Terrapin Small Biz Connection

We had so much packed into our chat with Chris Fredrickson of TC Whiskey Co. in Traverse City that we had to make a bonus episode! Listen in as Chris describes a little more about what it really means to be a "craft" whiskey company in today's spirits marketplace. Chris also shares a little more details about their new production and tasting room facility, located out in Leelanau County.

This week, we're hanging out for a bit with Chris Fredrickson, one of the owners of the award-winning, hugely popular Traverse City Whiskey Company. Chris spoke about how he and his team come together collaboratively to solve problems that pop up, how they lean on their community for ideas and support, what it was like in the early days of the pandemic when TC Whiskey switched from making spirits to providing hand sanitizer, and how technology helped them supply the massive response they had from that.

This week, we're hanging out with Debbie Craig of Craig Wealth Advisors. She's a passionate advocate for her customers when it comes to managing their money, and she also understands how technology helps make that all happen. She shares why she thinks the financial field is so male-dominated, and how to bring more women and minorities into the fold. She talks about her struggles as a working mother, and dealing with different rules and regulations set forth by the state and federal government, and more.

This week's we're chatting with Al and Gary from Great Lakes Trim, a tier 1 supplier for the Big 3 auto manufacturers in Detroit as well as other manufacturers like John Deere. Al and Gary talk about staffing issues, traffic affecting their supply chains and trucking routes, innovative changes coming in the auto industry, and more.

We enjoyed our conversation with Kim White so much that we couldn't fit it all into the half-hour show! In this bonus episode we chat more in-depth about the consistency of expertise and collaboration she follows with her clients, the safety measures she takes both for her own business as well as what she does for her customers, how she connects to people, and more.

Tim and Ruthy sit down with Kim White of Cherryland Accounting, in Traverse City, to talk about how safe online practices are important not just in your personal life but as a professional as well (including VPNs on vacation- stay off the hotel wifi, guys!) as well as how Kim connects to her customers on a personal level to be a better accountant.

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We sat down with Marsha Minervini this week, who is an absolute joy. If you weren't passionate about up north real estate before you listened to this episode, Marsha may just change your mind! We discussed not just what she loves (and finds difficult about) running her real estate and development business here in northern Michigan, but also how she's set up systems and processes with her technology to make her business run smoother and, ultimately, help her gain more profits.

This week Ruthy and Tim hang out with Shawn Zipser of Zeez Management in Traverse City. Zeez has multiple businesses under its umbrella: Arby's franchises, Harley Davidson stores, tax and attorney services. We chat with Shawn about dealing with different municipalities, how it's like working in a family business (something we know a little about ourselves!), and then Tim and Ruthy, later on, discuss how small companies can work with limited connectivity as well as the importance of cyber insurance.

Our guest this week is John Zimmerman of Brightstar Care, who has run his in-home healthcare and medical staffing franchise since the mid-2000s. Today he joins us to talk about things like staffing issues, policy changes in the medical field, the things he loves about up north living, how his company's technology set-up has propelled his business forward, and more. After, Ruthy & Tim chat about SIP and VOIP phones that help businesses like John's expand in today's economy.