On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Evan Mathison, a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan board of directors and Founding Principal of Mathison | Mathison Architects, a design-focused architecture and interiors firm based in Grand Rapids. He and his father Tom founded the company in 2013. "I grew up here in the Grand Rapids area and went to undergrad here, then moved to New England for grad school, and stayed out there and worked for 10 years," he says. "I always knew that I wanted to move back and be a part of the growth of west Michigan. I knew I wanted to be close to family and be part of that growth trajectory. Our team also reinforces that story. You know, almost everyone on our team grew up in Michigan, moved somewhere else to go to school or work and then returned home with the goal of doing really high quality design work that they were a part of in other parts of the country and the world. And I really do believe that this kind of richness adds to the entrepreneurial spirit of Michigan, that desire for growth, desire for change and impact."

The Small Business Association of Michigan is the only statewide and state-based association that focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan's small business community. We have been successfully serving small businesses like yours in all 83 counties of Michigan since 1969. We're located in Lansing, just one block from the Capitol.

Our mission is to help Michigan small businesses succeed by promoting entrepreneurship, leveraging buying power and engaging in political advocacy. When small businesses band together through the Small Business Association of Michigan, they achieve more than they could on their own.

Our 32,000 members are as diverse as Michigan's economy. From accountants to appliance stores, manufacturers to medical, and restaurants to retailers, what unites the SBAM membership is the spirit of entrepreneurship…a spirit that drove you to start and continue to operate your own business because you believe you can do something better than anyone else is doing it!

(music licensed from www.jukedeck.com)