The Most Inspiring Stories in Utah

The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.

Lydia Martinez

I always had a knack for storytelling—not the kind you find in textbooks, but the kind that builds communities, sparks ideas, and makes people feel like they belong. Early in my career, she honed that talent in the world of food, hospitality, and brand building, helping companies craft experiences that truly resonated. Read more>>

Rhonda Lauritzen

One nail-biting moment came not long after starting my business, a buyer serendipitously bought our historic home without it being on the market. It was the right time for our family to move, and we had amassed plenty of sweat equity, so we had a nice down payment toward another home. But then, my biggest client had to suddenly stop our project after losing money to a terrible Ponzi scheme. It threw our plans into turmoil. One of the worst days of my life was telling my family we wouldn’t qualify for another home loan, all because I had followed my passion. Read more>>

Jaime Contreras

A student from the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, and Weber State University were the first recipients in the history of Los Dreamers Inc. Seeing that we could provide three awards, we decided to make that our objective for each year. After the first year, we started expanding and began giving back to the community in other ways. We started teaming up with local businesses to do giveaways for food, clothing, free clinics, and other resources that they may need. Today, we are a common vendor at local pop-up shops, markets, art events, festivals, and we have partnerships with businesses that sell our apparel in their shops! We are truly grateful for everyone that has supported our cause and has been able to contribute to the success of many students. Read more>>

Kate Coombs

Even as a child I wanted to write books. After all, I was a bookworm, and books were wonderful! I started writing poems and stories as a little girl. I remember during my Nancy Drew phase I wrote my own book with a remarkably similar setup about a girl detective. I mostly wrote poetry as I got older, but I started trying to write for children while in college. I ended up with an English degree and eventually taught college English, then elementary school, and worked as an editor and curriculum developer. Along the way, I kept writing, and I started trying to sell my manuscripts. Read more>>

Staci Duke

The road hasn’t been smooth but it’s been real, and it’s shaped who I am. Like many people, I’ve wrestled with self-doubt and learning to trust my own instincts. For years, I looked to external markers of success or approval, even when my gut told me something different. It took time to understand that I could trust my own voice. Especially in leadership, where you’re constantly navigating conflicting opinions and expectations. Read more>>

Cal Crosby

Though my family had limited resources, their encouragement and my determination to feed my hunger for reading led me to mow lawns, peel potatoes at a local diner, and do a lot of babysitting. This allowed me to explore the world of books—both used, occasionally new, and a magnitude of comic books—on top of the countless library volumes I devoured. My late father often pointed out that I always had a book in my hand or my nose buried in one. Read more>>

Keshia And Erik Joot

We are Erik and Keshia, husband and wife, adventure buddies and proud builders and owners of Glamping Canyonlands. The two questions we face the most are, “how did you come up with this idea?” and “how did it all start?” The answer to these questions isn’t exactly linear and straight forward. Glamping Canyonlands evolved in a meandering path to arrive where she is today. And that story starts nearly 20 years ago. Read more>>

Daniel Morillo

But life in Venezuela took a dark turn. The country crumbled under political corruption and economic collapse. Families like mine lived in fear—extortion, threats, even blackmail were part of our everyday reality. I remember nights when we couldn’t sleep, fearing who might come knocking. When my family and I began receiving threats, we knew we had no choice but to leave. We fled to the United States in January 2021. I was 17 years old, arriving in Utah with nothing but hope and the dream of becoming a professional athlete. Read more>>

Shaun Mollica & John Mattos

In October 2023 — Domestic Violence Awareness Month — we launched Sins & Survivors, a victim-centric true crime podcast focused on domestic violence, missing persons, and unsolved cases. We aim to raise awareness about the often overlooked issue of domestic violence while validating victims and ensuring their voices are heard. We focus on the survivors who are left to pick up the pieces after someone they love is murdered or goes missing. Read more>>

Halee Roth

Sometimes you have to walk a path just to know it’s not the one you should be on. And, I just couldn’t get figures out of my mind. Since I was young and my mom said “Why don’t you paint more beautiful women, why does it have to be so dark?” and my dad said “Why do you like to paint breasts so much?” I just could get the human form out of my art. And, as it turns out I’m a hell of a figure painter. So, here I am, painting people, walking the art family tightrope, and hustling my art to try and make a profit. Thankfully, my parents also gave me a strong work ethic along with all that love of nature and I can do the art grind like I could pull them weeds. Being an artist is HARD. Read more>>

