MIDLANDS LEADERS Q&A: SARA MEIS,
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VOLUME 52 No.19
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MAY 1, 2026
Small Business, Big Impact NO TEACHER LIKE EXPERIENCE BY MICHELLE RENNE LEACH Just like their owners wear a lot of hats, Impact 250 businesses represent myriad different things. These organizations embody resiliency in the face of change and truly unprecedented circumstances, as well as a diverse backbone of the Midlands regional economy. Each featured owner or leader brings unique history, passion and motivations to the business. When Mary Clare Sweet founded Lotus House of Yoga in 2010 with her mother, Anne, she already had years of yoga practice under her belt, despite only being in her mid-20s. Inspired by extensive travel, Sweet expanded the yoga studio to include Pilates, sculpt, cycle and meditation classes. However, the Sweets never lost sight of the “soul” of the business: yoga. It’s just expressed in a variety of different styles of movement. For this reason, “yoga” remains front and center in the branding, instead of a more comprehensive name like “House of Wellness.” Now in her early 40s, Sweet reflected on what can only be learned through lived experience. “Entrepreneurs were born for this lifestyle,” she said. “There are decisions, strategies and ideations that aren’t found in other media.” Sweet indicated self-trust is an invaluable teacher when books, conferences and podcasts fall short. “Entrepreneurship is saying ‘yes’ to your inner code and watching life align to you,” she said. To date, COVID-19 remains the biggest challenge for the business, but even that crisis was not without its silver lining. During
CAREFUL AND CAUTIOUS, BUT NOT DISCOURAGING SMALL BUSINESSES NEED TO PLAN STRATEGICALLY FOR INFLATION, TALENT RETENTION BY WENDY JORDAN Being a small business owner is a dream come true for many but once the business is established, keeping up with a changing business environment, SMALL BUSINESS INSIGHT ON PAGE 10
SMALL BUSINESS MONTH ON PAGE 06
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