What Have I Been Up To? Part 1 - The Train Has Left The Station
Well hello there my much neglected, but never forgotten, email subscribers and blog readers. We’ve been quite busy at PILLLAR over the past 12 months, thus the delay between writings. I suppose it’s time to bring you all up to speed on what I’ve been up to.
It was a warm May 2021 morning, in St. Paul at Palace pop-up skatepark where I met Brad Hay for an early morning session. Like most times when I skate with Brad, we ended up talking more than skating, and I’m always good with that. The conversation drifted over many different topics when we finally landed on future plans for our respective companies. Brad with ReGenerate Wood and me with PILLLAR. I love these conversations because they allow for your mind to run wild with ideas and dreams which can hopefully one day become reality.
I talked about this idea that I had been carrying around for a while about starting a cafe/skateboard shop for PILLLAR and finished by saying “maybe someday.” When Brad quickly and emphatically replied, “you have to do it!”
The next day I started browsing the internet for commercial real estate.
Knowing nothing about commercial real estate and even less about what it takes to open a coffee shop, I had no idea what was in store for me next.
I found, what I thought, was the perfect location for this new endeavor and I began the process of working with the landlord on signing a lease. I drew up a business plan, put together a budget (what the fuck do I know about budgeting for this kinda thing?), applied for a business loans, found an architect. I’m already in over my head, but this train had left the station.
About 4 weeks of haggling with the landlord over my business plan, negotiating on what improvements he would cover on the space versus what I would have to pay for and discussing financing, I knew this pairing was not a match made in tenant/landlord heaven. After a particularly contentious meeting, I made the decision that I had to move on. I could not continue to work with him.
On my drive home, which was rerouted down Central Ave in Northeast Minneapolis, due to construction, I drove past a freshly painted black building with a “For Lease” sign hanging proudly in the window. I pulled over, pushed my nose up to the glass to see a much neglected office space, which had all the potential in the world, and took down the phone number on the sign.
Three days later I met the leasing agent and as I walked through the narrow hallways, pulled up corners of cheap carpet and popped up sections of the discolored drop ceiling, in my head, this was already my space.
Your comment was posted successfully! Thank you!
https://www.facebook.com/events/457472657446543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/539029872062386/
https://www.facebook.com/events/875227818011021/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889979572706806/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1197306754680837/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1242195280444507/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2688286664706984/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1550332968908583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/549365744124580/
https://www.facebook.com/events/559927163077919/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1350173479704437/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1784017282392897/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1507656409917416/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1190674418704858/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066489345071668/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054037485999290/
https://www.facebook.com/events/920962896567031/
https://www.facebook.com/events/516928311162682/
https://www.facebook.com/events/496317446728501/
https://www.facebook.com/events/841255121208445/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1248087846322063/
https://www.facebook.com/events/586422753742441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889746176495198/
https://www.facebook.com/events/554939633719122/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066127748501276/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090272015766300/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1303432041027441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/505017462519879/
https://www.facebook.com/events/492991697060641/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530910509844430/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2266309880415794/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1309246976906173/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530108923289049/
https://www.facebook.com/events/391659254002529/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054164852588898/
https://www.facebook.com/events/8373739772716038/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1189685802323107/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1330116248424829/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1264804661194588/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1516766588971770/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2029029647569647/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562390556361685/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1596441014616390/
https://www.facebook.com/events/501465449386742/
https://www.facebook.com/events/564263772631269/
https://www.facebook.com/events/568272112286362/
https://www.facebook.com/events/899984055360954/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1472785603410100/
https://www.facebook.com/events/544200788258850/
https://www.facebook.com/events/848814377425370/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1247208873396042/
https://www.facebook.com/events/880170377420347/
https://www.facebook.com/events/545575571291258/
https://www.facebook.com/events/555252520321673/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1052964882711110/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1293881881608457/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1184648605926309/
https://www.facebook.com/events/887411946287646/
https://www.facebook.com/events/425669583882543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1539180276967965/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2532971766897274/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1806062076806125/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1210194500288902/
https://www.facebook.com/events/387561244423866/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2297885117220412/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1068848951621925/
https://www.facebook.com/events/919894070034769/
https://www.facebook.com/events/582537157687519/
https://www.facebook.com/events/416652034828640/
https://www.facebook.com/events/461941182881350/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090828015967750/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1556954221909202/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1631800131074583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/830032445674468/
https://www.facebook.com/events/862234509023234/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1711154266091327/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938621564966090/
