UtahPreneur - Inside Utah's Most Iconic Businesses

What started as a simple idea — “what if we combined a milk jug with a blender bottle?” — turned into a $24 million business that shook up the entire drinkware industry. In this episode of UtahPreneur, we sit down with Hayden Wadsworth, co-founder of HydroJug, to unpack the real story behind one of Utah’s fastest-growing e-commerce brands. From late nights leak-testing 3,000 jugs in his dad’s shop...

Utah calls itself the “Startup Capital of the World.” Bold claim, right? But according to the data, founders here are 70% more likely to build a unicorn than anywhere else in the country. In this episode of UtahPreneur, I sit down with Tim Culie , head of the Startup State Initiative under Governor Cox , to unpack why Utah is punching so far above its weight in tech and entrepreneurship. From a bi...

💻 Remember those wild “PC Laptops” commercials from the 2000s? The guy yelling “We love you!” on your TV at 1 a.m.? Turns out, he wasn’t just a gimmick—he was building a business empire behind the scenes. In this episode of UtahPreneur, we sit down with Dan Young, the mastermind behind PC Laptops, Xidax, and multiple other ventures that quietly made him millions. From selling sunglasses at swap m...

🪧 You’ve seen her face—on highways, side streets, and city centers across Utah. But who is Julia Reagan? And why were 300+ billboards dedicated to her? In this episode of UtahPreneur , we sit down with Bill Reagan, the man behind Reagan Outdoor Advertising, to uncover the emotional story behind the Julia Reagan billboards that captured the state’s attention. We talk about how a grieving husband u...

✨ Mark and Sally Dietlein turned a small South Salt Lake stage into one of the most advanced and beloved theatres in the country—Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, Utah. With over 600,000 guests a year, a $82 million state-of-the-art venue, and stages that move, fly, and even flood, this nonprofit theatre is rewriting the rules of live performance. In this episode of UtahPreneur, we dive into the stor...

🚪 Jeremy Barker lost $20 million before the age of 22. He went bankrupt twice, slept in his truck, and worked as a firefighter earning $800 paychecks—while pouring everything he had into building Murphy Door, a Utah-based hidden door and custom storage company now valued at over $60 million. Today, Murphy Door is transforming homes across America—selling to celebrities, high-end homeowners, and D...

⭐ Vanessa Quigley never planned to be a tech founder. But when her youngest son cried over a photo book from his preschool teacher, she realized how badly families need better ways to preserve their memories. That moment sparked Chatbooks—a startup that began with a simple idea: “Print my Instagram.” In this episode, Vanessa shares the full backstory of how she and her husband built one of Utah’s...

🎙️ Shauna Sloan is the Utah mom who turned her love of thrifting into a national resale empire. In this episode of UtahPreneur, we dive into the origin story of Kid to Kid, one of the most recognizable children's resale franchises in the country. Shauna shares how she and her husband launched the business in 1992 with no outside capital—just grit, a clear vision, and a stroller full of flyers...

🎙️ Heather Griffith Barber helped turn Queen of Wraps into one of Utah’s most recognized print and vehicle wrap companies. What started with her brothers—and a cape and crown—grew into a full-service branding powerhouse with 30 employees and clients across the country. But at the height of it all, Heather made the bold move to step away. In this episode, we dive into why she left, how she’s buildi...

🎙 Jake Baadsgaard built Disruptive Advertising into a $25M powerhouse by helping businesses stop wasting money on bad ads. But behind the scenes, Jake was burned out, disconnected from his family, and hiding behind the success of his company. In this episode, he shares the raw, honest story of what happened after he hit $10M in revenue—and realized he didn’t like the person he’d become. We talk ab...

🎙 Dale Majors started flipping bike parts online as a teenager, eventually turning that hustle into BikeWagon , a $10M/yr e-commerce business. After scaling and selling the company, he didn’t retire—he used his entrepreneurial skills to design a life built around freedom, adventure, and family. From long-distance bikepacking trips across Europe to launching Venture Anyway , a peer group for entrep...

🎙 After spending 15 years in prison, Dave Durocher had two choices—continue down the path that led him there or turn his life around. He chose the latter, and today, he’s the Executive Director of The Other Side Academy, a two-year residential program in Salt Lake City that helps ex-convicts, addicts, and those looking for a second chance rebuild their lives. In this episode of UtahPreneur, Dave s...

