Utah Valley BusinessQ

Each year, the UV50 gala + magazine honors Utah Valley’s... ⭐30 Fastest-Growing Companies ⭐10 Economic Engines ⭐10 Startups to Watch Nominate your company today for a chance to join the hall of fame! App deadline: July 22. Apply at TheUV50.com. Photo by Focus Media House. #uv50 #fastestgrowingcompanies #inc5000 #startupstowatch #economicengine #utahvalleybusiness

Here’s to one of our 40 Under 40 event sponsors: Utah Valley University! UVU’s powerful, uplifting presence is felt across the valley and beyond. From athletics to education, UVU is building leaders and game-changers. UVU QUICK FACTS > 8,517 graduates were honored at commencement 2023. > UVU ranks in the top 20% of U.S. colleges for economic mobility (Third Way). > On April 9, athletes, students and faculty alike gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Utah Community Credit Union (UCCU) Soccer Stadium. This will be a 22,000-square-foot facility with seating for up to 3,000 fans! Matthew Potts, Associate Athletic Director - External Operations, is one of this year’s 40 Under 40 and we can’t wait to celebrate him! #utahvalleyunivesity #uccusoccerstadium #uvuathletics #uvu #40under40

This town ain’t big enough for the 2 of us… but it’s big enough for 40. 🤠 This year’s 40 Under 40 has rounded-up business outlaws who have gone against the grain to bring their professional concepts to life. Utah may be a desert, but professional talent and entrepreneurial creativity is nowhere near drying up. Join us for our annual 40 Under 40 luncheon on June 18! Tickets are required and can be purchased at the link. #40under40 #utahvalleybusiness 

Recognize the F-MATIC Inc. logo from your drive south on I-15 through Lehi? The company is scent-sational. F-Matic is a fragrance solutions company founded in 1981 by Haruo Miyagi when he relocated from Japan to the U.S. The current president is his son, Hari Miyagi. The company started as an air freshener distributor for commercial spaces, and has broadened its product portfolio to skin care, cleaning solutions, deodorizers and more. Shawn Y., chief operating officer, oversees the inner workings of this well-oiled company that has been running for 40+ years. (Fun fact: Shawn personally owns multiple utility and design patents for F-Matic's award-winning product, Twist!) Q: What are the most rewarding parts of your career? A: 1) Mentoring individuals and witnessing their growth into leadership roles with or outside F-Matic. 2) Innovation — whether it's introducing something new to the market or improving upon existing products. 3) Strategic planning. I enjoy the challenge propelling the company forward through well-crafted strategic initiatives. Q: What is a professional challenge you have faced? A: Managing growth. While growth is desirable, it also presents numerous challenges. It's crucial to be prepared and understand the potential challenges that come with growth before actively pursuing it. Q: What’s a skill you’ve gained throughout your career? A: I've discovered that every individual who works for me brings their own strengths, perspectives and work styles to the table. Learning to effectively manage a large team with diverse skill sets was initially challenging and didn't come naturally to me. However, over time, embracing and managing these differences is what makes my job enjoyable and rewarding. Q: Any exciting things on the horizon for F-Matic? A: A few years ago, we established a distribution center in Europe, and our primary focus now is on expanding our European operations. Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of location, can experience the wonderful fragrances we have to offer, whether in their homes or businesses. We're here to enhance every fragrance experience! #fmatic #commercialcleaning #utahvalleybusiness #airfreshener #longhaulbusiness

Ready for the round-up of the summer? Join us to celebrate this year's 40 Under 40 honorees! Tickets are required. See you there, partner. #40Under40 #utahvalleybusiness #siliconslopes

We’re hung up on iHub Innovation Hub of Utah. This innovational hub/startup incubator is a nonprofit assisting young entrepreneurs in Utah County. Started in 2023, iHub set forth to assist early-stage startups answer the questions and overcome the hurdles that stand in the way of so many creators. “With other companies, they require qualifications before they’ll let you in the door,” says Corbin Church, managing director. “Nobody is paying attention to entrepreneurs in the early stages; they are in such a risky stage of their business. How do they get to the next stage without any help? That’s what we do. We get them to that next stage.” This looks like one-on-one training in social media to legal aspects, networking dinners, meaningful mentorship and more — like Brian Deaver's presentation about branding and marketing given just a few weeks ago. Startups can use the iHub space for free, where mentors from various fields are just a desk away. “We need great people from the community involved in all aspects of iHUB,” says Corbin. “We not only need promising new entrepreneurs at iHUB, but we need pillars of our community to come in and share their expertise and advice with them as well. Mentors are critical. Trainers are critical. Help us provide a supportive network to foster these new business makers.” To get involved and cultivate confidence in early-stage founders, reach out to iHUB to offer your training and mentorship! #ihub #startupincubator #earlystagebusiness #startup #utahvalleybusiness

