Podcasts about better life bags

There are no magical phrases that smooth the rough edges of grief so how can you help a friend grieve well? If you’ve lost someone you love, this one will make you feel seen. If you happen to be in a season of grief yourself,  grab some tissues and settle in. Rebecca asks us about our recent experience and we give you our very raw version. Listen for perspective shifts on how to grieve well and keep your eyes open to see the sweetness God provides in the darkest times.WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: Leave a review in March and you will be entered to win a Stash it or Trash it item to try with us! The new Better Life Bags embossed leather  Jennifer, Sarah and Katherine’s are topping the Patreon Strugg charts The importance of understanding that all grief counts The different roles we play in the grieving process Kate is working on creating a corner of the internet where those grieving can place messages that they would send to their loved ones. Stay tuned! How to take advantage of moments with those you know you will lose Grieving complicated relationships  How to plan for the eventual grief How to help a friend grieve well + things to avoid The number one tip to help someone you know grieve well The importance of exploring your strengths and weaknesses in grief How to love your family well when it comes to diving up sentimental belongings   How to share your story of grief while being thoughtful of others grieving with you Hope in the Dark: Believing God Is Good When Life Is Not by Craig Groeschel Ways God was sweet to us in our grief Peloton app and hashtag #strugglingwell Killing us softly: Rebecca’s passwords, Em’s career choice, Kate’s volunteering Giving us life: Rebecca is loving her body + exercise, Em loves the show Psych,  Kate is feeling empowerment in grief *Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  CONNECT WITH REBECKY: website | instagram | patreon CONNECT WITH KATE: instagram | website | patreon CONNECT WITH EMILY: website | instagram | facebook | patreon EPISODE SPONSORS: Ana Luisa: Treat yourself and your loved ones with a unique gift. Use this link and get 10% off Barber Mom: Use this link and promo code MSW for $10 off a Lifetime MembershipKiwiCo: Get 30% off your first month with promo code MSWChime: Use this link to apply now and join the millions on Chime SHARE THE STRUGGLE!If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here! LINKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: Patreon | Amazon *Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

We are sharing a full episode this week that the Struggs loved over on Patreon earlier this year. Since it’s the holidays and our personal lives are a bit turned upside down, we knew that you all would understand us taking a breather! We can’t wait to return with a new episode in two weeks on how we plan to Struggle WELL in 2021!  Rebroadcast from October 19, 2020 Patreon Episode: Few cool things happening around here! This is the first episode with our new segment songs from the one and only Katie Stump. We begged her to sing more songs for us like her Problem Solved ditty and this episode has the debut jingle. We played a game of Would You Rather and laughed until we cried. We even did a little bit of regular crying too because real life is pretty dang difficult some days. We wrapped up by announcing the first Better Life Bags gift card winner! Was it you?! It's all too exciting! CONNECT WITH REBECKY: website (https://betterlifebags.com/) | instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasmithonline/) | patreon (https://www.patreon.com/momstrugglingwell) CONNECT WITH KATIE: instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kateordway/) | website (https://momstrugglingwell.com/struggling-sisters) | patreon (https://www.patreon.com/momstrugglingwell) CONNECT WITH EMILY: website (https://momstrugglingwell.com/) | instagram (https://www.instagram.com/momstrugglingwell/) | facebook (https://www.facebook.com/momstrugglingwell/) | patreon (https://www.patreon.com/momstrugglingwell) EPISODE SPONSORS: Homeschool Magnet: (https://www.homeschoolmagnet.com/) Go to homeschoolmagnet.com to learn more about their student experience Green Chef: (https://www.greenchef.com/msw90) use code MSW90 to get $90 off including free shipping SHARE THE STRUGGLE! If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-struggle-well-project/id1046121933?mt=2) ! LINKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/momstrugglingwell) | Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/shop/momstrugglingwell) *Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

