Podcast appearances and mentions of sterling heights

Monday night in the Palm Street Studio, always the place to be.  Bartending with Phil and this week is a smoked toasted marshmallow old fashioned.  Junior uses the women's room twice by "mistake".  Johnny Black's Public House in Sterling Heights is awesome.  Muscadine Bloodline is a band you should check out and they put on a great show.  The history of Kid Rock and he used to suck, well, still does.  We call Junior's god son and he can't even remember the kids name.  We talk a lot of soccer?  Colt Keith finally hits some dingers.  Hulk Hogan and his family were terrible people.     Featuring The Grumpy Griller, Hall of Famer Junior!, Sir Phillip Nichol, and Lord Adam Filkins.  Make good choices!

The Slamfest Podcast brings the premier rock concert pregaming experience from the parking lot to the podcasting airwaves.  Episode 314 - Piggy-backing on last week's episode, which revolved around Brad seeing Triumph and April Wine on 5/30/26 at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, MI.  This time Brad focuses the segments around April Wine.  For the Band on the Bill Spotlight, he creates his dream 25-song April Wine setlist.  After a Slamfest Tip of the Week, he is faced with a "Which Side are you On?" Side 1 or 2 from April Wine's live album, One For the Road - Deluxe Edition, from 1985. Music in this episode by: April Wine Black Sabbath Kiss Ozzy Visit the Slamfest Podcast online at: https://slamfest-podcast.simplecast.com Request to join the Slamfest Podcast private Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slamfestpodcast E-mail us at : slamfestpodcast@gmail.com

