Mitten Money

The cost of living has become expensive lately. Inflation is driving up prices of everyday essentials like groceries, utilities, transportation, and now the housing market. You’re probably thinking, “tell us something we don’t already know.” On today’s episode, host William Zank speaks with Jeff Southcott, Senior Vice President at 1st State Bank. Jeff and Will talk specifically about the housing market. Jeff has been working as an expert in the housing market for years. He shares insight on where he believes the housing market is heading in the coming years.

If you want to purchase new real estate, this episode will give you alternative options for this current housing market and insight into rising rates’ impact on new homeowners. Jeff also speaks on how the FED raising the interest rates will impact home purchases. Rising rates are causing prospective buyers to put off owning a home and could even make some homeowners no longer eligible to purchase a home. Lastly, Jeff decodes perspective ways to save money with new home purchases and touches on the Adjustable-Rate Mortgage and how they could be beneficial in the long run.

Jeff Southcott, Senior Vice President, Residential Mortgage Administrator

https://www.1ststate.bank/contact-us/

On today's podcast, we spoke with Beth Thieme, President, and CEO of Amigo Mobility International, Inc. If you are looking for an episode that will recharge you with ideas for success and an entrepreneurial flair, look no further. Beth's energy, passion, and wisdom are fully displayed in this episode.

This week we discussed how Amigo got started and the motivation behind why it began, and how the business can keep pushing through its rough times. Beth explains how Amigo is a relationship-built company and that during their hard times, they had their vendors helping them! She states that communication and service are essential to a successful business.

Amigo Mobility International, Inc. first started as a plumbing and heating contractor. Once one of Al Thieme's relatives was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he wanted to give her an alternative where she could be more mobile. Unfortunately, the only possible product at this time was a standard wheelchair. In 1967, Al went to work and built his first three-wheeled vehicle and named it “Amigo.” He wanted to take this product further and provide others with this kind of mobility and decided to build his business and called it Amigo in 1968. Beth joined Amigo in 1975 and has been providing mobility equipment ever since.

https://www.myamigo.com/

On today’s episode, we speak with Gene Pickelman, President and CEO of Tri-Star Trust, and Catherine Allen, Co-Founder and CEO of AO People Partners. This episode is about developing a conscious culture of learning and developing your employees. Gene and Catherine have a lively discussion about leadership. They have learned and recognized that having strong leadership at the core of your business is a competitive difference. And valuing and developing your people will determine the success of your business.

The four tenants of Conscious Capitalism are:

- Having a higher purpose

- Integration of all stakeholders

- Raising up conscious leaders

- Building a conscious culture

In this episode, learn what attributes to look for when hiring based on values and if their values fit the company. It is vital to connect these values to the values of the people hired within an organization. Tri-Star implements this into its hiring process by asking key questions. One of the key questions throughout their interview process is, “Tell me about the relationship you have besides family and friends.” Having these relationships shows that you can build a bond with someone other than whom you may be related to and show signs of empathy and care.

Have you ever wondered what separates companies that perform well during bad times? It’s simple – they have the same quality that a castle has. It’s a moat.

We got to speak with the President and CEO of Argus Research Group, John Eade. Based all the way out in NYC, it was a pleasure to get the chance to talk with him about how businesses can better prepare for a possible recession. With 75 total employees, 20 are analysts and portfolio strategists who forecast the US economy. As you can imagine, having a superior advantage can make all the difference during trying times, whether it relates to a certain product design or the people within your organization.

In this week’s podcast, we dig a little deeper into some of the challenges the average consumer could be facing as well as how they could grow through these struggles. One of our main points is about 4 Michigan-made companies (Kellogg, DTE, Ford Motor Company, and Dow) and how they are coping with the economic changes happening in the world around us.

Tune into this week’s podcast to see how your business can stand strong during this economic fallout. If this is something that interests you, keep on the lookout for our next episode as this will continue into a mini-series covering the topic of recession and how it can be avoided throughout your business.

Today we got the chance to speak with Bob Hagen of Hagen Ford, which was established in 1961 by Bob’s father. Bob and his brother are the current owners of Hagen Ford and are very active within the community and the Ford industry. He talks about the future and evolution of the car industry and how soon enough, everyone will have an electric vehicle in their garage in the near future.  

Electric vehicles are going to be the “norm” soon enough, and there are already people grabbing the new Ford F-150 electric truck. Ford expects that by 2030, Ford industries will be 50% gas and 50% electric vehicles. Gas cars aren’t going away, but electric cars will be taking over soon enough.  