This week is all about re-introductions plus another BIG announcement that Better Life Bags (https://betterlifebags.com/) fans and long-time listeners of the show will LOVE! As we transition the show we thought it would be nice to have a refresher and find out: Who even are these Moms Struggling Well? We struggle hard in this episode and laughed so much that Rebecky’s sweet baby girl will probably never forgive us for the disturbance. WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: getting to know all about Emily, Rebecca, and Kate - where we live, our families, enneagram numbers, first CDs, first jobs, and irrational fears misconceptions people have about us what’s giving us life what’s killing us softly CONNECT WITH REBECKY: website (http://rebeccasmithonline.com/) | instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasmithonline/) CONNECT WITH KATIE: instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kateordway/) | website (https://momstrugglingwell.com/struggling-sisters)   CONNECT WITH EMILY: website (https://momstrugglingwell.com/) | instagram (https://www.instagram.com/momstrugglingwell/) | facebook (https://www.facebook.com/momstrugglingwell/) | patreon (https://www.patreon.com/momstrugglingwell) EPISODE SPONSORS: World Vision (http://worldvision.com/msw) : visit worldvision.org/msw (http://worldvision.com/msw) and sponsor a child now Azlo (https://www.azlo.com/p/msw/?utm_campaign=oxford&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=moms-struggling-well) : sign up today with no minimum deposit at azlo.com/msw (https://www.azlo.com/p/msw/?utm_campaign=oxford&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=moms-struggling-well) and get the free small business starter guide Noom (https://www.noom.com/programs/health-weight/exsf01/?group=audio&isvanity=y&lang=en&sp=adresults&step=pros&type=bakedin&upv=3&utm_content=msw&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=momstrugglingwell) : sign up to start your trial today at noom.com/msw (https://www.noom.com/programs/health-weight/exsf01/?group=audio&isvanity=y&lang=en&sp=adresults&step=pros&type=bakedin&upv=3&utm_content=msw&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=momstrugglingwell) SUPPORT THE SHOW: Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/momstrugglingwell)   SHARE THE STRUGGLE! If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-struggle-well-project/id1046121933?mt=2) !

On Episode 277 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie sits down with Rebecca Smith, the founder of Better Life Bags and author of A Better Life: Slowing Down to Get Ahead. They discuss the power and possibility of social entrepreneurism, living counter to a culture that values hustle and the bottom line, being true to ourselves, and the many ways in which we can show up for one another in solidarity and love. It’s an upbeat conversation about care, compassion, and using the ways we can use our talents and gifts for a better life for all. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares website.

It’s Episode 200, and today’s guest is the one and only John Stillman, my husband! I knew for this episode I’d have to invite my special guest back to the show. His first appearance was Episode 100, and since my listeners loved it, I thought it was about time I brought him back for another interview! It’s hard to believe we are here at 200 episodes. It was a different time when I launched this show in the summer of 2016. I certainly didn’t think then about being at episode 200. We have some fun things planned including listener-submitted questions, a review of the top 10 episodes, and more! 4:31 – Kicking things off with the first user-submitted question which is actually a question that many of you asked: “What have things been like for us over the past few months?” We’re both self-employed. John has a financial advising business and media company and went from working in an office to working from home with me! During quarantine 2020, we’ve developed some habits and routines that John enjoys very much, especially getting Chipotle for lunch every Monday. We don’t know what we were doing on Saturdays before Covid-19, but we’ve finished a number of house projects that have been waiting for us to complete them and enjoyed leisurely prepared breakfasts and slow mornings. Since I’m working at home and home-schooling, implementing true rest on the weekends became important too, which led us to examine our Sabbath and really for the first time, intentionally carve out a time for rest on the weekends. John’s weeknight habits have changed too. He’s much less inclined to do any work on his laptop in the evenings, compared to when he was working all day in the office. He’s been more disciplined in keeping his workday confined to regular business hours because he’s already home all day. We both feel much more efficient, too. It’s been really nice to be home together. When John started returning to the office for half days, it was actually much harder than either of us thought it was going to be! The biggest adjustment for me has been recording podcasts at home. I usually go to the recording studio, but moving all of that into well, basically my closet, has been a big transition. 10:19 – User Submitted Questions, Let’s Dive into the Q&A! 10:40 – Question One: “What is your favorite quality about the other person?” 12:57 – Question Two: “John, you have edited nearly all of Molly’s podcasts episodes. Which one, or which ones have stood out to you. Do you have any particularly favorite interviews?” 14:12 – Question Three: “How do you build your business as a woman without losing your marriage?” 21:03 – We’re going to take a quick break from questions to recap the top 10 episodes of the first 200 of the Business With Purpose podcast! These are the most popular episodes based on the highest number of downloads + a few honorable mentions of my personal favorites: 21: 30, #10 –Episode 129: Chris Solt, Executive Director at Fair Trade Federation 21:47, #9 – Episode 149: Llenay Ferretti, Ten Thousand Villages & Bhava World Project 22:04, #8 – Episode 100: The 100th Episode Spectacular with Guest – My Husband! 22:22, #7 – Episode 110: How To Know If A Brand Is Ethical 22:41, #6 – Episode 139: Mark Choyt, Reflective Jewelry 24:04, #5 – Episode 136: Fair Trade Federation Conference Recap 24:26, #4 Episode 130: Solo Episode, So You Just Marie-Kondo’D Your Life? What to Do with All Those Things That Don’t Spark Joy 25:37, #3 Episode 137: Rebecca Smith, Better Life Bags 26:20, #2 Episode 135: Kat Eckles, Founder of Clean Juice 26:38, #1 Episode 71: Devan Kline & Morgan Kline, Founders of Burn Boot Camp 27:25, Honorable Mentions: These are some of my all-time favorites in no particular order: 27:36 Episode 165, Santiago, “Jimmy” Mellado, Compassion International President & CEO 28:03 – Episode 115, Antonio T. Smith Jr., From Living In A Dumpster to Self-Made Millionaire 28:32 – Episode 101: Barrett Ward, Founder & CEO of ABLE 28:59 – Episode 155: Sharon Hodde Miller, Author, Speaker, Theologian 29:34 – Episode 124: Leon Lee, Founder of Flying Cloud Productions, Producer of “Letters From Masanjia” 29:41 – Episode 153: Comedian Kevin Fredericks, Aka @kevonstage 30:56 – Back to your questions! The first one is for John: “Do you ever feel like a #instagramhusband ? 35:13 – “Do you have any first steps or resources for couples to get on the same page financially before marriage?” 37:49 – “Do you think couples should combine their finances?” 40:43 – “Where do you see the other person in 10 years” 41:53 – I loved that someone asked us the question I ask all my guests: “What does it mean to you to run a business with purpose?” 46:40 – My answer to “What does it mean to you to run a business with purpose?” Thank you for the support that all of you have given me. I truly would not be doing this if not for you being on this journey with me. For those who’ve left comments, I appreciate it so much! If you want to leave a review, it is much appreciated and helps me know how the show is helping you. Subscribing and sharing is also incredibly helpful. Thank you for being a part of this community and learning more about doing something with purpose, on purpose with me! If you’re not a member of the “Purchase with Purpose” Facebook group, it’s a great place to ask questions and learn more about fair trade and ethical fashion. Here’s to 200 episodes and here’s to you! Thank you for your questions and thank you John for joining me!

