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.

David Murphy

My whole story is in my book “Believe Your Heart”… self published in august, 2021. It concerns the power of achieving your dreams by believing your heart for to power and faith to do so, but also by aligning your brain and to be in synch with that!! Music is an integral part of my life since I was born. Started piano age 4 1/2… drums took over about age 10. Love to perform and share my passion of music through teaching others all my life. My dream of having my own music studio … Wasatch music Coaching Academy.. was checked in 2003. Read more>>

Lulu Wolfgramm

In her visionary spirit, she invited me to join her in building something special: KavaLakeCity Day. In 2024, we hosted the largest and most diverse gathering in its history, bringing together over 1,400 people. It was a vibrant celebration of culture, relationships, and unity. From that powerful experience, we knew we wanted to do more. Read more>>

Madison VanKomen

This was something that came naturally to me. At one point, it got so bad with the salon owner, I was almost not able to complete my apprenticeship. I sucked it up, conformed to what she wanted and was able to finish. I continued to work there after as a nail technician and the owner and I would continue to bump heads. This was a vulnerable time for me, I was in my mid twenties just trying to find who I was in the world. Trying to find my purpose. I wasn’t the perfect person, but this owner made it very hard for me.  Read more>>

Kat Hawley Cook

Sometimes we make mistakes: early on, I had a dream of creating a dress with a sheer sleeve that still provides shoulder coverage. I worked with our manufacturer, but the design ended up a little funky, making the mobility in the arm not as smooth as I would have preferred. Buying a whole order of defective dresses hurts really bad, especially as a small business with tight funds! But we learned a lot and have processes in place going forward that will hopefully prevent these types of mistakes going forward. Read more>>

Morgan Ann

He reassured me that this was going be perfect and that I could find some creative ways to cover them up. We spent all of May, June and July making that space our own, putting all of our extra time and money into it. Each room has a different theme, has a different color paint, has a different vibe. He had set up the back office all of the scheduling system website anything that I needed to have my own business up and running ready to go! Read more>>

Rylan Cushing

As a little kid, several decades ago, I became obsessed with cars. I was always pointing them out to my parents or anyone who would listen. I then got into HotWheels and collected them. As I got older I got posters of cars and realized that someone took that photo and that it was my dream to do what they do. I wanted to get up close and personal with supercars and works of art of all kinds and capture them. Eventually I was able to do just that! Read more>>

Teresa Taylor

Then in October of 2023 I completed my Level 2 Master Health Coaching Certification to even further help more people have a healthier lifestyle. Read more>>

Annie Howard

At that time, I had been a PT for 8 years and I was not getting better following traditional physical therapy treatment. I delved into research and continuing education learning how to treat concussion symptoms. After learning about the emerging concept of integrating the visual, vestibular, autonomic, and cognitive systems together I decided to give this approach a try. After only two weeks of PT, I was amazed at how my recovery turned a corner. I noticed improvement in all of my symptoms and within a couple of months my symptoms had resolved. Read more>>

Alan Blakely

I began my photography career as a teenager in the 1970’s when I landed a job as a photojournalist with my hometown newspaper. I eventually became a professional photographer through persistent personal effort, and through the mentorship of a few generous professionals. My formal education is in advertising communications, with a degree from Brigham Young University. My interest in photography has always been on the commercial side, and I’ve only ever worked for commercial clients. Read more>>

Michael Laughlin

In 2011 I was with my girlfriend of 4 years. We lived on Dog lake north of kingston. I was firefighting and we owned a yoga studio as Jen was a well known yoga instructor in Kingston. I went out to celebrate my birthday on Jan 9th and came home the next morning to find Jen had taken her life on the couch. My world was destroyed. I had struggled with pain killers since the 2007 after the accident and after this happened I went into depression and addiction to the point I was arrested for buying pills. I was at rock bottom and had to rebuild myself and my life and I did with the help of my family and friends. Read more>>

Shelley Samuel

One of the most challenging parts for Sharon and me was stepping into ownership as new business owners who weren’t massage therapists ourselves. We had to learn an entirely new language—understanding not only the techniques and terminology of massage, but also how therapists approach their work, what they need to thrive, and how they feel both physically and emotionally in their roles. Read more>>

Ryan Stream

I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be a motivational speaker, bestselling author, or a war veteran with music awards and a mic in my hand. I slept in homeless shelters and bounced between foster homes before being adopted and raised in Utah. Life hit early. I made choices that nearly buried me. Drugs. Jail. Homelessness as a young adult. I’ve stared at the ceiling of a jail cell wondering if I even deserved a comeback. Read more>>

Nicole Woodbury

I was naturally drawn to art classes and took them from Middle School into AP Art in High School. I attended BYU and started out applying to the Graphic Design Program. While attending a Study Abroad to Italy, I discovered my true passion lay in creating sculpture so I switched my major, earning a BFA in 3D Studio Art. After graduation, I was determined to keep making art and began creating work in thread and ceramics, specifically carving forms of bone marrow into porcelain. It was then that I had my first child. I now live in North Salt Lake with my husband and 5 children where I continue to make art during a few but dedicated hours of the week. Read more>>

Thurmond Dressen

Our two sons, Denym (10) and Harry (8), have always been collectors at heart—Denym is obsessed with LEGO, and Harry is deep into the Pokémon trading card game. Over the years, our basement filled with cards, bricks, and collectibles. So when a storefront became available, we saw the perfect chance to turn our hobby into something more—something that could also give our boys real-world experience in running a business centered around what they love. Read more>>

