Lisa Lantz, owner of The Getup in Downtown Decorah, is a total ray of sunshine. So it’s no surprise that her resale store feels like a warm, welcoming, totally fun place to shop.

Founded in 2017, The Getup is a sustainable boutique that buys and sells gently-loved clothing, accessories, and gear for kids and adults. Whether you want to call it thrifting or secondhand shopping, it’s the hunt for the perfect thing that’s often the best part. Thus, The Getup team works hard to make sure they buy high quality brands and styles they know their customers love, bringing great clothing, shoes, and gear to the community at a truly affordable price. In general, shoppers can purchase like-new items for 40 percent (and sometimes even as low as 20 percent) of retail cost.

They got to work, initially buying like-new kids’ items in current styles, then quickly expanded to include adult clothing, as well. Sellers to The Getup receive either cash or store credit, and have the option of taking back any items that are not purchased by The Getup for resale, or having The Getup team handle donating them to organizations in need.

The community welcomed this new store with open arms, and The Getup began to outgrow its space. In 2022, Lisa and Scott had the opportunity to purchase their own building on Water Street, just a few blocks down from their original location. “We almost doubled our square footage, but we’re still working on doubling our revenues,” Lisa says with a wry laugh. “There are so many complexities to growing your business and the reality is that when you grow, you temporarily sag before you grow back up to surpass your previous benchmarks. I have an incredible team though and we ARE growing!”

Another big benefit to secondhand shopping is its sustainability, which is a huge part of The Getup mission. Resale business models are built around the notion of a circular economy, meaning gently loved clothing circles around from person to person instead of going directly from person to landfill. Quality clothing is much more likely to continue within the cycle of a circular economy – and that’s great for both the planet and our wallets.

It was around 2015 when Lisa started thinking about making a career change. She had spent nearly two decades as a college professor in costume design and production and wanted to take her love of clothing and design into a business that brought value to the community. Plus, she and her husband, Scott Bassford, saw a need for clothing in the Decorah area – especially for kids – after the local JC Penney closed in 2017. The Getup opened its doors that same year, first in a rented spot on Water Street near the Hotel Winneshiek. 

Part of that growth involves constantly innovating to enhance The Getup shopping experience. They occasionally offer fun events like bringing in pros to do color analysis or hosting sewing or mending classes. They also sell cool merchandise by regional makers like Hello Adorn and Coffey & Clay, and support other local business owners through pop-up shops – Honey Head Vintage and Driftless Outdoors – that exist within The Getup space.

Finally, The Getup fills a gap in need by bringing in some new things for purchase, like children’s winter boots, snowpants, and gear, a small collection of new toys and games, plus other brands they really love, like Versa Tote. It’s a carefully curated mix that allows shoppers to lock in on their own fun style while still supporting a small business. Plus, folks not local to the area can also shop The Getup online!

Read on to learn more about Lisa’s path to building and growing The Getup in this Sum of Your Business Q&A.

The Basics:
Name: Lisa Lantz
Age (as of Winter 2025-26): 50!
Business: The Getup
Year Business Established: 2017
Business address: 212 W Water St
Website: www.getupdecorah.com

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

In 2015, I was working in higher education and feeling like I needed a change. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, only that I needed something different. It took several years for me to come to terms with the thought of leaving the career I had worked so hard to achieve, but once I determined a need in our community, created a business plan, and then made the decision to make a career change, there was no looking back. 

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

The best thing about being your own boss is that you call the shots. If something isn’t serving you and your business, you have the ability to change that.

How about the worst?

Wearing all of the hats that would be shared in a corporate business model. YOU are responsible for it all – and delegating is hard!!

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

I feel like I encounter those hurdles every other day! When I feel overwhelmed and like I just can’t take it all on – I, first, make a list, and then I remind myself that in the grand scheme of things, my problems and tasks are minor. If I just keep moving forward and continue to do the work, things will work out. And, if they don’t, maybe it wasn’t meant to be! In other words, I try to take a moment to put it all in perspective. 

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

There are so many!! I have an amazing family that supports me and listens when I need to vent or share my successes. That is HUGE! 

I am forever grateful for the incredible business community in Decorah and how generous people are with their time and advice. I lean on fellow business owners a lot!! 

I have also connected with other resale businesses owners and belong to resale organizations that have been integral to the success and growth of my business.

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

The knowledge that it’s going to take a while to establish yourself and your brand. Be patient and do the work and it will happen! Knowing that would have eased my worry and insecurities when I started out.

How do you manage your life/work balance?

I’m not sure that I do manage it all that well, honestly! I make a lot of lists and keep a shared google calendar and prioritize time with my family.

What keeps you inspired?

I’m continually humbled, delighted, inspired, and in awe of the support from our community. We created The Getup with community at the core of what we do and why we do it! 

Little lifts me up more than spending time in my store and chatting up our customers! 

I’m also lifted up by the people I get to work with every day! I have an incredible team of employees who are all so committed to the mission of the business. Every single person who works at The Getup puts in their all and I know I can rely on them to help me run and grow the business. They inspire me every day!

Tell us more about your business motto: Community Powered Sustainable Styles.

Community is, of course, at the core of what we do, but we’re also dedicated to the sustainability of a circular economy. What drew me to the circular economy model was the idea of keeping things in a cycle of use – within our community! So, like our name says, our sustainable styles are powered by our community!

What is one of your favorite things you’ve gotten from The Getup?!

Oh my goodness – that’s hard! I love the things that come into our store and, let me tell you, it’s a struggle everyday to not take home everything!! I really have to restrain myself! If I had to pick one thing, it would probably be my Frye boots even though I don’t wear them very often. They are so classic and badass, and I love having the option to wear them when I want to!

Can you tell us about the ways The Getup supports others and other communities through your work?

The give-back aspect of our business sometimes feels like it has a life of its own AND it nestles right in with our mission. We listen to the needs of our community and always try to find ways to do what I call “connecting the abundance with the need.” There is so much abundance out there that there shouldn’t be need in the first place. I’m always trying to make that connection through our business model. Luckily, my team believes in this too, so everyone is on board to help out whenever someone comes to us with an idea or a need.

When items come in that we decide not to purchase – maybe they’re not the brands we’re looking for or don’t fit the current styles – sellers can choose to either come back in and take home the things we passed on, or have our team add them to our donations stock. We have a fantastic volunteer, Nichole Hotvedt, who goes through and organizes the donated items. Then, our amazing store manager, Siri Steven, organizes and operates the clothing and gear giveaway to local schools in Decorah and surrounding towns on an as-needed basis, usually through social workers or school administrative assistants or through Helping Services, Kid’s Closet, The Depot Outlet, and several other local organizations. And finally, Decorah resident Anne Juergens has a connection to St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Marty, South Dakota, that serves the Yankton Sioux tribe there. Anne and a huge team of friends work with us to take approximately 500 kitchen sized garbage bags of clothing per year to St. Paul’s.

The Getup Selling How-Tos

In advance: Check getupdecorah.com for any buying pauses and for info on what season of clothing they’re currently buying.

1. Go through your closet and pick out up to 25 of your best, like-new items in current styles 

2. Drop-off your items. Options:
– Monday from 10 AM – 4:30 PM, no appointment necessary. Due to the high volume of Monday drop-offs, you will not receive your offer the same day. The Getup will text you with your offer when it’s ready – this may take 2-3 weeks.  
– OR make an appointment online for times Tues- Friday (appt.thegetupdecorah.com/appt)

New appointment slots open every Sunday at 5 PM CST for the following week.

3. Collect your cash OR store credit! 

Learn more at thegetupdecorah.com.