Wintrust Business Lunch

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Three suburban Mariano’s grocery stores will close as part of a plan by parent company Kroger to cut costs and trim operations. 60 locations across the country will close over the next year and a half, including Mariano’s stores in Buffalo […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about new home sales falling in May, if this means there are buying opportunities, and the latest on Social Security and if you should take benefits earlier. Terry also answers all of your financial questions.

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about what you need to know about getting hired in a tough job market. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to talk about the benefits of the ‘paint a simple picture’ style of leadership. Segment 3: James Rodriguez, Senior Reporter, […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Two of the companies that used to be the biggest for online job recruiting and job searching have filed for bankruptcy. CareerBuilder and Monster merged in 2024, and business has been shrinking since the heyday in the 1990’s. It fell off […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Chief Communications Officer and Chief Wellness Officer, Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about selling Best Money Moves and what it means moving forward, the rise of the everyday millionaire, the salary Americans say they now need to earn to live comfortably, Compass suing Zillow over their […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Berlin Packaging is moving its headquarters from Chicago’s West Loop to the Merchandise Mart. Crain’s says the packaging supplier has signed a lease for the fourth floor of the building. The new location covers 38,554 square feet. It’ll move from 525 […]

Segment 1: Phillip Shaw, CFP, Senior Advisor, Goldstone Financial Group, joins John to talk about the market performance this week, how the conflict between Israel and Iran is impacting the economy, what tariffs might do to the market, how much inflation has come down, if the Fed will cut rates in July, the economy being healthy overall, and […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. One of Chicago’s most well-known gay bars wants to move into O’Hare Airport. Block Club Chicago reports Sidetrack is joining forces with restaurant operator German Gonzalez to bid on a space inside Terminal One. If approved, it would be the first […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. NASCAR is reportedly eyeing another city for an urban street race. The New York Times says NASCAR is nearing a deal for a stock car street race in San Diego and an announcement could come next month. The report comes as […]

Segment 1: Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, joins John Williams to talk about National Kefir Day, what they are doing to celebrate 40 years in business, how the company brought Kefir to the United States, the cultural relevancy of Lifeway Kefir, how much the company has grown, the expansion into other products, the health […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about a new report that shows the Social Security retirement trust fund may be depleted in less than a decade, what needs to be done to fix Social Security, and her thoughts on Fed Chair Powell’s interest rate decision. And as always, Terry answers all […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based Kellanova, the snack company spinoff of Kellogg’s, faces an anti-trust investigation in the European Union. The European Commission, which acts as a watchdog for the 27-country bloc, is concerned about the $36 billion bid by Mars to acquire Kellanova. The […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. There’s a new CEO at Lou Malnati’s. The deep-dish pizza company has hired Julie Younglove-Webb to take the helm. Crain’s reports Younglove-Webb has more than a decade of experience overseeing corporate and restaurant operations, formerly of Auntie Anne’s, Domino’s and Potbelly. […]

Segment 1: Mark Hamrick, Washington Bureau Chief and Senior Economic Analyst for Bankrate.com, joins John to talk about a new survey that shows 65% of Americans think tariffs would be bad for their personal finances. Mark also talks about the resiliency of the market, and the likelihood the Fed keeps interest rates steady. Segment 2: Dennis Rodkin, residential real estate reporter for Crain's, joins […]

Segment 1: Faron Daugs, CFP, Founder and CEO, Harrison Wallace Financial Group, joins John to talk about the market continuing to weather various storms, the status of President Trump’s tax bill, what we know about Trump’s trade agreements, the consumer feeling pretty good overall, the latest inflation data, and what he expects the Fed to do this […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Ford has temporarily shut down its south side Chicago factory as it struggles to get rare earth magnet supplies from China. Those components are essential to car production and have been trickling out of China as a result of the trade […]

Ryan Burrow has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. This will be a big weekend for conventions and events in Chicago.  McCormick Place will host the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2025, the largest inbound international travel trade show in the country.  Also the HYROX World Championships, a four day sports […]

Segment 1: Tom Fortino, Founder and Principal, Alpha Wealth Group, and host of “The Alpha Wealth Hour” on WGN Radio, joins John to talk about the impact of the Israel-Iran conflict on the U.S. economy, when the Fed will likely cut interest rates, why the market is still holding up despite all of the uncertainty, what […]

Segment 1: Jason Turner, Chief Investment Strategist for Wintrust Wealth Management, joins John to talk about the fairly benign inflation numbers released this week, corporate earnings continuing to be healthy, and if he believes it’s time to lower interest rates. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about Tesla “tentatively” set to begin […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about long-term care insurance and what you need to know, what she thinks of President Trump’s plan to give newborns $1,000, and to answer all of your financial questions.