To learn more about the future of electric vehicles, tune into our latest podcast to get more information.

Her life was just progressing at Dow, and she decided that after eight years of commitment to them, she wanted to grow into something more and something bigger that would be able to help others the same way others had helped her.

Please welcome Executive Director and Founder of Self Love Beauty, Lisa Thomson, this week on how she was inspired to grow her non-profit organization to inspire people across the state to be self-aware and confident both in the workplace and in this world we live in. We talk about how social media can majorly impact one’s self-esteem, workshops you can partake in through Self Love Beauty, and how a business owner can be more aware of their employees and when they should interfere and schedule a workshop with Lisa and her team.

Lisa founded Self Love Beauty in 2012 and has been encouraging people since. She started just the same as we all do, with little confidence in herself and looking to grow for the better. She helps her participants understand that one size doesn’t fit all and to find the confidence in yourself to love that body that you’re in because it’s all you have, and only you can determine how to love it!

https://www.selflovebeauty.com/

Connect with Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathompson032/

“Architecture is as much about understanding why a building needs to exist as it is the relationships of its forms. Creating graceful space that enhances life is part of a fundamental belief behind our work at WTA Architects.” This is what guest speaker Paul Haselhuhn, Architect, Partner, and President of WTA Architects, speaks on in this week’s podcast.

Employers and people, in general, tend not to recognize the importance of architecture and what effects it can have on an employee or family. Tune in this week to learn some of the benefits of an architectural style and how it can positively impact the work being created from within.

Paul Hauselhuh, AIA, has been a project manager on a wide variety of projects for WTA Architects and now specializes in higher education and commercial facilities. Paul has a strong interest in sustainability and green architecture.

https://www.wtaarch.com/

Have you ever wished you could get unlimited paid time off?

That’s precisely what today’s podcast guest, Mark McDaniel, the CEO of Cinnaire, talks about with host William Zank. Cinnaire is a nonprofit organization that gets involved within the community by offering services such as lending funds, finance development, and managing and building all components of a healthy community. Within this nonprofit, employees are granted unlimited paid time off.

Cinnaire wants to find better ways for their team members to feel more valued while also showing their team’s time was valued. What’s the benefit of offering unlimited time off? Cinnaire has seen how productive their employees are when given this freedom. With employee benefits like this, they now hold eight consecutive wins as Best Nonprofit to Work For by the Nonprofit Times, the leading business publication for Nonprofit Management.

Mark McDaniel graduated from Michigan State University and worked as an architectural planning engineer in his hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. He ended up moving back up to Lansing when he found his love for helping develop affordable housing. He started to get involved with many nonprofits and faith-based organizations. He was able to draw up the Michigan Capital Fund for Housing idea, which ended up transitioning into the Great Lakes Capital Fund in 2002.

To learn more about Cinnaire and their team, follow the links below:

https://cinnaire.com/

Mark McDaniel | LinkedIn

Have you been on the unfortunate side of getting a dent in your car? Do you let it be or Google your best options to fix it? Today’s podcast guest hopes you don’t just leave the ding and instead ask around. Chances are a friend, or family member will refer you to CD Dents.

Welcome, Crystal Ellison of CD Dents. Crystal and her husband Duane own and operate a 5-star Google rating paintless dent removal business. Crystal has been in the car business for an impressive 24-years and was the first woman in the country to receive her Master Gold Certification.

Today William Zank and Crystal talk about referrals. Referrals are the most valuable form of marketing, and Crystal shares some tips on how CD Dent goes about intentionally building its referral pipeline. 90% of CD Dents business is from referrals. This episode is for you if you are in a niche business looking to deepen engagement with your client base. Tune in to find out how she views customer service and how to build her main marketing source – her referral pipeline.

https://www.cddentsrepair.com/

OH, SUGAR, SUGAR! This week we got the chance to chat with Rob Clark, Director of Communications and Community Relations at Michigan Sugar Company. Clark speaks out about their corporate purpose statement, “Making Life Sweeter.” He states that their employees embody Michigan Sugar’s purpose statement within the business and within their life, family, friends, and community.

Michigan Sugar Company, a Michigan staple organization for 116 years, takes on many opportunities to create win-win-win partnerships within the community. Clark states that they speak out about the good Michigan Sugar does within the community because if they didn’t, how would it be noticed?

Sweeten up your commute with this 24-minute master class, inspiring leaders to get involved in the communities they serve.

https://www.michigansugar.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/michigan-sugar-co/

https://www.facebook.com/PioneerSugar/

https://www.facebook.com/michigansugar