Industry

Awarding Excellence

After 28 years in the classroom, it would be safe to say that teaching has helped put a roof over Jacqueline Sheffield’s head—not just metaphorically. Earlier this year, the 51-year-old math teacher at Fort Walton Beach High School was named…

Grounding Our Future

The rapid change of technological innovations has made the job market more competitive, creating an edge for students who pursue extracurriculars related to the field they will eventually follow. There seems to be little connection between a verdant Florida field…

Forever Learners

It was Gandhi who said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever,” which is the philosophy of living a meaningful life of continuous learning. Today, people proudly brandish this quote on…

When Hobbies Make The Green

Learning a new skill or trade can be daunting, but there’s a lot of money that goes into these pursuits. Despite 59.3% reporting difficulties being able to afford spending on their favorite hobby, data from a Self Financial survey shows…

The Grad Gap

Ignorance creates confidence. Knowledge breeds humility. This is the short version of the Dunning-Kruger Effect (see side bar). This is to say, experience has a way of beating humility into us. There is a growing disparity in the durable skills…

From Hobby to Market

While many people remember a cash-centered square with tables and tents offering mostly fruits, vegetables, and potted plants, innovations have transformed the farmers market into a laboratory for the entrepreneurially minded. There are many advantages to beginning a small business…

Higher Education Embraces Generative AI

Generative AI appeared like a slow-moving tsunami, just a ripple on the horizon that concerned citizens watched with great interest. GPT-1 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 1) was released in 2018 and was largely limited in scope, accuracy, and comprehensibility. Those keeping…

Accelerating Success

Raised during the age of the internet, millennials had a leg up on older generations in mastering all that the world wide web brought to the table. But generations Z and A are coming up during a new apex of…

Trading in a Digital Market

Global Demand for Digital CurrencyCryptocurrencies are growing in popularity as a decentralized global currency. The current global market cap is roughly $2.73 trillion, with an increasing number of merchants accepting cryptocurrencies as legal tender. Unlike physical monies, which can always…

What's Brewing on the Beach?

3rd PLANET BREWING Ten years ago, Tim McCool put his head together with homebrewer and fellow Air Force veteran Jason Doster to bring to Niceville its first microbrewery with the goal of creating quality beer and a new community hub.…

The Business of Banking

Beyond having a great business model, products, goods, and services, all businesses require stable financial and asset management. With approximately 92 percent of global trade conducted electronically, there is a growing need for innovative solutions to banking needs. We briefly…

ArtsQuest 2025

The Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County, proudly announces Gerard Frank as the Featured Artist for the 37th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival. Frank’s custom artworks—Clarence and Alabama, Great Minds, and One Man Show will be showcased on all…

A New Tattooing Era

The tattoo industry has long thrived in Pensacola where a perfect combination of military members, locals, and tourists have kept books full at shops throughout town for decades.  “I think it’s just a really good, supportive community,” says Carrie Daniels,…

The Garden

A close cousin to the cafeteria and inspired by the nearly bygone era of the mall food court, the dining hall boom has carved out space for communities to gather and for local entrepreneurs to thrive.  “You really get the…

Beyond the Books

Tutoring is a lucrative profession and is often used to supplement a teacher’s salary. Beginners can charge as low as $15 per hour, while those with more experience can receive as much as $80 per hour for high-demand subjects such…

Art-prenuers

Many parents use the phrase “starving artist” to warn their children away from the arts. The corner of every major city houses a singer-songwriter trying to make it big. Street performers earn an average of $21.70/hour in the United States,…

The Art Business

With its temperate weather, flora and fauna erupting into bloom, and the city waking from winter with a stacked calendar of events, spring in Tallahassee is a business in itself. On the roster of headlining events, Word of South, a…