Keith shares his "dirty dozen" due diligence questions every investor should ask before buying property, from gauging build-to-rent saturation and local job growth to testing cash flow and exit strategies.  He explains why even new-builds still need inspections and how to think about rents that may stay flat while expenses rise.  Aundrea Newbern, an experienced investor, broker, and property manager active in Southeast Georgia and Michigan, offers a real-world look at today's long-term and short-term rental markets, including shifting tenant behavior and local restrictions.  She also details how she's using AI to streamline property management, improve screening, optimize pricing, and cut maintenance costs, giving listeners practical ideas to apply in their own portfolios. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/610 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. To get in the best physical, mental, and professional shape of your life, go to DanielThomasHind.com and apply for Daniel's intensive 1-on-1 coaching for burnt-out entrepreneurs and executives. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Keith, welcome to GRE. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold, talking about vital due diligence questions that you have to know the answers to before you buy your next property. Even advanced investors don't know to ask some of these. Then a terrific guest tells us how she is practically applying AI to increase rental occupancy, save on maintenance expenses and drive rental income today on Get Rich Education.   Speaker 1  0:28   Since 2014 the powerful Get Rich Education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord show host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors, and delivers a new show every week. Since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads in 188 world nations. He has a list show guests and key top-selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki. Get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps. Build wealth on the go with the Get Rich Education podcast. Sign up now for the Get Rich Education podcast, or visit getricheducation.com   Keith Weinhold  1:11   You know, Mid South Home Buyers, that top Memphis turnkey provider, I learned that a secret weapon behind their explosive growth is more than just you buying their properties, it's an executive coach for nine years now. Their CEO, Terry Kerr, and his COO, Pat Nix, have worked privately with a coach who I've now learned from too, and he doesn't market himself online anywhere. After 12 years behind the scenes, that coach is now making himself available exclusively for GRE listeners, his name is Daniel Thomas Hind. If you're a hard-charging business owner or investor who wants to get in the best shape of your life physically, mentally, and professionally, you can fill out an application for a free consult. This is private one on one coaching for those willing to go to uncommon lengths to achieve uncommon results. Thanks to Daniel, we've all become better leaders, better operators, and better men. It started by showing up for ourselves. Now it's your turn. Go to danielthomashind.com H I N D, that's Daniel Thomas hind.com and sign up before Spotsville Flock Homes helps multifamily owners exit the operator grind, whether it's your sixplex or a 50 unit apartment through a 721 exchange. This defers your capital gains tax. It's a strategy long used by institutions. Now you can swap tenants and toilets for passive income and zero management. Request your initial valuations. See if your property qualifies at flockhomes.com/gre that's F L O C K homes.com / G R E.   Speaker 2  2:57   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is Get Rich Education.   Keith Weinhold  3:13   Welcome to GRE. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. The world's biggest problems are also the world's biggest businesses. That's not a coincidence, and it squarely includes the problem of having enough quality housing. We talk about how to do that profitably and diligently, and on the topic of diligence, I've got a dirty dozen due diligence questions, call it I suppose these are smart questions to ask before you get under contract to buy your next property, and some of these could just as well apply to your existing rental property. Build to rent properties have become so popular, but ask the question, are these build to rent properties becoming overbuilt in this neighborhood? That's the first due diligence question, and a lot of investors overlook this, so you got to be mindful that build to rent often means lots of new construction in one smaller defined area. What you should do is ensure that new supply is being absorbed by renters. Some red flags to look out for are if multiple nearby communities are offering heavy concessions or free rent enticements, that is a sign that they're having difficulty luring in new renters to the area, and now taking a couple months to rent a brand new build isn't that unusual, but does the whole thing kind of feel like a mattress liquidation sale? Renters shouldn't have more signing bonuses than NFL free agents. The next due diligence question: Does this market still have population? And job growth, or am I late to the party? New workplace construction is a bullish market sign. Workplace construction, I'm talking about like a new office building, especially a new medical clinic, a new data center, a new factory. These signs are super bullish for an area, because not only does that attract the jobs and support the housing, as you can imagine, but see, that also means that whomever built the new workplace, oh, they probably did some research, and they're bullish about that area for a reason, they're going to look into that and do their due diligence that you can leverage before they spend perhaps 10s of millions of dollars or more in building a new workplace.    Keith Weinhold  5:45   The population should be stable or rising. Red flags are if growth already peaked and layoffs are increasing, don't arrive late to the party after the DJ has already packed up. The next question, when you're looking into a property, is is this unit likely to cash flow on day one? You know, you need to wonder, is the unit occupied or vacant. Some investors don't even think to ask that question until they get down the road a ways. When it's occupied, does the rent meet or exceed expenses with a buffer for maintenance and vacancy, now, if it's negatively cash flowing and you're solely enjoying the other four ways real estate pays, that might be okay, but you need to be comfortable with adopting a monthly bill that may or may not work. And do you know what I call a negatively cash flowing property? I call it a 401k property, because you have to keep feeding it every month like it's a 401k. A negatively cash flowing property effectively reduces your salary like a 401k does, and anyone that is serious about building real wealth when they're young enough to enjoy it would not invest in a 401k outside of the employer match portion.    Keith Weinhold  7:07   I'm your host Keith Weinhold. Here on Get Rich Education, episode 610 I've answered three out of twelve dirty dozen due diligence questions, and with abundantly minded grow your means answers that you're just not going to find on ChatGPT. Before I get to the fourth one, do you know what the word diligence means? Anyway, you probably have some idea. The definition of diligence is the quality of working carefully and persistently, demonstrating steady effort and thorough attention to a task. It implies a strong work ethic, meticulousness, and a commitment to completing duties well. All right, that is the definition. Diligence is the opposite of negligence. The next one, does my new build property need an inspection first? And this is a question, actually, that came in from Jake in Manhattan. Yes, it always does, whether it's resale or new build. It is always a good idea to get an inspection. One of the biggest misconceptions, really, is that new build means problem free.   Keith Weinhold  8:16   People just equate new build with problem free. No, that is not the case. New build can have problems. There could still be foundation cracks that are beyond normal settling, perhaps improperly installed roof flashing that could cause leaks, maybe windows or doors that are installed out of square, and a bunch more stuff that could be wrong, even in new build a presale inspection after you get the property under contract that only costs 350-650 dollars for single family rentals and 500-900 dollars for a duplex. This is cheap insurance. It's also good peace of mind, get it done. Sometimes investors want to skip the inspection when they need a quick close. Buyer, beware of the risk. The fifth due diligence question: What happens to my numbers if rents flatten for two years? And this is a more germane question than usual today, because rent growth is slow here in this cycle. Single-family rents are up just 1.3% year over year per totality, and expenses tend to rise with inflation. All right, so if your rents flatten for two years, project that ahead like your other expenses are rising, and see that the property would still remain financially stable. We cannot build a business plan on motivational quotes. Next, am I buying near major employers or near hopes and dreams with work from home trends, which can probably better be called. Called work from anywhere, trends buying near major employers is actually less important today, but it still matters. It is good to have diversified employers and stable payrolls somewhat nearby. Promises about future development might never happen. Sheesh, some areas have been up and coming since cassette tapes, the seventh due diligence question, what's the property tax trajectory here? That's the question. Taxes are often stable and increases predictable, but is there a local budget shortfall? And see, this is the type of due diligence that few people do keep in mind, and I'm bringing up new build a lot, because there are so many new build income properties today on new builds. Also, look out, year one taxes can look deceptively low until improved property is assessed in year two, and any reputable provider, and when you contact our GRE investment coaching here, we're going to point that out to you.    Keith Weinhold  11:05   This is how you can, though, sometimes get unusually low property taxes in year one if they have not assessed the improvement yet. Question eight, and this comes from Violet in Peoria, Arizona, is the builder offering real incentives, or are they just hiding the true price? Okay, well, incentives - they should genuinely improve your deal without inflating the pricing. Here, look out for sunglasses and a fake mustache for financing. It's mandatory that you have an appraisal. This protects you against overpaying in an appraisal, even though it's done for bank collateral purposes, checking the quality of their collateral, which is the property, you know, it is also a good independent third-party valuation check. This is a good tool to keep you from overpaying. Back around the 2008 days, the global financial crisis, you know, often then the lender and the appraiser could collude to give you favorable appraisals, somewhat inflated values, and as it turned out, I was an investor then and ended up being the beneficiary of some of those favorable appraisals, but since then the CFPB, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, stepped in. They were formed to step in, so that those parties are no longer in cahoots with each other, and yes, incentives are explicitly disclosed to the lender and appraiser. For example, if you have a seller that offers to pay half of your closing costs if you pay their full sale price. Okay, the appraisers do know that they have that information before they provide you with the appraised value. Ninth, what's the vacancy rate in this area right now? This is a good due diligence question to ask. A balanced market has about five to 6% vacancy, eight to 10% or more. That can often be the sign of a weak market, but this might be all right in build to rent communities, and that's due to longer initial lease up periods that you have there. Due diligence question 10. Would I still want this property if appreciation slowed dramatically? You want to ask yourself this question because you cannot predict appreciation. The answer to this question is most likely yes.   Keith Weinhold  13:35   You would still want the property even if appreciation slowed dramatically, because as a listener here, you understand that with a 20% down payment, just 2% price appreciation creates a 10% return on your equity, and you're also benefiting from the other four ways real estate pays, but if you're absolutely counting on appreciation to do all of the heavy lifting over the long term, that's less investing, and that is more hoping with spreadsheets. What's more predictable is something like inflation profiting on your loan, which is a force on its own. Next, ask this question: How old are the big ticket items like the roof, HVAC, plumbing, sewer, and electrical? I mean, if you get a number of expensive items that are near the end of their life, you could soon become emotionally attached to ibuprofen. At GRE Marketplace, we work with either extensively renovated properties or new build properties, so this is rarely a concern. These big capex items, capital expenditures, and that is really the way to go. Extensively renovated or new build property, because see that way the cost of having all this done for you both. Before you buy the property, that means that what you're essentially doing is financing the cost of all this into the loan, you're financing into the new roof, HVAC, plumbing, sewer, electrical, if any of that applies, and if you're buying a fixer upper, well, then a lot of times you need to pay cash for these items, and you lose repair time where the property could have been rented during that renovation time. Work with our investment coaching here, and you're going to be all set. Those big ticket items are rarely a concern. And then what happens is, if you have a break even or a positively cash flowing property. The tenant covers all of your operating expenses with the rent payment, and you never have to pay any money at all for these big ticket items. They pay for your mortgage and everything else, and you never lose the time because these things were done before you bought.    Keith Weinhold  16:01   And the last one question 12. What you want to ask is, what's the exit strategy if I ever want to sell? That's the last question. Begin with the end in mind. The fewer doors the property has, the easier it is to sell. Single family homes win big here. I mean, your eventual buyer down the road, they could be a gleeful owner occupant, even if the rental math were poor. That buyer wouldn't even know that the rental math is poor, because they're not renting it out, they're going to live there themselves. Sometimes your single family rental tenant even becomes your eventual buyer. This can work with duplexes too. Sometimes you can get an owner occupant, or your tenant stays there and continues to reside there as they're the owner, and they rent out the other side as well. But if you're trying to sell at 30 duplex, well, now you're exposed to cap rates and investor sentiment and market cycles, it's sort of like trying to offload a small corporation. That doesn't mean that apartments are bad, but they are substantially less liquid than single family rentals. That's your exit strategy that we're looking at. They are the dirty dozen due diligence questions every investor feels bumps, I have you will too, but these questions and answers are really going to go a long way toward helping you own right, and when you stick with it, real estate is a forgiving and lucrative asset class because you're paid in so many ways. Hey, coming up shortly, a guest that you haven't heard from in a while, and I know that some of you have missed hearing her voice. We'll talk a bit about the state of the real estate market here in a period where prices are remarkably stable, housing transactions are only about 80% what they usually are, and then we'll discuss how she's using AI in her real estate investing today. It's how she's increasing her occupancy and optimizing the amount of rent being collected. She splits her time in a couple ways between real estate markets in both Michigan and Georgia, and then in both the short term and long-term rental markets. That's next. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to Get Rich Education. What if you got your mortgage loans the same place I get mine?   Keith Weinhold  18:31   You sure can at Ridge Lending Group, NMLS 42056 They provided GRE listeners with more loans than anyone, because Ridge specializes in investment property, they'll help you build a long-term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequal, and even chat directly with President Chayley Ridge. While it's on your mind, start at ridgelendinggroup.com that's ridgelendinggroup.com Let me ask you something, if you've worked hard to build wealth, is your money positioned to actually support your goals? A lot of accredited investors leave capital sitting in cash because it feels safe, but inflation and missed income opportunities can quietly erode its value. Freedom Family Investments offers freedom notes for investors seeking structured income backed by real estate, it's a straightforward approach built on real assets, not speculation. In full disclosure, I'm an investor myself. What I like is that their team walks you through how it all works, so you can decide if it aligns with your portfolio and income goals. Every investment carries risk, and nothing is guaranteed, but with a track record of consistent on-time investor payouts, they've built real credibility. Go to Freedom Family investments.com to book a clarity call, or text Family 266-866 that's Family 266-866,    Speaker 3  20:02   Hi, this is Russell Gray, co-host of the Real Estate Guys Radio Show, and you're listening to Get Rich Education with Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream. We've got a special treat for you today is for the first time in a few years we hear from someone that's served since 2020 in house here in both operations and as an investment coach. Today she serves GRE in a different capacity internally, but a lot of you still ask about her. That's why she's here. She's got both the formal education with her MBA, and is about as robust in being a real estate investor as you can be at the same time. Oh, it's a warm welcome back to the talented Andrea Newburn.   Aundrea Newbern  20:51   Hey, Keith, it's so great to be back. It's been a long time.   Keith Weinhold  20:54   Well, you've continued to grow not just in your business but in your family size since you were last here. Congrats there. I'd like your thoughts, just generally, about the American residential real estate investment market today, where we've got these sort of rising prices in low supply areas, we have slightly falling prices in oversupplied areas, we've got mortgage rates that have normalized, we've got tough affordability for renters that want to be first time home buyers, so just tell us about what you see, big picture. Andrea,   Aundrea Newbern  21:28   Yeah, absolutely, and so I invest and operate predominantly in the Southeast, so this will probably be a little bit more of a lens from the Southeast market, but as you know, I still actively invest in real estate myself. I help, you know people buy rental properties, also. But then the main thing that I'm doing now is I have a property management company down in Southeast Georgia, and so I'm seeing things more from the lens of what investors are doing, where they're investing, where rents are going, and if people are even buying properties. So it's been a little bit interesting. I mean, what I'm seeing is that, as you all know, it slowed down. We're not seeing as many investors buy properties, but people still are doing it, and they're still finding good cash flowing properties. Where the challenges come in is you're not making as much money on these properties as you did four or five years ago, so you know your margins are going to be a little bit less, your cash flow is going to be a little bit less. And then we're seeing, you know, rents kind of stabilize depending on the type of asset class that it is, so you know things are not doing wonderfully, but they're stable from what I'm seeing in the southeast market,   Keith Weinhold  22:31   and now you do a good bit of investing in sort of Brunswick and out toward the Georgia coast, including places like Jekyll Island, where G. Edward Griffin wrote his book about the formation of the Fed, and all that in general. How has that area been from a residential supply standpoint? For example, we know in neighboring Florida they've had a lot of oversupplied pockets. How are we looking there? I think you have a lot of occupancy right now from talking to you earlier.   