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
30 episodes
A Hobby Becomes Sweet Cheeks Bakery Almost Overnight
One social media post can change your life, especially when the thing you’re posting is a tray of custom cookies you’re convinced are “hideous.” We talk with Eva Armenta-Ketchell, the woman-owned force behind Sweet Cheeks Bakery in Farmington, ...
How A Third Generation Owner Keeps A Small Town Hardware Store Thriving
A hardware store that’s lasted since 1946 has to be more than a place to grab a bolt. Sitting down with Evan Noel of Noel's Inc. in Farmington, New Mexico, we get into the real reason certain small businesses become permanent fixtures in the Fo...
Why The Wrench Is Easy And The Invoices Hurt
A lot of people think running a plumbing company is all wrenches and water lines, but the real test starts when the job is done and the paperwork begins. We’re joined by Jason Judah, owner of Creative Mechanical Solutions Plumbing (CMS Plumbing...
How Basin Health Turns Compliance Into Better Patient Outcomes
What happens when a disaster-response leader gets pulled back home by a family tragedy and suddenly has to run a deeply regulated health care company that shows up in people’s living rooms instead of a clinic? That’s the heart of our conversati...
Signs That Built A Town
Farmington’s streets are a living portfolio of local work, and Ram Studios has quietly shaped that look for 36 years. We sat down with Mike and Monica Mordecki to hear how a family-owned sign company goes from one early job and pure word of mou...
How A Farmington Maker Built A One Of A Kind Engraving Shop
A lot of people think custom engraving is just pushing a button on a laser. Then you meet Bonnie Cummings, owner of Third Axis Custom Engraving in Farmington, New Mexico, and you realize the real craft is equal parts creativity, technical maste...
Running A Family Barbecue Legacy
A family restaurant can feed a town, but it also ends up raising it. We’re joined by Carrie West, third-generation owner of The Spare Rib BBQ in Farmington, New Mexico, for a candid talk about what it takes to protect a legacy while stepping fu...
Selling Cars, Not Snake Oil: And Sometimes Bourbon
Opportunity doesn’t always announce itself; sometimes it looks like a rent hike that forces you to choose who you really are. We sat down with Clay Jaqua, owner of 505 Motorsports in Farmington, to unpack how a near-crisis became the catalyst f...
She Sold Shoes, Built Quads, And Accidentally Became Famous
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...
From Family Pub To Powerhouse
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 win...
AI Can Make Output, But Only Humans Build Strategy
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 t...
How A Hobby Became A Community Staple And Grew Confidence Along The Way
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...
How A 23-Year-Old Built Blooming Ember Massage Into A Calming Local Haven
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 b...
A Cancer Diagnosis Paused Her Career, So She Grew A Flower Farm That Healed Her And Her Community
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 c...
From Farmers Market To Global Orders
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,...
How Two Friends Turn Stones, Energy, And Curiosity Into A Life Of Service
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 he...
What If Success Is Helping A Town Believe In Its Own Art?
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 “co...
Designed To Work, Not Wear You Out
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:...
Subscribed People Get Gifts Early, No Wrapping Required
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 exact...
Chocolate, Magic, And A Cottage Factory
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 cul...
We Put The “Art” In “Party” And The “Roll” In Cinnamon
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 t...
Gratitude, Grit, And Year-End Sales Momentum
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 sy...
From Studio Dreams To Dance Legacy
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 s...
What If Serendipity Is The Best Business Plan
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 ...
How A Spiritual Wake-Up Led To A Community-Fueled Mushroom Business
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 Mu...
