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.

Wesley Spargo

Then the upfront cost of all of the equipment you need is substantial. In addition for me personally, I graduated PT school in Australia and the process to get your license transferred from another country over to the USA in order to practice is incredibly challenging and took almost three years to successfully complete. Only then could I start working/building my business. Read more>>

Tara Hamblin

Then, in 2006 he took the giant leap and opened his location that was open to the public. Since then Larsen Digital has grown and added many additional services and employees. Brent’s daughter Tara now runs the companies operations in Pleasant View, Utah. We pride ourselves on being locally owned and operated and for having superior services. Read more>>

Bruce Fallon

I started to question my ability to become an architect and started thinking about alternative career paths. I took a 24 month break from school that gave me a chance to consider this list and by the time I returned home and went back to school, I was back on track to follow my original interest in architecture. Read more>>

Kinsley Kearl

As a teenager and young adult I faced challenges with my mental health and felt a disconnect between my mind and body. I felt distant from the person I wanted to be and often dissociated, unable to be with my own thoughts or feelings. During that time a neighbor and friend offered me massage therapy; her care was incredibly healing. Read more>>

Jacob Hill

I am the owner of Utah’s Premier Workers Compensation Law firm. I have been managing the legal & business operations for 15 years and have owned the law firm for 5. I am married with 6 children. My two oldest are twins who are currently serving LDS missions in Peru & Cote d’Ivoire. I grew up with a father who was Active Duty US Army. Read more>>

Haley Lewis

My journey with Share Parents of Utah began the day I lost my daughter, Astrid. She was a twin, and at 16 weeks gestation we learned she had a rare and fatal chromosomal condition called Triploidy. Astrid passed at 26 weeks, and both she and her twin were delivered together at 37 weeks. Holding her—tiny, still, and beautiful—was a moment that forever reshaped my life. Read more>>

Tommy Childs

My journey started on the auspicious day I realized that I would rather make a career of helping people and get paid to do it than fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a wealthy accountant whose happiness derived from an ever-increasing bank account. Read more>>

Sidsie Rubow

As a young kid, my parents intentionally exposed me to classical music and I remember falling in love with classics like Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Moonlight Sonata. I began playing tunes by ear on the piano that I heard in church and other places when I was 4 or 5 and my mom started teaching me piano around 6 or 7. Read more>>

IDANIA HANSGEN

I was born in Peru. in 2013 my Yoga journey began. I had a deep inner calling to heal and to reconnect with the spirit. A sacred sound became my medicine. Read more>>

Tyler Anderson

A few years ago, my dad needed a shed for his backyard, but none of the local companies in southern Utah offered an option that could be fully built on-site in a tight space.  Read more>>

Gracie Findley

I started as a princess around 4 years ago right around the time I was graduating high school: For the first couple of months I would only do meet and greets or photo ops because I wasn’t confident enough in my singing abilities. I was able to get over my shyness and started doing parties and absolutely loved it. Read more>>

Denise Cartwright

I’m a Master Esthetician and the founder of CRUDE Personal Care—a microbiome-friendly, soap-free skincare line I started back in 2014 after an experiment with oil cleansing cleared my own acne breakouts, and then my clients’. I began offering oil-cleansing facials out of my apartment, and the results were so transformative that word spread quickly. Read more>>

Cybil Prideaux

I’m a certified Pilates instructor, a lifelong fitness enthusiast, and the owner of Pilates-Elevate Wellness Studio. My journey began in Texas, continued through many fulfilling years in Colorado, and brought me to Utah in 2007. Along the way, I’ve cultivated a love for movement, nature, and creativity — whether it’s hiking, skiing, yoga, painting, or meditating. Read more>>

Jennifer Dettore

My work didn’t begin as a career path — it began as a lived initiation. After getting my degree in Applied Behavioral Science, I had two kids, chose to stay home and raise them, but over the years, life handed me a series of experiences that shattered old identities and assumptions about who I was supposed to be. Read more>>

Dillon Meehan

I spent 18 years in Aerospace manufacturing as an operations manager. It got to a point where I didn’t love what I was doing anymore and needed a change. I owned a couple small business in the past but always loved working with equipment and creating beautiful landscapes so I started grading yards on the side after work. Read more>>

