Your Business Plan Isn’t the Problem, You Are
Bob Dickerson has sat across from more small business owners than almost anyone in Alabama. Fifty-three years of it. He has heard every pitch and read every plan. Ask him why most owners stay stuck and he does not point at the plan. He points at the owner. That answer is uncomfortable. It is also the fastest thing you can fix.
Why Most Businesses Fail to Get Funding | The Bob Dickerson Story
In this episode of Strick City Live, we discuss: what banks are REALLY looking for, why most businesses get denied funding, the importance of preparation and planning. If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or someone looking to grow this episode will give you clarity and direction.
Congress Passed a Housing Bill. Then the Signing Got Pulled.
When genuine bipartisan agreement — something that’s rare — gets held hostage to an unrelated fight, it’s fair for us to ask our representatives, on both sides, to keep their eye on the families actually waiting on the other end of these decisions.
Stewardship is Intentional, But Legacy is Planned
Every loan you don’t take because the terms were wrong, every dollar you put back into your business instead of pulling out too early, every hour you give to the young person two desks down who’s trying to figure out how any of this works — that’s not separate from your faith. That’s where it lives.
When It Sounds Too Easy, Look Twice
Responsible lenders ask an important question: can your business actually carry this debt and come out stronger on the other side? When a lender skips that step, they aren’t doing you a favor.
When the Constitution Is Ignored, Who Defends It?
When a president ignores the constitutional limits of his office—particularly on something as serious as war—it raises a deeper question for the country. But the story does not end there. Because the Constitution does not rely on the president alone. It also relies on Congress.
Minnie Louise Gardner Gaston: A Builder of Opportunity
The Gaston legacy was never the work of one person alone. It was a partnership. Minnie Louise Gardner Gaston helped educate thousands of students, advocated for federal student aid, and strengthened the institutions that supported Birmingham’s Black middle class. During Women’s History Month, it’s important that we remember her not simply as Mrs. Gaston—but as a builder of opportunity in her own right.
The Pen is in Our Hands: A Black History Month 2026 Series
History is not written somewhere else. It is written in the decisions people make every day. It is written in the willingness to build, to lead, and to contribute. It is written by people who understand that progress is not simply something to celebrate. It is something to continue. The pen is not in someone else’s hands. The pen is in our hands.
“Make Me Wanna Holler” — A Song America Still Hasn’t Answered
I’ve watched the news out of Minneapolis for a couple of days now and I’m reminded that there are moments when language fails — when analysis, history, and even outrage aren’t quite enough. And, honestly in a moment of sadness and concern I hear Marvin Gaye’s line from Inner City Blues, “Make me wanna holler, Throw up both my hands.”
Occupied: Minneapolis and the Hidden Costs of a Federal Enforcement Surge
In a matter of weeks, multiple fatal and controversial shootings involving federal agents have shaken the community — including incidents that have left advocates and state officials questioning who is truly being protected.