Jimmy "RevJim" Olsen

Applying the 80/20 rule to local business growth. Have you ever looked at your calendar at the end of a busy week and thought, “I was busy all week, but what did I actually accomplish?” Welcome to the trap of being busy instead of being productive. One of the most powerful tools for local business growth is also one of the simplest: the 80/20 rule, or Pareto Principle. The idea is that roughly…

Intentional outreach strategy Have you ever looked at your calendar on a Friday afternoon and realized you were busy all week—but did not actually move your business forward? You are not alone. Meetings, emails, phone calls, and putting out fires can easily fill every hour of our day. The problem is not that we are not working hard. The problem is that we are often reacting instead of being…

How to Stop Being Busy and Start Being Effective Have you ever wrapped up a workday feeling completely exhausted, only to wonder what you actually accomplished? You are not alone. One of the biggest challenges business owners, executives, and community leaders face is not a lack of time—it is how that time is being invested. We wear our packed calendars like badges of honor. Meetings, emails,…

Refining your 30-second impact statement. Have you ever been asked, “So, what do you do?” only to find yourself giving a two-minute answer that still did not explain it? We have all been there. In today’s fast-moving business world, your first impression often happens in less than 30 seconds. Whether you are attending a Chamber networking event, introducing yourself at a community gathering, or…

Using simple video messages to build trust If you had the opportunity to shake hands with a potential customer every morning, would you do it? Of course you would. A handshake creates connection. It builds confidence. It reminds people there is a real person behind the business. In today’s digital world, however, many of those first introductions happen long before someone walks through your…

How to Share Your Origin Story Without Sounding Rehearsed Every business has a story. The question is not if you have one—it is whether you are telling it in a way that people remember. One of the biggest mistakes professionals make is turning their origin story into a memorized speech. We have all heard those introductions that sound like they were copied straight from a company brochure. They…

A Jimmy Olsen Mystery – From the AI Mind of Jimmy Olsen There are two things you should never trust in Des Moines after midnight. The first is a politician carrying a casserole. The second is a man who says, “I’m only buying records for the music.” I learned both lessons the hard way during the summer of the Vinyl Villain. It started, as most trouble does, with coffee. Not the fancy kind…

### A Jimmy Olsen Mystery from the AI mind of Jimmy Olsen — The Daily Plan-it Investigates —– Let me be upfront with you, friends — I did not plan to become a part-time private investigator when I left radio. The goal was podcasting, community building, and an endless supply of coffee at Chamber events. That was the plan. But here is the thing about Des Moines: it is a small city with a big…