Behind the Blogger

Hi friends,

I am Samantha Haas, a former journalist in South West Michigan. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Magazine Journalism from Ball State University and have 10 years of experience in the industry, working as a reporter for various newspapers in Southwest Michigan including The Laporte County Herald- Dispatch, Tri-City Record, and Harbor Country News. I have also written for national online media outlets, including Scandalous! Women's Magazine, Pet LifeStyles Magazine, and PotGuide.com. In my spare time, I enjoy going on long walks with my dog, Ringo, going to the beach on a sunny day grabbing a cup of coffee from a local coffee shop. My most recent portfolio is currently being updated, but if you would like to see my full body of work, go to:

www.samanthaesmithportfolio.com

 Starting Small

My interest in learning about Small Business did not come overnight. I come from a hard-working family, so hard, in fact, that in 2017, my parents founded and opened The Green Door, the first licensed cannabis dispensary in Southwest Michigan. Seven years later, The Green Door currently has locations in Allegan, Bangor, South Haven, and Watervliet, Michigan. Additionally, in 2018, my family broke ground on Pure Michigan Growers, a 30,000-square-foot, licensed Class C Cannabis Grow Facility vertically integrated with The Green Door. Meaning they grow their product and sell their product. You will not find PMG Products in any other dispensary.  Watching my parent’s build their own successful business, later inspired me to take my passion for baking to the next level.

Taking my own steps into small business

In 2021, I started my venture as a business owner by founding Tranquil Tummy Confections. My mission in starting Tranquil Tummy Confections was to offer sweet treats for everyone by focusing on providing customers with Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan dessert options made with clean and organic ingredients.

For many reasons, that chapter was short for me, but I learned a lot, and the joys and hardships of owning a business led me to an idea for a new project, 'Behind the Business'

A New Beginning

My goal with this blog is to share the stories of small business owners with the hope of building a community and promoting local businesses. Their passions, their drive, their accomplishments, and their misfortunes, I want to lay it all out on the table and show people what it really takes to run a business. 

Whatever this blog ends up being, I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading. Keep an ear out for the podcast, which is coming soon!