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.

Jamie Kern

Being a first time business owner it was a lot of learning. I didn’t even know where to start but luckily I have friends who have started their own business within the community who offered great advice and led me to the right places and people. The community has been incredible with their help, support and advice. I’m blessed to have their support. Read more>>

Jay Milliken

I was born and raised in Traverse City, and while this area has always been home, my career in the liquor industry took me on quite a journey. In 2006, I moved to Los Angeles to start a spirits company with my cousins called VeeV, an acai-based liqueur that we built from the ground up. VeeV grew quickly, earning recognition as one of the fastest-growing independent spirits brands in the U.S. We expanded into multiple markets and gained accolades for our innovative approach and commitment to sustainability. At one point, VeeV was even recognized as one of the most eco-friendly spirits brands in the industry. Read more>>

Alli Mcdonough

We have come to focus on being a premium salon in the area, offering all-inclusive services, and focusing on an stress-free environment and rehabilitating dogs who have come to fear grooming. One of our managers is a certified fear-free groomer, and our staff uses a variety of positive reinforcement techniques to help dogs have a positive grooming experience. I love focusing on community, and supporting the community I am in through events, sponsorships and through the local chamber of commerce. Read more>>

Eddie And Lyvon Willhite

Barbecue competition played a big role and where we’re at today. it all started back in 2016 with our hometown BBQ competition which we took first place and from there we developed Hogz backyard barbecue. We did catering for friends and family for a few years until we bought a trailer in which my husband Eddie converted over to a food truck.. when the pandemic hit we were in the middle of getting it licensed and we did and we started our food truck business back in October 2020 and have grown every year since. We are currently building our second food truck in which we hope to be ready to go by the end of 2025.. Read more>>

James & Jacob Gray & Hagan

There are always obstacles, but we made a calculated decision early on to take things slow so we weren’t overwhelmed. The biggest obstacle is always not having enough money to do the things you want when you want them. The estate was a blank canvas so the ideas were always flowing. Especially with the landscaping and gardens we wanted. It’s a slow process and it can be easy to be underwhelmed with the outcome. But we just kept reminding ourselves that it’s the long game with this property. Read more>>

Rebecca Cranmer

I did my best to find a tribe of women during each of these chapters, but it was always so hard to put myself out there and make the effort – or worse, get rejected. Upon talking to friends, I realized I wasn’t alone in this sentiment. Women whose husbands traveled felt alone too, and women who have had to grieve losing a mother, and women who have had to experience raising a child with a disability… In a world where we are so connected, we feel so alone because sometimes it feels like our hundreds of followers are just there for the highlights and no one will love us in our darkest moments. Read more>>

Elizabeth Knoll-bowman

In an area rich with musical opportunities, the Symphonette is unique in it’s mission which has certainly contributed to its longevity, especially navigating a pandemic where their main audience was also one at high risk. While the organization was dark 2020-2021 but did return with a smaller core group of 12-16 who ventured back out in the Fall of 2021. Since then we have grown steadily each season, currently with over 30 consistent members performing! Read more>>

Flora Nance

Especially my daily specials, keeping thing’s versatile and exciting for my customers. After working (8+) hours daily, allow “Something’s Different” to give your family a feeling of home cooking that you’d provide if you had the time or skills. Granting you more time to spend with your family. I enjoy catering more than anything, as cooking for large crowds is so comfortable and welcoming. Capturing every sense of the pallet to give you the taste of gourmet in soul food. Read more>>

Libby Trajkovski

There have been so many struggles. Issues with suppliers, customer service, constant change on social media platforms, and most recently, wholesale orders from stores have drastically reduced over the past few years due to the struggles small shops are facing making sales and staying open. Wholesale was a huge part of my business in the past and I’ve had to pivot away from focusing on that. Read more>>

