Today we’d like to introduce you to Colby Campbell.
Colby, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m Colby Campbell, a St. Joseph native with a passion for building community and opportunity. My journey started with a B.S. in Recreation & Business Administration from Missouri Western State University, followed by over a decade in insurance, real estate, and leadership roles. I flipped 30+ homes for investors, helped scale a real estate portfolio from $1M to $8M, and managed a $3M residential and commercial insurance book, earning my Missouri/Kansas P&C license along the way.
Growing up, I’d visit my dad’s office in Frederick Towers, a historic Art Deco gem built in 1915 as Noyes Hospital. I’d jokingly say, “I’ll own this someday.” In June 2025, my family made that dream real, purchasing the 40,000 sq ft building to create an innovation hub. Despite challenges like financing and renovations (e.g., $240k HVAC, $85k parking lot), we’re transforming it into a startup haven with coworking spaces, mentorship, and affordable leases. My insurance and construction experience drives this vision—balancing risk, managing projects, and fostering growth. Today, I’m focused on making Frederick Towers a beacon for St. Joseph’s entrepreneurs, proving small towns can spark big ideas while preserving our heritage.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey to launch the Frederick Towers Innovation Hub has been a wild ride, full of heart and hustle, but far from smooth. Buying this 40,000 sq ft Art Deco gem in June 2025 was personal—my dad’s office was here for 20 years, and as a kid, I’d dream of owning it. Making that real meant betting big: my family leveraged our home to secure owner financing from the sellers. Negotiating delayed payments until October 2025 was tough, stretching our finances thin. Then, due diligence hit hard—$240k for HVAC upgrades, $85k for a beat-up parking lot, and roof leaks and window repairs that ballooned our budget to $1.5M.
Keeping tenants on board was another gut-check. Some pushed back on rate hikes, so I met them one-on-one, offering flexible 6-month leases to rebuild trust, and trying to do repairs right away to show I was not like the last several owners who promised one thing and didn’t deliver. We are aiming for 50% occupancy by mid-2026. The stakes? If this flops, we lose the building and our home. My vision of this building helps me tackle risks, but the emotional weight keeps me up at night. We’re pushing through by leaning on St. Joseph’s community, working one office at a time, networking with civic organizations, and crowdsourcing old photos to honor the building’s Noyes Hospital and various business roots. My home flips taught me to focus on quick wins like parking lot fixes to show progress while chasing funding to fix big issues that no one sees. These challenges are personal—they’re the fire driving me to make Frederick Towers a beacon for St. Joe’s dreamers like me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My career spans construction, insurance, and community leadership—flipping homes, scaling real estate, insurance and more. What defines me? I see problems and create solutions, spotting gaps in systems and fixing them, no matter what industry, whether in business or life.
A great example, In college, I couldn’t find flexible work, so I launched a construction company hiring students for small, low-cost renovations bigger firms ignored. By the time I had graduated, It grew into a beautiful system connecting clients with investors and other industries, delivering tailored homes at affordable prices.
My proudest moment came when my daughter Brylie, born with short gut syndrome, needed specialized therapy after life-saving surgeries. When a $95 session failed due to the therapist’s lack of training, I became the solution—earning a massage therapy certification and training as a chronic pain specialist to treat her. Today, she’s a thriving 9-year-old, and all my kids jokingly seek “bedtime treatments.”
With Frederick Towers, I’m solving St. Joseph’s startup gap to encouring young minds to stay in and develop our city. Offering affordable coworking, mentorship, and office spacess.My faith and grit—sets me apart, making this hub a beacon for local innovation.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t see luck as chance—it’s God’s timing shaping my path. As a 6-year-old, I survived a near-fatal fall down a dry riverbed, found unresponsive by my father, only to breathe again minutes later. That miracle set the tone for resilience. In 2025, finding Frederick Towers, city landmark that lost its shine and community appeal, felt like divine alignment. My dad’s office was there for 20 years, sparking my dream to own it. Securing creative financing, despite leveraging our home, was a bold win, launching our startup hub vision for St. Joseph.
Bad luck? Losing our primary income 30 days after the purchase stung, and renovations——are outrunning our funding, pushing budget. Slow repairs and tenant hesitancy due to past reputations has slowed occupancy goals. But I don’t dwell on luck. Looking back, every career move—flipping homes, managing an insurance book, or becoming a chronic pain specialist for my daughter’s recovery—taught me to seize opportunities and solve problems. Some choices set me back, but each honed my ability to craft solutions, like the creative offer that secured Frederick Towers.
What sets me apart? I learn from every moment, good or tough, to make smarter choices. This community and I are now turning challenges into a vibrant innovation hub, proving St. Joseph’s potential for inspiring minds.
Pricing:
- All inclusive office spaces starting at $85
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fredericktowers.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581501756546
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colbyacampbell/
