14 minute read
UP NORTH
Up North. PEOPLE | NATURE | ARTS | NOSTALGIA | BUZZ | WISDOM | CURIOSITIES
RISKY BUSINESS
by CARLY SIMPSON
A Traverse City business owner and New York Times bestselling author shares the importance of taking risks.
photo by Dave Weidner
Angie (morgan) witkowski is no stranger to risk. Witkowski grew up in Kalkaska, leaving to attend the University of Michigan followed by four years in the Marine Corps. After an Honorable Discharge, she worked in pharmaceutical sales. “I was making great money, but felt something was missing,” Witkowski says. “And it was acts of service.” So, with friend and fellow Marine Courtney Lynch, Witkowski wrote her first book, “Leading From the Front,” sharing leadership tactics learned from the armed forces with other professionals, particularly women.
Witkowski and Lynch took another leap then, leaving their corporate jobs to cofound a consultancy firm, Lead Star, offering leadership coaching to individuals and businesses. In the two
Angie (Morgan) Witkowski
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decades since, Witkowski has worked with a range of clients, from Google and Facebook to National Geographic and ESPN. Witkowski and her husband, Ed, are also the new owners of Morsels coffee shop in Traverse City, which they purchased in August 2021.
Her recently released “Bet on You: How to Win with Risk” published by Harper-Collins is Witkowski’s third book, following “Leading from the Front” and “Spark,” a New York Times bestseller.
Here, Witkowski shares her approach to risk taking:
Carly Simpson: The pandemic caused people to rethink what they want in life and how best to achieve it; it’s a very timely topic.
Angie Witkowski: This book was my Covid passion project. After my business [Lead Star] was massively disrupted due to the pandemic, I spent the greater part of a year writing. This is a perfect time for people to think about their lives, the risks they want to take and how to get the courage and confidence to live their dreams.
CS: Do you have a favorite section of the book?
AW: I really like the introduction. Those first few lines to me were pretty crystallizing. There does come a time, when, in order to achieve whatever is in your heart or your mind, you’ve got to move from the passenger’s seat to the driver’s seat. You’ve got to get agency in your life. You have to take risks, and we’re not necessarily taught to take risks. We’re taught from a young age to stay on the safe path.
CS: So you’re teaching people to recalibrate their tolerance for risk. You also talk about planning for risk, and how to “weave a safety net to mitigate the downside.”
AW: If you want to start an Etsy business where you sell your jewelry, you can start it without quitting your job and see if there’s viability first. Just commit some of your whitespace in your life, and I know people say they have no whitespace, but we find the time to do the things we want to do. Start saying no to something so you can find the time to say yes.
Up North Kids & Family
CAMPING, BUT MAKE IT EASY
by CARLY SIMPSON
Take one more family camping trip this summer, and leave the tent at home.
“Furnished” and “camping” don’t often appear in the same sentence, but at Au Train Beach Campground in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, that’s exactly what you’ll find—right across the street from a long sandy stretch of Lake Superior beach. Hello, paradise.
Operated by Paddling Michigan, headquartered in nearby Munising, the Au Train Beach Campground has safari tents, yurts and tipis in addition to a few rustic campsites if your fam really does love sleeping on the ground. Furnishings include bunk beds, futons, solar-powered lighting with a USB port to charge devices, outdoor charcoal grills and picnic tables. The larger “grand yurts” even have full electricity and mini fridges. Ice and firewood are for sale. Just bring your sleeping bag and cookware.
What makes Paddling Michigan even cooler is its water adventures and boat tours. Take the kids on a guided hike and paddle at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, or book a Grand Island boat cruise. Reservations are available à la carte, or make it really easy with vacation packages that bundle canoeing, several meals, a kayak tour, boat cruise and two- or three-night stays.