Leah Marie-ann

I had experience watching us help save other people’s lives and helping them feel better I have RNs in my family on my mother’s side. I was always a very huggy and Kissy child, and trying to care for others. My friends and I used to give each other massages when we were in high school and in theater, as well as band if you would’ve asked me then if I would’ve ever considered being a massage therapist, or taking the path that I had today… I wouldn’t believe you. But Many told me that I used to give great back massages and help them feel better to calm their stress, or any pain or attention that we might’ve had. Read more>>

Monica Randles

In 2010, after watching a documentary about animal cruelty in corporate farming, my family and I stopped eating animal products. As medical doctors interested in nutrition, my husband and I know the harm of a diet high in processed foods, which lack nutrients and cause inflammation that can lead to poor sleep, heart attacks, and diseases like cancer and lupus. Read more>>

Erin Kirkland

*Shocker,* journalism is not the most stable career. In 2017 I was laid off from the Midland Daily News, and I worked various part-time jobs and gigs when I first started freelancing. I eventually transitioned to a full-time photography job at U-M because I knew I wanted to work with and learn from a team, but I also knew that freelancing — especially while primarily working in journalism — was not financially possible long-term. However, no matter what type of photography or creative work I’m doing, I’m always thinking like a journalist. Nothing exists in a vacuum, everything is connected, and I always keep looking to the fringes. Read more>>

Haley Brown

No of course not, there is always bumps in the road and a constant need to adapt and grow with the changing trends of photography and business and also the life changes that I have gone

through in the past 10 years. Learning to start a business in itself is a challenging thing as there are so many layers to it. Learning how to communicate with clients, getting the correct equipment, marketing, scheduling, and all the other back end things of running a business. On top of learning all those things I have gotten married, graduated college, gotten a puppy, a first home, and had two amazing baby boys. So learning how to manage and balance all of that has been challenging in the best way. Read more>>

Stephanie Dehn

LOTS OF STRUGGLES. From lack of sales, to imposter syndrome, all the way to wanting to close the business, I have experienced a whole range of emotions. As humans we compare ourselves to others too often and it can cause a lot of internal turmoil, feeling like we aren’t doing enough, or are “falling behind”. Read more>>

Alleah Webb

In 2018 I decided to fulfill my dream of opening a brick and mortar coffee shop. I found a space in Ferndale and started to build it out while still operating the coffee caboose. We opened our doors in March of 2019. The Pandemic hit one year later and we had to pivot into just a drive up or walk up business. We also spent a few months selling groceries and plants to help pay the bills. It was really hard but we survived. We eventually reopened our doors fully in 2021 and have been enjoying success ever since. Read more>>

Ode Skewl

Understanding that Hip-Hop is an art form built on history and technique, Ode Skewl committed himself to studying the greats. Early comparisons to 2Pac and DMX made him realize that his deep, raspy voice carried a certain weight, and he took inspiration from legends like 2Pac, DMX, and Rick Ross, learning their delivery and presence. Over the years, he refined his craft, developing a sound and flow that is uniquely his own. Today, Ode Skewl stands as an artist who not only embraces his roots but also pushes the boundaries of his artistry with every track. Read more>>

Mckenzie Flannery

While I’ve only been in business for 8 months I would say that owning a business in general isn’t always a smooth road. It’s a big learning curve while you try to figure out what your customer base is looking for and also navigate owning a business in general. I think one of the biggest things for me is not jeopardizing quality for price. I want my boutique brand to be known for high quality pieces at an affordable price point. Read more>>

Alexandra Snyder

Not even a little! Although it has been fun and rewarding, there has been more struggles than not. I did not have a background in retail so there has been a giant learning curve. From learning the market, knowing how much to buy and when, managing cash flow, and so much more. I also am ‘new’ to the area, so learning the local barns, trainers, riders and establishing those relationships has taken some time. I am still learning everyday! Luckily, I have surrounded myself with the best team to help smooth out the bumps. Read more>>