Aundrea Newbern  22:59   We do, so I manage two different types of investments, right? I manage the long-term rental properties. There's less of those like on Jekyll Island, there's more of those in the mainland and Brunswick. And then we do the vacation rentals, which is very, very heavy on Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. What we're seeing this year, if we talk about maybe those vacation rentals first, and then I'll talk about the long-term vacation rentals, we're still seeing a lot of demand, a lot of people are still coming. We're not really down from this time last year, but the one big thing we're seeing is people are booking their vacations last minute, they're not booking them months in advance at this point. So that's definitely had a little bit of an impact and had us on edge, because we're like, okay, where are these vacations? And then, sure enough, they're booking a couple weeks out now, so that's going really well. The investors that have purchased homes on Jekyll and St. Simons, especially Jekyll, are doing really good. They're still making a lot of money. They have high occupancy. Where are we seeing a little bit more of the challenge is with the long-term rentals. So rents are kind of staying flat from where they were last year in some of those B and C markets. We may even see a slight decrease, just a couple percentage points, and then it's taking longer to fill the property. So last year we could typically get a qualified runner in in three to four weeks. Now we're seeing anywhere from five to eight weeks. Right now,   Keith Weinhold  24:11   as far as on the short term side, have restrictions affected you at all, like banning Airbnbs, for example, and how have you seen that play out in other areas? Because you certainly network with other people that do short-term rentals. Can you tell us about that?   Aundrea Newbern  24:26   Yeah, absolutely. So I can talk about the Southeast market, for one, where in Jekyll, St. Simons, Brunswick, we're seeing no rental restrictions whatsoever. We do have to have a process to register the rental with a county, but it's so easy. It's literally a form. We do an inspection once a year, and that is it. I don't know that this is a fact, but a lot of the commissioners and politicians in the area also have rental properties. I think that probably has a little bit of an impact on that up here in Michigan, which, you know, I have another home, and I live in Michigan part of the time as well. There's a lot of restrictions, in fact, my. House right now is in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and they already have a rental ban where you can't do less than 30 days, so you're already having to go into that midterm market, and now they have some proposals up with the local municipality to even eliminate some of that, so we're seeing that in this area.   Keith Weinhold  25:17   Generally, do you tend to see it in nicer, ritzier areas where they want to make the short-term rental restrictions.   Aundrea Newbern  25:24   Yes, I do. Absolutely. Up here in Sterling Heights, where I live, the average home of my neighborhood is around five to six hundred thousand dollards and they absolutely do not want those here. But if you go a few neighborhoods over, where you're looking more of like the two hundreed to three hundred thousand dollars range, they don't seem to have as much of an issue with those. There   Keith Weinhold  25:40   We've been talking about short term rentals in both Southeast Georgia and then in Metro Detroit, where you currently spend quite a bit of your time. Talk to us about the long term rental market with affordability for buying being down, that really hurts the prospective first time home buyer, so they need to be more likely to rent, which would make some people wonder. Oh, well, then how could vacancy possibly go up in an area? Well, you know, migration - we've touched on it - is one reason why that might happen. Another reason why it might happen is you might see more doubling up.   Aundrea Newbern  26:15   Yeah, we do. We see a lot more families coming in. In fact, last week we just rented a property out to somebody where the parents were renting with their children, their grown adult children that also had kids, they're getting bigger houses, right? So they're actually feeling that need to fill up some of our larger homes, but it's multi-generational now. We are seeing a lot more roommates come in, too, instead of two roommates, you'll see three people come in and get a house together. The other thing we've noticed that's been really drastic, maybe the last three or four months, is the debt load that we're seeing. So, when we run people's background checks and look, they've got a lot of credit card debt now. We didn't see that as much years prior.   Keith Weinhold  26:50   All right, so you're seeing that at the street level, that's a statistic that we can read about, that American savings rates are down and the proportion of debt is often up. You're seeing it in real time, there. Do you see potentially, Andrea, this propensity for people to want to sort of bend things and have someone that's not on the lease live there with them in order to cut costs? So, you know, is there really anything in this environment that we really need to be careful about when we're screening tenants with them having such a debt load, and having to struggle with inflation and rising prices.   Aundrea Newbern  27:23   Yeah, absolutely. The debt load, number one, you know, we'll see them increasing, and that's something we want to keep an eye on. So, we're having to kind of retool our policies to look more critically at that debt load. They may not be delinquent on anything now, but if we've seen it gone up significantly in the last few months, I bet you it's coming. So, we're trying to retool our policies to be able to deal with that, you mentioned people having unauthorized tenants in the home that has persistently been an issue for us, maybe the past year. We find this often that that's happening, and usually it's because that person wouldn't qualify on the application, but they still bring in money and can help with the rent. The third thing, and this is with the advent of AI, right, how big AI has come is, we're seeing a lot of documents that are clearly fraudulent, but they look really, really good, because AI has created them. So that's another issue.   Keith Weinhold  28:09   Gosh, that's interesting. Well, I want to ask you more about AI, and you know, Aundrea, America is in such a weird time with AI today. You probably saw it at these college graduations across the nation, where a luminary is up front at the lectern making a commencement speech, and they get booed by students for talking about embracing AI, and that's probably because the student feels threatened about AI taking the job that they might not get, and you know what's funny, I suspect there's some of those same students, they loved it when AI helped them write an essay in order to get to graduation and wear that cap and gown, so..   Aundrea Newbern  28:51   Absolutely.   Keith Weinhold  28:52   Yeah, that's what I knew when I say that we're in a weird time with AI, but I know that you've really embraced AI as a property manager and investor almost from the get-go to make your property operations more efficient, so that you don't have to raise prices on owners, and you can keep those owner expenses down and increase resident retention at the same time. So, tell us more about how you're using it.   Aundrea Newbern  29:16   Yeah, so my team, I think, hates me for this right now, but in the last six months we have literally changed our operations front to back in a few different ways. Number one, we've changed the systems that we use, so you know, for vacation rentals as well as long-term rentals, you have your property management system that kind of streamlines everything, and that you do everything in. We've started going to platforms that are a little bit more AI friendly, so they have AI agents built in and they have AI functionality already in them, so that we're not having to purchase additional tools to come in and add them as a layer on top of our systems. So that's kind of the basic thing that we're doing, but the other fun things that I've been able to do, and I'm still, you know, working on this, and we're refining it daily, is using AI actually as kind of like a virtual assistant, essentially. So we do have virtual assistants with a company, and they're great, and we love them, and they do a wonderful job. However, they're human, so they're not perfect, but these AI agents, once you've trained them to do a lot of the back office tasks that your virtual assistants can do, after a certain number of iterations and training, they don't really make mistakes. So knowing that we have that, and we can continue building on that. We don't have to add FTE to our team, which increase our labor costs. That's allowing us to not raise our prices on our clients, and which I'm sure they're all happy about, because other property management companies are doing that right now,   Keith Weinhold  30:33   Right, so property management companies are going to have to do this to stay competitive and keep up, whether they want to or not, and when I think about using AI in real estate, you know, one of the first things I think of, just say that tenant journey from attracting the tenant to placing them. When I think of the cutting edge, I think of help with marketing and writing advertisements, which I think is kind of a simple thing to do, sort of an easy way to implement AI, and also when I think about that early part of the journey, really I think about using AI as a leasing assistant, and sort of how you see that more, the 24/7 front desk, if you will. I mean, if you have an AI leasing assistant that can answer questions for your prospective new tenant and follow up with leads that can be a big deal. I mean, a lead that sits unanswered for six hours, they just kind of turn into a cold French fry, and instead AI can answer those questions and schedule that tour. If a prospective tenant asks the same question four times, you know the AI doesn't get frustrated and leave out some sigh. So, can you tell us more about kind of that front end, the marketing, and then the leasing end? Are you using AI as a leasing assistant essentially?   Aundrea Newbern  31:47   We are. So, if we talk about maybe the marketing piece of things before we get into the leasing, we're not using as much AI with marketing at the moment. I have had it write some copy for me for some marketing, and I'm not usually crazy about it. I still think it looks like AI right now, so we're having to do a lot of changes with that, but what it has done a really good job at helping us out in the last few weeks is have it go analyze your website, have it analyze how you come up in search functions, right? So, if somebody's going to Google or if they're going to Gemini or they're going to Chat GPT, what's happening with your website and your company when people are looking for property managers, for example, it does a very thorough check on that. It's also really good at reviewing your website and telling you where you have gaps in terms of maybe you need to, you know, change something here or there, or you have certain links that are not helping in your search functionality. So, I think it's really good as far as analyzing stuff. That's kind of about all we've done as far as marketing, as far as a leasing assistant goes, this has essentially been like the biggest lift I think we've had from AI, period, in the last couple years. So, maybe a year ago, we implemented a software, and I'm going to leave the name out, because I'm sure you know I'd rather not do that, but it's a software, and there's a bunch of different options that you can use for this, but essentially it collects all of our leads for us, so we set it up, you know, we set criteria for the type of tenant and our policies for, you know, what type of tenant would qualify, and they call in or message or email this number or this email address, and the AI essentially goes through and asks them a series of questions, lets them know if they would potentially qualify or not. If they would not, then it will not allow them to schedule showings for any of our properties, if they would, with no exceptions. Then we can go ahead and get them scheduled, and the AI actually goes through and gets them scheduled as well. So it is a huge help for us.   Keith Weinhold  33:30   That is really nice. Okay, helping out with tenant screening, there can it arrange tours, put them on the calendar, then if they're qualified.   Aundrea Newbern  33:40   Yes, it actually gives them an option and shows them all of the dates we have available, so the person can go ahead and schedule their showing. It can provide updates if we need it, so if we change our policy, it can send that out to the tenants for us as well. So that process I would say is about 90% automated right now. It doesn't really take much human intervention, except for us to review things and make sure there's nothing kind of wonky with the schedule or anything like that.   Keith Weinhold  34:00   Okay, so if they're qualified and interested, the prospective tenant can fill out an application, and then is AI assisting on the screening, and are you still meeting with them in person before they get the keys and sign the contract?   Aundrea Newbern  34:14   Yes, and no. So we still do meet with them in person to be able to do like that walkthrough of the property and make sure we're documenting issues, and all of that, which, by the way, I think in the next year that'll probably be automated as well, but we're not quite there yet. They do not have to come in in person, in terms of signing the lease or anything like that. That's all done remotely. If they want to, they can, but we really don't have to meet with them until it's time for move in at this point.   Keith Weinhold  34:36   All right, we're seeing the evolution of AI since it was really Chat GPT that was pioneering and rolling out in November of 2022 so we're coming up on four years of really this activity being integrated into our lives, and I think we both know that it's only going to get better from here, so when we have a tenant that. It's actually placed, of course. I often like to say they call the discipline property management, but it could probably very well be called tenant management. And I think, about, you know, is everything okay after the tenants there? As far as AI having a maintenance triage function, if there's a maintenance request, of course, you're going to want to prioritize something differently if it's a big plumbing leak that's damaging the subfloor versus just having a slow drain, you know. You probably want to be sure either one of those things are taken care of, but one is going to get priority over the other. So, can you tell us more about after that tenants place the maintenance triage and using AI there?   Aundrea Newbern  35:38   Yeah, so we've pretty much automated the maintenance process in the last year, other than, you know, actually making sure the vendor went out and did what they were supposed to do. So, right now, with us, a tenant has to go in, unless they have a disability and can't do it, of course, but they have to go in and put in any work orders through our system, and essentially what happens is we've created kind of a workflow, so here's the issues of the types of things that would not be considered an emergency unless they answer, you know, certain questions a certain way. Here are the things that are emergencies and requires to go out pretty much no matter what, right? For the things that are non-emergency, or they're not clear in what the actual issue is, which is probably the number one problem we have, is they say, 'My lights aren't working, that's it, we don't know anything else about it, and then come to find out it was just a light bulb, or come to find out it was just their breakers tripping. The AI actually goes in and analyzes what they put in as the issue and selected, and then asks them a series of questions, and then, based on their responses, it actually tells them what to go do to troubleshoot it. We're seeing right now with data, it's eliminating maybe about 40% of the things that we would send somebody out for, yeah, it is huge, and the tenants are doing it, and they're not really pushing back or having issues with it most of the time, but then there are certain things that AI can't quite figure out, we're still training it on, so we do have to send somebody out or call, but it's having a huge reduction in us having to send folks out for this.   Keith Weinhold  36:56   Okay, yeah, we're not talking about completely eliminating humans, but that's huge, if they can have AI give them the answer to maybe some routine maintenance thing, probably that they could have gone and found out on their own, but yeah, that saves 40% of maintenance visits, that's a big deal. All right, so not too much backlash from tenants, not saying, like, oh, hey, I don't want to be talking with your robot, come on, not so much of that.   Aundrea Newbern  37:20   No, not yet. Now we are looking right now at implementing an actual AI agent that would answer the phone to handle these types of just maintenance issues, nothing else but maintenance for right now. And we've tested out a lot of different softwares that do this. Some are better than others, but none of them are perfect yet. And I could call and definitely tell I'm talking to AI, maybe some people couldn't. I feel we're probably going to have a little bit more blowback when that starts getting implemented and rolled out.   Keith Weinhold  37:44   Yeah, I imagine people are just going to get more and more used to this, you know. I wonder, how much AI is helping you with rent pricing, what amount to set the rent for. I mean, for example, isn't it interesting if AI knows that, hey, a bunch of units in the neighborhood all around you, they already have high occupancy. It's really tight in this sub market, where maybe it would advise you to bump up your rent. So, tell us about how AI is helping you with rent pricing.   Aundrea Newbern  38:12   Yeah, so you know, as a broker, I obviously have access to the MLS, which we use for a lot of data, but then sometimes there's rentals that are not on the MLS, so you know an owner went and listed it themselves, and I actually have an agent that their task is to go in every couple of days, and they'll analyze any of our existing listed properties that we have that are not occupied. We're still waiting on somebody to apply, and it'll go and tell me, "Hey, is anything else been listed? Has anything that was out there when we did our review two days ago? Has anything closed? Can we figure out, you know, what price it rented for? Sometimes it can, sometimes it can't, but it'll provide me a report every two days, automated, in my inbox for me to be able to look at on that. So it's really nice.   Keith Weinhold  38:51   Wow, this could be hugely useful. Yeah, or imagine on the flip side of that, if AI detects that there are a lot of vacancies in your area that, hey, you probably don't want to get so aggressive with rent increases. In that case, was there any last way that you're using AI in real estate? Maybe something I didn't think about asking you, Aundrea.   Aundrea Newbern  39:10   If we talk about long-term rentals, not as much. I think you kind of hit on the main things that we're using it for right now, but if we look at vacation rentals, it is doing a lot more there, I think, at the moment than it is long term. So, for example, pricing - we have dynamic pricing that we use for all of our vacation rentals, and the dynamic pricing isn't perfect, so somebody still has to physically go in and make sure no tweaks need to be made, that there's nothing weird going on in the software. I now have an AI agent that, that is their number one job. They go in once a day, they review all of our pricing. They let me know whether we need to adjust it up, down, change our minimum days, maximum days, and we make the adjustments. We're training it now to actually do those for us, but we haven't let it do it yet, so we're still waiting there. It's still waiting on its approval for me to do that, but things such as pricing, things such as going through and analyzing guest feedback, or guest. First tone, even in messages, it's providing me reports on that daily, so I can help identify problems that are maybe small problems before they become big.   Keith Weinhold  40:07   It makes sense that it would be more applicable in short-term rentals with all the turnover that you have there. Well, Andrea, let us know if there's a way for our followers to keep up with you and what you're doing, because people still ask about you here. You're so well liked. Let us know.   Aundrea Newbern  40:26   Yeah, so there's a couple of ways. If you're wanting to kind of see what we're doing with property management or our company, you can go to goldenaislesretreats.com There's also for a way for you to get in touch with me there. You can also check me out on LinkedIn or on Facebook, so I'm there as well, and I'd be happy to connect with anybody. I miss our listeners.   Keith Weinhold  40:43   Oh, Andrea, it's been valuable. It's been great having you back.   Aundrea Newbern  40:46   Thank you, Keith.   Keith Weinhold  40:53   Yeah, great to hear from Aundrea again on the show. It has been a few years. If you use professional management like I do, they will most likely be applying AI in a lot of the ways that we discussed. Coming up on the show soon, a life coach that's had a profound effect on a number of guests that we've hosted here on the show over the years. He has agreed to join us. He doesn't do a lot of appearances like this, so it'll be great. We'll hear directly from Daniel Thomas Hind, and how he transforms the lives of so many business people and investors professionally, physically, and mentally. I'm confident that it's going to help you get more out of life too. Until next week, I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream.   Speaker 1  41:45   Nothing on this show should be considered specific personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial, or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss, the host is operating on behalf of Get Rich Education LLC exclusively.    Keith Weinhold  42:13   The preceding program was brought to you by Your Home for Wealth Building, getricheducation.com.

