Living the dream takes work

By Andrea Busche

As a homeowner, veteran, employee, dog mom, and smallbusiness owner, 30-year-old Amy McMillan is living her dream. Her new business, The Minnesota Marshmallow, has been a wild — and surprising — success. And, after serving eight years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force (another one of her long-term goals), she now works full time with the 148th Fighter Wing.

But living the dream doesn’t come easy. It takes a jawdropping amount of effort — a minimum of 18-hour days — to fulfill all of McMillan’s obligations. Yet she soldiers on.

McMillan has many more goals to achieve. Based on her accomplishments thus far, there is no doubt she’ll see every last one through to fruition.

Military

McMillan, who has one sibling — a brother, Josh — was born in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Her mom worked as a nurse and her dad was a car salesman. Her father also served four years in the Marines and, combined with the spirit of patriotism sparked by 9/11, was McMillan’s inspiration to enlist with the military.

“When 9/11 happened, I was in fifth grade and we had several C-130s do a ‘low fly’ over our playground,” McMillan said. “You could tell something big was happening. I went home and talked to my dad about the experience, and I’ve wanted to join the military ever since.”

After graduating from Coon Rapids High School, McMillan signed on with the Air Force. Shortly thereafter, she left for basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

During active duty, she lived in South Dakota, Colorado and California and worked in financial management. She also earned two associate’s degrees and a bachelor’s degree.

While stationed in Colorado, she rescued her dog, Lexi, who is now 8. “She’s been my companion ever since,” McMillan said.

In 2017, McMillan got a job at the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth. Since then, she has worked in finance, human resources, and now works as an administrative assistant in recruiting. She bought her home in Lakewood Township in 2019.

Marshmallows?

McMillan’s brand-new business, The Minnesota Marshmallow, is a unique one, indeed. She makes and sells a variety of homemade marshmallows — both regular and “boozy” — out of her home. McMillan started her business last year during the pandemic.

“One of my favorite things to do is sit around a fire with friends. And, I believe it’s not a real bonfire without s’mores. I would always add extra toppings — such as fresh bananas and peanut butter — to mine, and I asked myself, ‘Why is there only one flavor of marshmallow?’”

After consulting YouTube to search for recipes, McMillan decided to try making them herself.

“On July Fourth of last year, I went into my kitchen and made vanilla and strawberry cream marshmallows for the first time,” she said. “I had so much fun with it that I brought bags to the military to share. A friend said, ‘You should start a business.’” Eventually, that’s exactly what she did.

Mentors and friends

McMillan started by contacting local business owners — The Cupcake Lady (real name: Annie Sitek) in Proctor and Amanda Cunningham and Dean Packingham, owners of Mike and Jen’s Hot Cocoa in Duluth. Both businesses, along with The Entrepreneur Fund, gladly shared plenty of tips about starting a small business, along with all the rules and regulations associated with making and selling food.

She then consulted friend and fellow veteran Jeremy Souders for some help. Souders, who is a tattoo artist, helped her design a logo. It features a delicious-looking s’more with two marshmallow “M’s.”

“I wanted people to see the logo and be able to imagine the product,” McMillan explained.

Rapid growth

After setting the stage, things happened quickly.

“My beginning goal was to sell about three batches, so 160 marshmallows, per week,” McMillan said. “But by the time Labor Day weekend hit, I was making 12 batches a night, and was still sold out.

“Today, I make 1,600 marshmallows in a slow week. I get up at 4 a.m. to cut, air dry, and dust the marshmallows from the night before. I work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. And then I make marshmallows until 10 or 11. It takes 10 hours to make a batch, from start to finish, and that doesn’t include bagging or adding stickers.”

The product

McMillan believes her marshmallows are a superior product, for several reasons.

“I stand by the fact that I have the freshest product out there,” she said. “It hasn’t been sitting on a shelf.

“And I can customize flavors. My competition doesn’t offer a lot of variety, but I enjoy having a large selection. My goal is to have a regular, year-round menu, plus a seasonal rotation.”

McMillan also takes pride in the packaging and presentation of her product.

Marshmallows can be purchased in bags of 10, or as a variety pack/gift box, featuring 18 marshmallows with up to six flavors. During the holidays, customers can also pick up fourpacks.

