From Dream to Reality: A Place for Us All to Take a Deep Breath, with Heidi Zimmer, Founder of Wild Rice Retreat
Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners
Lindsay Pinchuk
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2023
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“Stay really grounded. Starting a business can be scary. You have to act boldly, but you have to do it with your feet firmly planted on the ground,” shares Heidi Zimmer, founder of Wild Rice Retreat. When Heidi had the first seed of an idea for her wellness retreat, many people discouraged her and told her that it would never work in the Midwest. Instead of letting naysayers deter her, she went on to raise $2 million through fundraising from 100% women investors, bringing her dream to life by founding the Midwest’s first all inclusive, adults-only wellness retreat right along Lake Superior. Since then, Wild Rice Retreat has received acclaim as a top destination retreat center in Condé Nast, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar, Travel + Leisure, and Food & Wine.
Today’s top takeaways:
- Utilize the power of word of mouth, repeat customers, and partnerships to get people to talk about your business.
- Stay really rooted in your decision making, always coming back to your original intention.
Quotes
- “Stay really rooted in your decision making, always coming back to your original intention.” (43:17-43:42 | Heidi)
- “Figure out, if you have a seed of an idea, how are you going to grow it into a garden? You do that by not being afraid of how you are going to talk about it.” (43:52-44:04 | Heidi)
- “Stay really grounded. Starting a business can be scary. You have to act boldly, but you have to do it with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Make sure you’re coming at that conversation at that moment from a place of being rested and grounded.” (44:33-45:10 | Heidi)
Connect with Heidi Zimmer:
Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/heidi.kz
Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/wildriceretreat
Book A Stay | https://www.wildriceretreat.com/
Bring a Group/Team | https://www.wildriceretreat.com/corporate-retreat
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Dear Founder, as you know, there's no blueprint for entrepreneurship. You wear so many hats, |
| 0:08.4 | you burn the men'side oil, you pour your heart and soul into everything that you do. But without |
| 0:13.4 | a doubt, the journey is worth every single second that you put into it. I'm Lindsay Pinchuk, |
| 0:19.4 | host of the Dear Founder podcast. I say this because I've |
| 0:22.7 | lived it for over a decade. I started my first company with $500 in my pocket and a baby in my belly. |
| 0:29.3 | I grew it and I sold it all. This podcast is my weekly letter to you. We'll talk all things |
| 0:35.6 | starting, growing, nurturing, and in some cases, even |
| 0:39.2 | selling a business. Together with some of my closest contacts, I'm here to help you find your |
| 0:44.2 | own success, whatever that means to you. The ride as a founder is the ride of your life. So come on |
| 0:50.2 | and join me for another episode that will get you one step closer to reaching your own founder goals. |
| 0:56.6 | Welcome back to another episode of Dear Found Her. |
| 1:00.2 | Today's guest had an idea to create a magical respite for adults who simply needed a break |
| 1:06.3 | and who needed to figure out what was next. |
| 1:09.7 | Naysayers told her that her goals were too ambitious, that her idea was perfect for California |
| 1:14.8 | or Arizona, but not in the Midwest. |
| 1:17.8 | Yet Heidi Zimmer, founder of Wild Rice Retreat, pushed forward, raising $2 million |
| 1:22.7 | in funding from 100% women investors. |
| 1:26.8 | But before I get into today's episode, I am your host, |
| 1:29.5 | Lindsay Pinchuk. I have been building brands for nearly 25 years since college. And with a |
| 1:34.8 | $500 investment, I founded, built, and sold a seven-figure business that reached three million |
| 1:40.5 | people per month. This podcast is my twice weekly letter to you to inspire you to find |
| 1:45.3 | success through your own entrepreneurial endeavors. This podcast is also the show that I wanted 13 years |
... |
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