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.
Andrea Kusmierz
I took on two jobs: working part-time at a kitchen and bath shop while also handling HR duties at a local credit union. Even in the design shop, I quickly realized that clients tended to gravitate toward more experienced designers. Building trust as someone fresh in the field wasn’t easy, but it taught me a lot about perseverance and the realities of starting out in the design world.” Read more>>
Kristin Ebel
Sure! I started with a little digital camera from my parents in junior high. My senior year, I got my first DSLR and my passion and fascination in photography grew immensely. My Dad was a film photography hobbyist during his school years, and he shared his passion for photography with me & passed me down his Nikon FE2. Read more>>
Ethan Gamet
Ethan’s Dog Walking: How It All Started Ever since I can remember, I have always felt a natural connection with dogs. I loved how each one had its own personality, some quiet and observant, and others bouncing around like they had just discovered happiness for the first time. As I got older, that love turned into something more than just spending time with pets. Read more>>
Rachel Starr
I am a veterinarian who graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. I started as a mixed animal practitioner in rural Ohio. I really enjoyed working with cattle and doing herd health. Nutrition is an important aspect of managing the health of a whole herd. However, being on call is not very conducive to family life. Read more>>
Jocelyn Parkhouse
Honey Hair Co. was born from generations of barbers, cosmetologists, and business owners — a legacy deeply woven into my family and my heart. This wasn’t something I decided to do one day; it’s been part of my blood and my dream since I first entered this industry. Read more>>
Kristin VandenBrink
Doing hair is my second career. I was a registered nurse and worked at Holland Hospital for 25 years and just recently retired. When I was 35 years old, I was extremely burnt out with emergency nursing and was praying and asking God if I should switch departments or what I was supposed to do next. Read more>>
Timothy Ellerbe
I’ve been music minded for as long as I can remember. I grew up experimenting with Casio and Yamaha keyboards, writing songs and paying attention to what made popular songs work. I knew I eventually wanted to be a Pro Musician as well as a Producer. At age 27, I got my chance. Read more>>
Katie Asher
Slip. Vintage started out of a love for thrifting, for old things, for weird and unique things. My grandparents were collectors, and my mom and I were avid thrifters all through my childhood. It runs in the family, the thrill of the hunt, I guess! Read more>>
Anneli Mung
I happily worked in the non-profit world in Lansing for many years; but when kids came along, I wanted more flexibility and time at home with them. Read more>>
Bear Howe
Young Illustrators Studio opened in January 2025, following nearly a decade of my own studio practice, which included teaching hundreds of adults, teens and kids. I didn’t set out to be a teacher, but what grew was a way toward building frustration resilience, growth mindset and confidence that radiates out into every other aspect of life through project-based art making. Read more>>
Kim Goodrich
I have always had dreams. And, I want to clarify that. Not wishes, but dreams. I define a wish as something that you wait around and hope will happen, but a dream is something that you know in your heart you can take action toward and achieve. Read more>>
Jacob Assell
In 2022 I released our debut album “Exit 1: Luna”, and the next logical step would’ve been to start touring, but I was promoted at my job. I had started working as a wine salesman in 2020 and quickly became the top salesman for the company in Michigan. Read more>>
Viniecia Farmer
I started my creative journey as a self-taught artist—someone who used art as a way to process, to heal, and to reconnect with spirit. For me, art has always been more than something to hang on a wall; it’s been a mirror. Read more>>
Karel and Brian Fonseca and Colon
It was there that we began to develop our craft, inspired by our family’s jewelry legacy that dates back to before 1959. In 2022, seeking freedom and a more promising future, we made the decision to immigrate to the United States. We arrived via different paths but were reunited in Michigan, a state we chose to settle in thanks to the family ties we already had here. Read more>>
Emma de Crespigny
I started my career working in Manhattan for ten years at a hgih-end 20th Century decorative art and design store and did my Masters at Cooper Hewitt Design Museum and New School. I then moved to Cape Town, South Africa where I opened my first shop. I then bought a carpentry business and starrted manufacturing my own designs and commissions for clients. Read more>>
Trevon Hobson
Born in Kalamazoo during the 80’s so crack was in every house including my own. No Father and basically no mother my grandmother raised me and my 3 siblings. She taught us that education would get us out the hood so I carried that with me through life. Started making music in high school and it stuck with me. Read more>>
