Step inside The Local, a shop in downtown Wausau, and one thing becomes immediately clear: A love for Wisconsin runs deep here.
The shop, run by Alison and Bryan Magnuson, with support from three-year-old daughter Adelynn, features products made by artisans from across Wisconsin. Candles, soaps, jewelry, mugs, clothing, home décor and more embody a handcrafted ethos and a community vibe.
The Local also offers a subscription box, with a new theme each month, and hosts workshops that allow others to create.
When the Magnusons opened the store last July, they couldn’t have anticipated the community they’d build through shared Wisconsin pride. Alison explains …
How, when and why did you start the Local? How did it evolve from an Etsy shop to a brick-and-mortor store?
I began making Wisconsin-themed hand-stitched pillows and refurbishing furniture in my “free time.” As friends and family began requesting and encouraging me to sell my creations, I decided to open an Etsy shop. After attending a few events throughout the area, my husband and I agreed there was a big need for a shop to host as an outlet for all the amazing artisans we met along the way.
Since the dream of having a “local” shop continued to inspire us, we decided to just see how much a storefront would be in the downtown Wausau area. When we took that leap, which at the time felt like a huge one, we found that all the right people started coming into our lives. We are a family who live a life of faith. So after many months of prayer and heavy discussions, The Local was created.
As we sit here, in our shop, there is no way to describe our feelings. Grateful, excited, proud … there are not enough words. We are surrounded by talent each and every day and will never take that for granted! We take pride in each of our makers and we hope you see that when you come to our shop.
What are the biggest challenges of running your own business? What are the best parts?
There are many things that have popped up that I have learned you can’t prepare for when opening your own business. The hardest part is figuring out the work-home life balance. I am still trying to figure it out. But our daughter has been a rockstar and seeing her love our shop as much as my husband and I do makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
I am the type of person who takes everything to heart, so that has also been a challenge for me. I can’t even count how many times my husband has had to tell me, “It’s business, Alison.” I am a very passionate person and put my all in relationships and everything that I do, so it’s been hard for me. The best part of taking this venture is our amazing makers. Talk about relationships — we have created such an inspiring and beautiful community within our shop. We wouldn’t be where we are today without any of them.
What do you hope your daughter gets from seeing you run The Local?
My biggest “why” for starting The Local was to show my daughter to always follow her biggest dreams. Owning a shop has been a dream of mine forever but I thought it would always stay as a someday dream left on a dusty shelf. But in the world we live in today, I wanted Adelynn to know that she can do anything she sets her mind to no matter how big or small it is!
I would be lying if I said it wasn’t terrifying. Because I was going all in on my biggest dream I had my doubts and fears that if it failed, then what? Fast forward a year and we have an amazing community of over forty makers showcasing their work in our shop, were mentioned in the Wall Street Journal and have been shown amazing love and support from all parts of the country.
If there is anything you take away from our story, we hope it is to continue to chase your wild and crazy dreams! You never know what will happen by taking that first leap, big or small. Pray hard, set big goals and stay true to yourself and to your dreams.
Why do you choose to live and raise a family in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin just feels like home. Midwest hospitality is definitely a thing. It’s really a no-brainier for us, not to mention we are huge Packers fans!
There is so much to do in Wausau, from the art museums, to the events downtown on the 400 Block, to the trails on Rib Mountain. The community is supportive and encouraging, which is a beautiful thing as a shop owner. The locally owned restaurants are a must when visiting. You walk in and are surrounded by great hospitality, good food and awesome vibes! We try to have a weekly family date night where we go to one of our favorite local restaurants.
Photos by Johnna Christine.