https://www.facebook.com/events/907816711221534/
https://www.facebook.com/events/556275387000933/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1486316008688479/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1267951211044236/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1181545986262903/
https://www.facebook.com/events/521162153866101/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1692122821573238/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938814684745541/
https://www.facebook.com/events/897144221964863/
https://www.facebook.com/events/466357965732633/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562302206247845/
https://www.facebook.com/events/457472657446543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/539029872062386/
https://www.facebook.com/events/875227818011021/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889979572706806/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1197306754680837/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1242195280444507/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2688286664706984/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1550332968908583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/549365744124580/
https://www.facebook.com/events/559927163077919/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1350173479704437/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1784017282392897/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1507656409917416/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1190674418704858/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066489345071668/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054037485999290/
https://www.facebook.com/events/920962896567031/
https://www.facebook.com/events/516928311162682/
https://www.facebook.com/events/496317446728501/
https://www.facebook.com/events/841255121208445/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1248087846322063/
https://www.facebook.com/events/586422753742441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889746176495198/
https://www.facebook.com/events/554939633719122/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066127748501276/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090272015766300/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1303432041027441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/505017462519879/
https://www.facebook.com/events/492991697060641/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530910509844430/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2266309880415794/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1309246976906173/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530108923289049/
https://www.facebook.com/events/391659254002529/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054164852588898/
https://www.facebook.com/events/8373739772716038/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1189685802323107/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1330116248424829/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1264804661194588/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1516766588971770/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2029029647569647/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562390556361685/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1596441014616390/
https://www.facebook.com/events/501465449386742/
https://www.facebook.com/events/564263772631269/
https://www.facebook.com/events/568272112286362/
https://www.facebook.com/events/899984055360954/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1472785603410100/
https://www.facebook.com/events/544200788258850/
https://www.facebook.com/events/848814377425370/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1247208873396042/
https://www.facebook.com/events/880170377420347/
https://www.facebook.com/events/545575571291258/
https://www.facebook.com/events/555252520321673/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1052964882711110/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1293881881608457/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1184648605926309/
https://www.facebook.com/events/887411946287646/
https://www.facebook.com/events/425669583882543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1539180276967965/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2532971766897274/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1806062076806125/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1210194500288902/
https://www.facebook.com/events/387561244423866/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2297885117220412/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1068848951621925/
https://www.facebook.com/events/919894070034769/
https://www.facebook.com/events/582537157687519/
https://www.facebook.com/events/416652034828640/
https://www.facebook.com/events/461941182881350/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090828015967750/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1556954221909202/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1631800131074583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/830032445674468/
https://www.facebook.com/events/862234509023234/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1711154266091327/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938621564966090/
https://www.facebook.com/events/907816711221534/
https://www.facebook.com/events/556275387000933/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1486316008688479/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1267951211044236/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1181545986262903/
https://www.facebook.com/events/521162153866101/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1692122821573238/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938814684745541/
https://www.facebook.com/events/897144221964863/
https://www.facebook.com/events/466357965732633/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562302206247845/
https://www.facebook.com/events/457472657446543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/539029872062386/
https://www.facebook.com/events/875227818011021/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889979572706806/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1197306754680837/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1242195280444507/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2688286664706984/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1550332968908583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/549365744124580/
https://www.facebook.com/events/559927163077919/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1350173479704437/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1784017282392897/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1507656409917416/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1190674418704858/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066489345071668/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054037485999290/
https://www.facebook.com/events/920962896567031/
https://www.facebook.com/events/516928311162682/
https://www.facebook.com/events/496317446728501/
https://www.facebook.com/events/841255121208445/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1248087846322063/
