Can I possibly add one more thing to my plate?

I can take on one more responsibility, even though I already have a full plate. For many years, I have worked for various newspaper groups. Before that, I owned three newspapers. My career began with a newspaper group, and prior to that, I operated my own graphics company in Austin, Texas.

From being an owner to an employee and back again, I find myself repeating this cycle, and frankly, I’m pretty tired of second-guessing myself. In many ways, that’s what it really comes down to: Am I capable of sustaining my life and the lives of those around me, or do I simply need to work for someone else?

I know many people who work for themselves, and this question often arises during our discussions. It’s natural for entrepreneurs to second-guess themselves. Let’s face it: if all the bills are paid and there is money in the bank, we entrepreneurs have it pretty easy, right?

We set our own hours and take off from work whenever we want. It really is a great life working for oneself.

I guess by now you have figured out I’m being a little snarky.

I once heard a small business owner say that she opened her shop to have more free time. That statement struck me as ridiculous. In contrast, when you work a 40-hour week for someone else, you enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a steady paycheck, health insurance, and the ability to leave work behind as soon as you clock out for the day. However, owning a business feels like being on the clock 24/7. Your mind never stops worrying about the business, and you never truly leave it behind, even when the doors are closed for the day.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love owning my own businesses, but I think I might need a therapist. This week, I decided to finally pursue a project that has been sitting on the shelf for a long time, and I may have just lost my mind in the process.

My team and I launched a new newspaper for Robinson, Texas, called the Robinson Record-News. The “News” part of the name pays homage to the Robertson County News, while the “Record” portion simply sounded appealing and fitting for a newspaper, so I decided to use it.

Currently, the newspaper is available only online, featuring a digital edition, newsletter, and website. We are seeking assistance in the form of stringers and are actively selling advertisements. For the residents of Robinson, this means they finally have access to a newspaper, which they have needed for a long time. There has been a significant gap in accurate news coverage, and relying on the Waco Tribune-Herald has proven to be insufficient, much like the situation with Bryan The Eagle these days, simply shadows of their once great selves.

This also means cross advertising opportunities for all the communities we are serving. A Robertson County business can now reach Lorena, Robinson, Hewitt and surrounding communities and vice verse. Pretty effective advertising options for all businesses considered.

That wasn’t the main reason I decided to take action now. Since 2017, I’ve been closely watching the Robinson market, eagerly anticipating the opportunity it presented. In fact, if I hadn’t purchased the Robertson County News in 2020, I was ready to start their paper back in 2019. The acquisition and the impact of COVID-19 put those plans on hold, but I never forgot about that project. Now, it has finally become a reality.

I have a friend in mind to run the newspaper—he is a reputable newspaper publisher in his own right. In about six months, my buddy will join me and take the reins of the Robinson Record-News. That will be a great day, as it will also mark the first time Robinson, Texas, sees its newspaper in print.

Although I seemed to have a lot on my plate, it turns out I just needed one more task. To reassure everyone, my plate is quite large and can handle the extra responsibility. I have a fantastic staff, and in just two days, we built and launched everything related to Robinson. It truly looked like a news machine hard at work.

If you want to check out Robinson Record-News: www.robinsonrecordnews.com

There is also a newsletter that you can subscribe to, similar to how you subscribe to the Robertson County Newsletter. You can do this by visiting the website mentioned above.

Have a great rest of your week, and I’ll see you here next week!