I had a lot of fun today talking to Ms. Sharon Siepel’s business and marketing classes at North Stafford High School.
The bell rang bright and early at 8 a.m., where I stood before a class of about 25 students and talked about founding Potomac Local News, an online news business serving neighborhoods between Manassas and Fredericksburg. I also enjoyed speaking with Ms. Siepel’s 11:30 a.m. class.
The students asked about the challenges and benefits of entrepreneurialism, how to take their business ideas to market, and why I decided to go into business. The answer to the latter question is simple — this is in the community where I was raised.
I jumped when I saw an opportunity to provide local news coverage while helping businesses advertise and build brand awareness with our audience.
Potomac Local News has a history of working with students from Stafford County Public Schools. Between 2018 and 2020, two freelance reporters, Susie Webb and Chris Hirons attended Stafford High School.
Webb and Hirons covered the county board of supervisors and school board and broke several essential news stories during their time with us.
I founded Potomac Local News in 2010 after working at the Stafford County Sun and later the Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger newspapers in Prince William County, combined under the News & Messenger banner in 2009 and closed in 2012.
