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.

Shining Stone Wellness

Erin Dixon is the owner of Shining Stone Wellness, a holistic health and wellness business. While researching support for women entrepreneurs, she discovered WESST. She was pleasantly surprised to find WESST’s small business workshops being offered at her local Shiprock Chapter House. As a new business owner, Erin felt overwhelmed at first, describing her doubts and fears as mountains. “Once I began working with WESST, I realized those mountains weren’t as big as they seemed,

HEALTH, WELLNESS, & BEAUTY

Splash Mobile Grooming

Samantha Blanton always had a passion for animals, and after years of working in the pet industry, she realized there was a growing demand for more convenient grooming services. In 2024, she opened Splash Mobile Grooming, a mobile dog grooming service operating in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. Their business model emphasizes convenience for busy pet owners and a low-stress grooming experience for pets, especially those that may have anxiety in traditional grooming settings. O

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Sonoma Acupuncture

Dr. Janet Quintanilla is the owner of Sonoma Acupuncture in Las Cruces. Her story is a powerful example of what support, passion, and purpose can create. When Janet first came to WESST, she had two goals: to build a life of financial security for her and her son, and to share her gift of healing through natural, holistic care. With a Doctor of Acupuncture license and a few years of practice under her belt, she knew she was ready to venture out on her own, but like so many, sh

HEALTH, WELLNESS, & BEAUTY

Southwest Makeup Institute

Noel Dalton began her freelance makeup artistry business, The Vanity Makeup Studio, in 2009. Southwest Makeup Institute was founded in the Spring of 2019. Southwest Makeup Institute (SWMUI) is New Mexico’s and the SW region’s first 200-hour makeup artist certification course. They offer students the opportunity to become fully immersed in the makeup industry through a shadowing program; a one-of-a-kind partnership program with other working makeup artists and industry profe

HEALTH, WELLNESS, & BEAUTY

Superior Casting Services (SCS)

Mayte and her husband, Jacinto, worked steadfastly from their garage for two years to create Superior Casting Services (SCS) – a business that proudly provides top quality jewelry castings. SCS is considered a “go-to” service for casting and creating one-of-a-kind and multi-unit pieces. Offering expertise learned from 16+ years of hands-on, custom manufacturing in precious and non-precious metals. WESST first met Mayte Cardenas in November of 2014 at the Santa Fe Business I

CREATIVE ARTS

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