I came up with this whole “local newsletter” idea after spending years in the publishing industry and doing the first Internet print magazine, the Channelseek Guide. While I was figuring out how to become a true online and offline local portal, my wife Jeanne kept the business in order handling the accounting and office administration for the businesses. After the dot com bubble burst of 2000, we sold both our publishing and Internet businesses to a New York competitor and started consulting for other local portal wannabes. The idea of having a website that was community focused, not defined by zip codes but by the community boundaries, was fairly new and uncharted up until 2003. That’s when I began building his first local portal, atGeist.com, in my backyard. On July 4th, 2004, I decided to announce atGeist.com to the Geist Reservoir community by placing four color flyers in his Crossing South neighborhood mailboxes of 38 homes. A few weeks later, the USPS sent me a fine for $14.00 for placing sales flyers in the mailboxes. You might say my first newsletter wasn’t very successful. At first, atGeist.com was only a website and a part-time hobby. I was consulting for about three steady clients doing Internet marketing and website development. Jeanne set up the books for the side venture while she continued to work part-time for a healthcare consulting firm. It was late 2004 when the idea of doing a print newsletter to the Geist community came about, and in April 2005 the “atGeist Community Newsletter” debuted. The first issue was black and white, only four pages in length, and mailed out to a mere 2,500 Geist residents. Then the phone started to ring. The May issue was eight pages and the July issue was 28 pages. “What about the June issue?” you might ask. We were so overwhelmed with advertising inquiries and the production of 28 pages that the June issue never got out! Today, the “atGeist Community Newsletter” is distributed via mail and local distribution to thousands of Geist residents and businesses each month in full color via direct mail and through local supermarkets and retailers. Jeanne soon left her part-time job and worked from home full-time tending to the business growth and two teenage kids at Bishop Chatard High School. I began the slow process of cutting back on his outside consulting to focus more on the expansion of the atGeist.com model. Today, both Jeanne and I work full-time on atGeist.com and the recently launched atFishers.com in neighboring Fishers, Indiana.
Joe Weingarten, Democratic Party candidate for State House District 29, and Greg Purvis, a former candidate for Fishers Town Council, have announced a petition drive to change Fishers from a town into a city.
Thanks to the developer friendly town council, the town of Fishers has become the third fastest growing town, […]
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Your opinion counts and we would love to hear what you think. The Fishers Arts Council, along with The Fishers Freedom Festival, Fishers Music Society, The Historic Ambassador House and the Fishers Sisters City/Ren-Faire would like your time to complete a short survey about the types of cultural activities you’ve participated in recently and your interest in […]
Popularity: 11% [?]
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The “No Door to Door Solicitation” stickers are ready! Anyone interested in obtaining a sticker can come to the Fishers Police Department, Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. Each person may pick up 20 stickers at a time. The stickers should be handed out to homeowners […]
Popularity: 44% [?]
The Fishers Freedom Festival’s Children’s Parade sponsored by Community Health Network is a great opportunity for children to dress up and decorate their bikes, tricycles, wagons or strollers in a patriotic manner and be rewarded for their artistic ability and creativity in celebration of our nation’s freedom. There […]
Popularity: 98% [?]
The Fishers Freedom Festival proudly announces its 2008 Royal Court which is sponsored by Community Health Network. The court is made up of a queen, a king, four princesses and four princes. The Fishers Freedom Festivalʼs Royal Court will be crowned on Saturday, June 28 during the opening […]
Popularity: 100% [?]
Two quiz bowl teams from Fishers High School and one from Hamilton Southeastern High School competed in the National Academic Championship in Chicago June 7-9. One FHS squad made it to the final round. The FHS and HSEHS teams qualified to participate based on performances in tournaments and […]
Popularity: 85% [?]
Fishers High School’s faculty and administration competed to collect the most for the Fishers area Relay for Life and put some hair on the line. The team raising the smaller amount was to shave its leader’s head. Principal Jason Urban was the administration leader and Brian Shults, the faculty leader. […]
Popularity: 78% [?]
[ June 21, 2008; 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. ] Hamilton Southeastern Schools will conduct its annual surplus auction Saturday, June 21, at HSE High School in the Leonard Auditorium. Preview of items begins at 8 a.m. and bidding begins at 9 a.m. Sale inventory includes items such as many computers, vacuum cleaners, cafeteria equipment, copiers, tables, desks and chairs.
Popularity: 66% [?]
Popular sprint car driver Geoff Dodge (left) presents a helmet to Molly Simmons (right), a fourth-grade student in Mrs. Lisa Hillenbrand’s class at Fall Creek Elementary School, 12131 Olio Rd., Fishers, Ind., recently. Dodge, a business student at IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) who raced in selected events in […]
Popularity: 61% [?]
| July 20, 2008, 11:24 am | |
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current temperature: 82°F |
GeistTV Video Clips Area Classifieds atGeist.com atLawrence.com Fishers Chamber Events