Melanie Sleight

It was perfect. Smaller than a warehouse. Close to our home. Great landlord and reasonable rent. After a quick remodel I opened Millcreek Mercantile February of 2020: Just in time for the Covid outbreak. With the mandatory shutdowns, I was terrified I’d be closed before I really ever opened. Through all the ups and downs I’ve been lucky to have a supportive community for my tiny shop. We made it though. Millcreek Mercantile just celebrated it’s 5th anniversary! I love this little business of mine and my customers are the best I could ask for. Read more>>

Ragen Chandler

When I got married in 2019, I launched a YouTube channel to share makeup tutorials, and I also began posting on a new Instagram page called MermakeupCosmetics. Over the years, my focus has grown to include beauty, hair tutorials, movie fun, and family adventures. I have since adapted to MermakeupMagic! Read more>>

Trevor Turpin

Movies (films) have always been a crucial piece of my life. Some of my earliest memories revolve around movies. My aunt was an avid movie lover and had a whole basement dedicated to the experience. I recall browsing her VHS collection every single time I went over there. VHS slip cases like Monster Squad, Dr. Giggles, Killer Clowns From Outer Space, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre will forever be burnt into my head. I recall David Lynch’s The Elephant Man being one of the first movies I watched as a child, and I most definitely remember it being the first time a movie hit me emotionally. The “I am not an animal! I am a human being!” just crumbled me. Read more>>

Les Rhodes

It all started selling barbecue at my boys flag football games. The boys would play and there was no food there so I started cooking to provide food for our boys who had games at different times so we would be there all day. I popped up a canopy with some drinks, chips and barbecuing food. Then people started asking us if we were selling food so we started selling $12 sandwiches. We had no idea what we were doing, had no idea we had to have papers or anything through the city but we were bringing home money. Things I’m all very aware of on now that we’ve grown so much! Read more>>

Brittany Riggs

I began my pet career as a high school intern for a dog breeder that supplies Police K9s. After graduation, I did kennel technician work for two years before I started my dog training company. During my college education, I spent over 200 hours observing the Utah Police K9 Training specifically for scent detection. I do continuing education by attending seminars and learning new sports and techniques. Read more>>

Brayde Thorne

I hasn’t been a smooth road, sleepless nights and trying to hold a full time job with a little one running around was challenging. I also had to put my business on hold for about a year, fell on hard times, but I have been working on expanding my business and my knowledge in the jewelry industry. Read more>>

Brittni Strickland

Building a business is never easy, especially in a place like Utah, where the photography scene is very saturated. Self-doubt and imposter syndrome are very real, and they still creep in from time to time. But I’ve learned that the most important thing is to stay true to your own art. No two photographers see the world the same way, and that’s the beauty of it. What you capture is yours—and it’s worth sharing. Read more>>

Megan Timpson

Growing up I always had a love for health and fitness and what a healthy life could bring: opportunities, freedom, experiences, and impact. With that love for fitness and also a love for business I started my own personal training business after returning from my LDS mission and started an instagram page called One Percent Healthier. That name originated from a talk I heard called One Percent Better which the whole message really resonated with me because it invites us to be growth oriented, not just goal oriented and to focus on progress not perfection. Read more>>

Danny Kenny

My sophomore year of high school, I released my first song titled “Better This Way”. I kept writing, kept producing, kept recording, and kept performing. A few years ago, I held a benefit concert where all of the proceeds went to the American foundation for suicide prevention. It was seriously the most incredible experience. I heard from some people that it really helped them. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized that my music could really mean something to someone. This is when I really decided to take music seriously. I’m continuing to release music, hoping to be able to touch some people’s lives. Read more>>

Diana Weil

No! I really struggled to find a job that felt aligned with how I wanted to practice as a nutritionist and also live. I knew a traditional 9-5 wasn’t going to work for me. It felt like I had to choose between selling myself to make a living or sticking to my values, but working multiple jobs. Taking the leap and working for myself was terrifying, and there have been times when I thought, “I’ve made it!” only to turn around and find that I had no clients or source of income. There are still days when I wake up with no clue what I’m doing and I just have to hope for the best. Read more>>

Betty Flores

I’m a perinatal therapist dedicated to supporting individuals navigating the complexities of parenthood, with a specialized focus on those experiencing scary intrusive thoughts and reproductive trauma. Scary intrusive thoughts can include unwanted, distressing images or impulses—such as fears of harming the baby, doubts about one’s role as a parent, or disturbing “what if” scenarios—that often feel deeply shameful or confusing. Reproductive trauma may involve experiences like infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, traumatic birth, loss of a pregnancy or infant, or challenging postpartum adjustments. Read more>>

