Noon Business Lunch

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the release of the January jobs report and what that means for the economy moving forward, what we should expect from the CPI data released later this week, the impact of AI on the market and the economy. and making a return appearance already is money expert Dr. Bob Froehlich, who predicted the Dow would reach 50,000 by the end of 2025. Well, he missed it by one month. Dr. Bob told us about a month ago that he expects the Dow to hit 57,067 by the end of 2026. Is he sticking to that prediction as the Dow sits a bit over 50K right now. Dr. Bob also talks about AI and how it will be a boom to the economy.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about the importance of keeping your employees happy. Tom believes that if you hire great people, train them well, and treat them great, your business will be a success. Tom offers some tips for employers to make the work atmosphere great.

Segment 2: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s, joins John Williams to talk about a number of his recent stories including advertising pioneer Albert Lasker’s Lake Forest mansion selling for first time since early ’90s, Tom Souleles, vice chairman of the private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, selling his Lincoln Park home for the full $6.5 million asking price, and the Bruce Goff exhibit at the Art Institute.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the Dow reaching 50K, the overall health of the market, why he doesn’t think inflation will be a problem, how he expects the economy perform in the next quarter, what he expects from the jobs numbers this week, when he believes we’ll get another Fed rate cut, and why he remains extremely bullish on this year.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about another well funded tenant moving into the Chicago quantum park, Chicago VC firm SNAK Ventures raising $50M, and a new Chicago VC fund investing in startups that participate in the prestigious Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator.

Segment 3: Mike Spriggs, Head of Consumer Insights at Fiserv, joins John Williams to break down Fiserv’s January Small Business Index. 

Segment 1: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins Tom Gimbel to talks about why the market is soaring today, the market continuing to broaden out, the disconnect between the strong market and overall economic health, his thoughts on interest rates and Fed policy moving forward, and what we should know this tax season.

Segment 2: Carl Prouty, “The Technologist” at Abt Electronics in Glenview, talks to Tom about the amazing items at Abt to enhance your Super Bowl viewing experience, and the products to help you combat winter cold.

Segment 1: Julianne Olivo, Director of Public Relations, Brookfield Zoo, joins John to talk about how you can celebrate the season of love at the zoo! Julianne talks about the annual Name a Cockroach fundraiser, the ROAR-mantic Rhythms Jazz Dinner, the Glow Wild: A Lantern Festival of Hope, and much more!

Segment 3: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about what we should know about new Trump Accounts. Craig also explains why the market has been dipping lately, why he remains extremely bullish on 2026, what he thinks of gold prices, and what he wants investors focused on right now.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about how powerful business leaders need to call out social evils that are negatively impacting the world, what’s going on with the housing market right now, and if buying a house is still a good use for your money. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to tell us the best way to apply for a job in 2026. What do you need to do to enhance your accomplishments and help you stand out?

Segment 2:  Phillippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John Williams to talk about the rise in deepfakes and how that is leading to an increase in harassment cases. What do employers need to do to protect themselves?

Segment 3: Andrei Turea, Co-owner & CEO, Green Attic Roofing, joins John to talk about why they started the company, their focus on energy efficiency, the way technology is continuing to evolve, the opportunity for commercial property owners to turn their roofs into an asset, what you should know about various rebate programs, how business has been going right now, what the solar panels look like, and how they can help you with design, permits, incentives, and installation. Visit their website or call 847-871-9999 to get their input on what solar looks like for your building.

Segment 4: Austin Fletcher, CEO and Co-Founder of Momento, joins John to talk about how their new technology captures real, in-the-moment reactions from live events and turns them into high-quality photos. Austin explains how the technology works, the stadiums where you can find their technology, and when they anticipate you will be able to find the technology in a Chicago stadium.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, and publisher of Love, Money + Real Estate on Substack, joins John Williams to talk about affordability and what that term actually means, and why more people are struggling to pay their mortgage.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about a startup called When raised $10M to help employers with health care transition of their employees, Amazon closing its Fresh grocery and Go convenience stores ,and a trucking software startup raising $12M as Chicago continues to be logistics hub

Segment 3: Katie Anderson-Tedder, Co-owner, Anderson’s Candy Shop, joins John Williams to talk about the family business, how the Valentine’s Day season has been going so far, the challenge of dealing with fluctuating costs, how they remain relevant in a competitive market, and the importance of consistently putting out high quality products.

Segment 1: Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about President Trump’s pick for the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve, why the market has taken a bit of dip, what’s going on with gold prices, why tax refunds are going to be larger this year, and what other tax rules you need to know for 2026.

Segment 2: Faith Anderson (CEO) and Fiona McEntee (COO), Co-founders, Nouvie, tell John about their NA sparkling wine! Faith and Fiona talk about when they started the business, the process of making the drink non-alcoholic, the importance of creating an NA drink that tastes good, how the operations are going, the response they have been receiving, where you can find their beverage, and why this is product is a love letter to people who love sparkling wine.

Segment 3: Ben Klein, wealth management advisor, Merrill Lynch Chicago, talks to John about the importance of teaching kids critical money skills.

Segment 1: Albert Friedman, Chairman and CEO, Friedman Properties, joins John Williams to talk about the work they do, the importance of preserving historical landmarks, why hospitality is a critical component of their business, the role that art and culture play in development, the various type of properties they own, the biggest challenges they face in their business, and what people need to know about what’s going on in the Loop’s ‘cultural stadium’

Segment 2:  Scott Stein, Editor at Large, CNET, tells John about the boom of of ‘Physical AI.’

Segment 3: Tim Paradis, Future of Work Correspondent, Business Insider, joins John to talk about how a 4-day work week might help employees embrace the use of AI. 

Segment 4: Stephen Kates, CFP, Financial Analyst, Bankrate, joins John Williams to recap what Fed Chair Jerome Powell said yesterday about interest rates, the economy, Fed independence, inflation, and when we might see another rate reduction.