The Midwest Convenience Store & Energy Convention 2024

A Gathering of Some of America’s Greatest Small Business Entrepreneurs

I had the great privilege to speak at the Midwest Convenience Store & Energy Convention 2024 in St. Paul, Minnesota, this past week. The attendees really represent the heart and soul of American small business. It is truly amazing how critical what they do is to our daily lives, and I suspect many of us take it for granted the service they provide in keeping the broader economy flowing smoothly. We gas up, change our oil, get our coffee on the way to work, and maybe breakfast and lunch.

But I would argue they are also, in many ways, the first line of defense medically for us - where else do you go at any hour of the night to get medicines for your sick child or even yourself? You go to them first before a doctor’s office or even an “iffy” visit to an emergency room to deal with a sick family member. As one who had a chronically ill child for many years, I can attest to this fact.

My deep gratitude to the MCSC organizers for giving me the opportunity to not only speak at your convention but also spend time with your members and hear firsthand the many issues and ideas they have regarding politics and policy in this country. They are smart, common-sense folks—some of them running family operations that are more than a century old!

Talking Geopolitics, Elections, and the Growing Intense Demands on the Electrical Grid Sector

The Corn Belt Power Cooperative Annual Meeting

I was thrilled and honored to speak at the Corn Belt Annual Meeting in Fort Dodge, Iowa, yesterday (April 3, 2024). It was a trip to God’s country - the beauty and grandeur of the Hawkeye State all around me as I was given the privilege to speak to leaders of the energy sector of Iowa on what is going on in the world today and how it directly is impacting them - U.S. Election outlook, Congressional outlook, the future of China, India, Russia, and the rest of the world.

There is something cathartic about engaging and talking with hard-working, clear-eyed folks like those in attendance at the Corn Belt Power meeting. The questions are deeply thoughtful, penetrating, and challenging. Add to this that the attendees are just wonderful folks—Iowa Nice, as they say! All around, it was a superb event!

You can see my presentation below.