A fantasy event promises a good time for thousands on Oct. 6-8 at Mayo Civic Center.
Nerdin Out Con is now in its fifth year, and last year drew 3,000 attendees. Nerdin Out Con promoter Brad Vigesaa said he’s hoping for a larger turnout than that this year.
The cost is $5 to $125 depending on the ticket, and a family of four could attend all day for $40.
“We call it a pop culture expo,” Vigesaa said. “We have everything. We’ll have over 70 vendors who will be selling art and crafts including comics and toys. There will be cosplayers there, stars from movies and TV, and movie-accurate vehicles. We’ll have a cosplay costume contest. There’s so much to do over the course of the weekend.”
The kids’ cosplay contest promises a $100 cash prize, and the adult one has a $300 cash prize.
He recommends attending the event “even if it’s not something you’re into,” he said. “I guarantee you’ll find something you want to take home and purchase. It’s fun for anyone from age 3 to age 80. It’s really a blast. Cosplay professionals dress up and meet fans.”
For more information about the event, go online to nerdinoutcomiccon.com or find them at Facebook/nerdinoutcon.
“I would love to see the city’s support as we’re trying to bring something fun and keep something fun for the city of Rochester,” Vigesaa said. “A family of four could go for $40.”
The ‘ultimate networking’ event is scheduled for Oct. 25-26 at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.
It’s hosted by Elocina, a local consulting firm owned by Tawonda Burks.
Called the Next Level Conference, the gathering is geared for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as seasoned business owners. Burks hopes to draw as many as 300 attendees and 100 vendors.
Educational workshops will be held on Oct. 25, a VIP reception is scheduled for the evening of Oct. 25 at the Chateau Theatre and a vendor Expo will be on Oct. 26. There’s also a wonderful line-up of keynote speakers, Burks said, including Ugg boots founder Brian Smith, the former Mayo Clinic ‘singing surgeon’ Dr. Elvis Francois and Rochester Mayor Kim Norton.
Another anchor for the Next Level Conference is a fireside chat with educational leaders about how educators can best prepare learners for the future in business.
In its inaugural year, you can register for the Next Level Conference at nextlevelconf.com. Cost ranges from $295 to attend the conference to $500 to be a vendor at the Expo. And for $795, attendees can have access to everything the conference offers, including the VIP reception.
“Just get ready to have a great time connecting as it relates to all things business,” Burks said. “We have great supporters. We have a lot of support for this event. Now we’re getting down to the last month and it’s time to spread the word so people get their tickets.”
It isn’t just garage floors.
Justin Cady, owner and founder of Paveman Coatings in Rochester, said they go far beyond garage floors with their work. The business launched in 2016 and has seen growth since.
The business has a staff of four led by Cady, who grew up in Rushford and now lives in Chatfield. Out of high school he focused on automotive work, and later did pest control.
“You name it, I’ve done it,” Cady said.
He finally found his home with Paveman Coatings and started in March of 2016 as Paveman Designs LLC. He later rebranded as Paveman Coatings.
Cady’s story is an interesting one, as he never saw himself as a business owner.
“I always had a knack for finding out where people came from,” he said. “I always thought there were better ways of doing things, as well as treating people and employees.”
“I always thought I would do something on my own. The business world fascinated me.”
From research, Cady knew there was an opening in the world of concrete beautification.
“I knew I could do things differently and provide better customer service,” he said. “That’s my knack, and why I decided to start Paveman Coatings.”
He realizes that his services aren’t a necessity for home owners, and likens his work to landscaping. “Everyone loves having their lawn landscaped,” he said. “We’re a want.”
Watching a project go from start to finish, and to the customer using their rehabbed space again, is the most rewarding part of what he does, Cady says, as well as fostering growth among his team. “Seeing them grow and learn, those light bulbs come on. It’s rewarding,” he said.
Though their current focus is on residential concrete jobs, Paveman is expanding to the commercial and municipality markets as well, Cady said.
His five-year plan is for growth into other markets, including the southern portion of the Twin Cities, Owatonna, Faribault, La Crosse and the Northfield markets.
“Ultimately we want to be able to serve all of those communities as best as we can,” he said.
Cady doesn’t gauge success by sales figures or number of customers. Rather, he focuses on the quality of the service customers receive and offering a rich customer experience.
