The Speak Easy Podcast

Play helps promote healthy brain development for children, but growing up doesn’t mean we need it any less. Doing activities for an internal reward, rather than an external one, relieves stress, fights depression, and even makes us better humans. Studies show that play makes us emotionally healthier and more empathetic. Join us this week as we discuss why you should play, how you should play, and...

Ideas are pieces of ourselves and though letting go of them is difficult, it’s an important part of creativity. Sometimes the idea doesn’t meet the objectives at hand, but sometimes it just isn’t the right time. Letting go doesn’t always mean forever. We’ve come to realize that quitting an idea isn’t failure, but it takes practice. This week we discuss how to know when an idea is losing momentum,...

Perhaps running a yoga studio amid the pandemic requires more flexibility than yoga itself. Misty Belous opened People’s Yoga just six months before COVID-19-related shutdowns took hold across the country. Through innovative thinking, she successfully pivoted her business to virtual sessions and a subscription app. Ultimately, her ingenuity allowed her to continue growing an inclusive, relaxing sp...

As employers and leaders, it’s part of our responsibilities to have difficult conversations in the workplace. When we approach these dialogues with openness, honesty, and empathy, it makes it easier for everyone to move forward. Join us this week as we discuss our experiences with hard talks and how to best reach productive resolutions.

At some point in time, everyone experiences grief. That feeling of sorrow comes in all shapes and sizes, and it extends beyond losing a loved one. We grieve hopes, dreams, relationships, and more. As something so intrinsically linked to the human experience, it inevitably finds its way into the workplace. And that’s ok. This week we discuss why we tend to avoid pain and how employers can better ac...

Food security and access is the very basis for strong, thriving communities — something Dru Montri understands intimately. Dru is a passionate food access expert and works as the Vice President of Agri Food Engagement for Feeding America. She also owns a family farm where they grow a variety of vegetables on three acres. Join us as we discuss Dru’s interesting career path, farm-to-table systems, a...

We both are in long marriages and career placements — two things that require nurturing and growth to succeed. Last week we discussed work boundaries, but home boundaries are just as important. This week we discuss what keeps us committed to our respective long-term businesses and what it takes to keep our work and home lives healthy.

As it turns out, Zoom calls might be the window to the soul. When we hop on a virtual meeting, we see kids waddling through the background and what books are on people’s shelves. It’s humanizing and makes us more compassionate, but not all broken boundaries are as charming. Many people report working more hours with fewer breaks when working from home, and it can even be hard to get out of your ho...

Monique Stanton, President and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), is committed to social justice, advancing equity in Michigan, and promoting the well-being of our communities. She has dedicated much of her career to public advocacy and improving the lives and circumstances of those facing tremendous barriers. With inequities increasing due to COVID-19, Monique’s work is more imp...

When you get to a certain point in your career, as a business owner, you should start thinking about a succession plan. Even if you feel like you’re nowhere near your entrepreneurial sunset, planning for what’s next provides a little peace of mind. The way we see it, there are three paths to consider when planning for retirement. You can shut it down and cash in your chips, work until you drop, or...

Assembling the right team takes a lot of thought. Not only is skill important, but the way a person interacts with others needs to be considered. This week we talk about how to know you have the right people on your team and the qualities that make a work environment successful.

We’re well-acquainted with running businesses, but our guest this week shares with us her unique perspective as a second-generation entrepreneur. Lily Werbin is the president, co-owner, and heir apparent of Elderly Instruments — a nationally recognized hub of music based in Old Town, Lansing. She talks through the distinct experience of managing staff who knew her since she was in diapers, as well...

We both have over 20 years of experience in leading businesses, and we’ve come to learn that entrepreneurship is just in our blood. We love the decision making, excitement, and growth that comes with running a small business, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world. That doesn’t mean it’s all roses, though. This week we talk about all things small business: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This week’s a bit of a treat, folks. Jen interviews Karen about Buyer’s Remorse, an award-winning short film developed by Karen and her team at Render Studios. Buyer’s Remorse explores the notion of whether or not money buys happiness and the culture of consumerism. This film was a passion project for Render — no client meant they were able to create in a sandbox. Karen discusses the excitement of...

Michelle Reynaert, Vice President of the Sparrow Foundation, started her career in marketing, but soon realized she needed a deeper personal connection to her work. As it turns out, philanthropy was more her speed. In her current role at Sparrow, she oversees the vital philanthropic operations that keep the non-profit health system healthy. Join us as Michelle discusses Sparrow’s upcoming fundrais...

Our actions have unseen consequences. Sure, we can witness our effect on the people in our own bubble, but our actions reach those we do not see and have not met. The way we interact with our coworkers can impact the way they interact with their friends and families. There’s a bigger picture to this, too. The ripple effect guides culture, community, and future generations; like it or not, our acti...

It’s true, we had imposter syndrome early in our careers. At the time it felt like we needed to guard our lack of knowledge and self-doubting thoughts, but in truth everyone feels that way, especially when starting a new job. But, it gets better. One day, we realized that imposter feeling went away. Though there are days when up feels like down, it’s become easier to accept what we don’t know. Joi...

School districts aren’t always the easiest things to manage, pandemics aside, but when you need to keep kids safe while ensuring their education the job gets even trickier. Fortunately for Waverly Community Schools, their superintendent is a seasoned educator and administrator. This week we sat down with Superintendent Kelly Blake who’s in her 34th year of educating. (33 of those years being spent...

Tis the season for gratitude, but, in fact, it’s healthier to practice grateful thinking all year long. When we think about what’s missing, rather than what’s present, we invite anxiety, frustration, and bundles of other negative emotions to flood our minds. Brains are like kindergarten classes: without some discipline, chaos will ensue and somebody is gonna end up in tears. A daily gratitude prac...

If you read it on the internet it must be true, right? Um, no — we all know that's not the case by now. There is so much misinformation on the internet, it's gotten to the point that users must be savvy consumers of information. And as content creators and marketers, we have a responsibility to tell the truth in the creative we develop. Often, it can be so easy to nip and tuck the truth: taking wo...

Yeesh. 2021 is coming to a close. Another year down, but 2022 is gonna be a great one. How do we know this? Because we’re going to be prepared. Planning is the key to success, and it starts with articulating what is important to you — laying out your goals and setting markers for success. This goes for both business and personal growth. Join us this week as we discuss the key elements of planning,...

One of the principal tasks of starting a business is buying and developing a commercial space. Recently, Jen bought a new building for her marketing shop, Redhead, and an exciting new endeavor — Nelson Gallery. Redhead took the upstairs and Nelson lives below. Starting a new commercial project is never a cake walk, but when you factor in a global pandemic, well, it gets a tad more challenging. Thi...

Our guest this week couldn’t be more relevant. As COVID-19 cases continue to fill hospital beds around the country, Linda Vail, director of the Ingham County Health Department, joins us to discuss leading through the COVID-19 pandemic. As Ingham county residents, we’re quite thankful to have someone like Linda leading the fight against COVID-19 in our community. She’s been a public health officer...

We know so many inspiring women leaders, and we can see the very qualities that make them effective. High emotional intelligence. Humility. Self-control. Vision. Though men and women alike can be great leaders with these qualities, women are more likely to exhibit them. That’s right. Join us as we discuss why this is, why women tend to start their own businesses, and what women leadership looks li...

Some days — no matter how much coffee you consume — it’s a struggle to keep your eyes open. But that same night, you crash hard just to find yourself wide awake at 3 am. Instead of spending emotional energy being frustrated, try to get something done. Catch up on a book, some work, the news, or the ever-fleeting task of cleaning your baseboards.