est. 2026 · west michigan

midwest
mischief.

A co-op for builders, makers, and entrepreneurial troublemakers in the Midwest.

How It Works I'm In

not a networking group.

No elevator pitches. No mandatory referrals. No name tags with your LinkedIn QR code on them.

Midwest Mischief is a co-op. Five to seven people building things — tech companies, solo practices, side projects, creative work, whatever — who meet once a month to share what we're actually doing and help each other where we can.

Some of us write code. Some of us do massage therapy. Some of us are 22 and figuring it out. Some of us have been at this for decades. The thing we share is that we're all building something, and we'd rather do it alongside people we actually like.

the format.

Once a month. That's it. Here's what happens when we get together.

check in.

We go around the room. What are you working on? How's it going? What season of life are you in? No pressure. Just real talk from real people building real things.

show & tell.

One member gets 15 minutes to teach the group something they know. Not a sales pitch — something genuinely useful. How to read a contract. How to set up analytics. How to give a better massage. Whatever you've got.

virtual, with soul.

Monthly meetings happen on Google Meet. Everyone's busy, everyone's in a different place — Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon, Lansing, wherever. Once or twice a year we get together for a casual lunch or dinner in person. No pressure. The real work happens on screen.

what you get.

Beyond the monthly meetings, every member has access to these.

skill trades.

Members help each other with what they're good at. You build her a website, she gives you a few sessions. He sets up your bookkeeping, you redesign his logo. No invoices. No awkward IOUs. Just people trading skills because it makes everyone stronger.

From Unicorn Flames

5 free hours.

As the facilitator of this group, Unicorn Flames provides every member with up to 5 hours of free marketing and growth services per year. That's enough for one meaningful deliverable or a few focused consulting sessions.

Deliverables
  • A new website, built and launched
  • A prospecting list, researched and delivered
  • A personal AI assistant, set up and customized
Consulting
  • SEO audit and strategy
  • Social media strategy
  • AI training for your workflow

The cap is real — 5 hours covers roughly one item on this list, not all of them. Choose what moves the needle most for you.

1:1 startup coaching.

If you're early-stage and need a sounding board, Tim offers 1:1 coaching — 90 minutes a month for up to 3 months, free. Not a class. Not a curriculum. Just an experienced founder sitting across from you helping you think through what you're building.

the collective.

Midwest Mischief operates under a unified brand — and that brand markets its members. We'd rather spotlight the people in the group than ourselves. Expect to be featured, promoted, and connected to opportunities. Think of it as a built-in hype machine for the people in the room, run by people who actually know how to market.

the group.

Small on purpose.

Five to seven people. That's it. Not a Slack community with 400 lurkers. Not a meetup where you forget everyone's name. A tight group of builders who actually know each other, actually help each other, and actually show up.

The people in this group span industries — tech, marketing, design, grant writing, wellness, consulting, whatever. The common thread is that everyone is entrepreneurial, everyone is building something, and everyone is rooted in West Michigan.

Now forming.

The first group is coming together now. If you're reading this, you're early.

the vibe.

Yes
  • Show up as you are
  • Share what's really going on
  • Help when you can
  • Refer work when it fits naturally
  • Join from anywhere in the Midwest
  • Miss a meeting — life happens
No
  • Elevator pitches
  • Mandatory referral quotas
  • Membership dues
  • Corporate cringe
  • Competitive energy
  • Whatever BNI is doing

who it's for.

You, if any of these sound familiar:

  • You're building a tech startup and could use a reality check from someone outside the tech bubble
  • You run a solo practice — therapy, consulting, coaching, whatever — and need help with the "business" parts
  • You're early in your career and want to learn from people who've been doing this longer
  • You've been doing this for 20 years and miss having peers who get it
  • You're somewhere in West Michigan — Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon, the Lakeshore, Lansing — and want to be part of something local
  • You're tired of networking events that feel like networking events

i'm in.

This is invite-only, but the invite is easy. Drop your info and we'll be in touch about the first meeting.