Leadership Lunch Club

06/08/2026

When leaders gather, the materials supporting the experience should reflect the same level of professionalism and care. The Copy Shop has been delivering high-quality printing, graphic design, and large-format solutions in northern Michigan for decades — helping businesses present their best work with confidence.

We’re thankful for The Copy Shop’s partnership as our Print Sponsor and for their continued support of Leadership Lunch Club and our local leadership community.

👉 Learn more: https://www.tccopyshop.com/

The Copy Shop Traverse City. Copies, Color Prints, Color Scanning, FedEx and UPS, Large Format Printing, Business Cards, Letterhead, Forms, Menus, Brochures, Logo Design and more!

06/04/2026

The ribbon cutting is happening in 15 minutes, followed by an entire weekend of fun! Don't miss out, come down and support Benjamin Twiggs - The Original Cherry Store!

Join us in the 60 year anniversary of Benjamin Twiggs! This will happen at 4:30 PM on Thursday, June 4. Food and beverages will be provided and this will be part of a larger open house. We look forward to celebrating with you!

06/04/2026

From highlighting local happenings to covering stories that truly matter, UpNorthLive plays a key role in connecting people, businesses, and communities throughout northern Michigan. Their focus on regional voices and real impact aligns closely with our mission to bring leaders together through learning and dialogue.

We’re thankful to UpNorthLive for supporting Leadership Lunch Club as our media sponsor and helping us extend the reach of our events and ideas.

👉 Check them out: https://upnorthlive.com/

WPBN offers news, sports, weather and items of local interest in Traverse City, Michigan and nearby towns, including Frankfort, Beulah, Interlochen, Kingsley, Garfield Township, Glen Arbor, Suttons Bay, Kalkaska, Kingsley and Manton, Michigan.

06/02/2026

Resilience Tip!

One of the most powerful resilience tools isn't a strategy, it's a question. Instead of asking "Why is this happening to me?" try asking "What can I do with this?"

It sounds simple, but the science behind it is significant. Psychologists call this a shift from a "victim orientation" to a "growth orientation," and research consistently shows that the way we explain adversity to ourselves has a direct impact on how quickly and effectively we recover from it.

When we ask "Why me?" we hand our power over to the situation. We become passive. We wait for circumstances to change before we allow ourselves to move forward.

When we ask "What can I do with this?" something different happens. We stay in the driver's seat. We begin looking for options, learning from the experience, and finding ways to use the challenge as fuel rather than letting it become a roadblock.

This doesn't mean ignoring pain or pretending setbacks don't hurt. It means choosing, even in hard moments, to stay oriented toward action and possibility.

That single shift in perspective is what separates reactive leadership from transformative leadership. And it's a skill, not a personality trait. It can be practiced, strengthened, and taught to the people around you.

It's one of the core ideas Connie Deneweth will explore on June 11th, along with practical frameworks for leading yourself and your team through uncertainty.

06/01/2026

Exciting news from our Silver Sponsor—and it's happening today! 🎉

Grand Traverse State Bank is officially opening their doors in Traverse City, and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome them to the community and to the Leadership Lunch Club family.

Stop by for the ribbon cutting at 3:00pm, tour the new branch office, then head next door to Top of the Park for light refreshments and great company. It's a celebration of a new chapter for banking in northern Michigan—and we are proud to have them in our corner.

Come show them some love today!

📍 Traverse City—ribbon cutting at 3:00pm, open house to follow at Top of the Park

https://www.gtsb.bank/

06/01/2026

We are so proud to support one of our favorite northern Michigan partners — and this is worth celebrating! 🍒

Benjamin Twiggs - The Original Cherry Store, our Sweets Sponsor and a beloved Traverse City institution, is officially opening their brand new downtown location and we want to see you there.

The fun kicks off Wednesday, June 4th with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by Traverse Connect at 4:30pm, followed by cherry samples, complimentary drinks, and great company until 6:00pm.

And the celebration doesn't stop there — Benjamin Twiggs has an incredible weekend lined up:

Friday, June 5th — Be part of the Downtown TC Art Walk with live painting by artist Jennifer Way, who will also be signing her book "Blessing of the Blossoms," plus wine pourings from Black Star Farms.

Saturday, June 6th — A tasting experience featuring Olivia Cote of Up North Charcuterie, paired with cherry products and cherry wine pourings. Spend $75 or more and you'll be entered to win a handcrafted charcuterie board!

Sunday, June 7th — Family Day, with free coloring books for the kids and a special children's activity to be announced.

60 years of bringing the best of northern Michigan's cherry country to this community. Stop in, show some love, and help us celebrate a small business that truly has stood the test of time.

📍 305 W Front Street, Suite D (next to Mundos), Traverse City
🎟️ Register for the ribbon cutting: https://business.traverseconnect.com/events/details/ribbon-cutting-benjamin-twiggs-6884

Join us in the 60 year anniversary of Benjamin Twiggs! This will happen at 4:30 PM on Thursday, June 4. Food and beverages will be provided and this will be part of a larger open house. We look forward to celebrating with you!

05/28/2026

Tune in tomorrow morning! Our founder, Barbara Jordan, and our featured guest, Connie Deneweth, will be joining Jack O'Malley on WTCM News Talk 580 at 7:30am for a conversation about our upcoming event. It's a great preview of what's in store on June 11th.

And if you can't catch it on the radio, you can listen live at https://tunein.com/radio/Newstalk-580-WTCM-s23086/

Don't miss it!

05/26/2026

We have a little good news and a little bad news.

The bad news? We sold out of tickets again. 😅

The good news? We just unlocked a few additional seats, which means you have one more chance to join us on June 11th.

Only 5 tickets remain for the last event of the series (for real this time!). If you've been waiting, now is the moment.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unshakeable-resilience-for-life-and-leadership-tickets-1977317713509

June 11 | 11am–1pm | Traverse City Country Club

Discover resilience tools and leadership strategies as Connie shows how to adapt, recover, and turn challenges into opportunities.

05/26/2026

Great leadership doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through learning, clarity, and the right support systems. Vensure Employer Solutions empowers organizations with the tools they need to grow confidently, while reducing complexity behind the scenes.

Thank you to Vensure for continuing as our book sponsor and for investing in the development of leaders across our community. We’re grateful for your continued partnership.

Learn more: https://vensure.com/

No matter what size your business is, VensureHR offers comprehensive HR and technology services such as payroll, employee benefits, compliance, and recruiting.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor the men and women who gave everything in service to our country.

Their courage in the face of adversity, their ability to rise under pressure, and their commitment to something greater than themselves—that is resilience at its highest form. It's also the very foundation of great leadership.

Thank you to all who have served and to the families who stand beside them.

Wishing everyone a meaningful Memorial Day.