When your parents are entrepreneurs, it can often feel more realistic to become an entrepreneur yourself. 

From childhood into adulthood, sisters Erica Thilges and Monica Thilges watched their parents create various businesses. Harlan and Joan Thilges, originally from north central Iowa, moved their family to Fairmont, Minnesota, in April of 1980 to open a decorating business. “They moved and opened the business the same weekend our younger brother, Jason was born!” says Erica. “At the time, I was two and a half years old, Monica was one and a half! I can’t imagine!” 

Harlan and Joan ran Fairmont Decorating, as well as partnering in a storage unit business, until they retired in 2012 and attempted to adjust to the new norm.  “While our mom had loads of hobbies to keep her busy, our dad really missed the social interaction,” says Erica. So Harlan and Joan decided to move to Harmony, Minnesota, in 2015, purchasing an already-existing antique mall, Generations. They rebranded it New Generations and ran it until in 2021, when they retired and Erica took over as co-owner and manager.

Erica’s path led from Minnesota to Asheville, North Carolina, where she managed a bed and breakfast for more than a decade. After quarantining with Monica’s family in Madison during the pandemic, Erica decided to move to Harmony to learn the antiques and resale business from her parents.

Monica spent most of her early adulthood in Oregon and California. After she got married, they had a couple of kids and decided to move to Madison in 2017 to be closer to family. Then, in 2025, Monica and her family moved to Decorah. “I am really fortunate to be able to work remotely, which made the move to Decorah a lot easier because I was able to stay with the same company,” says Monica. It also made it easier for Erica and Monica to hatch a plan for Stardust Retro Revival, which opened in March of 2025. Monica is the owner, while Erica manages the day-to-day business. “I typically get out to Harmony a couple of times a month – the malls have proven helpful as we settle into our new home!”

New Generations of Harmony has 85 vendors and more than 130 spaces in the nearly 10,000-square-foot antique mall. Stardust Retro Revival has 125 vendors and more than 144 spaces in over 11,000 square feet.

 Both malls have a great mix of fun finds, but New Generations has more of an antiques focus and Stardust leans more toward vintage. “Our customers generally stop by both,” says Erica. “Having two malls so close together definitely makes Harmony an antiquing destination!” 

Read on for insight into how these two fun, talented, and smart women run their “sister malls” in Harmony, Minnesota.

The Basics:
Name: Erica Thilges, Monica Thilges
Age: 48, 47
Businesses: New Generations of Harmony and 
Stardust Retro Revival
Year Business Established: 2008 and 2025
Business addresses: 
New Generations of Harmony 50 Industrial Blvd NE Harmony, MN
Stardust Retro Revival 605 Main Ave. N. Harmony, MN 
Websites: NewGenerationsOfHarmony.com • StardustRetroRevival.com 

1. Tell us about the “leap” moment. When/how did you decide to jump in and become your own boss? 

Erica: Our parents, Joan and Harlan Thilges, bought the New Generations Mall in 2015 as a semiretirement venture after decades of running small businesses in Fairmont, Minnesota. By 2021, they were ready to fully retire. In the summer of 2021, I was ready for a change, so I moved to Harmony to learn the business from our dad. It was a good fit from the start, and I now co-own the mall with them.

Monica: We were sitting around the table in spring 2024 when Erica floated the idea of me investing in a new mall. Given that I have zero retail experience, she also offered to run it for me and sold me on the fact that it would essentially be a copy/paste of the New Generations business model – and they had a three-page-long wait list of vendors at the time. 

My day job is in environmental sustainability, so I was intrigued – antique malls give usable items a new home and keep them out of the landfill. Then Erica casually mentioned that there was a long-vacant roller-skating rink just a half mile down the road from New Generations that might work. I am a sucker for a disco ball, and I really love the idea of saving a cool building that means something to a community, so I was hooked.

The building needed significant work – the kind of work that would cost more than the property – so it took a lot of effort to get it figured out. After closing on the property in December 2024, a team of local contractors helped to transform it and we were able to open the doors two and a half months later, on March 1. It was seriously impressive.

2. What’s the best thing about being your own boss? 

Erica: For me, the best part about being my own boss is getting to evolve! If something isn’t working, we try something else!

