Happy Hour Hustle #129: Monica Gauthier's Groovy Donuts Journey
Happy Hour Hustle
In this episode of Happy Hour Hustle, Kim sits down with , who has spent the past 11 years co-owning , and is now finally catching up on sleep. She started out studying fish disease and turned that into a successful career of early mornings at the donut shop and late-night baking. Over time, she built a team strong enough to keep the business running smoothly, even when she needed to step away to care for her dad in the hospital. They get into the unglamorous side of small business ownership, the unseen labor and the pressure to keep growing when growing isn't always the answer. They also...
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Happy Hour Hustle #128: Jody Hayden
Happy Hour Hustle
We're back with another cohort spotlight from the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship. Maddie sat down with , co-owner of , a Michigan-based chocolate company with roots in the specialty coffee and chocolate industries going back to 2001. They covered what it's really like to be in the chocolate business, what she's most proud of, the lessons she's picked up along the way, and what's coming up for her and her team. Plus, if you haven't heard about the sugar bear, you'll need to . Connect with . Learn more about .
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Happy Hour Hustle #127: Caitlin McMahan
Happy Hour Hustle
We're back with another cohort spotlight from the . Maddie sat down with Caitlin McMahan, co-owner of Marcellus Metalcasters, a Michigan-based manufacturing company doing really impressive work. They talked about what it's actually like to run a foundry, what she's most proud of, the biggest lessons she's learned as a business owner, and what's next for her and her team. Connect with . Learn more about .
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Happy Hour Hustle #126: Jenny Lashuay
Happy Hour Hustle
We're back with another Cohort Spotlight, shining a light on the incredible women who make up the 2025-26 cohort for the Women's Entrepreneurial Fellowship. Jenny Lashuay is the founder of and She saw a need for experience-based fun and filled it. What started as an idea has grown into an indoor venue, a mobile party crew, and a full-on event center. Maddie talks to her about what inspired her to start her business, what's creating momentum for her right now, and what comes next.
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Happy Hour Hustle #125: How HealthBar is Changing the Game in Healthcare
Happy Hour Hustle
Healthcare costs killing your small business budget? You're not alone, and there might finally be a solution. In this episode, Kim talks with Nathan Baar, founder of , licensed nurse, and entrepreneur who's reimagining how small businesses approach healthcare. Nate's built a model that can help reduce your healthcare costs while actually giving your employees the kind of care where they know their doctor's name. Remember when that was a thing? We get into why our healthcare system is such a mess, how to navigate multi-state employees without losing your mind, and what it actually means to...
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Happy Hour Hustle #124: Mary Barton
Happy Hour Hustle
We're back with another Cohort Spotlight, continuing our series with the incredible women who make up the 2025-26 cohort for the . is the founder of , a Detroit-based firm dedicated to serving women- and minority-owned businesses. She's a Forbes Best-In-State CPA, an Enterprising Women Champion, and she sits on multiple boards creating pathways into accounting for underrepresented groups. Maddie talks to her about building a business with equity at its core, what she's learned over 20 years in the industry, and how she's using her expertise to level the playing field for small business...
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Happy Hour Hustle #123: Kirbay Preuss
Happy Hour Hustle
This is the first episode of our series of Cohort Spotlights, where we are talking to the incredible women who make up the 2025-26 cohort for the . is the 3rd-generation owner of , one of the nation's largest full-line pet stores. She's a fierce advocate for animals, she's on the board for one of the most prestigious groups in her industry, and she's been featured by Stephen Colbert...twice. Maddie talks to her about what it's like running a family business, what she's learned over the years, and what's coming next.
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Happy Hour Hustle #122: Making Yourself Memorable
Happy Hour Hustle
spent more than 20 years building a career before deciding to go solo. In this episode, Kim and Fiona talk about what those first few months of working for yourself actually look like and how she's learned to say no. They dig into the moment she realized it was actually working, how LinkedIn became a key business tool, and what she'd tell someone thinking about going out on their own. If you've ever wondered what it takes, this conversation is for you.
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Happy Hour Hustle #121: AI Mode and Local Media
Happy Hour Hustle
AI Mode is rewriting how people find information, and marketers and newsrooms are feeling it in real time. Maddie is joined by , Digital Director at , to break down what AI summaries mean for visibility, clicks, and keeping local journalism accurate in an AI-first world. They also get into how WOOD TV8 is using AI behind the scenes and what the shift to streaming tells us about where local news is headed.
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Happy Hour Hustle #120: Come Along Ladies, It's Time to Ruin the Workplace
Happy Hour Hustle
You may have seen the New York Times asking whether women “ruined” the workplace. We’re not treating that like a real question, because it isn’t one. The workplace wasn’t ruined by women; it was built with competition, ego, and protection of the incompetent, and it’s finally . In our latest episode, Kim talks about the systems that were designed to keep women out, the men who broke them, and the ones who stay quiet because comfort matters more than courage.
info_outlineFiona McPherson Grant spent more than 20 years building a career before deciding to go solo.
In this episode, Kim and Fiona talk about what those first few months of working for yourself actually look like and how she's learned to say no.
They dig into the moment she realized it was actually working, how LinkedIn became a key business tool, and what she'd tell someone thinking about going out on their own.
If you've ever wondered what it takes, this conversation is for you.