“We focus on each job individually rather than focusing on doing as many jobs as we can,” he said. “We aren’t the fastest company in the world. We aren’t going to focus on one-day floors, but on the customer’s experience and making sure the job is done correctly.”
“The well-being of our customers and our team is how I see success,” Cady said. “When I know we’re successful is when I see five-star reviews coming in from our customers and our team is happy and productive. Everyone can support themselves and their families.”
In his early years at Paveman, Cady had a large geographic swatch, servicing customers from as far away as the Canadian border and into Iowa. He’s since shrunk his customer network.
“We’re traveling less,” he said. “We’re focusing on a 50-mile radius of Rochester. We’ve kind of shrunk. We have restructured to scale down, and give our customers a better experience.”
Paveman can do vertical surfaces and walls as well as floors. One notable project for them was a dentist office in Glencoe, Minnesota, about four years ago, where they did a custom showcase on their front desk based on an ocean-themed picture the staff loved.
“We created an ocean wave,” Cady said, “from a custom canvas off their desk. They loved it.”
Paveman Coatings Thursday Market Update
His college degree was so unique, he had to craft it himself,
Chris Christensen, creative director for Real Growth Media, a media company owned by Realty Growth Inc., said when he went to college at St. Cloud State University he built his own degree.
He graduated in 2008 with an elective studies degree, but it was essentially a film degree with mass communications, business and TV production classes included in the mix.
“By junior year I knew I wanted to do contemporary video production, instead of going down a film studies path and making movies,” Christensen said.
After college, he didn’t see many growth opportunities in St. Cloud so he relocated to Rochester and took a job with Hobby World TV, a firm which had 10 online TV channels.
They lasted three years, Christensen said. Then came the economic crash and, paired together with the booming popularity of YouTube, which “killed independent online TV, I think,” he said.
He decided to launch his own business called Wondercloud Media. His first job was accompanying a Rochester band called Author on a national tour shooting tour videos.
“It made me a better artist,” Christensen said, “and creator, to see the country and realize we’re all alike.”
For 10 years, he freelanced with Wondercloud and worked primarily with clients in southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. Among his notable freelance clients is Mayo Clinic.
“It all kind of comes back to my documentary history, making documentaries,” he said. “I love capturing stories and telling stories as opposed to making a commercial. People want to hear stories and truths. They don’t want to get served an advertisement.”
Finding himself at a career crossroads, Christensen realized he’d maxed out what he could do in the community of Rochester with Wondercloud Media. It’s then he connected with RGI Inc. co-owner Bucky Beeman, and together they discussed Beeman’s idea for Real Growth Media.
A media company operating under a corporate umbrella is what the two visionaries wanted to create, and create it they did. “We had a few meetings and everything fell into place,” he said of collaborating with Beeman. “We all thought the idea was great and we worked it out. Here I am.”
Christensen said his draw to Real Growth Media, and RGI, was a compulsion he felt to be a part of a team. After freelancing for most of his career, he longed for that team element RGI offered.
“Having your own business is great, but at the end of the day it’s just you and your work,” Christensen said. “That was fulfilling to me for a long time, but then I wanted a team. Being here for the last eight months I feel like more than part of a team. I’m part of a family.”
“The culture created here is so positive,” he said, “and they hire positive people. That’s the part I knew would be possible but I didn’t know it would be so awesome. It creates better work, better content, better productivity when you have a place you’re excited to go to every morning.”
What he values most about the team element is that his comrades are open to experimentation. They have essentially built a machine for creating content, Christensen said, and are focused now on creating even better content with that same machine.
“We’re learning what viewers want to see,” he said. “We’re getting better at creating good content. We’re running social media, and a YouTube channel, but we are a business too.”
The challenge inherent with their task is to create entertaining, educational content, he said.
“We’re always thinking of content,” Christensen said. “Trying to find a good balance between quantity and quality is a big thing here. That’s a departure from where I was, where quality was the primary goal.”
One favored project for him is called “Buyers, Buildings and Businesses,” which is a web series about the progression of a business. Season One featured the journey of Ashley Moberg of Real Deals and their rapid growth from renting to building her dream building. Christensen likens it to an HGTV show but with a commercial real estate focus rather than a residential story being told.
“If we keep pushing, we can create good content about commercial real estate,” he said. “It has that HGTV vibe to it that people are going to want to watch.”
