The Small Business Association of Michigan's Small Business Weekly Podcast

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with SBAM VIP member Bob Lorincz, co-founder and CEO of Pickleball 365 in Fair Haven. Pickle Ball 365, a veteran-owned small business, is Michigan's inaugural fully autonomous indoor pickle ball venue, operating entirely through a smartphone application for court reservations and facility entry without traditional staff members. "I'm very proud of my time in the Marine Corps," Lorincz says. "It taught me discipline, accountability, leadership and how to keep moving forward when things get difficult. It also drives our community work—for instance, this November is our second annual Salute and Smash Military Tournament. Last year we partnered with the Michigan Veterans Home at Chesterfield Township (a 501(c)(3) organization) and donated $2,000 to support veterans."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks about natural gas safety and natural gas pricing with Jonathan Wilson, regional manager with DTE Energy. "Natural gas safety starts with awareness," Wilson says. "You need to notice signs of a leak, leave the area immediately if you suspect one and call 911 and then DTE from a safe location. We'll respond 24/7 and it's always free." Wilson also reminds small business owners that Gas Choice allows customers to choose an alternative supplier for the natural gas commodity portion of the bill. "We always encourage our business customers to check the natural gas supplier section of their bill, see whether they're participating in Gas Choice and identify who supplies your natural gas. It's always a good idea, especially before the winter comes, to review the information and understand the arrangement between your business and your supplier."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Ime Ekpenyong, PhD, owner of SGRX Health and a VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. SGRX is a Michigan-based healthcare organization that's been providing a combination of pharmacy benefit management services and third-party administration (TPA) services to private and public sector payers since 2001. On the pharmacy benefit front, they work with employer groups to help manage employee benefits from a prescription management standpoint. They also recently launched a prescription savings program called SGRX Saves, tailored for both the uninsured and underinsured who face high copays or deductibles, and partnered with major chains including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and Kroger.

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Kristen Zalac and Jared Rodriquez, partners in Waypoint Policy, a company that provides Michigan business owners with curated legislative intelligence. Their platform aims to bridge the gap between complex legal language and practical business impact by offering real-time bill tracking and concise summaries. "If you're not at the table, you're likely on the menu and that holds true at all levels of government," Rodriquez says. "Ultimately, one bill can change licensing rules, tax treatment, insurance requirements, labor rules overnight. Waiting until it's law or the rule has been put out by a department, for example, means that you're reacting instead of trying to shape it yourself. And then you have to worry about compliance. So if you're in the know, if you are tracking and have the tools of how it's going to impact you and why you need to pay attention, it allows you to plan, be proactive and reactive when appropriate."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Dakoyta Greenman, Founder/CEO of Westwood AI, a VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. His firm specializes in autonomous drone systems and data automation, including the "Ranger Engine," a versatile core technology used for diverse applications ranging from commercial roof inspections to military runway analysis. "The last three years, I have primarily hired high school and young college kids to build this business," he says. "I was absolutely floored when I started digging into it and I saw the expertise that we had here in West Michigan in particular at junior, senior level, even in high school, let alone some at the collegiate level. You have young men and women that are coming out of high school, 18 years old with 10 years of real world robotic experience."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Scott Hiipakka, President of AxisPoint Advisors, VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan and former Army general. His company helps organizations navigate critical growth and transition phases. He says that businesses often reach a plateau where their existing methods are insufficient for future success, requiring a realignment of strategy, people, and processes. "Leadership can be hard," Hiipakka says. "But when we look at what is the crux of leadership, the military defines leadership as providing purpose, motivation, and direction. And what does that represent? It represents clarity."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, CEO of SensCy, a 2026 Michigan 50 Company to Watch. SensCy was created in 2022. Its mission is to help people be safer in the cyber-world with a particular focus on small and medium-sized organizations. "Almost every organization is going to get attacked and the implications of a successful attack can literally put somebody out of business or seriously threaten their business, threaten their reputation, cost them financial resources," Snyder says. "The only time cyber security will be an organization's top priority is the day they're hacked and then it will consume their life. Short of that, I don't expect nor would I want them to make it their top priority, but they need to make it a priority."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Shelley Davis Boyd, Founder, President and CEO of Essdee & Co., a VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. She says her firm helps organizations solve the people-side of business communication breakdowns: accountability, leadership gaps and the human dynamics and behavior that impact the culture in the organization. "I really believe that leadership is about removing barriers so people can become the best version of themselves and engage within the organization," she says. "If you want your organization to reach its full potential to hit your goals and you're lucky enough to have folks that work with you, making sure that they are choosing to follow you and that you are creating conditions where they can excel will ultimately help you create conditions where your organization can excel."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Charles "Buddy" Sebastian, third-generation owner of Sebastian & Sons Well Drilling -- a VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. He says Michigan's unique geography and legal doctrines provide superior water access compared to other regions. "Michigan is fortunate because our glacial drift and clay layers can filter some [microplastics and other contaminants) out before it hits the water supply. Overall, quality in Michigan is relatively good. We have some iron, manganese, and calcium, but it is treatable. In some areas like Ohio and Pennsylvania, the water is so sulfury it is almost untreatable. Michigan has great water."

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)

On today's program, Michael Rogers talks with Arul Muralikrishna, a software engineer with SBAM Elite Member company Ekaras, with offices in southeast Michigan and Ontario. Ekaras is an industrial technology company focused on helping manufacturers improve their operations with a special emphasis on machine intelligence and AI specifically for machine maintenance and servicing. "AI should supplement engineering expertise, definitely not replace it," he says. "Manufacturing equipment in particular is very complex. An AI system shouldn't pretend to have more authority than a trained engineer. Instead, we believe that AI can act more as a capable assistant."

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)