It might have been easy for the couple from northern Virginia to fade into the background at a Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce mixer in Sioux Falls.
They didn’t know anyone. They had been in the city itself a matter of hours.
But Glenn and Robbin Christianson immediately realized that’s not how it tends to go in Sioux Falls.
“It was just the coolest thing,” Robbin said. “That first night, we were talking to Miles Beacom, and he had all the time in the world with 300 people at this mixer.”
Beacom, CEO of First Premier Bankcard and the current board chair of the Chamber, did better than that.
“He gets on stage and asks us to raise our hands so they could all convince us to move to Sioux Falls,” Robbin said. “And it’s so heartwarming. There are a lot of great Chambers out there, but they don’t do that. It felt like we were in a movie.”
The crowd followed Beacom’s call.
“They came over and introduced themselves, exchanged business cards,” Glenn said. “People want me to give them a call.”
Suddenly, the Christiansons — who knew no one in Sioux Falls and had never even been to South Dakota — started seriously considering a move.
“We had five days in Sioux Falls and did seven business events, looked at 11 houses, did a couple hikes, ate at a couple places, and across the board, everyone was enthusiastic about Sioux Falls,” Robbin said.
It all had started with a feeling like they needed a change. The Wisconsin natives had spent decades outside of Washington, D.C., as Glenn grew his practice offering bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses while selling his art on the side. Robbin worked with small businesses in a variety of capacities — writing, publishing and consulting, as well as working with trade associations and cooperatives, specializing in project management and operations.
“We said it’s time for a new adventure,” she said. “And somebody just triggered South Dakota, a friend of mine online, so I started looking at Sioux Falls-area websites and realized this is a place that’s really strategic about how they generate opportunity and help quality of life.”
She recently earned a master’s degree in human resources based around organizational development, “so I could see what was going on in Sioux Falls and how aligned it is strategically to move forward,” she said. “It was really impressive. I’m looking to restart consulting here, and there are so many diverse businesses, plus the networking has been remarkable.”
She started by filling out a simple email request form with the Chamber, and an ambassador from the business community quickly got in touch.
“People started texting me, and pretty soon you’re chatting with more people, and seamlessly it feels like people just want to help you get started,” she said. “That made it so easy. We were just charmed by the city, and everyone was amazing.”
That was in March. They returned to Virginia, put their home on the market and had a Sioux Falls address by June.
“It was just a glimmer in February, but then it started to come together,” Robbin said.
“This has parks and pools and downtown investment and outdoor activities and a huge vibrant business community but also is focused on quality of life and is doable in terms of affordability. All those metrics came together.”
Even their cat, Luna, felt a VIP experience after Robbin discovered the owner of a feline-focused pet hotel.
“We hired a service that drove our cat across the country, and the owner of the hotel came in before she even was open for the day to get her situated because we couldn’t be there for five days,” Robbin said. “She had a ball there, and that was such an essential piece.”
None of it is surprising, said Denise Guzzetta, vice president of talent and workforce development for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.
“This is what Sioux Falls does — we reach out, we welcome others, and we help them find the best ways to plug into our community,” she said. “Like the Christiansons, I also lived in northern Virginia. Many others in our business community have moved from other states, and we’ve all found common opportunities to grow here personally and professionally.”
While Glenn is continuing to work with former clients from his new home, he’s excited to connect with Startup Sioux Falls and begin assisting small businesses here.
“Everywhere I go, I don’t care if it’s the grocery store or the laundromat where I stopped because the washer wasn’t working, everyone I talked to is so enthusiastic about Sioux Falls,” he said. “By the time the conversation is over, they’re saying, ‘Welcome to Sioux Falls.’ This is a great place. People here generally really like where they live.”
Robbin is looking forward to transitioning into more consulting.
“I have a history of fundraising and doing projects and scaling things, and now I want to capitalize on that and give back,” she said. “I’m just excited to see what businesses need.”
While they’re loving the break from Washington, D.C.-area traffic, they also prefer to take a bus and looked at the city’s public transportation when considering the move.
“We are just starting to use SAM, so we don’t have much experience yet, but the way it allows you to ride-share with a small bus network is an innovative tactic,” Robbin said. “Why not leapfrog over the old ways and also call on digital systems?”
The new house also is filling up — they just adopted kittens — they’re planning some remodeling projects and getting to know their neighbors.
As they were transitioning to town and renting briefly, the person next door was moving out and offered them his grill for free.
“Suddenly, we’re doing burgers on the grill on July 4,” Glenn said. “It’s crazy. You guys are amazing. How are there not billions of people here?”
To learn more about making your own move to Sioux Falls, contact deniseg@siouxfalls.com.
