The best small business ideas emerge when we see the world differently. I want to ignite your imagination about the possibilities beyond your borders.

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Hello! I’m Shawn. My purpose is to help small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed in a global marketplace.

Starting a business is serious business. When properly planned and managed, a small business can be both financially and personally rewarding. However, failure can be catastrophic.

My goal is to help improve your probability of success.

During my military service in Afghanistan, I made a promise to live for making the world a better place. To keep my promise, I help small business owners to:

• achieve their financial goals
• strengthen their communities
• protect the environment
• live the best life possible

International Experience

In the years since Afghanistan, I’ve earned two master’s degrees. While in Germany, I earned a Master of Arts in International Relations.

A few years later on the Mediterranean island of Malta, I graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in entrepreneurship.

My wife, Tricia, and I have also traveled broadly. I’m now fortunate enough to say that I’ve visited over 50 countries on 5 continents. 

I look forward to sharing these ideas and experiences with you on this site and beyond.

Content Strategy

Since founding our content strategy firm, Chessboard Communications, Tricia and I have been helping entrepreneurs expand across borders. We help by:

• Creating content in clear, concise, North American English.
• Optimizing content for both search engines and people.
• Delivering content to the right people, at the right time.

Learn more about how I can help create an international content strategy for your business on my page: ‘Hire Me — A Content Strategist’.

Explore My Blog

Expanding into international markets can be challenging. On my blog, I share ideas designed to help make sense of a business world with over 6,900 languages and 195 countries. 

Please feel free to subscribe to the blog and comment. I’m always happy to have constructive conversations. 😀