Reid Novak Is Looking for the Good in Omaha

When University of Nebraska at Omaha freshman Reid Novak launched Omaha Circle, he had modest expectations. He asked his parents to share it with friends and hoped he might find 50 people willing to subscribe to his new weekly newsletter. Then he posted it in the Omaha Word of Mouth Facebook group.

"It blew up," Novak said. "I got 2,000 likes, hundreds of comments. I was getting emails from people that subscribed saying how excited they were and how awesome they thought the idea was."

By the time Novak sent his third issue, Omaha Circle had approximately 1,500 subscribers.

"It's just crazy how much success I found with it already," he said.

Choosing the Good

Omaha Circle is built to tell stories that can get lost amid the day's traditional news. Every Wednesday, Novak introduces readers to someone worth knowing and shares positive news from around the city, along with a few events worth getting out of the house for.

The Omaha native said the idea grew from his interest in entrepreneurship and media. He had already started a car detailing business and enjoyed running something himself, but he wanted to build something he felt more personally connected to.

"I love media in general, but I kind of came to not like social media because there's a lot of noise," he said. "So I was looking for a media outlet that wasn't social media, and I landed on a newsletter."

He also saw room for something different from the news people encounter every day. Novak acknowledges the importance of covering difficult stories, but he wanted Omaha Circle to give readers a place away from them.

"I just wanted somewhere that was completely away from that," he said.

The People of Omaha

Each issue includes "The People of Omaha," an interview with a local business owner or, as Novak describes it, simply "someone I think is cool." His first was with Jeff Cooley, owner of Dent Crafters, where Novak works and helps with social media.

Some subjects come from Novak's own connections. Since the launch, readers have also sent him suggestions about business owners and community members whose stories they thought deserved to be told. One of those connections led him to Creative Con, a community event organized for a local teenager facing a serious health condition. Novak was invited to attend, document the event and share the story with his readers.

Others have introduced him to small business owners and people doing interesting things throughout the community. His approach to choosing subjects is intentionally broad.

"If you're someone that I think is cool, you could be on there," Novak said.

He chose the name for the same reason he built the newsletter this way.

"I wanted the name to invoke a feeling of community because that's what I wanted," he said. "At the end of the day, with the events that I'm hoping to host soon, community is what I want. Omaha Circle, this is a community of people."

He liked another phrase, too: "Welcome to the circle."

Scaling Back to Keep Going

Just a few issues in, Novak has already found that entrepreneurship sometimes means changing an idea to make it sustainable. His first issue included two original interviews, a lot for a full-time college student producing a newsletter every week.

"I think I over-engineered it," he said.

He has since streamlined Omaha Circle and begun experimenting with new features, including reader-submitted photos and a pet of the week.

"I don't want to get burned out," Novak said. "I want to do this for as long as I can."

For now, Omaha Circle remains a one-person operation. Novak finds the stories, conducts the interviews, takes photos, writes the newsletter and manages the business behind it. He has also begun experimenting with sponsorships, but he is deliberate about which businesses he introduces to his audience.

"When I partner with someone, I want it to be someone that I actually believe in and feel comfortable and good about introducing to you guys as the readers," he said.

He is also discovering what it's like to create something of his own.

"It's kind of crazy, just that idea of how it's my voice," he said. "I find that a lot more enjoyable when I just kind of do what I want. And so far, everyone else has also enjoyed that."

What Comes Next

Novak is studying supply chain management in UNO's College of Business Administration, though he is considering changing his major to management. He is also involved with CBA's Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization, or CEO Club. He is still figuring out where his studies and career will take him, but he knows he wants to run his own business.

"Ultimately, I would love to own my own business of some sort," he said.

He hopes to host events that bring his readers together in person and to find new ways for Omaha Circle to support itself. He has set an ambitious goal of reaching 10,000 subscribers within six months.

Novak says the newsletter is also a way to find interesting people, hear their stories and feel more connected to the city he grew up in.

"I'm super excited for this whole journey," Novak said. "It's pretty crazy."

To read past issues or subscribe: https://www.omahacircle.com/