Vic Verchereau welcomes Monica Schafer, who is the Owner of Schafer Raspberries and Ingham County Commissioner. Lessons learned as a parent showing the kids the value of work while serving the community are the results of a small dream that has helped one of her children make it to Harvard. Monica Schafer joins Vic Verchereau on this edition of the Leadership Lowdown. Monica and her husband Jim, a physician for over 30 years, are the proud owners of Schafer Raspberries. This family-friendly U-Pick farm is located in Williamston, MI. Growing and developing Schafer Raspberries has been a labor o ..read more

Originally uploaded, March 29th, Re-edited April 20th. Chris Holman welcomes Palencia Mobley, P.E., founder and CEO of Mode Collective, Detroit area. She's the former deputy director and chief engineer of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and has been appointed as chair of the Michigan Infrastructure Council (MIC). Chris had several questions for Palencia: Can you explain what the Michigan Infrastructure Council does and its role in the state? How will your past experience in infrastructure contribute to your role as chair of the MIC? What is asset management and why is it important? H ..read more

Originally uploaded March 26, re-edited April 15th. Chris Holman welcomes back Steve Klaver, Co-Owner, DBI, Lansing, MI. Big news, I understand, there's an anniversary to discuss and DBI Business Interiors is proud to announce its recent accolade as a recipient of Haworth's esteemed Best In Class award? tell us more? How many in your field get this honor, and how many years has DBI been recognized? Tell us more about Haworth, what exactly do they provide for your service lines? Workplace interior design has been a focus for DBI, remind the Michigan business community how that's evolved in the ..read more

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Ryan Fewins-Bliss executive director MCAN - Michigan College Access Network. Topic: FAFSA Week of Action - April 15-19 In their discussion they cover several points including: Objective: MCAN supports school counselors and college advisers as their students and families navigate shortened FAFSA timelines. MCAN actions: ● Compiled an Evolving FAFSA spreadsheet that tracks institutional changes in enrollment deadlines ● Offered Certified FAFSA Specialist Training for select school counselors, educators, and others who work directly with students ○ This training is offered ..read more

Vic Verchereau welcomes Amy Piper, who is the Founder and Writer of Follow the Piper. While Amy Piper is a lifelong Michigander, she’s had adventures worldwide. Bomb-sniffing dogs chased her in the middle of the night in Bogota, gate agents refused her boarding to Paraguay (wrong visa), and US Marshals announced her seat number on a plane while looking for a murder suspect (she’d traded seats). It’s always an adventure! She even finds adventure in her home state of Michigan and those adventures are detailed in her newest book, Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Adve ..read more

100 % Hustle Podcast 6 – Series of Guests Host: Vicki Hamilton, Senior Executive with International consulting experience. Founder & CEO of Executive Ideation Topic: Expanding Your Marketing Capabilities without Adding Headcount Guest: Heather Richard, Managing Partner & CMO at PROJECT 16 Guest Bio: Bringing over 24 years of expertise as a marketing communications, digital, and ecommerce senior executive, Heather Richard specializes in growing complex and multilayered online and integrated marketing programs for globally recognized brands. With a proven track record of devising and exe ..read more

100 % Hustle Podcast 6 – Series of Guests Host: Vicki Hamilton, Senior Executive with International consulting experience. Founder & CEO of Executive Ideation Topic: Be Where Your Feet Are Guest: BJ Rycus, Co-Owner Rycus Flooring & Weight Watchers Coach Guest Bio: BJ Rycus, VP and Co-owner of Rycus Flooring in Lansing, MI, prioritizes exceptional customer service through a team-focused approach. Together with his Co-owner father Ron, they foster a culture of belonging among employees, who are deeply invested in the success of their stores and community. While profitability matters, the ..read more

Vic Verchereau welcomes Nicole Noll-Williams, who is the President and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority. Nicole Noll-Williams is the President and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority, operating the Capital Region International Airport and Mason Jewett Field. Previously, she spent almost 3 years as the Mid-Michigan Regional Director for U.S. Senator Gary C. Peters, and over 25 years in the aviation industry with experience in air service development, airline management and contract management. Prior to joining the Airport Authority, Nicole was the Director of Sales for Sparta ..read more

Chris Holman welcomes back Melanie Duquesnel, President and CEO, BBB of Eastern MI and Upper Peninsula, Southfield, MI. It's that time of year, tell us about tax refund scams? What should consumers and businesses know about tax preparer scams in 2024? Could you talk about the top business scams? Tell us about the BBB 2023 Scam Tracker Risk Report and its index? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.co ..read more

Chris Holman welcomes back Kimberly P. Hafley, Director of Marketing and Recruitment, Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC Attorneys, Lansing, but Foster Swift covers, six locations; Lansing, Detroit, Southfield, Grand Rapids, Holland and St. Joseph. Kim, let's review some current issues that businesses should be thinking about. What's #1? 1) Campaign donations: It’s an election year. Both individuals and businesses will be solicited for campaign contributions. It’s important to remember the who, what when and how of campaign finance law: Business can check out our Video What Can MY Business Co ..read more