We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristen & KC Larson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen & KC, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Our small business originally began by making a few wooden signs as Christmas gifts for some friends and family. We really enjoyed making these signs and thought it would be a fun adventure to start a small business taking custom orders for wooden signs and apparel- thus, 8-11 Designs was born. We build this brand through social media and word of mouth. We took great pride in the work we created and the joy that it brought other people.

In a stroke of luck and preparedness, we came into ownership of a retail location in our hometown, Cumberland, WI. This retail store had a clothing boutique that closed its doors shortly after we purchased the building. In an effort to fill the empty storefront and help bring life back onto our main street, we began brainstorming ideas of what to do with the space. This is when the “makers market” concept came to mind! As makers ourselves, we understand the dedication and attention to detail it requires to be a successful maker and small business. We wanted to support similar small businesses like ourselves by offering them a place to physically have their goods displayed. We started by asking 15 makers we already knew about to join our store. Since then, we have had 30 additional makers become part of the team & more coming each month! This was the creation of the White Willow Co. Market.

If you would have asked us 2 years ago if we would ever own a retail store, the answer would have been no. We always thought our original small business of 8-11 Designs would continue to run out of our home as a side job to keep us busy in our free time. However, when things began to fall into place for us we figured we had nothing to lose! We are grateful to be in the spot we are in life and look forward to seeing where this business will take us.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
We first began our makers journey by creating wooden signs as gifts for our loved ones. Since then, we have branched out and added a variety of other products to our spread including glassware, clothing, other wooden home decor pieces, and more! We have even branched out and have taught sign painting parties for gatherings such as community education classes, bachelorette parties, or just simply a get together.

We’re most proud of the growth that we have made in terms of our product quality & detail. When we first began, we were creating items to the best of our abilities. At that time, we thought they were incredible! Looking back, it’s unreal to see how far we have come in terms of design, painting, wood quality, and so forth. We are continually looking for ways that we can grow our creativity and products. Currently we are researching ways in which a CNC cutter would help us grow and develop our products/brand. We’re looking forward to seeing these visions come to life and provide even more personalized products to our community & supporters.

Along the way, we have learned the most success so far has come from keeping the business simple. The simpler the business model the easier it will be to implement and thrive. In addition, we have come to learn that a lot of people have unique talents when it comes to crafting & creating. It seems as though most people have a side-job or hobby where they make a little money. The entrepreneurial spirit is found more often than not!

We want our brand & store to be recognized as a company that supports small businesses and dreams. We have worked to make our dreams happen, and our lives are forever changed for it. The opportunity to encourage and support other makers is the drive behind our story!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We live in a small town in Northwest Wisconsin, with a population of roughly 2,000 people. With that being said, there isn’t a whole lot of hustle and bustle around us, which in our opinion gives us a luxury of appreciating the small things in life. Cumberland is a beautiful small town that is surrounded by lakes and nature. We would begin our adventure right here closest to home. Likely we would begin our day by going to get a drink at Roots Coffee Co.- another small business that opened up recently in Cumberland run by a young married couple roughly the same age as us. Although we don’t have dozens of shops like other cities may have, we do have quite a bit to offer in the small business shopping department! Of course we would have to adventure out and show our friends each of the stores in our small town. Once you become a small business owner yourself, there’s no greater joy than supporting other small businesses!

The best experiences we would have to offer in our area would include the great outdoors. After exploring downtown, you would certainly have to take advantage of one of the beautiful lakes in the area- whether that be through swimming, kayaking, or boating. Cumberland is known as “the island city” as we are surrounded by several lakes that offer great beauty and recreation.

A few of our favorite drink spots in the area that would be a must stop during their trip would include Round Man Brewing in Spooner, Agonic Brewery in Rice Lake, Knapp Stout tap house in Rice Lake, Perlicks Vodka Distillery in Sarona, and the Dancing Dragonfly Winery in St. Croix Falls.

In addition to what is offered to us locally, we also have the luxury of being within 2 hours of the Twin Cities, Duluth MN, and Eau Claire WI. These three locations would provide you with any “bigger city” experience you may want or need! Duluth and Eau Claire also offer a great variety of beautiful hiking trails and scenery.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would love to give credit to all of our makers that help complete our store! They each bring their talents into the store to create a wide variety of quality products that are made with an endless amount of love and creativity. We are so blessed to have them as part of our team!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/w_willow_market/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteWillowCoMarket/

Image Credits
Taylor Anne Photography

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