Evolve Center for Success adds eclectic shop to an already intriguing mix on Wealthy Street

Deborah Johnson Wood

It's a personal success coaching center, a business coaching center, a therapist's office and a place where businesswomen network every month. As if that's not enough, it's also home to feng shui workshops for home and office, ADHD coaching services and a massage therapist.

The place is Evolve – Center for Success, 1031 Wealthy SE, Grand Rapids and owner Leah Grace, 29, brings the eclectic mix of services to a district ripe with rehabbed buildings, new buildings, restaurants, retail and residential.

"I'm a small business coach; I help people define what they want to do and I run a networking group for women who run home-based businesses," Grace says. "Evolve wants to be the doorway for people who have home-based businesses or who want to start a business – we offer inspiration, education in opportunities and ways to start a business."

The "we" Grace mentions is a group of business people, mostly women, who offer the various services mentioned above. Grace not only uses the storefront for the services, but also makes it available to people she coaches to help them further their businesses. One example is twice-monthly feng shui workshops that will begin in February – the workshop leader is someone Grace coaches.

Evolve is situated between The Sparrows Coffee Tea & Newsstand and Brick Road Pizza, just east of The Electric Cheetah, The Meanwhile Bar, Bazzani Associates, Local First and the $5 million Uptown Village – all businesses that have revitalized the two block area in recent years.

"It's a complex kind of business, there's so many different elements going on," says Grace about Evolve. "The business community has been fabulous. I fell in love with the building, but when I started to research the businesses, I knew this is where I need to be because everyone is all about doing what's right for the community."

Source: Leah Grace, Evolve – Center for Success

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Have a development news tip for Rapid Growth? Contact us here.