This week on Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa chats with Rebecca Smith, founder of Better Life Bags and the author of the brand new book A Better Life: Slowing Down to Get Ahead. Rebecca and her husband live in Michigan with their four children and their dog Mojo. Together MacKenzie and Rebecca talk about building a business, podcasting and writing a book, plus so much more. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Rebecca shares a little bit about her “Problem Solved” podcast episodes with Emily Thomas Rebecca talks about how she came to write this book, from starting a blog in her college days to getting asked by Zondervan to publish the story of her business What Rebecca hopes readers will glean from A Better Life How Rebecca and her husband met and had to let God lead their relationship Learning the cherish the life you are living right now, instead of always looking ahead to the next thing I think I have an idea of where my life is going, but God is the One who is making the decisions, and it’s kind of an adventure for us. Rebecca Smith How Rebecca’s vision and mission for Better Life Bags grew out of a desire to have certain boundaries in place Recognizing our limitations and bringing other people on board to balance out our weaknesses with their strengths Giving our children more responsibility for things around the house Being willing to turn around and get back on track when we have stepped out of God’s plan How Rebecca’s business has been affected by the pandemic A typical day in Rebecca’s life now in contrast to before the pandemic Current Lovelies- Rebecca: relaxing in a hammock in the backyard MacKenzie: dressing up for her birthday at home Resources Mentioned- Podcasts: Mom Struggling Well – Problem Solved That Sounds Fun 10 Things to Tell You Young House Love Crime Junkie Find Rebecca- You can find Rebecca on her website Better Life Bags. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Find MacKenzie- You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely. Thanks to Our Sponsors- Today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by True Botanicals. CTL Listeners can get 15% OFF their first order from true botanicals.com/lovely and use code LOVELY at checkout. Want a little extra loveliness in your life? Join our Patreon community this month and enjoy the camaraderie with other ladies who are trying to do more than just survive in these crazy days. We can’t wait to see you there!

