What happens when a community loses the places where people gather? Park Theatre shows how a historic venue can bring people back together.

Phil Nykamp, a West Michigan real estate professional and host of The Keys to the Community podcast, speaks with Jair Driesenga, Communications Manager at Park Theatre in Holland, Michigan. Jair explains how open mic nights, live events, volunteer support, local partnerships, and community involvement help keep the nonprofit venue connected to the people it serves.

This episode reveals how arts spaces turn shared interests into stronger community connections while creating practical ways for residents, performers, members, and sponsors to get involved.

Host / Guest

Host: Phil Nykamp is a West Michigan real estate professional and the host of The Keys to the Community podcast, where he highlights the people and places shaping West Michigan.

Guest: Jair Driesenga is the Communications Manager at Park Theatre in Holland, Michigan. He discusses Park Theatre's open mic, nonprofit mission, talent buying, community programming, and fundraising efforts.

💡 What You'll Learn

How Park Theatre uses open mic nights as an accessible third space for self-expression and community.

How volunteer committees and local partnerships support a nonprofit arts venue.

How talent buying and patron suggestions shape live event bookings.

How performers can sign up for Park Theatre Open Mic and prepare a 15-minute set.

How memberships starting at $10 per month and sponsorships support the venue.

Why shared interests in music and the arts can connect people across differences.

How ParkFest supports Park Theatre's 25th anniversary and $25,000 fundraising goal.

❓ Key Questions Answered

Q: What makes Park Theatre Open Mic different from a typical open mic?

A: It combines music, comedy, poetry, dance, and other forms of self-expression with a high-energy and welcoming community atmosphere.

Q: How can performers sign up for Park Theatre Open Mic?

A: Performers can contact Park Theatre Open Mic through Facebook. They may wait six to eight weeks for a spot and receive up to 15 minutes on stage.

Q: How can residents support Park Theatre?

A: Residents can volunteer, join a committee, become members, sponsor the venue, attend ParkFest, or support fundraising campaigns.

⏱️ Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(00:07) - Park Theatre's Mission

(01:44) - Community Support

(04:55) - Major Acts in Holland

(06:49) - Talent Buying

(10:06) - Open Mic Community

(13:08) - Join Open Mic

(14:20) - Arts Build Connection

(16:47) - Memberships

(19:44) - Events and ParkFest

(24:38) - Find Park Theatre

(26:02) - Community Marketing

(27:25) - Keeping It Open

💼 Connect with Jair Driesrnga:

📘 Facebook → http://facebook.com/jairimi

📸 Instagram → https://instagram.com/brotherjair

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jairdriesenga/

Learn More About Park Theatre Holland

(3) Facebook

TICKETS - The Park Theatre Holland

Instagram

Park Fest - the biggest annual fundraiser and a celebration of the people, the historic Park Theatre, and the nonprofit mission.

• FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1474719210277677/

• Ticket link: https://parktheatreholland.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200531973

🎧 Follow Phil:

🌐 Website → https://philnykamp.kw.com

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhilNykampRealtor/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philnykamprealtor/

💼 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/philnykamp322/

🤝 This Episode Is Proudly Sponsored By:

Lighthouse Title:

Navigating your title and closing needs in Holland since 2001. Contact: 616-393-9240

Independent Bank – Joshua DeVries, Mortgage Lender:

Whether you’re buying, refinancing, or exploring your options, Josh is ready to help guide you through the mortgage process with clarity and care. Contact Josh: 616-402-7823

#KeysToTheCommunity #PhilNykamp #WestMichiganRealEstate #GrandRapids #MichiganRealtor #KellerWilliams #LocalBusiness #CommunityLeaders #RealEstatePodcast #WestMichigan

What if the loneliness epidemic — and the anxiety it fuels — could be traced directly to your phone? Host Phil Nykamp talks with Josh Zoerhof, a teaching pastor and licensed counselor who leads a workplace chaplaincy initiative serving 30+ companies and 3,000+ employees across West Michigan, about why anxiety and isolation have become so pervasive, and the simple, mostly free tools that actually help.

