What Traverse City YPs are Thankful For

When you ask someone living in the Traverse City area what they're thankful for, you're likely to hear the following:

"My wonderful family."
"Being lucky enough to live in such a gorgeous and thriving place"
"To have a job that I enjoy"

While those are all valid and extremely important things to be thankful for (and believe me, none of us take them for granted -- I'm thankful for all of the above every single day), they're, to put it bluntly, expected. So, we reached out to some of our Young Professionals to offer some more personal and creative "things they're thankful for."

So, enjoy the following answers from your local Young Professionals while you spend time enjoying the things you're thankful for. 

"I’m thankful for when I’m transitioning my business for bigger and better things, that other businesses, non-profits, and friends I’ve met through work have offered to step up and help me pack and move KidzArt to our new location over their Christmas breaks. Taking time that normally goes to their family to help their community family. I’m so blessed to work with amazing organizations that believe in what I do and support me unconditionally."
-Kate Daggett, KidzArt

"I'm thankful that each day I get to make an impact on someone's life.  From helping people determine their dream job to giving people the encouragement to finish that last math requirement, I leave work everyday knowing I've made a difference."
-Shannon Owen, Northwestern Michigan College

"I am thankful to have a boss who not only taught me how to use my brakes when driving in snow(after I drifted us into the division of Grandview Parkway and Union...more than once), but also one who has taught me at least six ways to tie my scarves, let me know that I will probably freeze if I did not purchase outerwear that goes down to my knees, that Gobblers are the best turkey sandwich ever and who surprises me with gifts like obnoxious colored nail polish and Hello Kitty Make-up holders."
-Meaghan Jameson, Events North

'I’m thankful for the red-brick paved streets in the old town section of TC.  I just think it’s good character - If it were up to me, all the streets downtown would be brick."
-Warren Call, Huntington

"I am most thankful for three things (in no particular order):

1.       Mary’s Kitchen Port

2.       Frozen yogurt

3.       Meeting Allison Beers when I moved to Traverse City!"

-Kelly Schramski, Traverse City State Bank

"I'm thankful for Shorts microbrews. Where else can you find such unique, tasty concoctions with memorable hand-drawn labels and silly names to enjoy with loved ones during the holiday season?"

-Andrew Kohlmann, Signs Now

Well, there you have it! I hope that your Thanksgiving is wonderful and that you have some great things in your life to be thankful for (whether it be your job or your favorite microbrew)!

Guest Blogger: Kate Daggett

It's time again for another Young Professionals Guest Blogger! This month we bring you Kate Daggett, owner of KidzArt in Downtown Traverse City. I'll let Kate take it from here!

Kate is the lovely lady in the middle. Thanks to Sarah Brown Photography for the photo!

I always think about rolling my eyes whenever people ask me what I do. It typically goes something like this… “Oh, so you’re KidzArt! I see your ads everywhere. So you guys, like, paint with kids, right?”

My first response is a deep breath. Then I answer their question with, “No, actually KidzArt is teaching art education programming to little, itty, bitty finger painters all the way through Senior Citizen programming. We teach at area schools after school’s out, in special needs classes during the day, and a few schools that no longer have art programming available. We teach in the studios a wide variety of classes for a wide variety of ages and abilities, including all of our grown-up classes. We work very closely with a large number of non-profit organizations teaching classes and having drop-in times for just their groups. We attend and help manage several family friendly festivals and fairs all over Northern Michigan. We assist with area education and art programs with collaboration groups and advisory meetings. Not to mention the business side of things. So when it comes down to it, teaching kids to paint is just a small portion of what I get to do every day.”

When I go through all the list of places we have programming, groups I’ve been affiliated with, boards I’ve spoken to; people tend to stare at me with their eyes wide and jaws dropped. In my typical fashion, I chuckle and say, “Yeah, I’m pretty tired just telling you what my weekly calendar looks like.”

Being a business owner is hard, exhausting, and many times downright frustrating. The marketing, networking, advertising, finding amazing staff, educating the community; it’s darn near impossible to keep up the pace I find myself in every week.

That’s why I enjoy attending the TCYP events when I can. It’s an opportunity for me to put work, kids, and the many loads of laundry all on the back burner. My husband, who is a PGA Professional at the Traverse City Golf and Country Club, and I don’t get to spend very much time together during the spring, summer, and early fall. So when we have the opportunity to attend a wine tasting at an area vineyard or get tickets to see a local production with a group of like minded professionals who are actually our age, we love it! It’s so much fun to meet new people and compare notes on what our kids are into. We can chat about our businesses or simply about what we’re being served to eat.

I love that I get to wear tie-dyed T-shirts and sneakers to work every day if I want to. But it’s also nice to get dressed up, go to a new place, and talk with people who are out there working their tails off just as hard as I am. I love to take a deep breath while looking over an amazing vineyard by the water and hold my husband’s hand to remember why we live in such a glorious place.