On Episode 101, Daniel and Christina interview author and business owner, Rebecca Smith about how life is better when it is slow. Imagine a world in which dreams and passions are achieved with slow steps, simple obedience, and steadfast diligence? Is that not the world we are living in today? This pandemic has all forced us to pause, to allow our souls to take a deep breath, and to revaluate the goals we've been hustling for. It's time to learn why life is better when it is slow.  In This Episode, You Will Hear About: How life is better when it's slow. What work-life balance looks like during a pandemic. What we can learn from living a slower-paced life. How to cherish what we have today, instead of longing for what is coming tomorrow. Resources Mentioned During the Episode: Pick up Rebecca Smith's newest book, A Better Life: Slowing Down To get Ahead  Check out Rebecca's handmade bag company, Better Life Bags Want to hear more about why living a slow life is better? Tune into Why Slowing Down Life Matters Listen to our 100th Episode where we interview our kids! Marriage And Parenting Advice From The IMbetween Kids Quotes and Tweets: "Screen time is not the enemy of life." @Rebecca Smith "There's a way to cherish today even if it's a hard time." @Rebecca Smith "Instead of always asking, "What's next?" learn to ask, "What is good about now?" @Rebecca Smith "We can sit in the moment–the today–look around, and be grateful for what we have without wishing for the next season of life." @Rebecca Smith "The real living happens in the journey of getting there. The lessons, hardships ,challenges, and celebrations of today are the moments we are asked to enjoy–to be present for." @Rebecca Smith  "These are the actual days. The days for a quiet life. A deep life. A meaningful life. Look up and look around. This, right here, is our better life." @Rebecca Smith  "This life won't be easy. We will encounter storms and trials and pain. We will lean into them even though they hurt. We will ask God to hold us and comfort us, and He will. He will also remind us that we were made for this and that this is part of a life well lived. It will not break us." @Rebecca Smith  Subscribe and Connect With Us: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Google Podcasts Google Play Instagram - @imbetweenshow Twitter - @imbetweenshow Facebook - @imbetweenshow Pinterest - @imbetweenshow And don't forget to subscribe to our podcast, so that you will never miss an episode! _________________________________________________________________ Meet Rebecca Smith: Rebecca Smith is the founder of Better Life Bags, a custom handbag company whose workforce is made up of local women with barriers to employment.  Rebecca loves to encourage and coach young entrepreneurs who desire to use their business for good. She is passionate about reminding women that when it comes to pursuing dreams, waiting on God's nudges always beats hustling hard. It's okay being the turtle; life is better when it's slow.  Rebecca and her husband, Neil, live in Hamtramck, Michigan, where they run Better Life Bags together. They have four amazing kids: Jonah, Clara, Corbin, and Gavin. 

Are you racing towards your goals? Running away every chance you can? I sure do. We could all use a gentle reminder to slow down and listen to what God may be telling us. This week we are bringing you an exclusive interview with our very own Rebecky! There are no problems this month as we celebrate Rebecca Smith’s vulnerable and sweet page-turner that launched this week. In A Better Life: Slowing Down to Get Ahead, Rebecca tells us many personal stories of how she took baby steps and followed God’s lead to find her purpose. Even though she is one of my dearest friends, I didn’t know the sweet story behind Better Life Bags before reading. I loved each chapter more than the last and I’m so happy she shared her heart with all of us. Rebecca Smith lives in a low-income area of Detroit, Michigan with her husband, four children, and many miscellaneous pets. She started a custom handbag company in her basement with a mission to hire women who have various barriers to employment. These women are adopted into the Better Life family and given a chance to succeed in life, family, and friendship.  WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: an update on Better Life Bags Rebecca and Katie - who’s Emily’s sister? Emily new home decor Rebecky’s southern, tea-drinking grandma alter ego, Honey Bee launching a book during a pandemic letting your dreams simmer avoiding comparison feeling like a fraud (it’s not just you) God’s “special stickers” LINKS MENTIONED: Milk & Honey Tees Ruggable #38: Starting Small and Saying “Hello” with Rebecca Smith CONNECT WITH REBECKY: website | instagram CONNECT WITH EMILY: website | instagram | facebook | patreon EPISODE SPONSORS: Noom: sign up to start your trial today at noom.com/msw Purple Mattress: visit purple.com/msw and use promo code MSW to get $150 off any mattress order over $1500 (terms apply) Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: a fairytale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world SUPPORT THE SHOW: Patreon  SHARE THE STRUGGLE! If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

Rebecca Smith is the founder and CEO of Better Life Bags, a former Etsy shop turned direct-to-consumer company that has a mission to provide jobs for women with barriers to employment.In this episode, Rebecca is sharing her story and wisdom of building Better Life Bags through a series of slow, intentional, and obedient steps. She shares:How to feel more confident turning a hobby or side hustle into a real business, even if you don't have a business background.What it looks like to take small steps toward a dream even when it isn't the right time to go all-in.Her specific strategy to manage the hustle of running a business while being a mom to 4 kids.Surprising advice for entrepreneurs who are just getting started with their business.LinksFollow Rebecca on Instagram and Better Life Bags on Instagram.Learn more and shop at https://betterlifebags.com/Buy Rebecca's book, A Better Life.Follow Katie on Instagram or visit the website to learn more about her work.

