Why Did I Ever Leave?

©2026 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Every time I'm in Chicago I think, 'Why did I ever leave?' This is the greatest city in the world." – Stephen Colbert, comedian and writer

Chicago: The Most Beautiful Great City Left in the World

©2026 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Eventually, I think Chicago will be the most beautiful great city left in the world." – Frank Lloyd Wright, architect and Oak Park resident

Swimmers On Parade on the Mag Mile in Chicago

©2026 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

In the tradition of the legendary “Cows on Parade” installation, “Monuments of Stillness” consists of 10 sculptures of swimmers along Michigan Avenue by New York artist Carole A. Feuerman.

RIP Fellow Chicagoan Rev. Jesse Jackson

©iStock/fumiko Inoue

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose impassioned oratory and populist vision of a “rainbow coalition” of the poor and forgotten made him the nation’s most influential Black figure in the years between the civil rights crusades of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the election of Barack Obama, died on Tuesday (2/17/26) at his home in Chicago. He was 84.

It's That Time: Marshall Field's Walnut Room Christmas Tree 2025

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

About the experience visiting the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's (now Macy's) in Chicago, Illinois.

"We would go have lunch in the Walnut Room and sit by that beautiful tree with those waitresses in their black dresses and their white aprons ... It just had such great memories this time of year."

"It was simply magic going to Fields during the Christmas season and eating lunch by the tree in the Walnut Room. No internet, no iPhones just people enjoying the company of other people. The memories are indelible."

"The cherry on top of it all was being able to get a seat right near the Christmas tree and feel a sense of peace and joy, basking in the warmth and glow of it all."

"We would always eat in the Walnut Room and somehow we always got a table that was so close to the tree that I felt I could reach and touch it." 

Learn more about the history.

Photo courtesy:  Laurel J. Delaney and taken on 11/7/25.

Together, Let's Go, Go, Go Global! Final Call for Tickets!

Join us in person tomorrow, Friday, October 24th in Chicago at the 10th Annual Global Small Business Forum, "Playing to Win in the Global Marketplace," hosted at Foley & Lardner and sponsored by Associated Bank – from 8:00-11:30 AM CT.

Why just look at this lineup of amazing speakers!

1. Ellen Wheeler, Partner and Litigation Attorney, Foley & Lardner LLP
2. Sebastien Villon, Managing Partner, BBInc
3. Jamie Shah, President, Chem-Impex International
4. Marc Schulman, President, The Eli's Cheesecake Company
5. Angie Kappel, VP, FX, Associated Bank
6. Ken Wasylik, Managing Director, E.M. Wasylik Associates
7. Mikę Sankowski, VP, FX, Associated Bank (Moderator)
8. Dave Shogren, President and Co-Owner, US International Foods, LLC
9. Ashley S.H. Moy, President, Cast21
10. Chris R. Straw, Founder and President, Team Quality Services
11. Richard Paullin, Executive Director, International Trade Association of Greater Chicago
12. Nancy McHenry, COO, Wigeteer 

They are going to rock the house with their knowledge and grit on what it takes to go global.  To learn more and to purchase tickets, visit: https://globalsmallbusinessforum.com/

I'll [Laurel Delaney] will be there.  Hope to see you, too!

Showcasing the Most Beautiful City in the World: Chicago

 

Diverse • Innovative • World Class 

"In Chicago, we value unity over division.  Our city's beauty comes from its people, and we support policies that honor that." – Laurel Delaney

  

Photos courtesy of:  ©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Today in Global Small Business: Honoring American Workers and the Labor Movement in 2025

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Labor Day history 2025.
• The new film about how Putin's Russia was born.
• Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson recently signed an executive order barring the city's police department from collaborating with federal officers conducting civil immigration enforcement operations, and with U.S. military personnel on police patrols.
• Quote of the week:  "I believe that summer is our time, a time for the people, and that no politician should be allowed to speak to us during the summer. They can start talking again after Labor Day." – Lewis Black
• Time AI 2025 – most influential people in artificial intelligence.
• See the world as a startup does.

FINAL CALL: 9th Annual Global Small Business Forum 10/18/24 in Chicago!

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Ready.  Set.  Let's go global!  There is still time to sign up for the biggest and best 9th Annual Global Small Business Forum, "Global Success Within Reach – The Bigger Picture," held in Chicago on Friday, October 18th from 8:00-11:30 AM CT.  Hear from a cast of experienced speakers who know the ins and outs to global expansion.

