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8THIRTYFOUR’s Shop Small Gift Guide

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A white mug with the state of Michigan outline on it, with the text "Shop Small."

We’d like to encourage you to shop small this year and support the local businesses making our communities great. We compiled our recs and added links to purchase, cause we know how lazy people are.  We wouldn’t want you to have to work for it.

That Gay Guy Candle Co.

If you love snark and roasting racists and bigots, we highly encourage you to support That Gay Guy Candle Co. They are committed to promoting visibility and inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community, and celebrating diversity and condemning bigotry and intolerance. Oh, and they are Michigan based. 

Keep in mind they are a small company, so get your orders placed before December 4th to ensure it arrives in time for the holidays. 

A Gay Guy Candle Co candle says "Make America Gay Again."
The Gratitude greeting card Bundle

Pursuit Gift Shop

We are BIG fans of writing and sending notes. Imagine getting a note from your bestie amidst your energy and house bills. Spread cheer this holiday season through sarcastic cards, wall art, kid’s onesies or stationery sets. Based out of Ada, Pursuit is run by Abbey and she is often out delivering your cards or handpicking the greeting card bundles you ordered. We love, love, love her. It also helps that she is very familiar with our love of swear words.

We highly encourage you to stop into the shop, cause it’s amazing. But you can also order online (which we have done a lot). Here are our go-to’s.

Oh, they also host a ton of workshops on wreath making, gift wrapping, embroidery and more. Check them out here. 

[Michigan Awesome]

If you live in or are from Michigan and you don’t own at least one piece of apparel with “the mitt” on it, are you really even from Michigan? What we love most about this company is that when they started in 2009 it was to show their love for this great state we all call home. While many were running out of the state because of our poor economic conditions, they decided to start a company that is still providing all the apparel, drinkware, and gift baskets you could ever need. Do some of your holiday shopping with them today by visiting them here.

Buffalo plaid Michigan mug from Michigan Awesome

Local Restaurants

Giving the gift of an experience is always a great way to support local businesses! For a night of fun and games, we suggest a gift card to the Rezervoir Lounge in Creston’s business district. They have pool, darts, table tennis and other games! Their great food is fantastic and the ambiance over delicious drinks creates the perfect night out! 

Another restaurant we love in the neighborhood is Graydon’s Crossing! Whether you are looking to catch a football game on a Saturday morning (yes, we mean the football where there are red cards and only kicking the ball), or just grab a great meal, Graydon’s is the place. Their good vibes, old-school pub feel and great staff will have you coming back for more. Plus in the summer they have THE best patio. One of Grand Rapids’ hidden gems in our opinion.  

The biggest takeaway from this blog? Support the businesses that make our communities so damn special. Grab a coffee from your neighborhood cafe, and swing by a local shop and pick out something unique or buy online cause Amazon isn’t the only place you can make purchases on the Worldwide Web.

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If you ever need proof that personal brand matters...Kim got to see the @nasaartemis II launch in person as a direct result of her Big Deal Energy™.

You need to work hard, show up authentically, and provide value. That was her message to a room full of students and young professionals at @western_michigan_pmi`s theProject Collegiate Competition.

The Big Deal Energy™ Workshop is on June 23. Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18045223601588457
If you ever need proof that personal brand matters...Kim got to see the @nasaartemis II launch in person as a direct result of her Big Deal Energy™. You need to work hard, show up authentically, and provide value. That was her message to a room full of students and young professionals at @western_michigan_pmi's theProject Collegiate Competition. The Big Deal Energy™ Workshop is on June 23. Register at the link in bio.

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The good news is, you can flip the script, but it will take some serious work and a personal brand, or as Kim Bode refers to it: Big Deal Energy™.

Kim is speaking at theProject™ Collegiate Event, hosted by the Project Management Institute Western Michigan Chapter on April 14. She`ll cover how to build a personal brand that actually sounds like you (not ChatGPT) and how you can show your value through social, content and networking.

Link in bio to learn more.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18012680507839574
Employers think Gen Z is lazy, entitled, and will quit the second things get hard. That perception is keeping you out of the room before you ever get a chance to prove otherwise. The good news is, you can flip the script, but it will take some serious work and a personal brand, or as Kim Bode refers to it: Big Deal Energy™. Kim is speaking at theProject™ Collegiate Event, hosted by the Project Management Institute Western Michigan Chapter on April 14. She'll cover how to build a personal brand that actually sounds like you (not ChatGPT) and how you can show your value through social, content and networking. Link in bio to learn more.

No one talks about how lonely it is to own a business. The tough decisions land on you, the business doesn`t pause when you need a break, and nobody - not your employees or your spouse - really gets it.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18115092436709128
No one talks about how lonely it is to own a business. The tough decisions land on you, the business doesn't pause when you need a break, and nobody - not your employees or your spouse - really gets it. If you know a business owner, tell them they're doing a good job. It matters more than you know.

The growth stage is the hardest part of building a business.

Kim was recently quoted in @corpmagazine on what she sees running the Women`s Entrepreneurial Fellowship: women who have built something, survived the hardest part, and are still doing everything themselves. The natural tendency to be humble and attached to their work creates unique business challenges for women; they put up walls because they can`t be vulnerable.

Meanwhile, when a woman CEO needs growth capital, she compiles three years of tax returns before a bank will schedule a meeting, while her male competitor closes the same deal over drinks.

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4 0
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18078804740143427
The growth stage is the hardest part of building a business. Kim was recently quoted in @corpmagazine on what she sees running the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship: women who have built something, survived the hardest part, and are still doing everything themselves. The natural tendency to be humble and attached to their work creates unique business challenges for women; they put up walls because they can't be vulnerable. Meanwhile, when a woman CEO needs growth capital, she compiles three years of tax returns before a bank will schedule a meeting, while her male competitor closes the same deal over drinks. When women have access to the right resources, they grow and invest back. Full article at the link in bio.