In the Spotlight: Some enterprising women entrepreneurs from Wyoming
#WyomingEntrepreneurialWomen #TrailblazingInnovators
Wyoming’s entrepreneurial landscape is witnessing a remarkable transformation, with a surge in the number of women entrepreneurs making waves across diverse industries. These visionary women are not only reshaping the business landscape of the state but also inspiring a new generation of aspiring entrepreneurs. From innovative startups to thriving enterprises, women-led ventures in Wyoming are leaving an indelible mark on the local economy and beyond.
With a spirit of innovation and determination, these women entrepreneurs are breaking barriers, overcoming challenges, and carving out their unique paths to success. Their stories are not only tales of triumph but also serve as powerful examples of resilience, creativity, and leadership. As Wyoming continues to foster a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship, these women are seizing opportunities, driving growth, and leaving an enduring legacy of empowerment and achievement.
So, Wyoming has a growing number of women entrepreneurs who are making a significant impact in various industries.
Here, let us delve into the inspiring journeys of women entrepreneurs in Wyoming, exploring their diverse ventures, challenges faced, successes achieved, and the invaluable contributions they are making to the state’s vibrant business community.
> Kelsey Johnson, Founder of Johnson’s Natural Skincare
Kelsey Johnson is the Founder of Johnson’s Natural Skincare – a skincare line that uses natural ingredients to create effective and safe products.
The company is based in Laramie, Wyoming. They offer a wide range of products for different skin types and concerns, including cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and sunscreens. Johnson is passionate about creating products that are not only effective but also ethically sourced and environmentally friendly. So, subsequently, Johnson’s Natural Skincare has gained a loyal following due to its high-quality ingredients and commitment to natural beauty.
> Emily Hahn: Founder, Emily Hahn Designs
Emily Hahn is the Founder of Emily Hahn Designs, a Cheyenne-based brand that offers custom jewelry and accessories. The company focuses on personalized, handmade items that reflect the unique characteristics and style of each individual customer.
Through her brand, she aims to bring a touch of personal and artistic touch to everyday accessories. Based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, it is apparent that she provides a range of services to clients, including social media management, website design, graphic design, and branding. Prior to founding Emily Hahn Designs, Emily worked in advertising and marketing for several years.
> Kelsey Hightower: Founder of Hightower Coffee Roasters
Kelsey Johnson is the Founder of Johnson’s Natural Skincare – a company based in Laramie that specializes in creating natural skincare products. Having a background in the beauty industry, her mission with Johnson’s Natural Skincare is to provide high-quality, ethically and sustainably-produced skincare products that are free from harmful chemicals.
The company offers a range of products including face cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreens, and all of these products are formulated with natural ingredients to nourish and protect the skin.
> Joan Batchelder, Co-Founder, Cottage Garden Studio
After 25+ years of working in the travel industry, Joan Batchelder found herself at a crossroads in the summer of 2020; and she actually rekindled her business needs during this COVID pandemic. She even admitted that it was really this whole crisis that launched her into building Cottage Garden Studio.
Cottage Garden Studio had been a passion project for years, as she had a plan to launch her online stationery shop featuring three different collections of charming and whimsical notecards. The idea started in the green mountains of Vermont where Joan Batchelder picked up a paintbrush for the first time in decades. Now, after several years, and one pandemic – Cottage Garden Studio has sold hundreds of watercolor notecards on the recently launched website – cottagegardenstudio.com.
The three initial notecard collections available on the website are themed. The Coastal Collection features six different images reminiscent of Maine, where Joan was born and raised, and the Garden Collection illustrates Joan’s fondness for gardening, a hobby she picked up when living in Vermont.
> Donna Leigh Bliss, Founder, Creative Tension Marketing
As a child, Donna Leigh Bliss operated multiple businesses. As a young adult she received degrees in psychology and social work, earned a PhD, then held the position of associate professor. She has worked years in both clinical and administrative roles in the addictions field, and consulted with both businesses and non-profits. And, what led to the launching of her own marketing firm? For Bliss, it was a natural progression.
That entrepreneurial spirit, along with her background work in psychology and social work and of course, her belief in the need to help make a difference in the lives of others. So, she decided to pursue her dream of creating a marketing business that emphasizes entrepreneurism, making that difference.
She also looked for more business resources that would give her the confidence she needed to move forward. In 2015, she reached out to the Wyoming Women’s Business Center (WWBC) for resources, after learning about their business roundtables.
Bliss met with the WWBC for one-on-one counseling on business practices and financial topics and attended several roundtables and group trainings. Then in 2016, Bliss opened the doors to Creative Tension Marketing. The firm offers marketing research and evaluation, marketing strategy development, business model development, branding, grant writing, accreditation, web design, social media marketing and videography.
As Creative Tension Marketing grew, Bliss soon recognized that there was also opportunity to expand the business into Colorado. She explored the possibilities and soon opened a second location in Boulder.
WWBC really helped her to see that this business and growth was possible, especially with the opening of an additional office in Boulder; and they also gave her the confidence needed to move forward and make the investment.
> Alyce Jeppesen, Co-Founder, Ahhhsome Relaxation
Alyce Jeppesen and Shawn Tolman, who were good friends for years set up this business. Jeppesen owned a photography studio, and Tolman had owned multiple businesses, earned his MBA, and was working in the financial services industry. Their friendship grew into a business partnership, when Jeppesen found herself in a very personally stressful point in her life.
After extensive research, she approached Tolman. Her idea, while going through her own stress, realized people needed stress relief and a relaxation outlet. Thinking about how to do that, she was struck with a business concept to provide the exact opportunity for others who needed it as well.
Her concept was to provide a sensory oasis to help people escape from the stress and worries of the outside world. Her research found these treatments increase oxygenation, metabolic rate, detoxification, blood circulation, and lymphatic activation, as well as providing a host of other beneficial results in the treatment of many medical conditions.
She put her business ideas and research to paper and Tolman refined it into a business plan. They found that no other business existed with this concept. After considerable market research, they began looking for financial support to put their dream into action and open a business that would apply this new concept. It was significant that they had secured a first SBA micro-loan through the Wyoming Women’s Business Center for $50,000, and in 2014, they opened their pilot business, Ahhhsome Relaxation, in Evanston, WY.
Not only would the concept include clients stepping into a completely stress-free environment, but also include the idea of making it safe, secure, affordable and accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on a membership basis. The concept envisioned a facility using state-of-the-art private stations, scientifically-proven equipment to provide relief from stress, pain, tension, soreness and depression.
Not only has Ahhhsome Relaxation seen business success, but their clients have seen additional health benefits from the stress reduction it offers.
Source: https://www.wyomingwomen.org/success-stories
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
