S3: Bags to Butterflies of Detroit – Episode #69

Michelle Smart of Bags to Butterflies in Detroit! Romy interviews Michelle Smart, founder and creator of Bags to Butterflies. Learn how Michelle is empowering women returning from the prison systems to be all that they can be. Transformation and incredible business ideas are moving this social enterprise into possibility. Don’t miss the great Detroit artist and their new song at the end of the episode!   For the Full Transcript – Click Here Read Full Transcript Romy: Hey there! Thanks for tuning-in to another great episode of the Bonfires of Social Enterprise. This is Romy, and I have the honor of hosting. Some of you may not remember why this show has this name...Bonfires of Social Enterprise. The word 'Bonfires' was used originally by our team to help social entrepreneurs that the bonfires represented the business enterprise portion of their organization. The warmth the bonfires put off represented the social impact for people. We still use the bonfires analogy today to discuss all of the ways we social entrepreneurs tend to walk away from the fire to do more social impact. We always need to remember to tend the fire so we can keep that sustainable impact growing! On this episode, you will meet Michelle Smart, and she is someone who really gets the notion of tending her fire while making a socially good impact. At the end of the episode, we are showcasing an amazing artist, Nique Love Rhodes, you don’t want miss that one! Before we meet Michelle, let's hear from our guest ‘Fun-Fueler’, Hudson Robertson of Traverse City, Michigan. By the way, we don't help them with the research or the recording; they do it all by themselves. What do you have for us today Hudson? Hudson Roberston: A caterpillar spends most of it’s life crawling on and devouring it’s food source. When it’s time to become an adult, the caterpillars start to wander away from what they’ve been eating. The caterpillar makes a simple silk pad on the underside of a branch or twig. It uses a hook-covered appendage called a cremaster to attach itself to it’s pad. It twists around, embedding it’s cremaster firmly into the silk so it can hang. Then it sheds it’s skin revealing the chrysalis. (In 2nd grade last year we studied this process and the caterpillars all made their spots at the top of the cage, so that when it was time for the butterfly to come out, it would use it’s wings right away to fly, Cool!) The time then from chrysalis to Butterfly depends on how warm the climate is but generally the whole process from egg, to caterpillar, to butterfly is about 4 weeks. Also, I learned that there are more than 20 butterflies and moths currently listed as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Romy: Thank you, Hudson, that was very informative! Okay, time to meet Michelle Smart. I have to tell you; the interview went quick but, I confess, I wanted to stay and hang out with her, ha ha. Here is part of my conversation with Michelle..... Romy: Well, welcome to the Bonfires of Social Enterprise, Michelle. I know we've been trying to get together for a little bit to hear about your amazing business and let's start by helping the listeners know what is the business of Bags to Butterflies. Michelle: Bags to Butterflies is a social enterprise. We have an outreach to female returning citizens. Our mission is to reduce recidivism within our community by providing employment and training opportunities for women returning home from prison. Romy: Wow! Now is there any time frame that you take that...