🎧 Hosted by: Phil Nykamp

👤 Guest:🏡 Josh Zoerhof - Teaching Pastor & Licensed Counselor, Fearless Family of Churches

Josh Zoerhof is a pastor, Bible teacher, counselor, and the host of the Chaplaincy on the Go podcast in West Michigan. Serving as the Teaching Pastor for the Fearless Family of Churches and a Corporate Chaplain to local businesses, he focuses on connecting mental, emotional, and spiritual health with everyday life. Josh is also a contributor to Preaching Today and the creator of "The Worry Work App," a mobile resource designed to help individuals reduce anxiety.

💡 What You'll Learn:

✔️ How Josh's chaplaincy program grew from a pandemic lunch-and-learn to serving 3,000+ employees

✔️ Why anxiety can cut workplace productivity by 25-50%

✔️ The neuroscience of why you can't be anxious and grateful at the same time

✔️ Simple, free daily habits that lower anxiety: breathing, nature, gratitude

✔️ Why retirement can trigger an identity crisis — and what helps

🎧 Listen now for practical, faith-informed tools to manage anxiety and rebuild real community.

💼 Connect with Josh Zoerhof:

🌐 Website → http://fearlesschaplaincy.org/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/joshzoerhof/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-zoerhof-63670578/

🎧 Follow Phil:

🌐 Website → https://philnykamp.kw.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhilNykampRealtor/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philnykamprealtor/

💼 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/philnykamp322/

#MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellness #Anxiety #Chaplaincy #WestMichigan #Community #Faith #Loneliness #Gratitude #DigitalWellness #Retirement #KeysToTheCommunity

Is our community truly ready to embrace neurodiversity? Discover how one clear vision transformed 40 acres of farmland into a wildly inclusive haven.

Discover how a single, vivid vision transformed 40 acres of raw Michigan farmland into a thriving, debt-free farmstead community for adults with autism. In this episode, host Phil Nykamp sits down with Krista Mason, the founder of Benjamin's Hope, to explore the deeply personal origin story behind this groundbreaking residential model and the pressing need for long-term care solutions for neurodiverse adults.

🎧 Hosted by: Phil Nykamp

🎤 Featuring: Krista Mason

Krista Mason is the visionary founder of Benjamin's Hope, a farmstead community in Holland, Michigan, dedicated to adults with autism. Driven by her son's diagnosis, she built a debt-free campus that provides residential care, inclusive events, and innovative communication programs.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔ Transforming personal challenges into expansive community solutions.

✔ Designing inclusive adult environments beyond traditional residential care models.

✔ Navigating the critical transition out of the public school support system.

✔ Leveraging debt-free strategies to ensure long-term nonprofit stability.

✔ Developing creative partnerships between local businesses and care communities.

✔ Empowering non-verbal individuals through innovative communication scholarships.

✔ Fostering genuine neurodiversity and belonging in your own neighborhood.

Connect with Krista:

Connect with Krista:

💼 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-mason-90a804b/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/benjaminshope/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/benjaminshope

🎧 Follow Phil:

🌐 Website → https://phil-nykamp.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhilNykampRealtor/?locale=vi_VN

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philnykamprealtor/

💼 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/philnykamp322/

⭐ Produced by Icons of Real Estate - https://iconsofrealestate.com/

🔖 Don’t Forget to LIKE 👍, SUBSCRIBE 🔔 & COMMENT 💬 Below!

#KeysToTheCommunity #BenjaminsHope #AutismAwareness #Neurodiversity #HollandMichigan #DisabilityInclusion #FarmsteadCommunity #SpecialNeedsParenting #NonprofitLeadership #CommunityCare #PhilNykamp #KristaMason

People keep disappointing you until you tell them what you expect. Becky Ploeg on leading better.

Host Phil Nykamp explores clear expectations, listening, and culture with 30-plus year HR professional Becky Ploeg. They discuss why you cannot build a team mid-crisis and how core values become daily behavior.

