11/04/2026
168 years.
That’s how long it took Minnesota to elect its first woman governor.
And last night, while history was being made, I was surrounded by women who’ve spent years making their own little pieces of it.
I had the honor of speaking at Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota’s Perfection Is Out of Stock event at Urban Growler. I’ve been thinking about that room all morning.
Heidi Andermack, I’ve admired Chowgirls for years. But what I admire most is how you kept feeding our neighbors when the world shut down. You’ve never forgotten that building a business also means building community.
Elizabeth Rose, hospitality is hard, often thankless work. You’ve built something beautiful while remembering the people who make it possible. I see that, and I admire it.
Laura Brown, there’s something wonderfully defiant about refusing to accept that a sport doesn’t belong to you. You’ve opened doors for generations of women. I wish every little girl knew women like you.
Deb Loch and Jill Pavlak, twelve banks told you no before Urban Growler became a reality. TWELVE. ReGina and I know what it means to build a distillery in an industry that wasn’t built for women. Being welcomed into the space you fought for meant so much.
Shannon Gilbertson and Cece Campbell, thank you for creating a room where women could laugh, be vulnerable, and admit that none of us has this whole entrepreneurship thing figured out.
We talked about sacrifice, expectations, and letting go of perfection.
Meanwhile, Minnesota elected Amy Klobuchar its first woman governor and Peggy Flanagan the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
What extraordinary timing.
None of these women waited for permission. None did it perfectly. And each made the road a little easier for someone behind her.
There’s still so much work ahead of us, and so many neighbors who need us.
But this morning I woke up feeling something I haven’t felt nearly enough of lately.
Hope.
Thank you, ladies. I was genuinely humbled to be in your company.
What an extraordinary night to be a woman in Minnesota. 🖤