Jesse Sandstrom has turned a passion for politics into a cutting-edge campaign tool: Vottiv. 🇺🇸 Vottiv is a political data and voter contact software — and not to mention one of the only five Republican National Committee approved vendors. Jesse was running a grassroots campaign for a local state senator in 2020, when he had lunch with his friend Bryce Lund to talk about the idea for the campaign software. A few months later, the pair had secured angel funding, developed a working prototype and landed their first campaign. “As someone passionate about politics and policy, it's rewarding to have built something from scratch that's now being used by outstanding candidates nationwide to win campaigns and drive positive change,” Jesse says. To date, 300+ campaigns across the nation have used Vottiv. Read below for Jesse's journey! Q: What have you learned about yourself through the entrepreneurial journey? A: I, like everyone else, have the potential to be the best through hard work, rapid iteration and always learning. This mindset has pushed me through hard times, made me feel confident working with top people in politics and reminds me that my next goals are attainable with more perseverance. Q: Share how “team work makes the dream work” in your business. A: Vottiv would not exist without my co-founder Bryce. Some things that have set us up for success are: 1) Different skill sets — in technical skills and in personalities. 2) A deep commitment and trust in each other. 3) Grace and humility as we have faced hard decisions. Q: What’s a fun fact more people should know about political campaigns? A: For a competitive Utah State Representative race, you might spend $15-50 thousand. A competitive race of that same office in California, a campaign will spend $3-4 million+ on a campaign. Q: Any exciting goals for Vottiv? A: This fall general election, Vottiv is on track to have 3+ million voters contacted at their doors with our canvassing app and millions more reached via our phone banking, texting and postcards. #utahpolitics #utahstartup #peopleofsiliconslopes #votingsoftware #politicalcampaign #republicanparty #utahvalleybusiness #entrepreneur

BusinessQ is busy trying to celebrate as many businesses as we can — and our annual UV50 applications are now open! The UV50 honors Utah Valley’s ⭐ 30 Fastest-Growing Companies ⭐ 10 Economic Engines ⭐ 10 Startups to Watch Applications are free, and the deadline to apply is July 15. Ready, set, apply! #uv50 #businessq #utahvalleybusiness #utahentrepreneurs #fastestgrowing #utaheconomy #utahstartup

We present to you … a master of marketing (though he might be a bit shy about that title), Levi Lindsay 💭. 👋 Levi was not traditionally trained in marketing, but he’s become proficient by being proactive and hungry to learn. In his own words: “I’ve been fortunate enough to be given opportunities I don’t deserve — then I work my butt off to rise to the occasion.” His professional career follows a path from VidArmy (a company he built) to Kizik to Neighbor to Shyft — and he was recently hired as VP of Marketing for Hona, a legal case tracking platform. While Hona tracks legal cases, this Feature Friday tracks a bit of what Levi has learned throughout his career. Q: What is one of the most rewarding parts of your career? A: I've loved the opportunity to become better. All you get to take with you to the next role is what you learned. I've also learned who I am, and what value I bring, and I don't pretend to be good at what I'm not. Q: What have you learned about yourself throughout your professional journey? A: I've learned that ADHD can be used as a weapon for growth, or an excuse for cynicism. For example: I hyperfocus on my work, which can be great for my career, but I have to be proactive about family time, exercise and faith. Any virtue in too strong a measure, is a vice. Q: What advice would you give to a recent college grad wanting to pursue a professional path similar to yours? A: Don't wait for a company to hire you to build a portfolio. Go build, and create even if no one asked. Also, being likable will get you the seat at the table, but make sure you can actually cook the dinner. Q: What's a fun fact you'd like people to know about you or your company? A: Can you guess where the name Hona comes from? Shoot us your guess. Also — Hona will be Utah's next unicorn. Mark my words. #featurefriday #hona #legalsoftware #marketing #vpofmarketing

A little rowdy recap of our 2nd day of 40 Under 40 photo shoots. To say we’ve been having fun is an understatement… When selecting the 40 Under 40 honorees with our editorial board, we are careful to make sure we represent as many industries as possible — and this year’s winners includes medical professionals and event/marketing extraordinaries, to a vocal-training-tool inventor and a luxury car dealer. We've lassoed up a group we’re excited for you to see, and here’s just a taste. Thanks to Bridle Up Hope for the beautiful location and Dani Corbett for the killer photography. Kathleen Leavitt | Spanish Fork Salem Chamber of Commerce Emma (Corbett) McBrier | Entrata Maysen Rollo Minor | Beadology Jacob Baadsgaard | Disruptive Advertising Michael Sorensen | Trove Brands Genna Lasko | Collaborative by Design Tyler Folkman | BENlabs Ryan LeCheminant | Vista Healthcare Isabelle Kaul | ZMD Z's Mobile Detail Cierra Clayson | Minky Couture Designer Blankets Brooke Gledhill Wood | The Policy Project Trevor Davis | Pura #40under40 #utahvalleybusiness #uvbizq #magazinephotoshoot #utahprofessionals #utahentrepreneurs