Happy Hour Hustle

For Christy Howden, building a business and building a community go hand-in-hand.

She co-founded Wolverine Pickleball when the sport was just starting to be on the rise, and through grit, persistence, and a lot of hustle, she's built it into a world-class facility and a true place people want to be.

In this episode, Maddie and Christy talk about what it took to get here, the roadblocks along the way, and why community has always been at the heart of what she's building.

You have to fight to protect your business. That includes planning for the worst-case scenario.

Kim Bode's been prepping for almost 20 years, and her track record speaks for itself. She's outlasted chaos, recessions, algorithm changes, toxic clients, and whatever else got thrown at her.

How? By staying authentic. Listen to hear exactly how she navigated this mess—and how you can stay ahead when things go south.

Not every viral trend is good for your brand.

Maddie sits down with Josh Mosey from Kent District Library to talk about his approach to having fun with social media, when NOT to post, and books... because we love books.

Find out why (and what) we're drinking on this episode as we delve into gender bias, the challenges facing second-stage women-owned small businesses, and why the Small Business Association of Michigan is expanding the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship.

Taking care of your pets can sometimes be a full-time job, and if they need vet care, it could wipe out your entire paycheck. In this episode, Rachel Berkal, cofounder of Vetr Health, joins Maddie to talk about how her and her team are transforming the pet healthcare industry, providing at-home care, and keeping it affordable.

Some ballot measures never make it to Election Day - and that's exactly the point. Many of the most consequential political battles happen before you ever enter a voting booth.

In this episode, Kelli Saunders from the Small Business Association of Michigan joins Maddie to talk about two proposals they are fighting to keep off the ballot and why small business owners should be engaged now.

To AI or not to AI. Are we using it, just to say we're using it? Is it actually helping or hurting? We tackle these hard hitting questions and dig into why Kim threatened ChatGPT with bodily harm.

We get asked this question a lot: What does it take to land the internship? We know it's competitive and overwhelming. But if you're willing to put the work in, businesses will reward you for that. And your dream job probably already told you what they're looking for. In this episode, Maddie talks with former 8THIRTYFOUR Associate (because interns deserve a real title) Emily Feikema about what goes into preparing for interviews, and everything else that makes you stand out.

When lawmakers become disconnected from real community needs, it often falls to visionary business leaders to create practical solutions.

That's exactly what Mark Peters, CEO of Butterball Farms, did when he established The SOURCE 20 years ago in Grand Rapids. Kim got the chance to sit down with Mark to talk about the nonprofit, which began as a manufacturer's solution to childcare challenges affecting workplace productivity. It has since evolved into a comprehensive support system connecting community organizations, government resources, and private businesses.

You can read more about the creation of the nonprofit in Mark's book The SOURCE.

You can also check out The Retention Trap, which challenges leaders of small and mid-sized businesses to break free from a cycle that prioritizes costly wages and benefits without addressing the deeper issues that lead to employee turnover.

The Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) has been a huge focus (and problem) for Michigan business owners as they work to ensure they are compliant with the new law by February 21. But with uncertainty and changes still happening with ESTA by the minute, a lot of business owners have more questions than answers.

To help, we brought in an expert.

Lisa Cooper of Cooper People Group joined Kim and Maddie to discuss ESTA and what small business owners need to do NOW to comply. Lisa also provides some incredible resources for those who need help getting compliant before the deadline.