Lynn Potyen Redefining Retail Leadership

In this episode of Rick’s Room, host Rick Grant sits down with Lynn Potyen, founder and owner of The GameBoard in Sheboygan. Lynn was recently honored as one of Wisconsin’s Women of Influence in the Business Owner category. She reflects on the ceremony, the inspiring stories of resilience shared by the honorees, and the ongoing challenges women face in business—from outdated stereotypes to discriminatory practices.

Lynn emphasizes the importance of persistence, speaking out against inequities, and changing perceptions by asking whether women are treated differently than men in similar situations. Despite being a nationally recognized leader in the board game industry, she often encounters dismissive attitudes that minimize her achievements.

The conversation then shifts to the power of board games as tools for connection, education, and empathy. Lynn shares examples of games like Spill, which teaches environmental responsibility, and recounts a moving story from her work with dementia patients, where a game sparked the final words a wife spoke to her husband.

She highlights how board games foster respect, friendship, and family bonding—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when family game nights resurged. Lynn encourages people to play everywhere—not just in game stores—and to see play as essential for joy and human connection.

Show Highlights:

Rick Grant:
Welcome back to Rick’s Room—the show that recreates that moment at the end of a busy conference where you finally sit down with someone you’ve been wanting to talk to all day. Today, I’m joined by my good friend, Lynn Potyen. She’s the founder and owner of The GameBoard in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. If you haven’t heard of The GameBoard, you haven’t been paying attention. Lynn and her store have won awards locally and nationally for years. Lynn, thanks for joining me.

Lynn Potyen:
Thank you, Rick. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Rick:
I want to start with your recent recognition. You were honored as one of Wisconsin’s Women of Influence in the Business Owner category. I was thrilled to be there to see it. Tell us about that experience.

Lynn:
I was nominated and selected for this incredible award. Eight women were honored across different categories, and I was recognized as a business owner. To stand alongside such influential, inspiring women was humbling. During the ceremony, each of us gave a speech. Mine was emotional—I cried—but it was powerful to share the moment with my family, friends, and with you, Rick.

Rick:
I was struck by the stories of the other honorees—the hardships they overcame across industries and backgrounds. It reminded me how far we still have to go. What do you see that still needs to change?

Lynn:
The first step is simply showing up every day and calling things out when they happen. Sometimes the bias is blatant—like being told a woman needs her spouse’s permission for a business loan. That’s not just wrong; it’s illegal. Yet it still happens. Too often I’m treated not as a successful business owner but as a woman with a “cute little store.” People underestimate the global impact I’ve had in this industry.

Rick:
Let’s talk about that impact. You see board games differently than most people. Why are they so important?

Lynn:
Games are powerful tools for learning and connection. They help people succeed socially and academically. Take the game Spill, for example—it teaches players about oil spills and the challenges of saving ecosystems. Games give us safe ways to experience situations we may never face, while building empathy and problem-solving skills.

Board games aren’t just for kids. In the U.S., marketing in the ’50s and ’60s taught families that games were children’s toys. But globally, games are for everyone—they’re how people connect and learn together.

Rick:
You wrote a chapter in the book What Board Games Mean to Me, which is now in the Library of Congress. One story you told there really struck me—the one about the man and his wife with dementia.

Lynn:
Yes, that’s one of the most powerful moments I’ve witnessed. At a program for dementia patients, we introduced a simple game called Thumbs Up. The man’s wife hadn’t spoken in over two years. Through the game, she began to touch his hand again, then linger, and finally—she spoke. She told him she remembered playing games together at their cabin. It was the last time she ever spoke to him before passing. That moment showed me how deeply games can reconnect people.

Rick:
That’s beautiful. And beyond stories like that, I know you’ve helped reignite family game nights, especially during COVID.

Lynn:
Yes—families rediscovered the joy of playing together. But I always remind people: games aren’t just for game stores. Play at home, at work, at coffee shops, even on your porch. In the 1920s and ’30s, neighbors gathered to play dominoes and cribbage. Today it could be Magic the Gathering, Pokémon, or modern titles like Flamecraft. The point is connection.

Rick:
I love it. Thank you, Lynn, for joining me today. I’m definitely having you back before the holiday season so we can talk about how to curate a family game library.

Lynn:
I’d love that, Rick. Thank you for having me.

Rick:
And thank you to everyone for watching Rick’s Room. See you next time.