(Bemidji, MN) — October 19, 2023 — “Bemidji is a town about 3½ hours from Minneapolis and about 1½ hours east from Grand Forks, North Dakota,” explains our guest. “With the population at around 15,000, and the population of the surrounding area at around 50,000, I found this little town where there are pockets of markets not being served.” This is the story of Seth Tillotson.
Seth Tillotson is an up-and-coming entrepreneur based in Minnesota with multiple business ventures. In addition, he works as a carpenter for Back Country Construction and Development, a construction company, and a property manager that manages nine different companies, overseeing more than seventy different units, two developments, and an airport. He even works weekends as a cook at a restaurant called The Tavern on South Shore. A frequent question that Seth hears from others, “Is there anything that you don’t do?”
“I build businesses from scratch,” clarifies Seth. “I find areas where a product or service is not being provided in the market and I will form a business entity, connect with vendors, or anything else that I need to do, to get it fully functioning by itself. A business is not a business unless it runs itself.”
His business ventures include a booth rental suite-style salon known as Kut-N-Style which was co-established with his ex-wife who was a cosmetologist, and Tillotson Construction Company, co-owned with his second-cousin Andy Tillotson.
Prior notable ventures include an online retailer specializing in handmade resin art jewelry known as Toasty Trinkets, and Amazon featured high-end furniture drop shipping e-commerce company House Commodities. House Commodities is currently looking for outside investments.
“I grew up mostly in Cook, Minnesota which is a small town of about 600 people,” recalls Seth. “I grew up in the middle of nowhere. I went to high school in Virginia, Minnesota and graduated from Virginia Secondary High School. I went to one year of aerospace, science, and technology for Rotorcraft, where I studied helicopters. I went to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks for a year. After, I went to Lake Superior Helicopters in Duluth where I took aviation safety. In 2014, I went to commercial flight school in Pompano Beach, Florida. After, I bounced between Minnesota and Florida. One time, while in Clearwater, Florida, I met my ex-wife.”
“Ultimately, I found my way through Scientology, as my ex-wife suggested that we volunteer with them for a while,” adds Seth. “I got offered a position in vacation rental property management, where I was a maintenance manager of over 440 different properties – mansion-style homes to condos. While there, I learned several tricks of the trade that I now use in property management. I even built an app for them, which streamlined everything from contacting the owners to accessing Google Maps. My ex-wife and I got sick, and eventually decided to move back to Minnesota to live with my parents. The reason that I ultimately ended up in Bemidji is because my ex-wife is a licensed cosmetologist and wanted to be an advanced esthetician. There was a course in Bemidji offering advanced esthetics with a good tuition rate. She got her schooling while I worked as a garage door manufacturer. I worked my way up. Eventually, I quit and worked for Back Country Construction and Development. I started as a carpenter, and the owner eventually asked if I would like to be a property manager. I tried it. In one of the offices, I found a college textbook about accounting and read it cover to cover.”
“I went headfirst from knowing nothing to figuring it out on my own,” touts Seth. “Just day after day, little by little, finding a systematic approach to running and serving different companies took quite a while. That process is what enables me now, to be an entrepreneur.”
Seth has earned several recognitions for his accomplishments. Two of his most notable achievements include his inclusion in the Special 5th Anniversary Issue of Luxury, Lifestyle & Business Magazine – Passion Vista featuring his profile among ‘The Global Icons 2023,’ and Marquis Who’s Who of Top Professionals 2023 award. Seth’s licenses and certifications include a license as a Private Pilot, Rotorcraft in 2013, followed by a license as a Commercial Pilot, Rotorcraft in 2015. In 2022, while living in Bemidji, he became a Licensed Salon as part of Kut-N-Style. In 2023, he added the following licenses – Certified Professional Entrepreneur and Certified Business Consultant. Most unique is that he has licenses for the things that he does not do, such as salon and aviation. On the other hand, the things that he does such as property management and carpentry, he does not have a license for, as it is not required by law.
“One of my biggest passions in life is teaching,” notes Seth. “I am planning on another business venture, being business management consultation focused on helping entrepreneurs with business formation and startups. I am using my knowledge to help people turn their ideas into reality. One thing that fills me with absolute joy in life is helping somebody transition from being an employee to a business owner.”
“If you are thinking of starting your own business, just start somewhere – anywhere,” inspires Seth. “You don’t have to be motivated. There is one skill that beats motivation, and that’s discipline.”
Close Up Radio will feature Seth Tillotson in an interview with Jim Masters on Monday October 23rd at 1pm Eastern
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