✨ She walked away from a 15-year career in architecture, cashed out her $10,000 IRA, and risked it all on cookies—long before Utah’s cookie boom. Back in 2008, Tami Steggell saw an opportunity to reinvent the cookie industry by using 100% real ingredients—no preservatives, no artificial flavors, no shortcuts. She founded RubySnap Cookies in a rundown Salt Lake City neighborhood, determined to mak...

✨For 30 years, Salt Lake Running Company has been more than a store—it’s been the go-to destination for Utah’s running community. Back in 1995, SLRC started as a small specialty shop in Salt Lake City. Three decades later, it’s one of the most trusted names for runners of all levels. But staying in business for this long—especially in retail—is no easy feat. Competing against big-box retailers an...

✨ From starting a parking lot striping company, to building two of Utah’s most well-known brands, Sean Collins has done it all. Back in 1999, Sean and his business partner, Dave Rutter, had an idea for a family entertainment center—and they made it happen. FatCats launched in 2001, and soon after, they got another opportunity. The founders of a small Mexican restaurant called Costa Azul came to t...

✨ Russ Relyea was at rock bottom—personally and financially—when a simple corndog changed his life. After a chance encounter with a corndog vendor in North Dakota, Russ became obsessed with perfecting the recipe. After a lot of persistence, he finally got the secret formula—and started selling corndogs out of the back of his truck. It was an instant success, with lines of customers forming from d...

🌟 Right in the heart of Lehi’s historic Main Street, Pioneer Party & Copy has been a beloved staple in the community for over a century. What started as a small-town pharmacy has transformed into a family-run hub for personalized gifts, ready-to-go presents, and all things celebration. In this episode, we’re diving into the incredible story of how this iconic Utah business has survived and th...

🌟 What started as a freezer meal side hustle turned into an 8-figure business transforming family dinners across Utah. When Allyse Jackson’s husband was between jobs, she decided to sell freezer meals on Facebook to make ends meet. That single post made $10,000 in sales—and Beehive Meals was born. Today, the business is a household name, helping busy families enjoy home-cooked meals without the h...

🌟 Right in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Ken Sanders Rare Books has become a cultural cornerstone for Utah’s literary community. With its collection of rare and historic titles, including an unmatched selection of Utah and LDS history, Ken Sanders Rare Books has cultivated a loyal following over decades. But its story hasn’t been without challenges. After losing their previous location to...

✨John Jonas, a Utah entrepreneur, created a job board that connects business owners with highly skilled workers in the Philippines. By cutting out the middleman, OnlineJobs.ph helps entrepreneurs reclaim their time while providing life-changing opportunities for Filipino talent. Don’t miss this episode, where John shares how he grew OnlineJobs.ph into an 8-figure platform that’s changing lives gl...

🌟 From the foothills of Orem to nationwide disruption, this is the story of how Project Solar is flipping the billion-dollar solar industry on its head. Matt and his co-founder Trevor Hiltbrant saw a huge problem in the solar industry—prices varying by tens of thousands of dollars, depending on how much your sales rep is pocketing. Their solution? Cut out the middleman and bring solar online, sav...

From working $10-an-hour jobs to becoming the top ClickFunnels affiliate and building a thriving content and affiliate marketing business, Spencer Mecham’s journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode, we dive into how Spencer leveraged platforms like YouTube, blogs, and social media to create a life of financial freedom while staying true to his family-centered values. Discover how he stumbl...

From a small warehouse in Bluffdale, Utah, Mailbox Power is redefining marketing by blending the personal touch of physical gifts with the efficiency of automation. With over 10,000 brownies shipped each month and endless personalized postcards, this Utah-based company is helping businesses nationwide stand out in a crowded digital landscape. In this episode, we sit down with the Vice President of...

From an abandoned bowling alley to a thriving entrepreneurial hub, this is the story of how Salt Mine became a cornerstone of Utah's tech community. In this episode, we explore how David Edmunds transformed a haunted house-like space into one of the first major coworking facilities outside of downtown Salt Lake City. Through the lens of Salt Mine's evolution, we get an insider's per...

From a backyard trailer park pool to three bustling locations serving over 50,000 families, this is the story of how SwimKids Utah grew from humble beginnings into a lifesaving community staple. In this episode, we dive into the challenges and triumphs of turning a one-person swimming lesson hobby into a family-run business with real impact. Hear about the journey from teaching neighborhood kids,...