Behind the Counter

Ken Collins
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MANAGEMENT

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. 

  1. How A 23-Year-Old Built Blooming Ember Massage Into A Calming Local Haven

    3D AGO

    How A 23-Year-Old Built Blooming Ember Massage Into A Calming Local Haven

    Send a text 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, refine, and let word of mouth do the heavy lifting. We get into the decisions that mattered: saying yes before everything was polished, then taming the chaos with better bookkeeping and licensing. Callie shares how authenticity outperformed social media, why she treats feedback as a gift, and how she balances modalities—deep tissue, cupping, and lymphatic drainage—to protect her body while improving outcomes. The conversation opens up around boundaries and energy too. From weekend work to daily routines, she now measures success by consistency, low stress, and a client experience that ends in relief and that floaty “massage drunk” glow. Community plays a starring role. An expo booth with her massage school sparked dozens of loyal clients, and regular trades with seasoned therapists became the best continuing education. We also explore the heart inside the brand: Blooming Ember nods to Callie’s resilience as a burn survivor and her belief that healing can grow from hard heat. If you’re curious about building a service business that lasts—one rooted in presence, clear communication, and smart systems—you’ll find practical takeaways and inspiration in equal measure. Want more stories like this? Follow the show, share this episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others discover the pod. Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    53 min
  2. A Cancer Diagnosis Paused Her Career, So She Grew A Flower Farm That Healed Her And Her Community

    FEB 2

    A Cancer Diagnosis Paused Her Career, So She Grew A Flower Farm That Healed Her And Her Community

    Send us a text 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 the wildlife that refuses to read the plant tags. Heather shares how chemo shifted her pace but didn’t drown her purpose, and why tending seedlings became a lifeline. We get practical about the gritty parts—deer fences, prairie dog deterrents, weeds that never quit, and irrigation mishaps that teach more than any manual. She explains why collaboration beats competition in a small market, how “cooperation” with other growers fills orders and expands variety, and what it means to deliver flowers yourself and see a room lift as the bouquet arrives. We also explore the art of inclusive florals—palettes that feel bold, textured, and not boxed in by gender stereotypes—and how to guide customers toward seasonal options that fit the story and the climate. If you’ve ever wondered how to balance a demanding day job with dawn harvests, or how to redefine success when a late frost wipes out your best crop, Heather’s mindset will meet you where you are: start with what you have, learn fast, and let the seasons teach you. Ready to rethink growth as resilience and joy? Tap play, then subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge to start, and leave a review with the flower that makes you smile most. Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    31 min
  3. From Farmers Market To Global Orders

    JAN 26

    From Farmers Market To Global Orders

    Send us a text 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 Farmington’s identity and why scent is the most powerful way to make a place unforgettable. We dig into the craft and the science: how wax type, wick size, vessel shape, dye, and fragrance load interact to create a safe, consistent burn and a strong hot throw. Josh opens up about building a bench-top “lab,” blending base, heart, and top notes, and testing until the melt pool and performance are right. From candles to wax melts, diffuser oils, room sprays, and early perfume work, he shows how product lines can evolve when you listen to real customer data instead of ego. Along the way, we talk about marketing as an introvert’s superpower, balancing inventory with awareness, and the discipline it takes to say no to cheap shortcuts. Community is the backbone of Dark Wick’s momentum, and Josh treats every share, critique, and sourcing tip as support. That mindset helped him weather wrong-size wicks, learn import rules for an Australian order, and set a vision for longevity: a brand that serves people, not just shelves. If you’re building a product company, you’ll hear practical strategies for data-driven decisions, resilient operations, and scaling without losing your soul. If this conversation sparked ideas, follow, subscribe, and leave a review. Share the episode with a friend who loves great scent or great brand-building, and tell us the fragrance you’d design for your hometown. Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    47 min
  4. How Two Friends Turn Stones, Energy, And Curiosity Into A Life Of Service

    JAN 19

    How Two Friends Turn Stones, Energy, And Curiosity Into A Life Of Service

    Send us a text 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 to wire wrapping, learning lapidary, and discovering why materials and engineering matter. She talks candidly about early missteps, the value of good wire, sturdy bales, and stress-testing every piece, and the leap from craft fairs to commissions to a gallery invitation. We explore the power of provenance as Sandra brings back “virgin” Arkansas quartz — stones only two sets of hands have touched — connecting wearers directly to the earth and the maker’s eye. Sandra opens the door to Sacred Spiral Healing with a clear message: meditation doesn’t have to be complicated and Reiki can be taught, practiced, and felt by people of many backgrounds. She describes the joy of attunements, how teaching dissolves competition, and why helping one person deeply can be a greater win than chasing a crowd. Together, we navigate belief and practice — how metaphysical experiences can sit alongside Catholic faith, how folklore can inspire real-world herbal balms, and why curiosity beats fear of the unknown. We also celebrate place. From petrified wood and jasper to dinosaur bone, the Four Corners hold minerals that polish into striking cabochons and meaningful keepsakes. Rockhounding becomes education, local pride, and a way to keep value in the community. If you’re drawn to crystal jewelry with intention, curious about Reiki or sound therapy, or simply looking for a steadier way to move through your week, this conversation offers practical insights, honest stories, and a warm invitation to slow down and create. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find it. Tell us: what practice helps you feel grounded right now? Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    1h 6m
  5. What If Success Is Helping A Town Believe In Its Own Art?

