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Did Someone Say Cupcakes?

Share the goods.

If you have ever had any interaction with 834, you know that there are 2 items we never turn down – wine and cupcakes. Both of these items make an appearance at every 834 happy hour, gathering or weekday.

So…we were pretty excited that one of our guests for Your Biz, Your Town happened to be in the cupcake business and were nice enough to bring samples for Shelley Irwin and the rest of our guests.

Oh right..there were other guests and they are just as important, just not as delicious.

Did you know that the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan has been putting on the Hispanic Festival in downtown Grand Rapids for 35 years. It is an amazing cultural event open to the entire community…for FREE. This year the festival will take place on September 7th at Calder Plaza with music, food and lots of family fun. For more information go to their Facebook page.

We are big fans of Guiding Light Mission, so much so we wrote a Cause We Love on them. They are not your traditional mission, their goal is to give those that come to them the tools and resources they need to be successful. The men in their care are trained to re-enter the workforce and to get back on their feet.  Check out their programs here: https://www.lifeonthestreet.org/take-a-moment/programs. Oh and support this amazing organization here: https://www.lifeonthestreet.org/content/take-action

Now, back to the cupcakes. We first sat down with Luxurious Sweets close to a month ago. Right away we were blown away by their innovative and one-of-a-kind approach to cupcakes (they do make other baked goods…we just care about the cupcakes). I mean they have over 87 flavors of cupcakes, 87. They range from bacon, maple sugar to classics like; vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and other boring types. I don’t know about you…but I want the bacon cupcake, isn’t everything better with bacon? Probably the best part of all of this, is that the Luxurious Sweets ladies were trained at a culinary school in Florida but decided to bring their skills to Grand Rapids. Within the next few months, they will be moving into a new location next to Yesterdog – yep, you can get a hotdog and then a cupcake…your life is then complete. In the meantime, contact ***********@***oo.com“>them and put in an order…trust me. You can like them on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all things cupcake.

As always, thanks for listening. We love our time with Shelley Irwin and we hope that we amuse or entertain a few of you during Your Biz, Your Town.

Until next time.

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973. 
Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store. 

Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch. 

@crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet?
If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves.

This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore.

Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk.

Listen now at the link in bio.
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up.

We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly.

We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. 

When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan 
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.
You asked, we delivered.

Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership.

Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it.

Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business.

You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are.

Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.
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