It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Michigan.
Kristi Morse
I took ownership of Jazzercise Shelby Township in 2021 in hopes of saving its legacy in the wake of the pandemic. Jazzercise had made it’s first impression on me when I was a child. Read more>>
Mike Moore
My journey began in 2018 in the Burton Heights area in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Where I started by simply placing images on shirts. At the time it was more basic printing and had a strong desire to figure things out. Through trial and error, I taught myself the fundamentals of printing, learning from every mistake until I found my rhythm. Read more>>
Maria Matson
We have a serious lack of mental health services in our country. Due to Trauma I had suffered with PTSD, night terrors, and anxiety. Talk therapy was only a temporary fix. They could only teach you how to deal with what was happening to you in the moment. When I discovered Root Cause Therapy, I signed up to see what it was about. Read more>>
Mark Wilson
I have been in the grocery/meat business since November 1984 when I started working for Pat Heath at Heath’s IGA in Gaylord, Michigan where I grew up. Pat Heath was the owner and taught me I could get a world-class education if I would just learn something new everyday and apply what I learned to my life. Read more>>
Eric & Shana Hopkins
Our story really began at the start of 2023, when we came together and started building a life side by side. Like many small business owners, the beginning wasn’t easy—we faced financial struggles and uncertainty, and for a time, we lost touch with our faith. But even through those challenges, we continued to show up for each other every day and kept pushing forward. Read more>>
MIchele Coy
Entrepreneurship is a journey. My journey started as a young child who loved teaching and putting puzzle pieces together. At the age of 16, I began working in an accounting firm, where I spent the next 18 years honing my skills. Over the next 8 years, I spent time in small business environment where I learned skills that would lead me on my entrepreneurial journey. Read more>>
Amanda Schantz
My journey into this field really began when I took placement of two relative children, which gave me firsthand insight into the foster care system. That experience had a profound impact on me and ultimately led me to pursue a degree in social work so I could better support children and families navigating similar challenges. Read more>>
Rick Tasch Jeremiah Taylor
I live on the Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City, In the year 2000, I built a log home on Drummond Island, on the shores of Lake Huron. In 2001, I decided to rent it out as a deluxe vacation rental home. It has proven to be very popular, with renters from 26 states staying there so far. Also, one group from Germany. Read more>>
Chrystal Methner
My journey into photography started about 15 years ago when my kids were little. I picked up a camera simply to capture our everyday moments..nothing posed or perfect, just real life as it was happening. I found myself getting creative, using unique spaces around my home and property or even building my own backdrops to bring my ideas to life. Read more>>
Jeff Lipple
I’ve always been drawn to business and investing. I began my career as a financial advisor and 401(k) retirement consultant, building a strong foundation in financial planning, investment strategy, and long-term wealth creation. My real estate journey started in 2009 when I purchased my first home in Shelby Township, Michigan. Read more>>
Kiran Javed
I can’t say I was born a decorator, but I was definitely raised as one. Growing up in an Air Force family meant we were constantly relocating to different bases. Every few years brought a new house with a completely different layout, size, and character. That unpredictability trained my eye early . I learned how to assess a space quickly and understand its potential. Read more>>
Kyle Rahe
I didn’t start my machine shop because it was easy or glamorous. I started it because I was tired of knowing I could do more—and not doing it. I grew up with my dad being a machinist and having a bunch of memories of him walking me through the machine shop he’s worked at for the past 40 years. Read more>>
Bremer Produce
The U-pick flower field at Bremer Produce started as part of the farm’s seasonal offerings and grew largely organically from customer interest. Starting off, the field had only sunflowers, and because that was such a hit with the community, we expanded it significantly in following years to include a wide range of flowers suitable for making a quality bouquet. Read more>>
CRAIG WOLGAMOTT
I’m an engineer who works Monday through Friday, and I originally wanted to make some extra cash on the side. I started thinking about a small business I could run while also working part-time at Dunham’s. One day while I was working there, my truck was stolen. It was recovered two days later—and when I got it back, it was completely trashed. Read more>>
Sarah Hallstedt and Phil Hallstedt
Our story starts with two young girls who were born in 1900 on the Leelanau Peninsula in Omena, MI. They became best friends, and moved together to Grand Rapids after 8th grade. Each married; one had all boys and one had all girls; one from each family married and were Phil’s parents! Read more>>
Kelly Strait
I hated reading when I was a kid. I was in the ‘bluebird reading group’, otherwise known as the low reading group with a teacher who wrote workbook pages on the board for students to complete after reading a story on their own. Read more>>
Eutan Ngoulou
My name is Eutan Ngoulou Ngoulou , I from republic of Congo , I’m engineer in Chemistry, I did my engineering school at Switzerland. Read more>>
Ukulele Jake
I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A progressive liberal college town. My sister died when I was five years old. Visiting the University of Michigan’s Children’s Hospital are some of my first and most vivid memories. This loss impressed upon me the transience of life; it’s fleeting nature. I learned that to love life, one must always be a little in love with death. Read more>>
Faye Kuz
The Princess Party Company became part of American Immersion Theater’s ecosystem in 2017. Initially, our company focused just on children’s birthday parties, but overtime we grew to include other events such as meet and greets. Some of our bigger events are at The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and the Holland Daddy-Daughter Dance. Read more>>
Errol Scott
I started my e-commerce clothing/Fitness store with a simple idea: to create stylish, affordable pieces that people could feel confident wearing every day. As a 57 year old Marine Corps veteran living with a disability, I knew I wanted to build something meaningful, something that reflected resilience, purpose and determination. Read more>>