Today I'm excited to introduce you to Rebecca Smith! Rebecca, her husband and 4 kids live in a very small city within Detroit, Michigan called Hamtramck. You will hear more about how unique this city is and why they live there and what they do!Rebecca also wrote a book that released this week called “A Better Life”, where she shares more of her story and life. You guys are going to love our chat. What struck me the most was the universal bond that motherhood gives us no matter who you are, what language you speak or what you look like. You will hear Rebecca's beautiful story of friendship and living a life she never thought she would. And I do just want to mention that this conversation was recorded prior to COVID-19 so now more than ever if you can support Rebecca's business at betterlifebags.com or go ahead and buy her book (which is amazing by the way), please help support the awesome work she's doing. Enjoy my conversation with Rebecca.Things we talk about in this episode:—How her life looks dramatically different than she planned.—A little about the incredibly diverse city of Hamtramck, Michigan where she lives.—The beautiful story of friendship and universal bond of motherhood.—All about her business, Better Life Bags, and the mission behind it.—How she figured out how to bloom where she was planted in a city that was so foreign to her.—Her (surprising) motherhood story!—How she practices self-care.—How she is basically winning at mom hacks and meal planning - you will want to know her secret!!Find Rebecca:Website: https://betterlifebags.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BetterLifeBagsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterlifebags/ & https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasmithonline/Order her book, releasing May 19, 2020: https://betterlifebags.com/pages/book

The founder of Better Life Bags, Rebecca Smith, joins me to talk about growing Better Life Bags(BLB) from an Etsy shop to a large company that provides meaningful work for women in her community. We also chat about slowing down to get ahead, the mission of BLB and pursuing dreams in every season.  A Better Life: Slowing Down To Get Ahead by Rebecca Smith 4:40 Share a little of your faith journey with us.  When and how did you come to know Jesus? 9:34 Take us back to being a young married woman in Savannah, Georgia and how you ended up in Hamtramck, Michigan. "I was giving micro loans with each bag purchase to a woman who lived in a third world country." "We moved to Michigan to this little city called Hamtramck. Our point in doing that was we were going to live here for two years immersing ourselves in a different culture. This city is very diverse... There's 26 languages spoken here in two square miles." "I had never imagined myself going overseas for missions, but I knew God had this heart for the world and I was willing to follow if that was His plan for our life, but I was terrified." SHOW NOTES continued --------------------------------------------------- Follow Rebecca Smith on IG and Better Life Bags Follow Grace Enough Podcast on IG and FB ---------------------------------------------------------

One of the things the Coronavirus pandemic has meant is that people have had to innovate and adapt to a quickly changing world. With the aim of keeping people employed, one of those founders and companies doing that is Better Life Bags, based in the enclave of Hamtramck. The custom bag company has grown over the years using social media and has put people to work in their local community, all the while adding to Detroit’s fabric of fashion businesses and nonprofits. I also talk with founder Rebecca Smith about doing business at a pace that’s manageable when you have a family, which is part of the focus of her upcoming book, “A Better Life: Slowing Down to Get Ahead.” Then I’ll update you on a couple things you should know about around town. Including: Your power bill is going up Former State Senator Morris Hood has died of COVID-19 And baseball could be coming back July 4th.

Emily doesn’t look forward to grandchildren and Rebecky has started cussing during quarantine. These are just the down and dirty facts, and we can’t hide them any longer. We talk about conflicting opinions on arugula, the good and bad days during a pandemic, and jaw-dropping chalk art. I would like to formally thank Rebecky for our shiny new explicit rating and for keeping things… fresh around here. WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: when the pandemic became real for Rebecky and how she’s handling it the confusing line between being cautious and being too cautious being a medical health care professional during an outbreak how routine has been helping Rebecky shelter-in-place well everyone but Emily being obsessed with having grandkids how COVID-19 is impacting small businesses, including Better Life Bags spending less time on Instagram and more time cooking LINKS MENTIONED: Every Plate Change-Your-Life Chicken recipe CONNECT WITH REBECKY: website | instagram CONNECT WITH EMILY: website | instagram | facebook | patreon EPISODE SPONSORS: Noom: sign up to start your trial today at noom.com/msw Embr Wave: get $50 off your Embr Wave bracelet when you visit embrwave.com/msw Invisawear: get $10 off your first order when you visit invisawear.com/msw SUPPORT THE SHOW: Patreon  SHARE THE STRUGGLE! If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

