Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy Guerra.
Hi Timothy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Being from Texas I (Tim Guerra) had no clue people went out into the desert looking for shiny treasures until Kevin decided to show me the true joys of rock hounding.
As we collected our haul of various stones, I asked, “what do we do with these?” Kevin smirks and simply responds “wrap em!” and that started our journey.
We started our business in the summer of 2021 with the intention of creating a place that supplied goods for all walks of life. As we trekked through the west desert, we thought about what our company name should be. After many failed attempts to create a name, we finally came up with West Desert Trading Company to symbolize our love of the west desert while letting patrons know that they can pretty much find all sorts of things at our shop.
Our partnership was perfect as I (Tim Guerra) was the artistic vision and Kevin was the business-savvy one. We bought our first batch and began to go to work. I wrapped a few pieces and had a bunch of support from friends and family to continue this art form. A few months into this we started vending in Ogden at the Ogden bizarre market where we built a following very fast.
As we progressed, we started receiving a ton of positive feedback and continued vending other markets such as SLUG picnic, Ogden farmers market, music festivals, and many other events.
We are currently in year two of business and have received a ton of support. I (Tim Guerra) continued to grow my craft learning silver smithing and offering higher-quality products. As an artist, this was a perfect way to showcase all the art forms I’ve practiced over the years and actually display them for the good folks of Utah.
We currently sell a variety of goods such as wire-wrapped jewelry, silver jewelry, fine gems, crystals, displays, art, and even snacks.
We are excited to continue to grow our business and hope to share our journey with everyone.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting this company, I had a lot of small business owners tell me it’s a hard road ahead but that didn’t seem the case for us. Kevin and I have a strong partnership with mutual understanding often finishing each other’s thoughts about ideas we have. It’s been an ever-changing learning experience for us both, but we started off on the right foot and continue to make calculated decision that springboard us to the next best thing. Although there have been some learning curves with understanding how to market our brand, I feel we’ve had a great start so far.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I (Tim Guerra) have a variety of art forms I am passionate about whether it be wire wrapping, metal smithing, painting/drawing, stage lighting, or music. I am constantly honing my skills, always looking for the next best thing. I mostly specialize in wire wraps resulting in a nice following of folks that still own some of the first pieces I have ever created. I’m well known for having an eclectic set of skills as I’ve had many professions in my life such as being a culinary professional, stage managing, piercing, and other odd jobs.
I’m most proud of my ability to adjust to change, taking a leap of faith and moving so far from home during a pandemic to pursue a new career finding my trusted business partner (Kevin Munro) leaving a positive impact on our community.
What sets us apart from other businesses is our ability to educate folks on the products we offer and create art that resonates with our patrons. We created a safe space for anyone that finds us ultimately resulting in long-lasting friendships and a supportive following.
What do you think about luck?
As the pandemic threw a wrench in our lives we powered through and built something amazing. I don’t believe luck played any role in our success as a business, but we do feel extremely lucky to have found common ground and understanding in each other that has shaped our company into a well-oiled machine.
Pricing:
- Custom wire wraps starting at $70
- Various displays- $25-$200
- Fine/faceted gems- $10-$70
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @WDTC_UT
- Facebook: West desert trading co.
