South Washington County Bulletin:
It all started with a leopard-print pillbox baby hat.
A few business classes, pattern designs and craft shows later, Cottage Grove resident Nancy Johnson and her mother Debbie Carlberg decided they were ready to open their own online boutique.
For Johnson, a stay-at-home-mom, the new business was a chance to bring in a little extra money.
For Carlberg, it meant quitting her job, a risk she thinks will save her from regret later in life.
“I didn’t want it to be something where in 10 years or 20 years I said ‘I wish I had done that.’”
For the pair, which can barely stop laughing long enough to pose for a picture, it was a chance to spend their working hours together. They post ideas and inspiration on a large bulletin board in their workroom in Nancy’s basement, and they’re always generating new product ideas.
They named their business Kupperwear, after Debbie’s maiden name, Kupper. Debbie didn’t have any brothers, but the business now allows the name to live on.
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