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.

Mary Bevins

It definitely wasn’t a straight line. I became a mom in my early twenties, and for several years my priority was being a stay-at-home parent. I’m incredibly grateful I had that time. While my daughter was young, I still took on small remote and part-time roles when I could. It helped me stay mentally engaged, continue learning, and contribute financially in a modest way, even though my main focus was raising her. Read more>>

Sara Vaz

Even as a kid, I’ve always been interested in careers and owning a business. At first, I dreamed of becoming a screenwriter and winning an Oscar in middle school and then helping patients as an anesthesiologist in high school. But after more thought, I realized my creative skills would ultimately land me in my dream career. Read more>>

Jacob Webb

I got started working in a cabinet shop during my senior year of High School at Kerksiek Wood Design, building cabinetry. When it was time for me to go to college, the owner, David, taught me how to design cabinets and allowed me to work remotely while at BYU. Read more>>

Steve and Dan Tuttle and Duncan

We are avid travelers who have visited over 55 countries. When market conditions and regulatory changes led us to shut down our title insurance agency, we decided to follow our passion and open a travel agency. We love sharing our enthusiasm for travel with our clients and helping them explore the world with their family and friends. Read more>>

Caleb Loveless

I started young with music, before I had any sense of what a career in it might look like. Back in the 90s, I was already making full albums on DAWs that don’t even exist anymore. I wasn’t thinking about releases or audiences. I was just chasing a feeling. I’d write songs, record them, bounce mixes, listen back, and then try again. Read more>>

Kent Lloyd

I’ve been a stunt coordinator for coming up on 17 years. Read more>>

Joana Vargas

I am the youngest of four siblings, and I grew up in Costa Rica in a home where things were often tight. My mother was a single parent doing her best to support us, and while she always encouraged my love for movement, formal ballet lessons were not something our family could afford. Dance, however, found its way into my life anyway. Read more>>

Daria Austin

The Mold Mutts was born from something deeply personal. I have always believed that true health comes from addressing the root cause of a problem—not just treating symptoms and hoping they go away. That belief shaped how I live, how I think, and eventually, how I built this business. But it wasn’t until mold entered my own home that everything truly clicked. Read more>>

Whitney Anderson

Evo Training Center was born out of necessity. In Cache Valley, where long winters and heavy snow limit outdoor activity, youth athletes were being stifled by a lack of affordable indoor training space. What began as a shared frustration turned into a bold vision. Read more>>

Mayra Navarro

I started Redstone Construction with the goal of creating steady, meaningful work for my husband and my brother, and building something we could grow together as a family. What began as taking on small projects and figuring things out day by day quickly turned into a shared vision built on trust, hard work, and supporting one another. Read more>>

Rafael Justo

Our food truck started with family—specifically, the salsas passed down through generations and a deep love for chilaquiles as true comfort food. These recipes have always been part of our lives, made in home kitchens and shared around the table. We wanted to honor our ancestors by keeping those flavors alive, while making chilaquiles easy to find whenever the craving hits. Read more>>

McKenna Cleverley

I started Cleverley Created Studio after years of being the behind-the-scenes support for small businesses and women-owned brands. I was often helping people make sense of their websites, systems, and marketing when things felt heavy or confusing. Growing up around small businesses in Northern California taught me how personal building a business really is, and that perspective still guides everything I do. Read more>>

Ashlee Jewkes

I started grooming when I lived in San Diego, while my husband was on deployment. This is where the passion started! I loved working with the dogs, making them look and feel like their best selves, and really building that relationship between groomer and dog. It was my California dream, and that is where the name Cali Dream Grooming began. Read more>>

Doug Payne

A 2nd generation carpet/floor cleaner. Started when I was 10. and now almost 42 years later, have branched out to almost any floor surface except wood flooring. Read more>>

Brent’lee Williams

Our story has been quite the journey. in 2020 we started as a coffee trailer that parked outside of nomad east. in march of 2021 on the way to park at nomad we hit black ice and the trailer and the truck were totaled. Read more>>