“Being a part of this team is awesome,” he went on. “A big part of my decision to come here was seeing the passion they have here. The team at Realty Growth Inc. gets as excited about real estate as I do about video production and content creation, so it makes for a great relationship.”
Christensen said he loves starting his creative process with nothing, and creating content.
“It’s a piece of art, is how I see it,” he said. “I’m pointing my camera and turning it into something that someone is going to sit down and watch and learn something from.”
To see some of Chris’s work you can find it at some of the following places online.
Realty Growth Incorporated Good Morning Newsletter
Welcome to the August morning newsletter! It is hard to believe that we are already heading into the tail-end of summer.
The month of August saw a little bit of a slowdown, as rising interest rates and uncertainty in the market continue to weigh on the economy. Like most areas of finance and commerce, commercial real estate is also seeing similar effects as other industries. There are a lot of questions, as no one truly knows the direction everything is heading. However, in these uncertain times, our team is here more than ever to help navigate those waters and to continue to provide insights and guidance to all of our clients. Know that this too will pass, and should be seen as an opportunity for all of us.
Despite what we are seeing in the broader market, our team has had a great month; closing on several deals and obtaining new listings. We continue to see interest in our market and remain very busy. We are continuing to put out a lot of content on YouTube, Spotify, Facebook, and Instagram. Our new development is well underway, and we are getting ready to announce the exciting tenants that will be in our building!
We are continuing to grow our online follower base so remember to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for all of the most up-to-date market and real estate information. Also, do not forget to follow our office happenings by listening to our podcast, the Realty Growth Report on Spotify.
As always, thank you for all you do and for being a part of our journey. If there are any questions or interest in real estate, please reach out to us.
With Kindest Regards,
Nick Pompeian, Owner and Broker of Realty Growth, Inc.
Click here to read the full Newsletter from August 2023
Realty Growth Incorporated Good Morning Newsletter
To all of our clients, customers, tenants, and readers, welcome to the July morning newsletter! First of all, we hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July celebrating our country's independence and freedom with family and friends!
We are in the thick of another summer, and, despite rising interest rates and uncertainty in the general market, we have had a busy summer at the office. With the Mayo Clinic's recent announcement of expansion and plans for the future, we have seen a renewed interest in Rochester, especially on the development side of things. Rochester is an amazing place and one that has always been somewhat insulated from the rest of the world due to our unique situation and economy.
We officially broke ground on our brand-new development at 3650 Sarah Place NW! This is an incredible and monumental moment for us at RGI, as this is our first official development as an office. For those that are not aware, we are building a 20,000-square-foot office/retail building. We have some amazing tenants lined up and cannot wait to share that information with you all when we are able to. Look for weekly updates on our website and YouTube channel so that you can stay up to date on our development and follow along as we build something special!
We are in a very exciting time, and we look forward to continuing to share this with you all. The best way to do so is by following us on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram. This is an easy way to stay up to date on the latest trends and local updates in real estate, and education, as well as continue to be a part of our team. Another easy way to follow our office happenings is by listening to our podcast, the Realty Growth Report on Spotify. Also, if you or you know of anyone who would be interested in being on our podcast, please contact us as we would love to have you!
As always, thank you for all you do and for being a part of our journey. If there are any questions or interest in real estate, please reach out to us.
With Kindest Regards,
Nick Pompeian, Owner and Broker of Realty Growth, Inc.
Click here to view the full July Newsletter featuring our highlights from the month!
When Matt Gove was a kid, he went pheasant hunting on the outskirts of Rochester.
The place? What is now West Circle Drive, where commercial real estate has gone through the roof. Way back then, which is about 30 years ago, no one saw that surge coming, Gove said.
“I don’t think anybody would have jumped on that at the time,” said the licensed real estate salesperson with Realty Growth Inc. “Location is vitally important. But is it everything? I think that might be a trick question. I think it’s a big piece of the pie, an important piece.”
Gove and his colleagues Robert “Bucky” Beeman and Nick Pompeain discussed trends within commercial real estate in the Rochester market at present, and came away with these insights.
Q: What are the trends in commercial real estate right now?
Gove: There is still a lot of interest, a lot of hardworking, entrepreneurial spirits looking to start a business, get into a business or expand a business. Things have been difficult with rising interest rates to make these deals happen. Things have slowed down. But I’d preface that with there is still a lot of opportunity and great things happening, maybe just at a slower pace.
