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.

Emily Haggadone

There have definitely been some bumps in the road, but each year comes with learning experiences and each year is better than the last! I think the hardest struggle is the unpredictable weather. With the majority of my clients wanting outdoors I have learned to watch weather and have back-up plans when scheduling photo shoots! I sometimes feel like I am half photographer, half meteorologist when I need to be. Read More>>

Ted Simpson

I also teach classes across the country, as part of the Bob Ross, Inc travelling instructor team. From Baltimore to San Francisco, from Florida to San Diego, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with thousands of eager students, passing on the same inspiration that Bob Ross kindled in me. A special highlight for me is returning to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where I underwent my certification training, to teach at the esteemed Bob Ross Gallery and Workshop. Read More>>

Sergey Pokanevych

My name is Sergey Pakanevych. I am a restaurateur, chef, and well-known video blogger from Ukraine. My audience exceeds one million followers, and I am proud to have inspired many people to experiment with cooking and develop a love for authentic food. My career began during my student years at the lowest level—peeling potatoes in a kitchen. But over the years, I progressed significantly: I became the brand chef of a major restaurant chain and later opened five successful restaurants in my hometown of Odesa. Read More>>

Crystal Burditt

I came to Michigan with no car, not a dollar to my name, a cancer survivor, and not knowing a single person. I was fleeing domestic violence, so I moved into Shelterhouse (a local domestic violence shelter). This is where I met Patti Osorio who would become my closest friend. I didn’t know anyone, and couldn’t go anywhere, so in my room all alone, I came across the cat cafe concept. I felt very strongly that this is what I was meant to do here. Read More>>

Ja’marah Stovall

I used to live in Lansing for college and I was a frequent customer of a local juice bar called Juice Nation. I started to research the herbs and supplements they offered in their juices and learned a lot of the benefits of natural juices. Years later my mom bought me a juicer and I started juicing for myself and my family. I took it more serious when my grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer and I started coming up with different recipes to try to help combat her side effects from chemotherapy. I gave out samples to my coworkers, friends, family members, and even my students and then I started to sell them and things have been moving up since then for me. Read More>>

Latiffany Latimer

So, I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, and I have always been a dreamer, a giver, and an artist. I’m my mom’s biological only child. So, I grew up by myself or with my older cousins, who were at least 15+ years older than me. But I always treated everyone like they were my person. So, I felt responsible for including them in everything and caring about them in any way, and I always wanted to make sure they were accounted for. Read More>>

Brittinie Tran

Hot Mess Express started in 2021 with a call for help on social media. A woman had recently had her second baby, her husband was away for work a lot and she just needed help getting caught up. That mom was our first rescue mission! About 8 of us showed up that day. We cleaned, organized, filled the fridge and got dinner started while the family spent the day together. After that, things took off really quickly! So many women around the country resinated with what we were doing, over a hundred chapters popped up within the first couple of months. Read More>>

Dj Fourtitude

My father was a DJ in the Chicagoland area during the 60s through the 80s so I followed his footsteps musically. I started DJing in 1993 for my middle school’s “Sock Hop” dance and never looked back. Music has been a saving grace that I am forever thankful for. Read More>>

Death Hex

Beyond that, we formed this band when we were all 20, 21 and 24 or so. So life changes have definitely provided some positive challenges. We’ve grown as people, entered day job careers such as the social work profession, electrical and computer engineering, professional culinary/cheffing and construction. Our drummer also was fortunate enough to have had his daughter in 2023 and started a small family. Our bass player also got married this year. Subsequently, these family dynamics shifting in a way added to ours. As this band is more then a band. We see oursleves and our close collaborators all as close family. Everyone we work with is part of the process and the “recipe”. Read More>>

