“Smoking Makes Your Lungs Turn Black. And it Kills You.”
A childhood conversation about smoking, honesty, and the surprisingly powerful effect of saying something everyone already knows is true.
Ron Stauffer
Marketer and storyteller. Founder of Lieder Digital, Lieder AI, and WCAG Colorado. Author of The Solopreneur's Survival Guide to Business Networking, June 2026.
Latest posts
My Storytelling Degree Presentation in 20 Slides
After over a decade and a half of college, I finally graduated at the age of 34. I got a Bachelor of Arts in Storytelling from Metro State University in Denv...
My Advice on Education and Entrepreneurship For High Schoolers
As a solopreneur, I can get in my car and drive to Mexico today, and nobody would even know, and nobody would care.
When Starting a Business, Get To That First Dollar As Fast As Possible
Making money starts with getting one dollar, then another, then another. So get started right now.
Your Brother is Dead: The Phone Call That Changed My Life Forever
Three years ago, to this day, I got a call that changed my life forever. On Friday, September 25th, 2020, I was playing with my kids outside in front of our...
How I Met Weird Al Yankovic
How a parody-song contest led to meeting Weird Al Yankovic backstage—and an unexpected family connection during the encore.
Growing A Beard: A Social Experiment
Seven observations about beard maintenance, public reactions, and what happens when facial hair becomes a social experiment.
Solving The World's Problems While Running
I like running. I'm a running maniac. And by that, I don't mean I run a tremendous distance every time I run because I don't. I'm not like some of those craz...
I’m Not Okay, and That Needs To Be Okay
I'm not okay. Today, I turned 38, and it's been a really tough day. I have a lot on my mind right now, and a lot of complicated things are weighing me down....
The Uber Eats “$25 Off” Promo Proves There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
I ended up paying $7.57 out of pocket and didn't even get what I ordered The older I get, the more annoyed I get with what seems like the endless number of c...
Laid-Off Tech Workers: Now’s The Time to Start Your Own Business
An open letter to tech workers facing layoffs, from someone who was laid off from a tech company over a dozen years ago
Want To Start A Business? Here Are 7 Things To Do Right Now To Get Started
Seriously, you can start a business in less than one week.
Freelancers: Please, Track All Your Time, Starting Right Now
If you’re not tracking your time, you’re losing money, guaranteed.
Being a Digital Nomad Sucks. Stop Pretending It Doesn’t.
You can only sit on so many beaches until it gets old.
What Ever Happened to Blogs?
Remember blogs? Many years ago, I remember doing searches on “my favorite search engine” (usually Yahoo or Ask.com back then) for various things like song ly...
It’s Time For Me To Get Deadly Serious
How My Wake-Up Call In an Emergency Room Is Changing Me Sometimes a trip to the Emergency Room puts things into perspective Last year, a few days before...
How I Make $10,000 Per Day Working From Home
It’s simpler than it sounds, and you can do it too. No tricks and no scams!
Come Follow Me on Medium
Back in 2016, I created an account on medium.com just like (seemingly) everyone else on the internet. But I wasn't sure what to do with it. I even started by...
How I Battle The Depression Monster When Working Alone
6 Tips For Overcoming Depression When I Feel Like Nobody Cares or Understands.
Introducing Free Soloing: A Resource For Freelancers and Solopreneurs
I want those of us who are self-employed to know that we may work alone, but we are not alone.
I'm In Tucson Now
I've been blogging on and off (mostly off) since 2010. Aside from having an interesting place to store my inner musings publicly, almost nothing has ever com...
A Warning to New Facebook Page Users
There are some potential issues that brands that are new to Facebook Pages aren't thinking about. These include issues regarding security, privacy, moderation, and etiquette. Here are a few thoughts and observations I've made over the past few weeks.
Thoughts On Zoom
There are some big, scary headlines floating around in the news about Zoom. Some are worth paying attention to, and some aren’t that big a deal. Here are some basic thoughts on the topic.
My Presentation on Web Accessibility at the Boulder WordPress Meetup
Here's a presentation I gave at the Boulder WordPress Meetup last week. It was right when COVID first hit, so I was (I think) the first person ever to give a...
"Pops" Williams, Who Lives On The Streets
By Ron Stauffer LONGMONT, COLORADO - When Russ Williams' family moved from Montana to Colorado in 1958, his first few days here were a shocking surprise. He...
Column: Names Changes and Stonewalling in Yosemite National Park
By Ron Stauffer YOSEMITE, Calif. — In January 2016, Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher announced that a new organization had been hired to r...
