Max Loves Midland

On this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, host Kevin LaDuke sits down with Matt Smith, a father, veteran, entrepreneur, real estate professional, community leader, and chair of Midland’s America’s 250 Celebration. Matt shares his journey from growing up in Sanford to serving in the Army, building Smitty’s Iron Works, finding a new path in real estate, and giving back through mentorship, veterans advocacy, Leadership Midland, and community service. The conversation centers on gratitude, unity, self-starting leadership, and what it means to help build a place where people choose, stay, and thrive. Matt also previews Midland’s America’s 250 celebration, including a community signing of a 50-foot Declaration of Independence, a public reading featuring voices from across the region, live music from Chemical City Band, the national anthem by Gretchen Shope, and a powerful reminder that history can bring people together. Whether you know Matt through business, service, fitness, real estate, or his community work, this episode is a conversation about purpose, pride in place, and the hope that Midland County can be a catalyst for unity and positive change.

On this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, Kevin LaDuke sits down with Wendy Traschen, Tournament Director of the Dow Championship, to preview one of Midland’s signature summer events. The tournament runs from June 8-14 at Midland Country Club. The Dow Championship is the LPGA Tour’s only team event and brings world-class athletes, thousands of fans, and major energy to Midland and the Great Lakes Bay Region. Wendy talks about what makes the tournament special, including Rock the Block, the Dow Walk Run, and public viewing areas. She also shares details on volunteer opportunities, veteran programming, and nonprofit partnerships. Youth golf through First Tee of Eastern Michigan is featured, along with other ways the event welcomes players, families, visitors, and community members. The conversation also highlights Wendy’s deep Midland roots and her passion for giving back. She believes the Dow Championship is more than a golf tournament. It is a celebration of community, hospitality, connection, and everything that makes Midland a place where people choose to stay and thrive.

Sam McKenzie, President and CEO of Hidden Harvest, joins the Max Loves Midland Show for a heartfelt conversation about food rescue, regional collaboration, and what it takes to ensure good food reaches the people and programs that need it most. Sam shares how Hidden Harvest works with restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, farmers, schools, hospitals, shelters, food pantries, recovery programs, and community partners throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region to reduce food waste and support families facing food and nutrition insecurity. The episode also explores Sam’s personal journey from growing up in Kingston to becoming a proud SVSU Cardinal, a nonprofit leader, a wife, a mother, a volunteer, a library board member, a Rotarian, and a Cub Scout leader. With a special focus on Midland County, Sam highlights the local businesses and organizations that help Hidden Harvest move millions of pounds of food each year, and shares upcoming opportunities to support the organization, including World Hunger Day efforts and the annual Celebrating Good Taste fundraiser. Through stories of service, partnership, and hope, this episode reminds us that when communities work together, resources go further, people are better supported, and Midland County becomes an even stronger place to choose, stay, and thrive.

In this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, host Kevin LaDuke sits down with Jesse Fletcher, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Midland County, to talk about her journey through the Great Lakes Bay Region, her path into nonprofit leadership, and the powerful connection between people and animals. Jesse shares how her career led her from the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce to United Way of Midland County and eventually to the Humane Society, where she has helped strengthen the organization’s structure, storytelling, and focus on the human-animal bond. The conversation explores the everyday work of caring for animals, the cost of operating a shelter, the importance of volunteers and donors, and why the Humane Society is more than a place for adoptions. Jesse also talks about programs like Midland Youth Promoting Animal Welfare, partnerships with other animal organizations, Give Local Midland, and how the Humane Society’s endowment fund helps provide low-cost and free services that keep pets in loving homes. Through it all, Jesse reflects on Midland as a welcoming community and shares her hopes for a future where more people feel accepted, supported, and empowered to thrive.

In this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, Kevin LaDuke sits down with Renee’ Deckrow, co-owner of Live Oak Coffeehouse and a driving force behind the Ashman Plaza, for a heartfelt conversation about community, belonging, and the power of creating spaces where people feel welcome. Renee’ shares the journey that brought her family to Midland, the organic growth of Live Oak from a dream into a regional business with five locations, and the deeper purpose behind the Ashman Plaza as a home for artists, entrepreneurs, families, and dreamers. The episode also explores the vision for the MYPros Community Crowdfund campaign supporting improvements to the Loft, a cross-generational space used for Little Midland play, young adult lounge nights, and community gatherings. Along the way, Renee’ reflects on hospitality, public art, small business, and her hope that Midland continues to be a place where people feel loved, heard, and inspired to put down roots.