Beeman: We are seeing continued interest in West Circle Drive development. It seems like that’s been a trend for a couple of years.
Pompeian: We’re still getting transactions done. It’s just taking a bit more time. The rates are very volatile right now. It’s just taken a little more time to get transactions done and financed. There is still interest in the market, especially if you look at Rochester as a whole.
Q: Is location everything?
Gove: Location is very important. That said, I don’t think anybody has a crystal ball to tell the future.
Beeman: Location is a big portion, but with the right concepts and right operators people will go out of their way to try something that may be unique that they haven’t seen before. With the right location, it just increases the odds of a business owner’s success.
Pompeian: The focus is still on downtown and West Circle Drive. People want to be where people are. Then again, if you have something people want, they will find you. Location does help. It’s not everything but, yes, it does play a large role.
Q: What’s happening downtown?
Gove: Downtown is struggling, yet I think it’s gone through some troubling times, Covid being the biggest, and when you don’t have people it hurts every business. Downtown Rochester is a sleeping opportunity that will shine bright again. When and how, remains to be determined.
Beeman: I think we’re just going through a time where we have more vacancy downtown than I’ve seen in my lifetime. It’s hard to imagine changing spaces into something new.
Pompeian: There will be a resurgence. Everything is cyclical. This has happened time and time again, and something comes along to cause a renaissance. Ten years ago downtown was really hopping. It was lively. We will see a resurgence. It just takes time.
Q: What does the Rochester market have a lot of?
Pompeian: We have a lot of apartments, hotels, a lot of offices. Retail has had a pretty strong resurgence of retail industry following Covid. Are there vacancies? Yes, but not to the extent to what people were thinking. The pandemic really forced people to change the way they do business. I still feel there will be a need for an office of some sort. There will always be a need.
Beeman: Office space downtown. We also have a lot of banks and coffee shops.
Q: What is missing for commercial real estate in Rochester?
Pompeian: Rochester is an amazing city. What it’s missing is a loaded question and a difficult one to answer. We are missing entertainment options. Why don’t we have a national museum of health or medicine? I’ve wondered why we haven’t been able to get Broadway shows. And shopping, what about shopping? I always thought an REI or a Duluth Trading Co. would bring people back downtown. So would having a movie theater again. But if we truly want more entertainment, more restaurants, or whatever it is, we as a community need to support that.
Beeman: We are seeing a continued demand in what I’ll define as flexible space. This can be seen as a warehouse type of space, a unique thing as it can be used for many types of businesses from a contractor to a more active use such as a gymnastics studio. We lack in this area, and a lot of users have asked for that type of large, flexible, warehouse space. They want a blank shell.
Q: What type of businesses are coming into our market?
Beeman: We’re seeing a fair amount of restaurant inquiries. And a reasonable amount of interest from daycares and autism centers. We’re seeing pet concepts; there’s a need for those services.
Q: What didn’t we ask that is important to include:
Gove: It’s a tougher time but that doesn’t mean there isn’t opportunity and room for growth. It’s a little bit harder, you have to work a bit harder, look harder and be more patient. That’s the biggest take-away, maybe it’s a little tougher but there’s still opportunity and people who want to do things. The drive is still strong in the market of commercial real estate.
Pompeian: We’re in a very exciting time and Rochester has always been kind of insulated and in its own real estate bubble if you will. Interest and talk continues. I feel we are truly a resilient community and real estate here will be continually looked at and studied. There will be interest. I’m very optimistic. Despite rising rates, we’re remained fairly health real estate wise. I’m excited for the future. I’m excited for what’s to come.
If you would like to learn more about the Real Estate market please do not hesitate to reach out to the Realty Growth Inc team. You can find out more at www.rgi-group.com or by calling 507-951-7130
Nate Skare of Spring Valley wishes there’d been someone like him around when he was younger.
As a high school and college athlete, the 27-year-old had some “weird injuries,” he said, and having a specialist chiropractor as he is now would have been very helpful.
“I’ve never seen anyone who offered the care I offer,” the owner of Skare Spine & Performance in Rochester said. “I’m offering everything I would have liked to have had as an athlete.”