Monica: Even though I technically own Stardust, I consider Erica to be the boss! She is so awesome at what she does.

3. How about the worst? 

Erica: The worst part about running your own business is keeping up with the ever-changing federal and state laws.

Monica: Paying back all of those pesky loans – I’ll be doing that for a loooooong time!

4. Was there ever a hurdle where you just thought, “I can’t do this?” How did you overcome it?

Erica: Honestly, having my sister to collaborate with takes so much pressure off. The clarity she provides has made all the difference for me. I am, however, not looking forward to the day New Generations needs new carpet… But we’ll figure that out too!

Monica: After the rink sat empty on the market for something like six years, someone else put in a higher bid on the same day we made an offer. I crunched the numbers and realized that I really couldn’t go any higher, so I took a deep breath and let the dream go. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for me, their offer fell through and I was able to get the building at the price that worked for this business. I think that it’s really important to know your financial limits when starting your own business, even if that means you have to walk away from it.

5. Did you both come up with the name Stardust Retro Revival? 

Erica: Coming up with the business name was the hardest part! Of course, friends and family all had loads of suggestions. My favorite is still, ‘Sister Monica’s Retro Revival’, but Monica vehemently put the kibosh on that. It came down to the wire, but we’re both happy with where we landed.

Monica: It took sooooo long to find a name. In the end, we liked the alliteration, the vintage vibe and… obviously, the nod to David Bowie. IT’S WAY BETTER THAN SOME WEIRD NAME MY SISTER WANTED.

6. Any mentors/role models you look to/have looked to? 

Erica: Our parents have been small business owners our entire lives, so I owe my work ethic to them. When I managed a bed & breakfast in Asheville, North Carolina, for 11 years, I worked for a lovely couple, Chris and Jim Muth. They taught me to manage with grace and understanding. 

Monica: Ditto on what Erica said about our parents.

7. What’s the one thing you wish you had known before you started? 

Erica: If I had known how welcoming and supportive this community is, I might have moved here sooner.

Monica: How to scrub really old and gross mystery things off of carpeted walls.

8. How do you manage your life/work balance? 

Erica: The life/work balance can be tricky, for sure. The last few years, I’ve filled my life with a little too much volunteer work, but this year I’ve taken steps to reclaim my free time. I have some creative hobbies I’ve begun to reconnect with. Additionally, Monica and her family moved to Decorah a few months ago, so being surrounded by family is a welcome motivation to make time for living!

Monica: Moving my family from Madison to Decorah helped a lot, but I think it really comes down to two things for me:

1. Having a super competent business partner that I trust implicitly (it also helps that she does 99.9 percent of the work) – I would not do this with anyone other than Erica. 

2. Finding joy in it – this business would often be super overwhelming and stressful if we were not having a ton of fun. I hope that vibe comes through when people walk through the doors!

 9. What are some of your favorite things you’ve seen come through the doors of New Generations and Stardust?

Erica: For me, seeing how vendors are displaying their merchandise is almost as exciting as what they bring in. I love a good booth overhaul! Many of our vendors are keeping up with vintage trends via social media, so it’s been fun to see those hot items come into the malls and promptly go to their new homes. Personally, I’m a fan of the variety our vendors bring in, especially the unique stuff. There is absolutely something for everyone!

Monica: Man. So much fun stuff. There have been a lot of very cool vintage lamps, but I do love the kitsch. One of the first items I bought to resell at Stardust was particularly memorable – this really cute set of egg coddlers with little chicks on the front. I couldn’t get them open but didn’t think much of it. Well… when we finally got them open, we found the cremated remains of a guy named James. I promptly returned him (and the coddlers!) to the funeral home that cremated him and learned my lesson: Do not buy anything you can’t open. 

10. What keeps you inspired? Any quotes that keep you going?

Erica: I do love the people but I’m also all about ‘connections’. I’m inspired by how much our vendors, staff, and customers connect with each other over shared interests and nostalgia in both antique malls. There is a real sense of community here which makes the malls feel like ‘home’.

Monica: “Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”  – David Bowie

New Generations of Harmony and Stardust Retro Revival are both open 7 days a week, 10 am – 5 pm