{"id":187785,"date":"2025-12-17T06:26:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T06:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/187785\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T06:26:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T06:26:25","slug":"alicia-ericksons-unconventional-career-path-leads-her-to-open-the-design-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/187785\/","title":{"rendered":"Alicia Erickson’s unconventional career path leads her to open The Design Store"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s Note: This story was initially published in the Pioneer’s Winter 2025\/26 edition of inBemidji Magazine. To see the full issue, click <\/p>\n

here.<\/a><\/p>\n

If you asked Alicia Erickson how she found her footing in interior design, she would say that interior design found her.<\/p>\n

The South Dakota native was a mere 12 years old when she happened upon a source of inspiration. A daughter of Christian school teachers, Alicia noted humble beginnings.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents were in their career to make a difference, not necessarily to make a lot of money,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have a lot of extra money to put into our house and that wasn\u2019t something I had been around or experienced.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my grandma passed, my mom got a new table and new sofa. She was so proud of it and took such good care of it. That was the extreme of our interior design growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia\u2019s mom had a storage cabinet in her classroom. Bored in class one day, Alicia rifled through its contents, which included a number of magazines donated by local mothers. Better Homes and Gardens was among the pages, and one magazine in particular caught her eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember finding this one image of a living room, and it was so beautiful,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cI felt the need to rip it out of the magazine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Equipped with the living room picture, Alicia built out her idea of an entire home: tearing out a picture of a kitchen, followed by a bathroom \u2014 resulting in her very first mood blueprint.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took a big piece of my mom\u2019s bulletin board paper and glued the whole house on there,\u201d Alicia recalled. \u201cMy parents still joke to this day that that was one of the moments they knew what I was going to do for a living.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1061_1.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The second level of The Design Store features several office spaces, a conference room and a break area for staff, along with more furniture and design options for customers to view. <\/p>\n

Annalise Braught \/ Bemidji Pioneer<\/p>\n

While her parents would be correct, Alicia\u2019s path was anything but straight and narrow. Her family visited her brother, Tim, who was an intern in downtown Chicago at the time, when Alicia was a sophomore in high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knew I was into household things, so when we visited him, he said, \u2018You have to come to Michigan Avenue and I\u2019ll take you to some home stores,\u2019\u201d Alicia recalled, \u201cso he took me to my very first Pottery Barn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her experience was nothing short of transformational as she took in the home store aesthetic through all of her senses.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget walking through the door, the smell, it felt warm and cozy. It just immediately felt like home,\u201d Alicia added. \u201cI remember looking at this bed, trying to soak everything in, soaking in the different textures they used, all the different layering. My family thought it was crazy because I just stood there, but I was trying to memorize how they did it. At that very moment, I was telling myself that one day, I\u2019m going to have a bed like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia was adamant about pursuing interior design post-high school and even made the move to Chicago. Ironically, her given path would change when she started college.<\/p>\n

The switch to the United States\u2019 third-largest city served as a culture shock for Alicia, having grown up in the small town of New Holland, S.D., roughly two hours from Sioux Falls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember feeling like a fish out of water,\u201d Alicia recalled. \u201cI was in this big city where all these kids had the same dream I did, but they had more experience with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia took a professor\u2019s words to heart, having told her that the interior design industry was dog-eat-dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was probably just burnt out at the time, but she was very negative about the industry,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cI started to truly feel that I wasn\u2019t worthy or good enough, and I didn\u2019t want that type of competition. So I steered my direction in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1080_1.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The Design Store entrance showcases the team’s extensive range of home decor, from flooring and wallpaper to furniture and accents. <\/p>\n

Annalise Braught \/ Bemidji Pioneer<\/p>\n

Alicia shifted her focus to become a history teacher in lieu of her interior design ambitions. Still, the industry would continue materializing in her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started working at Home Depot, then a flooring store. No matter how I tried to veer away from it, it was almost like the industry kept trying to get me back,\u201d she said. \u201cI realized at the time that I might be going through the back door instead of the \u2018normal\u2019 way of getting into it through college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia decided to pause her collegiate pursuits, recognizing her potential during her work at the flooring store. From there on out, her path was paved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m probably the only person that went to college for four years and never got a degree,\u201d Alicia quipped, \u201cbut it\u2019s not always the direction you think you\u2019re going to go. You might end up in the same place going a whole different route.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia later moved to Minnesota, where she would meet her husband, Justin. The pair soon moved to Grand Forks, N.D., where Alicia started working for Sterling Carpet One. Despite the lack of a four-year degree, her potential was truly discovered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe owner there was very good about just looking for drive, looking for personality and looking for people who had gumption,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cShe saw that in me and decided to take me on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1078_1.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Customers have a broad selection of flooring and other household options to choose from at The Design Store. <\/p>\n

Annalise Braught \/ Bemidji Pioneer<\/p>\n

Alicia worked four years at Sterling Carpet One before Justin received a job offer in Bemidji. Taking note of Alicia\u2019s professional capacity, the owner bought out a Floor to Ceiling location in Bemidji with the intent to hire Alicia as store manager.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe knew we were coming out this way and she says, \u2018You can manage it,\u2019\u201d Alicia recalled. \u201cAs a youngest child, I didn\u2019t know how to manage. I was like \u2018I enjoy doing my own thing, I\u2019m not a leader.\u2019 But I\u2019m also the type of person that if I decide to do something, I go into it full force.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia\u2019s first managerial experiences proved difficult as the 30-year-old oversaw employees in their 60s and 70s.<\/p>\n