Ben Hassenger

On a totally unrelated visit to Hawai’i in July 2009, I happened to stumble upon a ukulele festival – who would have thought?! It was Roy Sakuma’s Ukulele Festival Hawai’i and I was immediately attracted to and seduced by the aloha communal experience there. Everyone had smiles on their faces listening to variety of artists such as Jake Shimabukuro “The Hendrix of the Ukulele”, the theatrical shredder Taimane Gardner, 101-year old Bill Tapia; even four women from Sweden playing ukulele and singing songs in Swedish! Read More>>

Darci Todd

I’ve been doing makeup since I can remember, but more professionally since 2016. People tend to remember me because I love interacting with my clients. I bring brides into my home to do pre-wedding trial runs, and I love getting to know each one personally. I specialize in a natural, enhanced look, but am very versatile and can do bold glamour too. I’m proud to say that I’ve never had to advertise, and people who book me are all personal recommendations. Read More>>

Teosha Robinson

I have now worked with dance teams , completed numerous weddings , and even have traveled in different states and out the country to provide makeup services for photoshoots . I now provide services at Mellow body spa located in Flint township . With the support of my husband , family , friends, and of course loyal clientele/product consumers I have been able to be a full time entrepreneur for the past 3 1/2 years . This journey has had its ups and downs but I am forever grateful to God for continuously growing my business and keeping me going . Read More>>

Bob Negen

Well, we almost went broke twice, and I don’t mean we were experiencing cash flow problems, I mean closing our doors was the only sane and logical thing to do. Fortunately we were used to being poor, we were stubborn and we believed in what we were doing so we stuck with it. Our mantra during those days was “we’re never going to be successful in business, if we are not in business,” so the challenge was to stay open for that day, because if we could make it through that day we were one step closer to getting out the holes we were in. Read More>>

Patric Germay

After graduating from university, Kabare moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he partnered with producer Jeremy “The Programmer” Friday to create his second studio album, Lunartic. This 11-song album, featuring collaborations with Michigan-based artist Chris Cranick, demonstrated a more mature and experimental sound, delving into themes of addiction, dreams, depression, and life’s struggles. Kabare performed tracks from Lunartic at notable Nashville venues like Mercy Lounge and The Crying Wolf. Read More>>

Mimi Brown

That moment planted a seed in me. From that moment, I knew that I wanted to be a motivational keynote speaker. I wanted to use my words to change the world. He advised me to gain life experience, which I did through college and the workforce. I honed my skills in leadership development and sales coaching, and now I help people become more influential and confident in their sales and leadership roles.” Read More>>

Jon Torrence

The theme of creation and improvisation is something that would travel with me throughout my whole life. I was always enamored with stories, the concept of world-building within a new framework, so my expression would show itself in short stories I would write, comic books I would draw with original characters, even in improv radio station DJ skits I would run with my older brother! Read More>>

Antionett Beck-Doss

The journey to building Mobile Genetix DNA has been anything but smooth, but every challenge has shaped the business into what it is today. One of the biggest hurdles was breaking into an industry dominated by traditional, brick-and-mortar labs. Convincing people to trust a mobile DNA testing service required extensive education and outreach. It was critical to emphasize the reliability, discretion, and accuracy of our services. Read More>>

Gerika Odom

Divine GLO Collections was born in June 2020 during one of the toughest seasons of my life. As a single mom of three, I lost my job as a pharmacy technician during the pandemic and felt completely uncertain about the future. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I prayed, and I heard the Lord say, “Start the business.” Inspired by the resilience and grace of my late grandmother, I set out to create a brand that would empower women to push through life’s challenges while keeping their radiance and glow. Read More>>

Gerod (G Rod The Legacy Barber) Sturgis

Owning a barber school going to schools for career days and bringing opportunities to young individuals who may not able to go to college Ty hats my highlight. I’m known fond for providing opportunities! As well as encouraging individuals who lost there way, I’m big and bold about my faith as a believer. Read More>>