Remi Prince

I grew up in Taylorsville, Utah, right in the heart of the Granite School District. My early experiences shaped a lot of who I am today. I was always curious and very drawn to community, people, and the idea that small actions could create meaningful change. That carried into college, where I pursued degrees in Business Administration and International Studies. Read more>>

Jennifer Tutor

Indigo Highway is a Modern General Store consciously curated for the Mountain + Desert Lifestyle. We are proud to stock and support over 100 indie-brands and artists creating everyday luxuries. The mission behind the name Indigo Highway – when we look at the blue skies above and the blue waters below, they encompass the Indigo Highway in our mind. Read more>>

Alicia Gubler

I kind of stumbled into Foot Zone Therapy about eleven years ago. At the time, I was fully invested in my career working with at-risk youth and wasn’t looking to change paths at all. My sister-in-law had certified in Foot Zoning years before and eventually became a teacher, and one day while I was spending time with my brother, the topic randomly came up. Read more>>

Lindsay Huss

I am a lifelong artist. I have been creating since I’ve been able to hold the tools to make art. Luckily, my family supported this from the start and I was provided with materials throughout my childhood. I excelled in the arts throughout junior high and high school, earning numerous awards. Read more>>

Kevin Roberts

The idea really began around 2009–2010. My mom, who is an avid gardener and a Master Gardener, wanted a greenhouse of her own. After researching different options, she found plans for a Quonset-style hoop house and built a 24×24-foot structure in our yard. Read more>>

Lisa Goff

I discovered yoga in my early twenties as a way to manage scoliosis and chronic back pain. I quickly found that I felt better physically and emotionally. Over the years my love of yoga grew as I became a teacher and then a yoga therapist. I opened a small studio and started working one-on-one with clients who struggled with chronic pain. Read more>>

Ed Bills

My journey to becoming the COO of PDCflow has been defined by a passion for solving complex problems through technology—specifically in industries where the stakes are high. I started my career deep in the trenches of software development and product leadership within the legal sector. Read more>>

Shelby Barlow

I’ve always had a huge love for travel. I know planning a trip can feel stressful and expensive, especially for people who didn’t grow up traveling. My husband is one of those people, he’s more conservative about travel because, in his mind, it was always something “for later in life” or simply out of budget. Read more>>

Dallas Bailey

Started in real estate in 2012 helping my dad list rentals on KSL.com Joined the army shortly after. Came back home and Went to school at USU for a degree in business. Ended up building a home during Covid and a self storage facility in salt lake. I decided it was time to get my real estate license. Storage was complete December of 2022. Read more>>

Ellen Brown

I began my nursing journey over 25 years ago as a CNA. At the time, my marriage fell apart, and I became a homeless single mother of four, balancing work and kids while attending nursing school. Throughout my career, I have worked on medical-surgical floors, the ER, trauma units, and intensive care units. Read more>>

Brianne Taggart

My journey into this work started the way many great ones do — as a mom. Breastfeeding my own babies lit a spark in me that changed everything. That spark led me to becoming an IBCLC Lactation Consultant while working in a local hospital as a Registered Nurse. In 2020, my world flipped upside down. Read more>>

Sandy Hancock

I am a passionate advocate for health, fitness, and longevity, dedicated to helping women over 40 regain their strength, energy, and confidence. My journey into fitness wasn’t just about aesthetics—it was about taking control of my body, my health, and my future. I grew up on a family farm, surrounded by hard work, wholesome food, and a deep respect for health and wellness. Read more>>

Morgan Richards

I grew up on a farm, which meant learning early the value of hard work, responsibility, and doing things the right way the first time. I’ve always had an artistic side, and dentistry stood out because it allowed me to work with my hands, use creativity, and still stay rooted in the sciences. Read more>>

Robert Judd

My father was looking for a relative. Stopped to ask for directions. Found out the business was for sale. Two weeks later we moved from Reno Nevada. That was in 1979. I went school for aquaculture at the college of southern Idaho. I started managing the farm in 1994. Read more>>

Jourdan Biesinger

The story of Adrenaline Murals began in 2016 with a Mother’s Day gift. “Mom, you don’t use your artistic talent enough, so I signed us up as artists at the annual Chalk Art Festival downtown! It’ll be a fun way to spend time together.” We recruited a couple of talented relatives to join us and Team Chalk’N’Awe was born. Read more>>