This week, Paula Macpherson joined us to talk about two things: First, she is the executive director of Velocity. Velocity is one of the Michigan SmartZones, and is a business incubator, accelerator, and coworking space in Sterling Heights, MI. They provide grant support, guidance from entrepreneurs, and monthly events for new startup business owners. Second, she is the event chair of the Michigan Inventors Summit. This annual event provides education, networking and product discovery. Guests include entrepreneurs who appeared on “Shark Tank” and personnel from the US Patent and Trademark Office. There will also be a live pitch competition. It is on July 9, 2026 at Kellogg Center, East Lansing. Get tickets on EventBrite.

The Slamfest Podcast brings the premier rock concert pregaming experience from the parking lot to the podcasting airwaves.  Episode 313 - Brad saw his sixth show of 2026 - a great double-bill.  Both bands from the Great White North - one of which I had never seen before one I hadn't seen in 18 years.  He saw Triumph and April Wine on 5/30/26 at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, MI. He welcomes Slamfest Crew Member Brad C. back to the podcast to discuss this show and both Triumph and April Wine.  For the Band on the Bill Spotlight, they create their dream Triumph setlist.  After a Slamfest Tip of the Week, they are faced with a "Which Side are you On?" Side 1 or 2 from Triumph's first compilation album, Classics, from 1989. Music in this episode by: April Wine Triumph Bon Jovi Motorhead Aldo Nova Black Sabbath Kiss Ozzy Visit the Slamfest Podcast online at: https://slamfest-podcast.simplecast.com Request to join the Slamfest Podcast private Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slamfestpodcast E-mail us at : slamfestpodcast@gmail.com

What does it actually take to run a high-tech incubator in a public-private partnership — and make it work at scale? In this episode, Molly King is joined by Taylor Sherbine from the EIC team, plus Paula Macpherson, Executive Director of Velocity in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and Meghan Hubbs, Velocity's Small Business Program Manager, for a candid conversation about what it looks like to build, fund, and grow a thriving innovation ecosystem.Velocity is one of 21 Michigan Economic Development Corporation-designated Smart Zones and one of three international landing zones in the state. In just a few years, they've gone from half a building being dark to 100% occupancy with a 12-business waiting list, and grown their investment attraction numbers from $19.2 million to $68 million in a single year. Paula and Meghan share exactly how they got there.In this episode, you'll hear:How Velocity serves businesses from "idea on a napkin" all the way through their high-tech, medtech, and small business accelerator tracksWhy they built one unified intake instead of multiple forms and how that decision transformed their data qualityWhat it means to collect data for your organization, not just for your funders and why that distinction changes everythingHow signature programs like Donuts in Defense, Founders First Friday, CEO Roundtables, and Coffee and Conversation were born out of real community gapsThe challenge of tracking investments and follow-on funding when entrepreneurs are too busy (or too private) to self-reportWhat happened when they stopped trying to be everything for everyone and what that focus unlockedPractical tips for attracting businesses in defense, aerospace, hard tech, and manufacturing sectorsPaula's lesson on scaling is one you'll want to write down: "We can't be everything for everyone. Get really good at what you do well [and] find partners for the rest. The growth follows."Whether you're an economic developer, incubator manager, SBDC director, or community builder, this episode is packed with real-world insight from practitioners who've done the work.Connect with Velocity: https://www.mivelocity.com/Connect with EIC: https://www.economicimpactcatalyst.com/

The Center for Urban Renewal and Education president zeroes in on the critical importance of voting, elections and passing the Save America Act; socialism vs. capitalism; update on the state of Black progress; He's the senior minister/elder at the Metro Church of Christ in Sterling Heights, MI, and host of the CURE America with Donald […] The post CURE President Donald T. Eason Dissects Why Voting And Elections Matter appeared first on Radio Influence.

Construction could begin soon on the Lakeside Mall redevelopment. The Sterling Heights City council approved a $573 million tax incentive plan to redevelop the mall into a mixed-use development. WWJ's Chris Fillar and Jackie Paige have your Wednesday morning news. (Photo credit: WWJ's Marisa Jenkins)

Chris Holman welcomes Meghan Hubbs, Small Business Programs Manager, Velocity, Sterling Heights, MI. Tell us a little about Velocity and its role in supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in Macomb County? Can you briefly explain the Professional Fellows Program and how Velocity became involved bringing it to Macomb County? From your time in Morocco, what key lessons or insights stood out that could apply to small businesses here? What similarities did you see between entrepreneurs in Morocco and those in Michigan, especially around challenges and growth? How do international exchanges like this benefit local businesses and the broader regional economy? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/ VELOCITY STRENGTHENS MACOMB COUNTY'S ROLE AND EXPANDS GLOBAL TIES THROUGH MOROCCO EXCHANGE U.S. Department of State exchange empowers local small business leader to connect with international entrepreneurs Sterling Heights, MI — Velocity, a Sterling Heights business incubator, accelerator and coworking hub, is strengthening its global partnerships and expanding Macomb County's role in the international innovation ecosystem following Meghan Hubbs' participation in the Professional Fellows Program for the Middle East and North Africa, a U.S. Department of State-sponsored initiative. Hubbs, Velocity's small business programs manager, was selected, along with Cynthia Respert of REBRANDX, to participate in a 10-day outbound exchange in Morocco after Velocity served as a host organization for international fellows Mawlay Hassan of Morocco and Mohamed Texana of Algeria through the program. The exchange is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and managed in partnership with Legacy International and Global Ties Detroit, which serves as the local inbound placement partner. During her time abroad, Hubbs engaged with business leaders, innovation hubs, universities and economic development organizations to explore Morocco's entrepreneurial landscape. The delegation was hosted by Amideast, an American education and training organization with a longstanding presence in Morocco, and the U.S. Embassy in Rabat. The visit overlapped with America's 250th Anniversary Alumni Summit on Jan. 24 in Salé. The summit convened hundreds of Moroccan alumni of U.S. government exchange programs to celebrate 250 years of American independence and the milestone of 10,000 Moroccan participants in these initiatives. It highlighted the long-term impact of U.S.-inspired leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship through high-level panels, hands-on workshops and an innovation exhibition, reaffirming the enduring U.S.-Morocco partnership and commitment to shared economic growth. Hubbs led interactive workshops on building and scaling small businesses, professionalizing creative enterprises, strengthening cooperative mentorship and sustainability, and mastering pitch preparation. She also participated in a panel focused on practical AI adoption for small- and medium-sized enterprises and impactful small-business support strategies. “We are incredibly proud of Meghan for representing Velocity and our region through this prestigious international exchange,” Macpherson said. “Her dedication to strengthening small businesses and building meaningful partnerships ### ABOUT VELOCITY Velocity is designed to accelerate innovation, reinvention, and growth for Macomb County businesses. Located in the Sterling Innovation District, our incubator, accelerator, and coworking space offer world-class opportunities to help businesses thrive.

