The Short Version

• After launching a retail business with his brother in oil-rich Williston, North Dakota, Lenny Johnson weathered market downturns, a business split and a rebrand to build Genesis, now located in a city-led mixed-use development.

• As the owner of both the store and the new 5,500-square-foot property it’s housed in, Johnson shares lessons from transitioning from a renter to a commercial property owner.

• In a town where 25% to 30% of the population turns over annually, Johnson explains how he’s constantly rebuilding brand recognition and reaching new customers.

• Johnson credits the North Dakota Small Business Development Center with helping him polish a business plan and secure a loan, even after being turned down one bank.

• His advice to aspiring small-town retailers: get honest feedback early, don’t underestimate the demands of retail and seek out local resources like the SBDC.

When Lenny Johnson left the military, he knew one thing for sure: He wanted to own his own business. Though he hadn’t pinpointed what kind yet, he noted that as a young man, he “always had an interest in matching my clothes, in looking nice,” he said. “That was always important to me.”

What came next was a journey of trial, growth and reinvention. Noticing “a void in clothing” in their oil-rich town of Williston, North Dakota, Johnson and his brother launched a retail store in 2014. But after expanding to a second location, the local economy took a hit during a downturn in the oil market — forcing a third store to close and prompting a split between the siblings. Johnson kept one store, rebranded it as Genesis in 2020 with his wife, Miranda and in 2023 moved into a new 5,500-square-foot building in Williston Square, a mixed-use development where his business became one of the first to open.

Now the owner of both the business and the building it occupies, Johnson spoke with ICSC Small Business Center contributing editor Rebecca Meiser about building brand recognition in a transient market, the realities of retail ownership and why he considers the North Dakota Small Business Development Center a key part of his support system.

Did changing your store’s name have much of an impact on customer recognition?

Honestly, I think a lot of people don’t even pay attention to the name. We think that customers notice it a lot more than they actually do. At the end of the day [they want to know]: Do I still have that Oakley T-shirt in the store? They don’t care if our name Billy Bob or Genesis or anything. So no, changing our name didn’t really have an impact like we worried it might. What I struggle with the most is that our town is extremely transient. I have to continue to tell new people moving into town who we are.

In most communities, your brand gains recognition over time, and each year you typically capture a larger share of the market as customer loyalty grows. Well, for me, we’re changing out 25 to 30% of our population every year, so I’m continually building my brand equity.

What makes Williston such a transient town?

We’re in an oil field town — very transient, people coming and going, moving here and then leaving. Some people work here seasonally, so they’ll come up here for four weeks and then fly home for one week. They don’t ever really plant roots. [To address this] we do a lot of basic, very simple messaging: “We sell sunglasses, men’s, women’s, kids’ apparel” — very simple marketing. We do billboards, Facebook, radio, TV, and occasionally I do interviews.

Had you always planned to buy a space for your store? How has the shift from renter to owner changed things?

Not really. Our lease was up and the city was reorganizing this front-and-center piece of property. We’d been kind of a cornerstone for retail in our city, and they asked if we wanted that spot. I said yes, but it took a risk on my part to buy. Our old location was poor, and if we wanted to move, there wasn’t any open space. We needed to buy.

It’s very different when you’re used to renting as a retailer. Most retailers rent. You’re more mobile, more flexible, you can turn on a dime. I’m kind of cemented where I’m at now. But on the flip side, it’s like when you own a home instead of renting an apartment — you take more pride in your space. We were fortunate that the mortgage wasn’t much of a jump from rent. Rent here is extremely expensive. We saved for several years knowing our lease was ending, and we started saving for the down payment, which is where most people struggle.

What’s ownership really been like now that you're settled in?

Like anything, there are pros and cons. Overall, it’s been great. But now we handle things renters don’t, like landscaping and general upkeep. One ongoing challenge is branding. I’m on a main thoroughfare, the signage is great, and people still say, “I don’t really know what you are.”

You’ve worked closely with the North Dakota Small Business Development Center. How did that relationship start, and what would you say to other small business owners considering reaching out?

As humans, we tend to think our ideas are the best. If I have an idea, I believe in it. But having business conversations with someone who truly understands the local community, knows the market and has built relationships with other local businesses can make all the difference.

You can ask questions and get honest feedback. They’re not trying to sell you anything or profit from your idea. When you go to a paid consultant, they’re trying to make money. The SBDC is genuinely there to help their clients succeed. I always say it’s a great feedback opportunity. You share your ideas and they give you thoughtful, no-strings-attached input.

What are some of the specific ways the SBDC helped your business?

We were trying to formalize our business plan to go to the bank for the loan, and we weren’t really sure the process. I had written business plans in college, but we all know that from college to real life, there is a gap.

We wrote our business plan, sat down with SBDC and they looked it over and helped us polish it. They had a list of bankers they encouraged us to go to. We were also paired with a business advisor who helped walk us through the process. [The first bank said no.] The SBDC helped us polish it again. We went to a different bank that then approved the original business loan.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about opening a brick-and-mortar store today — especially in a smaller town or rural community?

I’d definitely encourage them to reach out to the SBDC. They’ll help you figure out if your market can support you and if there’s enough capacity for your business to succeed. Economic development offices are another great resource.

I see a lot of boutiques open and then close quickly. Many people start thinking: “This will be great, I’m just going to sell clothes.” But once they’re in, they realize retail is tough. It means long hours and dealing with people. If you want to grow you have to rely on others, and that can be challenging. So, my advice is to find someone who can give you honest feedback on your idea.