Leasa knew something wasn't right with her child Aiden. With the diagnosis of Autism, it changed her world completely. Having a child with autism brings a whole litany of challenges that most parents don't have to face. But from this struggle, an organization was formed that now helps families impacted by autism all over the thumb area of Michigan.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Facing the reality of discovering a child has autism
• How one book changed Leasa's and Aiden's lives forever
• The spark that started an organization that helps thousands all over Michigan

Links:

Spectrum Autism Center: https://spectrumautismcenter.com/

Autism Alliance of Michigan: https://autismallianceofmichigan.org/

Dean had one simple passion: to help people. But he wasn't sure how. Until one day, God gave him a vision and he ran with it. Today, this simple Facebook group has impacted the lives of thousands of people proving that you don't need to have tons of money, diplomas or degrees in order to impact people.

Links:

Yooper Do-Gooder Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/593876801343442/

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Here's the scenario: you quit your job for a new job. Only to find out your new job got canceled. With a wife and child at home, what would you do? Josh did something a wee bit crazy and decided to turn his childhood hobby into a business. A business that is now on Inc 5000 fastest growing companies. His incredible and inspirational story of how this happened is nothing short of amazing.

Links:

Josh's Frogs Website https://new.joshsfrogs.com/

Josh's Frogs Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JoshsFrogs

Inc. 5000 List from 2022: https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2022

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Tulip Time Festival is here! And what better way to celebrate spring than to dance in wooden shoes and eat dutch food! The Tulip Time Festival is at it's 94th appearance and it has been flagged as one of the top events in all the United States. The people of Holland, Michigan really embraced their heritage to create a unique experience for all of those who attend. To guide us on this adventure is Gwen Auwerda, the executive director of the Tulip Time Festival.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Tulip Time Festival got started
• What you can expect from Tulip Time
• Some upcoming events for you to see!

Links:

Tulip Time Festival Website: https://www.tuliptime.com/

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There is so much more to Holland, Michigan that just tulips. In this episode, Linda Hart, Executive Director of the Holland Convention and Visitor's Bureau guides us on a trip through the various festivals that take place throughout the year. Holland has a very diverse culture and their goal is to celebrate them all.

Links:

• Discover Holland
• Tulip Time
• Juneteeth
• Pride Festival
• Latino Festival
• Celtic Festival
• International Festival

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Windmill Island Gardens really is the face of Holland, Michigan. Maintaining the centuries-old windmill to ensuring that the tulips and other plants always look pristine is the challenge for Matt Helmus and his team.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The Different Events That Take Place in the Windmill Island Gardens
• Managing the Pressure and Expectations of the Windmill Island Gardens with Visitors
• Working with the Dutch in the Netherlands to Maintain The Proper Dutch Heritage

Links:

Windmill Island Website

Holland, Michigan is one of the top destinations along Michigan's West Coast. And there's no one to better represent them than Mayor Nathan Bocks. In this episode, we talk about what makes Holland great, the supportive community around this city, and what you can expect when you visit this great city.

Links:

City of Holland, Michigan Website

Mayor Bocks Facebook Page

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The Flint Institute of Arts does a fantastic job of telling the story of history through the artifacts, paintings, tapestries and other objet des arts.

Links:

https://www.flintarts.org/

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With Tourism, it's quite a challenge to get people to come to your city and spend their hard-earned money. But what about getting people just to come to the state? Dave Lorenz, Vice-President at Travel Michigan for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation faces that challenge every day. He and his team are responsible for the "Pure Michigan" tourism campaign that helps drive billions in revenue to our state.

Links

Plan your trip at https://michigan.org

Pure Michigan on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/puremichigan

Pure Michigan on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/puremichigan/

Pure Michigan on Twitter - https://twitter.com/PureMichigan

Pure Michigan on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@puremichigan

Transcript:

Pop the Bubbly! 🍾 Hide Your Chocolate! 🍫 Episode 100 is here!

Can you believe this?

100 Episodes ... 95 amazing stories!

So what does the future hold for this show? What can you expect going forward? How can we reach even more people?

I discuss all of that in this episode!