Sterling Heights police have arrested two 19-year-olds, from Idaho and South Carolina, for allegedly spray-painting a swastika and other symbols on the fence of a Sterling Heights home early Sunday morning. It happened in a neighborhood near Hall Road and Van Dyke. WWJ's Chris Fillar and Jackie Paige have your Monday morning news. (Photo credit: WWJ's Marisa Jenkins)

The Slamfest Podcast brings the premier rock concert pregaming experience from the parking lot to the podcasting airwaves.  Episode 304 - This was Brad's second time seeing this NWOBHM band on the same tour.  He saw Judas Priest and Pop Evil on the Redeemer of Souls tour at Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights, MI on 7/15/15.  For the Band on the Bill Spotlight, he chooses his two fav's and one least fav from Pop Evil's first four full length studio albums, Lipstick on the Mirror, War of Angels, Onyx and Up.  After a Slamfest Tip of the Week, he is faced with a "Which Side are you On?" Side 1 or 2 from from Judas Priest's 8th studio album, Screaming for Vengeance, from 1982. Music in this episode by: Pop Evil Judas Priest Bon Jovi Motorhead Black Sabbath Kiss Ozzy Visit the Slamfest Podcast online at: https://slamfest-podcast.simplecast.com Request to join the Slamfest Podcast private Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slamfestpodcast E-mail us at : slamfestpodcast@gmail.com

A Sterling Heights bank was hit by a car earlier today. Sterling Heights Police confirmed that an elderly driver crashed into the Comerica Bank at 18 Mile and Dequindre. WWJ's Tony Ortiz and Tracey McCaskill have the afternoon's top news stories.

A Sterling Heights man is facing felony charges after authorities say he was caught on video beating his girlfriend's small dog to death. WWJ's Tony Ortiz and Tracey McCaskill has the day's top stories.

March 23, 2026 ~ On this week's Monday Munchies, Jamie, Chris and Lloyd chose to highlight Villa Penna, an Italian staple in Sterling Heights, by inviting Chef Frank Penna in studio. Chef Penna was joined by Amy Swanson, Digital Content Strategist for Shelving.com to discuss their partnership on Bocce with the Brothers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

MIRS sits down with Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, who's running to become Republicans' pick for Michigan Attorney General. He discusses the recent car ramming attack on Oakland County's Temple Israel, the growing relationship between crime and technology, and what Republican delegates are most eager to talk about this year (1:05).  Also, MIRS hosts a Democratic/Republican roundtable with Katie Jesaitis, a public affairs professional who worked previously for U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) – and Michelle Smith, a Sterling Heights-based Republican.  Together, they talk about "Invest in MI Kids" suspending its campaign for a ballot proposal to use a 5 percent surcharge on wealthy incomes for education funding, as well as whether Michigan should move its primary elections up from from August to May (24:15). 

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In this special edition of Talk'n the Beat, Sgt. Kevin Coates and Officer Larry Reynolds sit down with Lt. Dave Allen to discuss the Sterling Heights Police Department's active recruitment campaign. SHPD is seeking to hire 12 new police officers and encourages qualified candidates to apply.To connect directly with potential applicants, the department will host two Recruitment Nights on March 26 and April 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. Officers from across the department will be available to answer questions, explain the hiring process, and highlight opportunities in specialized units such as SRT, Traffic, and the Detective Bureau. A virtual option will also be available for those who cannot attend in person.Applications are open March 3 through May 2, 2026. Candidates must pass the EMPCO exam with a score of at least 80% prior to submitting an application through the City of Sterling Heights website. Applicants who meet the requirements will advance in the selection process, with 12 candidates ultimately selected to join the department.Send Your Questions to Sgt. Coates and Officer Reynolds!Email us at ttb@sterlingheights.gov and your question may be used in an upcoming podcast episode.

In this episode of Talk'n the Beat, Sgt. Kevin Coates and Officer Larry Reynolds sit down with Lieutenant Craig Cole to discuss the Sterling Heights Police Department's Crisis Intervention Team, also known as CIT.CIT programs are designed to improve how law enforcement responds to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Officers complete a specialized 40 hour Crisis Intervention Team training course focused on de-escalation, recognizing signs of mental illness, and connecting individuals to treatment and community resources rather than defaulting to arrest. Lieutenant Cole explains how this approach helps calm situations, reduce risk for everyone involved, and create better outcomes for families.The department is also participating in a special needs registry that allows families to share important information in advance, helping officers respond more safely and appropriately when called to a home.This episode highlights how training, collaboration, and preparation are shaping a more thoughtful response to mental health emergencies in Sterling Heights.Send Your Questions to Sgt. Coates and Officer Reynolds!Email us at ttb@sterlingheights.gov and your question may be used in an upcoming podcast episode.

Originally uploaded January 29th, reloaded February 20th. Jeffrey Mosher welcomes Jacob Brown and Paula Macpherson, upcoming Keynoters for April 16, 2026, at Velocity in Sterling Heights, Michigan. For Paula Macpherson: Velocity wears a lot of hats—incubator, accelerator, coworking hub. Why was Velocity the right home for Future Leader Live!, and how does hosting an event like this advance your broader mission of strengthening Macomb County's entrepreneurial ecosystem? For Jacob Brown: Future Leader Live! is being described as “first-of-its-kind” for metro Detroit. From your perspective as host and keynote, what problem in traditional business conferences were you trying to solve—and how does this format change the way leaders actually engage and learn? For Paula Macpherson: Velocity sits at the center of the Sterling Innovation District, surrounded by massive investment and growth. How does Future Leader Live! reflect what's happening in the region right now—and help position Sterling Heights as a hub for innovation and future-focused leadership? For Jacob Brown: The live, audience-decided pitch competition is a bold twist—no judges, real-time voting, real stakes. Why was it important to put that power directly in the hands of attendees, and what does that say about the kind of leadership this event is trying to cultivate? For Both: When entrepreneurs and community leaders walk out of Velocity at noon that day, what do you most hope they're walking away with—not just in inspiration, but in momentum, connection, or next steps? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ Future Leader Live! Brings a High-Energy, First-of-Its-Kind Leadership Conference to Velocity in Sterling Heights STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Turning an entrepreneurial dream into reality takes vision, strategy, and the right opportunities. This spring, one local business owner will have the chance to take a major step forward by competing for a $10,000 grand prize at Future Leader Live!, a high-energy leadership conference designed to break away from the traditional business event format. The speaker lineup features respected, nationally recognized local leaders who, despite being longtime friends, are collaborating on stage together for the first time: Mark Ostach – Digital wellness and connectivity Princess Castleberry – Risk management Hajj Flemings – Entrepreneur and author Jacob Brown – Closing keynote and host Registration opens February 1 at FutureLeaderLive.com, with early-bird pricing available through Mar. 1. Event Details: What: Future Leader Live! When: April 16, 2026 | 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (Registration at 8:00 AM) Where: Velocity, Sterling Heights Who: Entrepreneurs, business owners, community and chamber leaders For more information, visit https://futureleaderlive.com. ### ABOUT VELOCITY Velocity is designed to accelerate innovation, reinvention, and growth for Macomb County businesses. Located in the Sterling Innovation District, our incubator, accelerator, and coworking space offer world-class opportunities to help businesses thrive.

Chris Holman welcomes George Cook, VP of Sales and Marketing for TARUS, Sterling Heights, MI. Welcome George, please tell us about TARUS? As a finalist for the 2025 Manufacturing Innovation Excellence Award, from the MMA, what does this recognition say about the future role of vertically integrated technology companies like TARUS in shaping the next generation of manufacturing operations? From a business strategy standpoint, what drove the decision to apply an innovation mindset to developing an in-house ERP platform like VERAX? VERAX is described as “created by manufacturers for manufacturers.” How does that translate into measurable business outcomes—such as cost control, throughput, or decision-making—compared to traditional, off-the-shelf ERP systems? Industry 4.0 capabilities like real-time machine monitoring, biometrics, and geolocation are built into VERAX. How are manufacturers using these tools today to improve productivity and competitiveness in an increasingly data-driven environment? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/ Sterling Heights based VERAX ERP Selected as Finalist for Manufacturing Excellence Award STERLING HEIGHTS — Sterling Heights' own VERAX ERP is receiving statewide recognition as a finalist for the 2025 Innovation Excellence Award. The honor is part of the Manufacturing Excellence Awards, presented annually by the Michigan Manufacturers Association (MMA). MMA will reveal and honor the winners of the 2025 Manufacturing Excellence Awards during a celebration on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Lansing. VERAX ERP was selected as a finalist for the 2025 Innovation Excellence Award due to its dedication and expertise in the industry. VERAX ERP is one of the very few pure-play software products wholly produced in the State of Michigan that services the complex needs of manufacturing companies statewide. The Manufacturing Excellence Awards is the annual statewide celebration of the exceptional contributions that Michigan manufacturers make to their workforce, their communities, the economy and the industry. The program promotes the inspiring stories of Michigan's manufacturing industry, the thousands of unique manufacturing companies across the state, the hundreds of thousands of Michiganders employed in the industry and the local communities that support it. Starting out of a garage in Warren, Michigan in 1969, TARUS manufactures a variety of machine tools for heavy industry, including large volume, high-precision 5-axis CNC machines, gundrill and deephole drilling machines for nuclear power, coordinate measuring machines, and was the inventor of the Claymill. The Claymill revolutionized car and transportation design worldwide and TARUS remains the preeminent global leader. Key to TARUS' success since its founding is its belief in total vertical integration. In the late 1970s, this philosophy meant TARUS created its own CNC control for the machines it built. It laid the foundation of software development dating back almost 50 years. For more than 120 years, MMA has served as a unifying champion of an industry that is in constant evolution and growth. They represent the most diverse manufacturing center in perhaps the entire world and, just as they have since the industrial revolution, Michigan will continue to be the cradle of innovation and invention for generations to come. MMA's sole purpose is to advocate for, support, train and grow the manufacturing industry in Michigan. Learn more about MMA and the 2025 Manufacturing Excellence Awards at mimfg.org/excellence.

