REGISTER NOW: Uncomfortable Conversations: The Skills Crisis
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24/7 Earth Day

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GG WGVUWhy dedicate just one day a year to the planet? We say, every day is Earth day. That’s why we dedicated April’s #YourBizYourTown to sustainability with special guests: Greener Grads, Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, Kendall College of Art and Design at Ferris State University (KCAD) and the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC).
Just this week, a new green initiative launched in our back yard – Greener Grads. Greener Grads in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, KCAD and WMEAC is dedicated to collecting 1,000,000 graduation gowns to recover, repurpose and reuse.
Did you know more than five million graduation gowns are worn by high school and collegiate graduates annually? For many years, gowns were constructed from cotton and then rented for the big day. But over the past 25 years, the scholastic services industry transitioned from cotton to polyester, the popular petroleum-based fabric of the 1970s. Polyester is constructed out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the same chemical compound used to make plastic water bottles. PET does not fully decompose, surrendering any hope that products made from it will biodegrade safely – if at all. That means roughly eighty to one hundred MILLION gowns have been thrown into landfills – roughly the equivalent of 25,000 garbage trucks – that’s a 118 mile long caravan! The detrimental impact on our environment can no longer be ignored.
Find out more info about Greener Grads here.
Listen to the segment here.
 

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Recent Musings

Something on Your Mind?

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.
"I am big enough to admit that I am often inspired by myself" - Leslie F*ucking Knope 

You are the hero in your own story. Be like Leslie and believe it. 

Come to the Big Deal Energy Workshop, @bodespeaks will show you how.

It's personal branding with a shot of tequila. Register in bio.
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