STORIES OF IMPACT

At WESST, we believe the heart of our mission is best told through the journeys of the entrepreneurs we serve. In our Client Stories section, you’ll find inspiring accounts of New Mexican business owners—at every stage of their ventures—who have been transformed through WESST’s consulting, training, lending, and incubation support. These stories highlight how we partner with clients to turn ideas into thriving, sustainable businesses, showing the real impact of guidance, financial tools, and persistence.

From wellness centers, retail brands, and service businesses to manufacturing and tech enterprises, each narrative underscores how tailored resources, mentorship, and belief in their vision helped these founders overcome obstacles, build confidence, and grow with purpose.

The Movement Temple LLC

Founded in March of 2021, The Movement Temple is a Pilates and Gyrotonic studio that began in the North Valley of Albuquerque, NM. With the focus of “movement as medicine,” Amanda Tay, owner and founder, aims to spread the joy of proficiency of movement by equipping clients with the knowledge of greater kinesthetic awareness in every step of their daily routine. From injury rehabilitation to high-intensity training, sessions are tailored to assist clients in obtaining a stron

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

Average Joe Barbers, LLC

Average Joe Barbers, LLC is a locally operated family barbershop that opened in Farmington, NM, on November 23, 2021. Average Joe Barbers offers barbering and cosmetology services to your entire family, from straight razor shaves and fades to colors and perms. They also offer specific hair manipulation and design services, and facial hair grooming techniques executed according to customer preferences. In the future, new services will include all-natural shampoos, conditioners

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

Barelas Rose Barber Shop

Barelas Rose Barber Shop offers precision haircuts to boys and men at a great price. They also run a community fitness facility that provides boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts, and yoga classes. Raul has been working since he was 12 years old. First as a paperboy and then at a car wash when he was 14. Starting with jobs that paid cash or tips, the route he took made him want to work harder for himself. When he was 18, he went to barber school and then worked cutting h

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

BeYou Fitness & Nutrition

Angela Flores’ journey to entrepreneurship began with a different dream—becoming a deputy sheriff for Lea County. Motivated and determined, she pursued this goal with heart, but after failing the required physical fitness exam, she faced a moment of reckoning. She didn’t give up though – with the encouragement of a friend, she began a rigorous routine, trained for a year, and then passed the exam. Something unexpected happened during her year of physical transformation, and

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

Bhava Yoga Studio

Bhava Yoga Studio brings healthy balance to busy lives with a wide variety of yoga classes, trainings, and events at their location on Central Avenue in Albuquerque. The studio has been a fixture in the area for over 13 years. It recently changed ownership, and Mimi Ludden and Marisol Brito, the new owners, came to WESST for support to ensure that their new venture would be a success. Bhava Yoga offers classes for every skill level from beginning students through advanced yog

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

Chely's Beauty Salon

Araceli Bueno (Chely) immigrated to the US with her family when she was 12 years old and always had a dream of owning a beauty salon. Despite early challenges in finding housing and having to help her mother care for her younger siblings, Chely was able to realize her dream of being an entrepreneur when, in 2003, she launched her business in Roswell, New Mexico. Chely faced another key challenge when suddenly her family situation changed and she lost her lease on the building

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

Demi and Ila Reed

Demi and Ila Reed were searching for lending options for their business, Bella Aesthetica, both through a Google search and with their CPA. Their CPA referred them to WESST to explore consulting services. They met with Humberto in October 2024 and have been working together ever since. Like many other WESST clients and new business owners, they had no prior experience running a business. “Everything was new, from daily operations to managing finances and marketing to our ide

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

Girl Friend Energy, LLC

Tramicia describes herself as an “ideas person” and wanted to start several businesses she saw a need for in her community, but realized she needed to commit to one business venture at a time. She learned about WESST while searching online for organizations that helped with small businesses and initially reached out in October 2022. She learned that our organization provided training, consultation, and small business loans. “At that time, I had several business ideas in the

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

Gents Day Spa

Emelita “Lita” Lujan opened Ladies and Gents Day Spa in January 2012 as a sole proprietorship (with the intention of incorporating within a year). Her unique full-service day spa was divided into two separate sides – one, a high-end barber shop, dedicated to men who wanted to experience her world-class grooming services where they can relax with a cigar while having a manicure or hot-lather shave; and the other, dedicated to women. Both had their individual entrances and both

Health, Wellness, & Beauty

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