Today we’d like to introduce you to Gaven & Emily Bickford.
Hi Gaven & Emily, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
During 2020, Emily and I were living in Minneapolis coaching hockey and found ourselves thinking about how we could bring the skills and knowledge of the game, which is so prevalent and well followed in the Twin Cities, back to our small town (Crosslake, MN) and other northern communities. We decided the best way, was by offering an affordable summer camp to continue to grow the game.
The Northerner was started with a Thanksgiving dinner conversation that turned into a small business. The brand and logo were curated with Emily’s sister, Hannah, and the help of her marketing business, Simulated Media. By June 2021 we hosted our first camp and have continued to grow ever since. We have multiple locations, during multiple weeks, and the ability to work with hundreds of young hockey players a year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business with your partner has many challenges, but has been so rewarding for us to work together. We both played hockey growing up and in college; it has always been such a large part of our relationship and lives.
Building a hockey camp from scratch has taught us about many unknowns; taxes, customer service, and managing people, to name a few. Overall, the Northerner is something we are so proud of.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Northerner Hockey Camp?
The Northerner brings affordable hockey camps to small towns that don’t have as many options for summertime hockey. What sets us apart, is our staff. We employ many friends and family, all of that have played D1, D3, or coached at the collegiate level for hockey.
We also have so much fun. The kids come to the camp and get better as hockey players, but we really pride ourselves on making it memorable for the campers and their families. We are most proud of the relationships we have built and how a majority of the kids come back a year, after year.
What we offer at the Northerner, is an affordable hockey camp. Each day the kids receive two hours of on-ice, one hour of off-ice training, lunch, T-shirt as well as a video classroom session, and more!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We love the Brainerd Lakes Area and northern Minnesota. It will always feel like home for us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.northernerhockeycamp.com/
- Instagram: @NorthernerHC
- Facebook: @NorthernerHC
Image Credits
Simulated Media