https://www.facebook.com/events/586422753742441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889746176495198/
https://www.facebook.com/events/554939633719122/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066127748501276/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090272015766300/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1303432041027441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/505017462519879/
https://www.facebook.com/events/492991697060641/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530910509844430/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2266309880415794/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1309246976906173/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530108923289049/
https://www.facebook.com/events/391659254002529/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054164852588898/
https://www.facebook.com/events/8373739772716038/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1189685802323107/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1330116248424829/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1264804661194588/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1516766588971770/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2029029647569647/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562390556361685/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1596441014616390/
https://www.facebook.com/events/501465449386742/
https://www.facebook.com/events/564263772631269/
https://www.facebook.com/events/568272112286362/
https://www.facebook.com/events/899984055360954/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1472785603410100/
https://www.facebook.com/events/544200788258850/
https://www.facebook.com/events/848814377425370/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1247208873396042/
https://www.facebook.com/events/880170377420347/
https://www.facebook.com/events/545575571291258/
https://www.facebook.com/events/555252520321673/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1052964882711110/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1293881881608457/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1184648605926309/
https://www.facebook.com/events/887411946287646/
https://www.facebook.com/events/425669583882543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1539180276967965/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2532971766897274/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1806062076806125/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1210194500288902/
https://www.facebook.com/events/387561244423866/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2297885117220412/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1068848951621925/
https://www.facebook.com/events/919894070034769/
https://www.facebook.com/events/582537157687519/
https://www.facebook.com/events/416652034828640/
https://www.facebook.com/events/461941182881350/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090828015967750/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1556954221909202/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1631800131074583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/830032445674468/
https://www.facebook.com/events/862234509023234/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1711154266091327/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938621564966090/
https://www.facebook.com/events/907816711221534/
https://www.facebook.com/events/556275387000933/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1486316008688479/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1267951211044236/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1181545986262903/
https://www.facebook.com/events/521162153866101/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1692122821573238/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938814684745541/
https://www.facebook.com/events/897144221964863/
https://www.facebook.com/events/466357965732633/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562302206247845/
https://www.facebook.com/events/457472657446543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/539029872062386/
https://www.facebook.com/events/875227818011021/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889979572706806/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1197306754680837/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1242195280444507/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2688286664706984/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1550332968908583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/549365744124580/
https://www.facebook.com/events/559927163077919/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1350173479704437/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1784017282392897/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1507656409917416/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1190674418704858/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066489345071668/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054037485999290/
https://www.facebook.com/events/920962896567031/
https://www.facebook.com/events/516928311162682/
https://www.facebook.com/events/496317446728501/
https://www.facebook.com/events/841255121208445/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1248087846322063/
https://www.facebook.com/events/586422753742441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889746176495198/
https://www.facebook.com/events/554939633719122/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066127748501276/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090272015766300/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1303432041027441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/505017462519879/
https://www.facebook.com/events/492991697060641/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530910509844430/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2266309880415794/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1309246976906173/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530108923289049/
https://www.facebook.com/events/391659254002529/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054164852588898/
https://www.facebook.com/events/8373739772716038/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1189685802323107/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1330116248424829/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1264804661194588/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1516766588971770/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2029029647569647/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562390556361685/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1596441014616390/
https://www.facebook.com/events/501465449386742/
https://www.facebook.com/events/564263772631269/
https://www.facebook.com/events/568272112286362/
https://www.facebook.com/events/899984055360954/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1472785603410100/
https://www.facebook.com/events/544200788258850/
https://www.facebook.com/events/848814377425370/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1247208873396042/
https://www.facebook.com/events/880170377420347/
https://www.facebook.com/events/545575571291258/
