The words were out of my mouth before I’d spent even a single second considering them. Appalled, I gazed, eyes wide, at the woman in front of me, a new acquaintance whom I knew to be highly intuitive, an accomplished spiritual healer. I couldn’t fathom where that statement had come from. It was almost as if the words had been spoken to me, as much as through me.
Posts filed under Local Businesses
The Art of the Vibe: Boost Your Next Event with Coffee, Music, and Kultura
When Juana Mancera graduated from the University of Michigan in December 2025, she decided that if she was going to face the daily grind, she might as well be the one choosing the beans. Sick of working for other people, sick of climbing a corporate ladder, Mancera opened Kultura, a mobile coffee-music pop-up, or as she explained it, “coffee, culture, and speakers on wheels.” The hottest thing in town isn’t just the caffeine, it’s the electric blue cart and the heavy bass vibrating through the steam of your new favorite cuppa joe. Meet the coffee experience that’s treating the local caffeine scene less like a transaction and more like a pop-up party.
A Dive Into The Universe Stuff: A Q&A with Renata Portes
Meet Renata Portes, creator of The Universe Stuff; a holistic, creative brand of candles, teas, Reiki, tarot, and more. Originally from Brazil with a background in law, Portes found herself drawn to bring light and healing to people during her transition to life in the United States.
Southeast Michigan Spiritual Road Trip
I have been a happy habitant of Southeast Michigan for more than 15 years now, and we are blessed to have many metaphysical stores in our corner of the state. Each is filled with warm, welcoming people who are eager to help anyone on their personal spiritual journey. Join me as I visit five of them.
Weekend Getaways: Honoring The Past, Embracing the Future — The Inn at Rustic Gate
In the early 2000s, co-owners Marcia Stroko, Patricia Barrett, and Sharon Stroko were inspired by cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien to create a place where guests could focus on self-development. In a January 2006 guest book entry, guest F. Rowe shared, “Thank you for having such a wonderful atmosphere in your home inn and surroundings,” thereby recognizing that Rustic Gate is not only a space for visitors, but also a family home
Annie G’s: A Dairy Farm for the Future
Let me introduce you to Annie G’s, a small herd dairy cow farm run by Kat and her husband David Mageean. This dynamic duo, along with their two young children, Annie and Angus, whom the Dairy is named after, have a dream of their own to share. Their dream is to make the “100 cow dairy farm” viable again and they are working to revolutionize the dairy industry to help encourage others to do the same.
Moments That Matter: How Zion Well Builds Community Through Mindfulness
For Aubrey and Art Schupbach, a little goes a long way. It is a little mindfulness, in the form of a friendly check-in with a yoga patron they haven’t seen in a while. A little stretching in the morning, to get the body in the right mental and physical space to move about the rest of the day. A little meditation session in the afternoon to remind oneself that the quiet times are just as important as the loud ones. The Schupbachs have found that these little moments are what create the foundation that supports a larger community. It’s these moments that help make Zion Well what it is: a studio rooted in community, mental health, and purpose.
Eyes To The Future: Architectural Resource, and its Devotion to Building Green
Michael Klement additionally credits his wife for the inspiration to shift toward sustainability. When they moved into their new home in 2004, it was discovered that she suffered from multiple chemical sensitivities. Klement became aware of how many elements of their new home were probable culprits. “In our business we would determine our client’s choices by three criteria: do they like it, can they afford it, and can we get it?” Klement shared. “Never did we ask, ‘will it kill them?’ Once we learned about the effect of toxins so prevalent in building materials firsthand, you can’t unknow what you know.”
Green Living: The Solution Rises Every Morning
The U.S. Department of Energy states that, “enough energy from the sun hits the earth every hour to power the planet for an entire year. There are obvious advantages to solar PV technology. It produces clean energy. It has no emissions, no moving parts, it doesn’t make any noise, and it doesn’t need water or fossil fuels to produce power. And it can be located right where the power is needed, in the middle of nowhere, or it can be tied into the power grid.”
Being Ken Kozora
Ann Arbor musician, composer, and educator, Ken Kozora, is a one-of-a-kind gem. I asked him on a quiet afternoon at the Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth, a favorite music venue and hang out, what was the pathway that led to receiving the Love Award from the Artist Advocacy Foundation in Detroit this past September. Our conversation was delightful as he spoke with energy, expression, and conviction.
Pouring Pints and Punchlines: Ann Arbor’s hear.say brewing
Visit hear.say brewing + theater in Ann Arbor — where craft beer, improv comedy, live music, and community connection thrive. Owner Tony DeRosa blends West Coast-inspired brews with quirky shows in a welcoming biergarten. Family- and dog-friendly spot for laughter and pints!
The Schvitz Detroit: Historic Bathhouse Revival & Wellness Oasis
Discover The Schvitz, Detroit's historic bathhouse since 1930. Revived by funeral director Paddy Lynch, this North End landmark offers saunas, steam baths, cold plunges, and communal wellness in a storied space once tied to Jewish immigrants and the Purple Gang. Unwind in an inclusive urban oasis.
White Lotus Farms Café: Bread, Beauty, and Belonging— Extending the Spirit of the Farm into the Heart of the Community
The buzz had been building for months about White Lotus Farms opening a Café, and by the time you’re reading this, it is open.
Chandra Mitchel: Shepherding Crazy Wisdom Bookstore into its Next Era
A few months ago, in June 2025, Bill Zirinsky and Ruth Schekter licensed Chandra Mitchel, and her partner, Jon Rothenberg, to run Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, selling them the retail inventory, and leasing to them the bookstore’s first floor and lower level.
A Magical Road Trip Across Michigan
There’s a saying that metaphysical shops serve almost as places of worship for people of alternative spiritualities. Without a tithing base, spaces for teaching spiritual arts and knowledge often need a commercial front to finance their public spaces. Almost every metaphysical store also serves as a community hub where people meet each other, support each other, and often feel truly seen for the very first time.
What's New in the Community: fall 2025
What’s New in the Community: New books from local authors, new businesses, new offerings and practitioners and upcoming events for fall 2025.
Molly Ging: Owner of Ann Arbor's The Little Seedling
As a mother, entrepreneur, and community figure, Molly Ging provides local families with what they need most—support, and the best baby gear available. We sat down to chat about motherhood, philosophy, Ann Arbor, and the tenuous future of small businesses.
Wild Wellness at Mother Bear Sanctuary and Retreat Center
Barbra White, co-founder of Mother Bear Sanctuary and Retreat Center, believes that all living beings are deeply interconnected. “It’s kismet,” she explained, that just as she was longing to spread the word about her retreat center, which opened in 2018, The Crazy Wisdom Journal came calling for an interview. “I feel like I’ve been in a cooking pot for 30 years in this work, but here, specifically with Mother Bear Sanctuary for the last eight years, I feel like I’m saying to the universe, ‘I’m ready. I’m ready.’ So when [the Journal] called, I thought, ‘kismet.’”
A Look at Great Lakes Performing Artists Associates: A Champion for Human Connection Through Music
As arts funding dwindles and screens pull audiences away from live experiences, one Ann Arbor nonprofit is quietly transforming the cultural landscape with soul and purpose. For nearly five decades, Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates (GLPAA) has championed real human connection through music.
Cottage Food Businesses in Michigan: Creative Connections and Community
Michigan’s Cottage Food Law allows small businesses to make and sell homemade foods from their home kitchens without cumbersome and expensive commercial licensing or inspections. Goodies like breads, jams, cookies, candies, granola, and more can be sold directly to consumers at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and fairs. It can be a wonderful way to connect with the community.
