Familiar Faces

Photos by Pat Christman

NAME: Natalie Pierson

HOMETOWN:

LAKE CRYSTAL

CURRENT OCCUPATION:

Executive director at GRACE Thrift Store, owner of Vagabond Village

FAVORITE PRINCE SONG:

“Call My Name”

CURRENT NETFLIX BINGE:

I’m bouncing between three different series: “Being Mary-Jane,” “Insecure” and “Betty.”

The GRACEful vagabond

Natalie Pierson’s vision for a positive community endures

When Natalie Pierson opened Vagabond Village in 2015, it was the coolest, quirkiest little shop in Mankato’s Old Town district. But no one would have blamed you if, at the time, you didn’t give it much of a chance. After all, most businesses fail.

It didn’t take long for Pierson — along with her grit and tenacity — to prove the naysayers wrong. Vagabond Village is a survivor.

Six years after opening, the store has become a hub of activity and positivity. Pierson is constantly looking for ways to connect and uses both Vagabond Village and GRACE Thrift in Lake Crystal to do whatever she can to make southern Minnesota a better place.

Mankato Magazine: You’ve been the proprietor of Vagabond Village for a number of years now. What have you learned in that time about running a small business?

Natalie Pierson: It doesn’t get easier with time. There’s always a problem to fix, a shift to cover, not enough money ever to handle the issues at bay, and you will be required to wear 20 different hats at all hours of the day.

If for some reason it falls apart — it’s all eyes on you, so, depend on yourself for the answers. Even if you hear others trying to “advise” you on what you should be doing differently, try not to listen to too much. Remember, this is your vision, trust yourself, and do what you think, because at the end of the day, no one is as invested in the work as you are.

MM: If you could go back in time and give yourself one bit of business advice, what would it be?

NP: Don’t feel the need to give repeat opportunities to people who don’t follow through the first time. Just because they show up, doesn’t mean that they are or will be contributing anything of value. Don’t put in the work for lazy people! If they don’t match your work ethic or vision, move on. Limit your amount of chances and don’t hold on to partnerships that don’t advance the work or lighten the load. Caring about people and wanting them to be involved doesn’t mean they should be.

Most importantly, at the end of the day, remember these things: You are capable of doing great things, regardless if others participate or not. Don’t stress about disrupted plans and remember to give yourself kudos for all you have accomplished. Because the truth is, not everybody can do it, and most people won’t even try. You’ve built programs out of thin air and have helped many students, artists and visionaries supersede their projected potential, simply by giving them a voice, an opportunity and basic emotional support.

MM: Tell us how Vagabond Village has grown and evolved over the years. NP: It started out with a massive hand-picked collection in a tiny space. The main focus was selling the treasures I had found and “making people smile.” It transitioned into a 2,400-squarefoot plethora of vintage goods, local products, community gatherings and youth learning opportunities. The work and overall environment have continued to evolve, depending on who has shown up to participate, and which interns have been/remained involved.

Now, Vagabond Village is responsible for dozens of local partnerships, programs and opportunities that were not here before. It has inspired other locations and businesses to pop up and follow similar suits. It’s become a place for artists to teach their craft, space for photographers, play writers, independents and students to explore trades and passions with little to no investment involved. We’ve done fashion shows, outdoor markets, theme parties, small groups and support circles, charity programs, travel opportunities, worldwide merchandising, movement exploration, VIP member focus with perks and personal community support.

MM: You’ve established an intern program that has given some young people great learning opportunities and work experience. How and why did you start that?

NP: I went through some really hard years at an early age. I remember thinking someday I was going to help others feel supported in ways I didn’t feel supported and/or witnessed during those years. I always had these wild ideas, passions and a different way of doing things, and that wasn’t well embraced. It was actually discouraged most of the time. The baseline always seemed to be it’s important to fit into the mold.

I also remember not having a lot of opportunities for skill building and quickly saw how fast one could get stuck in roles, even if you were meant for more, merely because of lack of encouragement and resources. How do you get experience in different work fields if you can’t even get hired because you have none yet? It never made Natalie Pierson of Vagabond Village.

sense to me.

