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3 weeks ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
“We’re first and foremost an educational organization,” Ashley Wardlow, Executive Director of the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, explained as we walked the butterfly pathway to their butterfly garden. As our walk began, person after person came up to Ashley to speak with her about an idea they were excited about. They were all volunteers who were clearly, deeply and personally invested in this garden.
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1 month ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
It was “Demo Day” for the Fuel Accelerator last Wednesday and perhaps it was serendipitous that it was being held at the new Heartland Whole Health Institute. But, the serendipity was just beginning to be unveiled, as Darian Harris loped up in his larger than human stride and smile to say hello. “Andrew Bart tells me that your new Fuel cohort in Phoenix is going very well,” I said, knowing that Darian Harris was a key contributor to its successful launch.
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1 month ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
“Excuse me sir, have you seen my brother?”The older man was caught by surprise. He didn’t know this approaching boy who was about ten years of age, dressed in a soccer uniform. “He’s dressed in a soccer jersey. It looks like the one I am wearing, but it has a stripe across here,” the boy continued, while using his hands to identify where the stripe would be, had it been on the jersey he was wearing. The man listened intently, as the distress in the boy’s face and voice were clear.
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1 month ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
“I told my wife that even if we lost everything, except each other, we would be just fine.”Jon Buckner pulled up a blue velvet covered chair to the table while beginning to talk. He had just finished a phone call with his wife. They were discussing the challenges they faced in their dog grooming venture. “We’ve been having such a hard time finding people to work in our business.
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1 month ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
“When people talk about success or happiness, they often focus on effort, ambition, and goals. But over time, I’ve learned something quieter and just as powerful. Proximity matters,” Harry Fredrickson explained. “The people we spend time with, the environments we place ourselves in, they build us, without asking for permission. They carve paths in our thinking, set our expectations, and silently raise or lower our standards,” he continued.
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1 month ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
It was early in the evening and a Startup Junkie group had gathered at Bauhaus to socialize, have dinner and drinks. My friend Carl Maloney was the first to offer me a greeting. “I had coffee with Chris Peterson this morning,” he said cheerfully. “You’re kidding,” I replied. “What time did you meet with him?”“We got together at 10 a.m.,” Carl said. “I met with him at eight,” I said with a slight chuckle.
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2 months ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
Robert Rodriguez’s movie studio is a vast place. A place where ideas take shape and movie pitches come to life. When I say come to life, it’s because the lessons of creativity he’s discovered, over more than ten years, are aptly relevant to every person and every life. Robert is a legend. You may know him as the creator of the Spy Kids series of films. He’s someone whose career and family life has always been transforming and inspirational.
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2 months ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
The music was pounding, making it virtually impossible to hear anything else. Yet, something else was tickling my ear; so much so, that I decided I should pull the phone from my pocket and look at the screen. That fortuitous look and the conversation that followed moved the course of the evening as well as the celebration. “The movers didn’t show up today!”I could feel the tension radiating from my friend Leon Madewell’s voice, as if we were in a nuclear reactor.
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2 months ago | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
On a rain-sputtered Friday, Andrew and I sat across from each other to have a conversational lunch at Local Lime. It was clear something was furrowing Andrew’s brow. Another indicator that something was bothering him was his deep sigh just before he dipped a crispy tortilla chip into the warm queso stationed between us. “Something on your mind?” I asked, with a quick sideways glance at my friend.
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Mar 26, 2025 | 
tooeleonline.com | John Hamilton |Lynn Butterfield
“I have a question, because I just don’t understand the way this works,” Ricky Porter said uncomfortably. It was hard to get these words out of his mouth, because Ricky is revered for his success and wisdom in a very competitive industry. In fact, he’s one of the people, inside and often outside his firm, that others call regularly for technical expertise. Thursday was one of those days and Ricky received a call from someone who used to be with his firm. “Hi Ricky. I have a question for you.
