Mitten Money

Have you been on the unfortunate side of getting a dent in your car? Do you let it be or Google your best options to fix it? Today’s podcast guest hopes you don’t just leave the ding and instead ask around. Chances are a friend, or family member will refer you to CD Dents. Welcome, Crystal Ellison of CD Dents. Crystal and her husband Duane own and operate a 5-star Google rating paintless dent remo...

OH, SUGAR, SUGAR! This week we got the chance to chat with Rob Clark, Director of Communications and Community Relations at Michigan Sugar Company. Clark speaks out about their corporate purpose statement, “Making Life Sweeter.” He states that their employees embody Michigan Sugar’s purpose statement within the business and within their life, family, friends, and community. Michigan Sugar Company,...

Have you thought about what you will do in retirement? Maybe you dream of sitting on the beach or tinkering around with a long-term hobby. For some, they have an itch to continue working beyond their traditional retirement date. In this episode of Mitten Money, host William Zank speaks with Don Sheets. Don is currently retired after almost 15 years as Executive Vice President and CFO at Dow Cornin...

Have you ever wondered how Chick-Fil-A built its well-known culture and talent systems? How about their ability to select the top talent in the hospitality industry while still achieving a 95% retention rate for corporate staff AND franchisees? This week – we invited on the very talented Dee Ann Turner -who was not only the former VP of Talent, Human Resources, Enterprise Social Responsibility, an...

Marc and Laura Owczarzak had as their visiOn for when they Opened O’s Pub & Grill. Staying true tO their vision has helped them grOw O's expOnentially. They nOw have plans tO Open a secOnd lOcation in Bay City, MI On the river. HOst William Zank talks with Marc Owczarzak, cO-Owner of O's Pub and Grill about their grOwth at O's Pub and Grill. FOr mOst restaurant’s, whil...

Special Episode in honor of Woman in Construction Week. On this special episode, we invited Shannon Tait of Three Rivers Corporation. Construction means more managing projects. It's taking personal pride in every project, whether new construction or a world-record canopy tree walk. During the episode, Shannon shares many personal stories throughout her career, highlighting when she was a recent co...

Are you looking for curious, motivated, and ambitious employees? Max Friar, Founder, and CEO, of Calder Capital, shares ways to grow and retain energetic team members. The list of satisfied clients and employees of Calder seems endless. Max has a growth mindset and fosters a culture of learning and growth. Calder is a Grand Rapids based Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory Firm focused on representin...

What started as a way for guests to live a healthier lifestyle prompted a lifelong mission of helping others realize their fitness goals. In this heartfelt conversation, Sarah Fechter of Sarah Fechter Fitness Headquarters (SFHQ) shares how she remains joyful about her job that’s never much felt like a job. She’s remained nimble and reimagined her business model. Her desire to offer relevant classe...

Tax season is upon us. Whether filing for business or personal taxes, you know what this time of year means. It’s time to gather your annual tax documents and file your taxes. If you're interested in learning more about some of the upcoming tax law changes or how to find a trusted CPA, then this episode is for you. Mike even touches on entrepreneurs with a side-hustle and how they would need to fi...

It's officially winter season in the great state of Michigan. We invited John Melcher as a guest on Episode 28 of Mitten Money to celebrate. John Melcher is the newly named CEO of Crystal Mountain, a four-season resort destination in Thompsonville, Michigan. John is a wealth of experience. Before joining Crystal Mountain as COO in 2017, he had a 25-year career in banking with Fifth Third Banking....

What’s the top reason for people not taking control of their finances?  Procrastination. On today’s mega episode, Jane, Bobbi, and Jon help listeners get started and give tips to stay the course when it comes to saving. Jane Hagen is a director of corporate retirement plans. Her passion is encouraging thousands of 401(k) participants to earn their retirement one step at a time and one percent...

Dietrich Bronner is the Product Development Manager at Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store. Dietrich is passionate about choosing hundreds of products annually and creating Bronner's sought-after catalogs. He's an avid runner and chef too. In this episode, Dietrich breaks down for listeners: Why a printed and mailing catalogs continues to be a successful strategy. Fueling his passion as...

