The Small Business Association of Michigan's Small Business Weekly Podcast

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Michael Flory, Owner, CEO & Visionary for Custom Built Design & Remodeling with locations in Okemos and Boyne City. They were named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2024. The company has grown from a one-person operation to a team of over 30, with locations in Okemos and Boyne City. Flory highlights the challenges in attrac...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Certified Focal Point Business and Executive Coach Dan Fleetwood -- an Elite member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. He discusses his work with small business owners on strategic planning and goal setting. He emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurs working on their business rather than just in it, navigating external distra...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Seth Wixtrom, owner of Excelsior Digital Consulting . His firm specializes in process automation, and website design and maintenance and is an Elite member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. Wickstrom emphasized the importance of technology in today's business landscape and encouraged businesses to explore AI's potential benefit...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Lillian Werbin, CEO of Elderly Instruments in Lansing. They sell and repair stringed and fretted musical instruments. Recently named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch, they have grown to 40 employees and a 36,000 square foot facility. She emphasizes the importance of human interaction in business and the strategic use of AI to s...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Dr. Brenda Oldham, an Elite member of the Small Business Association of Michigan and President/CEO of RAM Insurance & Financial Services . Oldham highlights the evolving landscape of employee benefits, noting the need for tailored plans and the benefits of health savings accounts. "One thing with employee benefits, they continuously change,...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Cyndee Harrison, Principal at Synaptic . She is a VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. Her company connects business leaders and subject matter experts with their audiences through content marketing, public relations, and storytelling. "We often say that we specialize in the under-told, meaning there are so many great b...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with SBAM VIP Member Doug Watkoski, owner and founder of BTM Industrial , one of the fastest-growing asset disposition companies in the industry. Headquartered in Muskegon, it assists some of the largest companies in the United States with all facets of surplus assets. The company's asset disposition program enables customers to efficiently liqu...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with executive leadership coach, trainer and workshop facilitator Angela Morrill . She wrote an article for the September/October issue of SBAM's member-only Focus magazine called Six Ways to Optimize Leadership Performance. "I was inspired by the many leaders that I work with in my coaching and my training, particularly small business owners, a...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Monica Gauthier, a member of the SBAM Board of Directors and co-owner of Groovy Donuts in mid-Michigan. Groovy Donuts was recognized as the SBDC Capital Region's Best Small Business and Greater Lansing Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2023. They offer fall flavors, tailgate donuts, catering services, host an annual donut design contest and cele...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Catherine Behrenbrinker, President & CEO of Symplicity Communications in Grand Rapids. Her firm was recently named by Michigan Celebrates Small Business as an APEX Accelerator Best Small Business for 2024. She discusses the challenges and successes of scaling their government contracting division over the past two years, including hiring ex...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Jenny Brown, CEO of Dutton Farm , a nonprofit in Oakland County. Dutton Farm was recently recognized as one of Michigan's 50 companies to watch for its unique hiring practices and inclusive business model. She discusses her organization's mission to provide skill-building, community access, and workforce development for adults with developm...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Jen Julien, who with her husband Jon owns Braveworks in Houghton Michigan. Their company this year was selected as a member of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. Braveworks plans for 40 percent growth in 2024, with further expansion in 2025. "We're really excited to expand into the Marquette community, that's just been a really good fit fo...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Peter Van Dyke, CEO of VVK PR + Creative , a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan. His firm was recently named to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2024. "For any startup company or small company developing a social media strategy, it doesn't take a high level expertise to think about the timeline of your busine...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Gina Jacquart Thorsen, CEO of Jacquart Fabric Products , home of the iconic Michigan brand Stormy Kromer. Gina was named SBAM's 2024 Advocate of the Year. "Small business owners, you know, we hear politicians all the time say that small businesses are the backbone of the economy. But they don't really understand what that means. Many of the...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Paul Deters, president of Metro Signs & Lighting . They are Premium Members of the Small Business Association of Michigan, and have been selected to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2024. "We hear all the time that the world is going digital, and that has certainly been evident in our industry," Deters says. "When we first sta...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Anne Bridgewater, the president of AIM Targeted Intelligence in Midland. She is a newly elected member of the Board of Directors for the Small Business Association of Michigan. "Information is available online, there's a lot of it and I always feel like the bigger the haystack, the harder to find the needle, right?" she says. "But we have e...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Ryan Jankovic , a VIP member of the Small Business Association of Michigan and an EOS Worldwide Professional Implementer. "I ask everyone, when I meet them for the first time and before we take a client engagement, what do you want from your business?" he says. "And it's not a knee jerk reaction –  I want sales, and I want my people to do t...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Shannon Enders, founder of Lakeshore Employee Benefits in Norton Shores. He is a new member of the SBAM board of directors. "Typically, health insurance is the cornerstone [of benefits] and most employers do want to offer that, and need to, because they do need to attract and retain employees," he says. "Rates are high, and we're going thro...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Erick Stewart, owner of LAGNIAPPE Strategic Consulting in Battle Creek. Erick is serving as SBAM's Board Chair for 2024-2025. "We're a great organization, and we're scrappy, and I want to continue that scrappiness because being scrappy, you're ready for whatever comes around the corner," he says. "We take our members through that as we deal...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Camron Gnass, founder of Lansing-based creative studio Traction . Among many other community activities, he is a founding member of the Capital City Film Festival. "Our intention was to prove that there is a desire for people to come together and have a shared experience," he says. "What we did is we began finding venues or buildings that w...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Kevin Sodermark, Vice President of L&C Enterprises-USA d/b/a Delta Fence & Construction . They were recently recognized by Michigan Celebrates Small Business as one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch for 2024. "We support many different things around the community, and then doing quality work, I think, is one of the main things," he says...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Matt Stephens and Josh Stephens, co-founders of Sticker Blitz , creators of high quality custom stickers. The company was recently honored by being named by Michigan Celebrates Small Business to the list of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. "We're super proud to be a Macomb County-based company and Michigan-based company," they say. "There's...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Jim Stowe, president of FreshHR . He helps small and medium sized companies deal with a wide range of challenges when managing employees. "The battle for talent, acquiring and retaining talent, is something that's still a challenge for most folks, although we've seen a little bit of daylight," he says. "But it's still finding ways to be a u...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Nick Jacqmain, CEO and President of Springfield Commercial Roofing and Transport , with locations in Kingsley and Big Rapids. He recently wrote an article for SBAM's Focus magazine on The Value of Apprenticeships for Small Businesses. "You're going to find that you're attracting more employees, you're going to find that you're attracting hi...

On today's SBAM Weekly Podcast, Michael Rogers talks with Elite SBAM member Kimberly Enders of Enders Wealth Management in Sterling Heights. She says she loves being involved in maintaining the legacy of a multi generational business. "Because I don't have to reinvent the wheel, I guess that's a part of it," she says. "When you have a really good business structure, you have a good foundation, I'm...