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Heart Your Kidneys, Friends of Ford and Racing for the Cure

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Okay, so perhaps one of my longer blog titles…but admit it, pretty catchy.
I don’t know how to even begin relating or explaining to all of you, how thankful 834 is to have a friend in Shelley Irwin and to be able to chat with her once a month on all things nonprofit, small business and networking on our segment Your Biz, Your Town.

This month is no different, besides being right before a holiday and maybe having a few less listeners, we have amazing guests. The Grand Rapids African American Health Institute has been doing phenomenal outreach, advocacy and education within the community, specifically to the African American population. Their latest endeavor is the Heart Your Kidneys’ campaign. Did you know that due to the high rate of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, African Americans have an increased risk of developing kidney failure and requiring dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant to live? Kind of a staggering fact, and one that GRAAHI is working to combat. I encourage you to check it out, did I mention they are giving away some pretty sweet prizes? Oh and take the kidney quiz, I dare you.

I am proud to say, that as of last week Team 834 signed up for the Susan G. Komen West Michigan Race for the Cure. Did you know that this is the 15th year for Race for the Cure and that the first year, our very own Betty Ford was the honorary chair? This year Betty Ford’s daughter, Susan Ford Bales has signed on to be the honorary 15 year ambassador. Talk about coming full circle! Get on board, join Team 834 or start your own team and help this amazing organization fund critical breast cancer services in our community. What is given local, stays local. Join here, I challenge you.
I am full of challenges and dares today.

Now, who doesn’t love President Ford? If you don’t, you are unAmerican or at the very least not from west Michigan. Did you know that we have the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation housed within our very own Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum? Pretty cool. They host some amazing educational events every year. I encourage you to check them out.

Get involved people! We have great organizations such as these right in our backyard, and they need support, assistance and community love.

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"Growth is never accidental, it comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace change. After nine months of dedication, reflection, and business development, I proudly graduated from the Women`s Entrepreneurial Fellowship (WEF) during the Small Business Association of Michigan Annual Meeting.

Throughout the program, I challenged myself to evaluate every aspect of my business, celebrating what was working while identifying opportunities for growth and improvement. The journey was made even more meaningful through the support of an incredible cohort of women entrepreneurs, the guidance of mentor Gina Jacquart Thorsen, and the leadership of bodespeaks and her team.

A sincere thank you to smallbusinessassocofmichigan for investing in second-stage women business owners and creating opportunities that empower entrepreneurs to build stronger, more sustainable businesses."

— Mary A. Barton, President and CEO of Equitable Accounting Solutions and proud WEF graduate.

Applications for the next cohort are now open. Link in comments.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18099893149922914
The power of the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship, in a graduate's own words: "Growth is never accidental, it comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace change. After nine months of dedication, reflection, and business development, I proudly graduated from the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship (WEF) during the Small Business Association of Michigan Annual Meeting. Throughout the program, I challenged myself to evaluate every aspect of my business, celebrating what was working while identifying opportunities for growth and improvement. The journey was made even more meaningful through the support of an incredible cohort of women entrepreneurs, the guidance of mentor Gina Jacquart Thorsen, and the leadership of bodespeaks and her team. A sincere thank you to smallbusinessassocofmichigan for investing in second-stage women business owners and creating opportunities that empower entrepreneurs to build stronger, more sustainable businesses." — Mary A. Barton, President and CEO of Equitable Accounting Solutions and proud WEF graduate. Applications for the next cohort are now open. Link in comments.

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bodespeaks joined cuzzinjustin on the strictlyfromnowhere Podcast for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, embracing your superpowers, and building a personal brand that`s actually yours, the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between. And naturally, dropped an f-bomb or two along the way. You don`t want to miss it.

Full episode in the comments 👇

2 1
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17903563788460776
"Out of failure comes growth – you have to see it as an opportunity." bodespeaks joined cuzzinjustin on the strictlyfromnowhere Podcast for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, embracing your superpowers, and building a personal brand that's actually yours, the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between. And naturally, dropped an f-bomb or two along the way. You don't want to miss it. Full episode in the comments 👇

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Showing up in the right places isn`t just good PR. It`s how the robots (and the humans) get you right.

Read the full blog at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18141485725556889
AI doesn't treat every source equally; it trusts what's credible, cited, and current, like news coverage. Showing up in the right places isn't just good PR. It's how the robots (and the humans) get you right. Read the full blog at the link in bio.

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Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube. Link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18054365240537765
"If you don't get up and grind every day, the needle isn't gonna move." We sat down with brandonmccraney, founder and Master Blender behind olderaleighdistillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon spent fifteen years just thinking about whiskey before he finally opened his doors, and even then it took four more years, a dozen rejections, construction delays, and a global pandemic to get there. Two years later, Olde Raleigh had already won Best Micro Distillery in the US. Check out the latest episode of Happy Hour Hustle, where Brandon shares what it actually took to grow a business through COVID, the military discipline that kept him going when everything else said quit, and how working with people turned out to be the hardest part of the job. Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube. Link in bio.

It`s 9 months that is impossible to sum up in a video - but here`s just a taste.

This Women`s Entrepreneurial Fellowship is resources, mentorship, and connections that you can`t build anywhere else. We`re so exicted for what the next cohort will bring.

Apply now at the link in bio.
smallbusinessassocofmichigan

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17895511302506558
It's 9 months that is impossible to sum up in a video - but here's just a taste. This Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship is resources, mentorship, and connections that you can't build anywhere else. We're so exicted for what the next cohort will bring. Apply now at the link in bio. smallbusinessassocofmichigan