Inspiration

It has been a whirlwind couple months for us. Since launching the company in late July at Wabasha River Boat days we’ve participated in three additional events: Red Wing River City Days, Wayzata’s James J Hill Days and Excelsior’s Apple Day. The reception to our company at each event has been outstanding and we’ve been truly humbled by the out pouring of support and interest from everyone that we’ve met.

The last two weeks we’ve been busy catching up on much needed housework and spending time with friends and family. We’ve also taken time to enjoy the wonderful autumn weather and find inspiration in some iconic Minnesota brands and locations. Last weekend we revisited Excelsior and stopped in a charming boutique called Gathered Goods. We met the owners Tara and Nicole at Apple Day and were very interested in seeing their shop. If you are in the Excelsior area or planning to visit we would definitely recommend stopping in to Gathered Goods. They have a great assortment of apparel, crafts and gifts from Minnesota small businesses. Considering that the Holidays are only three months away this is a must stop for unique gift ideas. After quick stop into Excelsior Brewing for “reflection” (read: had a beer) we shopped around main street Excelsior visiting a couple antique shops (we found a beautiful model wooden sailboat that we gave to our nephew for his birthday) and numerous local boutiques.

This weekend we decided to head south and visit the Red Wing Shoe store in Red Wing. We hadn’t been to the Red Wing Shoe factory store in a while and I needed new boots. We also wanted to reacquaint ourselves with what Red Wing Shoes are all about. They’ve built there company on a foundation of excellence by making and standing behind quality products. They have stood the test of time because their boots are purposeful, well made and last forever. These are great lessons for a startup business like ours and serve as wonderful inspiration for how we can build Northern Drift.

We will be in Stillwater for Harvest Fest on October 14-15th. If you plan on attending please stop by our booth and say hello.