The COVID-19 pandemic was a horrible time. No one could talk to anyone, and everyone was living in fear. We were all isolated, unable to visit each other for help or support. It felt like the world was frozen in terror. There was so much chaos. For our business, it was particularly difficult because fairs and festivals—our main way of reaching customers—were either completely shut down or heavily limited. Without these events, it was nearly impossible to connect with people, and that made running the business a real struggle.

Salt Lake City is a very beautiful city. It is a great place to own your own business, and you always get help from the small business association. It is also a great place to work and raise a family. It has both organic growth and an influx of new people. It has stability, and it is a dynamic city with beautiful mountains.

“I think that’s one of the first most powerful steps,” Lucero said. “If you can get a haircut and feel like who you are, that’s a huge change for someone. I’ve had so many people tell me, ‘You’ve saved my life.’ Being able to do that for more people, I think is extremely important.

I opened a small studio in January of 2020 and had aspirations to open a larger scale of that in the summer, but with the COVID pandemic, that fell through and so did the investors. I continue to work in that studio for 3 years until I was asked to receive funding from UMLF to open our downtown location of Lucero Hair and Wellness. We plan to expand to our second location next fall, in Utah county. Our business is unique in what we offer, and we cater to all people, which allows us to truly scale our business and always be able to serve our guests and communities.

I love seeing our community come together and support one another. We all have this need to help and to support other community members and seeing how we put aside competition to truly elevate one another is inspiring. I love being able to give back to the LGBTQIA+ community in SLC because it helped me grow as a human and taught me so much about love and resilience. Our city is growing, and I hope that our business will continue to be a staple for all of the growth and years to come.

We LOVE what’s possible when experts share their wisdom through podcasts. We think it’s one of the very best ways to connect our human race and share the knowledge we are learning together. Our core values come from a decade of working closely with recognizable personal brands and seeing the power — and pitfalls — of making media in the digital age. We make shows that share your best ideas and attract your ideal audience without sacrificing your well-being or self-worth. We call it worthfull media.

Salt Lake has a really great energy for business owners and economic development. There is a lot of support offered to new and existing businesses of all sizes, and especially as a woman-owned business, I feel a big sense of community that I am grateful for.

I am so grateful and proud to offer a lovely, hospitable experience in downtown Salt Lake City. The joy and pride expressed by locals when visiting Everything Utah, feeds my soul. The discovery that visitors experience at Everything Utah brings me tremendous gratitude as I am able to share products, artifacts, foods, treats, and keepsakes that acquaint our shoppers with the people and places that are here in Utah for them to discover.

Logos is Nordic-style specialty coffee, roasted in small batches. We are part of the third wave, bean-to-cup coffee movement. We pride ourselves in our unique and mindful process. Our goal is to be mindful not just in our roasting, but in our green coffee purchasing. When you open a Logos bag, we want you to see the TLC put into every bean. We want it so obvious, that if you dropped a bean on the floor, you’d pick it back up. At Logos, every bean counts.

UMLF has been instrumental in our business's growth from the very beginning. Our first SBA loan from UMLF enabled us to launch our coffee cart, which was our first step into the market and allowed us to build a loyal customer base. As our business grew, UMLF supported us again with a second SBA loan, which made it possible for us to open our first retail coffee bar. These loans have not only provided the financial support we needed to expand but also the confidence to pursue our vision. Thanks to UMLF, we've been able to turn our passion for coffee into a thriving business that serves our community.

We love owning a business in Salt Lake City because it’s our hometown, and we've seen firsthand how the city has grown and evolved over the years. The stunning natural beauty and outdoor opportunities draw people here, but what really makes SLC special is its vibrant, supportive community. We're proud to contribute to the local ecosystem by offering high-quality coffee, creating a space where people can connect, and bringing a level of service and quality that you might only expect in larger cities. Being part of SLC's growth and sharing our passion with our neighbors is incredibly rewarding.

UMLF gave us a loan back in 2015 when nobody else would. We were just creatives with a vision and a dream, but not a lot of backing or history to back us. The loan helped us open a studio, invest in equipment, and jumpstart our business in a major way. We’re not just building a business; we’re building a legacy. With their continued support, we’re excited to keep growing and expanding with our new ventures.

Overnight, I had multiple jobs canceled, and I was unable to work or book projects for the first 3 months of COVID-19 resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue.  Film is an industry that requires collaboration and often has dozens of people working together in close proximity so my industry in particular was heavily affected.  After things got better, I had to spend money on ongoing COVID tests for myself and contracted employees to ensure safety while on set.

People always ask me why I don't move to Los Angeles, New York or Atlanta, since those cities have become meccas for the film community. But I just love Salt Lake City too much. The outdoor access speaks to me on a personal level and is also where a good amount of our work is centered around. Telling stories of extreme sports athletes' triumphs and struggles. I am also actively involved in the art community and enjoy having seen our city grow over the two decades that I have called Salt Lake City home. Looking forward, I get excited to think about the Olympics returning to Salt Lake City and the other opportunities that are on the horizon for our city.​

The Utah Microloan Fund has been instrumental in the growth of our business. We would not be where we are today without the support from UMLF. We were able to move from a warehouse in the back of another local business to our very own 5200 s​f production facility/warehouse space. We were able to build the foundation we needed to grow our business sustainably & responsibly.

Covid hit us hard from many angles. Including but not limited to the following: Many of our retailers/stockists were forced to close which abruptly stopped consistent orders for our product and therefore a major and sudden drop in sales. We also shared major supplier issues with the rest of the world. 

Crucialfest started in 2011. In the few years prior I had seen a lot of really great independent music festivals around the US and thought, why isn't there something like that in Salt Lake City or Utah?

​The festival has been through many iterations through the years but our main purpose is and has always been to cultivate the local music community and foster regional relationships.

I love being a part of the very unique culture here. Artists and musicians in SLC really need a leg up and I feel good about being able to give that to them.

​Winning this grant from the UMLF will enable us to invest in marketing, advertising, and publicity, aspects that are usually at the bottom of the priority list budget-wise but are vital to our ability to grow.
The UMLF has also enabled Crucialfest to stay afloat over the past few years, taking some pretty serious losses and braving covid, to the point that we are now a profitable, sustainable business.

When I opened my doors, people came out of the woodwork, and bit by bit my concept took off. Awards and media attention followed, but we saw that our customers needed time to adjust to this new way of shopping so profitability proved harder to come by. Regardless, year by year we made huge strides and things looked bright. I never could have guessed what the journey would look like.

Regardless of the setbacks of being a small business in SLC right now, I completely value the support of the city programs (especially the staff). There are so many people out there doing the best they can with what they have. People fighting to save these small businesses that have made it through Covid and deserve to be a part of a brighter future. And I don't think a day goes by that a customer, in the market, doesn't tell me how grateful they are to have Hello!Bulk. It's hard to think of closing when we feel so much love around us. 
The Utah Microloan has also helped me by altering the terms of the loan when I could not make the payments. When I have come to UMLF for help it has never felt like anything but a supportive environment. Good people trying their best to help.