February 5, 2026 ~ Jacob Brown, leadership keynote and event host at Future Leader Live Event on April 16th joins Kevin to discuss Velocity's role in supporting local entrepreneurship and economic development in Sterling Heights and Macomb County Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Sterling Heights City Council has approved a one-year moratorium on the creation of data centers, joining other communities that are reviewing zoning ordinances. WWJ's Jackie Paige has your Wednesday morning news. (Photo: City of Sterling Heights)

From the US Army to BAE Systems: How Michigan's Sterling Heights hub powers the future of military ground vehicles as a prime original equipment integrator Hear from Michael Zahuranic, Director of Business Development at BAE Systems, as he talks about how their Sterling Heights campus serves as a key hub for engineering, program management, and prototyping of military ground vehicles. BAE Systems is a global defense and aerospace leader delivering advanced military vehicles, systems, and technologies to the U.S. Department of Defense and international partners. Michael also discusses his more than 21 years of US Army experience and why his family chose Michigan to call home. 

In this episode of Talk'n the Beat, Officer Larry Reynolds and Sgt. Kevin Coates sit down with Linda Davis, Executive Director of Face Addiction Now (FAN), to talk about how policing in Sterling Heights has changed over the past decade through a more compassionate response to addiction.Linda shares her personal and professional journey, reflecting on her time as a prosecutor and judge when she believed incarceration was the right response to crimes tied to addiction. As her understanding of addiction evolved from a moral failing to a disease that needs treatment, and as addiction touched her own family, her focus shifted toward prevention, recovery, and meaningful support.The conversation explores how Sterling Heights Police Department partnerships with programs like Hope Not Handcuffs, the Comeback Quick Response Team, and Redirect have helped move the community away from arrest first responses and toward approaches proven to reduce suffering and save lives. Together, these efforts show how law enforcement, recovery organizations, and the courts can work side by side to address addiction in a way that strengthens the entire community.If you are struggling with addiction and are ready to ask for help, Face Addiction Now can connect you with treatment and recovery resources. You can visit faceaddictionnow.org, or simply walk into the Sterling Heights Police Department and ask for help through the Hope Not Handcuffs program.Send Your Questions to Sgt. Coates and Officer Reynolds!Email us at ttb@sterlingheights.gov and your question may be used in an upcoming podcast episode.

(00:00) The guys continue to talk about the Patriots and the other games taking place on Wild Card weekend.(15:43.58) MIKE REISS covers the New England Patriots for ESPN and joins the show for his weekly segment during the NFL season.(32:58.61) Our friend ALF from Sterling Heights, Michigan, calls in to celebrate the big win!Please note: Timecodes may shift by a few minutes due to inserted ads. Because of copyright restrictions, portions—or entire segments—may not be included in the podcast.CONNECT WITH TOUCHER & HARDY: linktr.ee/ToucherandHardyFor the latest updates, visit the show page on 985thesportshub.com. Follow 98.5 The Sports Hub on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Watch the show every morning on YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with all the best moments from Boston's home for sports!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Officer Jeremy Walleman has wanted to be a K9 handler since childhood, inspired by his father who worked with a police dog when Jeremy was growing up. But achieving that goal took years of hard work and dedication.A Ferris State graduate with a degree in Criminal Justice, Officer Walleman began his career in Eastpointe in 2004 before joining the Sterling Heights Police Department. Since then, he has served on road patrol, worked as a fatal accident investigator in the Traffic Division, and become a key member of the Special Response Team (SRT) since 2012. He also served as a PT instructor at the police academy, where both Officer Reynolds and Sgt. Coates trained with him.After 13 years with SHPD, Officer Walleman received his first K9 partner, Ernie. Today, he works alongside K9 Chip, forming a highly skilled team serving the Sterling Heights community.In this episode of Talk'n the Beat, Officer Reynolds and Sgt. Coates talk with Officer Walleman about what makes an exceptional police K9, the bond between handler and dog, and what it truly takes to be part of this unique unit.Send Your Questions to Sgt. Coates and Officer Reynolds!Email us at ttb@sterlingheights.gov and your question may be used in an upcoming podcast episode.

December 15, 2025 ~ Dennis Theodorou, co-owner of Detroit Wing Co. in Sterling Heights, joins Chris and Jamie this Monday Munchies to talk about their holiday offerings! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After an extended break, Talk'n the Beat returns for Season 3! A lot has changed since the end of Season 2, including Sgt. Kevin Coates' recent promotion and the arrival of a new chief leading the Sterling Heights Police Department. So, what better way to kick things off than by sitting down with the department's new top cop?In this episode, Officer Larry Reynolds and Sgt. Kevin Coates welcome Chief Andy Satterfield, who brings nearly three decades of law enforcement experience to Sterling Heights, most recently serving as a captain with the Troy Police Department. Over the years, he has worked as a patrol officer, detective, sniper, honor guard member, and command officer, earning recognition for his leadership in accreditation, crime prevention, and traffic-safety initiatives.Chief Satterfield also reveals that he was a listener of Talk'n the Beat even before getting the job, tuning in as part of his interview prep!The conversation offers a first look at Chief Satterfield's leadership style, his priorities for the department, and a few fun surprises along the way, including the fact that he's a certified yoga instructor and once appeared as a background actor in the film The Double.Join us as we kick off Season 3 by getting to know the new chief and what's ahead for the Sterling Heights Police Department.Send Your Questions to Sgt. Coates and Officer Reynolds!Email us at ttb@sterlingheights.gov and your question may be used in an upcoming podcast episode.

Chris Holman welcomes back Everett Woodel, Jr., SBA's Great Lakes Regional Administrator, Ohio. The nomination deadline for the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2026 National Small Business Week awards has been extended? (to Dec. 22, 2026 at 2 p.m. ET.) For more than 60 years, the SBA has celebrated National Small Business Week, tell us about that? (highlighting the vital contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners.) That next National Small Business Week will be held May 3-9, 2026, what's planned? Tell us about Award categories for Michigan businesses? (Small Business Person of the Year Small Business Exporter of the Year 8 (a) Graduate of the Year Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery Small Business Manufacturer of the Year (District Award) Rural Small Business of the Year (District Award) Blue-Collar Small Business of the Year (District Award)) Where can folks get more information? (visit: SBA.gov/NSBW) Remind us about that great story of a Michigan business that got recognized last time? (In 2025, the owners of Sterling Heights, Mich.,-based NTL Industries won Michigan Small Business Persons of the Year and went on to win the national title of Small Business Person of the Year.) » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/ WASHINGTON — This week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) extended the 2026 National Small Business Week awards nominations deadline to 2 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. National Small Business Week recognizes the contributions of America's 36 million small businesses – which make up 99% of all businesses in America, create two out of every three new jobs, and employ about half of America's workforce. National Small Business Week will take place May 3 – 9, 2026. National awards will be presented during this week at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. A business owner from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam will be selected for State Small Business Person of the Year awards. State award winners will compete for the 2026 National Small Business Person of the Year title, SBA's signature award. To nominate a small business in your area, download related forms, and to view criteria, and guidelines and the full list of awards, visit sba.gov/nsbw. # # # About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Fire crews responded to a fire at the Sterling Heights Apartments on SE Ellsworth Drive, where the sprinkler system activated and helped contain the flames to a single unit. One occupant was displaced, no injuries were reported, and the Vancouver Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/vfd-extinguishes-fire-at-sterling-heights-apartments/ #Vancouver #VancouverFireDepartment #ApartmentFire #PublicSafety #EmergencyResponse #ClarkCounty #FireInvestigation

The Slamfest Podcast brings the premier rock concert pregaming experience from the parking lot to the podcasting airwaves. Episode 2683 - This was night one of a double-header concert weekend in the Motor City.  Another great quadruple bill dubbed "Live & Loud 2014" featuring Tesla, Winger, Skid Row and Firehouse at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, MI on 8/3/13.  For the Band on the Bill Spotlight, he matches songs from all four of these band's setlist and chooses his favorite.  After a Slamfest Tip of the Week, he is faced with a "Which Side are you On?" Side 1 or Side 2 from Tesla's 10th studio album, Simplicity, from 2014.Music in this episode by:FirehouseSkid RowWingerTeslaBon JoviMotorheadNSYNCBlack SabbathKissOzzyVisit the Slamfest Podcast online at: https://slamfest-podcast.simplecast.comRequest to join the Slamfest Podcast private Facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/slamfestpodcastE-mail us at : slamfestpodcast@gmail.comVisit Steve, BB and BC and Podder than Hell Podcast at:https://www.facebook.com/PTHpodcast

