MI Best: An MLive Podcast

Let's head down to southwest Michigan to talk about the Makers Trail Festival on June 10th for Southwest Michigan’s premier wine, beer, cider and spirit makers all in one place. This is the perfect chance for you and your friends to try new drinks or stick with your go-to favorites.

In this episode, Eric Hultgren sits down with the owner of Vinyl Alchemy, Kevin Romanyk to talk about records, the store opening, and how the art of being a pharmacist for the past 3 decades helped advised the philosophy behind the shop

This weekend the Michigan Panthers are hosting the Pittsburgh Maulers for Kids Day so WWE Superstar and Panthers MC Big E stops by to talk football, wrestling, and his favorite stadium food.

Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator with one foot in the world of practice—serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Wieden+Kennedy New York—and one foot in the world of academia—as a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. His new book is out today and as a proud Michigan resident, we wanted to spotlight his work in and around...

Eric Hultgren sits down with Glen Miller from Kids Read Now to talk about the summer learning gap, how Kids Read Now came into the world, and how to get your kids excited about reading. 

Since the mid-80's Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers has had a 100ft mining museum, IN THEIR STORE! So not only can you have a custom statement piece built in-house, but also learn about local mining and gemological history, while supporting a decades-old local business. Check out our interview with Chris Wattsson to learn more.

5 professionally curated collections to enhance your home build and easy one-and-done decision-making. Today on this episode of At Home with Eastbrook Homes, we talk to Ann Wierengo, Senior Director of the Home Creation Studio at Eastbrook Homes.

In this episode brought to you by the MRA, Eric Hultgren heads to Rockford, MI to talk with Raeann Rouse of Bridge St. Baby about her beginnings in 2017 and what the store is like 5 years later. 

In this episode, Eric Hultgren sits down with Eastbrook Homes CEO, Mick McGraw to talk about the anniversary coming up and the innovation that this company has created over the past 4 decades.

Today we visit the Meauwataka General Store to talk to Pam Sandy, new-ish owner, to find out how you go from the 'bottom of the state' to owning a general store that offers a little bit of everything. And that everything includes 'meal deals' 7 days a week, a variety of smoked meats, and a continually expanding set of offerings. A little store Atop a hill In a forest - Ken Sandy

Today we talk to Dan Nadeau and Bill Thompson, to learn more about two of the things that help make Munising a Winter Playground - Ice Fest and Snowmobiling. Ice Fest 2023, runs from February 8-12. With presentations, experts, and gear, the 31st year of this ice climbing celebration continues to amaze. Set among the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore landscape, it's like 'climbing right out of Lake...

In this episode, Eric Hultgren talks with new homeowners Matt and Stephanie about getting into a home before the holidays, the process, traditions and what they are looking forward to most. 

In our continuing series with the Michigan Retailers Association, we talk to Jordan Ritter from Hilbert's Honey Co. Operating out of Traverse City, MI for over 135 years, Hilbert's Honey has about 250 pollination locations, mostly in northern Michigan. We talk about scaling a 'niche service-product' into a larger-scale local operation and the importance of keeping their colonies in no-spray/chemic...

As a consumer, how can you save money, on expert-evaluated products offered at the best prices? Today we talk with Consumers Energy’s Shannon Morrow about just how Consumers Energy can help with its online store, offering customers items that can help save money on energy use.

Fresh off their pumpkin crawl, a few days into November, and with holiday songs on the radio, our talk turns to the upcoming holiday season. We sit down with the Ada Business Association and Downtown Development Authority, discussing all the events and holiday shopping that is, and will be, happening in the Ada area, the efforts over the last few years to build a thriving Ada community, and how th...

Today we talk to Consumers Energy's Greg Stevenson about the ways Consumers Energy is partnering with Michigan businesses to help them save money, save energy and to decarbonize their operations.

Today, on At Home with Eastbrook Homes, we talk to Kids Food Basket's Bridget Clark Whitney, CEO. Kids Food Basket is all about making sure kids and families in Kent, Allegan, Muskegon and Ottawa counties heave easy access to nutritious food and education throughout the year. We talk through their farms, the nearly 10,000 kids they serve, and how the rising costs of healthy food has had an enormou...

Today we're talking to Joe Mooney of Integrity Printing. We discuss the art that is printing, combined with the science of customized receipt printing, and the marketing vision that is the b-side of receipts (the advertising space).

Today we're talking to Jeff Joyce of Mieras Shoes. We discuss how their customer-first approach helped them thrive during the pandemic years; how they've stayed nimble through over 100 years of family ownership and operation; and what impact the MRA has had on their business and outlook.

The NFL kicks off this weekend. Eric Hultgren talks with Ben Raven beat writer for MLive who covers the Lions about Hard Knocks and what to expect this season.

Today on the podcast Eric Hultgren talks with Trisha Patrias from Explore Brighton/Howell Area about the full fall activities not to miss this year things like cider mills, ghost tours, shopping, and fall colors.

Today we talk to Consumers Energy’s Emily McGraw - watch/listen to our discussion to find out how Consumers Energy is working to ensure they can meet needs during high demand (ahem, the dog days of summer), their energy efficiency program and tools, and the simple things users can do to help lower their energy consumption which helps lower bills.

Today we're talking to Bill Golden, Co-President of Golden Shoes and Vice-Chair of the MRA board. A family business since its start in 1954, Golden Shoes has seen three generations of Goldens and myriad changes in Traverse City. Their customer-centered focus means they have lifelong customers from all over - even going so far as to build a trip to Golden Shoes in to their Traverse City visits (del...

Today we talk to Jerry Price and Bryan Joseph about the Lake Breeze Music Festival, taking place Saturday, August 20 in St. Joe. We learn how a their time working on the Senior PGA led to a great friendship and a desire to keep the music going, especially highlighting regional artists.

Today we talk to Nate Carver, Consumers Energy's Director of Project Management for Commercial and Industrial Businesses and Jill Diliberti from the Genesee County Intermediate School District. Since 2009 Consumers Energy Energy Efficiency programs has been helping businesses save billions of dollars - because they know that using less energy or changing the time of use means that they can use mor...