Future of Positive News For You!

My 69th birthday is just a little over a month away, and I guess I have embraced a bit of nostalgia. Just last week, I headed down to the city of my birth to show my grandson the places where I lived as a child. 

I have been thinking of some things I want to change as I move towards that date. 

I do feel I have “one more” big one in me to do in business. 

First, a little about who I am. 

Pepe’s Pizza In New Haven

I was born in New Haven, moved to Vermont, and ended up in Keene, New Hampshire through a series of events, including the destruction of my “forever home,” in 2013. (The home was destroyed in 2008 and I spent 5 years trying to recover.) 

I have been in business since I was old enough to walk. I have been an inventor, a creator, and an innovator. (I joke that the only business I could not wrap my brain around was insurance. Perhaps, because it is the antithesis of RISK!) 

Right now, my focus is helping others with their business, and keeping Positive News For You out there. I came into the world of news, because of my grandfather. After I sold my internet company with a 5-year non-compete, I was bored. I started a number of businesses, but after year of helping out a friend of mine in his newspaper business, he asked me to buy it. I did. And started or bought 5 more after that.  

And more and more of these papers went online. (The Compass, The Weekly Clarion, Photofieds, and Valley Photofieds, Positive News For You, and the New England Flame. Domains are for sale. 🙂 ) The world changed. 

Over the years, I have built hundreds of sites (and own hundreds of domains), but in 2017, I wanted to point us in the direction of positive news. I began Positive News For You. Today, we carry over 5,000 articles. 

All while doing this, I experienced God in a special way in 1989. I went into ministry, starting a couple of ministries, and am in my 6th year with Abundant Grace Fellowship in Keene, New Hampshire. God is an important part of my life and adds value to all I do. Our ministry here participates in the world of recovery, homelessness and the unhoused, missions, a home for young women who were trafficked, and a local nonprofit helping folks going through difficult times. 

My wife and I met each other in our first church fellowship, getting married in October 1992. Our marriage was the third for each of us. We have five children, his and hers, no “ours” and 9 grandchildren.  

Life 

Lee & Jacob in Diamond Point

My business life includes meeting with clients, authoring articles, covering stories, and social media. I work out of my home. My wife does as well. (She is in the banking industry and has worked from home since the first few weeks of the pandemic.) 

Life is not empty. 

My 17-year-old grandson spends most of his time here with me, as I walk him through high school online. The COVID pandemic and the way it was handled, did damage to many children, parents, and teachers. He did not want to be there. He came to me and asked me to help him with school out of the school. We agreed on a combination of home school and online school.  

I have invited him into what I do with Positive News For You, including having penned some articles, photography, and recently some drone operation. (Our plan is for his commercial drone license this summer.) 

Each day is an experience. But there is so much more I want to accomplish. I carry a lot of hope for that. To find people with similar interests, to reach young people with a sense of purpose, and develop relationships to make a better world.  

I am all about developing creators, explorers, and pioneers to see them succeed. To promote others for the things they are doing that make a difference where they live and around the world. 

I share all that because I want more out of life. I started Positive News For You in 2017 and not long after, started our nonprofit, PN4UINC. I want to do more with our nonprofit, and get back to writing books, articles, and doing podcasts about things I hold dear. 

I want to share my heart for what I do and want to see. 

I have had it all and four times I have lost it all. I said earlier that I have “one more in me.” 

Never give up signs

Things I want to see 

What do I want to see in the coming days for Positive News For You? 

With over 6 years in, I have some things I think I need to see come to pass. 

The Site Itself 

I know that our site needs a refresh, a new logo, and an updated template for our daily newsletter. 

• Our site has not been updated for a few years ago. 

• This includes some of the front-page advertising 

• Our logo has been here since the beginning of our business start. 
• Better some of the main pages. 

How about People? 

I know it needs people who are not me. People who are young. People who think differently than me. People who want to see the positive make a difference. Is that you? 

Sales and The People 

Over the years, I have done most of the sales. The difficulty is I do everything related to the business, including sales. I like meeting people. To me, that is what sales is. 

Our company needs sales to run our site. Advertisers and sponsors. 

I told a friend this morning that if one person came to me and wanted to run all of the sales, I would be ecstatic. 

This might include trades that benefit the company and even donations.  

Part of our sales may include the development of affiliates. 

Many people want to support what we do. I just cannot get to them with everything else.  

If sales are your jam, we can talk.  

Marketing 

The Town Crier Made a Difference. You can too!

If you know the difference between sales and marketing, you might be able to help. 

Part of this may well include the development of contests, polls, and more. 

Creators 

I am always looking for people who have a story. Some of our creators (Podcasters, writers, photographers, and videographers.) have covered “hometown” stories, sports, food and drink, travel, auto, finance, and housing. And they have been from all over the country. 

We love stories and articles that show the positive side of life. 

(I would love to have a “partner” to do a podcast with about positive news, stories, people and community.) 

Backend of the Site 

This includes: 

• SEO help 
• Business Directory help 
• Social Media help 
• Video and Photography placement 
• Newsletter help 

Merchandise 

I have a ton of merchandise. My heart would be to move all the merchandise I have and create new imagery. I have hoped for someone to make a super donation and I would give what I have to schools and organizations. I would like to do a lot more with our “trauma bears,” and getting them to first responders. 

I want to send out to young people. To see our Euro stickers on cars and trucks, our window plaques in businesses, our trauma bears in the hands of children, and our clothing on people’s bodies! 

Perhaps, we need someone just to manage our merchandise. 

Contest 

POSI, The Positive News For You Bear

I mentioned this under marketing, but I think there are a lot of folks who would benefit from this. 

Development of Ambassadors and Town Criers 

• Ambassadors 

• People who promote us and our message. Region or state. These people will carry our message. 

• Town Criers 

• • Folks who let us know what is going on in their backyard that is positive. This includes posting positive news and events or letting us know about them. 

Teacher Program 

Imagine children learning about the good things going on in the world and making their own positive endeavors. This would include games, curricula, and more. 

Last Week 

• I did an article on a major business and they reached out to us. Hopefully, we will get them as a sponsor! 

Things folks think I ought to be better at. 🙂 

• It has been recommended that I get articles posted in  

• • Reddit 
  • Quora  
  • Other Forums 

• Reviews FB and Google 

• I don’t promote like I ought to. If you read this, consider a review! 
• More videos 
• Include Good News of the day 
• Great things going on in a community 
• Be involved in more Facebook groups 
• Show up more in Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram 

PN4UINC 

This is our nonprofit. We promote positivity and positive events. I need to do more with this. Feel free to join forces with us. 

Collaborations 

I am looking at working collaborations that benefit all parties.   

Some of our current collaborations include technology. We are working on some additional product technology, as well as collaboration with a man who promotes positivity for children. 

Perhaps you see collaboration with us.  

Maybe a possible partnership. 

Reach out to me. 

Going forward. I was asked yesterday, if I would sell my company. Life will tell. 😊 

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• Positive Things Happen In Keene Facebook
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