All I know is when someone saw me and gave me opportunities to grow, learn, flourish, speak and explore without judgment, I was able to do more than I ever thought I could. The greatest asset you can have is someone believing in you.

When you’re young, adults tend to minimize your feelings and opinions (it’s usually about order and control, not free thinking). I’ve learned when people don’t understand your way of thinking, it makes them uncomfortable and over time they tend to try and break you down, and discourage you from operating differently than them. Don’t listen.

This is where partnering with the Minnesota Valley Action Council program has been a godsend for both of us. They are providing paid internships for on-the-job training at my worksites. Kids learn basic skills, confidence-building techniques, real-world preparations and how to work outside the box, using only the resources at hand. I get paid workers so I can maintain operating costs, and MVAC gets free job hosting. Paving new ideas are very important to growth in communities and being seen, heard and supported is the most important part of it.

MM: It seems like you’re constantly looking for ways to engage the community in positive ways. Tell us about your efforts to make Mankato a better place.

NP: I aim to not only provide affordable vintage to young adults, but unique pieces to express your vision or live out your idea. I’ve created vendor/consignment, Buy/ trade opportunities to the locals. I offer paid student internships and college credit for students with no prior work history. I assist with estate planning and home organization. I’ve given a platform for LIVE shows, community plays and outdoor markets. I offer affordable classes to the public by new emerging leaders, artists and college students.

MM: What other charitable endeavors are you involved in?

NP: 50 Scarves Project: All parties donate 50 scarves for the Riverfront fence line to help keep Old Town residents in need warm; Sew Circle, small group meetups including Sewing Basics 101, Community Up-cycle Clubs, and Designers for Charity; Photo Club, student photographer program; Recycle the Bag; ZINE meetups; “Our Elders” Project: 200 plus individual gifts donated to local nursing homes; 5/$10 Project, a youth volunteer program — five hours earns $10 in store credit at GRACE Thrift; Local Partnerships Program; work transition programs, community service opportunities; Angel Tree, providing vouchers for household items and clothing during Christmas at GRACE Thrift; Shoebox Mission, where shoeboxes are loaded with gifts and sent overseas for kids (a partnership with GRACE Thrift and local churches). (Some of these programs are partnerships with other organizations.)

Lindsey Botker has been physically active her entire life, and was a four-year basketball player at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her husband, Jesse Botker, played football at Macalester College.

Fit for home

Health-conscious families get serious about home gyms

By Jane Turpin Moore | Photos by Pat Christman

Weekend warriors? Not these folks.

More Mankatoans are making fitness, and overall healthy lifestyles, a year-round priority.

One cure for reliable excuses like “I’m too tired to go to the Y,” “It’s too cold out for a run,” or “‘There’s a weightlifter at the gym who always grunts and creeps me out” is to make a foolproof plan. And in the case of the following three families, creating home fitness studios was the answer.

Candee and Mark Deichman:

Working out is a way of life for the entire Deichman family.

Athletic competition, with a focus on triathlons and endurance sports such as running, swimming and cycling, is practically a tradition for Candee, 54, Mark, 53, and their three sons, Carter, 20, Carson, 18, and Corbin, 13.

“I did triathlons and runs,” said Candee, a Wisconsin native, “and that’s how the kids got into triathlons.

“When the boys were little, Mark hauled them along when I had a triathlon and they started asking, ‘Can we do something like this?’ We let them, even when they were 4 and 5 years old, and they loved it.”

Not only did the Deichman boys enjoy triathlons, they excelled at them; each son has been a nationally ranked triathlete and Carson, a Minnesota State University freshman, qualified for the June 2022 triathlon world championships.

Summer vacations — or “tri-cations” as the Deichmans playfully call them — centered on triathlon destinations and have taken the family to Virginia,

For the Deichman family, the home gym is part of an overall commitment to healthy living.

Seattle, Utah, Arizona, Florida, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

“We just go a couple days early or stay a couple days later and make them our vacations,” Candee said.

Keeping up with three dedicated student-athletes and two busy parents — Candee is a real estate agent at Century 21 Atwood and a former personal trainer, while Mark is president of Deichman Construction — is a balancing act. Having a home gym has saved time for the Deichmans.