Dave Koch

But I’ve always been drawn to aviation. There’s something about the shape of a wing, the symmetry of a cockpit, the play of light against fuselage curves—that’s always spoken to me. So, branching into aircraft photography wasn’t a business pivot as much as it was a return to something I’ve loved since childhood. I launched AeroMedia to bring high-end visual production to aviation—starting with stills, then expanding into video, 3D tours, and full-scale branding campaigns. Read more>>

Sydney Smith

My name is Sydney, and I’m a 23-year-old social media strategist based in Salt Lake City. Creativity and entrepreneurship have always been part of who I am. When I was 10, I passed out flyers offering to pick up dog poop in my neighborhood, just so I could earn enough money to buy a ticket to a Justin Bieber concert. That mix of scrappy energy and self-starting never really left. I started working in digital marketing at 15, designing graphics for a small business I worked at. I later earned my degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Utah, graduating in December 2023. Although I never expected to run my own business, the seeds were definitely there. Read more>>

The Young OG Perspective

Founded in 2019 by CEO Alonzo Oliver, co-founder Londo Rueda, and Head of Photography Miguel Sanchez, The Young OG Perspective began with a shared passion for men’s fashion, crafted cocktails, and cigars. Their weekly content shoots naturally evolved into high-level conversations, leading to the launch of The Young OG Perspective podcast. Read more>>

Samantha Mosier

Walking For Gold Charity Fashion Show started out in 2019. I was determined to do a fashion show and give back to the community, so I stumbled across Millie’s Princess Foundation Instagram page that was a family who lost their beloved daughter due to cancer. And I thought, “I will partner up with them”. So I did, and I have put on a show in 2019, 2020 (COVID, everything was shut down), 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2025 – my best friend and decided to part ways with Millie’s Princess Foundation and make Walking For Gold a nonprofit organization who chooses a warrior every year to sponsor/host and give back to a cancer child in need of our financial support. Read more>>

Eliza Hisham

The transition has been remarkable in so many ways. Coming from a tropical country to Utah’s mountainous terrain was initially challenging, but it opened up a whole new world for us. We’ve fallen in love with hiking and even tried skiing – activities we never imagined ourselves doing back home! Some of our most memorable adventures include tackling the Angels Landing and the Grand Canyon, which were honestly quite intimidating. Read more>>

Blaire Isleib

The boutique was made for the fashion of the forward girl looking to find all the latest styles and trends. By offering over a hundred different brands from across the globe, Flights brings individuality and cutting-edge designs to their customers. They have created in-store concept and aesthetics that matches the beauty of the clothes. The main goal is to offer their customers high-end brands, a range of quality options, all at an extremely good price. They’ve even evolved to offer a range of children’s clothing, accessories, and gifts. Read more>>

Oreta Masina Mapu-Tupola

I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii raised in the small town of Laie on the island of Oahu. My journey in life has involved a rich and blessed upbringing from maternal and paternal grandparents who joined the Marine Corps and the Army in search of a better life for their posterity. I was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my parents divorced when I was in the 9th grade, and both remarried. I am the eldest child of 3, and altogether have 7 siblings. Read more>>

Lance Amillion Lavizzo

sits down with a true force in the world of music, sports, and fashion. As the CEO of Hard-N-Paint Basketball, he’s made a lasting impact on and off the court. But his talents don’t stop there. He’s also a gifted musician, singer, and songwriter, blending his passion for creativity and competition into everything he does. Whether he’s cooking up in the studio or leading his team to victory, he brings energy, vision, and a relentless drive. It’s an honor to welcome the dynamic Read more>>

Juniper Rose

It wasn’t until I began practicing witchcraft in 2017 that I started to open back up to my abilities again. I picked up my first tarot deck, and started reading for myself and close friends—and fell in love. I began doing tarot readings as a side gig outside of a vintage shop in Sugar House four years ago, and shortly after that I got my Reiki Master certification. I am now blessed to be doing what I love full time in my own space above Kahve Cafe, where I offer Tarot readings, mediumship, spell work, and Reiki energy healing. Read more>>

Ginny Hansen

My 11th grade year is school was very foundational as I learned how to actually take pictures in my beginner photography class. My photography teacher was a role model to me and he taught me and gave me many opportunities to grow in my abilities as a photographer but also a creative. Today I am still on my journey to discover my full role as a creative but I have been enjoying the photography shoots that come my way, as well as shooting video for a local high school boys soccer team. I am excited to see where I go in the future! Read more>>

Justin Leader

I started in my living room in april 2016. I started the business on accident. I owned a nutrition supplement company. I had tried a few different apparel and promo products companies. I experienced missed deadlines or things getting damaged during the process. So I decided to try it for myself. People started asking who does your stuff, and I replied I do. After that I started building this business. I remodeled my garage in sept that year to make room for my first wide format printer. I hired my first employee June of 2018. We moved into our first commercial spot in september 2018. Our main facility in 2020. We are now in 3 different buildings for different departments. Read more>>

Brandy Fowers

How we started. Our family’s farm started a long time ago. We got married in 1996 and went on our own. Our main crop is onions, on average we have about 60-70 acres. We crop rotate with wheat and corn. We farmed in Hooper Utah until selling and buying close to 265 acres in Box Elder County in 2007. We own another company and we were looking for an office in Davis and Weber counties. Read more>>