Matt Glenn

I’m a master sculptor with over 20 years of experience bringing powerful stories to life through bronze. My journey began with a simple box of clay and a late-night idea—by morning, I had created the exact vision I imagined! From that moment on, I was hooked. That defining experience shaped the philosophy behind Big Statues’ motto: “Dream. Imagine. Read more>>

Melissa Neely

I started Redrock Pre-K Academy after more than 15 years of working in early childhood education and seeing firsthand how critical the preschool years are to a child’s long-term success. Read more>>

Jennifer Hansen

I started as a florist at the age of 19 and fell in love with design. I worked for many amazing companies in the floral industry and learned so much and took what I liked and applied it to my own company. I’ve learned how to get exposure through Photoshoots and met incredibly talented vendors. Read more>>

Rylan & Terra Peranteaux

We’ve been in business together since high school. This time around, the goal was to build something that supported our family and gave us flexibility, involvement, and long-term sustainability. We moved to Logan to attend Utah State with Rylan earning degrees in business administration and marketing, and Terra studying English. We fell in love with Cache Valley, decided to stay, and started our family here. Read more>>

Emma Langford

In 2022 I was sitting in a marketing class at BYU when I got a call that would change my life forever. It was from the director of the studio where I grew up dancing. I hadn’t had contact with her in 5 years, and to say this caught me by surprise is an understatement. Read more>>

Shane Inouye-Petersen

I was born and raised in Japan with an American parent from Idaho, so I grew up between two cultures, speaking English and attending international schools. From a young age, I always knew I wanted to build something of my own — something that served people and genuinely made their lives better. Read more>>

Alana Gordon

Some of my earliest memories are of being the kid on the playground giving advice. I was always paying attention—listening closely, noticing patterns, and trying to help people make sense of what they were feeling. Long before I had language for it, I knew I was drawn to people and their inner worlds. Read more>>

Hailey Barton

One August morning I awoke with a strong spiritual impression to become a preschool teacher, and that I needed to apply for a business license that day. I decided to follow that thought, so i applied, and started teaching a month later. Done. Easy, right? It wasn’t easy it took work. How did I begin? Read more>>

Erica Porter

I come from a sales and account management background in tech, where I gained strong insight into entrepreneurship but felt called to build something of my own. In 2021, during COVID, I launched a cleaning business focused on short-term rentals. What started with one client quickly grew through trust, referrals, and consistent quality. Read more>>

Ryan Artell

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to a creative life. I acquired an early version of Photoshop when I was young, and it completely changed my world. It fused my love of art with my curiosity for technology, and from that point on design felt less like a career choice and more like something I was meant to do. Read more>>

Victoria Hunter

My journey started in front of the camera at a young age, but it didn’t take long for me to realize I was just as drawn to what was happening behind it. Modeling and acting taught me confidence, discipline, and how to tell a story that matters. Over time, that curiosity turned into action. Read more>>

Bryan Staley

Starting a towing company had been a long time dream of mine. For many years I had found excuses about how it is too expensive to start or how I didn’t have the time to do it. In 2024 after the unexpected death of a family member it drastically changed the way I thought about everything. Read more>>

Chelsea Hartshorn

I started out thinking I would follow a fairly traditional path. I studied horticulture and assumed I’d spend my career designing landscapes for an established firm. Read more>>

Cody Chamberlain

I spent my childhood roaming the high west desert of Utah, where I developed a life-long concern and respect for the environment. Read more>>

Vincenzo Alaimo

I started my career far from Utah, but the mindset that eventually brought me here was the same one I’ve had since I was young: build things with discipline, take ownership of outcomes, and never rely on luck. My background is in health services administration and international real estate, which gave me a foundation in both operational management and long-term asset strategy. Read more>>

Lisa Vinson

Mark and I founded Vinson Inspection Services, doing business as Vinson Home Inspections, in 2002. Prior to starting the company, Mark worked as a licensed electrician, performing both commercial and residential electrical work, primarily in construction. In 1997, when we sold our home, the buyers hired a home inspector—something we hadn’t even known existed at the time. Read more>>