MORE FAMILY FUN NEARBY:
Explore Au Train Songbird Trail, a two-mile interpretive hiking loop. In the forested areas, you may see chickadees, cedar waxwings and nuthatches. From atop the observation platform, look for ducks, shorebirds, eagles and osprey. The birds are most active (and vocal) in the mornings; walk then for a woodland concert. Paddle your way down the Au Train River Canoe Trail. Here you'll find 10 miles of slow-moving river to explore free of rapids and portages, making it a safe and fun experience. Watch for blue herons, kingfishers, muskrats and turtles along with walleye, perch, suckers and bullheads. And in fall, the salmon run.
Get there: M-28, 13 miles west of Munising. Campground open May thru September.
Inside a safari tent
Up North Biz News
photos by Dave Weidner
NEW UP NORTH
Cool finds, community updates and sweet new businesses.
BAKES & KROPP
801 FRONT ST., BAY HARBOR Bakes & Kropp, a luxury kitchen design and manufacturing company, expanded to Northern Michigan in June. The showroom is located in the Chatham House Lifestyle Gallery and the team is excited to help homeowners in creating their dream kitchens, bathrooms, closets, wine rooms and more. bakesandkropp.com
BLESSED BE TEA AND APOTHECARY
116 E. FRONT ST., SOUTH STE., TRAVERSE CITY This herbal tea and retail shop offers powerfully charged products with a purpose, whether that be physical or metaphysical. Visitors will find locally sourced handcrafted tea, essential tools for the modern-day spiritualist and a safe space for learning and growing. For upcoming events, follow @blessedbetea on Facebook. blessedbetea.com
J. BIRD PROVISIONS
109 BRIDGE PARK DR., CHARLEVOIX A specialty grocery store with seasonal grab-and-go salads, sandwiches, artisanal dips, beverages and more. Located downtown by the Beaver Island Boat Co. jbirdprovisions.com
PICNIC
102 N. MAIN ST., LELAND Find lots of picnic items from sandwiches and salads to candy, charcuterie, ice cream and fudge. Follow on Instagram @leland_picnic.
Know of a business that just opened or have a fun community update? Let us know at editorial@traversemagazine.com.
NEW BIZ SPOTLIG HT
HIDDEN TOY STORE 215 MILL ST., NORTHPORT
You won’t find Northport’s newest business on a traditional map. Tucked into the back of home décor boutique Yard & Lake is a small room curtained by nautical rope. Aptly named Hidden, the shop is “a little treasure cove just loaded floor to ceiling with toys,” says owner Shawn Santo, who explains that the only way to find it is on treasure maps given out to children in town. When “pint-sized visitors” reach Yard & Lake, they’ll need to find and ring an authentic navy bell. After ringing it, they’ll hear a warning from employees, “Enter at your own risk,” and can then pull back the ropes to reveal Hidden. A gold “X” painted on the floor sits beneath shelves of goodies—mermaid tail swimsuits, sand toys and more—letting kids know they’ve found the fortune. The inventive idea of combining a treasure hunt and a toy store was imagined by Santo and her husband Kevin Borsay, who hope to create joyous memories for kids. “When you see a child squeal because of a submarine or a mermaid tail, you can’t beat that feeling,” Santo says. “We just want to be a part of children’s memories of Northport.” –Alea Wilkins
Up North Style & Shopping
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5 4
1 | LEELANAU SUNSETS GAITER, $22 Headband, face mask, neck gaiter, bandana, hair scrunchie, sweatband— this is go-to gear. Bonus: Made from eco-friendly material woven from recycled plastic bottles that’s moisture wicking.
2 | LEELANAU TRAILS CAMP TOWEL, $38
A quick-drying, lightweight, sand-proof product that takes up way less room in your beach bag than a traditional towel.
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3 | FIRESIDE CHATS CAMP MUG, $32 This dishwasher-proof insulated mug doesn’t burn your fingers like other camp mugs.
4 | PETOSKEY KEYCHAIN, $18 A silver enamel keychain of everyone’s favorite Michigan stone. 5 | SMALL SUNSET NOTEPAD, $6 For all your wild dreams and grocery lists. Made with recycled paper and printed with vegetable-based inks.
photo by Dave Weidner
SHOP WILD LETTIE
by CARLY SIMPSON
With a seasonal Fishtown shop and new year-round storefront in Suttons Bay, owner Annie Lang Hartman has transformed the former Compass Paper Co. into a thriving eco-conscious retail haven.