A Spring Valley native and graduate of Chatfield High School, Skare was a three-sport athlete in high school and went on to play college football at Upper Iowa University, graduating in 2018.
In May he graduated from chiropractic school at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota, and immediately went on to open his own chiropractic firm.
He said business is starting to mount, and he’s exceeding his goals for new patients.
“It’s been going good,” Skare said. “Obviously starting from scratch, it’s slow to start but every week it’s been growing. I’m seeing the projected numbers I expected so that’s been good. My goal for May was 10 new patients and I had 12. And then for June my goal was 10 and I had 17.”
He offers far more than treatment for neck and back pain, which is what most chiropractors are known for, he said. His services are broader, and include standard treatments along with functional rehabilitation, soft tissue release, acupuncture and dry needling for those who need it.
Skare is located at 1615 Broadway Avenue, and is sandwiched between RC Nails and Tea Time in the strip mall that is also home to Glynner’s Pub. His office is 928 square feet.
Though he’s a new business owner, Skare said his experiences as an athlete pivoted him for success. “When I was playing sports, I was always trying to take ownership of my own career,” he said, “always trying to get better with camps, strength and conditioning.”
“It translates well to the business world,” he went on. “You get out of it what you put into it.”
Skare is working solo, but intends to hire an office manager in the coming year. He has already amassed a client roster of 45 and sees about 15 weekly. He plans to grow that to 75 a week.
Most chiropractors in the area are “standard adjustment and go,” he said. However, he seeks to make a name for himself by offering more services and longer appointments.
Two specialty areas he practices are dynamic neuromuscular stabilization and the McKenzie Method, which are unique and efficient approaches to chiropractic care.
“DNS allows Nate to improve function and decrease pain quickly, he said. “McKenzie is the quickest strike I have for pain. It’s also an assessment tool that’s been shown to be as reliable as an X-ray or MRI for diagnosing the source of the pain.”
When it comes to making a splash in the Rochester market, Skare said he is relying on social media to spread the word about his new business. He also joined the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and is trying to offer more talks like the one he has coming up at 125 Live.
Skare said he chose Rochester as his business location because he wanted to return to southeastern Minnesota and thinks our city has the best opportunity for growth.
“I offer unique care, and that’s going to help me stand out and help as many people as possible,” he said. He said he intends to “stick with the plan and keep working.”
He loves being able to help people and see a change in their pain, or in their lifestyle, after he treats them. Taking someone who is frustrated with their pain, or not being able to do what they want to do, and seeing them get back to their activities is a key job perk for him, Skare said.
He also enjoys helping athletes reach their goals and set new personal records.
Down the road, he’d like to grow and have a full staff of ten practitioners. “I want to be able to treat anything that walks in my door, basically,” Skare said.
Realty Growth Incorporated Good Morning Newsletter
Summertime is officially here, and I hope this email finds you well and enjoying the beautiful weather! Although we could use some rain, the sunshine is very welcoming after what was a rainy spring.
Here at Realty Growth, we are happy to see summer as well. Like the weather, we are happy that sunnier days are ahead as we have seen an uptick in interest recently. Perhaps this is due to the Mayo Clinic making their recent announcement on their growth in Rochester, but we also historically see this time as being one that is busy. Like many, we continue to pay attention to the feds and what is going on with interest rates as this does have a direct effect on property values.
Another exciting thing that happened is that we were featured on the front page of the Post Bulletin, as well as featured as the cover story for the Pulse Magazine. This was a true honor for us and is proof that with hard work, dedication, and a growth mindset anything is possible.
It is a very exciting time at Realty Growth, and we look forward to continuing to share this with you all. The best way to do so is by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube, and listening to our podcasts on Spotify. This is an easy way to stay up to date on the latest trends and local updates in real estate, as well as continue to be a part of our team. Also, if you or you know of anyone who would be interested in being on our podcast or featured as a small business, please contact us as we would love to have you!
As always, thank you for all you do and for being a part of our journey. If there are any questions or interest in real estate, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
All the best,
Nick Pompeian, Owner and Broker of Realty Growth, Inc.
Click here to read the full Realty Growth Newsletter for June 2023
After seven years and 350 vlog posts, Bucky Beeman knows a thing or two about business.
