11810 comments ·

What Have I Been Up To? Part 1 - The Train Has Left The Station

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.

11810 comments

Your comment was posted successfully! Thank you!

  • fesfdefsd

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109586244975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109586268975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109586346975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109586310975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109586334975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109587510975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109587558975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109587588975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109587612975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109587648975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109588686975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109588710975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109588716975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109588734975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109588746975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109589796975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109589808975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109589820975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109589880975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109589910975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109590780975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109590798975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109590822975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109590834975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109590870975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109609632975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109609644975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109609662975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109609680975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109609698975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109610358975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109610478975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109610586975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109610700975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109611132975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109611240975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109611312975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109611432975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109611552975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109612266975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109612278975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109612308975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109612326975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109612338975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109613178975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109613184975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109613202975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109613214975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109613250975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109614120975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109614132975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109614150975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109614156975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109614174975074&type=3
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122109612266975074&type=3

  • fesfdefsd

    https://band.link/QiRUj
    https://band.link/bHE9t
    https://band.link/zwcMm

    https://band.link/SNgHi
    https://band.link/kQGMs
    https://band.link/3YhGV

    https://band.link/0kKUA
    https://band.link/4KPsr
    https://band.link/5haoY

    https://band.link/0tpV4
    https://band.link/1pENu
    https://band.link/qSiAK

    https://band.link/9lCJj
    https://band.link/HvvEM
    https://band.link/sF7GO

    https://band.link/5a4T5
    https://band.link/u75Z0
    https://band.link/B4vez

    https://band.link/yG5su
    https://band.link/Mkk9Q
    https://band.link/dvhB9

    https://band.link/AuHS5
    https://band.link/u8zQO
    https://band.link/JY9qn

    https://band.link/6OsM6
    https://band.link/HTQ20
    https://band.link/anlVY

    https://band.link/2DwHe
    https://band.link/IbbgA
    https://band.link/awuDk

    https://band.link/WIuN5
    https://band.link/VkTec
    https://band.link/Q5vVs

    https://band.link/rXHzD
    https://band.link/uwSWL
    https://band.link/IC82b

  • fesfdefsd

    https://band.link/IKyGa
    https://band.link/AkxrI
    https://band.link/gcXke

    https://band.link/QVByA
    https://band.link/Qm4lP
    https://band.link/rd9kd

    https://band.link/b4LpQ
    https://band.link/ofEzy
    https://band.link/Dy1QR

    https://band.link/4kURY
    https://band.link/uH7JR
    https://band.link/jpDQX

    https://band.link/B4B21
    https://band.link/RK94G
    https://band.link/qQEne

    https://band.link/2AC3b
    https://band.link/yOsCG
    https://band.link/DOJvr

  • fesfdefsd

    https://subscribepage.io/Fallout-Season-2-Film-Online
    https://subscribepage.io/Fallout-Season-2-Film-cz
    https://subscribepage.io/Dexter-Vzkriseni-Film-Online
    https://subscribepage.io/Dexter-Vzkriseni-Film-cz
    https://subscribepage.io/alien-earth-Film-Online
    https://subscribepage.io/alien-earth-Film-cz
    https://subscribepage.io/wednesday-season-2-Film-Online
    https://subscribepage.io/wednesday-season-2-Film-cz

  • fesfdefsd

    https://ffm.bio/bj9qo49
    https://ffm.bio/g7b8pvx
    https://ffm.bio/l3k2my5
    https://ffm.bio/dorjmob
    https://ffm.bio/n1j5j57
    https://ffm.bio/8×1pvoj
    https://ffm.bio/dex24o4
    https://ffm.bio/m7pjved
    https://ffm.bio/drevbbp
    https://ffm.bio/egb3ak4
    https://ffm.bio/vvoqv5v
    https://ffm.bio/9wrwrbq
    https://ffm.bio/g8e631x
    https://ffm.bio/pv1n564
    https://ffm.bio/b05meeq
    https://ffm.bio/6axj2re
    https://ffm.bio/xgbo8a5
    https://ffm.bio/x3e95ap
    https://ffm.bio/4xbjyxd
    https://ffm.bio/yj8wjd0

Leave a comment

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

PILLLAR Blog