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Women Businesses: To Certify Or Not? And Melania Trump & The Media

(CBS Detroit) -- As more women are opening up businesses across Metro Detroit, a question many are considering is whether it makes sense for them to get officially certified as such.

Michigan Matters
Michelle Richards, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Women's Business Council; Andra Rush, the Founder, Chair and CEO of the Rush Group of Companies; Lauren Aitch, Co-Owner and Head Designer of Our Own Apparel and Michigan Matters host Carol Cain. (credit: CBS 62)

Michelle Richards, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Women's Business Council, appeared with Andra Rush, Chair of the Rush Group of Companies, Lauren Aitch, Co-Owner of Our Own Apparel, and "Michigan Matters" Senior Producer/Host Carol Cain to discuss it.

The process of getting certified as a Women Business Enterprise is arduous. But it does have advantages.

Richards is staging the 17th Annual Great Lakes Women's Business Conference on Sept 26-27 at Suburban Showplace, which helps women businesses learn more to succeed. It also includes a conversation about getting certified.

"It definitely helps when trying to secure contracts from big companies," Richards said.

Rush, one of the most successful woman-owned logistic firms in the nation, talked about that as well. So too Aitch as she owns and runs an apparel design firm.

Michigan Matters
Carolyn Cassin, president & CEO of the Michigan Women's Foundation; Denise Ilitch, CEO of llitch Enterprises; Anne Mervenne, President of Mervenne & Company, and Michigan Matters host Carol Cain. (credit: CBS 62)

Then, women in politics gets a shout out as Denise Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Enterprises, Anne Mervenne, President of Mervenne & Company, and Carolyn Cassin, President/CEO of the Michigan Women's Foundation , discuss how they are faring.

They talk about Gretchen Whitmer, who is running as a Democrat in the 2018 gubernatorial contest, and others teeing it up to run for statewide office.

And there is conversation about First Lady Melania Trump and media coverage of her. When is family fair game?

And, yes, there is talk of her wearing high heels during the Hurricane Irma disaster tour she took with her husband.

You can hear the conversation by watching "Michigan Matters" 11:30 Sunday on CBS 62.

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