Destination Michigan is the go-to organization for destinations, hotels, venues, and service providers to open doors to new business opportunities. As a business leader, we can get so busy taking care of current clients that we lose that precious prospecting time. No worries! Leave the prospecting to Kim Corcoran's Destination Michigan!  They put you in front of the right audience at the sales missions, lunch and learns, tradeshows, and other marketing events. All you need to do is follow up and book the business! 

A key ambassador for this state's multi-billion dollar meeting and event business, Kim is a major contributor in getting meeting planners and resources together!  She knows every part of Michigan and that's why we asked her to meet us here on the Michigan Corners, where we talk about all things that involve meetings, events, festivals, and tourism here in the Great Lake state!

Michigan Corners | Let's Meet in Michigan!

Tim is in his 51st year in broadcasting, the longest in Michigan history. Tim joined WILX - TV in July of 1980.  While at WILX, Tim has hosted numerous coaches shows and has been on every CMN Telethon since it started in 1989. Tim has anchored all of the MSU basketball tournament specials and MSU Bowl game specials every year the teams have been involved.

Tim's successful and highly awarded career has many highlights and memorable moments.  So many of the coaches, great athletes, and events he has been around making for incredible lessons in business and life.  Called the "Dean of sports", Tim has so much to offer and share in this edition of the Leadership Lowdown!  Blow the whistle!  It's game time!

Leadership Lowdown | 50 years of broadcasting, a lifetime of great learning!

Leona Williams was destined to become a Country Music Entertainer. She landed her first radio show at the age of 15, simply called “Leona Sings” in Jefferson City, Missouri. That journey would take her all over the world and allow her to sing before thousands upon thousands of Country Music fans.  The lessons learned and the wisdom gained make this interview one of the most interesting in Leadership Lowdown history! Come laugh a little and get inspired with this graceful lady of country music!

Goerge Jones said ”Leona Williams is the greatest female country singer that has ever stepped up to a microphone.  She can make a grown man cry with her sad songs.  I love the lady and her music.  What a nice lady “  He's right!  I don't think I have ever encountered a nicer lady in all my life!  

Let's go a little country and hear an inspiring story!

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Leadership Lowdown | Grace, Class And A Little Honky Tonk

Jeffrey Mosher spends a few minutes with Ara Topouzian, Executive Director, for MVCA, the Michigan Venture Capital Association, Novi, MI while at the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference, on Mackinac Island.
Reporting from the lobby of the Chippewa Hotel on the island, Jeffrey finds out from Ara the latest from MVCA, the overall venture capital sector across Michigan, his perspective on #MPC21, a key takeaway from the conference, a note that MVCA has an upcoming awards evening September 30th.

Michigan Business Beat | Michigan Venture Capital Association from #MPC21

Tony welcomes back Tom Gantert, Managing Editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential, a daily news site of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, for a follow-up discussion about the funding of news sources, and media's persuasive ways across the country and in Michigan.
They review crossed paths in their career, and then Tom's journey over the years and what he sees in media bias, along with how stories are covered (or aren't), and whether this trend will change.
When Gantert arrived at Capitol Confidential as Senior Capitol Correspondent in February 2010, he already had extensive experience as a journalist, having worked for more than 20 years at Michigan daily newspapers, including The Jackson Citizen Patriot, Lansing State Journal and Ann Arbor News. Gantert also served a four-month stint at USA Today as part of a Gannett Corporation loaner program. In 2008, Gantert was The Ann Arbor News writer of the year, and in September 2009, he founded Reporting Michigan, a nonprofit news Web site.
Gantert holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. He has two sons and lives in Jackson, Mich.
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Thank you to Benjamin Robinson and Motor City Skyline's music open.spotify.com/track/7y23KC54uZ…fPSoq_BrEnoS9kUw

Media Business | Media and Their Persuasive Ways

Tony spends some time with Tom Gantert, Managing Editor of Michigan Capitol Confidential, a daily news site of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
They review crossed paths in their career, and then Tom's journey over the years and what he sees in media bias, along with how stories are covered (or aren't), and whether this trend will change.
When Gantert arrived at Capitol Confidential as Senior Capitol Correspondent in February 2010, he already had extensive experience as a journalist, having worked for more than 20 years at Michigan daily newspapers, including The Jackson Citizen Patriot, Lansing State Journal and Ann Arbor News. Gantert also served a four-month stint at USA Today as part of a Gannett Corporation loaner program. In 2008, Gantert was The Ann Arbor News writer of the year, and in September 2009, he founded Reporting Michigan, a nonprofit news Web site.
Gantert holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. He has two sons and lives in Jackson, Mich.

Thank you to Benjamin Robinson and Motor City Skyline's music open.spotify.com/track/7y23KC54uZ…fPSoq_BrEnoS9kUw

The Tony Conley Show | Episode 8 How Non-Profit Media Views Media Bias from Both Sides

Chris Holman welcomes Jonathan Smith, Senior Chief Deputy Director for LEO, Michigan's Labor and Economic Opportunity Department.