Celeste Feole
My name is Celeste, and I was born and raised in the Philippines. In 2011, I came to the United States as a J-1 student intern while earning my Bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management. Like many, I started out working a traditional 9–5 job, living paycheck to paycheck while building a life for my family. Read more>>
Caron Recker
My passion for serving others and giving back to the community has always been a guiding force in my life. No matter the role I’ve held, I’ve made it a priority to instill that same commitment in my team—creating opportunities for us to volunteer, support others, and make a meaningful impact together. Read more>>
Steve Lonzo
The building at 600 S. Pennsylvania has a long history as a neighborhood gathering place in Lansing. Longtime residents remember it as DeMarco’s, which operated at the location for decades. Local accounts trace DeMarco’s back as far as the early 1930s, when it functioned as a grocery store and bar, and it continued as a restaurant and neighborhood staple through the late 1980s and 1990s. Read more>>
Devan Rucker
It started with a hot dog stand. Not long ago, you would have found me behind the counter of my family friend’s hot dog stand Monroe’s Original Hotdog — keeping things moving, keeping people fed. But somewhere between the grill and the counter, an idea started cooking too. I started making lighthearted and humorous ad videos to promote the business. Read more>>
Kelly Brink-Pida
I started Cosmetology school in July of 90 and graduated in July of 91′ That year they were trying to make changes at the State of Michigan in regards to licensing and Cosmetology was on that was beeing looked at to no longer be required in our State. Read more>>
Eric Heynig
I was born in Charlevoix, though I didn’t grow up in Northern Michigan. Still, this part of the state was always familiar to me—a place I returned to and kept in mind, even while I was elsewhere figuring things out. I studied ecology at Northern Michigan University, where I became interested in how systems work and how small changes can have lasting effects. Read more>>
Victoria Berry
I didn’t wake up one day and decide to become a web designer. I became one because I was tired of watching brilliant business owners shrink behind websites that just didn’t match their talent. I started The Pier Collective while working a full-time job and raising my toddler son. I’m talking late nights and even earlier mornings. Laptop open at the kitchen table while pumping. Read more>>
Sung Moon
I’ve always had a passion for manufacturing. So, I started out in engineering; I went to an engineering school. And then I noticed that I enjoyed the business aspect of manufacturing better than the engineering aspect, so I transitioned into finance and project management. Then from there, my experience grew in manufacturing operations, assembly operations, and 3PL operations. Read more>>
Carlie Beatty
Playmakers has been part of the Greater Lansing community for more than 40 years, and I’m fortunate my story is intertwined with that legacy. I started at Playmakers in 2010 because I love running, being a former collegiate athlete at Michigan State, and because I love people. I’ve always believed in the power of small local business to change lives. Read more>>
Hayley Randle
My journey started with a genuine passion for skincare and helping people feel confident and beautiful. Early on, I realized that skincare is about so much more than appearance, it’s about trust, education, and caring for people. I built my career by learning hands-on, continuing my education, and staying committed even when the path felt uncertain. Read more>>
Denzel Early
I first started collecting rare coins while traveling through parts of Western Africa and colonial Germany. What began as casual curiosity quickly developed into a focused interest in historical currency, especially pieces tied to colonial trade routes, post-war reconstruction, and regional sovereignty. Each coin represented more than its metal value—it carried evidence of political change, cultural exchange, and economic transition. Read more>>
Tatenda Mkuruva
My soccer journey started at a very young age. My dad played the game, so soccer has always been part of my DNA, it was in our home, our conversations, and our daily life. I was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, where I played throughout elementary school, middle school, and high school. Read more>>
Maggie Chambers
I’ve been designing and creating for as long as I can remember. I’m a Northern Michigan native, originally from Mackinac Island, a place that has remained a deep source of inspiration throughout my life. After college, I left Michigan and moved to Washington, D.C., where I spent nearly a decade working at ad agencies and tech startups. Read more>>
Kelsie Corbray
Emerald House was built on the belief that beauty and confidence come from feeling seen, comfortable, and fully yourself. My professional background is in hospitality and event coordination, where I developed a strong foundation in creating intentional experiences and celebrating meaningful moments in people’s lives. Read more>>
Barry Jones
This is my truth which is all I have to give.I came to Kalamazoo MIchigan by way of Chicago Illinois June 4th of 2016. Read more>>
Briton Maciuk
I first got into video at age 14 when I bought my very first camcorder at a yard sale. From there, I started making all sorts of home videos, and that early experimentation really sparked my passion for filmmaking. Read more>>
Josie Krupp
Originally the idea for the Yard came about because our restaurant patio was so busy. We created the Paddle Hard Yard as an offsite extension of our brewpub space down the block modeled after other shipping container bars- not our original never seen before idea. Read more>>
HIllary Howell
In the beginning, our focus was on creating custom-compounded medications to meet each patient’s unique needs. We wanted to bring personalization, compassion, and genuine connection back into healthcare — something that often gets lost in today’s fast-paced, insurance-driven world. Read more>>
Jeron Dotson
In 2017, we were in Venice Beach, California, shooting a music video for our record label, “Black Gold Media”. On our last day there, we visited a small “hole-in-the-wall” poke restaurant called “The Poke Shack” and were instantly impressed by the fresh, healthy, and flavorful food that was affordable and quick. We realized this was a concept that was missing in the Flint area and decided to bring it back home. After of course getting “hustled” out of our initial investment into the music video. Read more>>
