Behind the Counter

Send us Fan Mail One social media post can change your life, especially when the thing you’re posting is a tray of custom cookies you’re convinced are “hideous.” We talk with Eva Armenta-Ketchell, the woman-owned force behind Sweet Cheeks Bakery in Farmington, New Mexico, about how royal icing experiments turned into nonstop demand, a loyal local following, and custom cookie orders shipping far be...

Send us Fan Mail A hardware store that’s lasted since 1946 has to be more than a place to grab a bolt. Sitting down with Evan Noel of Noel's Inc. in Farmington, New Mexico, we get into the real reason certain small businesses become permanent fixtures in the Four Corners: they earn trust one customer at a time, then protect it with consistency. Evan shares how he grew from working in the stor...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of people think running a plumbing company is all wrenches and water lines, but the real test starts when the job is done and the paperwork begins. We’re joined by Jason Judah, owner of Creative Mechanical Solutions Plumbing (CMS Plumbing) in Aztec, New Mexico, to talk about building a trusted trade business in the Four Corners and what it takes to compete when bigger names...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a disaster-response leader gets pulled back home by a family tragedy and suddenly has to run a deeply regulated health care company that shows up in people’s living rooms instead of a clinic? That’s the heart of our conversation with Vince Moffitt of Basin Health Companies, the locally owned provider serving Farmington and communities across Northwest New Mexico...

Send us Fan Mail Farmington’s streets are a living portfolio of local work, and Ram Studios has quietly shaped that look for 36 years. We sat down with Mike and Monica Mordecki to hear how a family-owned sign company goes from one early job and pure word of mouth to producing everything from vinyl decals and vehicle wraps to monument signs, pole signs, and major rebrands across the Four Corners. W...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of people think custom engraving is just pushing a button on a laser. Then you meet Bonnie Cummings, owner of Third Axis Custom Engraving in Farmington, New Mexico, and you realize the real craft is equal parts creativity, technical mastery, and staying power when life gets heavy. She shares how she starts with crystal engraving that creates 2D and 3D images inside blank cry...

Send us Fan Mail A family restaurant can feed a town, but it also ends up raising it. We’re joined by Carrie West, third-generation owner of The Spare Rib BBQ in Farmington, New Mexico, for a candid talk about what it takes to protect a legacy while stepping fully into modern small business ownership in the Four Corners. From the early days of the shop to taking over “for real” with payroll, taxes...

Send us Fan Mail Opportunity doesn’t always announce itself; sometimes it looks like a rent hike that forces you to choose who you really are. We sat down with Clay Jaqua, owner of 505 Motorsports in Farmington, to unpack how a near-crisis became the catalyst for a smarter move, stronger numbers, and a clearer lane. Clay’s story runs from a 20-year-old dad asked to leave college, to fourteen forma...

Send us Fan Mail What does it look like to build a business after the kids leave home—and turn it into the heartbeat of a local running community? We sit down with Jeri Hogue, owner of Southwest Runners, for a candid conversation about risk, resilience, and the long game of showing up when no one else does. Jerry shares how a seventh-grade PE nudge became a lifelong passion, why her husband’s stea...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn a family pub into a community anchor that thrives on and off-site? Louie McMullen, co-owner of Clancy’s Pub, opens up about the long game: honoring a legacy that began in 1978 while building a modern operation that wins at events, navigates complex liquor laws, and keeps a small town coming back for more. From the first days serving under his parents to s...

Send us Fan Mail The conversation starts with a candid pivot: we turned the mic on our own shop to explain why we stepped back from day-to-day marketing, spent two years pressure-testing AI, and then chose to expand with a human-first, full-service model. Not to wage war on technology, but to fix the widening gap between fast output and real strategy. As leaders embraced DIY tools and automation,...

Send us Fan Mail Beauty doesn’t happen by accident; it’s stitched from patience, problem solving, and a little glitter that somehow gets everywhere. We sit with Jamie Goodwin, the heart behind JG Cross Creations, to trace how a single wooden cross turned into a steady stream of custom wreaths, bows, gift baskets, wedding florals, and decor that people can’t stop talking about. Jamie’s story starts...