Bart Lopez

April was supportive of my armored combat hobby but hesitant to join in. Determined to get her involved, I saw an opportunity at a renaissance faire in Hildale, Utah and arranged for her to borrow a suit of armor. She expected to only try on the armor and walk around the faire, but I secretly coordinated with the team to get her into battle. As she finished suiting up, the announcer introduced April as the next Longsword duelist. I put a helmet on her head, a sword in her hand, and with a few moments of longsword instruction, we pushed her into the arena. That fight changed everything and she went on to fully commit, buy her own armor, and now fights as often as anyone. Read more>>

Jayden Chamberlain

I started photography to shoot references for sketches and paintings. I couldn’t find any references that fit the art or the things I wanted to create. Started shooting with friends and going out to different events. Slowly I feel in love with photography, I started booking small events and it just snowballed from there! Now I shoot everything from big festivals to weddings to portraits! It’s taken me to so many amazing things and places. Read more>>

Tienna Rainey

After a few months I was offered the opportunity to work in New Zealand for three and a half months. I learned a few techniques on holistic pulsing during my time in Pohara, at the Health and Wellness Spa. When I returned I continues my experience working with multiple chiropractors at Utah Spinal Care. Alta Mountain Chiropracted, and Aspen Falls Spinal care. After gathering years of experience and building my own clientele in the mean time, I decided to start my own massage practice in 2022. I am thrilled to be able to offer clients a tailored experience in a space of my own. Read more>>

Sophia Mai

This is actually my third business now. When I started my first nail salon, it was far from easy. I was new to the U.S., so I had to learn everything—from hiring a general contractor to understanding the laws here. I literally built that salon from the ground up. It was a struggle, but it taught me everything about grit and perseverance. Read more>>

Brigate Morte

There are technical limits and cost: every time we ask an AI model to generate a riff or a verse, there is a cost and roughly 80% of what comes out ends up in the trash. It feels like paying €0.10 for every guitar‐chord experiment, only to discover it sounds terrible and you have to start over. So it can be both expensive and soul-crushing, especially when you’re bootstrapping on a shoestring budget. Read more>>

Courtney Robertson

As I entered my twenties, more health challenges began to surface—one of the most significant being my diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid gland. The news was devastating. After dedicating over a decade to my health, it felt like a major setback. But instead of giving up, I doubled down. I listened even more closely to my body, sought out new support, devoured holistic and medical literature and books, fine-tuned my nutrition, and received consistent energy medicine therapy sessions through the BodyTalk System. Read more>>

Laurel Herbert

I am the proud founder of several bridal businesses that embody everything I once longed for: freedom, beauty, and celebration. I opened The Bride Room as a space where every bride, regardless of background, could find a gown that made her feel radiant, celebrated, and seen. From there, I expanded to Desert Rose Bride, a Southern Utah boutique that feels like a love letter to the adventurous, free-spirited bride. To complement these, I launched Alteration Artistry, a studio dedicated to making sure every gown fits perfectly and every detail is flawless. Soon, I will be opening Love and Curves, a boutique exclusively for plus-size brides — a long-overdue space where beauty knows no size limits and every woman can celebrate her curves with confidence and joy. Read more>>

Jasmine Alexander

I sat down and did extensive research on all 50 states and that is when I decided Utah was going to be my forever home. I’ve been here 3 years now, and since day 1 I said “I’m home;” the last time I felt at home was before all of the moving as a young child. I’ve since booked better acting work coming to Utah, have had some of the best opportunities come my way, amazing experiences, and, miraculously, fully healed my brain to the point there is zero trace I ever had an aneurysm! Because of this move for me—my soul—I’ve also branched out to contacts in Helsinki, Finland to continue my artistic endeavors! Read more>>

Bailey Burden

Discover the enriching experience of studying the Book of Mormon in two languages with Native Scripture’s Dual Language Edition. This unique volume features English text in the left column and your second language text in the right column, allowing you to read and understand the scriptures verse by verse in both languages. The Dual Language Book of Mormon is a high quality product that will last you a lifetime! Complete with a premium leather-bound cover, 35 gram scripture paper, gold foiled titles, gold-gilt edges, and a satin ribbon bookmark. Read more>>