Carly Simpson: You’ve recently changed your name from Compass Paper Co. to Wild Lettie. What’s the inspiration there?
Annie Lang Hartman: The name “Lettie” means joy. And that’s what we’ve been about since we were Compass Paper Co. When I realized we outgrew our old brand name, I knew I wanted to replace it with something we could grow with. Something that’s fun and evokes a feeling.
CS: When did you start working with REI? (Very cool!)
ALH: We started off small in 2018, stocking their five regional flagship stores, and after our cards quickly sold out, we worked up to having products in all 160 stores. Now we send them monthly restocks and each year we are fulfilling bigger orders. The volume of products we sell to them helps us scale and grow all areas of our business—it’s allowed us to open our own stores and invest in new products each season.
CS: What have you been loving about the new Suttons Bay location?
ALH: We are already in love with the community. It’s been so welcoming, not just our neighbors but also residents. We are so excited to add more brands and grow our own line with this year-round location. And, yes, our beloved Fishtown location is not going anywhere either. We love being a part of both wonderful towns!
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William helped us discover Traverse City
The knowledge we gained during our first meeting with William was priceless. William grew up and graduated from Traverse City, well before it was on the map. He couldn't have been more gracious in sharing those lifelong relationships with us. We fell in love with the area over many vacations. However, it was the community that William and his staff were able to provide us with that we are most grateful for. Tom E.
William Kaupas helped us find our lake dream
We had a dream of living on Lake Front in Traverse William Kaupas Listens to his clients needs Our family has some specific challenges, that City, but never thought it would be a reality. William require a specific home. William didn't just ask went above and beyond. He had a creative solution what we needed. He came to our old home several times to view first hand how we used the home. William to everyone of our concerns. His vision is outstanding. understood our needs. William used that intimate
William left no stone unturned. Once he found the perfect property for us, his relationships gave us the knowledge, to not only find our new home. William also helped us coordinate all the specialized improvements we needed to make, so our family would be comfortable. edge we needed to ensure our offer was accepted. Thanks to William, we are now in our forever home Paul H.
William helped us discover Traverse City The knowledge we gained during our first meeting with William was priceless. William grew up and graduated from Traverse City, well before it was on the map. He couldn't have been more gracious in sharing those lifelong relationships with us. We fell in love with the area over many vacations. However, it was the community that William and his staff were able to provide us with that we are most grateful for. Tom E.
William Kaupas Listens to his clients needs
William Kaupas helped us find our lake dream Our family has some specific challenges, that We had a dream of living on Lake Front in Traverse City, but never thought it would be a reality. William went above and beyond. He had a creative solution require a specific home. William didn't just ask what we needed. He came to our old home several to everyone of our concerns. His vision is outstanding. William left no stone unturned. Once he found the perfect property for us, his relationships gave us the times to view first hand how we used the home. William understood our needs. William used that intimate edge we needed to ensure our offer was accepted. Thanks to William, we are now in our forever home knowledge, to not only find our new home. William also helped us coordinate all the specialized improvements Nancy G. we needed to make, so our family would be comfortable. Paul H.
William helped us discover Traverse City The knowledge we gained during our first meeting with William was priceless. William grew up and graduated from Traverse City, well before it was on the map. He couldn't have been more gracious in sharing those lifelong relationships with us. We fell in love with the area over many vacations. However, it was the community that William and his staff were able to provide us with that we are most grateful for. Tom E.
William Kaupas Listens to his clients needs Our family has some specific challenges, that require a specific home. William didn't just ask what we needed. He came to our old home several times to view first hand how we used the home. William understood our needs. William used that intimate knowledge, to not only find our new home. William also helped us coordinate all the specialized improvements we needed to make, so our family would be comfortable. Paul H.
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