The Journal

Notes from the studio.

Field notes, process essays, and unfiltered opinions on what makes a small-business website actually work.

Apr 2026

From two stores and a tin can to 31 retailers across the Gulf Coast

What I learned taking Doctor Schwab's furniture polish from a single product in two shops to a packaged consumer brand stocked across the South.

6 min read

Mar 2026

360 Automotive Solutions — rebrand of a 70-year-old Baton Rouge auto shop

Case Notes

Rebuilding a 70-year-old auto shop's identity without losing what made it work

Simpson's Service Center has been on Florida Boulevard since the 1950s. Here's what changed when it became 360 Automotive Solutions — and what we deliberately kept.

7 min read

Feb 2026

University Donuts — Hammond, LA donut and breakfast spot

Field Notes

Designing for the Saturday morning rush at a college-town donut shop

A few notes on building University Donuts' site for the kind of traffic that doesn't read — it scrolls, taps, and orders before kickoff.

5 min read

Jan 2026

CaseCurrent — AI voice-intake platform for personal injury and family law firms

Process

How I'd sell an AI product without using the word "AI" three times in the hero

Notes from building CaseCurrent's marketing site — a voice-intake platform for law firms — and what I'd tell any founder pitching an AI product to a non-technical buyer.

6 min read