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.

Kimberly Parry

That realization led me to coaching and, eventually, to personal styling. At first, those seemed like separate worlds, but I quickly found that combining personal development coaching with style education allowed my clients to reconnect with themselves and develop true, lasting confidence, inside and out. Read more>>

Clara Lieu

I was very lucky that I had an elementary school art teacher who was incredibly enthusiastic about my artistic progress. She came to my elementary school in fourth grade, after a string of art teachers who only stayed one year. She selected me to participate in an all-city art class, where students from every school in the city came together to work on advanced projects. I remember being absolutely silent during my regular art classes at my school, while my classmates were often socializing loudly around me. That was one hour of the week that I waited for every week. Read more>>

Kail Limb

The next year I wanted to start a little jazz combo to keep me playing, we added people until eventually we ended up with a full sized big band. The Odyssey is my truest passion project, I love that I get to hang out with my friends and create awesome music at the same time. I credit my friends for their support and willingness to come together and take a risk with me. Now, the Odyssey is thriving, we’ve had some times to find our bearings and I think we’re headed in a good direction. Read more>>

Marci Welcker

Self-care has always been important to me, and one of the things I did regularly was get facials. My esthetician was a solo practitioner working out of her home, and one day, as I lay on her table, a thought struck me—I would love to do this for women. Within a month, I had quit my job, enrolled in esthetics school, and started planning a small spa on our property. Thankfully, my husband—after a little hesitation—fully supported me in making this leap. Read more>>

Jande Laulu

I started my business over 15 years ago with a simple goal: to create art that made people feel good and helped support my family. At the time, I was a mom trying to balance life with my son, Cipher, who is autistic. I wanted to build something that allowed me to stay home, focus on my art, and have the flexibility to be there for him every day. I began selling my illustrations on Etsy, and it took off from there. As I improved my craft, I expanded to platforms like Jane.com, MakerPlace by Michaels, my own website on shopify, and print-on-demand site. About six years ago, I started offering custom birth flower prints, and that really opened new opportunities and sales for me. Read more>>

Alissa McConkie

I’ve always been drawn to photography. I got my first camera in elementary school and couldn’t put it down since. I would take pictures of everything and anything. I was the yearbook photographer, took every photography class I could, and took every opportunity to take pictures. At 18 right after I graduated high school I had my son. I quickly became a single mom and stepped back from photography. I would work the 14-18 hour shifts to make sure I could provide for my son as I was doing it without his dad being involved. My family stepped up more than I could ever imagine.  Read more>>

Autumn Pixton

At the same time, I was newly married and casually learning about real estate in preparation for buying a home someday. On a whim, I signed up for a real estate course at the local college—and it completely shifted my perspective. I heard from Realtors who had built their own businesses, created flexibility in their lives, and found fulfillment in helping others. I’d always dreamed of being my own boss, and suddenly, this path felt possible. Read more>>

Chase Kemp

I got the sense of there being more out there for me to discover. Eventually I had to seek answers myself, a taboo in a Christian upbringing. Around the age of 13, I began to distance myself from the religion of my family and ancestors; much to the dismay of my entire family. I remember reading Plato’s allegory of the cave around this time, and funny enough, my own personal story started to reflect that same journey. I still kept my fascination with nature, and my ‘temple’ became the forests and mountains. Read more>>

Ty Brady

I grew up with eight sisters and two brothers, and I was third to the youngest. My parents always did a great job of providing the necessary things to grow up food & roof over my head, etc.. I knew that if I wanted anything other then a roof over my head and food in my mouth, then I would have to go to work and provide for myself. I started out working hard at a young age from selling candy on the street lemonade stands, mowing lawns picking up trash anything that I could do to provide money in my pocket, so I could get the things that my buddies had like video games clothes, etc. I graduated from high school as a junior and went straight into college. By the age of 18. I had my associates degree when my other buddies were still finishing up high school. I went on to finish my bachelors degree and applied science an industrial design. Read more>>

DeadxLonely

I got started from listening to artists like NF, Logic, Kendrick Lamar and even OGs like Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. I was very drawn to writing lyrics and putting my emotions down onto the pad from a very young age. I had all these little composition notebooks I’d write my rhymes in for the longest time because I never had a smart phone to do so. I’d even use my mp3 player to listen to instrumentals that I’d downloaded off the internet (Legally I should add lmao). Though, it really feels like I’m just now stepping into this industry and seeing all the sides of it. I gotta say I’m excited as hell to see where it takes me and my team because I just want to create something that the fans will love, and my bank account will appreciate. Read more>>

Jessie Jackson

We first stepped into the wedding world as photographers about eight years ago. Jessie’s story actually started much earlier. In high school, photography was just a hobby for her. Around the time we got married 14 years ago, we received a random email from our own wedding photographer asking if Jessie would join his team of associate photographers. He said she had the right personality and that he could train her. Jessie immediately replied, “Yes!” and was so excited, only to find out he had accidentally emailed the wrong Jessie! Even so, he was curious about her work, so she started sending him photos from time to time. Eventually, he invited her onto his team, and that’s where it all began. Read more>>

