Dec. 12, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

In life and in business, Paul and Desiree Osborne have found they’re a perfect match.

“We just have a lot of the same things we really believe in,” Paul said. “We love to laugh, we’re really goofy most of the time, but we’re also very serious. We love to do business together.”

Together, “we just have entrepreneurialism running through our blood,” Desiree added.

They founded multiple businesses in the past few years while living in Michigan, where they both grew up. One, Help You Advance, focuses on website development, graphic design and social media management, while the other is a handcrafted tea business called Tea Soulution.

“In 2020, everything shut down, and we were strictly doing all those things,” Desiree said. “So we were looking for different options. You have a lot of time to think when your state is shut down.”

Their research led them to South Dakota, where what they learned about the state’s culture and size of different towns led them to pack up an old ambulance they use for the tea business at events, plus a truck, and head west.

“We looked at everything, and it was just the idea that the state didn’t shut down, it’s a safe place, we liked the cost of living and taxes. Everything made sense for us,” Paul said. “We didn’t have too many tie-downs, so it wasn’t like we had to stay there. We could move our business and do whatever we want, so we did it.”

They sold nearly all their belongings before leaving Michigan about a year ago.

“We just wanted a fresh start,” Desiree said. “We figured, what’s the worst that can happen, we get here and we hate it? Or we start over and have a new adventure.”

Reality fell somewhere in between at first. Originally, they’d found a place to live in Bridgewater because they liked what they saw in the size of the community and its location between Mitchell and Sioux Falls.

But the home they’d planned on renting didn’t work out.

“We were here one day and had to find a different place,” Paul said. “It was either that or go back to Michigan.”

They ended up being invited to stay at someone’s home until they found a place to live, which ultimately happened in Colton.

“The most pleasant surprise is how warm and welcoming everybody was,” Desiree said. “I go to a women’s Bible study, which has been an amazing experience with wonderful ladies.”

Their businesses also are finding traction in the Sioux Falls metro area. Help You Advance has taken off with support from local clients, and “I was taken aback how much people in the community wanted to support us with our teas,” Desiree said. “Just helping us and ordering and sharing and wanting to help us grow. It was amazing.”

It led her and other area handmade business owners to create Colton’s first farmers market this past summer. While Tea Soulution does business online, talking with customers one on one is key.

“It’s tea for your body and soul,” Desiree explained. “We pray over every bag, and it’s just a labor of love for us to help people feel better.”

Now, they’re taking their next step as South Dakota business owners: opening a storefront in downtown Dell Rapids they’ve dubbed the Meeting Nook.

“We plan on having a lot of little events, and, of course, we want to sell tea and have tea parties and Bible studies and things like that,” Paul said.

While they’re finalizing their plans, they hope to open soon.

Desiree said she discovered the benefits of tea after giving birth to their son, now 14, and nearly dying.

“We haven’t been sick in 14 years with anything,” she said. “God’s given us the herbs. We just have to utilize them. So we put blends together for sleep and stress. We have one called Rapid Recovery for when you start to get sick so it doesn’t turn into a full-blown scenario. We want it to be a business for people to walk in and exhale, like a retreat spot.”

They’ve also determined ways to blend teas to address specific ailments and create custom offerings.

As for their son, “he loves it here more than Michigan,” Paul said. “He said he wouldn’t want to go back. He likes the people. He played football for the first time; he’s had some jobs.”

It has been great, Desiree agreed. “I think there’s more opportunities for younger children. I didn’t know they could get a job here or drive, so that was a bonus. And he’s made great friends and church and football and jobs.”

The family’s experience is a powerful example for others of the opportunities that exist in the Sioux Falls metro area, said Jesse Fonkert, president and CEO of Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

“We’re so glad the Osborne family discovered the benefits of living and doing business in our metro communities,” he said.

“They’re already making a positive difference as new residents, and I’m thrilled, but not surprised, by how South Dakotans have welcomed and supported them.”

That has been the most rewarding part of the move, the Osbornes said.

“This is a good story about us, but there’s a good story to tell about the people of South Dakota too,” Paul said. “They’ve been amazing.”

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