McMillan currently offers about 30 marshmallow varieties, with lots of other ideas percolating. Current fan favorites include sea salt caramel, Girl Scout thin mint cookie, Scotch

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Chata (RumChata, butterscotch caramel, and sea salt), and strawberrywhipped cream vodka, topped with chocolate.

When it comes to the “boozy” marshmallows, McMillan shared, “You can use them to make a boozy s’more or add a punch to your hot chocolate. You can taste the flavor of the alcohol, but you won’t really feel the effects.”

McMillan hopes to add a spicy marshmallow to her repertoire sometime soon.

“I’m thinking of making a mango-chile ‘mallow,” she said. “It would pair well with dark chocolate s’mores.”

Partnerships

The Minnesota Marshmallow has already established several key partnerships. For instance, Vikre Distillery has carried its ’mallows at their Winter Wunderbar since November 2020.

McMillan also recently formed a partnership with Johnson’s Bakery; she is permitted to use their commercial kitchen and equipment, and the bakery uses cut-up marshmallows in a few of their products. McMillan also hopes to someday sell her product in their display cases.

Additionally, several resorts and businesses who wish to partner with The Minnesota Marshmallow remain on a “waiting list,” to be addressed once McMillan has time. While McMillan hopes to add extra staff someday, right now, the business remains a one-woman operation.

McMillan is also completing work on the “Marshmallow Mobile,” which will be used as a mobile food truck. Her five-year dream is to partner with Bentleyville, and her 10-year dream is to have a presence at the Minnesota State Fair.

Fun

When she isn’t working, McMillan enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Chris Thune; dog, Lexi; and friends. She enjoys competitive obstacle course racing, kayaking, and playing volleyball. She gives back by participating in the Bulldog Fitness Combine at the 148th; through charitable giving; and by supporting other small businesses and entrepreneurs.

“When we all help each other and network, it’s a much more positive place to be,” she said. “I’ve been embraced by lots of other small businesses in Duluth, who help keep moving everyone towards their goals.”

Driven to succeed

Despite the long days, McMillan is grateful to pursue the work she loves.

“It’s a passion and a fire that gets me out of bed at 4 a.m.,” she said of being an entrepreneur and business owner. “This never feels like a job.”

Visit The Minnesota Marshmallow on Facebook to learn more.

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By Andrea Busche

Dr. Verna Thornton, a board-certified obstetriciangynecologist (OB-GYN), was born and raised in the South. The eldest of two children, Thornton recalls growing up in the “segregated, but prosperous” neighborhood of Dynamite Hill, located in Birmingham, Alabama, where her family lived among mostly doctors, lawyers and teachers.

Education was of the utmost importance to Thornton’s family. Her father was a teacher, school principal and businessman with two master’s degrees. Her mother was a teacher, college professor and private tutor, whose most well-known pupil is former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Thornton’s mother possessed a master’s degree, a law degree and a Ph.D.

So, it’s no surprise that Thornton herself also values a good education. She also knows just how unique she is.

“Every time I operate, I’m grateful for my patients’ trust in my abilities and the privilege of a good education,” she said. “I’m also mindful that, in Duluth, which has only a 3% population of people of African heritage, I’m an enigma; a rarity.

“And, only 2% of physicians in this country are Black women,” she added. “So, I’d like to leave a legacy. I want women of color to see that people like me do exist.”

Education

Thornton has been headed toward a career in medicine from an early age.

“I was an ‘old soul’ type of child, and was the preferred baby-sitter for all my mother’s friends,” she said. “I was very responsible. I’d watch kids with Down syndrome; kids who had seizures. I felt very sensitive to people with disabilities.”

Growing up, Thornton was intrigued by science.

“I watched open heart surgeries on TV, read National Geographic, watched Jacques Cousteau, you name it. I naturally gravitated to anything with science,” she said.

Despite being accepted to Harvard, Thornton chose to attend Fisk University — an HBCU (historically Black college or university) in Nashville, Tennessee — to the delight of her family. Several of her family members, including grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, had attended an HBCU. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1983.

Thornton realized she wanted to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology during her third year of medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

“I knew I liked surgery, and I loved general surgery,” she said. “But as an OBGYN, you are the total health care provider for women and pregnant women.”