Beeman has positioned himself as an influencer when it comes to commercial real estate, posting a weekly Thursday Market Update on his Realty Growth Inc. vlog. In his market update, he brings attention to businesses just opening, and those that are closing too.
He’s modeling his marketing after Gary Vee, a leading, nationally-known entrepreneur who documents his journey as a business owner. Beeman is Rochester’s Gary Vee, you could say.
“As I started to do it more, I ended up finding out I had a knack for knowing what was happening in the community,” Beeman said, “because I knew what was happening in the community of commercial real estate. Then I went on to create a consistent episode.”
“By committing to a day, it created a block in my schedule when I knew I had to go capture the business news I had seen from the last seven days in commercial real estate. That’s when I knew, that’s my day. I didn’t feel pressure all week to create content.”
For other commercial real estate experts who want to pivot as marketplace thought leaders, Beeman offers the following tips to get you to where he is with his Thursday Market Update.
First, grab your phone. Second, document your day. Beeman takes pictures of new business signs, and also interviews business owners and shares everything from changes in facades to renovations happening internally at a Rochester, Minnesota, business.
Gradually, he grew comfortable being in front of the camera, and also asking business owners to discuss their businesses on camera as well. Beeman got to know all the social media platforms. He started posting to Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Over the years, Beeman has put more effort and time into editing his videos. Ultimately, his vlog posts lead to new business, he finds, as he’s more and more accessible to potential clients.
“There are so many people on so many different social media platforms,” he said. “The more accessible I can be, no matter where they are watching, they feel they can communicate with me about real estate or business-related questions. It’s an invitation to start a conversation.”
Beeman said his process is “ever evolving,” as social media channels change the way they present information to users. For a while, for example, LinkedIn had a story function. Then they didn’t. Now with the growth of TikTok, he has made it a point to post stories there as well.
Staying current with industry trends is what’s key, Beeman advises. Though social media trends change and prompt him to adapt, what’s consistent is his weekly Thursday Market Update.
People have come to rely on his weekly vlog, and he now even has business owners contacting him to ask if he’ll feature them on an upcoming Thursday Market Update episode.
“It helps me stay top of mind with people, when it comes to real estate topics and questions,” Beeman said. “The other main benefit is I enjoy documenting and telling stories. I really have fun sharing on film what people are doing in southeastern Minnesota for business.”
You can find him @buckybeeman on all of the social media channels.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN MARKET UPDATE:
Pick a platform that has a story function. Bucky prefers to use Snapchat as its the quickest way to capture pics and photos. You can use Instagram Stories or Facebook Stories as well.
Go to the site of your choice that has an update. Such as a new sign, new business, new exterior paint job, or a store that is closing.
Within the app of your choice create a short video to share
Brad Vigesaa is the guy who brings the fun to Rochester.
Owner of Nerdin Out, Vigesaa’s store collection of good times includes new toys, comics, collectibles, video games, card games, and board games.
“A lot of people don’t realize we offer some of that stuff,” he said.
“It just kind of came about,” Vigesaa said of his 6,000-square-foot shop at 1802 2nd St. SW. “I was always into this type of stuff. I just decided this was something I wanted to give Rochester, because it wasn’t here and I had a passion for it. When you have that passion, it makes it easier.”
Nerdin Out is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Vigesaa opened the business on Elton Hills Drive in 2017 and then moved the retailer to its present location in 2019. Business is good, he says, with the shopper demographic being fairly expansive; including kids looking for Pokemon cards to grandparents searching for collectibles.
Previously, the Faribault native was in the car business as a finance manager and a sales manager. Working for others made him realize he could “do more,” Vigesaa said.
He gauges his success by how well the community responds to what he offers.
“Our success is only good as what our community gives back to us,” he said. “We really try to involve ourselves in the community of Rochester.”
Aside from of what he stocks at Nerdin Out, Vigesaa has increased the fun barometer by bringing a Comic Con to the city, which will be held Oct. 6-8 at Mayo Civic Center. Last year the event drew 3,000 people and this year he expects as many as 4,000 to 5,000, Vigesaa said.
Present at Comic Con are TV stars, cos players, vendors and more all, combining into a “big pop culture event for people to enjoy, since we don’t have a ton of events in the city,” he said.
The event draws people from throughout the midwest, including Iowa, Wisconsin and South Dakota. “We get people from far away,” Vigesaa said, to visit their more than 60 vendors.
