Leadership Lowdown

Spend a little time with Marc Schupan, CEO of Schupan & Sons and you will come away with a thousand quips and quotes that will make you stop and think or simply laugh out loud!

Larry Carter has been called "President Carter" for most of his life. As President of Great Lakes Christian College, he has enjoyed success in leading people and making an impact! He was named as president of the college in 1995 and his path to that position never seemed in question!

Bill Parlberg began his career as a dish worker at Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth while attending Frankenmuth High School in 1975. He has worked his way up through the organization over the last 38 years to his current senior management capacity as President and C.O.O., which he has held since 2000.

Bonnie Alfonso, President and CEO of Alfie Logo Gear for Work and Play has made her mark in building her business with her family and becoming deeply involved in the right organizations. She has a four-step process to identify the right organizations and causes to commit to. It's a big reason why she is never alone! From main street to shipping internationally she has an engaging story that you will want to hear!

Jamie Stepanian-Bennett is a creative business force with a great story to share! His current role as Vice President at iwerk is a valuable and innovative use of his extensive talents. His leadership roles have offered him extensive experiences and he serves them up in specific and very practical ways.

Founded by Mike Sullivan and Kyle Bogenschutz, Brand25 Media LLC is a digital marketing agency that helps local businesses address the challenges they face online and in the marketplace. The foundational marketing products allow businesses to build a stronger online presence, connect with more customers, and grow a stronger brand.

Philip Myers was born and raised in East Tennessee, and it was apparent early in his life that he had a gift for music. His first public performance was at age four singing in church. Winning a music scholarship guided him to attend the University of Tennessee, where he earned two degrees in vocal performance and music education. During his time at U.T., while performing in a local coffee shop, Philip was heard by the tour director for John Denver. This lead to his first performance as an opening act for a major artist in front of 20,000 people.

In sports, a winning record seems to be the decisive measure of a successful coach and the program. Others measure success in the ways people around them are impacted. In the case of Jake Boss, both are true!

Ben LaCross is a farmer, a leader in the agriculture industry, a small business owner, and now an author. With that same passion, Ben is educating children and teaching lessons surrounding the election process while also sharing the story of school-age bullying.

“In the fall of 2018, Michigan was in the midst of electing a new governor. My son, then age 11, asked me questions about elections, government, and politics. We had incredible conversations about those important issues. Keaton and I had just finished reading a middle-grade book together, so I looked for a relatable book about politics and elections for him. I assumed that there must be a fun, entertaining, and educational book that could help him understand these topics while also teaching him the values we want to raise him with. After much research I realized there were no books Ben's that available,” explained Ben.

Take a moment and tune in to the Leadership Lowdown! You'll learn some great lessons that are timely and valuable that came straight from today's news feed. You will enjoy hearing about his leadership journey and the values he wants to pass on to future generations.

Seth Maust of Five Star Life has a simple philosophy and solutions to change the face of education. He says "In order to truly move the needle, we must target the root of the educational crisis. At the core of every person’s success or failure is a mental and emotional operating system we call a mindset." The Five Star Life staff makes a powerful impact by providing schools with a variety of academic, leadership, and character programming that addresses the sources of negative mindsets. These programs include a proprietary video curriculum for classrooms, after school programming, Leadership Camps, and Day Trips.