Marcy Baumann
VENDELLA euro boutique & coffee haus
From a sheep farm in Kansas to a coffee house in Eagan, Marcy Baumann’s path to entrepreneurship has never followed a straight line. She left home at 18 to join an international ministry in Los Angeles, traveling across the U.S. and Europe and leading teams at a young age. Later, she worked in juvenile corrections in Nebraska, served challenging students in District 196, and became a youth pastor and pastor, but her role as a chaplain with the Eagan Police Department still holds her heart.
Through every chapter, one theme remained the same: people. Marcy realized she was not driven by titles or expansion plans. She was drawn to relationships and honest conversation. A simple morning coffee time she hosted for local high school students sparked something deeper. Over cups of coffee and hot chocolate, she saw how powerful everyday connection could be.
That realization led to VENDELLA. Today, her coffee house is less about transactions and more about presence. For Marcy, business is simply an extension of hospitality. When people walk through the door, she wants them to feel known, welcomed, and comfortable. She has created Vendella to literally serve as a home away from home.
Ursula Amiot
StretchLab
“I didn’t see myself as an entrepreneur.”
That is how Ursula Amiot begins the story of how she became co-owner of four StretchLab franchises, including the Eagan location. A chiropractor still in practice today, she never imagined stepping into business ownership. “My husband was a member of the Woodbury StretchLab and learned about the opportunity in Eagan, as well as in St. Paul on Grand Ave, and two in Madison, Wisconsin,” she explains. What started as curiosity soon turned into a family venture.
Ursula is candid about the journey. “Some days are great, but there are challenging days as well, and you learn a lot along the way.” Leadership, she says, requires intention. “It takes time and energy to be a great leader. Being a role model to your team and providing coaching, guidance, and support is time-consuming. But it’s absolutely rewarding, especially when you get that team buy-in.”
Learning to Lead and Follow the Playbook
As part of a franchise model, she has also come to respect structure. “StretchLab is a franchise. If you follow their playbook, you can run a successful business. Deviating from that playbook can put you in uncomfortable territory.” For Ursula, discipline and consistency matter just as much as passion.
So why take it on? “For my kids and my husband,” she says simply. Beyond the business itself, it is about helping people move better. Owning multiple StretchLab locations has created the opportunity to run a true family business, one that brings them closer and gives their children a front-row seat to hard work, leadership, and resilience. “We offer such a great service. It’s so amazing, and it really helps people live better lives. And this isn’t just a tag line. For some people, what we do can be life-changing.”
Her advice to other women considering entrepreneurship is refreshingly direct. “I won’t sugarcoat it. It’s a lot of work, but it is so rewarding. There are always going to be risks, but you won’t know where it can go if you don’t give it a try. There’s something truly awesome about building a business. It’s not just the financial reward.”
Melissa Bezotte
Genesis Ranch
For Melissa Bezotte, entrepreneurship was never part of a formal plan. It was a response to life.
“I had been a high school counselor since I was 31,” she says. “Then I had my third child. My husband was traveling all the time, and I couldn’t work full-time anymore. I needed to find a way to do what I loved while also caring for my children.”
In 2011, she relicensed and began working two days a week at her church. Living Water Christian Counseling LLC was born in the most grassroots way possible. “I started meeting with clients on a barter system. Tamales, brownies, whatever,” she laughs. “I knew I had something in me and wanted to share my gifts. Money wasn’t all that important.”
The practice grew quickly. Soon, it became the top result on Google for Christian counseling services. When another counselor asked if she was hiring, Melissa said yes, even though she had no roadmap. “I told her we would figure it out together.” Today, that therapist has four children, millions of followers, and a book contract. “It’s fun to reflect that it started with our small business.”
Now, Melissa leads a team of four therapists.
An Entrepreneurial Spark that Keeps on Burning
Her entrepreneurial spark did not stop there. She joined her husband, Joe, in launching Core Security Counseling, which trains executive protection teams for Fortune 500 companies, as well as churches and individuals. Then came Genesis Ranch, first envisioned as a retreat space and later expanded into an event venue.
“If you have a passion, let it fuel your fire,” she says. Still, she speaks candidly about the cost of overextension. After purchasing Genesis Ranch through the success of her national women’s coaching program, The Inspire Collective, she felt overwhelmed and chose to step back.
“This is the season where I feel the most regulated,” she says. “I know I want to own businesses, but I don’t necessarily have to run them.”
Her message to other women is simple. “Life is short. If it’s in your DNA, go after it. You can monetize your passion. It’s all about mindset.”
Kara Berdahl
The Goddard School
Kara Berdahl did not follow a straight path into business ownership. For years, she worked in supply chain, building a stable corporate career. Opening The Goddard School in Eagan was a sharp turn from that life. It pushed her outside her comfort zone.
