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If You Don't Plan for the Long Term, Plan on Failure

The pandemic made stars out of a few companies, which got a rush of sales and a rush of blood into their corporate brains. They thought the present was the future. It rarely is.

Believe in Yourself and Trust the Process

She started a company with her mother as a side gig. What she learned was a meaningful lesson about love, life, and business.

Driving the Automotive Supply Chain

RPM Freight Systems’s focus on unserved markets has led to eight consecutive appearances on the Inc. 5000 list.

What the World Needs Now

Caring about more than your business should be a prerequisite for any entrepreneur starting a company today. Read on for Warby Parker’s playbook.

A Smart Spin on 1031 Exchanges

Proprietary technology, customer service, and a family-first culture sets 1031 Crowdfunding apart.

Tip Sheet NEED AN APP? THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT

WHAT IF YOU COULD build an app for your company without having to hire expensive-and hard-to-find-software developers? That's the promise of low-code and no-code platforms: wresting the power to solve workflow problems from the hands of the engineers.

Out of Office BE MORE LIKE A LION

DAVID WACHS COMES across as pretty easygoing, but the 45-year-old founder of Phoenix-based robotics company Hand wrytten hasn’t always been so chill.

A People-First Mission Fuels Business Growth

Skymount Property Group provides face-to-face customer service to Ohio home sellers in need of fast and easy transactions.

She's Breathing New Life Into a Staid Industry. That's His Specialty

Method co-founder Eric Ryan has built a billion dollars’ worth of companies. Cast co-founder Rachel Skelly is facing impostor syndrome head-on. Together, they’re launching a business in an unfamiliar industry—one roller coaster at a time.

A Lifeline to Lifesaving Medical Equipment

From masks to surgical equipment, All States M.E.D. delivers vital supplies to health care providers.

Culture, With Spirit Baked In

Piece of Cake Moving & Storage's focus on customer and employee satisfaction is its secret ingredient for success.

THE RACE FOR THE 18-WHEEL BIG-ASS BATTERY POWERED RADAR GUIDED LONG HAUL MIDDLE MILE FUTURISTIC SOLUTION TO FEWER FATALITIES AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY BETTER SUPPLY CHAIN HAPPIER CUSTOMERS AND GLORIOUS PROFITS FOR ALL ...

WHILE ALSO (NO JOKE) SAVING THE PLANETWITH ROBOTS! ...

Remembering Jerry Ceooos:

October 14, 1946 July 29, 2022

Steinway Pianos and Jan Zander Pens Make Beautiful Music

On June 24, piano makers Steinway & Sons announced the Masterpiece 8x8 collection, an homage to Earth's most precious woods.

Orlando's Premiere: sept. 8-10

The first pen show in Orlando, Florida in over two decades was a huge success according to vendors, attendees, and Show Director Joe Cortner.

The Great War and the Trench Pen: Part

World War I, the first and last trench war, led to technical innovations that changed our way of life—including life in the trenches themselves.

The Kenro Method

As a U.S. distributor and now as manufacturer of Esterbrook, Joel Blumberg and Kenro Industries are still providing a roadmap for the industry 30 years on.

Why I Collect Rolleroalls!

On the following two pages, we present two highlights from the work of the late Jerry Ceppos for Pen World. The article on this page, “Why I Collect Rollerballs!”, was originally printed in PW Vol. 24 No. 1 (2010). The essay on the next page, “Thanks for the Thank-You Note!”, was printed in PW Vol. 31 No. 6 (2018). To learn more about Ceppos’s storied career in journalism, see page 12 in this issue.

The Heavenly Realm

David Oscarson's new Deus Regit collection is a testament to his faith in God and the goodness of humanity.

Unicorns Exist: Nahvalur Pens

This young pen brand sets itself apart with house-made nibs and a true piston-filling mechanism.

A Tree Grows in Taiwan

Cypress may be a young pen brand, but its competitive pricing and ability to maneuver supply chains promise years of continual growth.

IV Trust, Money, Community

Where does crypto go from here? Read this part when you're ready to find out. In the meantime, ponder those words: trust, money, and community. Also, Ponzi.

Il The Crypto Financial system

But for now, I want to set this objection to the side. If you’re a certain sort of financial person—a financial engineer, an arbitrageur, a market-structure enthusiast, a builder of high-frequency trading systems—this abstract set of facts is incredibly, incredibly beautiful.

ILeft My Pen in San Francisco

Over 100 vendors were present for the 2022 San Francisco International Pen Show, once again held at the Grand Bay Hotel formerly Hotel Pullman) the last weekend in August.

Still the SuperShow (August 5-8)

The Washington D.C. Fountain Pen SuperShow returned to the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church, Virginia the first week in August.

Pen Heaven's Virtual, Pearly Gates

The London-based pen shop gives customers across the globe a uniquely comprehensive online retail experience.

Ledgers, Bitcoin, Blockchains

Much of your life is recorded on a ledger kept by an institution you have to trust: your bank, your broker, your government. In 2008, a new form of digital currency changed how people think about trust.

II What Does It Mean?

Bitcoin was a genuine technological accomplishment. But it's not even close to the whole story. There's much more to understand: Ethereum, yes, and web3, sure. And expensive pictures of monkeys.

Out of the Comfort Zone

Human behavior isn't always pretty. Director Darren Aronofsky makes sure we never look away.

STAR SPANGLED GAMBLERS

THE PROFESSIONAL TRADERS WHO BET ON ELECTIONS ARE OUTSMARTING POLLSTERS AND PUNDITS. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DEMOCRACY MEETS THE STOCK MARKET.