Michigan’s Most Inspiring Stories

The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.

Akanksha Madan

I am a Clinical Therapist, originally born and brought up in India. I had initially completed my bachelor’s and master’s in clinical counseling in India. I came to Michigan, USA, 10 years back and re-did my master’s here when my son was 2 months old through part-time schooling. I juggled being an ABA therapist where I was working with autistic kids alongside pursuing my master’s. I was completing my internship, getting my foot in the water, and gathering my experience with therapy in inpatient and partial hospitalization facilities.  Read More>>

Kristopher Versluys

I was a troubled kid and since found a way to release any anger or tension through my music and for that im forever grateful. I make wild music or love music because those are my main feelings and thats my escape.around the time of covid i found myself a manager named Veeze who has been much more. A mentor, a big brother, and like a father i never had. Him along with my best friend and artist YNG ZAE created SoundzGood PearlGang or SGPG for short, with SG being under Veezes management and PG being my responsibility. PearlGang is the name of me and zaes rap group/homemade label. I also enjoy giving back to the community and the less fortunate everytime i get the chance! Read More>>

Kae Pershon

It was a great place to work, especially as someone new to the field, and it was really the first time my ADHD became an asset in my career. (For those unfamiliar with ADHD, it is a disorder that affects the dopamine receptors in the brain, which is the chemical that handles motivation, mood, and attention amongst other things). For me, it creates this constant need to engage with new knowledge and skills. Rather than stifle that, my coworkers at the GVSU Art Museum encouraged me to continually expand my role in the department. When I started there, my role was primarily assisting in art installations. Because of the continual support of my team, I was able to broaden my expertise into collections care, exhibitions, curation, and even graphic design and branding. Read More>>

Aubriel Terry

I started baking when I was young. My mother was always in the kitchen so I found myself loving it too. After a big move and pregnancy during the pandemic I had some time on my hands and started making cookie decorating kits. I got really good at decorating my sugar cookies and opened a licensed home bakery in February 2024 in Santa Clarita, California before moving to Michigan in October. My small but mighty business has taken off from there as my skills have continued to advance. Read More>>

Darnisha Hardaway

This approach allows us to continually deliver high-quality products that satisfy our customers and attract new ones. Along the way, we’ve met so many wonderful people, formed new friendships, and brought joy to countless hearts through our business. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing smiling faces and hearing cheers of joy when our products exceed expectations. Read More>>

Doris Johnson

For a time, I knew nothing of my life…not even where I lived. The actions of my boyfriend were startling. I couldn’t understand why he was so cruel at a time when I needed his support. In quietly observing, I could tell he was hiding something from me…that a key component was missing. One day, when he was gone, I pulled out my journal, and it told me who I was, even down to the moment when I was having seizures at home. He was a stranger to me. But after reading the horrors of my life, it came back to me. I was in a troubling situation. My journal provided the back story. It was the first “About Author” that I ever created. Read More>>

Sergio Villanueva

I have been homeless, sleeping in a car and from couch to couch. I used to live my life day by day with no plans for the future other than false hopes. I dropped out of school in the 10th grade. I realized in order to change your path you have to change your life and circumstances will follow. I decided that I would change and when I did change, I realized that change for the better is a bigger struggle with in itself. It’s not where you are, it’s where you are headed. Stick to the plan, do not be a victim of circumstance. Learn from your mistakes, and do not give up. God gave you a vision, some people might not understand the plan. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do, your mindset is key. Read More>>

Brandy Walker

This was just a month before the pandemic, which gave me time to learn digital art, create, and build a following on Instagram. By my senior year at Renaissance High School, the yearbook director, Christina Bell-Bowers, asked me to design the cover. When it was finished, she shared it with Ramonda Hollenquest, our copyrighted, who was so impressed that she connected me with author Teberah Alexander, who needed an illustrator. I’d never illustrated a children’s book before, but I took a leap of faith. Teberah believed in me so much that she encouraged me to start my own business, and the rest was history. Read More>>

