March 2018 - The Brick Magazine

Youth Entrepreneurship

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:40:00+00:00March 8th, 2018|Ann Arbor Interest, Career|

by Debra Power Becoming an entrepreneur can be a challenge at any stage of life, but two local young women can serve as an inspiration to anyone who has thought about striking out on their own.Naja Prince and Abi Middaugh are dynamic 14-year-olds who have their own businesses and recently signed on to mentor other young entrepreneurs for the Running Start program. Running Start offers workshops for middle and high school-aged youth to get the skills they need to become entrepreneurs. During the workshops, Abi and Naja will share their experiences and challenges to help their peers. I sat down with both of these young women to hear more about [...]

Work Life Sustainability

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:40:09+00:00March 8th, 2018|Ann Arbor Interest, Career, Inspirational|

It has to work for you before it can work for anyone else with Marie Klopf of the Ann Arbor Arts Center by Kristen Domingue When we interviewed Marie Klopf of the Ann Arbor Art Center, we were pleasantly surprised to find a woman who solved the “work-life balance” dilemma. Her solution? Forget balance; think sustainability. Read on to find out how she built both a sustainable life and a sustainable nonprofit, the trial-and-error process of navigating ambition, motherhood, marriage, and the lessons she learned along the way. ___ When I started at the Ann Arbor Art Center, I was humbled by how much I didn’t know and how much I [...]

Letter from the Publisher, March 2018

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:40:29+00:00March 8th, 2018|Inspirational|

I love interviewing people. One of the personal reasons I started this magazine is that I started to feel disillusioned by “how I created my success” stories. Often we hear stories of break-out success, but when we look to see what happened, how that person created their win, the substance is missing. Instead, we get an airbrushed, overly-polished veneer of a story. And these are just the “good” ones, the ones that aren’t laced with marketing. That’s not what I wanted for the interviews at The Brick. Instead, when I’m interviewing people for you, I have three questions in mind: What is the truth? What makes her tick? What are the [...]

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes Baby…

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:40:38+00:00March 8th, 2018|Parenting, Relationships|

by Randi Rubenstein Seventeen years ago I turned to my husband and declared, “We are either hiring a marriage counselor or taking a parenting class.” My sweet husband of four years looked at me like I was crazy at the time. Now I think even he would admit that it was one of the defining moments of our life together. To back up a sec: you see, our lives had been on autopilot, and I’m not really an autopilot sort of gal. We dated for two years, and then he popped the big question. Typically, the next traditional step would have been engagement and then a joyous wedding a year [...]

Focus on Rising, Not Perfection

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:40:47+00:00March 6th, 2018|Ann Arbor Interest, Career, Inspirational|

by Millie Chu I was an immigrant child who arrived in America with interested eyes and a candid heart. I am the daughter of a seamstress who worked in a sweatshop and a father who was a taxicab driver. He held a second job as a cook where he offered to work for free to gain experience while he was attending culinary art school. My parents and I immigrated to the United States from China when I was four years old. They did not have much more than the clothes on their backs, a few dollars in their pockets, and with three small children living in the slums of New York City. We moved to Michigan when I was eight years old, and by the time I was eleven, my mother and father had worked so [...]

Your Heart Knows. Follow Your Intuition!

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:40:55+00:00March 6th, 2018|Inspirational, Relationships|

by Maria Sylvester Listen to your inner voice…for it is a deep and powerful source of wisdom, beauty, and truth, ever flowing through you. Learn to trust it, trust your intuition, and in good time, answers to all you seek to know will come, and the path will open before you. ~ Caroline Joy Adams Intuition exists as a constant presence inside of you. One must be present for this presence! Just like breathing, your intuition has a life force that is pure and unstoppable. Just how often do you give credence to the rich inner wisdom your intuition is laying out for you? I love [...]

How do we heal from sexual assault?

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:41:01+00:00March 6th, 2018|Health, Inspirational, Parenting, Relationships|

by Morella Devost, EdM, MA Since October, we’ve been both witnesses and participants in a historic set of events. Investigative journalism blew the lid off the open secret that the media world is rife with harassment. #metoo became an avalanche of voices speaking of the enormity of the issue of abuse everywhere. Moguls were toppled. All of this has initiated two important trends: awareness and accountability. From an awareness perspective, an enormous spotlight has been shone on the issue. The testimony of hundreds of gymnasts in particular made irrevocably clear that the problem lies not just on the perpetrator, but on the environments that made it possible for them to be systematically abused. The problem is cultural and systemic. We are also seeing accountability and justice like we’ve never seen before. [...]

Feed Your Glow

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:41:10+00:00March 6th, 2018|Recipes|

by Lisa Nogueira With wedding season upon us, let’s talk about some healthy and beautifying food options for your big day! On the morning of my wedding, I woke up with swollen red eyes. It was an out-of-town wedding, and my overactive planning brain led me to insomnia, and then not sleeping led to panic and, ultimately, tears. So there I was on the morning of my big day, swollen and red-eyed. My sister and I were staying in a bed and breakfast, so we scrambled for a solution. All I could find was a box of stress relief tea bags. “It’s perfect!”, I thought. I was feeling stressed and usually [...]

Hair-Free is the Way to Be

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:41:16+00:00March 6th, 2018|Fashion, Hair|

by Lisa Profera The cold winter weather has been brutal, but warmer temperatures and “fun in the sun” are not too far away. You may even be getting “save-the-date” notifications of weddings, reunions, or other special events coming up later this year. Whether it is a formal occasion or a casual gathering, you will want to look your best. Even though you may still be wearing layers now, the time for bare arms, armpits, and legs is right around the corner. So, what does that mean? Well, if you are like most women, you spend a lot of time shaving, plucking and waxing — ouch! I challenge you to consider permanent hair removal. Now is [...]

Woman on the Street | My Legwarmers Are Magic

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:41:23+00:00March 6th, 2018|Inspirational|

by Stephanie Saline It started innocently enough when I wore my LL Cool J t-shirt to the gym. Sure, my drawers are filled with snazzy yoga tanks and sleek running tops, but there was something in the air that was more ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ than lithe workout pony. I shimmied into my standard issue skin-tight capris and, because it was cold and there was a good five inches of skin between where my pants ended and my ankle socks began, I added the finishing touch to my outfit with (wait for it) . . . legwarmers. At first, I thought nothing of it. But once at the [...]

Love Your Swimwear — Any Size, Any Age

Sarah Whitsett2018-03-27T19:41:29+00:00March 6th, 2018|Fashion|

by Angela Harrison If you’re headed off to warmer climates for Spring Break this month, or just need a swimwear refresh for the coming summer season, I’ve got you covered. There’s so much more to swimsuits than what meets the eye. A good suit that will hold up through washing, and last several seasons, won’t come by cheap but is completely worth the investment. These swimwear lines tend to be made with a thicker, more durable padding and fabric (that lasts in the wash), are double-lined for less exposure while wet, and have styles with support technology, which can be crucial for the perfect fit. High quality swim [...]