Building Bellingham

Triple Wren Farms began in 2012 as a cut flower farm; Sarah and Steve grew florist favorites and trucked them up and down I-5 until the day of a certain King County wedding, brake lights, and a broken iPhone. Over the decade, they've pivoted, grown, shrunk and adjusted until reaching the current iteration: retail dahlia tuber sales. Today, the 20-acre farm ships thousands of tubers all across the US, grows & sells new strains of dahlias for renowned dahlia hybridizers working right here in Whatcom County, and hosts sold-out agritourism events. In this episode, the Pabodys dig into the importance of infrastructure and logistics, the balance (what is that again?) between their personal and professional partnerships, and the grit involved in taking risks, adjusting, and trying again.So pour a cup of coffee or a shot of your favorite bevvie, kick off your shoes, fire up those Airpods and take in Episode 5 of Season 4. Learn more about the show: https://livebellinghamnow.com/building_bellingham https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Brothers Chay Tan and Lee Tan purchased Coconut Kenny's back in 2004. Chay tells the stories of the early days - purchasing on an owner contract, slinging real estate to pay the bills, and stretching every marketing dollar. Now, the family-owned chain has 7 stores in 3 counties and has opened up co-ownership opportunities to their employees and managers. In 2018, Chay partnered with a former employee to create Downtime Taps, which was the first self-serve tap room in Washington State.

In this episode, Chay talks about the rule of 7, not taking a paycheck from the business for years, and the reward of developing leaders within his business. So pour a glass of whiskey or crack open a local beer, kick off your shoes, fire up those Airpods and take in Episode 4 of Season 4.

Follow the show at: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Greg Klassen's woodworking journey began as a newlywed making furniture out of door scraps. Later he would design the original River® table - live edge wood with blue glass. Greg's distinctive style, his grit in going to show after show after show with little results, and his willingness to learn marketing and write an infinity of press releases and cold emails led to a turning point in 2014. After being published on a major contemporary art blog, Greg and his River® tables went viral. Since then, this one-man show has sold work to every corner of the globe, been featured by the Smithsonian, Sunset Magazine and the New York Times.

In this episode, he and Leo talk about setting a foundation for solid marketing, the importance of passion and grit, and how he personally delivered a 12.5' sculpture to Idaho. So pour a shot of whiskey, kick off your shoes, fire up those Airpods and take in Episode 3 of Season 4. Learn more about the show:

Welcome to a new series in the Building Bellingham world. Tipping Point is co-hosted by Dylan Langei and Leo Cohen, and explores growth, challenge and mindset through the lens of decision making. We all have moments in our lives when we realize it's time for a change - what is that tipping point, how do we recognize it, and how do we navigate these decisions?

AB Crepes just celebrated its 10 year anniversary, and to kick off Season 4 we sat down with owner Bayly Peterson. We talk late-night party vibes, negative Yelp reviews, and the sheer grit and work it took to run a new business while a full-time student.

This year, Bayly and his business partner opened Otherside Bagel Co. Taking the lessons of AB Crepes' success and Hodgepodge's failure, they introduced another go-to spot to the Bellingham food world with traditionally-made bagels (including a gluten-free option!) and breakfast sandwiches. So pour a glass of whiskey or crack open a local beer, kick off your shoes, fire up those Airpods and take in Episode 1 of Season 4.

Learn more about the show: https://livebellinghamnow.com/building_bellingham

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Paul and Ari shared insights into the direct trade chocolate world, how they are challenged to grow beyond anything that they once imagined, and how decisions become simpler (but not easy) when you lead with mission first.

In this episode, Tony tells the story of his relentless desire to create. From scaling up (and back down again) Moceri Construction, to freelance writing for local publications, to promoting small yard games on social media, he brings energy and drive to a situation. Leo and Tony dig into real estate investing, mindset, and the importance of kindness - to all members and levels of an organization. Follow the show: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Widnor Farms offers beef, chicken, lamb and pork along with other farm goods. In this episode, Brianna tells us about the process of transforming a rundown farmhouse into a home, and arid land into pasture that feeds their rotating herds of cows, pigs, lambs and chickens. Throughout the story, she talks about the challenge farmers have finding processing plants in our area, the centralization of the US food system, and how carbon-neutral farms purchase carbon credits from places like Widnor Farms. She dug into how they made the decision to sell direct-to-consumer, how ROI can't be calculated on a short timeframe, and how she grew their Instagram platform to be both educational and a place of connection.

Follow the show at https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/

Bob Kramer forges some of the most sought-after kitchen knives in the world, and he has been featured in articles by the New York Times, Saveur, and Wall Street Journal.

In this episode, Bob tells the story of a young man flying to six cities seeking the secret to knife sharpening, opening a storefront in the heart of Seattle, stacking up a two-year order waitlist, and the Ebay auction that showed him the value of his own work. Throughout the story, he shares nuggets of wisdom around craftsmanship, forging your own path, humility, hard work, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

Follow the show at: https://www.instagram.com/building.bellingham/