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. United Airlines has partnered with Spotify to give flyers new in-flight entertainment. The partnership gives passengers free access to more than 450 hours of playlists, audiobooks and podcasts. The content will be available on United flights by 2026. United says it’s […]

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk the importance of getting feedback at work, and why networking is key when trying to get a job Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at Work, joins John to explain why the most valuable employees of 2025 are ambassadors and anticipators. Segment 3: Carl […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based Potbelly is seeing growth after warning in 2020 about going out of business. Crain’s says the sandwich chain has seen progress in its turnaround plan, including positive net income in the first quarter. Potbelly had income of $85,000 compared to […]

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about why Chicago is a great place for a staycation, and how low credit scores from student loan debt nonpayment has been impacting homebuying. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about a Chicago startup that helps disinfect spaces raising […]

Segment 1: Craig Bolanos, Founder and Wealth Advisor at VestGen Wealth Partners, joins John Williams to talk about the good job report, what is driving the market today, the dustup between President Trump and Elon Musk, the outlook for Tesla (and EV’s in general) moving forward, the fantastic run that gold has had recently, what he thinks of […]

Segment 1: Steven Esposito, President of Yellowstone Wealth Management in Lake Forest, joins John Williams to talk about the uncertainty in the market, but how uncertainty can lead to opportunity. Steven also explains why he believes its time for the Fed to cut interest rates. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins John Williams to talk about […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The University of Chicago has received a $21 million donation to establish a new quantum research center. Philanthropist Thea Berggren made the donation, and the new center will include her name. It’ll will be located in the Pritzker School of Molecular […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the net return of T-bills, what you need to know about the Trump tax bill, the opposition to the bill by some members of the GOP, the weak ADP jobs report, why you need to join the digital revolution when it comes to your […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The Chicago Blackhawks have revealed new renderings for the Fifth Third Arena expansion. When the work is complete in early 2026, the venue will have more than 250,000 square feet of hockey space and training facilities, along with bars, lounges and […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. A Chicago hotel is ranked among the world’s best hotels. The Peninsula Chicago is tied for first in the ranking by La Liste. The Peninsula is a luxury hotel on Superior Street just off the Magnificent Mile. La Liste determines its […]

Longtime Chicago radio veteran Harvey Wells, Founder, Lower Tech Bills, talks to John about how he helps customers lower their internet, cell phone, and television costs. And as always, Harvey answers all of your tech questions! First, though, Harvey talks about seeing Bruce Springsteen in France where everybody was sitting down!

Segment 1: Ilyce Glink, owner of Think Glink Media and Best Money Moves, joins John Williams to talk about the strength of the spring housing market, and to break down the data released in the IRS 2024 Data Book. Segment 2: Jim Dallke, Director of Communications, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, tells John about Motorola Solutions paying $4.5B for wireless radio maker Silvus, Chicago’s latest […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. There’s an update to the gate allocation saga at O’Hare Airport. The latest allocation will give United Airlines five additional gates at the airport starting Oct. 1. American will lose four gates. After the re-allocation is complete, United, based here in […]

Segment 1: Paul Nolte, Senior Wealth Advisor and Market Strategist, Murphy & Sylvest, joins John to talk about the decent economic data released this week, how tariffs have been impacting the market, what we know about any trade deals, the likelihood of seeing a recession, how he’s seeing economic growth, what he’s telling his clients right […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Chicago-based United Airlines has announced a new partnership with JetBlue that will allow the airline to return to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. The partnership, called Blue Sky, will allow United and JetBlue to sell seats on each other’s websites […]

Segment 1: Ivan Gomez, Owner, Mijo's Authentic Mexican Food, joins John Williams to talk about the history of their restaurant, how long they have been in Fox Lake, how the restaurant concept started, what you should order when you visit, and the soul of Mijo’s being the taco. Segment 2: Bree Fowler, Senior Writer, CNET, joins […]

Nationally syndicated financial columnist and author Terry Savage joins John Williams to talk about the implications of AI on the economy, why now is time to do something about your student loans, and President Trump’s reaction to the term ‘TACO Trade.’ And as always, Terry answers your financial questions.

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. The financial outlook for the City of Chicago has been changed to negative by Fitch Ratings. In its revision, Fitch says there’s been a lack of meaningful progress in closing a nearly $1 billion structural budget gap. The agency has suggested […]

Segment 1: Tom Gimbel, job expert and founder of LaSalle Network, joins John to talk about about the importance of showing up for meetings, and what you can learn if you accidentally missed a scheduled appointment. Tom also tells about the recent shift of power from the employees to the employer. Segment 2: Philippe Weiss, President, Seyfarth at […]

Segment 1: Liza Lefkowski, Vice President of Merchandising and Stores, Wayfair, joins John Williams to talk about the 1 year anniversary of their first brick and mortar store in Wilmette! Segment 2: Joe Cicero, Director of Marketing and Promotions for the McHenry Outdoor Theater, joins John to talk about the 74th season of the theater! […]

Steve Grzanich has the business news of the day with the Wintrust Business Minute. Oberweis Dairy is planning an expansion just a year after it was acquired out of bankruptcy by a new owner. Hoffman Family of Companies purchased the 100-year-old company last June and has spent the last year upgrading stores and buying real […]

Segment 1: Wendy Reed, Partner at Just Rite IT, joins John Williams to talk about what Just Rite IT does, how they help customers with their technology needs, the most important need for businesses right now, the typical problems they solve, how they ease the day-to-day burden for their clients, and the ways they can […]