“At our last house, we had an entire room under the garage that was a 30-by-50-foot fitness studio,” Mark said.

“Candee taught some group fitness classes there, but we didn’t need that much space now.”

When the Deichmans moved into their new house in September, their custom-designed 14-by-18-foot fitness space awaited.

Adjacent to the media/family room on the lower level but separated from the living area by a glass wall and door, the room sports a commercial gymstandard rubber floor, a water fountain, a wallmounted fan, an industrial pull-up bar with bands, a mirrored wall and TRX gear.

Box jumps, weighted balls, battle ropes, kettlebells, and a full complement of weights, along with a closet to stash mats and other gear, round out the wellequipped gym, which also boasts a wireless Sonos sound system.

“It’s an internet-based system with thousands of channels from around the world, so you can do video fitness, streamed yoga or just crank the music,” Mark said.

His professional know-how made the workout space just right for them.

“A lot of our clients want fitness areas,” said Mark, who has put gyms into at least 12 area custom-built houses in the past several years.

“They need to not only be practical but aesthetically current and architecturally themed with the house — but a gym adds a lot of value to a house.”

Mark and Candee typically work out about 5:30 a.m. while their sons use the gym later in the day.

“I love waking up and going downstairs to work out without having to go outside,” said Mark, who knows it’s vital for a gym to attract use.

“As custom builders, we want to put together the whole experience because it helps with motivation if you feel like you have a commercial gym in your own house.”

Supplementing the family’s regular workouts and competitions is a collective commitment to healthy eating — though Candee admits to an occasional weakness for candy (naturally) or a slice of Baker’s Square French silk pie, while Mark sometimes grabs a bag of chips.

“It all goes together,” said Candee, mentioning that a typical Deichman dinner menu includes baked or air-fried chicken, broccoli and rice.

“It’s easy to make the right choices when you see the results.”

Added Mark, “The bottom line is, there’s no good excuse not to work out when the gym is in your house. It’s just what we do.”

Micah Dorfner competes regularly in Spartan races. He uses his home gym to prepare and train.

Micah Dorfner:

When you’re serious about Spartan races but have a full-time job and a young family, a home gym is very handy.

“My training depends on the season, but I typically spend between seven and nine hours a week in some form of training,” said Micah Dorfer, 32.

Dorfner hails from Blue Earth, arrived in Mankato as an 18-yearold university student and has been a local resident ever since.

Although his position as communications director for Mayo Clinic Health System largely demands he sit at a desk behind a computer, Dorfner has never lacked for energy.

“I’ve always been interested in fitness and athletics to varying degrees,” said Dorfner, who played hockey until sixth grade, and baseball and basketball throughout high school.

During college he was involved in intramural hockey and softball; thereafter he joined recreational softball leagues and an adult co-ed hockey league.

But when a college friend invited him to try obstacle course racing, Dorfner quickly realized he’d found a match.

“The first race I did (in 2016) was more like a fun run, not heavily competitive, but I thought it was cool so I started training more specifically for that.”

For the uninitiated, Dorfner describes obstacle course racing as trail running through rugged terrain, often with a fair amount of elevation gain, and different obstacles along the trail.

“It could be carrying sandbags or buckets, climbing walls, crossing monkey bars or water or going through multi-rigs,” he said.

“At its foundation, it’s running with a lot of strength, agility and athleticism incorporated.”

When Dorfner and his wife, Sara, moved to a new house on Mankato’s south side 2 1/2 years ago — just two weeks prior to the birth of their daughter, Avery.

“Half of the basement was finished,” Dorfner said.

With Sara’s help — she found a great deal on used rubber flooring from a local gym that was relocating — Dorfner set up their home gym in the unfinished basement space, with an eye toward training for the Spartan races he’s come to love.

“At our former house we had a small but effective home gym, and in the last couple of years we’ve started building things up,” Dorfner said.

“It’s not covered in mirrors, but it’s a nice space that allows us to do anything we need to do right at home.”

The Dorfners’ gym, used by the entire family, features a rack of dumbbells, a TRX wall system, kettlebells, a slam ball, a stationary bike, gymnastics rings, a bar, ropes and a Nordic track incline trainer treadmill that goes up to a 40% incline, giving Dorfner the ability to train for the mountainous courses he sometimes races.

