NIACC Pappajohn Center & SBDC Recognizes Hallie Erdahl of Georgette Bridal as the June 2025 Entrepreneur of the Month

MASON CITY, IOWA – The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are proud to announce Hallie Erdahl of Georgette in Clear Lake, IA as the June 2025 Entrepreneur of the Month.

Georgette is a pop-up bridal shop in Clear Lake, Iowa, offering luxury bridal gowns at accessible prices. Hallie Erdahl founded Georgette in 2025 and the business reflects her lifelong passion for fashion and bridal elegance. “I wanted to piece together certain parts of my life that really interest me, and that would be both bridal and thrifting designer luxury goods,” Hallie says. “As a woman interested in fashion, I want access to the best possible and I want to make sure other women have that access as well.”

Hallie works with bridal boutiques in Iowa and Minnesota to source sample gowns, only selecting dresses in pristine condition. Many of the gowns come from designers with original price tags between $4,000 and $8,000 and are sold at Georgette for 20% to 80% off. “It’s directly off the rack, directly to the customer, directly to the bride,” she says. “There’s no six-month wait. You get the gown. It’s one of a kind. You take it home.”

Rather than launching immediately into a traditional storefront, Hallie chose to begin with a pop-up model to test the market. From June to September, Georgette will appear one weekend a month on the top floor of the Surf Ballroom Music Enrichment Center. “I started with the idea of a retail location, but I wanted to test the market here in Clear Lake,” she says. “It’s appointment only—because I truly value one-on-one attention with brides and also privacy.”

The idea behind Georgette has deep roots in Hallie’s upbringing. “I grew up with bridal magazines in my house,” she says. “My mom has always been obsessed. We still have magazines from 1995 when I was born.” Hallie studied apparel merchandising and design at Iowa State University, and though she began her career in wedding photography, her dream was always to offer a unique bridal experience centered on fashion history, glamour, and accessibility. That dream began to take shape when Hallie enrolled in Venture School, a statewide entrepreneurial program hosted in North Iowa by the NIACC Pappajohn Center. “After talking to other women entrepreneurs in the area, they pointed me toward the Pappajohn Center,” she says. “I found out everything I could about Brook [Boehmler], emailed him long emails, and ended up getting connected with Ashley Page and enrolled in Venture School.”

Hallie credits Venture School with helping her shape the vision for Georgette. “Those three months really helped me develop my strategy, my image, my business model,” she says. “They thought no idea is dumb—no question is dumb. But they also helped me conclude that I should test the idea out before financially committing to a three-year lease in a very expensive town. They were really great at guiding the path.”

For now, Hallie’s focus is on Clear Lake, but she has plans to grow. “I would love to do a retail location starting this fall or winter. That going well, I’d love to do a secondary location in another touristy town in the Midwest,” she says. “And maybe five to ten years down the road, open up some franchising possibilities.”

Hallie says her entrepreneurial drive comes from passion. “You have to be obsessed with the idea,” she says. “Georgette to me doesn’t feel like work. Even though it is a ton of work, it’s nonstop, but I’m obsessed with it.” Her motivation comes from giving others the chance to experience something beautiful. “Luxury bridal wear is crafted beautifully. And to be able to give this beauty to somebody else that also wants that and deserves that, even if they can’t afford it, that’s what keeps me going.”

The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is the expert in rural business innovation and success. In partnership with North Iowa’s Small Business Development Center, together we provide tools, support, and resources to Iowa’s entrepreneurs. We counsel both new and existing local businesses, from Main Street to industry leaders. We’re growing Iowa’s entrepreneurial culture through grade school initiatives, college and community programs, and business training and development. Contact the NIACC Pappajohn Center at 641-422-4111 or pappajohn@niacc.edu. Visit the NIACC Pappajohn Center online at www.pappajohncenter.com.

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