We recently connected with Lindsay Henn and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lindsay, thanks for joining us today. Finding those key vendors can often be make or break for a brand. Can you talk to us about how you found your key vendors?
As the owner of 2 very different businesses, this process was completely different for both. For MN EIS, an ice cream shop, it was an easy. pick being Wisconsin native myself. Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company had the whole package. Great marketing, exceptional customer service, a large social media following, good values, and most importantly an amazing product.
The Christmas Haus New Ulm was an entirely different approach to finding key vendors. As a German and Scandinavian Import store, my search for vendors and products took me all the way to Germany. Myself and a long time friend, who had a great eye for beautiful design, attended 3 different trade shows starting in Nuremberg, then Frankfurt, and finally Salzburg, Austria. Here, I will talk more about the experience in Germany.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Previously working as an Occupational Therapy assistant, I decided it was time for a change and I had always wanted to be business owner. It started with MN EIS Ice Cream & Sweets Shoppe because I really felt it was something our community needed, specifically downtown. At MN EIS, we offer 24 different flavors on rotation of super-premium ice cream, candy, boba tea, fresh made premium edible cookie dough in multiple flavors, and more. Here at MN EIS, we really strive to provide an experience for our customers. It starts with the amazing smell of homemade waffle cones being freshly made, to searching the wide variety of ice creams for your next new favorite all while being served by helpful friendly stafff- many of which our New Ulm’s youth. The high school and college age people working at MN EIS are a huge asset and really make the environment FUN! I am constantly impressed by them and love being a part of their very experiences in the workforce and lessons that come with that.
The Christmas Haus New Ulm was not something I envisioned as a potential business until a previous Chamber President in New Ulm planted the seed. Over the course of a year and many conversations with the previous owners of the store, formerly known Gutentag Haus, we shook hands and moved forward on the transition of ownership. The Christmas Haus has many German offerings such as Cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers, smokers, lighted archways, pyramids, ornaments and more. All hand crafted and a true labor of love from small businesses out of the Ore Mountains of Germany, I felt it was important for me to make the store my own and put my personal touch to it. I did some basic renovations to make the space feel as though you were in Europe. We have two big covered carts in our store- one a food cart with loads of Scandinavian and German imported food items, and one a flower cart filled with felt floral from Sweden. Both have red and white striped canvas covers, just like all of the outdoor markets in Germany. The style is European clean and simplistic and the products are beautiful, authentic, with an added emphasis on environmentally friendly products.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Well, I think this happens constantly in life. There are always unknowns and things that happen to us that we cannot control. The controllables however, are something that many have a difficult time re-thinking or letting go of. Always having been more of a natural risk taker, I have come to be more accepting of letting go when something no longer is for me. It started going from working in health care to opening a business in ice cream. While I knew becoming an entrepreneur would present a big learning curve, I have always valued life long learning. I think for many entrepreneurs, we get bored easily and always need a way to grow, learn, and express our thoughts and ideas in new ways. That’s what makes us a good fit for this crazy way of life!
I am currently pivoting again in terms of owning two businesses. The Christmas Haus New Ulm has already brought the opportunity to travel and look at business in a whole new way- which I am very grateful for. It’s not easy though. As a mother of 3 and a business owner, there are days I feel stretched too thin. Those are the days I again have to pivot from “I’ve got this all under control” to… “I need to give myself some grace.”
I don’t know where this will all take me in the coming years, but I do know when to pivot and that has to be something we do for ourselves.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Traditional life styles are not for everybody. I grew up in a wonderful family. Married parents, both with secure careers and 5 children. The lessons I grew up with, not always necessarily being taught, but also shown by example caused me to put unnecessary pressure on myself to fit a certain a mold- and the more I tried to fit the mold the more I floundered. In career, in relationships and everywhere in between. I think we see this all around us in so many different types of dynamics. We are all learning from our surroundings and the people that are close to us. It wasn’t until I chose to be true to myself and my own passions and purposes, that I really started to flourish in life. Many times we listen to others because we know they care for us and have our best interest at heart. Some of that comes from fear. Our loved ones do not want to see us fail or go through hardships if things don’t work out. What I learned (or unlearned) is that hardships, including failures, are what makes us amazing human beings. We shouldn’t shy away from the unknown if that is where are hearts and instincts are leading us. And if we fail in the process, there lies another opportunity for learning and growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thechristmashausnewulm.com www.mneisnewulm.com
- Instagram: mneisnewulm
- Facebook: @thechristamashausnew ulm. @mneisnewulm
Image Credits
Woller Photography