Polly Helm was born and raised in Kentucky. She has a BA from Eastern Kentucky University and a Masters in Organizational Communications from Miami of Ohio. In 1994 she left corporate sales and moved from KY to Wisconsin to start two small businesses with her husband—a retail store and a construction company. They did both for about 10 years and then decided to join efforts and focus on the retail store.

They have expanded 3 times and today have a 5000 square foot store in a refurbished barn (parts are new) and a 3000 sq. foot design center next door in an old granary building. Located in a tourist area, their business is very seasonal, so they’ve faced the challenge of making it a year-round success. Currently, they employ 14 people—5 full time. Polly and her husband have survived the challenges of 2008, the pandemic, and even a six-month highway closure.

They also raised their two daughters in the business. In 2017, their oldest daughter Ellie was tragically killed in an ATV accident. Since then, they have started a foundation in her name and dedicated a section of their store where 100% of the profits go to supporting mental health programs in their community. Both Polly and her husband are deeply involved locally, serving on several boards and continually finding ways to give back.

In this episode, Polly Helm shares the story of building and growing a thriving seasonal retail business, the resilience it takes to weather tough challenges, and the joy of combining community involvement with entrepreneurship.

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What’s Inside:

• How Polly and her husband grew their barn-turned-store into a 5000 sq. ft. retail space and a 3000 sq. ft. design center.
• The realities of running a highly seasonal business and the creative strategies they use to generate year-round revenue.
• The personal and professional resilience needed to survive economic downturns, a pandemic, and personal tragedy while still giving back to their community.

Mentioned In This Episode:
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Door County Nature Works Website

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