🎧 Hosted by: Phil Nykamp

🎤 Featuring: Becky Ploeg

Becky Ploeg, SHRM-SCP, is the Founder and Lead Coach of Waters Edge Coaching. With an extensive background in human resources, she specializes in leadership development and workplace culture. She partners with senior leaders and organizations to build leadership capacity, strengthen team dynamics, and foster purpose-driven work environments.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• ✔ Setting clear expectations so your team stops guessing what you want

• ✔ Spotting the promotion mistake that quietly costs you good people

• ✔ Turning core values from words on a wall into real hiring and performance decisions

• ✔ Rebuilding trust and listening habits in a permanently distracted workplace

• ✔ Building your leadership team before a crisis instead of during one

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Intro

• (00:01:03) The Three Pillars of Water's Edge

• (00:03:40) What Leadership Actually Means

• (00:06:49) The Best Widget Maker Problem

• (00:08:22) Where a Coaching Engagement Starts

• (00:09:41) Listening Is a Forgotten Art

• (00:16:39) What AI Can't Do for a Leader

• (00:19:43) Taking Core Values Off the Wall

• (00:26:08) When Culture Starts to Drift

• (00:27:26) Building Teams Before the Crisis

• (00:30:53) Tell People What You Expect

• (00:32:42) Start Your Day With Intention

• (00:36:48) How to Connect With Becky

Connect with Becky:

🌐 Website → https://watersedgecoach.com/

💼 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyploeg/

🎧 Follow Phil:

🌐 Website → https://philnykamp.kw.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhilNykampRealtor/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philnykamprealtor/

💼 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/philnykamp322/

⭐ Produced by Icons of Real Estate - https://iconsofrealestate.com/

🔖 Don’t Forget to LIKE 👍, SUBSCRIBE 🔔 & COMMENT 💬 Below!

🚀 Thinking about building near a lake, wetland, or shoreline in Michigan? Environmental consultant Zach Vandenberg explains how permits, EGLE regulations, wetlands, floodplains, and shoreline protection can impact your project. Learn what homeowners, developers, and landowners need to know before breaking ground and how proper planning can save time, money, and costly mistakes.

🎧 Hosted by: Phil Nykamp

👤 Guest:🏡 Zach Vandenberg – Environmental Consultant | Peterson Vandenberg Environmental

Zach VandenBerg is Co-Owner of a West Michigan–based environmental consulting firm with over 30 years of combined industry experience. His firm has supported more than 2,000 environmental permits since 2008, specializing in wetlands, critical dunes, and high-risk erosion areas, while assisting clients with complex regulatory approvals and land development projects.

💡 Key Topics Covered:

✔️ Understanding EGLE permitting requirements

✔️ Wetland and shoreline development regulations

✔️ Dock, dredging, and lakefront property considerations

✔️ Environmental planning for residential and commercial projects

✔️ Future trends in shoreline protection and conservation

🎵 Whether you're an investor, agent, or homebuyer, this episode offers valuable insights!

💼 Connect with Zach Vandenberg:

🌐 Website → https://www.petersonenviro.com/

🎙 Follow Phil Nykamp:

🌎 Website → https://phil-nykamp.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhilNykampRealtor/?locale=vi_VN

📷 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philnykamprealtor/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/philnykamp322/

🤝 This Episode Is Proudly Sponsored By:

Lighthouse Title:

Navigating your title and closing needs in Holland since 2001. Contact: 616-393-9240

Independent Bank – Joshua DeVries, Mortgage Lender:

Whether you’re buying, refinancing, or exploring your options, Josh is ready to help guide you through the mortgage process with clarity and care. Contact Josh: 616-402-7823

Coupe Burr Insurance in Partnership with Fremont Mutual Insurance:

Protecting what matters most. Coupe Burr Insurance, partnered with Fremont Mutual Insurance, provides dependable coverage for everything from life’s small bumps to major storms.

Jose Morales is ready to assist with your insurance needs. Contact: 616-355-2920

🔖 Don’t Forget to LIKE 👍, SUBSCRIBE 🔔 & COMMENT 💬 Below!

💎 Produced by Icons of Real Estate -https://iconsofrealestate.com/

🚀 Join host Phil Nykamp as he sits down with Linda Hart, Executive Director of the Holland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, to explore how destination marketing fuels tourism, supports local businesses, and strengthens the economy. Linda shares how Holland attracts overnight visitors, leverages tourism data, promotes signature events like Tulip Time, and plans for future growth through sports tourism, conventions, and community partnerships.

🎧 Hosted by: Phil Nykamp

👤 Guest:🏡 Linda Hart – Executive Director, Holland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Linda Hart is the Executive Director of the Holland Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in hospitality and tourism. She joined the organization in 2014 and stepped into her current leadership role in 2020, overseeing initiatives that promote tourism and community engagement.

