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Passions, Dreams and Hard Work By Lenore Franzen • photos by Linda Cullen Four women--all graduates of the 1980s--owe their entrepreneurial success to a combination of strong values and vision Four Augsburg alums--Jenni Lilledahl '87, Kari (Eklund) Logan '82, Lori Moline '82, and Sarah (Wojtowicz) Stehly '88--are part of the entrepreneurial trend. They have joined the huge flux of women who now own their own business, an impressive 38 percent of all U.S. firms. Their dreams are as varied as they are. Lilledahl and her husband own and operate the Brave New Workshop, a comedy theater. Logan runs C.E.L. Public Relations, Inc. with her business partner. Moline started an international travel tour company, CrossingBorders, with a long-time colleague. Stehly owns two related businesses, Construction Technology, Inc. and Simplex Construction Supplies, Inc. As different as their professions are, these four women share a common profile, shaped as much by national trends as by their personal dreams and upbringing. They embody the many strengths required to succeed in this high-stakes' venture. They have a vision they won't compromise. They are guided by values of hard work, integrity, and service. Ultimately, they share a desire to make a difference in the world. Here are their stories. Work
as improvisation "My whole life I've wanted to do comedy," said Jenni Lilledahl '87. "But another voice inside said it wasn't practical." For eight years, Lilledahl obeyed the practical. After graduating in 1987 with a B.A. in communications, she worked in public relations. But the urge to be on stage wouldn't leave her alone. Following an acting class and a summer program in Los Angeles, she had the bug. Lilledahl began performing. That's when she met her future husband and partner, John Sweeney. He, too, had a business background but was thinking of a career change. Both eventually quit their jobs. Newly arrived in the theatrical community with years of corporate experience, they were misfits. Yet their backgrounds aided them in fulfilling their own dreams. Dudley Riggs was looking for someone to buy his 39-year-old theater. Who better than two people with business savvy who were committed to the field? In March 1997, the deal was finalized. "It felt like an opportunity of a lifetime," Lilledahl said. "John and I have similar creative energy. We both like to work hard and produce and create things." The theater was struggling when they assumed ownership, and as entrepreneurs, so were they. "The first year we had the business, we didn't know what we were doing," said Lilledahl. "We had a vision, but we didn't know how we were going to get there." Three years later, the Brave New Workshop still carries debt, but the prospects are much brighter. Lilledahl and Sweeney have revived the main stage at Calhoun Square. "The theater is the centerpiece of the business," said Lilledahl. "Most of our energy goes there." Numbers would suggest she has also put much effort into the Brave New Institute, a school that averages 16 different improvisation classes a week. It has grown from seven students to nearly 300 under her guidance. Brave New Communications, a for-profit division, performs and writes for corporations. "Because we have no outside source of funding, like most theaters in town, this component serves as our foundation, generating revenue for day-to-day expenses." Their business also includes Flanagan's Wake, an interactive theater experience, and a touring company, which serves as a training ground for main-stage actors. The two voices in Lilledahl's head now sing in unison. "We run our business the way we teach improvisation," she said. "Our philosophy is that you can say yes' and be prepared for anything only by being open to everything." Life passion to business mission Kari (Eklund) Logan '82 has always understood her life passion and the mission of her business as one and the same. Maybe that's why she's been so successful. Dave Moore, an early mentor of Logan's when she worked at WCCO, once told her, "You'll get there on goodness." And she has. With business partner Cindy Leines, Logan has maintained the passion that so many entrepreneurs often lose in the doing, namely, combining her commitment to the betterment of families, business, and community with the service C.E.L. Public Relations, Inc. provides. "We help clients succeed in achieving their dream," she said. "By doing so, we achieve our own as well."