Jaeci Mccullum

When something is meant to happen, the universe will always lead you. My step father connected me to his brother, who coincidentally had a Dj business in Saginaw, and he really helped to show me the ropes. I will forever be thankful to have met someone so willing to see me succeed. The first wedding I Dj’d, I was SOOO nervous, but the couple told me I did phenomenal. I was singing and dancing the entire drive home lol. From there, the bookings kept coming and I was booked just about every weekend this last fall. I had an incredible first year and I truly can’t believe how much I’ve grown. I can’t wait to see where I go from here. Read More>>

Sarah Ajrouche

I followed their wishes and enrolled in college, but it quickly became clear that I was miserable. My mental health, already fragile due to a long battle with depression and self-harm since I was 14, began to worsen. It was during this time that a conversation with my then-boss, Kevin, changed my life. He asked me why I was pursuing dentistry, a question no one had ever asked before. After some reflection, I admitted it was because it’s what my family wanted. Kevin’s advice was simple yet profound: “Live the life that will make you happy because no one else is living it but you.” Read More>>

Joyelle Lee

But we’ve soon found the obstacles have been purposely used to build us stronger at a foundational level. Just like an oak tree, when a tap root comes against a rock as an “obstacle” it wraps itself around the rock to help further anchor itself into the ground for stability and strength, keeping the tree erect and stable in a storm. Read More>>

Johnny Rodriguez

My name is Johnny Rodriguez, but people call me JROD. When I was 20 years old, I would be listening to comedy podcasts like, Joe Rogan, This Past Weekend, MSSP, The Fighter and the Kid; these podcasts are the funniest podcasts and are hosted by standup comedians. Really wanting to do a comedy podcast of my own, I bought a microphone to record and would bring it with me to my friends’ houses and would just have it recording while we talked. Read More>>

Brittney Martinez

In addition to being a florist I am also a mom, daughter, wife, and friend. It has been a big challenge to balance owning a business while also being a stay at home mom. It entails working late nights and really early mornings so I can work around their sleep schedules and be present with them during the day. Although it makes running a business out of my home a little tricky at times, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Read More>>

Luba Khakham

As soon as I did, I knew that this sounded like something I could get very excited about. I then went on to shadow and volunteer at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now called the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab) and work as a physical therapy tech at Athletico while taking my pre-requisits for PT school, feeling more and more sure that this is what I wanted to do. In 2014, I graduate with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Illinois, Chicago and returned home to Michigan to be closer to family and start my career. Throughout my education and work experience, I gain an interest in the subspecialty of women’s health and pelvic floor physical therapy and completed many continuing education courses to become a specialist in that field. Read More>>

Sara Roberts

No one prepares you to go from a nerd going about their daily life to an internet personality people recognize at conventions. Feeling as though I belong in the spaces I’m now invited into, places where I’m asked to speak with authority on a subject, has been a big shift for me to process. I’m thankful to my small circle of industry friends, who have been in this field longer than I have, for taking me under their wing and helping me feel as though I do belong here. No one hands you a guidebook on how to make that shift from being the average person to being A Brand and it’s been quite the learning curve. Read More>>

Katie Valtchev

That’s not to say that it’s been easy. Freelancing is a mirror that will show you your greatest strengths and deepest flaws. It continually pushes you to grow, and the learnings I’ve had along the way make me appreciate this experience so much more. I feel more ownership, pride, and gratitude for my work today. Read More>>

Heather Hall

I learned at a young age that we can’t always control what happens in our life, but we can choose how we react and respond. But I didn’t truly embrace this power of choice until I was on the cusp of adulthood. I was diagnosed at 21 with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Treatment included 13 months of aggressive chemotherapy (all in-patient hospital) and a surgery to replace my lower femur/upper tibia with titanium). I was bald for 15 months, on crutches for seven months and learned to walk again. Maybe it was the gift of youth, but I knew deep in my soul that I loved living and helping people so I promised myself that I would embrace every day and create a life focused on helping others. Read More>>