Heather and Hailee catch up and cover some state-specific COVID-19 updates. Heather dives deep into New York and what's happening there. Spoiler alert: Even the Mafia are being affected by coronavirus! Subscribe for new episodes every Monday and Friday! This episode was recorded on April 2, 2020.  Sources: Eureka High School News: https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/coronavirus/eureka-high-school-guidance-counselor-dies-of-coronavirus/article_63563b5a-e6f7-53ed-bbdb-edbe706e1b5c.html Better Life Bags: https://betterlifebags.com/ Colorado Stats - https://covid19.colorado.gov/case-data Worldometers - https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/friendsinisolationpod/ https://www.instagram.com/heathersousan/ https://www.instagram.com/HaileeHaasHere/

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday issued a stay-at-home order to all Michigan residents, ordering non-essential businesses and workplaces closed and outlawing all public or private gatherings between people who aren’t part of the same household. It sounds, and is, extreme, though it’s necessary to minimize the worst effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. And if you’ve already been following best-practice advice, then it frankly isn’t a big departure from the new norm. Just don’t go out and hoard toilet paper or other essential items, K? The full order is here, if you want to read it. Also, on today’s show, we give updated coronavirus numbers from the state. Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, says officials should just call the rest of the school year off, already. And Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says people who stay home and watch TV or play video games are heroes. No, really. Other tidbits: People who get infected with coronavirus are reporting they temporarily lose the ability to smell or taste anything. Hamtramck-based handbag maker Better Life Bags has announced it’s making surgical masks for health care workers. And Ferndale Project, the new side venture from Eastern Market Brewing Company, gives an update on their coronavirus carry-out operations. Because they serve food, they’re considered an essential business. Plus, Andy Didorosi joins us to talk about how his bus company started making hand sanitizer, as well as what he thinks small businesses need to make it through this crisis. Thanks for listening to Daily Detroit. If you like what you’re hearing, tell a friend about us, leave us a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, or support us by becoming a Patreon member.

Better Life Bags started when Rebecca made herself a diaper bag. When friends and family prompted her to start making them to sell, she started an Etsy shop. She loved giving part of the proceeds of the bags she sold to a company called Kiva loans which allows you to pick a woman to sponsor in a 3rd world company through a microloan. She would add the picture of the woman she was sponsoring to the bag when she sent it to the purchaser so they could learn about the woman who was being sponsored through their bag. Rebecca and her family moved to Hamtramck, MI where there's a large migrant population. When she started to get too many orders, she looked around the neighborhood and figured out who it was that she would be able to hire. She hired her friend Nadia who was from Yemen. Because of that work, her friend was able to buy bunk beds for her girls. The company now has 15 employees who make Better Life Bags. Rebecca and I chat about how the business has grown and developed, how she shares her faith with the women and how her faith has grown through the business. Through the business, she's seen God work and see how he has a plan in mind. Specifically, how we're not in control of our business, we can trust God and rest in knowing that he brings in the orders and the business. Rebecca has a book coming out next year about the history of Better Life Bags. In the book, she shares lessons learned through the business, about the women who have been impacted by the company and growing slow in business. There is also an anti-hustle theme. She also dishes on her favorite bags and fabric. The secret menu if you do an all leather bag you can do any fabric on the inside. You can visit (affiliate link) Better Life Bags and order your bag here and get $10 off!   Rebecca Smith is the founder of Better Life Bags, a custom leather and fabric handbag company whose workforce is made up of local women with barriers to employment. Rebecca loves to encourage and coach young entrepreneurs who desire to use their businesses for good. She is passionate about reminding women that when it comes to pursuing dreams, waiting on God’s nudges always trumps hustling hard. It’s okay being the turtle; life is better when it’s slow. Rebecca and her husband, Neil, live in Hamtramck, MI where they run Better Life Bags together. They have four amazing kids: Jonah, Clara, Corbin, and Gavin. Better Life Bags Instagram / VIP Group Rebecca's Instagram