But TV work had little appeal. "Your life isn't your own," said Logan, who considers herself a "recovering journalist." Yet she is grateful for these first experiences. "My knowledge of producing has been an asset to our business," she said. C.E.L. Public Relations, Inc., in which she became partner in 1993, handles media relations for clients in several markets: health and education, arts and entertainment, and, increasingly, food and banking. "Cindy is the visionary and strategist," said Logan. "I love to write, and have the production expertise, while she handles operations and manages our three employees." Logan acknowledges the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur. "The decisions I make as a business owner impact four other families," she said. "We choose our clients carefully, because we want to believe in what they do. As a result, we've turned away a lot of work. "Even financial decisions are hard. "I was raised conservatively," said Logan. "It's hard to take risks, like when we moved from our basement office to leasing space." Despite the challenges, Logan has never compromised her principles. "Work is so much a part of your life, you have to be doing what you love," she said. Clearly that has shown in the award-winning work the firm has done. C.E.L. Public Relations, Inc. won a Summit Creative Award and a Communicator Crystal Award of Excellence for producing a TV special on Alzheimer's disease.The firm also earned three bronze medals from the International Festivals Association for marketing the Uptown Art Fair. During the fair, Logan hired Augsburg theater students as mimes. "It's great experience for them, and it helps us tremendously," she said. It's also one more example of how her goodness has gotten her to where she is today. Answering a calling But traveling overseas helped her discover abilities and interests she didn't realize she had. "I decided I wanted the exploration of different cultures to be a significant part of my life," Moline said. After she graduated, the Office of Alumni Relations connected her with a man who had a small company that arranged tours to Israel and the Holy Land. "I convinced him to hire me without any travel industry experience," she said. "In one year, I was managing the office." Moline worked for a number of travel companies before starting CrossingBorders in 1996. She shares ownership equally with her business partner, Martha Van Gorder. "We saw the need to create international group travel experiences that were more meaningful," Moline explained. "Our services are based on a belief that travel is educational and transformative."CrossingBorders creates international tour programs for church-affiliated groups, with a specialty in travel to Israel. "Every program is uniquely customized out of the vision and mission of each church leader we work with on a tour," said Moline. One congregation wanted to do a service project in Israel. Another group wanted music to be the focus. Along the entrepreneurial way, Moline discovered what many new business owners do. "There's more to creating a company than writing a good business plan and providing great service," she said. "We needed to learn how to market our business so people knew we existed." Moline also found her involvement in the Augsburg alumni community beneficial. "My six years on the alumni board helped me learn strategic planning and leadership skills," she said. "I even used the professional services of a former classmate for our logo and image." Currently, Moline is working on a tour to the Holy Land with former classmate Jeff Sandgren, a Lutheran pastor in Fargo. "It's been wonderful to bring together our experiences in creating something special for his congregation," she said. "These Augsburg connections continue to be an important part of my personal and professional life." Since her first job in the travel industry, Moline has never considered other work. "I find what I do a calling," she said. "My business is part of who I am." Meeting the people Sarah (Wojtowicz) Stehly
'88 intended to go to graduate school, but the construction industry was in
her blood. Her father owned a stucco business, and she worked as "I ran the seminar as an independent study to earn a communications credit and to help out the family business," she explained. "By the end of the day, the contractors who attended were placing orders." Her first business, Simplex Construction Supplies, was born in July 1987. A college senior, Stehly learned the manufacturer had other products for building bridge decks and highways. "On my way to class one day, I marched into the Department of Transportation and asked who I could sell these products to," she recalled. Soon after, Simplex was providing all construction materials for the Lafayette Bluff Tunnel along the North Shore. The company, which is involved in major construction projects throughout the upper Midwest, will also supply materials for the light rail tunnel at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. As Stehly's business continued to grow, so did her customer base. "I discovered some of their needs weren't being met for construction materials," she said. In March 1993, Stehly started a second company, Construction Technology. Together, her two businesses serve three industries: highway/heavy market, commercial contractors, and stucco contractors. As an entrepreneur, Stehly has followed few of the rules. "I didn't have a business plan, and I never had a business course at Augsburg," she said. "After I graduated, I took a class to learn the basics, but everything else I learned by trial and error." Early on, she felt a particular disadvantage in matters of financing and banking. How did she survive? Stehly cites four strengths she's relied on these past 14 years. "Having a college education is a plus," she said. "The communications skills I developed at Augsburg have been critical to my success." Second, she has persevered. "I came into ownership by selling, and I know that if a good product exists, there's a way to sell it." Honesty is also key. "I never have to guess at what I tell someone," she added. Finally, her people skills have allowed Stehly to develop good relationships with customers and provide excellent service. "Meeting the people--talking to contractors at the site--keeps me energized and my business growing," she said. Lenore Franzen is a freelance writer who lives in St. Paul. |
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When
she graduated from Augsburg in 1982 with degrees in theatre and communications,
Logan had yet to see where her dream would take her. She certainly had no thought
of owning her own business. She landed an internship at WCCO-TV, where she learned
TV production. Then she spent four years on the assignment desk at Channel 5,
where she eventually produced "Twin Cities Live" until 1990. 
Like
Saul on the road to Damascus, Lori Moline '82 had a life-changing experience
during her senior year at Augsburg. An urban studies major, she spent a semester
traveling on her own in Europe. "Up to this point, I hadn't wandered too
far from home," she said. "As a child, I even had a hard time going
to summer camp in northern Minnesota." 
an estimator since a teenager. Before her senior year, she planned and organized
a seminar that introduced innovative construction products from a North Carolina
manufacturer trying to break into this market.