Recap November, 19 2025 General Meeting

StockBridge Business Association

Meeting Recap Minutes**

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our November SBA meeting! Below is a recap of what was covered for those who were unable to attend.

Welcome

Jessica Gutowski-Slaydon, SBA President and owner of Swift Printing, opened the meeting with a warm welcome and shared remarks about the importance of community collaboration as we head into the holiday season.

Invocation

Ryan Waalkes of Bridge Street Ministries and SBA Board Member led the group in an invocation.

Pledge of Allegiance

Jessica Gutowski-Slaydon

Introductions & Icebreaker

Attendees introduced themselves and shared their favorite local place to shop in recognition of Small Business Saturday coming up on November 29. This sparked great conversation and highlighted many beloved WestSide businesses.

Host Welcome: GR Civic Theatre

Erik Wolenberg from Grand Rapids Civic Theatre welcomed the group and offered a brief overview of the theatre’s programs and community impact. A big thank-you to the Civic Theatre for hosting this meeting!

Earned Media & PR

Kasi (Kay-see) Meyer from SeyferthPR shared valuable insights on earned media strategies, how to effectively pitch to news outlets, and why storytelling remains a powerful tool for small businesses.

Paid Media Insights

Craig Brown from 13 On Your Side discussed the advantages of targeted paid media, current advertising trends, and how local businesses can craft campaigns that reach the right audiences in West Michigan.

Christmas Store Update

Scott Bloem from The Other Way Ministries updated the group on this year’s Christmas Store, including donation needs and ways businesses can get involved to support families this holiday season.

SBA Housekeeping, Neighborhood & Community Updates

Several updates including:

  • Upcoming SBA initiatives and 2026 meeting dates

  • Neighborhood news from the WestSide, WGNO Hygiene Drive through December 5, WGNO has a new community leader.

  • Lucas will be doing a free Community Class on LinkedIn. More details to come soon.

  • Reminders to support local efforts throughout the holiday season

  • Only 20% were for selling ads on the SBA Posters, so might just add them without a fee we’ll see, everyone liked the idea of a directory, I proposed the theme “come together” for 2026 and our friends at the Elk’s suggest, “we’re better together” We’re trying to bring the WestSide more together, but also celebrate our differences.

Members were encouraged to stay connected, share resources, and continue building momentum as we head into the new year.

Closing

Jessica thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.

We appreciate all who joined us and look forward to seeing you at our next SBA gathering next year!

Jessica Slaydon