We often hear on the news how we're a divided nation. Tensions run high as political, racial, and cultural divisions lead to hate, prejudice, and fear. Amidst the turmoil, one woman in an under-resourced community in Detroit, Michigan is taking small steps toward creating meaningful, cross-cultural relationships and bridging the divide. Rebecca Smith is the founder of Better Life Bags, a company that seeks to provide economic opportunities for women who might otherwise face barriers to employment. This is her story. Things You Don't Want To Miss: Meet Today's Guest. 1:20 - Rebecca Smith is the founder of Better Life Bags. Better Life Bags is a custom handbag company located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan. Every bag is hand-sewn by a woman from their under-resourced community. Your purchase gives these women the opportunity to excel at a skill and provide for their families. Click the video below to learn more of Rebecca's story. The Rebecca 101. 10:30 Better Life Bags will celebrate its tenth birthday this summer, and it really started as a hobby. In the summer of 2009, Rebecca was in the final months of her first pregnancy, and she was bored. She decided to make her own diaper bags, and at the behest of her friends, she decided to try selling them on Etsy. Around the same time, she decided to send a portion of her proceeds as a micro-loan to low income entrepreneurs overseas.   14:00 Her family moved to an under-resourced, ethnically diverse community in Detroit, Michigan. She needed help scaling her business, and she hired a Yemeni neighbor to help her keep up with the work. The two quickly developed a close relationship, and in a lightbulb moment, Rebecca realized she could use her business to provide economic opportunities to other women in the neighborhood. A Higher Purpose.    20:35 - Rebecca is currently in the process of writing a book that tells the story of her journey. She's been reminded throughout the project that God is looking out for us, and that He leads us as we take small steps of obedience in faith. Lessons From The Old Testament. 22:13 - In the Old Testament of the Bible, we're constantly reminded of God's plan for His people. He's constantly leading the Israelites despite their shortcomings. Even amidst their fear, He offers protection as He leads them toward the Promised Land in order to accomplish His purposes for them. We're reminded of how difficult it can be to trust God amidst difficult times. However, as we look back over time, we begin to see His bigger plan. Sometimes, we simply need to follow him, one step at a time. Making Cross-Cultural Connections.  25:44 - It can be difficult to start relationships with people who are different from us. Rebecca shares how God used the story of Jonah to call her to love her local community. She shares how her neighborhood in Hamtramck, Michigan enabled her to develop relationships and bridge the cultural divide Americans often face. An Update On Better Life Bags.  37:00 - Better Life Bags has greatly evolved through the years. They currently employ about 15 women, and Rebecca shares how God has challenged her to consider what it means to do His will. She saw the business grow immensely through its first seven years, and now as growth has leveled out, she's asking herself whether she can trust God's plan through a period of slow growth. She wants to follow His plan, and trust Him with the results, even if it means losing sales. Getting To Know Our Guest: 45:34 - Rebecca shares her love for sweets, her aptitude for long-distance road trips, and her longing to return to the 1950s. A Memorable Moment: "It's about taking small steps and trusting God has good plans for us. We don't have to wear ourselves out because He has the plan. We just have to walk it." - Rebecca Smith   To visit the Business With Purpose website, click the link: https://www.stillbeingmolly.com/2019/04/17/business-purpose-podcast-rebecca-smith-better-life-bags/

This month we talk about Emilio Smith, the dog I once took back to a shelter, what to do about biting kids and the world of car seat dilemmas. I also tried to intimidate Rebecca into sending me some Better Life Bags product ASAP but it remains to be seen if that worked. 

June Sponsor: KimArt Designs If you are a mom, expecting mom, or just want a unique and personalized gift for someone you love, KimArt Designs can create a piece of art specialized just for you. Kimber is a hand embroidery artist & designer who creates intricate and one of a kind pieces that you will cherish forever. Her embroidery art is perfect for nurseries, weddings, and housewarming gifts. You can personalize the size, shape & colors to make the perfect gift for yourself or someone you love. To see all of Kimber’s embroidery hoops, or to request a custom piece of art, please visit kimartdesigns.com All orders within the United States ship free and arrive gift wrapped at kimartdesigns.com. Sign up for Amazon Prime! Free Two-Day Shipping, unlimited photo storage, plus exclusive access to movies, music and Kindle books. shepercolates.com/amazonprime   Better Life Bags started as Rebecca Smith's hobby.  To beat boredom during the last month's of her first pregnancy, she made herself a diaper bag and posted pictures of it on Facebook.  After hearing feedback on how many people wanted to buy one, she opened an ETSY shop in August of 2009 and decided to give 10% of every bag sale to a low income entrepreneur overseas through microloans.  She named the ETSY shop "Better Life Bags" and sent a picture of the person the loan was going to help with each bag purchase - to show customers how someone's life was being made better as a result of their bag purchase. In 2010, she and her family moved to a low income area of Detroit, Michigan and her eyes were opened to what poverty, unemployment, and blight can do to a city and the people living there. When orders experienced a boom in 2012, she turned to her neighborhood for help.  She hired a woman originally from Yemen, named Nadia, to start sewing bags alongside her.  After a few months of spending time with Nadia and paying her for the work she was doing, Rebecca saw a shift in her attitude and economic status.  Her family was finally able to afford bed frames for their four children and a dining room table.  Better Life Bags was making lives better in Rebecca's own community. Better Life Bag's mission is to hire women who have various barriers to employment to make our custom leather and fabric bags.  They are adopted into our Better Life family and given a chance to succeed in life, family, and friendship. Rebecca's thoughts on success: In the past year I've learned how to extend grace to myself and to celebrate the small wins in a day. things we chat about with Rebecca: 2008 being newly married, not having a care in the world and being a teacher 2009 making her first diaper bag Success varies day to day, sometimes it is all about just getting the kids to school on time learning how to extend grace to herself, being okay with NOT having pinterest worthy parties turning a hobby into a company with a mission and purpose thoughts on being a business owner, "the older I get the less I care if people laugh." hiring women from the community in Detroit, Michigan taking time off to spend quality time with family Books Rebecca mentions The E-myth Anne bogel's podcast, what should i read next