In this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, Kevin LaDuke sits down with longtime Midlander John Metcalf, a designer, volunteer, storyteller, and community builder whose life journey stretches from rural Ohio to Japan and ultimately to Midland, Michigan. John shares how his early love of art and reading led him into industrial design, how living and working in Japan shaped his worldview, and how that experience eventually connected him to Midland through a career in exhibit design and a deep commitment to community life. The conversation explores John’s work through Good Design Group, his passion for museum storytelling, his involvement with the Midland-Handa Sister City relationship, and his volunteer leadership with Public Arts Midland and MCTV. Along the way, he reflects on the power of cultural exchange, the importance of civic participation, and why Midland has felt like home for nearly three decades. It is a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about design, belonging, creativity, and what it means to invest in a place and its people.

In this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, Kevin LaDuke sits down with Rhiannon Gonzales, Midland Destination Ambassador for Go Great Lakes Bay, to talk about what it means to love where you live and help others discover it, too. From the Midland Visitor Center on Main Street to regional gems like Dow Gardens, the Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, Dow Diamond, the Midland Center for the Arts, and so many local favorites in between, Rhiannon shares how tourism strengthens communities, why residents are some of the best ambassadors a place can have, and how the Great Lakes Bay Region continues to shine through its people, small businesses, and shared sense of pride. The conversation also explores Rhiannon’s personal journey from growing up in the region to building her career in hospitality and tourism, her love for Midland’s welcoming energy, and her hopes for a future rooted in inclusivity, momentum, and community support. Whether you are a lifelong local or seeing Midland through a fresh lens, this episode is a reminder that when we champion the places we call home, we help create communities where people want to visit, stay, and thrive.

On this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, Kevin LaDuke sits down with Patrick McElgunn, director of the Alden B. Dow Center for Creativity and Enterprise at Northwood University, to talk about entrepreneurship, placemaking, family life, and why Midland continues to be a community worth investing in. Patrick reflects on growing up in Midland, leaving, and ultimately finding his way back to build a life with his wife Shannon and their three children. Along the way, he shares how his journey took him from coaching lacrosse and launching a basement equipment business to supporting entrepreneurs through the Small Business Development Center, co-owning Grove Tea Lounge, and now helping students and community members bring ideas to life through the Northwood Idea Center. The conversation also explores the impact of the MYPros Community Crowdfund, the importance of creating welcoming third spaces, and Patrick’s hope that future generations will see Midland not as a place to leave behind, but as a place to return to, invest in, and help shape for years to come.

In this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, Kevin LaDuke sits down with Ben Marsh, co-founder of Creation Coffee, third generation Midlander, husband, and new dad, to talk about the unexpected journey that turned a college coffee hobby into one of Michigan’s largest coffee roasting operations. As Creation Coffee approaches its 10 year anniversary, Ben shares the origin story behind the business, from discovering a “life changing cup of coffee” in college to roasting beans in a garage with a $2 popcorn popper found at a Midland thrift store. What started as a way to make better coffee on a college budget quickly evolved into selling bags to friends and family, then to customers at the Midland Area Farmers Market, and eventually into a growing company with wholesale partnerships, multiple café locations in Midland, Saginaw, Frankenmuth, and Mount Pleasant, and a fifth location on the way through franchising in Wisconsin. Throughout the conversation, Ben reflects on growing up in Midland, leaving to pursue a career in advertising in cities like New York, Richmond, and Los Angeles, and ultimately returning home to build something tangible and meaningful in the community that raised him. Kevin and Ben also explore how Creation Coffee became more than just a coffee company, touching on the role local businesses play in shaping community culture, creating opportunities for young people, and helping Midland become a place where talent can stay and thrive. Ben shares stories about the early days of the business, partnerships with other local coffee pioneers, the importance of the Midland Farmers Market as a launchpad for entrepreneurs, and the unexpected responsibility that comes with leading a growing team. As Creation has expanded into roasting, equipment distribution, and multiple cafés, Ben says one of the most rewarding parts has been creating meaningful jobs and empowering employees to grow their skills and careers. The conversation also dives into Midland life outside of coffee, from childhood bike rides across town and legendary backyard wiffle ball tournaments to the joy of raising a family in a walkable community with access to trails, parks, and local gathering spaces. Ben even maps out his ideal day in Midland, featuring stops at Creation Coffee, Downtown Midland, the Tridge, Pizza Baker, the Chippewa Nature Center, Veedu Cuisine, Witchcraft Taproom, and Nord Social. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply someone who cares about the future of Midland, this episode highlights how passion, community support, and a little curiosity can grow into something much bigger than expected. Ben closes the conversation by sharing his hopes for the future of Midland, envisioning a community known for its thriving food, beverage, and hospitality scene, where locally owned businesses continue to grow and collaborate to make Midland a vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family.