THE mostly TRAVERSE CITY

Mindy Jarmin is the owner, steward, and dreamer behind the beloved Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre, one of Northern Michigan's most iconic summer destinations. While many see a movie screen and a concession stand, Mindy sees something much bigger—a place where memories are made, traditions are passed down, and families can disconnect from their devices long enough to reconnect with one another....

Zoe Kline is the editor of The Mostly Traverse City Podcast and is currently a film student pursuing post-production for film.  Zoe and her family moved from metro Detroit to Elk Rapids in 2021 and have embraced everything the area has to offer. Zoe shares how the move has influenced her creative journey, what inspires her work as a filmmaker, and why she loves calling Northern Michigan home. Pass...

Bob Lober is far more than a golf coach — he’s a mentor, teacher, and one of the great builders of youth sports in Northern Michigan. A longtime coach for Traverse City Central High School and retired educator, Bob has spent decades pouring into young people through golf, football, basketball, and life itself. As the founder of the TCJGA, he helped create a model for youth golf that not only trans...

Susie Grace has never really stayed inside the lines. A creative by nature and an adventurer at heart, her path has taken her from Denver to Chicago to Maui before ultimately landing in Traverse City nearly a decade ago. With a background in branding, user experience, and creative direction spanning the outdoor, surf, and tech industries, Susie has spent her life exploring the intersection of move...

Holly Mullins is bringing a little more sand—and a lot more energy—to Traverse City. A former collegiate volleyball player turned entrepreneur, she’s now developing a one-of-a-kind indoor sand facility designed for year-round play, connection, and community. What started as an idea has quickly turned into something much bigger… blending sport, business, and a vision for creating a space people won...

Michael Sullivan has spent more than five decades blending heart, creativity, and human connection through both psychotherapy and music. A pioneering social worker and family systems therapist in Northern Michigan, Mike helped shape the region’s mental health community through innovative treatment programs, education, consultation, and public speaking. He is also a respected author and national pr...

Stuart Gibson’s story starts with a bit of luck—and a whole lot of saying yes. At 16, instead of heading straight to university, he took a shot with Royal Bank of Scotland…thanks to a neighbor who just happened to be the local manager. That decision turned into a 35-year career spanning global finance, eventually leading him to Managing Director roles at both RBS and Capital One, where he worked a...

Connie Denewith is a respected leader in Traverse City, known for her vision, leadership, and deep roots in the community. With a background in banking and a strong role in local development, she’s helped shape spaces that bring people together—most notably through Copper Ridge and Lakemore Retreat and Resort on Arbutus Lake. Her work reflects a thoughtful balance of growth and preservation—someth...

Ryan Scott is an Executive Producer and experienced engineer who turns ideas into unforgettable moments for tens of thousands—and growing. In high demand across the country, he’s a true student of humans, blending creativity, curiosity, and instinct to design experiences that actually mean something. Whether it’s an intimate gathering or a massive production, Ryan’s artistic approach leaves a last...

Some people follow a straight career path. Russ Springsteen opened a barbershop…then a brewery…right as the economy was falling apart. A licensed barber by trade, Russ launched Salon Saloon in Traverse City’s Warehouse District in 2006. A year later—and about a month after the economic crash—he doubled down on creativity and opened Right Brain Brewery, a place that quickly became known for doing b...

Some people move to Traverse City for the views. Others come because something about this place just feels right. This episode features someone who followed that pull—and turned it into purpose. What started as a personal connection to water, movement, and well-being has grown into something much bigger: creating spaces where people can slow down, reset, and reconnect with themselves and their sur...

Some people move to Traverse City for the lifestyle. Others show up—and start building it. Jim Kalajian came north looking for community and ended up finding ways to shape it. What started with a move in 1999 quickly turned into a life of connection and leadership—from helping run a global publishing company to stepping in when Mt. Holiday needed saving. But it doesn’t stop there. Whether it’s co-...

