It was nice to see our community in the spotlight for positive reasons last month. It is amazing that rural Cook County had not one, but four community businesses in the running for the Annual Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards Program. According to the UMD Center for Economic Development (CED), the Labovitz award is given to recognize business owners who have taken risks, dared to dream, but most of all, contributed to the economy of this region.
Joshua Lindstrom was nominated in the micro entrepreneur category with his wonderful Fika Coffee and Jill Terrill of Joy Enterprises, better known as The Garage and Threads, was nominated in the emerging entrepreneur category. Also nominated for the mature entrepreneur award were Sivertson Gallery and Beth’s Fudge and Birchbark Books & Gifts.
None of the nominees received the Labovitz award at the special luncheon hosted by the UMD Center for Economic Development in Duluth on April 23, but it was an honor just to be nominated.
The businesses were in great company among dozens of Northland businesses that had also been nominated by their fans in their communities. The competition is tough, so it’s an accomplishment just to be added to the Center for Economic Development roster.
The recognition is its own reward. All of the businesses get a spot on the Economic Development website with just enough information to attract a reader’s interest. I’m guessing a few of the visitors to the UMD site may decide to take a drive up the North Shore to check out our enterprising entrepreneurs.
It was fun talking to the nominees I could reach at press time for the article that ran before the awards ceremony. They were surprised and pleased.
It was interesting to hear Josh Lindstrom say that he saw the nomination as a challenge. He said it called him to keep working and going in the same direction. That is good to hear—I love Fika Coffee and I want it to be around for a good long time.
Jan Sivertson of Sivertson Gallery was delighted and delightful to talk to, as she noted that this is the second time she has been nominated. We joked that if she didn’t win this year, perhaps someone would nominate her again—and perhaps again and again. She could be the Susan Lucci of the entrepreneur world.
For those not up on their pop culture, Lucci was “Erica Kane” on the daytime soap opera All My Children. She was nominated 18 times for an Emmy before winning the award.
Sivertson more seriously noted that it was nice that Cook County businesses were nominated to show that we are “in the loop.”
All of these businesses certainly have proved that they are in the loop. Congratulations to all of our entrepreneurs.
I have not failed. I’ve just found
10,000 ways that won’t work.
Thomas Edison
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