sam guidry
I started my journey in music long before I ever built a guitar. I was a touring musician, and along the way I became fascinated by why some instruments seemed to come alive in your hands while others didn’t. That curiosity slowly turned into obsession—wanting to understand what gives an instrument its voice, and how materials, structure, and craftsmanship shape that sound. Read more>>
Brittany Satterfield
My journey into entrepreneurship really began with a simple passion, helping businesses grow in a way that feels strategic, not chaotic. Early in my marketing career, I noticed that many business owners were investing significant time and money into digital marketing without seeing clear results. There was often a disconnect between what agencies delivered and what businesses actually needed to grow. Read more>>
Demargeo White
It all started back in 2019 I had this simple idea to provide cheesecakes to local restaurants and other establishments. By this time I already had 9 years of experience in the food industry which was in cooking I figured switching to baking wouldn’t be that hard. Read more>>
Michael Matela
I would like to say that it all started out as a little boy being raised in Chicago. I was a very big sports fan at a very young age and I was raised by a dad who also lived and loved sports especially baseball. As a young boy my earliest recollection was meeting my dads hero Joe Dimaggio at Comiskey Park with my brother. Read more>>
Martin Shaw
I’ve been an artist for more than 30 years, and tattooing has always been at the heart of my creative journey. Over the years, I’ve explored just about every style, but I’ve always been drawn to neo-traditional work; bold lines, vibrant color palettes, and custom designs that bring a unique story to life on skin. Read more>>
Michaela Majava
How I started coaching was during the worst year of my life, and then the world’s. I had just finalized my divorce, switched custody of my oldest to her father so I could focus on my youngest, disabled yet determined daughter, as she was fighting for her life and I was the sole parent and provider. Read more>>
Jon Croy
At the start of Serenity Outdoors in 2017, I was also working a full time job in banking. I’ve always loved working outdoors, so when we started it was just me and a couple buddies working on the weekends and evenings. Since then we have grown to have 5 full time employees, and we plan to start a 2nd crew in 2026. Read more>>
Jerry Gretzinger
I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1942, and studied architecture and liberal arts at the Universities of Michigan and California. I joined the Peace Corps in 1966 and spent 2 years in Tunisia, later returning in 1968 as an architect with an archeological team cataloging the Roman mosaics there. Read more>>
Cheleana Rowan
I’ve always been drawn to storytelling… the kind that lives in the in-between moments, not just the picture-perfect ones. I grew up in Traverse City, Michigan, where my mom always had a camera in hand, quietly teaching me to notice life as it unfolds. Read more>>
Catie Brown-Busch
LVP Fitness was founded by Catie Brown-Busch, a certified Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, and Menopause Coach with over a decade of experience in the health and fitness industry. A lifelong athlete, Catie’s journey began on the soccer field—where she played competitively for over 20 years and first discovered her love for weightlifting in high school. Read more>>
Denver Leigh Phillips
My story has never followed a straight line — and honestly, I’m grateful for that. In the formal dining room of my grandparents’ farmhouse hung a large portrait of a handsome young man I knew as “Uncle Mike.” Michael was born in the mid-1950s and was diagnosed with what was then called the R-word. Read more>>
Dr. Brittney Cook
CarePro Healthcare Training began with a simple vision: to create a pathway for compassionate individuals to build meaningful careers in healthcare. We saw a growing need in our community—not just for skilled healthcare workers, but for well-trained professionals who care deeply about the people they serve. Read more>>
Abbie Volpone
I once asked my family what came first, my love of art or my love of animals, and they couldn’t decide. Even my earliest drawings were of animals. I’m just a person lucky enough to have many passions. Read more>>
Laura Young
I started my journey in health and education long before I ever imagined creating Total Wellness Solutions. My background is in Mathematics and Health Education, and I later earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction — so I’ve always had a passion for teaching and helping others understand complex topics in simple, actionable ways. Read more>>
Rachel Zemanek
As a Leelanau County native, I never realized how exceptionally privileged I was to grow up there. As soon as I could, I left and went West, where adventure lives. After a brief introduction to the West Coast, I tried one semester of college in Michigan and decided I was better suited for the California dream. Read more>>