Kimberley Rivers

Shortly after that, my business quickly grew much larger and faster than I ever anticipated. Themed cakes were my focus when I first started. Although I had always been drawn to tall elegant wedding cakes and I had wondered if I would ever be good enough to make them. I finally got my chance to make my first wedding cake for a family wedding. Again, it was a huge learning curve; however, after that I knew there was no going back. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Wedding cakes are what I’m most passionate about. I love creating something so elegant and beautiful all completely from scratch with my own two hands. Read more>>

Derek Cruz

There’s been a huge learning curve from day one of trying to start my own business. I don’t have a business background so I’ve had to put in a lot of time researching the steps I needed to take to make it work. Trying to figure out my workflow, manage orders, and identifying my “bottlenecks” in the business are just a few of the obstacles I’ve had to navigate. Read more>>

Schubert Junior

The first step was simple: ordering from friends’ homes. The open-faced esfihas quickly became a favorite thanks to our secret dough recipe and the use of premium, hand-selected ingredients. Demand grew rapidly, and eventually the kitchen could no longer handle them. It was necessary to expand to a dedicated location, where people could conveniently place their orders and take them home to share with friends and family. Read more>>

Carey Ofahengaue

I wanted to create something simple, just like Hawaii: fresh poke and rice, no cooking, nothing extra. I came up with the concept, the name, and the logo. Conveniently, I already had a space in Provo from a previous business that hadn’t survived COVID, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. All I needed was my sister, Summer, to come up with the recipes. Much to her dismay, she did and Savage Fish was born in December 2020! Read more>>

Breanna Heath

Now, while raising my two little ones and working toward my nursing degree, I balance beauty as my side hustle. My dream is to one day open a beauty and aesthetics spa that combines all aspects of beauty and wellness. Most importantly, I hope my story shows other young moms that you can still chase your dreams while being the best mom you can be. Read more>>

Samuel Estrella

Like so many others, my journey began during the uncertainty of Covid. I was laid off from my corporate job, and it was a turning point for me. What I had once considered “security” no longer felt secure. I realized that I wanted something different, something that would allow me to build a future on my own terms. Read more>>

Leslie Jara

After many years of self training, my work was put to the test when I tried out for the Drill Team at Granger High School. For four years I competed with my fellow Excaliburs and even led them through their competition season as President of the team my senior year. Alongside Drill, I was also on my school’s Dance Company, Track and Field, DECA, HOSA, Scholar’s Pathway and FBLA holding a leadership position in each group. My natural born leadership has taught me a lot about helping those around me succeed all while fighting for my own dream. Read more>>

Hamilton Pevec

When I stepped into the mushroom industry back in the U.S., I hit another set of hurdles. Working with big mushroom supplement brands showed me just how much misinformation and marketing spin dominated the space. It was frustrating to see consumers paying for products that weren’t what they claimed to be. Deciding to start my own company meant pushing against that tide, building everything from scratch while insisting on transparency and quality. Read more>>

Carollyne B. Carmichel

That small idea quickly gained altitude. Pilots began reaching out, eager to list their homes, and I realized this could grow into a tool that serves every pilot and their family. Our short-term rental platform, that handles all of our needs when we fly our airplanes, was created–and the rest is history. Fly-Inn officially launched with the mission to connect pilots worldwide through a lifestyle of travel, camaraderie, and shared experiences. Read more>>

Gina Baker

What there is of an autism rule book did not work or we had many ‘treatment’ doors slammed in our faces. Originally I was a person that led a well orchestrated life of textbook success.. I was an honor roll student, a triple athlete in high school, I gave my final masters in nursing informatics presentation the day before they induced his labor. I had been able to travel the states as well as the world and was on my way to a successful career. Read more>>

Craig Primas

As a respite between working professionally as a civil engineer and raising a family, my passion for fine art photography grew. While still operating my own enginerring company, I turned my photography into a second profession in 1996, being hired by a hotel developer to provide photographic artwork for a large hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. Once our kids were grown and out on their own, I decided to “semi-retire” from engineering, close our offices, and turned to fine art photography full time, which I continue with a passion today. Read more>>

Valeria Macias

My love for fitness started with me needing a hobby after I stopped competitive cheer and dance at fifteen. It was not something I immediately loved, I just did it because my mom always stressed the importance of us being active. My brother taught me the basics and encouraged me to stay consistent. After a couple of months I saw the benefits. I was less worried about what my body looked like and was more interested on what I could achieve physically. Strength training helped me be more confident as I was always very insecure about my weight and physical appearance. Read more>>

Savannah Reed

CR Equine was founded by my boyfriend, Caleb Rubio, whose ideas and vision started it all. What began as his business has grown into two main branches — CR Equine Custom Leather, which I run, and CR Equine Farrier Services, which Caleb leads. Caleb taught me leatherwork over a year ago, and I’ve been crafting high-quality, custom pieces ever since, while also helping him with every other part of the business. Our shared goal is to eventually expand into a full training and breeding facility, raising quality horses and helping riders succeed. Everything we do is built on Caleb’s original vision, our combined hard work, and our shared love for the equine world. Read more>>

Steffanie Anderson

The thing no one tells you when you open a business is that living the dream is HARD! Sleepless nights, texts at 11pm, COVID! But staying focussed on helping the ONE fills our lives free of regret. Sure we need to make money to keep changing lives for the better, but there is so much satisfaction in being surrounded by people who’s quality of life is improving because of what you’re doing, in part. Read more>>