💡 Key Topics Covered:

✔️ Funding and purpose of a Convention & Visitors Bureau

✔️ Tourism trends and visitor analytics

✔️ Tulip Time, Ice Park, and seasonal attractions

✔️ Sports tourism, meetings, and convention growth

✔️ The future of destination marketing in Holland

🎵 Whether you're an investor, agent, or homebuyer, this episode offers valuable insights!

💼 Connect with Linda Hart:

🌐 Website → https://www.holland.org/

📘 Facebook→ https://www.facebook.com/discoverholland/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-hart-08294590

🎙 Follow Phil Nykamp:

🌎 Website → https://phil-nykamp.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhilNykampRealtor/?locale=vi_VN

📷 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philnykamprealtor/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/philnykamp322/

🤝 This Episode Is Proudly Sponsored By:

Lighthouse Title:

Navigating your title and closing needs in Holland since 2001. Contact: 616-393-9240

Independent Bank – Joshua DeVries, Mortgage Lender:

Whether you’re buying, refinancing, or exploring your options, Josh is ready to help guide you through the mortgage process with clarity and care. Contact Josh: 616-402-7823

Coupe Burr Insurance in Partnership with Fremont Mutual Insurance:

Protecting what matters most. Coupe Burr Insurance, partnered with Fremont Mutual Insurance, provides dependable coverage for everything from life’s small bumps to major storms.

Jose Morales is ready to assist with your insurance needs. Contact: 616-355-2920

🔖 Don’t Forget to LIKE 👍, SUBSCRIBE 🔔 & COMMENT 💬 Below!

💎 Produced by Icons of Real Estate -https://iconsofrealestate.com/

🚀 In this episode of Keys to the Community, host Phil sits down with Travis Williams, CEO of the Outdoor Discovery Center (ODC) Network, to discuss how the organization has grown from a one-person operation into a regional leader in outdoor education, conservation, and community engagement. Travis shares ODC’s mission of connecting people with nature, the success of its nature-based preschool programs, innovative K-12 education partnerships, and the future of Project Clarity to improve water quality in Lake Macatawa. Learn how ODC is helping shape the next generation while preserving West Michigan’s natural resources.

🎧 Hosted by: Phil Nykamp

👤 Guest:🏡 Travis Williams – CEO, Outdoor Discovery Center Network

Travis Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of the Outdoor Discovery Center, a nonprofit focused on environmental education, conservation, and community engagement. He leads initiatives that connect people with nature through hands-on programs, habitat restoration, and outdoor experiences.

💡 Key Topics Covered:

✔️ The origins and growth of the ODC Network

✔️ Nature-based preschool education and child development

✔️ Outdoor learning partnerships with schools across West Michigan

✔️ Project Clarity and improving Lake Macatawa’s water quality

✔️ Volunteer opportunities and community engagement

🎵 Whether you're an investor, agent, or homebuyer, this episode offers valuable insights!

💼 Connect with Travis Williams:

🌐 Website → https://outdoordiscovery.org/about/team/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/outdoordiscoverycenter/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-williams-8214a611

🎙 Follow Phil Nykamp:

🌎 Website → https://phil-nykamp.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhilNykampRealtor/?locale=vi_VN

📷 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philnykamprealtor/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/philnykamp322/

🤝 This Episode Is Proudly Sponsored By:

Lighthouse Title:

Navigating your title and closing needs in Holland since 2001. Contact: 616-393-9240

Independent Bank – Joshua DeVries, Mortgage Lender:

Whether you’re buying, refinancing, or exploring your options, Josh is ready to help guide you through the mortgage process with clarity and care. Contact Josh: 616-402-7823

Coupe Burr Insurance in Partnership with Fremont Mutual Insurance:

Protecting what matters most. Coupe Burr Insurance, partnered with Fremont Mutual Insurance, provides dependable coverage for everything from life’s small bumps to major storms.

Jose Morales is ready to assist with your insurance needs. Contact: 616-355-2920

🔖 Don’t Forget to LIKE 👍, SUBSCRIBE 🔔 & COMMENT 💬 Below!

💎 Produced by Icons of Real Estate -https://iconsofrealestate.com/