She remembers a tearful moment at the beginning of her tenure when just one customer walked through Sterling Carpet One\u2019s doors the first day they opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went home in tears. I told my husband, \u2018I don\u2019t know if I can do this.\u2019 It was just so hard knowing that the business wasn\u2019t there,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cBut Justin told me, \u2018You can do it. You\u2019ve got gumption, go back and give it another go.\u2019 So I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

A month or two later, kitchen designer Berit Rosenberg was hired on as assistant manager and remained on staff for over seven years. Alicia described Berit as her \u201csaving grace\u201d as the two were similar in age and did everything in their power to spread the word of Carpet One via joining the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce and attending a plethora of community events. <\/p>\n

\"Group<\/p>\n

The Design Store employees, from left: Melissa Hartmann, Mariah Koosmann, Ashlyn Daly, Justin Erickson, Alicia Erickson, Brian Gifford, Brent Cizek and Jack Dunphy.<\/p>\n

Contributed<\/p>\n

Berit and her husband would return home to Brainerd to be with family following the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was heartbroken because I didn\u2019t want to do this alone, but for the next year and a half, I did,\u201d Alicia recalled. \u201cEventually, my husband and I just said, \u2018You know what, we\u2019re ready to do our own thing.\u2019 We wanted to start building our own business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Approaching nine years as manager at the time, Alicia gave a two-month notice with plans to make use of her recently acquired realtor\u2019s license.<\/p>\n

But a mere two weeks before her supposed departure, Alicia would be redirected to interior design once again.<\/p>\n

\u201c(The Sterling Carpet One owner) offered to sell us the business,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cWe took the leap, and we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Where memories are made\u2019<\/p>\n

Justin had long worked in law enforcement, so embarking on a business ownership opportunity alongside his wife provided a true 180 experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would never have been able to make that leap without my husband. We\u2019ve learned through life that we can do just about anything if we do it together,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cTo leave his own career, his own aspirations and dreams to help me succeed in mine, there\u2019s no greater love than that.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"DSC_1090_1.jpg\"<\/p>\n

A display room at The Design Store shows off a variety of lighting, furniture and other decor options. <\/p>\n

Annalise Braught \/ Bemidji Pioneer<\/p>\n

Alicia informed Justin of her dreams for the store, which has since evolved to not only include flooring and select furniture, but expanded furniture offerings, design services and renderings.<\/p>\n

After purchasing the business and rebranding as The Design Store \u2014 Carpet One Floor and Home in 2022, the team moved to a more spacious facility at 2000 Division St. W in January 2024, that they were really able to make their own. <\/p>\n

Throughout all of their efforts, the focus on a high-quality product resonates \u2014 especially to those with young children.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, people with kids will think, \u2018I shouldn’t have anything nice because I have children.\u2019 That\u2019s exactly who should be buying it because it\u2019s going to hold up to kids, and your furniture is where memories are made,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cThe pieces are built so when somebody makes an investment, we want them to have it forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia and Justin have three children of their own, ages 11, 9 and 5. The duo did not make their entrepreneurial decision lightly, given their familial responsibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew it was going to be a life decision, and we were a little scared. When you own something, there\u2019s no turnoff valve. You\u2019re working all hours and while you do have breaks, for the most part, it doesn\u2019t stop,\u201d Alicia added. \u201cThat was a decision we needed to make not only personally, but as a family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ve tried making this a very positive thing for our kiddos. Just like with my parents and seeing their work ethic, we want them to see ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"121025.INBM.BP.DESIGNSTORE8.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The Erickson family, from left: Alicia and Justin; their sons Samuel, Miles and Sawyer; and their dogs Bowser and Princess Peach.<\/p>\n

Contributed<\/p>\n

\u2018When the true fire lights\u2019<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the future of The Design Store, Alicia noted support for whichever path her children take in life, whether design-related or otherwise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not the type of parents who just think, \u2018Our kids are going to take over the business,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI want my kids to have their own dreams, I want them to do what they are drawn to in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia projects future growth for The Design Store with the potential to expand the store\u2019s footprint to other locations, but also aims for contentment in the present.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing about the future is that I never close doors. I leave possibilities open, but I never try to direct them either,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you would\u2019ve told me when I was 12 \u2014 looking through those magazines \u2014 that I would one day operate my own design store, I would\u2019ve never envisioned it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DSC_1188_1.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The Design Store moved operations to a spacious facility at 2000 Division St. W in January 2024. <\/p>\n

Annalise Braught \/ Bemidji Pioneer<\/p>\n

Looking back on her career journey, Alicia derives three main pieces of advice she offers to others hoping to make their dreams a reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, find a mentor. Find somebody who is really good at it and ask them for advice,\u201d she said. \u201cA good, strong mentor means everything, and somebody that you aspire to be will help you get where you want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alicia\u2019s other pieces of advice work in tandem: finding people who believe in you and finding people who doubt you.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need people to believe in you so you can gain that confidence. You\u2019ll be great, but if you want to be unstoppable, have somebody that tries to halt you \u2014 somebody that\u2019s threatened by you, somebody that says you can\u2019t do it,\u201d she concluded. \u201cThat\u2019s when the true fire lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

More information on The Design Store can be found on <\/p>\n

their Facebook page.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC_1083_1.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The Design Store offers a wide range of flooring, including carpet, tile, hardwood, laminate and luxury vinyl. <\/p>\n

Annalise Braught \/ Bemidji Pioneer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor’s Note: This story was initially published in the Pioneer’s Winter 2025\/26 edition of inBemidji Magazine. To see…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":187786,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-187785","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-new-zealand","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=187785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/187786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=187785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=187785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}