Advertise on podcast: It’s Your Community

Jan. 28, 2024 ~ Barbara Lambert is a co-founder of Confidante, Inc., a San Francisco Bay Area human resources consulting company that specializes in creating workplace harmony and preventing and managing disruptive workplace behavior. She has a doctorate in Human Behavior/ Psychology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology. She spent seven years as the National Director of Training, Education and Consultation at U.S. Behavioral Health and fifteen years consulting to Wegmans Food Markets’ Executive team, Human Resources and Asset Protection Divisions. Dr. Lambert also discusses her new book "from trauma to healing: Seeking Solace and Safe Places to Fall."

Jan. 21, 2024 ~ Henry Liebling and Ruth Ann Forrester co-authored the book "My Heart is Healing, Power of the Mind." The book is the story of Henry’s successful cardiac recovery and how he achieved well-being by using “Power of the Mind” techniques to build new habits and enjoy low sodium eating. Over time, he increased his ability and motivation to take on more responsibility for his recovery and well-being. Up until that point, his wife (caregiver) “did it all.” The book is written in the style of friends having a talk, which allows them to communicate their agreements and different points of view.

Jan. 14, 2024 ~ David Lawrence joined Executive Wealth Management in 2023 as a Private Wealth Advisor. He works in community outreach and is a big proponent of teaching young people about financial literacy. He is driven to discover each client’s unique needs to help build a tailored plan to achieve their financial goals. David started his career at UBS Financial Services in 2013, where he built the foundation necessary to deliver a comprehensive experience to his clients. David is also a proud ambassador for the Livonia Chamber of Commerce.

Jan. 7, 2024 ~ Michael Pfau joins the show to talk about his 20 years of experience as a life, leadership, and career coach, delivering transformational coaching to business and individual clients. Pfau founded Crossways Life Coaching, LLC in 2002, which focused on helping individuals discern the next steps in their professional career. He was also instrumental in supporting the launch of the Professional Christian Coaching Institute in 2010 through curriculum development and he currently serves on the faculty.

Dec. 31, 2023 ~ Business partners Ed Bahoura and Natalie Yasso have been awarded 13 Sylvan Learning territories in the greater Detroit area. Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of supplemental and enrichment education for K–12 students, with more than 710 locations worldwide. The new territories will be located across the Detroit metro area, with resale territories located in Dearborn, Livonia, and West Bloomfield.

Dec. 24, 2023 ~ Bill Wild is the president and CEO of the Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA) and the MIR Foundation. MIRA is a trade association that represents thousands of independent retailers in midwest states, including Michigan and Ohio. Bill is wrapping up his first year as the new president after leaving his position as Mayor of Westland. The MIR Foundation is also raising funds to continue its annual college scholarship program and Turkey Drive. In 2023, they gave out 35 scholarships, 3,500 turkeys, and other food items to help local families in need.

Dec. 17, 2023 ~ Amy Joy Hess, a research writer, author, and chemist from Wallace, Idaho, joins the shows to discuss writing about Pastor Tim Remington. The pastor was shot six times on March 6, 2016 by a man who thought he was stopping an alien from Mars. Hess recounts his miraculous survival story, his ultimate return to his church, and the people whose lives he impacted in her new book, "Gun Shot Witness: The Tim Remington Story."

Dec. 10, 2023 ~ On this special episode of "It's Your Community, Santa Claus (Douglas Bargerstock) joined the show to talk about his life as Santa! Santa detailed all of his favorite things about the holiday season and Christmas. Some favorites discussed include his favorite present he ever received, his favorite part of Christmas, his favorite Christmas cookie, his favorite way to bring in the New Year, and his favorite Christmas story.

Dec. 3, 2023 ~ Emily O'Hara, senior manager of guest experience design at the Detroit Zoo, talks about the 11th annual Wild Lights event and some new and enhanced family favorite holiday experiences this year. She highlights attractions, such as the art exhibition and 4D movie showing, plus how Wild Lights supports the Detroit Zoological Society, the nonprofit that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center.

Nov. 26, 2023 ~ Detroit Chief of Police Ike McKinnon traces the path of his life from a black fourteen-year-old male beaten without reason or provocation by two white police officers, to his thirty-year service as an officer himself, to his eventual rise to the highest position in the police department. He holds a doctorate in higher education administration from Michigan State University, a master’s in criminal justice from Mercy College of Detroit, and served in the United States Airforce from 1961 to 1965. McKinnon was recently inducted into the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor.

Nov. 19, 2023 ~ BC Flights Thane Namy launched a private jet charter brokerage last year as the culmination of something different: a father's love for his family. Back in 2012, when Namy was still building the Detroit-area telecommunications company he founded, the father discovered his young son was autistic. He and his wife wanted to be able to travel with their family without causing their son to have anxiety. He launched this private jet charter brokerage where planes fly out of Oakland Airport in Waterford, Michigan. Namy was recently featured in Forbes Magazine because of this accomplishment.

Nov. 12, 2023 ~ United Community Family Services/Chaldean American Ladies of Charity (UCFS/CALC) President and CEO Kristin Olmedo joins the show to talk about the organization's holiday programs to help local families in need. UCFS/CALC services more than 10,000 people annually in metro Detroit, expecting 600 families on Nov. 17 alone to pick up staple food items for Thanksgiving. The organization has seen a 167% increase in families in need since 2021. The organization is also looking ahead to Christmas, encouraging professional women to help other women in need through its Women Business Institute program to donate items for children including car seats, strollers, baby wipes, diapers, and books.