Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave's On the Ground Battle Creek series. 
 
BATTLE CREEK, MI — Sunday has traditionally been a day of rest and relaxation with Monday looming large as the start of another work week.
 
Jade Bolden says she has no problem with spending time in her house chilling, but there are times when she’d like to find activities that will take her out of her Sunday comfort zone and inspire her and she wondered if there were others in the Battle Creek community who were feeling the same way.
 
“I’ve talked to different people about some of the ideas I have and they’re interested,” says Bolden, “
 
That receptiveness has birthed a new business venture for her that will focus on providing opportunities on Sundays for people to dip a toe or fully immerse themselves in something they’ve never heard or something they’ve been curious about.
 
“When I channel my inner-childhood and make something it makes me feel excited,” says Bolden, Marketing and Promotions Specialist for the Battle’s Creek’s Small Business Development Office and owner of Seaux Sundays. “It might be buying a coloring book and coloring or playing a video game, but it can also be meditation or Yoga on my own. I like to do things that allow me to put myself in a different headspace before the start of the week.”
 
The name of her business is an extension of her social media handles, including one titled Seauxjaded. As she explains “seaux” is the French word for “so.”
 
The first activity under the Seaux Sunday moniker is a Sound Healing event from 2-4 p.m. on April 7 at Plumeria Botanical Boutique's second and newest location at 660 Capital Avenue SW. The cost to participate is $25 per person with 20 percent of the total proceeds going to benefit S.A.F.E. Place.
 
“I wanted to make sure I’m giving back in some way,” Bolden says. “Everything is outfacing for me and I want to make sure I’m putting good things out into the community.”
 
She found a like mind in Elisha Mayes, owner of Plumeria Botanical Boutiques.
 
For close to 90 years the 8,000-square-foot, two-story building now occupied by Plumeria was home to Lakeview Hardware which closed in August 2021. Mayes and her husband, Brian Mayes, saw an opportunity to bring a new energy and vitality to the Old Lakeview neighborhood, the site of their newest location.
 
Mayes opened her first location in Urbandale at 1364 W. Michigan Avenue in 2018 with her mom, Sandy. That building is about 1,400 square feet.
 
In addition to her floral business which occupies about 2,600 square feet on the first floor at the new location, the remaining space was transformed into an event space known as The Gallery at Plumeria. While the 4,000-square-foot first floor has been completely refurbished, Mayes and her husband have no plans right now to tackle renovations to the second floor.
 
“We’re not going to touch it until we catch our breath,” Mayes says.
 
Finding support in community with each other
 
Besides being female entrepreneurs, Bolden and Mayes have a lot more in common, each sharing a passion and commitment to creating vibrancy and vitality in Battle Creek.
 
They were both born and raised in Battle Creek and have deep roots in the community. Bolden says she sought out the Gallery at Plumeria space for her first event because it fits well with the atmosphere she and Sound Healing instructor Kara Markovich are seeking to create.
 
“It’s kind of a niche market,” Hodges says of the event space. “There’s not a lot of space where people can come in for an hour or a couple of hours.”
 
Since opening, The Gallery has hosted an eclectic mix of events including a bridal shower, baby shower, and a business meeting with the most recent gathering being a fundraiser for Rep. Elisa Slotkin who represents Michigan’s 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
 
There also is a business networking group that meets every Wednesday and in March the space hosted a Yoga class that met on Tuesdays.
 
Mayes says she’s listening to what people are talking about and what they want.
 
Plans include collaborations with art teachers in area schools for students to produce collages about what Battle Creek means to them and coming alongside the Nottawaseppi Band of the Huron Potawatomi. I have faith in my brand and I know people will enjoy it.”
 
to increase awareness of their Murdered Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) initiatives through art. 
 
“There’s a need to find smaller more affordable spaces where people can gather,” Mayes says, “especially for the creative part.”
 
Bolden says she has plans to connect with other Creatives in the community like Jamari Taylor, owner of Jaylei Art, to offer painting sessions.
 
“I think this would be very therapeutic,” Bolden says. “Some people use Sundays to prepare for the week, I want to prepare in a completely different way. I want to expose people to things they may never have heard of before and bridge those gaps.”
 
In her job with the city’s SBD, she has a hand in the creation of events on a large scale and says there also need to be more small-scale events.
 
“It’s necessary for people to create space to come together and commune,” she says. “I wanted to do something that hopefully will grow and be long-lasting.”