Way back when, Chris Holman thought he knew what he wanted. Turns out, it was just a launching pad to a multifaceted and evolving career path in mid-Michigan and beyond.
“Ironically, I started out at a very young age, wanting to be a teacher and a coach,” Holman recalled recently. “After graduating Eastern Michigan University, I was able to do exactly that for nine years. It was extremely rewarding, but as I moved into administration, the enthusiasm I had for education diminished.”
So, he left education, and that’s when his professional journey went into overdrive as he:
- Became an entrepreneur and started his own company.
- Held media gigs in local radio and TV, along with founding Greater Lansing Business Monthly magazine (now known as 517 Business, the very publication you’re reading right now).
- Worked with the Lativan banking and small-business communities as part of a leadership program for the Baltic nation’s NATO admission.
- Took various leadership roles with a laundry list of mid-Michigan empowerment drivers, including the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, Rotary Foundation, Lansing Promise, the T3 workforce development program, AARP Michigan, the Michigan Celebrates Small Business Gala (which he founded) and the National Small Business Association.
- Ended up at his current role as CEO of the Michigan Business Network, providing insights for the region’s business community.
Of those accomplishments, Holman said “the most fulfilling for me has been the ability and the opportunity to help many small businesses in the Greater Lansing region and around the state of Michigan to success.”…