Community Highlights: Meet Kent Carlson of WhitefishChain.com

VoyageMinnesota Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kent Carlson.

Kent, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I created the community website WhitefishChain.com about twenty years ago. At that time, there weren’t many websites that connected all the resources of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes in Crosslake, Minnesota. We provided links to lodging, commerce, entertainment, and interviewed several business owners, featuring articles about them and their unique products.

This past year, 2021, WhitefishChain.com has been rebranded. I’ve added a podcast – The Whitefish Chain Experience, and we post monthly blog articles that highlight local events that coordinate with the seasons. Bringing people together is still a primary purpose for us, as well as celebrating this area and all it has to offer, both to residents and tourists. Most people think of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes and the surrounding area as a special place where you can enjoy nature and take a moment or two to unwind; it’s a sentiment everyone in our audience shares. Our platform seeks to amplify our appreciation for and stewardship of all that represents “Up North!”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The recession that occurred around 2007 hit a lot of businesses hard. Advertising dollars were scarce, and few people were interested in investing with the economic landscape being so volatile. Luckily for me, WhitefishChain.com was a side-business that I began out of a love for the area. My full-time professional life, fortunately, was not affected. However, my website was put on the back burner to simmer a bit. Life happened, with all its distractions and obligations. I’m excited to have rebranded and reintroduced to our community my labor of love and hope to see it benefit others and grow.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Kent Carlson?
I am the principal owner of Competitive Dynamics, Inc. I’m a seasoned management consultant with over 25 years of project leadership and engineering experience in the electric utility, oil and gas, mining, pipeline, aerospace, and manufacturing sectors.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
People can connect with me and support our work at the following:

Contact Info: