Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Liz Butcher, Butcher’s Bunches Handcrafted Preserves
Love for the Land
Liz Butcher has always felt a strong connection to the land. Her grandparents immigrated to the United States from Italy and became farmers on the East Coast. Her husband grew up in a farming community in Northern California. When they got married, he told her he wanted a garden. They began growing produce together and selling it a local farmer’s market. When the recession hit, they noticed all of their neighbors began growing produce on small plots and flooding the market with cheaper produce.
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Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Darlene Fuhst, Prohibition Ink Custom Tattoo
Moving to Utah to Open a Tattoo Parlor
Darlene Fuhst and her husband JJ Ohlinger moved to Salt Lake City two years ago to open their tattoo parlor, Prohibition Ink Custom Tattoo. Both trained artists, they eventually realized tattooing was a way to pursue art while making a living. JJ has built a very successful tattoo career and travels to conventions around the world. Darlene handles the day-to-day operations of running the business.
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Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Maria Cortes, Strappy Couture
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Maria Cortes quit her Human Resources job in 2015 after getting sick from all the stress. She started her own business from one simple idea.
Maria has always worn heels and noticed her feet would often slip out. She tried a few products meant to solve the problem but they didn’t work. She fashioned her own solution from a ribbon and some velcro, and her friends kept telling her she needed to do something with it.
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Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Heidi Dunfield, Fear Factory
Opening Night Mayhem
When Heidi Dunfield opened Fear Factory in 2011 with her family, they were immediately thrown in the deep end. After receiving a lot of press anticipating the new haunted house in town, they finally opened their doors to the public on October 25, at the very end of haunted house season. What they didn’t expect was that everybody would read about them and show up all at once. They closed the first night with many negative reviews and a huge line through the haunted house. She felt like it had been such a disaster, she was worried the business wouldn’t be able to recover.
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Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Zara and Abby, Raclette Machine
Zara Ahmed and Abby Pfunder, owners of Raclette Machine, met in a cheese shop in 2011. They first served Raclette together at their wedding. Raclette is a popular dish in Switzerland and France where a wheel of cheese is heated and the melty cheese is scraped off and served.
Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Angela Wright, Bingham Cyclery
When Angela Wright acquired Bingham Cyclery from the previous owners in 2015, it was the culmination of her career. Angela received her MBA from the University of Utah, had already owned a few businesses, and had been biking all her life. Her first job was at a bike shop, and she had come full circle.
Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Helen Wade, The Stockist
Visit The Stockist Instagram page and you will see faces of local entrepreneurs all over. Owner Helen Wade began highlighting business owners when she was looking for new Instagram models. Victoria from Proletariat Barber volunteered to model some of her clothes. She got such positive feedback she decided to make it a regular addition to her social media. She highlights businesses she loves and uses, ones that she wants to see succeed.
Spotlight on Women Business Owners: Melinda Meservy, Thyme and Place
For Melinda Meservy, opening her own business was a reprieve from a 20-year corporate career. She wanted to make herself happy while making others happy and plants had always kept her sane.