Chamber of Commerce event described as ‘beyond successful’

WEST BLOOMFIELD — Follow your passion was the theme of the keynote address given by host Jeff Cauley at a “Business Innovation Generator” event March 27.

The BIG event was hosted by the Greater West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce.

Cauley is the owner and principal dealer of Cauley Ferrari in West Bloomfield.

Cauley, who is a past president of the West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, talked about how his love of racing and his introduction to a Chamber of Commerce as a teen were instrumental in his success.

“I was always into racing. I followed Formula 1,” Cauley said.

It was 1979 and the Formula 1 Grand Prix was in Long Beach, California. According to Cauley, the races were not shown on television but he could read about them in racing magazines after the fact.

He mentioned the race to his dad, Jack Cauley, who was a Chevrolet dealer, and his dad said they should go. Jeff asked, “How do we go about it?”

His dad told him he would call the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. They got tickets and saw the race, with Ferrari drivers Gilles Villeneuve and Jody Scheckter finishing in first and second place, respectively.

At the Formula 1 World Championships later that year, Scheckter won, with Villeneuve coming in second.

“That’s where my love affair with Ferrari began,” Cauley said.

In the fall of that year, Cauley went off to college at Northwood University. He received an A for a paper he wrote about Enzo Ferrari. As he spoke, he held up the paper.

“And 20 years later, I became a Ferrari dealer,” Cauley said.

During those 20 years, Cauley raced Corvettes, worked alongside his dad, and met business innovation generators that led him to Ferrari.

It was the first in-person BIG event since the pandemic, according to Suzanne Levine, who is the executive director of the Greater West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce.

She said that the event, which took place at Cauley Ferrari, was “beyond successful.”

“The Ferrari’s  were really the stars of that event,” Levine said. “People were amazed. They loved the networking aspect of it and we really did attract a very diverse business crowd.”

Her role with the Greater West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce helps Levine stay in-tune with how local businesses are doing, and she is keenly aware that many West Bloomfield businesses were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was very tragic,” Lavine said.  “For many people, this was their life’s savings. They quit corporate jobs. They were so excited to bring their dream to fruition, only to have the pandemic destroy it.”

Levine’s passion is being a business matchmaker via connecting businesses with other businesses.

From the pandemic, Levine learned strategies for how to not repeat the devastating effects that the pandemic had on some businesses.

Among the things she learned was the importance of businesses maintaining a one-on-one relationship with their customers.

“Because sending out flyers about your business — most people throw them away,” Levine said. “People still want some sort of one-on-one touchpoint with another human being.”

Levine described the current business outlook in West Bloomfield as “very great.”

Health-related fields, such as medical spas, dentistry, urgent care, and independent and assistant living businesses are very vibrant, according to Levine.

Sarah Webb also attended the BIG event. She has been a care partner for Comfort Care for nearly 23 years and works to help keep people who need care in their homes.

Following her passion is what she does as a certified dementia practitioner, supporting those with memory loss.

“My passion is loving people, especially the elderly generation,” Webb said.  “Especially the veterans who served in the war, those who are sick and have debilitating diseases.”

The pandemic affected her business because some families opted to stay at home and take care of their loved one, while others did not want people in their home, according to Webb.

Despite that, the business was able to maintain “at least” 75% of its clients during the pandemic, according to Webb.

Today, the outlook is very good.

“We are continually growing,” Webb said.

Businesses that offer something unique are also doing well, according to Levine.

Graze Craze catered the BIG event with charcuterie boards, with a variety of meats, cheese and crackers, fruits and vegetables, and more. The family-owned business in West Bloomfield has been open for about a month.

“I’m not a cook or a chef, but I just love people and I love hosting,” Marissa Ayar, one of the owners of Graze Craze, said.

The pandemic played a part in her eventually opening a charcuterie business. Initially, Ayar would make boards for people she loved, but when the opportunity to turn charcuterie boards into a business was presented, the mom of young children thought it was a great fit for her and her family.

“I fell in love with charcuterie when charcuterie became crazy years ago,” Ayar said. “Especially during that COVID time. It was our way of going out without going out — making a charcuterie board and having wine. And over the years I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”