How did you land in Cook County?  What journey led you here?
It feels like so long ago and also feels like yesterday! I met my husband (Seth) in 2017; I  was living in Duluth at the time. Seth and I dated for about a year before I decided to move to Grand Marais, Seth’s hometown. I grew up in Duluth and lived in bigger cities after graduating high school - Chicago, Austin, TX, and Fargo, ND. I hadn’t ever thought of myself as a “small town girl” and the thought of moving to a town of 1,500 made me a little nervous! However, after visiting quite a few times, I started to really enjoy the county and I really looked forward to my weekends here. I loved spending time with Seth’s two children, loved getting to know his family and friends, and loved getting to know the community. I also loved experiencing a different part of Lake Superior; growing up in Duluth, the big lake has always felt like home to me and there was something really comforting about staying close to it.  

When I was living in Duluth, I was working in hospitality project management at Lion Hotel Group. I have a BFA in interior design and an MBA and with that background, I wasn’t quite sure what a career would look like for me in Cook County. With the strength of the housing market and my interest in homes, I decided to pursue real estate. I became a licensed Realtor and began helping buyers and sellers with real estate purchases. 

Seth and I got married and found out we were expecting a baby in 2019. Shortly after, the chaos of COVID hit. Working in real estate while pregnant during COVID was really challenging, especially with two children distance learning from home. I took a step back from actively working in real estate and started focusing on helping Seth with the administrative portion of his construction business (SDW Construction), which was much easier to do from home. In 2021, Seth’s oldest sister Brooke and I had a wild idea to pursue opening a retail boutique in downtown Grand Marais. We thought a retail boutique would be a great addition to the town. We both really enjoy fashion and thought our unique skill sets would bring a lot of synergy to the boutique! We opened The Sweetwater Co. & Sweetwater Suites (our short term rentals above the boutique) in 2022. We still operate both businesses and are enjoying it.

The past 7 years have been a whirlwind of change, but I’m so grateful to be living in one of the most spectacular places to raise a family!  We now have four children and continue to feel so lucky to be surrounded by such a phenomenally supportive community. 

You are a busy woman!  You are a wife, mom, business owner, and realtor.  How do you juggle it all?  What do you do to practice self-care? 
Oh gosh, what is self care? Just kidding, but I honestly don’t practice enough of it! The biggest thing I do to take care of myself is to make exercise a priority. I try to sneak in 30 minutes most days, ideally at the beginning of the day, so that I can clear my mind and hone in on what I need to accomplish that day. Seth and I have a lot of moving parts to our days, so my to-do list looks different every day. If I don’t take the time to be intentional with my focus, I end up spinning my wheels and not getting much accomplished! If our kids are sick, it all goes out the window anyway, but at least I try!

What is your favorite season in Cook County and why?
I love all four seasons in Minnesota for different reasons. In general, spring has always been my favorite season, but in Cook County, I actually think fall is my favorite. There is something so sweet and special about everyone pulling together to finish the busy season. I love that the busy season is followed by a sense of peace and calm. Our kids start anticipating the snow, they’re excited for Halloween, and we have a little bit of time to catch our breath as a family before the holidays. 

I also love fall because some of my most fond memories of my early visits to Grand Marais are of Seth and I driving the “back roads” in the fall. We talked and listened to music and ate car snacks while we drove the quiet gravel roads. I loved it!

Do you have hobbies that you enjoy when you are not busy with life?
I really enjoy baking. I was on a mission to conquer homemade bagels and bread this spring but took a break over the summer. I’m excited to get back into it this winter! 

I also really enjoy traveling. It doesn’t take much to convince me to jump in the car or to jump on a plane to travel somewhere! I love taking road trips to visit family and friends across the Midwest. I also really look forward to my annual girls’ Christmas trip to New York each year.

What is the best advice you were ever given and how did it impact your life?
This was such a hard question for me to answer! I’ve been really blessed to have a few spectacular mentors in my life and they’ve given me great advice  I implement daily.

It’s cliche, but I always come back to the “Golden Rule”. I genuinely try to treat everyone the way I would want to be treated. Our kids are probably very tired of me reminding them to think about it! I also always come back to the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. My Dad gave me a copy when I was a teen and I think I’ve read it another five times since. The habits have helped shape who I am both personally and professionally.

What is an interesting fact about yourself that many may not know?
In addition to Sweetwater, I am still active as an interior designer. I work with many of Seth’s construction clients with interior finish selections throughout the course of their projects. My level of involvement depends on the project and client, but I am generally involved in all projects in some capacity. I really enjoy having interior design as a creative outlet!