Phil Stevenson+

We were living in Tokyo, Japan, and planning on doing Navajo Tacos in Tokyo, when our youngest daughter, who was attending UVU, got sick. It wasn’t anything serious, but a couple of days later, my wife, Kazuyo (who is the K of K’s Kitchen), decided she wanted to do Japanese food in Provo Utah. Read more>>

Lyndsay & Michael Morger & Smith

Force Fitness opened its doors on October 1 in South Jordan, Utah, born from a passion Michael and I have shared for many years through bodybuilding and training. Fitness has played a major role in shaping our lives, and we wanted to create a space where others could experience that same sense of growth and confidence, no matter where they are starting from. Read more>>

Keoni Dellermann

I grew up in a military family, moving around the U.S. and spending a few years in Canada before settling in Utah. I fell in love with the mountains and outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. In high school, I played American football, ice hockey, wrestling, and track and field. Read more>>

Todd Johnson

I was born and raised in Sandy, UT. Attended Jordan High School. I have been an entrepreneur most of my life. I started like a lot of kids out cutting grass and doing yard work to earn a few bucks. Worked at a grocery store and a formalwear shop in high school. Read more>>

Tony Rogers

Southern Utah Tree Service is a locally-owned tree care company with deep roots in the community and more than 20 years of experience serving homeowners and businesses throughout the Southern Utah region. The business as it exists today grew from a family-oriented legacy. Read more>>

BreeAnn Allred

I first fell in love with physical therapy in high school when I took anatomy and physiology classes. I quickly learned that the typical medical fields would not be for me as I did not do well around blood.into my calling in life. Enter physical therapy. When I found this field, I knew it was the one for me. Read more>>

Bobbye Sandman

I have been a pastry chef for over 25 years, a passion I have been so fortunate to pursue. I spent 10 of those years as the lead pastry chef at Deer Valley Ski Resort, and I truly loved my experience there. I created recipes, baked delicious pastries, designed custom cakes, and shared my passion with others. Read more>>

Bre Webb

Annie Davis and I first crossed paths a little over four years ago, bonding over our shared love of boxing and the joys (and occasional chaos) of raising kids. From the start, we just clicked. There was this natural connection that quickly grew into a friendship and, eventually, a professional partnership. Read more>>

Jaeden Bohn

My brother and I started our detailing business as a small side hustle. We enjoyed cars and always kept ours immaculate. We were soon able to get business from friends and family and quickly expanded by getting local work from Facebook & Google. Fortunately, we were able to push it to full-time in about a year and a half! Read more>>

Ryan Heaton

What if emergency services couldn’t find your house at night? That question stuck with me as a teenager when I was painting curb numbers for neighbors. I wanted to make the curb numbers better, more visible and safer. I thought, what if they reflected at night like stop signs? Read more>>

Murda Classik

I started in the music journey in 2003 as a dj and I started producing recording my own music at the age of 15/16 it’s been a long road I’ve took many losses but the most valuable thing is I’ve learned countless lessons. I’ve produced for legendary names in the industry and have worked with very talented no name rising individuals. Read more>>

Sarah Swank

I was Born and Raised In Utah in a Hispanic Household of 7. When I was a senior in high school, I started a Tattoo Apprenticeship. Working a Full Time job alongside school and my apprenticeship. 2019 Tattooing has brought me more than I could have possibly imagined. As someone who’s been very passionate , creative and driven.. Being a Full time artist has been truly a dream. Read more>>

Rocky Jedick

It was during the extra year in med school pursuing my MBA that I become very intrigued with entrepreneurship and the unique problem solving required operating a business. During med school, I also applied and was granted a scholarship that would require me to serve in the USAF following graduation. Read more>>

Ashley Ciliezar

I enrolled at Paul Mitchell The School in Provo UT and graduated. I am only looking forward to what new things are coming my way. I have added new services from Brow lamination, waxing to facials. I love what I do. Sure, I still fear the unknown and get nervous to meet new people but I keep pushing forward. I haven’t thrown in the towel and I don’t plan to. Read more>>