Yet the desire to own a business had always been there.
As a child, Kara imagined working for herself someday. She just did not know what that would look like. The answer began to take shape when her two sons attended The Goddard School in Woodbury. She saw the impact it had on her family and began thinking about her own next step. After careful research, she decided to pursue early childhood education.
She moved forward with the support of a national system while still bringing her own leadership style to the Eagan location.
Risk, Work, and Family
For Kara, being an entrepreneur means taking a risk and building something that reflects your values. It means putting everything on the line to create the future you want. In doing so, she is also shaping the future of the children and families her school serves.
At home, life is just as full. Noah, 16, and Evan, 12, keep the family busy with hockey, football, and baseball. Kara admits balance is a work in progress for her and her husband, Matt. “I don’t know if that balance is ever perfect,” she says. “It’s about being fully present wherever you are in that moment.” There are long days and short nights, but she believes her drive carries into her family life.
Her biggest challenge has been learning to step back. A self-described perfectionist, she has worked to trust her team and let the business run.
Her advice is simple. Take the first step. “Don’t be afraid to take the leap,” she says. “You have to take that first step to make your dreams come true. When you’re doing something that fulfills you, that happiness carries into your home.”
Her father once told her that if she did not do it now, she never would. Kara chose now.
Jessica Gustafson
Discover Strength
After nearly a decade in the military, Jessica Gustafson and her husband, Tyler, faced a question familiar to many service families. What comes next?
They had always talked about owning a business. When their time in the military was winding down, they moved back to Minnesota to be closer to family and began exploring possibilities. An introduction to Discover Strength sparked something. The model centered on service, accountability, and results, values that already shaped their lives. Still, the decision did not come quickly.
“We wrestled with it for about a year,” Jessica says. “It’s a big risk to try something new, especially something that felt unproven to us.”
With four children at home and another on the way, Jessica and Tyler are building their business while raising a growing family. Today, they own locations in Wayzata, Apple Valley, and West Des Moines. Jessica knows many women hesitate to pursue entrepreneurship because they fear they cannot manage both business and family.
“I don’t try to balance anything,” she explains. “Sometimes your business needs a lot, and sometimes your children do. It’s impossible to keep everything perfectly proportioned.”
Instead, she focuses on building a strong network. Support, she says, is not just about filling in during busy seasons. It is about surrounding yourself with people who lift you up.
When You are the Backstop
One surprise of ownership was the weight of responsibility. When you work in the military or a corporate environment, there is always someone else who can step in. “When you own the business, there is no backstop,” she says. Payroll has to happen, and decisions need to be made. In Jessica and Tyler’s home, they often repeat a phrase borrowed from military life: knock down the closest alligator to the boat. In other words, focus on what matters most right now.
For Jessica, changing clients’ lives through strength training is powerful. So is building a workplace where employees can build meaningful careers. And as a leader, she does not aim for perfection. “People value your humanity,” she says. “You don’t have to hide your areas of opportunity.”
Honesty is part of the strength behind Discover Strength and how Jessica views herself as an entrepreneur.
Jen Williams
Union Fitness
Jen Williams never planned to become an entrepreneur. In fact, the owner of Union Fitness laughs when she talks about how it all began.
“I really stumbled into the gym,” she says.
After spending 13 years as a stay-at-home mom, Williams began teaching fitness classes and quickly realized she wanted to remain in that space. When the former owner of the Eagan studio asked if she would consider taking over the location and running her own gym, her answer was not immediate.
“I said no four times,” she recalls.
Still, the opportunity lingered. Williams already had strong relationships in the community and a natural ability to connect with people. Eventually, she decided to take a leap of faith and step into ownership.
“I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” she says with a laugh. “My mentality was simply, we’ll make it work.”
Building a Community Through Challenge
That mindset was tested sooner than expected. Just one year after opening, the COVID-19 pandemic forced gyms across the country to close their doors.
Williams and her team quickly adapted. Classes moved to Zoom. Stationary bikes were pulled outside for outdoor workouts. Members could even check out equipment to use at home while joining virtual classes. Despite the creativity, Union Fitness still lost more than half of its members during that time.
Rather than retreat, Williams doubled down on the business. She expanded the studio space so members could spread out more comfortably and continued focusing on the sense of connection that had drawn people there in the first place. Today, more than seven years after opening, Williams reflects on the journey with a mix of gratitude and humor.
“It’s never perfect,” she says. “There have been plenty of laughs, tears, and moments of frustration. But I’ve grown so much as a person and as a leader.”
For women considering entrepreneurship, her advice is simple. If you feel passionate about something or see a place where you belong, take the risk.
“If you only focus on what can go wrong, that’s a bad focus,” she says. “Think about what could go right.”
Looking around the thriving community at Union Fitness today, Williams is glad she finally said yes.