Darrell Cowlishaw

The journey of working on cars started when my own vehicle had an issue. It just grew and took over from that moment. Now I help customers fix and diagnose their vehicles on a daily basis. Learned a lot and of course made mistakes on my journey. As long as you learn from them that’s all that matters Read more>>

Toni Sicola

The story begins with a succulent obsession in Alameda, California and ends with a multi-service weddings and events operation in Moab, UT. Back in 2017, I knew I was burnt on corporate life, but I didn’t know what was next. I quit my job with four ideas for how to make money. Becoming a wedding florist wasn’t one of them. Read more>>

Elani (Mehkai Jones)

Man… I would say I got my first start into music through my family. I grew up not only in church where my family carried a lot of the music aspect but also in a home full of art consumers. Early on I had such a diverse music palette; ranging from 90’s R&B, gospel, Uk Garage, Indie Hip-Hop and so much more. Read more>>

Annette Sonnenburg

I was a single mom for most of 15 years living in the Seattle area. I had two kids and didn’t receive any financial support, so I had to figure out how to pay the high expenses of childcare so we could survive. Read more>>

Bill Kerig

The dinner party question—So, Bill, what do you do?—often guarantees that I will be left alone. I’m a start-up specialist, I say, and then attempt to fill in the blanks: I create things where none existed before, build teams, bring products to market, get them going, and then hand off. Uh huh. A furtive glance. I make films, write books, and create startups. Read more>>

Shane Baldwin

From a young age, I’ve been passionate about gardening. In 2003, I was a seasonal ski instructor in the winter, and landscaping provided the perfect complement for the rest of the year. I began with a traditional landscape company in SLC, then transitioned to a water-wise business specializing in Xeriscaping. After about 10 years, I decided to launch my own company. Read more>>

Janell Torres

Maybe I’ve always been drawn to roles that allow me to support others, maybe you could say it all started with years of being ‘Voluntold’ by my mother, an educator at a small school in Colorado, to participate in more community events, fundraisers, and workdays than I can count growing up. Read more>>

Colton Shuflin

I started metal fabrication at the age of 14 in my dad’s shop in Heber city Utah, over the course of 12 years I spend numerous hours of time and dedication to make sure everything I built was a work of art, I believe it is possible to have perfection with the right implementation Read more>>

Sam Burnett

My journey into becoming a healer started in 2015. At the time I was competitively weightlifting at Weber State and working on a degree in Exercise & Sports Science. I received my first massage and was blown away, it was like a lightbulb moment for me. Read more>>

Ashley Michaelis

We started flipping homes in 2016 on the East Bench in Salt Lake City, documenting our journey along the way. We love the midcentury gems often found in that area—many of which have had only one owner since the 60’s/70’s and have been well loved over the years. The ones with pink tile, wood wall panels, and lots of natural light. Read more>>

Christian Chase

My Father got our Buisness from a family friend and I wanted to help in that Buisness and now I am working with my father in our family Buisness. Read more>>

David Evans

2005 Christmas Eve. I was a young father of six boys and one girl. I had been busy all month working early morning to late at night to provide for our family. I had waited way too long to get our Christmas tree. It’s now the night before Christmas and I dash over to a local tree lot. To my surprise they were open. Read more>>

Laura Blum

90% of deaf children are born to hearing families, who have no prior experience with hearing loss or sign language. Sadly, less than 30% of these families will learn ASL. I saw this communication breakdown when I was young. You see, my family moved to Maryland, and I started attending a school with a magnet program for Deaf Education near Gallaudet University. Read more>>

Manuela De Matos Alves Coelho

I am a southern Brazilian citizen from Curitiba, Paraná who wishes to build my students’ confidence in order to encourage them to become future educators. Read more>>

Hazel Sage

I got into entrepreneurship when I was still attending college at the University of Utah. I was and still am an ideas person, as many entrepreneurs are. But one thing I realized quickly is there are so many nuanced obstacles business owners face alone. Structure, systems, failures and I realized we don’t have coworkers to turn to who understand… The only people who understand are… Read more>>

Scott Glenn

I’ve always been drawn to books and to the communities that form around them. I grew up moving between states, and books became the most reliable place to find a sense of belonging. After college and an MBA from BYU, my career took me through a mix of entrepreneurial and operational roles—launching products, leading teams, and helping small companies grow. Read more>>