REGISTER NOW: Uncomfortable Conversations: The Skills Crisis
REGISTER: 8THIRTYFOUR Skills Survival School Founding Cohort

Fixing the Gap Between the Degree and the Job

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Kim Bode holds up her feature in Focus Magazine. She's superimposed over the first Uncomfortable Conversations event.

Join the 8THIRTYFOUR Skills Survival Cohort | September 2026 | 90 Day Program

Every single thing an employee does or does not do has a direct impact on your company’s growth; when they cannot communicate, solve problems independently, or navigate basic workplace dynamics, it costs you a whole bunch of money.

This isn’t about degrees or technical certifications; it’s about people who cannot communicate, solve problems independently, or navigate basic workplace dynamics, and it is costing us a lot of money. In a small business environment, every single thing an employee does or does not do has a direct impact on operations, and when these skills are missing, we become the default solution for everything. Instead of focusing on growth, strategy, and actually running the company, we end up mired in details and problems employees should be able to work through on their own.

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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.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: We took a walk to one of the houses @bodespeaks lived in Creston. There were 3 total. We also got a history lesson of @crestongr along the way. Of course we had to take Joey too.
This is why we do what we do. Most women business owners are left to navigate business ownership alone, juggling hiring, cash flow, and strategy while trying to keep the lights on. It’s overwhelming and it’s lonely.

The Women’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship is designed to change that. It’s an intentionally small cohort because real support doesn’t happen in a crowded room. Participants will receive the support they’ve been missing, and the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to scale - all guided by people who have built and grown businesses themselves.

If you’re a second-stage business owner ready to grow, this program is for you. Applications close on September 15. 

Apply at the link in bio.
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