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True Love: Our Favorite Past Events

Share the goods.

An image of donuts from the 8THIRTYFOUR Nothing Party in August 2020.

In case you didn’t notice, we love a good party. In fact, we love parties so much we’re writing a Valentine’s Day blog specifically about our love of parties.
If you haven’t attended one of our parties, there’s still time. Our Nothing Party is February 27th and it is gonna be epic.
#Team834 has voted, and below are the top gatherings and parties we have been a part of.

CHICAGO

The staff took a bonding trip to Chicago back in October. Let’s just say what happens in Chicago stays in Chicago…minus Chris’ dancing and Lizzo quotes. Those we’ll share with everyone. We spent two days strategizing, eating, drinking and going to shows. We highly recommend Second City. You’ll laugh your ass off.
Pro: Bonding time
Con: AirBNB was less than stellar…Kim is never allowed to pick one again.
A photo of Erica Statly, Brianna Zimmer, Ro Leo, and Chelsea Miller before the 8THIRTYFOUR Chicago trip.

CHRISTMAS PARTY

We really did it up for Christmas. The staff gathered at Egypt Valley Country Club for apps, dinner, a gift exchange and all the drinks. Significant others are always invited, because someone has to drive us home (we’re kidding. Kind of). This year, we played the game, Werewolf, which we won’t even try to explain, but Lain and Chris crushed it. If you have further questions, please reach out to ro***@*******gn.com.
Pro: The presents
Con: Kim losing werewolf
A photo of the 8THIRTYFOUR team eating lunch during the Chicago team trip.

WEST MICHIGAN NICE IS NOT AN INCLUSION STRATEGY

This night was a special one for us. The West Michigan Public Relations Society of America and Inclusive Performance Strategies put on this event to challenge the community to recognize their privilege. We heard from multiple speakers who shared their experiences and left the audience in tears.
Pro: Two organizations working together for the greater good of our community
Cons: There are none, obviously
A photo of GVSU students at West MI is Not Nice.

BASIC PARTY

Doughnuts, champagne pong, a boozie slushie machine, an inflatable pool, Flamingo lawn ornaments, cornhole…need we say more?
Just take a look at the pics. We crushed this party theme.
Pro: Doughnuts and more doughnuts
Con: There were a lot of selfies…and Chris being a “bro”
Jen sitting on the couch in the 8THIRTYFOUR office.
A photo of an 8THIRTYFOUR employee photographing the Creative Lead, Chelsea Miller, and her fiancee.

PAINT IT

We headed down to Brush Studios in Grand Rapids as a team building activity. It was Kim’s most favorite activity. We drank, ate cheese, painted and laughed our asses off. It’s good to get out of the office and remember why you work so well together.
Pro: Creativity at its finest and the sweet signs now hanging up in our homes
Con: Kim’s lack of painting talent
The 8THIRTYFOUR team does team bonding at Brush Studio.

SUMMER IN THE 90S 

We love a good excuse to dress in 90s clothes and eat all the munchies. We mean, we had Zima, animal crackers, Hostess cupcakes, all the 90s candy and there was more stonewash then we’ve seen in decades.
Pro: Zima and jolly ranchers
Con: The stonewash
In case you haven’t noticed, we know how to crush the hell out of a theme, and yes, we are available for hire. We are the ultimate party planners. Shoot us an email and we’ll kill your next gathering.
A photo of goodies from the Summer in the 90s party at the 8THIRTYFOUR office.

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Recent Musings

Something on Your Mind?

Introducing our third speaker for Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause, happening this Thursday. 

Meet @bitnermd, co-founder of @true.womenshealth, a concierge practice in West Michigan, focused on helping women thrive through midlife while reducing chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, depression, and diabetes. 

Dr. Bitner is a board-certified OB/GYN specializing in midlife, menopause, and sexual health. She’s the author of I Want to Age Like That! and has published peer-reviewed research on menopause care. She was named Menopause Practitioner of the Year by The Menopause Society in 2015. Dr. Bitner is committed to translating evidence into practical, scalable solutions that improve women’s health, confidence, and participation at work and in life. We’re beyond excited to have her join our panel discussion this Thursday. 

Register now to hear from Dr. Bitner and the rest of our industry experts at The Pause on September 24th. 

Secure your spot at the link in bio.
Every WOSB deserves support, access, guidance, and a network, because when they have it, they’re unstoppable.

Just because you be small, does not mean you are not mighty. The Women’s Owners Network will accept its first cohort this November. Applications are due October 1.

Thank you to @lakemichigan_cu for partnering with us to provide this program. Their support means we can offer this at a significantly lower cost to business owners.

Go apply at the link in bio.
Introducing our second speaker for Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause, happening this Thursday. 

Meet Cheryl Bergman, Executive Director of the @miwomenscomm.

Cheryl is a statewide policy leader driving economic opportunity and better health outcomes for women across Michigan. Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019, she brings together employers, healthcare experts, advocates, and policymakers to tackle the issues that actually move the needle - economic security, affordable childcare, and midlife women's health.

Before this role, Cheryl helped elect Michigan's first woman U.S. Senator and first woman Governor, and served as Senior Advisor on Governor Whitmer's 2018 campaign.

She's exactly the voice this conversation needs.

Join Cheryl and our powerhouse lineup of industry experts at The Pause on September 24th. 

Link in bio to register - spaces are going fast.
We love this trend, so we thought we’d jump on it and ask the team some “hard-hitting questions” to end the week. 

We’re a team made up of Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Find out who knows the most about the classics. Any guesses?
We've received so many questions from new grads about breaking into a competitive market as a young professional. It starts with one thing according to @bodespeaks: being the salesperson of YOU. Emulate the leaders in your industry and show up where they show up.

It's not who you know, it's who knows you
Use the playbook of people you admire
Show up consistently and be seen
A handwritten note beats 100 LinkedIn messages, always.

See more Bode wisdom at her YouTube channel linked in our bio.
Meet our first speaker spotlight: Dr. Karen May, DC, CCSP, CCIP.

Dr. May owns and operates @mhneuropathycenter, and she's joining us for Uncomfortable Community Conversations: The Pause on September 24th to talk about something we don't talk about enough. 

Her career has spanned from elite sports medicine, including a stint as team physician for USA Bobsled and Skeleton as well as caring for pregnant moms and newborns and helping women navigate life’s transitions, always grounded in a belief in food as medicine and the body’s own capacity to heal. In 2017, that expertise was tested when a rare surgical complication left her fighting nerve damage in her own body. 

Drawing on decades of clinical practice and training, she rebuilt her health from the ground up — and has since helped thousands of people do the same. With over 20 years in holistic health care, she speaks today as both physician and peer.

Join us for The Pause on September 24th. Link in bio.
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