Hannah Watkins
I started photographing weddings in the most unexpected way, in the middle of the pandemic. Back then, big celebrations were on pause, but love definitely wasn’t. I began capturing small, intimate backyard weddings around Detroit, and I quickly fell in love with the beauty of those simple, real moments. Read more>>
Kenz Wolf
My business first began this July when I traveled to Texas to stand in a wedding of one of my close friends. While we were getting ready for the big day, there was a young woman walking around the bridal suite with us taking pictures and videos with her iPhone. Read more>>
Catherine LaBar
Yoga has a remarkable way of meeting people exactly where they are. For Catherine — an E-RYT 500® and YACEP® with over a decade of experience and more than 2,000 hours of teaching — this connection began soon after graduating high school in 2011. Read more>>
Scott Shaw
After high school, I did not know what I wanted to do and struggled to find my purpose. I ended up briefly in the construction industry and after soul-searching realized that I wanted to serve others at a higher level and get more formalized higher education. Read more>>
Eileen Miles
I was only twelve when I began struggling with how I felt about my body. It was the first time I believed something was “wrong” with me because of how I looked. That pain, though difficult, started my path of healing. Read more>>
Angela Beskow
I actually started sewing as an adult. When I was a new mom, I’d stay up late watching HGTV and was inspired by everyday people sewing simple, one-of-a-kind pieces to decorate their homes. I wanted to do that too. I was especially drawn to quilting, though I figured it would be something I’d learn “someday” when my kids were older. Read more>>
Doug Davis
Almont Ink began as a shared vision between a customer and an artist. Six years ago, the founders crossed paths at an art gallery in Detroit, where head tattoo artist Timm Nowakowski showcased his original oil paintings. After purchasing one of his works, the connection continued through tattoo artistry—each new shop Timm joined, his loyal client followed. Read more>>
Urvana Tracey Morse
I began my first summer season on Mackinac Island at Stonecliffe Inn on June 17, 1990, at Stonecliff, a beautiful 1904 Tudor mansion with 14 rooms. Located two miles outside of town in the woods. It was a very unique property built by a meatpacker from Chicago named Michael Cudhay. Read more>>
Tiff Falls
I’ve been surround by music since I was a little kid in Montreal, Canada. My dad’s side of the family were all musicians or singers, and every family get together had the family band playing all night. My grandfather was the main inspiration for everyone to take it up and was a guitar player and singer, mostly blues. Read more>>
Ashleigh Mercer
I have had a love for art as long as I can remember. I went to Saginaw Valley for art when I graduated from high school and only made it a semester before I realized that wasn’t the kind of art I was interested in. Read more>>
Michelle Price
My journey in the floral industry began in 1995 when I started working in customer service at a local flower shop. Within six months, I discovered my passion for floral design and became a designer, later advancing to manager within a year. Read more>>
PCF Scuba
For me, music was my first love. Growing up, I remember all my cousins and uncles rapping at my granddad’s crib — that’s what pushed my love for it even further and made me want to try making music myself. Read more>>
Zee Kennedy
I became my sister’s guardian at just 19 years old, something I never saw coming. The day before, I received a call about her situation. No details, just a sense that something was deeply wrong. When I arrived in court, her court-appointed guardian stepped down, and the plan was to send my sister to a psychiatric facility. Read more>>
Hilary Lake
As is true for many of us, I got started on my path long before I had any inkling of what I would be doing now. It started with me growing up for nearly two years from age one to three in Taiwan because of my father’s work with Ford Motor Company. Read more>>
Michelle Zmich
From a young age, I was taught self-care. From my grandmother to my mother- the importance of taking care of your body in your mind. So naturally when I turned 16 I looked up massage and facials in the yellow pages.(yes,I’m dating me). And found this amazing place in Birmingham, called Margot’s. Margot gave me an amazing service, coupled with so much advice. Read more>>
Emilio Rodriguez
I started my theatrical performance journey doing one-kid adaptations of The Wizard of Oz in my parents’ living room using a broom, a funnel and a pair of my mother’s high heels. Read more>>
Mary Claire Wagner
I hit a career crossroads as a approached 30 and I knew I was ready to launch into motherhood and gig/self employment economy starting with teaching Yoga. Read more>>
Lee Austin
With an interest in Architecture, I pursued my formal education from Ferris State University in 1962 and remained in the field all this time. Read more>>
