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Kids, ArtPrize, Getting Real and Finding the Rhythm

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What a great Your Biz, Your Town show today. I gotta tell ya, I love my job.
We chatted with kids, ArtPrize, REAAL and the upcoming Rhythm Walk.

On October 1st the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute is having their 4th annual Rhythm Run/Walk. The purpose of the Rhythm Run is to inspire and motivate the community to get healthy and to get active. The event takes place at Martin Luther King Park, where vendors will be giving away prizes, choirs will be singing and dancing will be on display. Don’t miss this great opportunity to get out and get active. It is only a 5k and you can walk it. Show your support for this great organization. www.rhythmrun.com – there is still a need for volunteers.

It is always awesome to chat with Kids’ Food Basket to hear what it is they have going on and to find out  how the community and businesses are supporting this great nonprofit. ArtPrize has been a very busy time for the Kids’ Food Basket with their entry of the ‘Sack Supper’ – a 13 ft sculpture that depicts the suppers that the org has been providing school kids with for years. Another great ArtPrize happening that benefits Kids’ Food Basket is ‘Be an Explorer of Grand Rapids Art & History’ taking place on September 30th and October 1st. This family-friendly event gives parents and kids the opportunity to participate in an interactive scavenger  hunt around Grand Rapids. Happening at the soon-to-be home of the law firm Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge on the corner of Monroe and Ottawa. Come and check it out!

Now let’s get REAAL. The organization, REAAL (Radiating Excellence in All Areas of Life) was started by Kristian Grant, who at the time was a sophomore at MSU. The ultimate purpose of R.E.A.A.L. is to establish a strong network of women who are ambitious, passionate, driven, and conscientious leaders of today’s society. We believe strongly in the importance of giving back to the communities that helped form us and in having a hand in the formation of those coming after us. Self-empowerment, political awareness, and upholding a standard driven by excellence, are all goals we as faculty and members continuously pursue.

Kristian has just started up a Grand Rapids chapter and plans to involve all area colleges and universities. This is one driven young lady and I am incredibly impressed by her. So get REAAL and get involved.

Get social:
REAAL – @REAALInc or follow Kristian at @BeForREAAL
Kids Food Basket – @kidsfoodbasket
GRAAHI – facebook.com/graahi

By the way everyone, it is the fabulous Shelley Irwin’s birthday. Wish her happy b-day here: @irwinsh or on Facebook

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Recent Musings

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We love Dr. Karen May’s mission.

What if we taught our daughters AND our sons about women’s health, hormones, and pregnancy? Not as a whispered “talk” or a one-time awkward conversation. Just normal dinner-table stuff.

The girls deserve to know what’s coming (perimenopause shouldn’t be a surprise party nobody wanted). And the boys? They’ll be partners, dads, coworkers, and bosses to women going through all of it.

Thank you, Dr. May, for sharing your best practices to keep the women’s health conversation going at our Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause event.
Showing up to an interview with an iced coffee? Not the move… unless it’s for @bodespeaks

#icedcoffee #agency #PR #trending #grandrapids
… and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Meet Joey, one of @bodespeaks’ nine rescues and 8THIRTYFOUR’s self-appointed office manager. She’ll happily accept head pats and belly rubs, but make no mistake: she’s always watching.
The Women’s Owners Network (WON) is built for smaller businesses that are ready for the next level and need the right support to get there, whatever that looks like.

The six-month program combines the practical side of business with the emotional side. Participants work on leadership, finance, operations, and access to capital. They also get structured support for isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning a business.

WON is designed by entrepreneurs who have been there. They know that lasting business growth depends on personal growth and the resilience it takes to keep going.

This program gives women business owners thoughtful, well-rounded support to reach their next chapter, however they define it.

Who is WON built for?
Women founders who are in the thick of it and are:

- Past the idea stage: actively generating revenue and serving customers
- Committed to growth: ready to invest six months in the work, starting in November

Apply for the upcoming cohort at the link in bio. Applications close Oct 1.
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