“I can do it in the comfort of my own basement—though the training isn’t always comfortable,” quipped Dorfner.

He is also known to tackle Stadium and Stolzman hills.

“I’ve run pretty much every Mankato hill you can imagine,” he said, though it’s his treadmill workouts that best approximate the challenges he faces during Spartan races in Utah, Colorado and West Virginia.

“Last summer I prepared for

that messaging on the home front.

Employing the expertise of Deichman Construction for an addition about seven years ago, the family prioritized a home gym.

“Previously, we were using what had been a pool table area that we’d filled with a bunch of exercise equipment,” Lindsey said.

“When we were doing the remodel, we wanted to have a workout space that would be accessible to us whenever.”

Located on the lower level, the approximately 20-by-30-foot studio “has a little bit of everything,” Lindsey said.

Included are a magnetic resistance Nautilus machine, treadmill, rower, stepmill, cable pulley system for resistance training, squat rack, free weights, kettlebells, medicine balls and larger exercise balls.

The attractive, functional space also has two strategically placed TVs.

Jesse, an orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon at The Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic, is typically the first family member in the home gym each day.

“He has a high-stress job and puts in a lot of hours so he hits it early in the morning,” Lindsey said.

“It’s been a godsend to both of us having it in our house.”

Lindsey, who was a college athletics and development professional, has more schedule

races with a couple of treadmill workouts that had me going continuously uphill (on a 10% to 15% incline) for an hour and 15 minutes.”

Sara is fully supportive of Dorfner’s race habit.

“She understands my passion and drive, and she has done a couple of Spartan races now, too,” Dorfner said.

The home gym is doing the trick, as he’s won several obstacle course races in Minnesota and placed high in races further afield.

With a young daughter, the Dorfners appreciate they can “When we were doing the remodel, we wanted to have a workout space that would be accessible both fit in workouts to us whenever,” Lindsey Botker says. without having to leave home. flexibility so she works out

“Avery joins us sometimes, and whenever her daily schedule best it’s pretty funny and also allows. heartening to see her pick up the With two daughters — one a 2-pound weights or mimic us junior soccer player at St. doing pushups,” Dorfner said. Scholastica and the other a second

“We like to think we’re setting a grader at Loyola — plus a major good example for her and that she role as an executive committee will care for and focus on her own member of the 2022 Hockey Day health and fitness over the years.” Minnesota, which is Jan. 22 in Mankato — Lindsey is also on the Lindsey and go. Jesse Botker: Both Lindsey and Jesse Botker were committed college athletes — Lindsey, a native of Elk River, was a four-year basketball player at Virginia Commonwealth University and Jesse, originally from Ortonville, played football at Macalester College. But just because they’ve blown past 40 doesn’t mean fitness is in their past. “Fitness is a shared priority and mutual interest of ours,” Lindsey said. “We were college athletes and we’ve maintained that lifestyle going forward. “I think a lot of health professionals and people in general have found, especially in the last couple of years, that physical activity isn’t just for our physical well-being but for our “Unfortunately, there’s no excuse not to work out,” said Lindsey with a laugh. She said their friends and relatives share their love of the fitness room; it was a popular spot during the pandemic shutdown. “There was a running joke that the Botker gym was open if they wanted to use it,” Lindsey said. Past membership at JP Fitness satisfied Lindsey’s desire for “someone to push me a little” and social contact while exercising. “But for the most part we’ve just been using our home gym,” she said. “We have a lot of like-minded friends who have carved out gym space in their homes, too. It seems to be getting more common for preference and convenience.” MM mental health as well,” she said.

“Having a healthy baseline for physical fitness is important.”

The Botkers, Mankato residents since 2010, follow through with

By Pat Christman

We all have to eat. We might as well eat well. Few things beat a dinner featuring fresh-caught fish.

Especially if you’re a bald eagle.

Dozens of the majestic birds have been congregating around the open waters near Sibley Park this winter seeking their favorite meal. Open water along the confluence of the Minnesota and Blue Earth rivers during an unusually warm early winter has attracted the hunters, making for a spectacle for visitors and a feast

for the eagles. MM