In this episode of Don’t Quote Me, we sit down with Amanda Hadd and Taia Sky, founders of Grand Rapids Foodie Fest, to talk about building one of the city’s biggest celebrations of food, culture, and community.

What started as an idea inspired by food experiences around the country became a movement centered around bringing people together in Grand Rapids. Amanda and Taia share the story behind launching Foodie Fest, building a community-driven event, and creating a space where local restaurants, vendors, artists, and attendees can connect.

In this conversation, we explore:

Why food has the power to connect people across cultures and backgrounds

The importance of collaboration when building a community event

The challenges behind scaling a large festival

What it takes to partner with vendors, sponsors, volunteers, and the city

Building a business partnership rooted in trust and communication

The future vision for Grand Rapids Foodie Fest and its impact on the city

Grand Rapids Foodie Fest is an opportunity to experience the people, businesses, and stories that make the city what it is.

Eric Freeman sits down for a raw, honest conversation about purpose, perseverance, and the realities of building a food business from the ground up. From being incarcerated at 19 to becoming a community activist, father, and founder of Mindset Meals, Eric shares how nourishment—physical, mental, and spiritual—became the foundation of his life’s mission.

In this episode, we explore:

• Eric’s journey from prison to entrepreneurship

• The origins of Mindset Meals and its mission to nourish communities

• The brutal realities of running a food business

• Protecting your energy and choosing the right people

• Fatherhood, health, and redefining success

• Why he refuses to have a Plan B

This is one of the most candid and inspiring conversations we’ve had on Don’t Quote Me. If you’re an entrepreneur, creative, or anyone navigating a tough season, this one will hit you.

Season 3 of Don’t Quote Me begins with tattoo artist Frankie Williams, whose approach to tattooing goes far beyond ink on skin.

In this episode, Frankie opens up about the responsibility that comes with permanent art, the importance of creating safe and intentional environments for clients, and how tattooing can become a form of emotional release and self-expression. The conversation explores mentorship, leadership in creative spaces, wellness within physically demanding careers, and the evolving culture of tattooing, especially for women in the industry.

We also dive into:

Why artistry matters in tattooing

The relationship between vulnerability and trust

Tattoo etiquette and client expectations

Burnout, rest, and sustainable creativity

How Grand Rapids’ tattoo community stands apart

What still needs to change in tattoo culture today

This episode is a thoughtful look at the human side of tattooing as care, collaboration, and connection.

Season 2 of Don’t Quote Me concludes with a powerful conversation featuring Omar Arredondo, whose journey reflects what it means to lead with intention, resilience, and community at the center.

In this finale episode, Omar shares the experiences that shaped his path, the lessons learned through adversity and growth, and his perspective on building something that outlives any single moment. The discussion explores leadership, responsibility, personal evolution, and the drive to create meaningful change, not just success.

Throughout the season, Don’t Quote Me has highlighted voices shaping culture, business, art, and community. This final conversation brings those themes together in a deeply thoughtful and forward-looking way.

What does it really take to pursue creativity full-time?

In this episode of Don’t Quote Me, we sit down with Grand Rapids artist and entrepreneur Alex “Big Al” Moran. Known for his murals across Michigan, Alex shares the unconventional journey that led him to leave corporate America and pursue art as a full-time career.

Alex talks about the mental battle behind creativity, why great ideas often come from sitting through discomfort, and what it actually looks like to build a life around passion instead of stability. From tagging murals as “Big Al” to navigating the realities of scaling an art career, this conversation dives into the mindset, risks, and purpose behind creative work.

We also explore the transition from structured corporate environments to the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship, the role routine plays in creativity, and how artists can think about impact beyond just the next project.

In Episode 10 of Don’t Quote Me, we sit down with Grand Rapids serial entrepreneur Jonathan Jelks to unpack what it really takes to build in today’s economy. From Sip Coffee & Cocktails to Motu Viget, cannabis ventures, hospitality spaces, and the Midwest Tech Project, Jonathan shares how he navigates risk, partnerships, failure, and long-term vision while staying rooted in community. In this conversation, we explore:

Why diversification matters in modern entrepreneurship

Lessons learned from ventures that didn’t work

Building talent pipelines and investing in the next generation

The balance (or illusion of balance) between work and life

AI, automation, and the future of human-centered spaces

Why resilience and toughness still matter

Jonathan reflects on growing up in Southeast Grand Rapids, creating opportunities for others, and the responsibility that comes with success. This episode is about legacy, systems thinking, and building something that outlives you.

In this episode of Don’t Quote Me, we sit down with Ximon Kittok (they/them), co-founder and Executive Director of the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation, for an honest and deeply human conversation about trans identity, community care, and liberation.

Ximon shares why transness isn’t monolithic, how joy and euphoria can be acts of resistance, and what it means to build systems of support for trans and non-binary people in West Michigan. We talk about the Foundation’s hands-on programs, and why community spaces rooted in dignity and compassion matter more than ever.

This conversation also explores:

• Why trans euphoria deserves more attention than trans tragedy

• The importance of bodily autonomy and self-expression

• How small, local organizations make a massive impact

• What allies can actually do to support trans communities right now

In this episode of Don’t Quote Me, Nick Avink—founder of Grand Rapids Trampoline Academy—shares his journey from competitive trampoline athlete to nonprofit leader working to expand access to movement-based programming for young people.

The conversation explores:

• Why Grand Rapids Trampoline Academy transitioned to a nonprofit model

• How trampoline and tumbling function as both athletic discipline and art form

• The role movement plays in confidence, creativity, and mental resilience

• Reducing financial and geographic barriers in youth athletics

• Building community-centered programs during and after COVID

• A long-term vision inspired by the YMCA model for nationwide accessibility

Nick also discusses the realities of competitive athletics, coaching across age groups, and why recreational organizations are essential to healthy, connected communities.

Don’t Quote Me is a longform interview series highlighting the people shaping culture, creativity, and community.

For 18 years, Lori has built a space where people feel seen, heard, safe, and welcomed. But behind the warm atmosphere is a journey filled with risk, creativity, grief, reinvention, motherhood, community-building, and resilience.

We talk about:
• How Scorpion Hearts Club came to be (and its past as Stray Dog Café & Sparrow’s)
• Creating a genuinely safe space for staff and patrons
• What it means to listen well and build community intentionally
• The emotional + business reality of selling a brand
• Balancing business ownership with parenting
• Navigating grief after losing her husband, David Wenzel
• Why love, honesty, and stubborn hope still matter
• And how being “a little salty, a little loving” can build a powerful creative culture

This episode is thoughtful, deeply human, funny, vulnerable, and full of wisdom for entrepreneurs, creatives, parents, and anyone who believes community still matters.

In this episode, we sit down with Xavier Aker, a young self-taught artist whose work is turning heads across Grand Rapids and beyond. Xavier opens up about his journey into art, the personal experiences that shaped his creative voice, and why trusting himself became the turning point in his career.He talks candidly about learning outside of formal education, the pressure young artists feel to “prove themselves,” and how he learned to value his work without underselling his craft. From the moment he picked up a pen to the evolution of his bold, narrative-driven pieces, Xavier shares how intuition, lived experience, and relentless curiosity fuel his process.We also dive into the power of representation, the importance of self-belief, and the emotional tension behind his visual storytelling. And in his soapbox moment, Xavier offers heartfelt encouragement for young creators facing imposter syndrome, uncertainty, or the fear of taking up space.If you’re an emerging creative, an art lover, or someone figuring out how to trust your own voice, this conversation is for you.