Before social media feeds and instant highlights, if you wanted to know what happened in Northern Michigan sports, you opened the paper—and chances are Jeff Peek had the story. For years as Sports Editor at the Record-Eagle, Jeff had a front-row seat to the victories, heartbreaks, characters, and communities that define sports in this corner of the world. These days, he’s still telling stories—jus...

cookitforward.org Facebook- Cook it Forward  IG- @tccookitforward Sometimes the biggest ideas start in the simplest places—like a kitchen. What began as a love of food and community has grown into something much bigger: a mission to make sure kids in Northern Michigan have access to healthy meals, dignity, and opportunity. Through Cook It Forward, Adam Worden has turned generosity into a system—mo...

Cities don’t just grow—they evolve. And behind that evolution are people who see possibility where others see parking lots, traffic patterns, or empty space. Traverse City’s city planner brings a rare combination to the table: vision without ego, passion without volume, and a steady calm in conversations that aren’t always easy. In this episode, we talk about what it means to shape a place you car...

In one of the most mind shattering conversations,Chip and Lisa St. Clair discuss pain that doesn’t define you, healing that doesn’t happen alone, and what it looks like when lived experience becomes a lifeline for others.  This work is personal.  It mirrors Chip’s childhood- being raised with a relentless sense of terror, literally at the hands of his parents.  This is a conversation about resilie...

Her path back to Traverse City was anything but predictable. It started with a crown, detoured through late-night television and pop culture, moved into national philanthropy, and eventually landed right back where community matters most. Along the way, she learned how power really works—not the loud kind, but the kind that builds boards, funds ideas, and quietly changes lives. Today, she’s helpin...

For more than three decades, Ron Jolly was a steady, familiar voice riding along with Northern Michigan mornings on WTCM. For 31 years, he didn’t just host a radio show—he shared stories, laughs, opinions, and moments that became part of daily life across the region. In this episode, Ron steps out from behind the mic to reflect on radio, routine, reinvention, and what it means to connect with a co...

If you’re new to Traverse City and wondering how to actually get to know people—not just their names, but their stories—this episode is for you. This conversation features someone who quite literally made a career out of listening. After finding his way north, he didn’t start by trying to fit in or stand out. Instead, he asked questions. Lots of them. The kind that invite people to talk, to share,...

He learned discipline on the wrestling mat at Traverse City Central, then took those lessons far beyond Northern Michigan—around the world, into places most of us only hear about. For more than three decades, service, leadership, and loyalty defined his life. Now, he’s back where it all started, supporting the coaches and program that helped shape him. This is a story about grit, standards, and wh...

By day, he manages wealth and helps people plan for the future. By night, Mark Stackable is chasing something far less predictable. A Traverse City local with a curious mind and a creative itch, Mark has poured his energy into learning the art of making music—embracing the awkward joy of being a beginner again. This episode isn’t about money; it’s about curiosity, creativity, and what happens when...

If you’ve watched World Champion and Olympian Alysa Liu skate recently and felt goosebumps, there’s a reason. Behind that calm power and creativity on the ice is a coach who understands what pressure really feels like—and how to turn it into possibility. After years inside the elite world of U.S. figure skating and Olympic-level training in Colorado Springs, that experience has quietly made its wa...

Some people visit Traverse City. Others lean all the way in. Drawn by the things we love most—water in both its liquid and solid forms—this story is about someone who didn’t just arrive, but fully immersed himself in the community. A competitive curler and the father of nationally ranked young athletes, he found his way here and quickly found his place. But passion alone doesn’t build something la...

Some people leave Traverse City and never look back. Others leave, build empires, and keep finding their way home. This episode features someone who knows a thing or two about ambition—and loyalty. From washing dishes in fifth grade to co-founding multi-million-dollar businesses by his early 30s, he’s done it all. Along the way, he met his secret sauce—his wife, Joy—and never lost sight of the tow...

Watch the previous episode with Kyan! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2388207/episodes/17248026  Traverse City native Kyan Olshove grew up ripping local trails with Norte Youth Cycling, laying the foundation for a career that’s taken him from Northern Michigan to the national racing stage. Now one of the country’s top off-road cyclists, Kyan was recently named to the elite Life Time Grand Prix, a miles...