Noon Business Lunch

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about a recent speech he gave to Google about the disconnect between executives, managers and HR/ recruiting when it comes to hiring. Tom says communication without fear is what separates the good companies from the great companies.

Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about the team leadership lessons that can be drawn from the extraordinary performance of LA Dodger Shohei Ohtani in the 2025 postseason.

Segment 3: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain’s, joins John Williams to talk about the Trump administration floating the idea of a 50-year mortgage, Laura Ricketts effort to get $13 million back from the builders of her lakefront Wilmette mansion over what she considered construction defects concluding with an arbitration panel determining she was due something more like $600,000, Chicago-area luxury home sales breaking the annual record with 7 weeks still to go, and a Lake Geneva home selling for $10.3 million.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the stock market being up a bit today, the latest on a possible end to the government shutdown, consumer debt being very high right now, and how ICE / Border Patrol activity is causing economic mayhem in certain areas of Chicago.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Argonne and NVIDIA are teaming up on an AI supercomputer for the Department of Energy, Chicago Blend landing a multiyear grant to continue its efforts to diversify Chicago’s venture capital scene, and Letter AI raising $10.6 million to bring generative AI to sales teams.

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

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about what’s weighing on the market this week, how the government shutdown has been impacting the economy, his thoughts on the Supreme Court hearing on the Trump administration’s tariff power, why he thinks the Fed will cut rates again in December, the market still being powered by AI enthusiasm, the concern about the labor market, and what people should be doing with their money right now and why it might be time to rebalance your portfolio.

Segment 2: Brendan Shea, Founder & Creative Director at Sunup, talks to John about their Chicago-based marketing firm, the various clients they serve, how they are able to find their clients, how they have embraced AI, how other companies are using advances in AI to better serve their clients, and how their company is giving their clients a competitive edge.

Segment 3: Lori Hendren, AARP Illinois Senior Associate State Director, Outreach and Advocacy, joins John Williams to talk about November being National Family Caregivers Month and new data that shows 23% of adults in Illinois provide unpaid care. Lori breaks down the data and explains how AARP is fighting to provide greater financial relief and support for caregivers.

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John to talk about why the market is pulling back a bit today, how uncertainty is impacting the economy, if he expect the Fed will cut rates again before the end of the year, the government shutdown slowing down the economy, the SCOTUS hearing on President Trump’s ability to impose tariffs, and why it might be likely to get a Santa Claus rally in December.

Segment 2: Aki Ito, Chief Correspondent at Business Insider, joins John Williams to talk about the one thing that white collar employees want more than money: Loyalty.

Segment 3: Scott Friedland, shopkeeper at Timeless Toys in Lincoln Square, tells John about how tariffs have been impacting his business, how some of his oversees partners have absorbed some of the tariff costs, how their business was able to get ahead of some of the tariff impact by being proactive, how the year has gone for him so far in 2025, and what he expects for the upcoming holiday season.

Segment 1: Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the market being up by a few hundred points today, why she’s concerned about the strength of the market, the importance of having ‘chicken money’ right now, and what you need to know about RMD time. And as always, Terry answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 2: Dr. Muddassir Siddiqi, President of College of DuPage (COD), joins John Williams to talk about the relationship he has with Innovation DuPage, some of the companies that they have supported through the years, how many companies they have accelerated because of their work, the importance of empowering small businesses in the community to grow and thrive, and what separates this program from other business incubators.

Segment 1: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins John Williams to talk about the stock market pulling back today, the impact of the government shutdown and the release of economic data, the latest on the administration’s trade deals, his concern about an AI bubble, the importance of getting a tax plan in order, and how he expects the market to perform through the new year.

Segment 2: Roger Steinberg, Low Vision Product Manager at HumanWare, talks to John about how long they have been in business, their mission to enable people with vision loss to participate fully, who their typical client is, the various types of products they offer, the functionality and ease of use of the device, and how they separate themselves from the competition.

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media, joins John Williams to talk about the latest on the government shutdown, SNAP benefits, and the fight over the cost of Obamacare subsidies.

Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Cameo suing OpenAI for trademark infringement, and LinkedIn naming their top Chicago startups for 2025.

Segment 3: Shrikar Lekkala, founder and CEO of Phraze, tells John about his Chicago-based AI startup that helps companies (and creators) break the language barrier. Shrikar tells John why he started this business, when he realized there was a need for this type of company, how the technology combines AI with human-verified translation to make videos accessible in 60 different languages, how the technology is monetized, and what’s the next step in the advancement of the technology.

Segment 1: Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor and Market Strategist, Murphy & Sylvest, joins John to talk about monetary policy and Fed movement for the rest of the year, the market continuing to hit new highs, and where he suggests putting your money right now.

Segment 2: Sarah E. Needleman, Leadership & Workplace Correspondent at Business Insider, joins John Williams to talk about the role AI should play in the workplace today.

Segment 3: Elliot Richardson, Co-founder and President, Small Business Advocacy Council, joins John to talk about Mayor Johnson’s proposed budget and how it may impact small businesses.

Segment 1: Jason Korinek, Executive Chef/Owner at Posto 31 in LaGrange Park, talks to John about where they are located in LaGrange Park, how long they have been in business, what the restaurant is most known for, how they use locally sourced products, the importance of making most of the items on the menu being made in house, how business has been going, the challenge of making it through the pandemic, and why they are a true destination restaurant.

Segment 2: Michael Miller, Economics Professor, Western Washington University and Professor Emeritus at DePaul University, joins John Williams to talk about yesterday’s Fed decision on interest rate cuts, why the Fed is facing a tough decision in December, what we need to know about a China trade deal and the impact of tariffs, who really pays for the cost of tariffs, and how economic policy is affecting farmers.

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about today’s policy decision by the Federal Reserve, the stock market hitting all time highs, and some of the economic areas that she’s concerned about. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.