The Slamfest Podcast brings the premier rock concert pregaming experience from the parking lot to the podcasting airwaves. Episode 281 - Brad Sammy Hagar & The Circle 7/23/14 at the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, MI - this was a last minute show for him.  For the Band on the Bill Spotlight, he goes through the “Sammy Hagar & The Waboritas” studio releases – Red Voodoo, Not 4 Sale and Livin' it Up and ranks them from 4 to 1.  And last but not least, he's faced with a Which Side are You On - Side 1 or Side 2 from Van Halen's first live album, Live: Right Here, Right Now, from 1993.Music in this episode by:Sammy HagarSammy Hagar & The WaboritasVan HalenBon JoviMotorheadBlack SabbathKissOzzyVisit the Slamfest Podcast online at: https://slamfest-podcast.simplecast.comRequest to join the Slamfest Podcast private Facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/slamfestpodcastE-mail us at : slamfestpodcast@gmail.com

Originally uploaded September 22, reloaded October 5th. Wednesday, September 17th, MBN was on the road to Detroit for CAR - the Center for Automotive Research's 60th annual Management Briefing Seminars. The event moved from The Grand Traverse Resort & Spa to Michigan Central the refurbished railroad hub in the city. This interview was with Thomas V. Alongi, CPA, Partner, UHY LLP, Sterling Heights, MI. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/ Overview of CAR MBS & 2025 Edition: The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) returns with its flagship Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) 2025, scheduled for September 15–17 in Detroit, hosted in the iconic Michigan Central Station. This relocation signals a bold renewal, marrying automotive heritage with forward-looking mobility innovation. The MBS platform is built to convene leaders across original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers, mobility services, government, and infrastructure, enabling connection at the nexus of policy, technology, and business strategy. CAR's 2025 tagline—“a new era, a new home”—underscores the intent to redefine expectation. MBS is positioning itself not merely as an industry conference, but as a decision-making engine: the place where executives, strategists, and policymakers gather to debate the future of mobility under one roof. Content will explore major disruptions in the sector: electrification, autonomous systems, infrastructure, regulatory reform, and sustainable business models. Panel sessions and keynotes will examine how shifting global competition, supply chain sovereignty, and policy uncertainty challenge legacy businesses — and empower new entrants. The agenda promises curated sessions across themes: policy and regulation, technology foresight, industry transformation, and strategic planning. CAR will deliver resources through the Whova app and partner portals — slides, video, and supplemental materials — ensuring attendees can revisit content long after the event. Selecting Detroit and Michigan Central Station is deeply symbolic. It reflects a belief in returning to the roots of American mobility while leaning into reinvention. The venue choice embodies the tension the industry faces: honoring legacy while disrupting its own foundations. For businesses and stakeholders, MBS 2025 offers several tangible value propositions: Policy Intelligence: gain insights into regulatory trends, infrastructure planning, and legislative shifts critical to mobility investments. Strategic Exposure: thought leadership, scenario planning, and competitive benchmarking beyond daily operations. Network Leverage: depth of access — from OEM C-suite to technology firms to government actors — opening doors for partnerships, investment, and collaboration. Content Longevity: recorded keynotes, slides, and materials will endure, making MBS a reference resource, not just a live event. Ecosystem Alignment: bringing together fragmented actors in mobility to foster alignment around standards, strategy, and shared goals. Challenges remain. The agenda is still in flux, meaning attendees must remain adaptable. Logistics of Detroit, legacy industry expectations, and maintaining inclusion for smaller firms will require careful curation and execution by CAR. In short, MBS 2025 aims to be more than a conference — it wants to be a turning point in mobility strategy. By marrying Detroit's symbolism with future-forward content, CAR seeks to reset how the auto/ mobility ecosystem convenes, defines direction, and collectively moves forward in an era of rapid transformation.

In this episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Pragya sits down with Diana Daman, certified laser hair removal specialist and founder of Laser by Diana in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Diana shares how skincare is more than a beauty routine—it's a confidence booster that can transform how we feel and show up in the world. From debunking myths about laser hair removal to explaining why personalized treatment plans matter more than trending “Instagram-perfect” looks, Diana opens up about building her business from the ground up, the challenges of gaining clients, and why she prioritizes genuine client relationships over quick sales. Whether you've been curious about laser hair removal or want to understand how small self-care steps can make a big impact, this conversation offers practical advice, real client transformation stories, and an inside look at what it takes to build a boutique beauty business that truly puts clients first. About the Guest  : Diana Daman is a certified laser hair removal specialist and the founder of Laser by Diana, a boutique beauty business in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Passionate about helping people feel confident in their own skin, Diana focuses on personalized, budget-friendly treatments that deliver lasting results. Her mission is to combine advanced technology with a welcoming, results-driven approach that prioritizes client comfort and care. Key Takeaways  : Confidence through skincare – Improving skin health can dramatically boost self-esteem and impact daily life. Laser myths busted – With advanced technology like the Candela GentleMax Pro, treatments can be virtually painless. Client relationships matter – Building trust and offering genuine care leads to long-term loyalty. Personalization is key – Skincare solutions should be tailored to skin tone, lifestyle, and budget rather than one-size-fits-all trends. Overcoming business challenges – Marketing, building a client base, and competing in a crowded industry require consistent effort and creativity. Small time, big results – Even with a busy schedule, a few minutes of consistent care can lead to significant improvement. Universal benefits – Laser hair removal, when done right, can work for a wide range of clients and skin types.   Connect with the Guest   Reach out to Diana via: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laser_by_diana_/   Website: https://laserbydiana.com/   Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life?   DM on PodMatch: Send me a message on PodMatch CHECK PODCAST SHOWS & BE A GUEST:   Tune to all our 19 podcasts: Healthy Mind by Avik Podcast Network Subscribe To Newsletter: Healthy Mind by Avik Newsletter Join Community: Join Here OUR SERVICES   Business Podcast Management Individual Podcast Management Share Your Story With The World STAY TUNED AND FOLLOW US!   Medium: @contentbyavik YouTube: Healthy Mind by Avik Instagram: @healthyminds.pod Facebook: Healthy Mind Podcast LinkedIn Page: Healthy Mind by Avik LinkedIn: Avik Chakraborty Twitter: @podhealthclub Pinterest: Avikpodhealth SHARE YOUR REVIEW   Leave a Google Review Share a Video Testimonial #podmatch #healthymind #healthymindbyavik #wellness #HealthyMindByAvik #MentalHealthAwareness #StorytellingAsMedicine #PodcastLife #PersonalDevelopment #ConsciousLiving #GrowthMindset #MindfulnessMatters #VoicesOfUnity #InspirationDaily #podcast #podcasting #podcaster #podcastlife #podcastlove #podcastshow #podcastcommunity #newpodcast #podcastaddict #podcasthost #podcastepisode #podcastinglife #podrecommendation #wellnesspodcast #healthpodcast #mentalhealthpodcast #wellbeing #selfcare #mentalhealth #mindfulness #healthandwellness #wellnessjourney #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #healthandwellnesspodcast #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #viral #trending #tiktok #tiktokviral #explore #trendingvideo #youtube #motivation #inspiration #positivity #mindset #selflove #success  

Would you have been able to match Mark's performance in today's edition of the Two Grand Slam?

Chris Holman welcomes Katie Nida, Operations Coordinator Velocity business incubator in Sterling Heights, MI. Welcome Katie, remind the Michigan business community about Velocity? Let's start with the basics—what is SizeUp Sterling Heights, and what inspired Velocity to bring this platform to local businesses? Also, one of the big selling points is that this service is completely free. How are you able to offer something this valuable at no cost to local entrepreneurs? What specific types of data and insights can businesses access through SizeUp? Can you give a few real-world examples of how this might impact decision-making? How does SizeUp Sterling Heights help level the playing field between small businesses and larger, well-resourced companies? How does SizeUp integrate with the resources and services already offered through Velocity and the Sterling Innovation District? Looking ahead, how do you see SizeUp contributing to the long-term economic development of Sterling Heights and Macomb County? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/ VELOCITY AND THE CITY OF STERLING HEIGHTS PARTNER TO LAUNCH INNOVATIVE NEW WEBSITE SERVICE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES SizeUp Sterling Heights provides market research and business intelligence at no cost to help small businesses succeed STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Velocity, a business incubator and accelerator that drives innovation, supports growth and helps Macomb County businesses thrive is teaming up with the City of Sterling Heights. Together, they are launching SizeUp “In today's digital and information economy, if you don't have access to intelligence, your business is at a significant disadvantage,” said Paula Macpherson, Executive Director of Velocity. “With the launch of SizeUp Sterling Heights on the Velocity website, we are empowering businesses in Sterling Heights and Macomb County to make more data-driven decisions that will help them operate, grow and succeed.” This new service is completely free for local businesses and available anytime through the Velocity website at https://www.mivelocity.com/sizeupsterlingheights. About Velocity Velocity is a catalyst for culture change designed to accelerate innovation, reinvention, and growth for Macomb County businesses in the manufacturing, technology, and defense industry. Located in the Sterling Innovation District, our incubator, accelerator, and coworking space offer world-class opportunities to help businesses thrive. Velocity is proudly located in the “Sterling Innovation District,” which spans six square miles and is home to 28 million square feet of industrial and high-tech space. Billions of dollars in new high-tech manufacturing investments have been made throughout the Sterling Innovation District over the past five years, including the reinvention of Velocity. About SizeUp, Inc. SizeUp is a Fintech (Financial Technology) Internet service company dedicated to providing powerful business intelligence. SizeUp helps its clients better serve their small business customers by providing high-quality market research and business insights. SizeUp enables small businesses to make better decisions through big data.

Sterling Heights police have one man in custody in connection with a shooting Tuesday morning at a senior living facility. Investigators say it was a domestic situation. WWJ's Jackie Paige and Chris Fillar have your Tuesday morning news. (Photo Credit: WWJ's Charlie Langton)

A hidden giant in our backyard: build-to-print CNC machining company, NTL Industries Inc. is changing the game in manufacturing.This week we talk with Greg McArthur, Owner of NTL Industries Inc. in Sterling Heights, MI. He gives insight into CNC manufacturing and shares his recent win as the 2025 US SBA Small Business Persons of the Year. NTL Industries specializes in CNC milling, CNC turning, plasma cutting and more. Their products expand through the aerospace, defense, agriculture industries and more. 

