The Pursuit Of...

Hosts, Ryan Buck and Mark Wilson , welcome guests Lindsay Brock, press officer, and Gary Howe, marketing and communications director for Traverse City Horse Shows . The discussion covers the community-centric nature of the Traverse City horse shows, the guests' roles in the event, and their backgrounds. Lindsay, who travels frequently for work, shares her experience with horse shows and the unique...

In this podcast episode, Ryan Buck interviews Dawn Chippewa, president of Serenity Ranch, and Alisha Mocere, who assists with various roles at the ranch. Dawn explains that Serenity Ranch helps the community by incorporating horses into healing processes for children, law enforcement, fire, and rescue personnel. Alicia supports Dawn in these endeavors. Dawn discusses the vision of Serenity Ranch,...

The Pursuit Of.... a podcast brought by New Leonard Media - Our guest today is Josh Traeger, founding attorney of True North Legal Group. Josh, also noted as a crisis strategist and resilience coach, shares insights about his practice and personal background. When asked about his new community-centered legal practice, Josh emphasizes his commitment to helping people in the community, describing hi...

"The Pursuit Of... Podcast," welcoming their guest Elizabeth Laidlaw . Elizabeth is an actor, producer, director, and founder of the Lakeside Shakespeare Theater. She describes her career trajectory, emphasizing that while she primarily earns a living as an actor, she has consistently been involved in producing and directing. Elizabeth explains her versatility and passion for various roles in thea...

This interview with Wendy H. Steele delves into her journey as the founder of Impact100 Global, an organization designed to pool the resources of at least 100 women to fund high-impact grants for local nonprofits. Steele shares the inspiring story of how Impact100 began, starting with a successful initial launch that secured 123 members, exceeding their goal and enabling them to fund a significant...

In this segment of "The Pursuit of Podcast," hosts Ryan Buck and Mark Wilson introduce their guests, Sue Brown, Director of Operations, and Cindy Evans, Executive Director of Grand Traverse Industries (GTI). Cindy highlights GTI's mission of creating paychecks and smiles, focusing on job training and employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Cindy explains...

Gary Jonas, co-owner of The Little Fleet and Farm Club joins Ryan and Mark for this episode. Gary discusses being in the hospitality business. He describes the fun and rewarding aspects of hosting events and providing a space for people to gather. Gary talks about the stress of balancing work with family life, mentioning the importance of having a great staff to support him. He reflects on his unc...

On this episode, artist Katie Lowran shares her journey into art, which began when she inexplicably felt compelled to buy a tube of electric blue paint despite lacking prior artistic experience. She discusses her passion for infusing emotion and feeling into her acrylic paintings, even though she initially studied psychology in college and grew up in an academic household. Katie emphasizes the imp...

In this conversation, Deana Jerdee, the executive director of Paddle Antrim, discusses her background and the organization's mission. The discussion touches on various topics, including Deana's journey, her experiences in the environmental field, and her passion for water conservation. Deana also shares insights into the collaborative efforts required to establish the Chain O'Lakes Water Trail, em...

Episode features Josh Hart, owner of Riley's Candles, a company that raises funds for emergency surgeries for dogs using candle sales. Josh discusses his shift from a corporate insurance career to his mission-driven endeavor, inspired by his own dog's surgeries. The podcast underscores the importance of relationships and in-person interactions, especially in the Lloyd's of London market. It closes...

Dana Black is a multi-talented artist, podcaster, and actor. She hosts the podcast " I Swear on My Mother's Grave ," where she shares bold and vulnerable conversations about complicated maternal loss. The podcast started during the pandemic and has become a platform for healing and storytelling. Dana is passionate about using her voice and humor to connect with others and explore the theme of grie...

In this podcast episode, Ryan Buck and Mark Wilson interview Kat Paye, CEO of the Festival Foundation in Traverse City. They discuss the role of the Festival Foundation and its various events, such as the National Cherry Festival and the Charity Ball Drop, in creating fun and supporting the community. Kat talks about the misconceptions surrounding the festival industry and emphasizes the Foundatio...