Christopher Dowding

My wife Lexi and I started a painting company in 2015 shortly before we got married. She is from Seattle and grew up in the business with her father and I was living in NY before moving back to Michigan. I previously worked as a marketing consultant but we didn’t want to have separate jobs with me occasionally having to travel, so the choice was simple to work together. We started off really slow and simple with our main goal of having zero debt. That is something we are still proud of today while letting our business develop organically. Over the years we amassed a fine reputation in the mid-Michigan area of providing excellent service to our customers whom we are truly thankful for. Read more>>

The One Divided Band

This band started simply to produce original music. When listening to the radio we couldn’t find anything we related to. We really just wanted to make music that we enjoyed listening to as well as playing. It had to have energy. It had to be loud. And it had to be in your face heavy without being just metal. As artists we wanted to ride the trifecta of heavy, groovy, and bluesy. After putting our first album together (The Spark) and playing the local circuit we couldn’t help but notice that our sound was resonating with the audiences too. Not an overnight success or a voice of generations by any means, but enough to notice that the vibes we were sending out were coming back to us sevenfold. There is no bigger high than that. Read more>>

Ramiro Rivera

The idea of a band began when my friend Juan and I (Ramiro) were in high school. We had always been interested in heavy music and figured we should give it a try. However, finding a drummer you can mesh with, proved to be difficult, and so that idea was put away for a while. Until around the year 2014, a mutual friend was throwing around the idea of forming a band. So Juan, our friend and I got down to trying to complete a full band. Read more>>

Margo Recla-juedes

I grew up in the house I live in now, which I knew I wanted to buy as soon as I left for college. I returned home following graduation from physical therapy school, and my husband and I began to remodel the house and make changes so that it no longer would feel like my childhood home, but our home together. We love living here, and although my husband travels to Utah 25% of the time for his job, it’s amazing to find a place like this that just continuously feels like home. Read more>>

Alexandra Craddock

Eventually, I found myself in a position to relocate my business to brick and mortar storefront with the help of my family, offering on-the-spot sharpening and selling quality knives. It’s been a journey of patience, adaptability, and trust in the process. Looking back, I can see how every twist and turn led me exactly where I needed to be – doing something I love, serving my community, and embracing the ever-evolving path ahead. Read more>>

Maggie Clifford-bandstra

The human connection to nature inspires her paintings and pottery. She extrapolates the simple forms and colors in plant life and the landscape. Her work uses an exaggerated scale, movement, and patterns. She encourages us to notice the beauty in the world around us. Her work is in many public and private collections. She also works in clay, creating functional and non-functional pieces using designs inspired by her paintings. Her ceramic works and paintings encourage us to notice the beauty in the world around us and find joy. The unifying undercurrent in Maggie’s work plays with ideas and concepts surrounding nature, healing, serendipity, stories of love, and the human connection. Read more>>

Jason Dean

Funny enough, my photography journey does not start with photography. It starts with local theatre. Having watched my wife and kids perform in many shows, I decided I wanted to play (pun intended) and in the fall of 2016 I decided to audition for the season’s theatre productions at the local university. Back then the university put on an annual production of ‘A Christmas Carol and my family and I thought it would be fun if the four of us were in the show together. It sounded like fun, but I would have to audition to get into the show, which is something I had never done. I figured I would be cast as a member of the ensemble and would have a fun few months of getting to spend extra time with my family and then I could get back to my normal life, so I prepared a song (‘Go the Distance’ from Disney’s Hercules) and a monologue, and on August 27, 2016 I completed my audition. Read more>>

Mikayla Reighley

I started photography in the fashion editorial world before falling in love with studio work. I love the control it gives me over lighting and the ability to craft the exact look I envision. Photographing people has always been my passion, and I enjoy collaborating with fellow creatives to bring ideas to life. Over time, I started shooting weddings and found a way to merge my love for studio work with that world through bridal studio photography. Now, I blend my studio and editorial experience with weddings, to create elevated, high-end imagery. Read more>>

