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REGISTER: 8THIRTYFOUR Skills Survival School Founding Cohort

Be the Salesperson of ‘You’

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Kim Bode smiles while posing for a camera inside of the 8THIRTYFOUR Learning Hub.

In 2016, Kim wrote a blog about how terrible professionals are at marketing themselves. The gist: if you want to grow, you have to stop hiding and start showing up. Blog, network, speak, post, give, say yes, and put in the time. It was right then and it’s still right now.

Kim was talking about owning your authentic self and showing up as you a decade before the rest of the world caught up. What’s changed is that she’s spent the last ten years building an entire framework around it, because the insight was always right; it just needed a system behind it. That system is Big Deal Energy™: the confidence of knowing exactly who you are, owning your QUIRKS™, and communicating your authentic self unapologetically.

Doing all the things, the LinkedIn posts, the speaking gigs, the networking events, doesn’t matter if you don’t know who you are when you show up to do them. Most people are performing a version of themselves they think other people want to see, rather than showing up as the one that actually exists. The people who are remembered aren’t the smartest ones in the room; they’re the ones who figured out how to be memorable, and memorable starts with owning the quirks, experiences, and perspective that are entirely yours.

The Big Deal Energy™ Workshop is where that shift happens. In 2.5 hours, you’ll work through the QUIRKS™ framework to question the rules keeping you small, uncover your Big Hairy Audacious Goal, identify what makes you weird and remarkable, and start showing up as yourself consistently and unapologetically. You’ll leave with a plan and a group of people cheering you on.

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Last month, alyshiahull joined bodespeaks on Happy Hour Hustle to talk about what workplace authenticity really means. Alyshia is a New York-based freelance journalist who writes for Business Insider, Fast Company, USA Today, Inc., and Entrepreneur. If you are ready to bring your authentic self to work, episode #134 is for you. 

Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Youtube. Link in bio.
The power of the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship, in a graduate's own words:

"Growth is never accidental, it comes from being willing to learn, adapt, and embrace change. After nine months of dedication, reflection, and business development, I proudly graduated from the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship (WEF) during the Small Business Association of Michigan Annual Meeting.

Throughout the program, I challenged myself to evaluate every aspect of my business, celebrating what was working while identifying opportunities for growth and improvement. The journey was made even more meaningful through the support of an incredible cohort of women entrepreneurs, the guidance of mentor Gina Jacquart Thorsen, and the leadership of bodespeaks and her team.

A sincere thank you to smallbusinessassocofmichigan for investing in second-stage women business owners and creating opportunities that empower entrepreneurs to build stronger, more sustainable businesses."

— Mary A. Barton, President and CEO of Equitable Accounting Solutions and proud WEF graduate.

Applications for the next cohort are now open. Link in comments.
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Read the full blog at the link in bio.
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It's 9 months that is impossible to sum up in a video - but here's just a taste. 

This Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship is resources, mentorship, and connections that you can't build anywhere else. We're so exicted for what the next cohort will bring.

Apply now at the link in bio.
smallbusinessassocofmichigan

Big Deal Energy™ Workshops

Next Workshop: June 23, 2026

Stop following the rules meant to keep you small. Step into your Big Deal Energy™

Workshop Length: 2.5 hours, in-person | Methodology: QUIRKS™ | Price: $249 per person

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