Our guests today are Demarie Jones, an independent living specialist, and Alanna Lahey, the Associate Director of Disability Network Northern Michigan . We had a discussion about their titles to ensure accuracy. Demarie identifies herself as an advocate for people with disabilities when asked what she does. Alanna affirms this and adds that Demarie also holds the title of social worker, among othe...

Episode featuring Kerry Baughman, Erica Austin, and Kim Aultman. They discuss the work of the Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency, their experiences in the nonprofit sector, and the importance of understanding the organization's history. Kerry Baughman explains the agency's mission to identify and address community needs, while also emphasizing the significance of learning from the past. Th...

The guest is Jim Bensley, director of International Service and Service Learning, and emcee and director of Traverse City International Affairs Forum . In response to the question of what he does, Bensley talks about his work with the Service Learning Program, integrating the curriculum with global competencies, developing study abroad programs, teaching in the humanities department, and directing...

In this episode, Ryan and Mark sit down with Carie Wille, who is the Executive Director of Traverse City Track Club . Carie shares her extensive experience as the Executive Director, including the various programming and events that the club offers for runners and walkers. She also discusses the charitable activities, such as scholarship and grant programs, that the club actively participates in....

In this episode of The Pursuit of Podcast, Mark and Ryan are joined by Matt McDonough (CEO) and Stephanie Rustem (Program and Fundraising Coordinator) from Discovery Center and Pier! Matt and Stephanie shared about the Discovery Center's mission to connect people to the Great Lakes through offering barrier-free amenities and programming. The organization provides opportunities to people regardless...

Andy Gale is the founder, executive director, and president of the board of Bay Area Recycling for Community (BARC). BARC is a non-profit organization that aims to keep things out of the landfill by filling in the gaps where the community may not have the ability to recycle something. Andy hopes that someday someone will put BARC out of business because everyone else in the community is getting it...

Amy Shamroe is the Book Awards Director at the Traverse City Children's Book Festival and the creator and host of the Behind the Cover a Jenkins Group podcast. Her unique position sparks interest from anyone interested in books. Amy's work involves running five international book awards, and it can be difficult to explain to others what she does. Amy enjoys having something unique that sets her ap...

This week on The Pursuit of... Ryan & Mark are joined by Lisa Brady , Development Director of the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Join us, as we discuss many topics ranging from parties, Lisa's military career, her inspiration for serving the GLCM, and so many others. For more information & to connect the GLCM, visit: greatlakeskids.org https:// www.facebook.com/GreatLakesChildrensMuseum ht...

This week on The Pursuit of Podcast, Mark & Ryan sit down with Rebekah Tenbrink, Executive Director and Founder of LIFT Teen Center to discuss a wide array of subjects ranging from her roots in Northern Michigan, her time at Spring Arbor University, and her motivation to start LIFT. Join us as we speak with Rebekah, and find out how, and why she’s always striving to be the change. For more inf...

Nick Beadleston - Executive Director of Commonplace , sits down with Ryan & Mark and discusses his role as the first full-time Executive Director of Commonplace, his time served in the military, why New York is nice to visit, but chaos to live in, and many other things. The three talk about many different subjects, such as the different business connections members make through commonplace, th...

This week Ryan and Mark sit down with David Mengebier to discuss his pursuits with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. The GTRCF was formed in 1992, with a vision to give back to our five county region. This vision lives on within their organization today as they celebrate their 30th anniversary this year and continue supporting a variety of community need areas, including youth, art...

Renee Penny, Conservation Specialist of Kalkaska Conservation District joins Ryan and Mark to discuss the pursuits of Kalkaska Conservation District. About Kalkaska Conservation District: Our mission is to provide leadership in the natural resource management of Kalkaska County, deliver conservation assistance and information to residents and visitors, and ensure quality implementation of conserva...

Sakura Takano , Chief Executive Officer, Rotary Charities of Traverse City joins Ryan and Mark to share the pursuits of Rotary Charities. About Rotary Charities: [Rotary Charities} support{s} 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, Native nations, local units of government, and school districts that provide services in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau counties. [Rotary Charities] bel...