REGISTER NOW: Uncomfortable Conversations: The Skills Crisis

Tell Me More

REGISTER: 8THIRTYFOUR Skills Survival School Founding Cohort

Save My Spot

Follow Us

Linkedin Instagram Facebook Youtube

Shopping Cart

No products in the cart.

Return To Shop

Shopping Cart

No products in the cart.

Return To Shop
Close search

Your Biz, Your Town

Written by

Share This Post:

Great segment this morning of “Your Biz, Your Town” on WGVU’s Morning Show with Shelley Irwin (95.3 & 88.5 FM).

On the segment we welcomed guests Ellen Markel of the newly renovated Holiday Inn of Grand Rapids and Sheri Compton of the American Marketing Association. Lots of exciting happenings in the month of January!

Ellen shared with us all the changes happening at the Holiday Inn, including open houses, a green focus, and a community exhibit space. Find out more at www.holidayinn.com/grandrapidsdt

Sheri of the American Marketing Association filled us in on upcoming luncheon programs, including January’s on Tech Trends for Marketers: CRM Best Practices for Now and the Future with speaker Keith Brophy on January 28th at Kent Country Club. Find out more info at www.amawestmichigan.org.

So what else is going on this month you ask? Well here you go, a quick rundown of January’s events.

Monday, January 5th – 6-8 p.m.
Women’s Networking Group
Evolve Center for Success
www.evolvesuccess.com

January 14th & 15th – 5-7 p.m.
Holiday Inn Grand Opening to the public
Holiday Inn of Grand Rapids
www.holidayinn.com/grandrapiddsdt

Tuesday, January 19th – 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
GRYP Breakfast Series on Personal Growth
Eastern Floral
www.gryp.com

Tuesday, January 19th – 11:30 – 1:30 p.m.
GRACC 122nd Annual Meeting – Get Connected…Innovate…and Be Successful in 2010!
Steelcase Ballroom, DeVos Place
www.grandrapids.org

Tuesday, January 19th – 6-7:30 p.m.
Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids – Club Red
Gilda’s Club
www.gildasclubgr.org

Monday, January 25th – evening
Soup’s On For All
The B.O.B.
www.soupsonforall.org

Thursday, January 28th – 11:30 – 1:00 p.m.
American Marketing Association – CRM Best Practices for Now and the Future
Kent Country Club
www.amawestmichigan.org

If we missed any upcoming community events, let us know – [email protected]. Don’t forget to tune in next month for another segment of “Your Biz, Your Town” – the 4th Tuesday of every month at 9 a.m.

Happy New Year!

Organization Event Date Time Where Cost Contact Information Other
Catholic Charities of West Michigan Soup’s On For All Monday, January 25th   The B.O.B. $50 paid in advance       $60 at the door www.soupsonforall.org fundraiser for Catholic Charities West Michigan’s food program at God’s Kitchen encourages guests to partake in a selection of soups, breads and desserts as well as taking home a hand painted bowl as a reminder that hunger happens everyday.
Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids Clubhouse – Club Red Get Connected Tuesday, January 19th 6-7:30pm Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids Clubhouse – 1806 Bridge Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Free [email protected] or 616-453-8300 Business casual attire, complimentary drinks and appetizers
Women’s Networking Group   Monday, January 5th 6-8pm Evolve-Center For Success            1031 Wealthy St Grand Rapids, MI 49506   Leah Grace                          Email: [email protected] Phone: 616-813-8601  
GRYP Breakfast Series on Personal Growth Tuesday, January 19th 7:30-8:30am Eastern Floral 818 Butterworth SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504		 Free Any questions please contact Stephanie at [email protected], or Jessica, at [email protected] Please join GRYP for the first event in a new breakfast series on Personal Growth! Hosted by Eastern Floral, and GRYP’s newly developed Leadership Development Committee, this new series will focus on subject matter pertaining to personal development and leadership skills.
Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Chamber’s 122nd Annual Meeting Get Connected…Innovate…and Be Successful in 2010! Tuesday, January 19th 11:30-1:30pm Steelcase Ballroom, DeVos Place $50/members, $75/future members, $700/corporate table of 10 http://www.devosplace.org/ William C. Taylor is an agenda-setting writer, speaker and entrepreneur who has shaped the global conversation about the best way to compete, innovate and succeed. He was founding editor of Fast Company magazine and co-author of the bestselling Mavericks at Work. His new project, Practically Radical, provides cutting-edge ideas, reality-tested case studies and inspiring role models that point to where the ever-changing world of business is going. Practically Radical will be published in 2010.
GRYP January Unwind Thursday, January 28th 5:30-8:30pm 25 Kitchen + Bar Free Angela Versluis
Email: [email protected]		  

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

Why PR Matters in the Age of AI

Why PR Matters in the Age of AI

July 1, 2026
When Women Build Companies, They Deserve More Than a Starter Kit

When Women Build Companies, They Deserve More Than a Starter Kit

June 3, 2026

Something on Your Mind?

Let's Chat

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.

2 1
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18099893149922914
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.

"Out of failure comes growth – you have to see it as an opportunity."

bodespeaks joined cuzzinjustin on the strictlyfromnowhere Podcast for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, embracing your superpowers, and building a personal brand that`s actually yours, the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between. And naturally, dropped an f-bomb or two along the way. You don`t want to miss it.

Full episode in the comments 👇

2 1
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17903563788460776
"Out of failure comes growth – you have to see it as an opportunity." bodespeaks joined cuzzinjustin on the strictlyfromnowhere Podcast for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, embracing your superpowers, and building a personal brand that's actually yours, the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between. And naturally, dropped an f-bomb or two along the way. You don't want to miss it. Full episode in the comments 👇

AI doesn`t treat every source equally; it trusts what`s credible, cited, and current, like news coverage.

Showing up in the right places isn`t just good PR. It`s how the robots (and the humans) get you right.

Read the full blog at the link in bio.

3 0
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18141485725556889
AI doesn't treat every source equally; it trusts what's credible, cited, and current, like news coverage. Showing up in the right places isn't just good PR. It's how the robots (and the humans) get you right. Read the full blog at the link in bio.

"If you don`t get up and grind every day, the needle isn`t gonna move."

We sat down with brandonmccraney, founder and Master Blender behind olderaleighdistillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon spent fifteen years just thinking about whiskey before he finally opened his doors, and even then it took four more years, a dozen rejections, construction delays, and a global pandemic to get there. Two years later, Olde Raleigh had already won Best Micro Distillery in the US.

Check out the latest episode of Happy Hour Hustle, where Brandon shares what it actually took to grow a business through COVID, the military discipline that kept him going when everything else said quit, and how working with people turned out to be the hardest part of the job.

Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube. Link in bio.

23 2
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18054365240537765
"If you don't get up and grind every day, the needle isn't gonna move." We sat down with brandonmccraney, founder and Master Blender behind olderaleighdistillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon spent fifteen years just thinking about whiskey before he finally opened his doors, and even then it took four more years, a dozen rejections, construction delays, and a global pandemic to get there. Two years later, Olde Raleigh had already won Best Micro Distillery in the US. Check out the latest episode of Happy Hour Hustle, where Brandon shares what it actually took to grow a business through COVID, the military discipline that kept him going when everything else said quit, and how working with people turned out to be the hardest part of the job. Listen to Happy Hour Hustle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and watch the whole episode on Youtube. Link in bio.

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

2 0
Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17895511302506558
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