Matt Tippetts

I spent every summer after my 10th birthday working in my dad’s shop. Mostly just sweeping floors and cleaning up messes at first. Eventually, the other guys in the shop taught me how to build cabinets and use all of the tools. I’ll admit that I wasn’t the most enthusiastic employee. I had developed a deep interest in music and planned to pursue a career in that field so cabinet was just a job. It didn’t occur to me until years later that those 10 or so years I spent in that shop taught me invaluable skills that I still use today. Read more>>

Shelby Tulley

From there I got excited and tried to get certified in everything that I found helpful. I’m still on the constant lookout for new tools that I can use and new skills that I can learn. Each body is like a puzzle, even if people have similar issues, their bodies could require completely different methods of treatment. I find immense joy in the process of finding the epicenter of people’s aches and pains, then again figuring out how to resolve it all. It’s my favorite thing when people stand up after a massage and then wiggle around, amazed at what it feels like to move without restrictions or pain, something that most of us haven’t felt since high school. Read more>>

Jessica Griffin

I organized freezer meal prep parties for a while. I would do all the shopping and planning and we would all come together to make 9-10 slow-cooker meals to store in the freezer for when we needed them. Then I got into traveling with credit card points. I was so excited about how much traveling you can do with such little money that decided to start a blog in February of 2025. Read more>>

Aria Bucko

I have always been drawn to the arts—whether through music, painting, or baking. Growing up in Beaverton, Oregon, I spent my early years selling cupcakes and lemonade at the park, never imagining that hobby would one day become my career. A pivotal moment came at age 11, when I decorated a cake for a church fundraiser with the help of a family friend. That spark stayed with me, even as life got busy and my family moved frequently across the country. Read more>>

Jackie Hendrickson

It seemed like a natural choice for me to study nutrition when I started college at Utah State University. To be honest, I thought I already knew most of what I would learn in my university studies. I was already rigid with the quality of food that I put into my body and assumed I would just learn more about what additional foods I should exclude. I believed that the smaller my body was, the better I was going to perform, and put a lot of time and effort into restricting my diet to “just the essentials.” I knew I needed to give my body some fuel, but was more worried about not giving it too much than I ought to have been. Read more>>

Becky Childs

I was numb… until the last few moments of that class. I left the studio in tears wondering, “What did that teacher just do to me? How did she open me up? There is more to yoga than the poses.” Shortly after that class I began my yoga journey and enrolled in my first yoga teacher training. A year after graduating I started hosting Yoga Retreats. 3 years later I started assisting in yoga teacher trainings. 4 years later I co-created a manual with a dear friend and we started SHINE Yoga School. Yoga taught me how to slow down. When I slowed down, I could hear and feel God so easily. Everything was more clear. I wanted to share that knowledge with anyone that would listen Read more>>

Tiffani Haslam-Ramirez

Despite my passion for social work, I always dreamed of owning my own business and wanted to still be creative. Balancing school and work was challenging, but the idea for an earring business sparked my creativity. I dove into research, designing, and brainstorming, and eventually launched my Etsy shop. Although I work full-time and have limited time to invest in my business, I’ve seen tremendous growth over the past year. I couldn’t be more thrilled to own something I created. Being a business owner is incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for my business! Read more>>

Tarik Saran

But the first few years were crucial, I was putting in 80 hour work weeks for over 3 years straight just trying to speed up my learning curve and become profitable. I managed To squeeze 6 years of work in only 3 years and finally saw a light at the end of a very dark and tunnel. Read more>>

Brittney Orton

We had our scary moments being airlifted to primary children’s and three surgeries before she turned one but overall, we were so in love that none of that even mattered. Kloe started living life and being a kid like everyone else but we realized that so many kids didn’t know anything about other kids with disabilities and that made them scared and mean. Even teachers who didn’t understand Kloe were afraid to teach her. Time and time again I would have my feelings hurt by the way situations were handle or by kids being mean that I decided that it was time to take a stand and do everything I could to teach kids and adults to be kind. This is where the whole idea of the book was born. Read more>>

The Salt Mine Ownership Team

Navigating partnership relationships has been an essential part of our journey. We’ve been incredibly lucky to work with such amazing previous owners, each of whom contributed to the studio’s growth in unique ways. With the current ownership team—Katie, Ann, and Mel—we prioritize open communication and trust, ensuring we show up as better for one another and the business. Read more>>

VAL ACOSTA

As a teenager, one of my deepest struggles was feeling lost, alone, and without purpose. I looked around and saw little inspiration in my peers or surroundings. Yet, something within me—a quiet curiosity and intuition—kept whispering that life had to be more than the superficial and material. I craved depth, meaning, and a sense of spirituality. In those darkest moments, my most faithful companions were music and art. Read more>>