Louise Hopson

In December of 1999 I moved my studio and opened Art Cats Gallery. In the 25+ years I have been open I have met the most wonderful artists and customers and feel fortunate that they have helped my business to prosper. We currently carry an everchanging array of both local and national artists, everything is handmade. We have a very small space and I I carefully curate every piece. Read more>>

Doug Worsley

The original plan was to retire from my corporate career at 55 and start flipping homes. However, when COVID hit, my previous company decided to part ways with me after 28 years of service. At the time, I was only 48—too young to retire. After spending the last 15 years traveling an average of 20 weeks per year for my previous employer, I decided to take a few months off and spend time at my place up north, where I worked on an addition to my cabin. Read more>>

Katherine Lamsa

We had another son with a CHD (congenital heart defect), HLHS (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome) so everything was paused until after his passing and soon after a failed IUD led to our daughter and I began switching my creative focus to woodwork and was soon joined by my father in law and we have been working hard to build a business together to support our family and spend as much time as possible with my 3 children I am blessed to be able to raise.  Read more>>

Heather Hastings

I loved it. I kept going with it and making more and more, and then I had a surplus, but I saw our babies hurting. I saw the effects of Covid very vividly in the decline of the mental health of our youth. Yes, everyone of course, but our younglings are such social creatures, and it hurt them very deeply. So, I wanted to provide some comfort, and I started doing porch drops. Family and friends with little ones got plushies in a bag on their porches. It was such a small thing, but it was a way I could help, and so I did. Read more>>

Amber Wysocki

I was raised within the Christian faith, but something always felt missing to me. I wanted to know what else was out there and not just fall into the typical Midwestern patriarchal programming. I left the church and my position as an ordained pastor in my late 20’s. I began to explore the parameters of my spirituality and rediscovered a love for mysticism. Read more>>

Terricina Jackson

One of the biggest struggles has been navigating life as a special needs mom, especially as a Black woman in spaces that often lack cultural competence and true inclusion. Fighting for my son’s educational rights, access to therapies, and community support has been exhausting. I’ve had to become an expert in systems that weren’t built with families like mine in mind—constantly pushing back against policies, biases, and red tape that make it harder for neurodivergent children to thrive. Read more>>

Hunter Oconnor

Women came by the hundreds to my monthly gatherings to receive the magic. I continued learning and adding tools to my toolkit. I never stopped showing up for my own work. Eventually, the cacao gatherings outgrew the space I had created in my home, and I slowly let go of them. But I knew I wasn’t done. Shortly after, I met my husband, and we began to offer support to couples using the tools that we use in our own relationship to stay deeply connected. We toured all over the state of Michigan with our Couples Connection Ceremony and were beautifully received. At the end of our tour, and after 15 years of practicing in the healing space, I received the opportunity to open a holistic healing center, Hive Holistic Center, in my beloved Flint, Michigan. Read more>>

Ben Vanderwaal

All things considered, it’s been a surprisingly smooth road. That’s not to say it hasn’t been costly and labor-intensive—opening a wine shop is no small commitment. The bureaucracy of licensing is a beast, but step by step (and with a lot of help from a fantastic lawyer), we got everything lined up. Thankfully, I was already managing the shop before we purchased it, which helped speed things up immensely. Read more>>

Faded

We are at three piece all original multi genre Rock and Blues band. All three of us grew up highly involved with music and eager to make it our dream since a young age. Our lead singer , bass player, and pianist is Garrett Pierce his identical twin brother is Gavin Pierce who is our lead guitarist and Recording producer on our album. Together they started the group FADED in 2020. In January 2024 they met Hunter Peterson AKA “Hunny P”. The first time they played together it was an instant connection and bond. They knew they had found who they’ve been looking for to complete the three-piece band.  Read more>>

Claire Zwerk, Lmsw

It was a slow start at first- building a caseload is not an easy thing! But within six months my caseload was full and I was having to start a waiting list and turn clients away, which I did not enjoy. By the end of my first year in private practice I began to expand my physical space and bring on more therapists. My goal for Flourish has always been to provide services that feel specialized and for clients to feel like they are getting the best of the best, and I believe that my team offers that to our surrounding communities. Read more>>