    JAN 12

    What If Success Is Helping A Town Believe In Its Own Art?

    Send us a text 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 extended by her brush — have turned heads, including a collector who made wall space by moving a Salvador Dalí. The story isn’t about bragging rights; it’s about believing you belong. We talk about building a gallery on a shoestring, reshaping a backyard into an event space with a tiny grant and community muscle, and saying “yes” when a local musician asked to start jazz jams. That “place-making” spark drew neighbors, free press, and a rhythm that helped the creative economy hum. Karen opens up about imposter syndrome, boundaries that protect the creative flow, and why accessible pricing matters as much as museum-level work. She’s honest about the hard parts too: Covid closures, fewer tourists, the pivot to fairs and First Fridays, and the ongoing work to make Farmington an art destination without forcing artists to leave for Santa Fe. If you’re a creative, a small business owner, or a fan of community-powered revitalization, you’ll find practical ideas and emotional fuel here — defining success on your terms, laughing at the missteps, and keeping the brush moving when uncertainty looms. We also preview what’s next at HEart Gallery: an outdoor deck, a 1,000-square-foot back building, and plans for an immersive Airbnb-style art retreat with hikes, photo tours, and plein air sessions. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves local art, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway—what would you build in your town? Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    47 min
  6. Designed To Work, Not Wear You Out

    JAN 5

    Designed To Work, Not Wear You Out

    Send us a text 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 stress dropped because decisions stayed aligned. We also unpack why relief never comes from heroics. It came from small, repeatable systems that moved recurring decisions out of someone’s head and into clear routines. Automated payments, cleaner order flows, and defined roles aren’t corporate fluff; they’re the difference between constant firefighting and predictable days. That clarity opens the door to the real constraint: bandwidth. Many shops weren’t cash poor; they were attention poor. We talk about handing off tasks without losing the soul of the work. Growth, as we heard again and again, doesn’t come from hacks or perfect timing on social. It comes from people. Partnerships, local community, and experiences worth talking about outlast algorithms. Even brands with big online followings rely on trust built in real places with real faces. And growth means different things to different owners—expansion for some, intentional smallness for others. Misalignment creates friction; clarity breaks it. The healthiest businesses set boundaries that protect craft and experience, saying no to paths that dilute what makes them special, and yes only where values can come along intact. If you care about building a business you can keep loving, this conversation is your blueprint: design with intent, install simple systems, invest in community, and let your values filter opportunities. New episodes drop every Monday—follow the show to get them first, and share your biggest takeaway or boundary you plan to set this season. Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    16 min
  7. Subscribed People Get Gifts Early, No Wrapping Required

    12/15/2025

    Subscribed People Get Gifts Early, No Wrapping Required

    Send us a text 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 our site, then get shared across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. If you subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you’ll hear every conversation a full week before social media sees it. We look back on a compact but rich season that featured Interwest Concepts, Desert River Guides, Ramon Valdez Fine Furniture, Mushroom Zen, The Happy Pear, Anne Marie’s Dance Academy, Artifacts, and Dottie Wampus Magical Chocolate Factory. Many of these guests came to us through listener tips and prior guest referrals, which tells us the Four Corners business network is alive and generous. The through line is simple: real owners, real challenges, and the practical choices that turn local shops into resilient cornerstones. This holiday break isn’t idle time—it’s strategy. We talk about giving presence as well as presents, stepping back with your team, and using the quieter days of December to clarify your why, review the year with a cool head, and sketch a realistic plan for January. You’ll hear a preview of small format tweaks we’re making next season to sharpen interviews while keeping the candid feel you love. Expect the same focus on local entrepreneurs, just with tighter questions and even more useful takeaways. If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas; if you honor another tradition, happy holidays. However you mark the season, we hope you find rest, connection, and a clear mental map for the year ahead. Subscribe now to get the first episodes of the new season the moment they drop, share the show with a friend who loves small business stories, and leave a quick review to help more neighbors discover these voices. Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    16 min
  8. Chocolate, Magic, And A Cottage Factory

    12/08/2025

    Chocolate, Magic, And A Cottage Factory

    Send us a text 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 baggage of big-company overhead. Bryan explains why he and Joanne chose Montezuma County, Colorado—one of the rare places where creative builds don’t drown in permits—so they could ship fast, prototype freely, and keep their hands on every part of the guest journey. From distilling patents and Vegas-scale shows to bonbons and animatronics, his path is a masterclass in multidisciplinary entrepreneurship. If you care about experiential marketing, brand storytelling, and small business growth, this conversation delivers field-tested insights. You’ll hear how they tailor tours for kids and serious foodies, use tiny design details to shift reality (yes, even the bathroom is part of the show), and manage unglamorous logistics like sourcing from top chocolate co-ops without breaking the magic. We also explore the creative calculus behind growth: a bigger kitchen only makes sense if it adds to the narrative—perhaps via a cheeky submarine ride to an “underwater” production room. Expect practical takeaways on staying small to move fast, choosing the right constraints, and building recurring delight so locals bring their families back year after year. Plus, exploding bonbons featuring pear blossom honey, animated paintings that react to guests, and why understanding the “why” beats any checklist. Enjoy the episode, share it with someone who loves immersive experiences, and leave a review to tell us which moment you’d steal for your dream venue. Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing). Support the show

    1h 4m
See All (18)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

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. 

Information

  • Creator
    Ken Collins
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Behind the Counter
  • Show Website
    Behind the Counter