What’s more, in June, he’s partnering with the Rochester Honkers baseball team to be the main sponsor for a Comic Book Night, where they’ll donate 200 comics to game attendees.
Vigesaa hasn’t franchised his business but does own a second location in Inver Grove Heights. Between the two store locations, he employs 11 people.
At Nerdin Out, you can find everything from a 50 cent sticker to a $1,000 statue.
“Honestly, every day is an adventure,” Vigesaa said. “It’s really fun to meet all the people who enjoy this. The greatest thing is making relationships and getting to know people.”
For others who have a desire to get into business for themselves, Vigesaa cautions that doing the research at the outset is important, and networking with entrepreneurs is also critical.
“You definitely have to have a certain make-up,” he said. “It takes a lot of energy and time.”
He enjoys offering a child-like experience to his customers, but said his business isn’t a dream come true just yet. “It’s great, but I strive to bring more. Do more,” he said.
Click here to watch the Real Growth Podcast featuring Brad Vigesaa
Talk about being married to your work.
Laura Martin and Allison Kocak, of Companion Acres in Rochester, are planning to launch a non-profit operation geared at supporting shelter dogs to ultimately end the cycle of the returns. The nonprofit is called Companion Homestead and will include a dog sanctuary where the Martin family will live.
The dynamic duo hopes to open their dog sanctuary by 2027 and are raising funds to do so.
“Sanctuaries, in general, aren’t found very often,” Martin said. “In southeast Minnesota, there are no sanctuaries solely for dogs.”
She said at Paws and Claws Humane Society in Rochester, 49 dogs were adopted from PCHS and then returned in a year’s time. That figure doesn’t reflect dogs who have been surrendered by their owner.
“The overall mission is to support shelter dogs and their families, specifically the dogs with behavioral or health needs,” Kocak said. “With humans, when there are behavioral or medical issues, there are support groups and community support,” she said. “When you have a dog who has behavioral issues or medical issues, there’s just shame and judgment.”
One piece of the nonprofit will be community outreach. The outreach program will provide support via education, funding, and/or networking to a family who has adopted a higher needs dog.” Kocak said there’s a lack of community for people who have a high-needs dog. The outreach will provide not only resources but also that community that is so desperately needed.
When education and outreach are not an option or have been exhausted, that’s where the Sanctuary piece of the mission comes into play. The Sanctuary is for those dogs, along with dogs who have been in the system for a long time, and who don’t have a high probability of finding/thriving in a forever adoptive home. However, the Sanctuary is the forever home, meaning the dogs will not be up for adoption. “The dogs who come to our sanctuary are not for adoption, because they’re home,” Kocak said. “The Sanctuary will be the final home for dogs who come in as residents.”
They hope to find a property near Olmsted County that is 10 acres or more. They’ll devote a parcel of the land for the current business, Companion Acres, and the remaining acreage for the sanctuary, Companion Homestead.
Companion Homestead will be a smaller sanctuary, housing 12 to 24 dogs. “Our goal is to have 12 10-by-10-foot indoor rooms that will house each dog,” Kocak said. “There will be some dogs that are dog selective, so they will have the opportunity to socialize, and even possibly have a roommate in their living space.”
“There are some that absolutely cannot be with other dogs, so they will go from their 10-by-10 room to play outside, go for a walk or whatever will bring them joy,” Kocak said. “Then they will return to their space without interacting with any other dogs.”
The Sanctuary dogs will be able to spend as much time as possible outside. Kocak said they want the dogs to have the chance to travel and sniff, romp and gallup in nature. “Being outside is so important for dogs,” she said. “And so is exercise and sunlight.”
Martin and Kocak’s new nonprofit will begin providing community outreach programming next year, with a $2,000 fundraising goal. Within the next five years, the fundraising goal will be $80,000 to go towards building the Sanctuary.
The dynamic duo have started the fundraising process by collecting aluminum cans, but in the future will have various events: dog shows, plant sales, and most excitingly, the ability to financially sponsor a dog.
There’s nothing like Companion Homestead Dog Sanctuary in southeast Minnesota, and “We are thrilled to welcome it to the community!”- Martin and Kocak
Real Growth Podcast Ep 07 - Allison Kocak of Companion Acres
Companion Acres Thursday Market Update in Rochester
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Updated October 12, 2021
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