Rebecca is a wife, mom, and (accidentally) a business owner!  She started Better Life Bags which is a company that, besides making adorable bags, provides employment for women who could not be successful in traditional employment.  You're gonna love this episode! What we chat about: the lovely mission of Better Life Bags putting 'working-mom guilt' to rest prioritizing travel as a family lessons from Jonah

Season 2 –  Better Life Bags Social Enterprise Romy interviews Rebecca Smith with Better Life Bags in Hamtramck of Detroit. Hear the incredible story of how she launched a business of making custom handbags hand-sewn by local women who had previously had cultural barriers to employment. Rebecca shares how she grew, used social media, and created dynamic relationships with her now 16 employees~   http://bonfiresofsocialenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pose-5.jpg ()Rebecca Smith of Better Life Bags http://bonfiresofsocialenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/BLB-58.jpg () Transcription beginning with Fun Fuel: Jentzen: Hey, guys. This is Jentzen with your fun fuel for this episode. Now, today’s fun fuel is going to be about Coach Handbags and the history behind them. The Coach Company was originally created in 1941 by the Coach family out of a small shop in Manhattan. The Coach family had a small team of six, and they were making wallets and billfolds out of leather, and they were doing all these by hand. Five years after the company was created in 1946, the Coach family joined up with a man named Miles Cahn and his wife, Lillian, who owned their own leather handbag manufacturing business. Fifteen years later in 1961, Miles Cahn and his wife ended up buying out the Coach family and making the two companies one company. Now, Miles was amazed at the leather baseball glove and how over time, the leather of the baseball glove becomes more flexible, softer, and more supple. He attempted to mimic that leather in his own leather of wallets and handbags. Through attempting to mimic this, Miles ended up creating leather that was stronger, softer, and more flexible. Now, he also found ways to color the leather. Little did he know that leather itself actually holds color incredibly well. Now, it wasn’t until Miles’ wife suggested to him that they not only make wallets and bags for men but they start creating accessory bags for women. Now, this is when their company really boomed. As the company grew more and more successful, Miles and his wife hired sportswear and fashion designers to add more creative elements to their bags making them even more successful and growing into the famous Coach bags we see around the US today. This is Jentzen, and this was your fun fuel for today’s episode. Romy: Very nice. Thank you, Jentzen. Let’s transition. Please meet Rebecca Smith from Better Life Bags. Welcome, Rebecca to the podcast. Rebecca: Thank you. Thanks for having me. Romy: Now, let’s talk about what Better Life Bags is. Rebecca: We make custom leather and fabric handbags. We manufacture them here in Detroit, Michigan, actually in a little city called Hamtramck which is surrounded by Detroit on all sides. We hire women who have barriers to traditional employment, and they work here in our workshops. Some of them work from their homes. Whatever their specific need is, we try to work with them in that. Then, our customers go on to our website, and they customize and design their own bag. Then, we make it to order for them here and shop. Romy: Social enterprise at its finest. We’ll come back and dig in. Let’s let listeners know where we’re doing this interview. Rebecca: Right now, I’m actually in our workshop. If you hear background noise, it’s a working manufacturing studio. Pretty small, I’d say 1600 square feet. Actually, big to us. We just moved from a 700 square foot space into this space. It feels enormous. We’re right here in Hamtramck. We’re cutting leather, we’re cutting fabric, we’re sewing, we’re shipping, and all today. Romy: For those who might not have some knowledge about the community and the neighborhood of Hamtramck within Detroit, would you mind giving us a feel of the demographics because, in my opinion, it’s incredibly unique. Rebecca: Yeah, it’s super diverse....

Today’s guest on the Happy Hour Podcast is Rebecca Smith. Rebecca is the creator and owner of Better Life Bags and lives in Detroit with her husband and three kids. Her business has a remarkable impact on women in Detroit, who are earning a living by working for Better Life Bags. On today's podcast we talk about how her business started, things you should do before we turn 30 (we are both past it!!), and how she can't do it all without the help she has - good word for us mommas trying to do it all! We also chat about how we made the decision on where to send our kids to school, why we don't see the news often, and of course our thoughts on Serial.