Clean Juice Cascade

In the heart of Grand Rapids, a dynamic duo is making waves in the world of health and wellness. Sushma Shenoy and Jassi Kohli, two friends deeply rooted in the community for over two decades, have embarked on a journey that intertwines their personal passions with their professional aspirations. Their venture, Clean Juice, is more than just a business—it’s a testament to their commitment to fostering a healthier lifestyle for their community. Read More>>

Carrin Harris

Blitz Proto started with two friends with the vision of creating a shop that filled a gap they had both experienced in the manufacturing industry. They wanted to provide quick quotes and fast turn around times. The shop started out in the basement of the President’s dad and moved to the current location in Farmington Hills once funding was secured. The original vision has evolved to provide custom design and engineering services and electronics as well as machining and 3D printing services to assist customers in bringing their prototypes to life. Read More>>

Xavier Eastway

History: Agape Schools started in December 2013 with the mission to fill the local Nurse Aide need in the greater Cadillac area. God lead the members in the community to develop training that was focused on selflessness as individuals cared for residents, clients, and family members in their community. Selflessness, in the way Christ died for our sins so that we could have the opportunity for life, eternal life. Read More>>

Susan Sigler

After graduation, I started assisting in a hair salon and always felt like I was going down the wrong path and that the career I chose was not the right one for me. I decided to take a lash course online and start practicing. After leaving my assisting position and going back to making pizzas full time, I began feeling disappointed in myself that I wasn’t putting my hard earned license to use. I researched salons and found Wild Side Spa in Davison, MI. Read More>>

Audrey Walker

My fujifilm camera gave me the ability to capture the world through 8 year old Audrey’s eyes. Thanks to my parents, I still have those photos today. My camera was filled with pictures of my family, sunsets, flowers, my dogs, and scenes from Lake Michigan and Nichols Lake, where my grandparents used to take us camping. Today, my camera is filled with many of the same things, albeit with the photos more in focus now. Read More>>

Danielle Williams

Our first bump came in 2008 when the recession happened. Michigan depending so heavily on the automotive industry was especially hit and that lasted for a few years. We were a new business carrying debt, so that was an especially hard time. We discovered over the years, that election years would prove challenging and when the economy struggles, manufacturing suffers. We only stand as strong as those producing goods for us, so those have been some of our struggles along the way. Read More>>

Aaliyah Jadan

Today, I’m proud to say that I’m living my dream. I have a beautiful Salon with two of my dear friends named Studio A3, where I get to make people feel confident and beautiful every day. And with ‘Not @ Your Service,’ I’m on a mission to empower service workers worldwide to feel seen, heard, and valued. Read More>>

Nichole Brown

I’ve been teaching full time for over 3 years now and it is something I am deeply grateful for. This year I’ve even had the opportunity to collaborate with the amazing Susanna Barkataki – a teacher and educator I deeply admire – on her new app Yoke Yoga! I am also leading my first “out of the city” Yoga retreat in June 2025 on the Southwest side of Michigan that I can’t wait to host! I’m feeling very supported by the yoga community and extremely grateful for the opportunity to hold space for others and grow together. Read More>>

Aideen Ni Riada

While I loved coaching singers, I realized my true calling was to work with professionals and leaders navigating the challenges of change, self-doubt, and feeling unheard. My own experiences of overcoming self-doubt taught me the value of self-compassion and the strength that comes from embracing who we truly are. Now, as a Voice & Communication Coach, I help my clients break free from limiting beliefs, connect with their value, and step into confident leadership, no matter the setting. Read More>>

Bryce Pinchum

My musical experiences continue to shape my aspirations, and I’ve honed his skills by traveling across the country attending workshops and connecting with like-minded artists. As a songwriter, I began writing at age 9, with my first EP, “Flying” (2019), which showcases a unique blend of my love for R&B and Pop nuances. Over the years, I have performed in front of large audiences, including touring as a background vocalist for Kanye West and appearing in a stadium as a support vocalist for Drake. I remain focused on using my music to inspire and uplift, spreading a message of love and acceptance. Read More>>