What is the Community Transition Playbook and why is it so important for Michigan right now?

What does it mean for Michigan to be “in the driver’s seat” of our economic transition, and how does this playbook help us get there?

How does this effort tie into Michigan’s clean energy and mobility transition?

All of this falls under Michigan’s Community & Worker Economic Transition Office. Can you tell us a little bit about the office and its mission?

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State of Michigan receives $1.5M grant from Ballmer Group to create Community Transition Playbook

Playbook will equip local leaders, workers and businesses with the tools to thrive in Michigan’s evolving economy

Lansing, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has received a $1.5 million grant from Ballmer Group to create the Community Transition Playbook. Spearheaded by the Community & Worker Economic Transition Office, the playbook will engage local stakeholders to create a comprehensive resource that empowers communities, workers and employers with the resources they need to proactively prepare for, benefit from and shape Michigan’s future economy.

“The Community Transition Playbook will put Michigan in the driver’s seat as we prepare for the wave of new jobs and investments coming to our state,” said Community & Worker Economic Transition Office Director Jonathan Smith. “The generous support from Ballmer Group is a critical investment that helps move this important work forward and positions Michigan as a national leader in economic resilience and clean energy workforce development.”

The playbook is part of a broader strategy that will support resilient communities and shared prosperity through economic transitions impacting the automobile and energy industries. The Ballmer grant is funding three phases of work to support this strategy: 

Phase 1: Conducting simulated exercises to document and understand the existing process that the state and local stakeholders use to respond to plant closures, then reviewing that process to look for improvements, enhancements or best practices. 
Phase 2: Creating a playbook that communities can use to prepare for economic transitions. This playbook would include resources that could be used for resiliency and diversification planning as well as a guide for how to navigate a specific plant closure or business failure. 
Phase 3: Identifying a cohort of cities/regions particularly exposed to economic transitions and providing technical assistance to help them deploy the playbook to develop a resiliency or growth plan for their communities.

Input for the playbook is being gathered through a series of collaborative roundtable events held across the state, bringing together key stakeholders from diverse regions and sectors. These half-day sessions feature plant closure simulations, tabletop exercises and facilitated group discussions — all designed to identify the critical components needed to build a practical, action-oriented guide for real-world implementation.

The Community & Worker Economic Transition Office was created as part of a historic package of clean energy and climate bills passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Whitmer in 2023. 

To learn more about LEO’s Community & Worker Economic Transition Office, visitmichigan.gov/economic-transition.

###

Michigan Business Beat | Jonathan Smith, LEO, the Community Transition Playbook - Why It's Important

Chris Holman welcomes Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on to the Michigan Business Beat. They discuss infrastructure, adjustment to her first term leading the state, the prime business topic surrounding talent, and small business.
They also review accomplishments this year, such as auto insurance reform, and the efforts connected to getting a next state budget in place, along with challenges encountered by business dealing with the impact of worldwide decisions coming out of Washington DC.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer All About Business

Jeffrey Mosher speaks with Rebecca Abel, Owner of Treat Dreams Dessert Emporium & D'vine Cookies, of Ferndale, MI. They review the topic - Building a Food Brand

During the conversation Rebecca covers how:
• She has had to be very flexible in creating the company to appeal to what the consumer wants.
• She has a strong passion for building her brand which has fueled her through the ups and downs.
• She tries to work on the business vs. in the business as much as possible and constantly is asking herself if what she's doing can be delegated of if it is important for her to do.

In addition to the food business she's also a financial planner money manager and single mom. With limited time and energy to get everything she focuses on working in areas where she's strong and prioritizing the most important things to get done each day. Finding the right partner took several months but has been an amazing asset to the growth of my company.

blog article: http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/blog/rebecca-abel-building-a-food-brand-in-michigan

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Rebecca Abel: Building a Food Brand in Michigan | Michigan Business Beat

Mark McDaniel, President  & CEO, Cinnaire, Lansing, MI, drops by the MBN studio to discuss 2019’s Highlights, reviewing some of those with Chris Holman.
They cover recent news, including: Cinnaire Receives Affordable Housing Program Award from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago

Cinnaire Receives $1 Million CDFI Fund Award

What Cinnaire is looking forward to in 2020? (Cinnaire's 5-year-plan).

Mark McDaniel | Cinnaire's 2019’s Highlights and Insights

The Michigan Business Network was on the road to the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 9th Annual Detroit Policy Conference 2020 at the Motor City Casino in Detroit, MI on January 29th. This annual event brings more than 30 leaders who address Detroit’s ongoing path to economic sustainability and set into motion meaningful change in the city.

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One-On-One Conversation with Dug Song: Dug Song, Duo Security at Cisco

The Home of Business in Michigan. Get on-demand access to audio programs, articles and resources presented by savvy business leaders and industry experts.

Michigan Business Beat | Jonathan Smith, LEO, the Community Transition Playbook - Why It's Important

Michigan Business Network

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