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.

FZK Franziska

At FZK, we are a partner who knows the brand in our clients’ hearts and translates it into a curated online presence. We’ve been building a customized online presence for our clients since 2005 and are proud to offer a full-service creative team at your fingertips. Most clients find that our services go beyond web development into the realm of true brand discovery. In essence, we first help our clients understand exactly who it is they serve (and how). We translate this inf

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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

Gifts, Baskets and Beyond, LLC

Gifts, Baskets and Beyond is a retail business that provides gifts for every special occasion. Clients can customize and build their own gifts or buy ready-made gifts. The business has a retail location at the Cottonwood Mall and offers a delivery option. The store also sells other items such as purses, clothes, and selected items according to the occasion: Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthdays, Weddings and more. Isabel Licano came to WESST in 2017 when she had

RETAIL

Gloria I. Rodriguez & Associates

Gloria I. Rodriguez & Associates, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Curriculum Specialists, is devoted to increasing the number of CLD professionals in the K-12 publishing world. Gloria creates a space for CLD professionals interested in writing culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum. Their participation as curriculum writers will enrich the K-12 grade level curriculum used in public schools across the country. It is well documented that the mainstream

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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