EvolvingBusiness

While it may not seem apparent to most in the Chippewa Valley, many businesses that people frequent every day are either owned by minorities, women or veterans. The owners of these businesses say that in general they are glad they decided to open their businesses in Eau Claire.

“I’ve always circled back to this area,” said David Carlson, co-founder of C.C. We Adapt, which provides peer support and mentorship services for individuals who are enrolled in Comprehensive Community Services programs. These programs assist individuals who have mental health or substance abuse issues.

Carlson, an African American, said his business now has contracts in 22 counties in Wisconsin and believes that Eau Claire is poised to cash in on its proximity to the Twin Cities along a major interstate highway.

“Eau Claire is really on the verge of a lot of change,” said Carlson, who is studying law in the Twin Cities at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. “We are the hub of something great that is going to happen.”

Carlson had a traumatic childhood that included a stint in a youth treatment center in the Twin Cities. He then was adopted by his grandparents and went to live with them at 15 in Rice Lake. After graduation he joined the National Guard and served two tours in Iraq. The second tour led to a very dark period for Carlson that included drug and alcohol abuse and resulted in several years in prison.

It was in prison that Carlson made a connection between physical fitness and improved mental health.

Working out with partners “builds a level of trust,” Carlson said, and allows the group to “form a connection, which is not an easy thing to do.”

After prison, Carlson was able to finish his degree at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and he continued his pursuit of physical fitness, getting involved in the Cross Fit movement. He also realized that his criminal record would impede his job search, so he decided to start his own company.

“I haven’t tried to hide it,” Carlson said about his criminal past, saying that when he tells his story “now it opens doors” to opportunities and employees.

C.C. We Adapt, which is co-owned by Carlson’s wife, Alicia, has a goal of using a variety of physical activities to teach participants skills they need in life, such as how to cope with certain situations.

“We are in one of the worst mental health periods we have been in in our history, “Carlson said. “We are trying to answer that call.”

Carlson also said he has been able to find sufficient employees because he takes a broad view of who meets the qualifications and knows that a criminal record or spotty work history doesn’t mean the individual isn’t a good fit for the position.

“It’s advantageous for my business to have this kind

“It’s advantageous for my business to have this kind of (workforce) diversity,” he said.

Carlson said his business, now with 40 employees, “has grown a lot faster than I would have expected,” and he sees more growth in the future.

He and his wife have also branched out into real estate with Next Generations Properties with partner Nick Brunner.

“You have to use smart business practices and you have to take care of your people,” he said.

“This wasn’t part of the plan,” said Cory Dechow, sweeping his arm around to take in all the tempting treats at Downtown Candy, 331 Riverfront Terrace.

Since this summer, Dechow and his wife, Shaylee, have owned the downtown business on the edge of Phoenix Park along Madison Street. Running a candy business is a far cry from what Cory Dechow did before in his life: 12 years in the U.S. Navy and about a decade as a Lake Hallie police officer before an injury forced him off the department.

“I need to have purpose in my life,” said Dechow, whose work on Navy ships included ordering munitions and bombs and keeping meticulous records of that inventory. That detailed-oriented approach has carried over into his civilian life, he said, adding, “I’m very picky about how I want things.”

Shaylee Dechow is a firefighter/paramedic for the Chippewa Fire Protection District and is a deputy medical examiner in both Eau Claire and Dunn counties. The couple has started businesses before, such as a cleaning venture, so entrepreneurship is in their blood.

As they searched online for another venture in 2022, Shaylee said, “We wanted to have that family-oriented, fun business,” and discovered in late spring that the candy store next to the former Silly Serrano Mexican Restaurant was available.

“I love candy,” Shaylee said. “I have a sweet tooth.”

Dechow said the business had a number of things going for it, including the downtown location. But there was the fact that the couple had never run a storefront business, with everything that entails. In the end, he said, their attitude was, “Why not? We can learn.”

They also knew that the future was not assured.

“We are not going to be successful without failing” occasionally, Dechow said. “What scares me the most is the unknown.”

The couple acknowledge the learning curve involved in starting a business, from experiences in ordering the myriad types of candy, adding ice cream and popcorn to the store’s offerings, hiring staff and even finding wooden fixtures.

“That’s the first piece (of wooden fixture) that started it all,” Dechow said, pointing to a sturdy shelving unit in the middle of the store. Other wooden pieces – all located online -- followed.

Dechow said his military training has been valuable as the couple navigates the small business world. “I try to figure out what the best option is,” he said The difference, he quickly added, is that the budget now doesn’t come from taxpayers. “This is all our money,” he said with a smile.

Shaylee said they are satisfied with the initial months of the business, given that they just opened the doors in July 2022. “It’s been doing steadily well,” she said.

The couple also heaped praise on Eau Claire and the Chippewa as a great place to live and open a business.

“Everyone in Eau Claire has been very generous and helpful,” Shaylee said. “It’s been good in Eau Claire, and Eau Claire has been good for us.”

Dechow said he and Shaylee already are starting to look over the horizon.

“I’m already thinking about our next business for 2023,” he said with a smile.

Erin Trowbridge, one of the partners in Four Peas Consulting, acknowledged that because of the nature of the work she and the other three “peas” do, she could really do her work anywhere. But Eau Claire has been home for nearly 17 years, and it suits her well.

“I feel like Eau Claire is very welcoming, very open and very progressive in thinking and helping businesses grow,” Trowbridge said.

A marketing business is different from other businesses like retail operations that depend on foot traffic, she said, which means that she and her partners even can live in different states and use technology to collaborate and strategize.

“I’ve lived in Eau Claire since 2006, and my kids are here,” she said. “It’s their home too. So, when I was ready to venture out (into business), there wasn’t any reason to leave.”

Trowbridge said one of the other partners also lives in Eau Claire, while the other two live in the Twin Cities.

“We all do remote work out of our home offices,” she said. “My work is very remote by Zoom calls and by phone, so it’s pretty flexible. I didn’t have to leave my home.”

Trowbridge said the model by which Four Peas Consulting works – with the partners spread over two states, working virtually -- has become more common since the advent of the pandemic in early 2020.

“It’s interesting how much has changed since the pandemic,” she said, referring to the explosion of remote, so-called fractional workers, who piece together multiple positions into a steady income.

“More and more people like me are finding that working for one single employer isn’t the right role for them.”

Trowbridge said she was fortunate that assistance was available from the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp. to help get Four Peas Consulting off the ground. That assistance is especially important for a woman starting out in business, she said.

“I think that throughout my career, I’ve seen the challenges of being a woman in male dominated spaces,” she said. “That is not an easy place to live sometimes. I like to push boundaries and ask questions. That is sometimes less welcome from women.”

Overall, she said, Eau Claire works for her at this point in her marketing career: “It’s a little slower paced, but fast enough so you can grow a business. My network (of professionals) really helped me grow my business.”