Send us Fan Mail A quiet studio, a steady hand, and a young owner who chose peace over perfection—this is the story of Blooming Ember Massage through the eyes of its founder, Callie Frost. She walked away from nursing, learned the craft of touch, and turned a backyard “shed” into a three-room sanctuary that clients now seek out for its calm. What began as a leap of faith became a blueprint for sus...

Send us Fan Mail A quiet field can feel like a heartbeat when life gets loud. That’s the energy Heather Martinez brings to Desert Bunny Blooms—a flower farm born from a job loss, tempered by a cancer battle, and sustained by a deep love for soil, seasons, and community. We unpack how a scrappy COVID experiment turned into a steady practice of patience and discovery, where each bed taught new lesso...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn a weekend candle hobby into a fast-growing brand that ships across the country and overseas? We sit down with Josh Velasquez, founder of Dark Wick Candle Co, to unpack the leap from farmers markets to wholesale orders, the messy middle of supply snafus, and the surprising truth that men might love candles more than you think. Josh shares how he built a ma...

Send us Fan Mail What if peace — not profit — became your definition of success? That’s where we land as Deborah and Sandra share how a lifetime of friendship turned into two distinct, purpose-led paths: handmade crystal jewelry with a signature style, and a healing practice that makes meditation and Reiki feel simple and doable for anyone. Deborah walks us through the craft behind The Lost Faery:...

Send us Fan Mail A single painting can hold a lifetime — joy, grief, and the courage to start again. That’s the energy we explore with painter Karen Ellsbury, co-owner of HEart Gallery in downtown Farmington, as she shares how her work evolved from luminous “color in motion” canvases to raw abstraction after widowhood, and then into vibrant collaborations with her husband, photographer Patrick Haz...

Send us Fan Mail Want a business that works without wearing you out? We zoom out after a full season of conversations with owners across industries and pull forward the patterns that actually make small businesses resilient. The theme that rises above the rest: the strongest shops are designed on purpose. When owners could answer what kind of life the business should support, choices about pricing...

Send us Fan Mail Take a breath with us. As the holidays arrive, we’re pressing pause to recharge, reflect, and set up a stronger return in January—while giving you a clear path to keep up with new stories from the Four Corners business community. We share exactly how our release flow works so you never miss an episode: new interviews go live every Monday on podcast platforms, and the companion blo...

Send us Fan Mail A cottage at the edge of a national park. A clock that dispenses chocolate. A host who can pivot from crystal structures in tempering to a groan-worthy deer joke in one beat. Meet Bryan Davis of Dotty Wampus Magical Chocolate Factory, where culinary craft collides with whimsical theater and visitors leave with a story worth retelling. We dig into how a two-person team built an imm...

Send us Fan Mail Step inside a 10,000-square-foot creative hub where the scent of fresh cinnamon rolls mingles with oil paint and coffee, and a century-old lumberyard has a second life as Farmington’s favorite gathering place. We sit with owner Tara Taylor to trace how a mother-daughter idea became Artifacts 302, a living room for the city where knitting circles, plein air painters, book clubs, an...

Send us Fan Mail A short break can be a powerful reset, and this Thanksgiving we’re using the pause to sharpen focus, build momentum, and double down on what works. Ken Collins opens up about why gratitude is more than a seasonal mood; it’s a daily operating system that rewires how you lead and sell. From the religious and spiritual frames to the brain science behind strengthened neural pathways,...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of people say “follow your passion” — few show the messy, determined work that makes it sustainable. We sit with AnnMarie Bean, owner of AnnMarie’s Dance Academy in Farmington, to talk about how a kid who grew up dancing for fun built a studio that blends serious training with a bright sense of family. From the first business license to punching through walls for more space,...

Send us Fan Mail A 16-acre orchard, a taxing year, and a knock from fate: that’s how Niki Hilbers found her way from selling fruit to building a year-round honey brand with real roots in the Four Corners. What began as a practical move to make the land pay its way turned into a full-hearted partnership with bees, a masterful co-op with beekeeper Kyle Harris, and a mission to keep everything organi...

Send us Fan Mail A curtain for a tablecloth and a pocket of courage—that’s how Courtney Anderson’s mushroom journey began. What followed is a rare blend of patient craft, community warmth, and customer-led innovation that transformed a flea market table into Mushroom Zen, a cozy apothecary in Aztec where the air smells like incense and conversations last as long as they need to. We walk through th...