Otw Kay

Na, I wouldn’t say it’s a smooth road and I’m still on it I ain’t at the end yet. But it’s a rocky road definitely from people not believing in you to putting your all in not seeing what you want back. And things like that might make you lose focus but you gotta remember the big picture. On my own Journey I had personal setbacks that slowed my down but I never lost the vision that just made it more clearer. Read more>>

Catreese Qualls

As I repeatedly sought assistance for myself and others through a system that was seemingly impossible for me to access, I made a decision to pour myself into becoming a vessel for myself to become carry out the work of helping to advance my own life and defy the illogic of the stigmas and stereotypes that had previously existed as a form of mental and emotional bondage. I volunteered and served across a wide range of social programs dedicated to helping justice impacted individuals and their families. I became a servant leader of countless organizations including Dress for Success Michigan. Read more>>

Zee Ni Bhraonain

I started Irish dancing at age five with the Deely School in Concord, CA, later moving to the McBride School of Irish Dance, where I worked my way to the highest level of competition. Alongside competing, our school had incredible performance opportunities, sharing the stage with renowned artists like The Black Brothers, Culann’s Hounds, and Alasdair Fraser. At 14, I began assistant teaching, helping younger students develop the same love for dance that had always been deeply rooted in me. Encouraged by my mother and my teacher, Annie McBride, I pursued my TCRG (Teagascóir Choimisiúin le Rinci Gaelacha)—the rigorous certification required to teach competitive Irish dance through CLRG. In 2012, I passed my exams and, soon after, made the decision to move to Grand Rapids, where my mother had relocated in 2008. Read more>>

Amanda Wais

And I went on to have many more fearsome events in life that shook me to my core. Events that put me in the shoes of all those “other people” who had emotions I used to be afraid of. But now, I can relate. I can look them in the eyes, so they have a safe place to cry. And if they need a hug, I have a giant one waiting for them. Read more>>

Bill And Samantha Brookshire

Hi, Thank you so much for interviewing us. Our story starts starts way back from the days of beauty school and throughout 20+ years behind the chair, we had talked and dreamed of us owning a salon one day. After raising our boys and having more time to focus on that vision, we took both our strengths in business and love for the industry, turning our dream into a reality. Read more>>

Bryon Anderson

There is a strong “DIY” impulse in the fly fishing community that I found very appealing. I quickly began learning to tie my own flies (the lures used in fly fishing). At first this was because there were no fly tackle shops near me where I could buy them, but I quickly found that I enjoyed making my own flies for its own sake, as a creative endeavor. I was discovering that I had a creative spirit, and that I deeply enjoyed making things with my own hands. This led to learning to build my own fly rods and other gear, which only deepened my love for fishing and the natural world in which it takes place. (As Norman Maclean wrote so eloquently, “Eventually, all things merge into one.”) Read more>>

Raquel Escamilla

I’ve always had a passion for content creation. In high school, I started a YouTube channel, but it eventually fell by the wayside as school activities and work took priority. However, during the COVID pandemic, I rediscovered this hobby as a creative outlet. I initially set up my account as a “burner” to test content related to my full-time job in social media, experimenting with what resonated best with my audience. Over the course of a few months, my content began to attract a following, primarily other young women interested in exploring Michigan and discovering local dining spots. Over time, my account evolved into what it is today. Read more>>

Stefany Jenks

After returning back to Michigan after 7 years of chasing my hockey player boyfriend turned husband throughout the Midwest I finally had time to dive deeper into my love of photography. Wanting to capture every moment and season of watching my son grow up I realized professional photography wasn’t as affordable or accessible as this economy would allow. I had a wild idea that I could use my phone and some magic from Lightroom to achieve the photos of my son I would cherish for a life time. Then I took it a step further when I realized there were a ton of other moms who would love a budget friendly option to capture their family memories too! Read more>>