Yosemite National Park Draws Professionals and Volunteers
By Ron Stauffer YOSEMITE, Calif. — Judy Craig retired from teaching 18 years ago. But she's spent a month each summer for the past eight years volunteering a...
After Three Years and a $40 Million Renovation, Yosemite's Mariposa Grove Reopens
By Ron Stauffer YOSEMITE, Calif. — Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park has reopened to the public after a renovation project that lasted three years and...
The Annual Bison Roundup at Tallgrass
By Ron Stauffer TULSA, Okla. — It's a cold and foggy morning at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, where cowboys work for the second day in a row in their week-...
The Humble Beginnings of Stockton's Own Billionaire, Alex Spanos
STOCKTON, Calif. — Ask anybody who has lived in California's Central Valley over the past few decades if they're familiar with the name Alex Spanos, and you'...
We Must Change the Way We Talk and Report About Suicide
"Died unexpectedly, at the age of 35," my friend's obituary began. Reading the whole entry, I might have come to the conclusion that he was an unfortunate vi...
Profile on Butterfly Pavilion CEO, Patrick Tennyson
WESTMINSTER, Colo. — From the very beginning, Patrick Tennyson, Butterfly Pavilion's president and CEO, knew he wanted to work with animals. As early as the...
Time to Testify at the State Capitol
Today I went to the Colorado State Capitol and testified to the House Education Committee for one bill and against another bill. It was a fascinating experie...
Net Neutrality is Dead. What Comes Next?
The Federal Communications Commission finally released the long-awaited new rules for regulating the internet, following its 3-2 vote in December to repeal n...
Video: Why Use Online Video For Your Business?
Watch this video on YouTube This is a video I created a few years ago with a videographer to showcase the most powerful medium for communication we have in t...
Video: What is Twitter And Should You Use It?
Watch this video on YouTube This is a video I created a few years ago with a videographer to be able to explain to my friends and clients exactly what Twitte...
Local Historian Brings “Forgotten” WWI History to Life at Longmont Museum
LONGMONT, Colo. — A small crowd came to the Longmont Museum Thursday to hear a lecture on the human element of World War I that featured humor and antique we...
Social Injustice at Ink Coffee in Denver
DENVER — In November of 2017, ink! Coffee, a locally-owned coffee shop with multiple locations in Denver found themselves in hot water after unveiling a mark...
Music At Every Stage of Life
Last night, I went to a company party for the Christmas Caroling group I'm a member of. Since the company's season is during Christmas, the team gets togethe...
Three Giants Breaking Up The Healthcare Monopoly
Earlier this week, the world was shocked by the announcement that Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan are going to partner to create a new of healthcar...
My Earliest Radio Memory
Growing up, my exposure to music on the radio was minimal. I wasn't allowed to play the radio on my own, but a lot of my young memories involve watching my d...
Discovering The City that Care Forgot: New Orleans, Louisiana
About ten years ago, I was working at home one early summer day, sitting at my kitchen table listening to one of those early Internet radio stations (RealPla...
Video: Why Learn UX Design at CodeCraft School?
This is the second of two videos I helped create with the talented folks at CodeCraft School of Technology in Boulder, CO. I wrote the questions, prepared an...
Video: What Is User Experience Design, and Why Does it Matter?
This is a video I helped create with the talented folks at CodeCraft School of Technology in Boulder, CO. I wrote the questions, prepared and interviewed the...
Introducing CodeCraft School's Newest Web Development Instructor - Raphael Serota
Raphael Serota is one of CodeCraft’s newest employees, and we’re excited to have him join our team as the lead instructor for our Full-Time Full-Stack Web De...
Understanding Ride Share Insurance for Uber and Lyft Drivers
Note: This is a Q&A I created for an insurance agent who provides special insurance policies for Uber & Lyft drivers. This was one of a series of several art...
Insurance For ATVs, Four-Wheelers, and Off-Road Vehicles
Note: This is a Q&A I created for an insurance agent who provides special insurance policies for four-wheelers and other off-road vehicles. This was one of a...
Drop the Bat; Run to First (Lessons From a T-Ball Coach)
A few years ago, I wanted to introduce my oldest son to sports. He was probably four at the time, and after playing catch with him in the backyard during the...
Understanding Umbrella Insurance
Note: This is a Q&A I created for an insurance agent who provides special insurance policies such as umbrella policies. This was one of a series of several a...
On Silly Job Titles
I've always been amazed at the creative titles some people use to describe what they do. Job titles are a frustrating thing; some employers make a huge deal...