https://www.facebook.com/events/555252520321673/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1052964882711110/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1293881881608457/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1184648605926309/
https://www.facebook.com/events/887411946287646/
https://www.facebook.com/events/425669583882543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1539180276967965/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2532971766897274/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1806062076806125/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1210194500288902/
https://www.facebook.com/events/387561244423866/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2297885117220412/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1068848951621925/
https://www.facebook.com/events/919894070034769/
https://www.facebook.com/events/582537157687519/
https://www.facebook.com/events/416652034828640/
https://www.facebook.com/events/461941182881350/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090828015967750/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1556954221909202/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1631800131074583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/830032445674468/
https://www.facebook.com/events/862234509023234/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1711154266091327/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938621564966090/
https://www.facebook.com/events/907816711221534/
https://www.facebook.com/events/556275387000933/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1486316008688479/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1267951211044236/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1181545986262903/
https://www.facebook.com/events/521162153866101/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1692122821573238/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938814684745541/
https://www.facebook.com/events/897144221964863/
https://www.facebook.com/events/466357965732633/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562302206247845/
https://www.facebook.com/events/457472657446543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/539029872062386/
https://www.facebook.com/events/875227818011021/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889979572706806/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1197306754680837/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1242195280444507/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2688286664706984/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1550332968908583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/549365744124580/
https://www.facebook.com/events/559927163077919/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1350173479704437/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1784017282392897/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1507656409917416/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1190674418704858/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066489345071668/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054037485999290/
https://www.facebook.com/events/920962896567031/
https://www.facebook.com/events/516928311162682/
https://www.facebook.com/events/496317446728501/
https://www.facebook.com/events/841255121208445/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1248087846322063/
https://www.facebook.com/events/586422753742441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/889746176495198/
https://www.facebook.com/events/554939633719122/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1066127748501276/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090272015766300/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1303432041027441/
https://www.facebook.com/events/505017462519879/
https://www.facebook.com/events/492991697060641/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530910509844430/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2266309880415794/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1309246976906173/
https://www.facebook.com/events/530108923289049/
https://www.facebook.com/events/391659254002529/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1054164852588898/
https://www.facebook.com/events/8373739772716038/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1189685802323107/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1330116248424829/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1264804661194588/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1516766588971770/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2029029647569647/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562390556361685/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1596441014616390/
https://www.facebook.com/events/501465449386742/
https://www.facebook.com/events/564263772631269/
https://www.facebook.com/events/568272112286362/
https://www.facebook.com/events/899984055360954/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1472785603410100/
https://www.facebook.com/events/544200788258850/
https://www.facebook.com/events/848814377425370/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1247208873396042/
https://www.facebook.com/events/880170377420347/
https://www.facebook.com/events/545575571291258/
https://www.facebook.com/events/555252520321673/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1052964882711110/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1293881881608457/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1184648605926309/
https://www.facebook.com/events/887411946287646/
https://www.facebook.com/events/425669583882543/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1539180276967965/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2532971766897274/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1806062076806125/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1210194500288902/
https://www.facebook.com/events/387561244423866/
https://www.facebook.com/events/2297885117220412/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1068848951621925/
https://www.facebook.com/events/919894070034769/
https://www.facebook.com/events/582537157687519/
https://www.facebook.com/events/416652034828640/
https://www.facebook.com/events/461941182881350/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090828015967750/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1556954221909202/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1631800131074583/
https://www.facebook.com/events/830032445674468/
https://www.facebook.com/events/862234509023234/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1711154266091327/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938621564966090/
https://www.facebook.com/events/907816711221534/
https://www.facebook.com/events/556275387000933/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1486316008688479/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1267951211044236/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1181545986262903/
https://www.facebook.com/events/521162153866101/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1692122821573238/
https://www.facebook.com/events/938814684745541/
https://www.facebook.com/events/897144221964863/
https://www.facebook.com/events/466357965732633/
https://www.facebook.com/events/562302206247845/
Leave a comment