People and Places and How We Use Spaces

E35 - Heidi Zimmer: When Nothing is Certain, Anything is Possible

Lisa Christianson

Heidi Zimmer thought she was going to be a City Planner until she leaned into her curiosity of the commercial real estate development world. She moved from big city jobs to the non-profit sector revealing her niche in affordable housing.

Through her development experience, her work percolated a passion; creating spaces that integrated health and wellness, mind and body connection, arts, and nature.

Meanwhile, in Bayfield, Wisconsin, a restaurant sitting on 114 acres of land on Lake Superior, was closing...and calling on Heidi's heart. She studied the entire area for possible development opportunities to help boost the local economy.

Soon enough, Heidi took a leap of faith and turned her vision to reality and turned the restaurant to a retreat. As the Midwest's first wellness resort,  Wild Rice Retreat is a destination that offers a respite for groups, or solo travelers, looking to ground themselves in mind, body, and spirit.

Find out how Heidi came up with the idea of Wild Rice Retreat, how she stepped out of her comfort zone to follow her vision, and how she learned all the ins and outs of running a successful resort - even acting as the head chef for a couple weeks!



Wild Rice Retreat
Wild Rice Retreat Instagram
Wild Rice Retreat Facebook

Heidi Zimmer's Website
Heidi's Instagram
Heidi's LinkedIn

People on this episode