My Chicago hosted by John Grafft

We sit down with delicious drinks and chat with Cafe Deko owner George, an entrepreneur who decided to follow his dream and open a coffee shop that represents the true essence of what it’s like to taste a quality coffee and tea in a space which focuses the customer’s sensory experience with good company.

We sit down with Owner Art Potash of Potash Markets, local grocery stores that have been serving downtown Chicago since 1950 that is a family-owned local alternative to other major chains serving every day and specialty items in a smaller, easy in-and-out format.

We talk shop with friend and Chicago native Lauren Magiera, WGN News first female sports anchor and reporter. A former college athlete herself, Lauren graduated from University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Communications and is a graduate of Barrington High School in the Northwest suburbs.

We explore the unique brands and clothing materials at this European clothing and gift store with Patrick Ford. Ford General brings high end clothing & wares from Europe and America to the Old Town neighborhood. They love meeting new folks and bring a warm and comforting atmosphere to their shop. Follow them @ford_general on Instagram!

We take a deep dive into family law with friend and attorney Jonathan N. Schatz and discuss what family law is and when you would need a family lawyer. Jonathan specializes in all areas of family law including but not limited to divorce, the valuation and disposition of marital and nonmarital property, maintenance, child support, parentage, custody, visitation and post-decree litigation.

We chat with Otoniel Michel of Estrella Negra and his approach to operating a restaurant from the ground up and getting into the food industry here in Chicago. Estrella Negra offers Mexican cuisine with updated flair located on West Fullerton Avenue in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. Their walls and tables are decorated with Day of the Dead artwork for visual appeal and offer a variety of flavorful dishes, including empanadas, tacos, tamales and burritos such as sweet potato fries topped with agave nectar and cinnamon before feasting on mango salsa enchiladas.

We chat with friend and President of Rick Levin & Associates, Inc (RLA) Rick Levin. Mr. Levin has been in the auction business since 1990, and worked in all phases of the auction business, ranging from a variety of real estate and personal property auctions, including vacant land; commercial office buildings; luxury single family homes; developer close-outs of homesites, townhomes, condominiums and single family homes, vacation properties; processing plants; and shopping centers to personal property auctions for antiques, aircraft, boats, memorabilia, numerous varieties of vehicles and heavy construction equipment. Mr. Levin graduated in 1986 from the School of Business of the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana with a business degree in marketing. The auction most notable is the sale of the Chicago United States Post office over I-290.

We chat with friend and fellow real estate agent Kevin Rocio, a seasoned award winning veteran in the Chicago Real Estate Industry. With his ROC Advisory Group, he brings a vast array of experiences in all areas of real estate including Commercial, Residential, Financing and Development.

We discuss home birthing with Sarah Simmons of New Life Midwifery Services, a primary midwife since 1995. She has attended 1200 home births since 1990, drawing passion about letting births unfold in an instinctual way, and being a “lifeguard” to keep it safe. She believes a positive birth experience helps women prepare for motherhood and strengthens family bonds. She partners with families to provide evidence-based, respectful care, and is a low volume practice with one provider and one assistant, for maximum continuity and personalized care.

We chat with Frankie Fabre of Fabre Media (https://www.fabremedia.com/) as he explains the nuances of building brands and retaining interest within the world of advertising as well as starting a business from scratch with little to no support.