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.

jonathan pust

Realizing our homeworld faced imminent destruction, my parents sent me to Earth moments before our planet exploded. With a deep desire to help others, and a love for fun, a store was born. Jon opened Heebeegeebeez in Ogden, Utah in 1995. In 2005 Heebeegeebeez opened in Layton, Utah. In 2012 Heebeegeebeez opened in Logan, Utah. Read more>>

torie bartee

Our story really started with God stirring something in our hearts that we couldn’t ignore anymore. My husband, Seth, and I have always had a heart for discipleship, community, and helping people know Jesus in practical ways, but over the last several years God began opening doors and clearly leading us toward planting a church. Read more>>

Murk 1 Mafia

Meet Jose Leija | Big O.U.N.C.E. The Drive and The Family Man My name is Jose Leija, though in the music world, everyone knows me as Big O.U.N.C.E. I’m a 35-year-old independent hip-hop artist and entrepreneur based in Cedar City, Utah. But before anything else, I’m a family man. I’ve been married for 13 years and I’m a proud father of five. Read more>>

Aude Gorre

I’m a history and geography teacher based in Paris, France, with a passion for travel, culture, fashion, and storytelling. I started sharing my experiences on social media as a creative outlet and a way to document my adventures around the world. Read more>>

Thomas Bender

Phew—where to begin? Looking back, I’d say two things shaped me early on: cycling and a degree in Industrial Design (ID, which is really just a fancy term for product design). I grew up racing bikes—and still pretend to—and found a home in the local cycling community. Read more>>

Joshua Marchant

I got my start much later in life than most people do. When I was in high School at Alta in Sandy, Utah. I wanted to be a lawyer. I was dead set on it; I took mock law classes my senior year and even had an internship at Sandy City Hall. After I graduated, I enrolled in college classes at Salt Lake Community College. Read more>>

AK LeadTheWay

BRONX! AK LeadTheWay! Born on February 14th, and lived throughout many of the disenfranchised communities in The Bronx (New York). AK’s first experiences with music came from being attentive to the beautiful voices of his mother and sister as they sung throughout the homes they lived in. Read more>>

Brooks Kirchheimer

When I was seven years old, growing up in Los Angeles, CA I asked for a cash register for Christmas so I could play pretend restaurant with my two sisters. Ever since then I either wanted to be a restaurant owner or a sports broadcaster. Read more>>

Preston Olson

My humble beginnings began at traditional public school, and attending Catholicism class on the weekend. Growing up with God helped me become the man I am today. Faith brought me to my purpose in life. Wherever I go today, I am happy to share the good news. A passion for writing led me to a love for storytelling. That’s where you have found me today. Read more>>

Brenna Fox

My path into massage therapy started with my own healing journey. After experiencing significant trauma as a young adult and having been through a lot of therapy, I found myself wondering: why did my body still feel stuck when I had done so much healing already? Read more>>

chase henson

I’m a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to art! I didn’t really start drawing seriously until I was 22, and I was definitely never the ‘art kid’ in high school. Back in 2010, I was going to Salt Lake Community College to become an aircraft mechanic. Read more>>

Suly Guzman

First and foremost, I am a wife, mother, and grandmother. My family is the center of my world, and everything I do professionally is ultimately about creating a life that allows me to spend meaningful time with the people I love most. Much of who I am today comes from the example set by my parents. Read more>>

Nicholas Tanek

I grew up in New Jersey as a punk rock skater kid in the late ’80s and early ’90s. I was the awkward, weird-music-obsessed outsider who fell hard for the wrong crowds and the right kind of chaos. That led me straight into the wild NYC rave scene, where I dove headfirst into drugs, parties, and a lot of self-destructive behavior. Read more>>

Chelsea Bolton

I grew up in Illinois as a runner, competing in cross country and track, which allowed me the opportunity to continue running at the Division I level through an athletic scholarship. I had a very disappointing collegiate running career, and I ended up graduating in three years. Read more>>

Michelle Inkley

My journey started when at 24. I had a baby with Down Syndrome. It made it so difficult to have a 9 to 5 job and yet we did need the extra cash to get through school. Read more>>

Mike Lloyd

I started my first real business in 2010 when I decided to become a professional photographer. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was out of college and I just moved back from France and I knew I wanted to work for myself. Read more>>

KC Peek

In 2007, my great-grandmother Hazel passed away. I was thirty-one at the time and felt fortunate that I had had so many years with her. From her estate, I was gifted a wide assortment of vintage jewelry, books, photos, and other ephemera. The pieces ranged from whimsical and breathtaking costume jewelry to sheet music from her childhood. Read more>>

Chandler Larsen

Six years ago, I was really lost. My family had just moved across the country and we didn’t know anyone. I had been a makeup artist for years and starting over with my clients was overwhelming on top of being freshly postpartum and breaking away from my religious upbringing. I felt like I had no idea who I was or what I wanted anymore. Read more>>

Alissa Kepas

I saw my first yoga pose in person my senior year of high school while on a field trip to the Spanish Fork Krishna temple. This was in the early 2000’s before social media, the internet, and yoga scene boomed and to be quite honest I was amazed. After seeing this posture, tittibhasana, in person I knew I wanted to learn yoga postures. Read more>>