Our cast of speakers – like an Academy Award lineup but for experts and business owners who drive results through global expansion – is as follows:

• Angie Kappel, VP Foreign Exchange, Capital Markets, Associated Bank
• Tami Lange, Founder and President, Save the Girls
• Ellen Wheeler, Partner and Litigation Attorney, Foley & Lardner LLP
• Marc Schulman, President, The Eli's Cheesecake Company
• Amy Mills, Owner and President, 17th Street Barbecue
• Donald J. Lloyd, Senior VP, Manager:  Capital Markets – Foreign Exchange, Rate Swaps and Commodity Derivatives, Associated Bank (Moderator)
• Kirk Samson, Global Business Leader, Co-Founder, Samson Worldwide LLC and Global Business Consultant
• Richard Paullin, Executive Director, International Trade Association of Greater Chicago
• Yvette Laugier, Chairman Emeritus, Housewares Association Board of Directors
• Diamond Young, AVP Foreign Exchange | Capital Markets, Associated Bank
• Rajiv Khatau, Managing Director, LODAAT Pharma
• Valarie King-Bailey, CEO, OnShore Technology Group, Inc. 

Forum is sponsored by Associated Bank and hosted by Foley & Lardner.  

To learn more and to register, visit: https://globalsmallbusinessforum.com/.  I [Laurel Delaney] hope to see you there!

#successwithinreach

Grab Your Place at the 9th Annual Global Small Business Forum Held in Chicago 10/18/24

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Get ready for the biggest and best 9th Annual Global Small Business Forum, "Global Success Within Reach – The Bigger Picture," held in Chicago on Friday, October 18th from 8:00-11:30 AM CT.  Hear from a cast of experienced speakers who know the ins and outs to global expansion.

Forum is sponsored by Associated Bank and hosted by Foley & Lardner.  

To learn more and to register, visit:  https://globalsmallbusinessforum.com/.  I [Laurel Delaney] hope to see you there!

Chicago: The Greatest City in the World Welcomes the DNC 2024

©iStock/Kelly Liu

Chicago is proud to welcome the 2024 Democratic National Convention to one of the greatest cities in the world. 

Named the Best Big City in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler readers for a record-breaking seven consecutive years, Chicago is home to award-winning restaurants, iconic attractions, stunning outdoor spaces, a rich cultural scene, vibrant neighborhoods, and a welcoming and inclusive spirit. I [Laurel Delaney] know, because I am a native of Chicago.

Learn more about the 2024 DNC in Chicago, including the latest updates, resources for delegates and media, tips for planning your visit, and more.

That Toddlin’ Town

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin’ town.” – Fred Fisher “Chicago,” (1922)

Every Type of Dubiousness

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

“A facade of skyscrapers facing a lake and behind the facade [Chicago], every type of dubiousness.” – E.M. Forster 

My Heart Beats Differently When I'm in Chicago

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All right reserved.

"It’s one of the greatest cities on the planet. My heart beats differently when I’m in Chicago. It slows down and I feel more at ease." – Jeremy Piven

Polish Independence Day Race in Chicago 10/29/23

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs (In-Person Chicago Event 6/20/23)

© 2023 EXIM Bank.  All rights reserved.

While women-owned businesses have grown, there are specific issues women entrepreneurs still face.

Join the Illinois District Export Council in partnership with First Women’s Bank, Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global, Koval Distillery and The Export-Import Bank of the United States on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 3 PM CST for a panel discussion and networking session.

Discussion points:

• How to navigate the challenges of equity distribution and obtaining financing.
• Understand the critical role community banks provide
• Discover how a mission-driven bank is different than other banks.
• Learn from other women entrepreneurs who have utilized other resources to help grow their businesses.

There will be a networking session for all attendees following the panel session. We hope you will join us on June 20th at 3 PM CST.

I [Laurel Delaney] will be moderating one of the panel discussions. Look forward to seeing you in person.

To learn more and to register, visit here.

Chicago: Auditioning For the World

©2023 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"Chicago is constantly auditioning for the world, determined that one day, on the streets of Barcelona, in Berlin's cabarets, in the coffee shops of Istanbul, people will know and love us in our multidimensional glory, dream of us the way they dream of San Francisco and New York." – Mary Schmich, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist

McDonald's Global Menu Restaurant in Chicago

©iStock/Antwon McMullen

A former New Yorker's take on the McDonald's Global Menu Restaurant in Chicago, covering where it is located (e.g., positioned right near its Hamburger University), when it was opened, what it offers, and what her favorite selections are.

My Kind of Town, Chicago

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I'm impressed with the people from Chicago. Hollywood is hype. New York is talk. Chicago is work." —Michael Douglas, actor 

For All the Moms Worldwide: The Kids' Table

©iStock/Prostock-Studio

A Chicago kids' cooking school offers virtual weekly classes for children ages 2 to 14.  Most classes are one hour, a new two-hour course, Supper Club, puts kids in charge of dinner.   Hmm, does that sound nice :-).  Spots I hear go fast, so book yours today.

With interactive instruction from our skilled instructors, young chefs get to chop, mix and roll their way to a different delicious dish in each class - with enough to share with the fam! Kids learn valuable culinary skills and new recipes, enjoy a fun hands-on activity, and are inspired to expand their taste buds to discover that "real food" can be really good. 

Learn more:  The Kids' Table