Get to Know Angela Frechette
Angela Frechette has worked at Red Wing Downtown Main Street since 2020. She began as the Office & Events Coordinator and has since moved into being the Office Manager. That means she’s responsible for the organization’s bookkeeping and acts as the project manager for events, like the Holiday Stroll. Molly Langer is the on-site coordinator at the events, as well as the main contact for businesses and volunteers, but Angela makes sure “everyone has what they need logistically.” Or, put simply, she does “the spreadsheets.”
But, outside of Downtown Main Street, Angela runs her own business called Unlimited Joy. The mission of the business, she says, is to “help people create their own joy instead of looking for it from outside sources.” She does this by planning events for clients, but she’s also published a gratitude journal that guides people in reflecting on what brings them joy each day.
Angela decided to answer some of her own gratitude journal questions for us, but instead of reflecting on her day, she decided to reflect on her time working in downtown Red Wing:
Someone I’m grateful for: Andrea Hanson. She has been pivotal in bringing the downtown businesses together. Finding a common thread is her superpower! I am grateful for her passion for Red Wing and for her ability to create a community amongst the businesses. That’s what it takes to thrive as a business.
Something I’m proud of: I am proud of how the Holiday Stroll has grown over the last four years. Internally, because I’m more on the logistics side, I’m grateful for how it’s grown, but specifically for how the systems have become more streamlined making planning less chaotic and more joyful.
What would make downtown great: Filling all the storefronts with small businesses. There is so much opportunity in Downtown Red Wing, we just need to find the right people and businesses to help us continue to grow and thrive!
Encouraging phrase for downtown visitors: In the evening portion of my gratitude journal I ask if you intentionally searched for joy that day. So, I encourage everyone to go downtown and intentionally seek out the special and unique traits of Red Wing that bring you JOY! Then, share them with others!
Daily affirmation for downtown: We are greater than our challenges.
Lessons I learned: I have learned that people are more willing to help and participate than we realize, we just have to ask.
Favorite memories of my work downtown: The first year I fully dug into the Holiday Stroll as the coordinator was in 2021. I stood downtown that day, in the middle of all the bustling of people, and thought, “I did this. We did this!” Seeing all the hard work I had put in come to life was extraordinary. That’s when I realized just how much I love planning events. It wasn’t about how many people came, or how perfect I wanted it to be. The vision for the Holiday Stroll is about creating an individual experience for everyone who comes. I want them to leave with a heart full of joy and memories! After that night, my “nerd” kicked in and it was time to figure out how to streamline things and make it easier on staff, volunteers, businesses, local participants, those who travel to the event, and everyone in between.