The Slamfest Podcast brings the premier rock concert pregaming experience from the parking lot to the podcasting airwaves. Episode 264 - This was night two of a double-header concert weekend in the Motor City.  A great quadruple bill dubbed "Live & Loud 2013" featuring Ratt (4/5 of the original band), Dokken, Warrant and L.A. Guns at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, MI on 8/3/13. Brad welcomes Steve, BB and BC from the Podder than Hell Podcast to talk about this show and Ratt's discography, specifically.  For the Band on the Bill Spotlight, they put "like songs" from Ratt's two biggest albums up against eachother and they choose their favorites.  After a Slamfest Tip of the Week, they are faced with a "Which Side are you On?" Side 1 or Side 2 from Ratt's seventh and last studio album from 2010.Music in this episode by:L.A. GunsWarrantDokkenRattBon JoviMotorheadBlack SabbathKissOzzyVisit the Slamfest Podcast online at: https://slamfest-podcast.simplecast.comRequest to join the Slamfest Podcast private Facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/slamfestpodcastE-mail us at : slamfestpodcast@gmail.comVisit Steve, BB and BC and Podder than Hell Podcast at:https://www.facebook.com/PTHpodcasthttps://station5174.libsyn.com/

Ryan beats the clock and wins $2,000!

Ron Rademacher, Author, Travel Writer, Explorer NAHMA – Competing in Snow Golf Tournament – March 22 - 1 pm – Boyne City  Grill during return trip. HANCOCK - Snow Sculpture Invitational - Quincy Green - March 21-23 Event will feature four teams of talented snow sculptors, including the  renowned Sculptora Borealis, whose team members have won the National  Snow Sculpting title four times, in six appearances over the last seven  years. TIPTON Hidden Lake Gardens Spring Flower Show - Final Weekend - Mar  17-23 MAPLE CITY - Port Oneida Rural Historic District -Maple Sugaring Days  Mar 22 GRAND RAPIDS - Record & CD Show - Attention Collectors American Legion Post 179 ~ 2327 Wilson Ave SW ~ vendors selling the best  pre-loved and new vinyl records including albums, 45's, CD's, cassette  tapes, posters and music memorabilia. LOWELL - The 39th Annual Lowell Arts West Michigan Art Competition  Artwork by Lower West Michigan artists who reside in a 25-county region.  Artwork in any visual art media can be submitted by artists 18 yrs. and  older. JONES - Michigan Maple Festival Maple Row Sugarhouse March 22-23 Live music, delicious maple-inspired sweet and savory foods, exciting  contests, a petting farm, interactive sugarhouse tours SHELBY TOWNSHIP - 43rd Annual Artistic Creations in Wood – Mar 22- 23 -  Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site in Shelby Township. North of Sterling Heights near Bad Brad's BBQ WORLD TOUR NEWS OTSEGO Public Library – Michigan Back Roads Trails Program Mar 20 -6:30 

Sheriff's investigators say a BMW went through the median and crashed into an SUV near Howell Wednesday afternoon. 3 people died. 2 are in critical condition. WWJ's Jackie Paige and Mike Campbell have your Thursday morning news. (Photo: Rob Davidek/WWJ)

Please subscribe and leave a review. This helps us reach our goal in sharing the Gospel with our community and world!You can find us on social media at:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familylifebtown/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/familylifebtownWatch our past services on YouTube!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN3I9rk7-k6mGVoPNS2S3GwShare this podcast with someone you know. If you would like to give, or visit us, please visit our website at thefamilylife.org. 

Former Muslim turned Christian Abdu Murray takes tough questions from young adults at Community Christian Church in Sterling Heights, MI. He touches on Islam, who salvation is for, the reliability of the Christian scriptures, Christians in politics, and more!    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abdumurray12  Twitter https://twitter.com/abdumurray  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@abdumurray    Keep in touch with Abdu and be notified when he is in a town near you by signing up for his monthly newsletter at https://embracethetruth.org/sign-up/.   Embrace the Truth is a donor-supported ministry that seeks to answer PEOPLE, not questions. Consider partnering with us in this important mission by visiting https://embracethetruth.org/donate.  

Greg McArthur's journey in manufacturing began as a child sweeping floors and cleaning mats in his father's machine shop. Over the years, he gained hands-on experience, evolving from a lathe hand to a skilled CNC machinist, estimator, and engineer. Eventually, Greg took a bold leap, bidding on a machine sight unseen on eBay and figuring out how to transport and operate it—foreshadowing his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2017, Greg founded NTL Industries in his garage while working a full-time job. By carefully building a financial foundation, he transitioned to renting a facility, leasing machines, and growing a team.  Today, NTL Industries is a full-service CNC precision machining shop in Sterling Heights, MI, specializing in defense, aerospace, agriculture, and automation. The company has grown to 11 employees and is moving into a state-of-the-art, 13,000-square-foot facility that reflects its ambitious trajectory. From the beginning, Greg recognized the power of social media as a cornerstone of NTL's growth. He embraced platforms like LinkedIn to build a following, share exceptional work, and attract new clients. Greg's mantra is clear: if you're not promoting yourself every day, you're missing opportunities. By leveraging social media as a free marketing tool, NTL has gained exposure, received RFQs, and established a reputation for excellence. In this episode, Greg shares his story, insights on growing a machine shop, and advice for young entrepreneurs in manufacturing. Whether it's navigating an economic downturn, diversifying into new markets, or overcoming challenges like labor shortages, Greg's practical wisdom is a must-hear for anyone looking to grow their business. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [1:01] Introducing Greg McArthur and NTL Industries  [5:14] How Greg got into machining  [11:25] Growing the business despite challenges [19:13] How and why NTL Industries diversified [22:54] Leveraging social media for growth  [27:05] Growing into a 13,000 square foot facility [28:47] How they purchase their machines [31:37] What NTL's hiring process looks like [35:30] NTL's growth trajectory  [41:02] The challenges they're overcoming  [46:47] Meeting CMMC requirements [50:05] Greg's advice for young shops Resources & People Mentioned CyberAB CMMC Certification  Connect with Greg McArthur NTL Industries Connect with Greg on LinkedIn Sales@NTLIndustries.com Instagram Twitter/X Facebook LinkedIn  Connect With Machine Shop Mastery The website LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Subscribe to Machine Shop Mastery on Apple & Spotify Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

Can you do better than Mike from Sterling Heights in today's edition of the Two Grand Slam?

Abdu Murray and Pastor Chris Rea of Community Christian Church in Sterling Heights, MI, discuss this chaotic election season in front of a live audience. Abdu's Washington Times piece referenced in this episode can be found at https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jul/26/american-souls-are-sick-this-election-season/.     Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abdumurray  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abdumurray12  Twitter https://twitter.com/abdumurray  TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@abdumurray    Keep in touch with Abdu and be notified when he is in a town near you by signing up for his monthly newsletter at https://embracethetruth.org/sign-up/.     Embrace the Truth is a donor-supported ministry that seeks to answer PEOPLE, not questions. Consider partnering with us in this important mission by visiting https://embracethetruth.org/donations/.   

On today's show we cover 4 stories to know around town then get into the Tigers and Lions with Fletcher Sharpe. Dining with Confidence Ordinance: The city of Detroit's new dining with confidence ordinance goes into effect today, aiming to improve food safety and transparency in restaurants.  Detroit Free Press and Detroit News Relocation: The Detroit Free Press and Detroit News will need to find a new home by the end of 2024 as their lease with Bedrock is not being extended. More: https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2024/10/01/detroit-free-press-leave-newsroom-federal-reserve-building/75466267007/ QLine Ridership Increase: Detroit's streetcar, the QLine, has seen a significant increase in ridership, with more than a million riders in 2023, up 25% year over year. Operations have transferred to the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan, opening up more public and sustainable funding. Read their report here: https://www.qlinedetroit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/QLINE-AR-24_FINAL_VideoLink.pdf New Trail Project in Sterling Heights: The city of Sterling Heights in Macomb County is breaking ground on the new ITC Trail, a ten-foot-wide shared-use path connecting the Clinton River Trail to M-59. Sports Talk with Fletcher Sharpe: Jer is joined by Fletcher Sharpe to discuss the Detroit Tigers' playoff series against the Astros and the Detroit Lions' victory over the Seahawks.  Don't forget to follow Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. Your support on Patreon helps us bring you more local stories from around Metro Detroit. Visit patreon.com/dailydetroit to become a member.  

Norris Howard is in and this is what we're talking about: Tiger Playoff Watch: With the Detroit Tigers' recent victory against the Rays, the team is on the brink of a potential playoff spot. Jer and Norris reminisce about the Tigers' glory days and discuss the impact of a possible playoff run on the city and its businesses. Stellantis Layoffs: Big changes are coming to Stellantis' Sterling Heights assembly plant as the company transitions to electric vehicles. With 191 workers facing layoffs, including all temporary employees, Jer and Norris analyze the implications for the local job market and the broader EV industry. Disastrous Bridgerton Ball: What was supposed to be an elegant Bridgerton-themed ball turned into a royal disappointment for many attendees. From undercooked food to minimal decor and even a stripper pole, the event fell short of expectations, sparking outrage among fans. Jer and Norris unpack what went seems to have gone wrong and discuss the importance of setting higher standards for events in Detroit. ACLU Event with W. Kamau Bell: Norris brings us an insightful conversation from the ACLU's recent event at the Garden Theater. He sits down with W. Kamau Bell and ACLU Michigan's Executive Director Loren Khogali to discuss voter motivation, the impact of the Gaza conflict on local communities, and the importance of down-ballot races in Michigan. Don't forget we're on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you download shows.