Have you ever heard of conscious capitalism? It's perhaps one of the most significant movements presently in the business landscape. Large and small companies alike are all embracing being more conscious. So what is this exactly? According to Conscious Capitalism, Inc. It's driven by the philosophy that business should exist for reasons beyond profit and should work to elevate humanity as a moveme...

For many people, when they start their entrepreneurial endeavors, they are often very talented at the field they go into. Sometimes though, these skills that help drive the core business don’t necessarily support the business's ongoing operations. One of the most common areas where this happens is on the financial side of the company. What are your options for getting financial support? You could...

Today's special guest is Kevin Kendrick, former VP of Security for Dow and veteran FBI agent. During his career, he spent many years building and developing security processes, and safeguarding physical and cybersecurity threats. In addition to his career, Kevin made time for family and giving back to his community. He severed on several different boards, acted in the community theatre.

In America, it’s estimated that 90% of American businesses are family-owned and controlled. That means that two out of three employees either own or are working for a family-owned business. What if a family member wants to pass that business onto the next generation? There are sure to be several complex questions that arise when considering a transfer of ownership: a healthy, transparent, and trus...

$550 Billion dollars. Would you believe that demotivated employees cost U.S. businesses that much in lost productivity? While it’s a big number to grasp, it’s certainly believable. According to Gallup research, over 70% of employees in America are affected by demotivation. The scary thing is – this number has been on the rise.  So, how exactly do you battle this crisis? Luckily – this week’s...

Today, we'll dive headfirst into everything pay and benefits with Chuck Stadler, President of CORE Staffing. Chuck is a nurse, business owner, people-person, and leader. Chuck runs two businesses; CORE Staffing is a healthcare staffing company providing services across America, and he and his wife own Lazy Dog, a pizzeria in Frankenmuth, MI. Chuck has been involved with the health care industry fo...

What’s your strategy for finding the right candidate? Do you post and pray, or actively recruit? In the next two episodes, will dive headfirst into talking about some of the best practices around hiring, pay, benefits, and talent retention in this two-part HR miniseries. Our first guest is Dan, Porta. Dan is a Senior Corporate Recruiter with Tech Smith. Dan brings a wealth of experience to this ep...

Fall is upon us. Bring on the cozy blankets, apple ciders, and college football! We are pleased to present a special episode of Mitten Money. This bonus episode coincides with Michigan State University's season opener vs. Northwestern game. William Zank talks with Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Michigan State University, Bill Beekman. Bill is a lifelong Spartan who has worn many hats...

On this episode of Mitten Money, learn from yet another entrepreneur that saw an opportunity and ceased it. Meet Mike Schuette, co-founder, and CEO of GCI Water Solutions, a company born out of the need to solve complex wastewater issues. Entrepreneurism runs in the family as Schuette’s family owns Merchandise Outlet, 11 stores filled with unique, well-priced everyday finds, and recently named one...

It’s been over 63 years since the last time something of this magnitude has happened. We’re not talking about the Detroit Lions Championship drought (that’s 62 years). Instead, we’re talking INFRASTRUCTURE. According to today’s guest, Wayne Hofmann of Wade Trim, the last time the United States had this kind of infrastructure bill in place was the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. On August 10, 2021...

Imagine growing the value of your business or having your valuation needs answered by making one phone call. Would you do it? You’re probably thinking, how can that even happen? When you call the right people with the right advice, a serendipitous process is started where you can see results. This is some of the special work that Jacob Helwick, Manager at Adamy Valuation, does on a daily basis. Ov...

Kim Norris and Todd Hall both work in senior leadership positions with Glastender, a family-owned foodservice equipment manufacturer. Kim is the VP of Administration and Todd is President. Their father Jon Hall invented the world’s first automatic rotary glasswasher called a “Glastender.” In this interview, you are sure to get the “entrepreneurial bug” and understand better why they believe the cu...

Jen Acosta is the founder and President of Jenifer Acosta Development. Building dynamic communities and creating a sense of place are just two of Jen’s favorite things. Combine them and add a dash of determination, and you have one of the region’s most sought-after “matchmakers” in real estate. Jen offers a thoughtful, hands-on approach to commercial and real estate development. She thrives on put...