Business in the bubble

Bethel University entrepreneurs use their creativity to pave a way to pursue their dreams and open up their own small businesses while still in school.

Photos by Katie Viesselman and Aaron Herbst

Fisk discovered a love for thrifting clothes from his dad. He went on to create Thrift-fi-la to sell his finds across the Twin Cities.

While Fisk keeps some of his findings, most of the items he finds are bought and sold through his Instagram and eBay accounts. Some items sold for around $20–50 while other vintage pieces are sold at extreme prices.

“The coolest thing I ever found was a 1960s Harley Davidson shirt,” Fisk said. “I started the auction at 99 cents. It sold for like $500.”

For Fisk, waiting until he’s out of college isn’t the ideal path. He utilizes his desire and creativity to create his own business.

“I just wanna do me,” Fisk said. “And it’ll be dope.”

Bethel University senior Ty Walls had no gift to give his brother and his fiance on their wedding night last summer. A couple of months had passed and the pressure was mounting to get them the perfect present. Walls spurred an idea that later turned into his side gig.

“I was just laying in bed one night and I was thinking about giving them a picture frame, or maybe something musical and I thought why not do both,” Walls said.

His invention is a picture frame that holds a static image, but the frame plays different sound files as well from a speaker behind the plexiglass holding the image. For his company, “Rustic Melody Co.”,Walls pays no more than $50 for the material and sells them for around $200.

Walls isn’t satisfied with working a nine to five job, coming home to watch Netflix and not making a difference.

“I want to do more than make a living,” Walls said. “I want to help people and make a difference in the world and this work is my way of serving others.”

“It was hard for me to trust the barbers and the stylists there because nobody knew how to cut Latino hair. No one knew how to do a fade,” Chavez said. “So I kind of took it upon myself to start cutting my own hair.”

Chavez soon started cutting hair for his family members, then once he got to Bethel, his freshmen floor. Today, Chavez gives about 11 hair cuts a week. Mostly men, but Chavez says he won’t limit himself if the opportunity arises.

Chavez hopes to someday own his own barber/coffee shop.

While students take initiative to create their own businesses, professors in the business department strive to present entrepreneurship to their students as well.

“I have a passion to see small businesses grow.” Professor Bowen said. “To see them being creative and innovative with what they have and seeing them succeed makes me happy.”

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