Border 2 Border Business Connections

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

Today we are celebrating Senior Wealth Strategist, Matt Bowden, and his 9th anniversary with our Two Bird team! Over the past nine years Matt has shown up as the kind of teammate everyone is grateful to have, dynamic, patient, and always willing to lend a hand.

He has a natural ability to meet his clients where they are, whether that means breaking a difficult concept down to help them understand or jumping into the nitty gritty details together – he is happy to do it all. His care for the people around him, clients and teammates alike, runs deep and it shows in everything he does. Add in a sharp sense of humor and a down-to-earth presence, and it is easy to see why he is such an important part of this team.

We are so grateful for you, Matt!"

10/08/2026

While tax preparation often happens after it's too late to change much about the end result, tax planning happens while you still have two key assets: time and choice.

This week's presenter, Angie Finch of Angie L. Finch, CPA shared the importance of tax planning, especially for those with businesses or other major assets.

Tax preparation is rather inflexible in its result: what you owe is a record of things that happened already. But tax planning happens while you still have time and choices. Angie Finch of Angie Finch, C.P.A. built her Border 2 Border presentation around that distinction, walking through seven conve...

10/07/2026

Fall flips a switch in many of us. The air retreats from warm and welcoming to a manic cycle of crispy, damp, crispy, damp. Schedules tighten, teams regroup, and suddenly the calendar for the remainder of the year starts to fill.

10/07/2026

As a participant for I am participating in a reflection each week.

I rarely share my learning through horses here. Usually I’m sharing clients stories and experiences. For the month of October, you get to hear some of mine. Since it has to be with a horse that has a braid, that will narrow down my options! 😂

Prompt #3 that Horses for Mental Health gave us was about the impact that stays with you. The picture is of a horse we had on the farm for many years and had the pleasure of eventually owning ourselves. Finn taught me many things like the importance of “power with not power over” as he was the most confident and self assured horse I’ve ever met. While that lesson was important, the lesson that has stuck with me though is the importance of goodbye. We rehomed Finn this past year which was an extremely difficult decision to make. Saying goodbye has never been easy for me due to past situations that have left not positive residual memories, not just in my head but I felt it in my bones. So my body rejects the goodbye and instead I want to hang on tight. From the time we unloaded him from the trailer, he walked in his new home like he owned the place, completely comfortable & happy in his new surroundings. He is now doing trail rides every weekend with his new owner (aka. new dad) and living his best life. Finn showed me that it can be okay. That saying goodbye isn’t always tragic and heartbreaking. This has helped me over the last year as I’ve had to say some other goodbyes. Life changes. We can breathe, feel the emotion yet not drown in it, and hold space for hope & peace for tomorrow. Thank you, Finn 🩷 happy trails my friend.

~ Crystal

10/02/2026

Your credit score isn't the whole picture — it's the summary. This week Jeremy Shaffer of LMCU showed Border 2 Border what lenders look closest at in reviewing an applicant's credit. New Spotlight is up now!

Most people think of their credit score the way they think of a report card grade — a single number that sums everything up. But this week's presenter, Jeremy Shaffer of Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU) made a great case for why the number doesn't tell the whole story, and why business owners in ...

09/28/2026

I know it’s been quiet here.

Everything is okay. Farm is good. Just made the decision to head back to school. With that decision comes the time suck that is all the work that comes with it. I will end up with a MA in Social Work at some point here which will allow me to bring clinical therapy to the farm 🤗🥳🩷

So all good news. My goal is to post 1x per week. Keep y’all updated on the program and farm. Along with hopefully something thought provoking to everyone thinking & hopefully learning 😊

~ Crystal

09/28/2026

09/25/2026

A big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to our Business Showcase on Wednesday! 🙌

It was great to see local businesses sharing what they do, making new connections, and supporting each other. That's what Border 2 Border is all about.

Special shoutout to our visiting showcasing businesses:

👉 Washtenaw ACA for Community Advocacy (WACA) with Kristen Columbus, President/CEO. For over 75 years, WACA has supported people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

👉 Tri-State Heating & Cooling heating with AJ Zuvers, Owner. They handle residential HVAC, commercial heating & refrigeration, custom duct work, tankless water heaters and more, serving Lenawee, Jackson, Washtenaw & surrounding counties.

👉 Send out Cards Allan - Gratitude Specialist with Allan Cassell. Allan helps individuals and businesses stay top of mind by sending personalized greeting cards and gifts that people actually keep. 🌐 soc.expeditedweb.site

Go give them a follow and show them some love! ❤️ (websites in comments)

Want to showcase your business at the next one? Join us at Border 2 Border Business Connections!
🌐 border2border.biz