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Mari Harries describes herself as more of a dreamer. She will tell you, the sheer desire to make her dream a reality pretty much directed every business decision she has had to make. “I’m a dreamer, always have been, almost to a fault,” she says. “River City Eatery is my dream, my heart and my soul, and I’m determined to make River City Eatery a story to tell among the respected stories of the history of downtown Windom.”
For Nathan Stolt, being a successful entrepreneur means knowing how to use mistakes to identify your strengths. It means asking questions of those that came before you. And it means offering a helping hand to others. “We’ve been fortunate because we get to meet a lot of other small businesses of all types,” says Stolt. “We get to interact with so many different types so we can start introducing them to each other which is fantastic to see.”
New Ulm-based Big Ideas Hopes to Bridge the Gap The Big Ideas initiative in New Ulm actually started as a
When writing this issue, a theme quickly popped out at me: all of our featured characters know the value of good, old fashioned hard work. They all came to learn that at a very young age. Our cover story, Wu Lin, epitomizes what it means to have a dream and do what it takes to make it come true.
Out of college at the University of Minnesota, Pemberton native Jon Jamieson had not only a passion for personal training, but a passion to establish his own brand in the field and break the mold of what a gym could be in a city like Mankato. He took a few years to develop his skills and learn about the business end of the industry as an assistant manager at a Lifetime Fitness in the Twin Cities.
The local café has been a staple of the small town landscape as far back as anyone can remember. But with all of the challenges facing small town rural America, keeping these institutions operating or finding people willing and able to invest in these businesses is becoming more and more difficult.
For 24 years, Connect Business Magazine has brought to life the stories of business and community leaders in a nine-county region of southern Minnesota. We’ve discovered, though, the characters and stories that shape our business community don’t recognize county or city borders.
Elsewhere in this issue, we talk about the recently coined phrase “Retail Apocalypse.” Well, I want to throw out another one that I’ve embraced for decades now…“Retail Therapy.” This is the counterpoint to the national phenomena that is happening as large national retailers continue to struggle.
The Greater St. Peter area receives an injection of $46 million dollars that will expand not only the hospital there, but the local economy as well. “Solid infrastructure and modern healthcare facilities play a key role in the economic sustainability of rural communities – attracting new businesses, retaining population and providing opportunities for future growth,” says Brad Finstad, State Director for USDA Rural Development.
