Behind the Counter
Behind the Counter - Business Stories from the Four Corners: Real Businesses. Real Conversations. Right Here in Our Community. Every week, I sit down with local business owners to hear the real stories behind their work — the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Whether they run a bakery, a repair shop, or a creative studio, each of them has something powerful to share. This is more than a podcast — it’s a celebration of the hustle, heart, and humanity that keep the Four Corners thriving.
Episodes
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 steady support mattered when the tears came, ...
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 signing the paperwork, Louie explains how ...
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, sameness crept in — copy with the same ca...
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 at home—learning from her mom, juggling ...
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 sustainable small business: start, listen, r...
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 lessons about microclimates, irrigation, and t...
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 masculine, place-driven brand rooted in Far...
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: moving from radio and newsrooms...
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 Hazen. Their “photo fusions” — his images ex...
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, hours, and growth fell into place—and s...
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 blog posts publish the following Monday on o...
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 immersive experience without the ba...
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, and gamers share space—and where emerging a...
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, you’ll hear how a grateful mindset helps ...
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, AnnMarie shares the moments that shaped ...
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 organic, local, and community-first. The journe...
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 the awakening that set it all in m...
The best furniture tells a story you can feel in your hands—and sometimes hides a secret. We sit with master maker Ramon Valdez to unpack how marquetry, tight joinery, and magnetic hidden compartments evolved into a resilient business that reaches customers around the world. Ramon traces his journey from cabinet shops and gallery floors to a modern model fueled by Instagram, community, and products that keep earning—plan...
A confession with teeth. We missed a week, and instead of glossing over it, we break down why new projects fall through the cracks—and how to build systems that keep your work on track when life gets loud. I walk through my path from Farmington kid to Air Force process junkie, from executive support at Langley to the IT bust that knocked me flat, and the hard climb back through city marketing, a messy agency breakup, and...
Imagine floating past sunlit bluffs while otters slip through willow shadows and a guide turns river science into basketballs-per-second. That’s the unexpected magic Cody Dudgeon and Desert River Guides bring to Farmington—a city more famous for oil and gas than river tourism. We talk with Cody about building a thriving rafting culture where no one was searching for it, training teachers as guides, and crafting five-star...
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