Jordan River, UT May 2026

WOMEN WHO LEAD

HOME IMPROVEMENT WITHOUT THE HEADACHE

Most renovation stories end with hidden costs and missed deadlines—yours shouldn’t. At Harter Contracting LLC, we’ve replaced construction chaos with a transparent, 3-step process.

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Lifestyle Letter

Hello neighbors, and welcome to the ladies issue!

This month, we’re thrilled to introduce you to some of the outstanding women in our Jordan River communities. From entrepreneurs and professionals to artists and influencers, these ladies bring an unmatched level of expertise, innovation, and leadership to their respective fields. Chasing their dreams requires vision, dedication, and adaptability—and yes, a whole lot of grit. In this issue, we’re honored to highlight a few of the exceptional women who are setting the standard for business excellence in our cities.

First up, we’ll meet some of the area’s leading women in business. Whether selling real estate, improving others’ health and wellness, baking delicious treats, or beautifying our homes, these local business women make it look easy.

We’ll also share the talents of Nicky Soulier, an amazing artist who teaches others how to overcome personal challenges while making our homes and businesses beautiful through her artistic expressions.

Finally, Becky Hillyard shows us how she took a fun pastime, turned it into a side hustle, and then built an empire.

We’re excited for you to meet these amazing local women who make our Jordan River communities a great place to call home!

Best,

BEAN, PUBLISHER

May 2026

PUBLISHER

Mike Bean | mike.bean@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Heather King | heather.king@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kelli Adams, Abi Horspool, Heather King

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jen Fox Photography, Kamee Valdez Photography

Corporate Team

CEO Steven Schowengerdt

President Matthew Perry

COO David Stetler

CRO Jamie Pentz

CoS Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Josh Govero

LAYOUT DESIGNER Lillian Gibbs

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Anna Minnick

Proverbs 3:5-6

inside the issue

Six

Women-owned businesses

Meet (front row, left to right) Dr. Kat Lofley, Janet Snow, Marie Franco, Brandy Price, (back row, left to right) Jenn Sweat, and Jen Fox.

city scene

WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

1: South Jordan City youth council members attend a leadership conference. 2: Actors from the Cultural Arts Society of West Jordan’s production of A Midsummer Nights’ Dream. 3: Youngsters and coaches participate in South Jordan’s youth soccer program. 4: Ladies enjoying the festivities at the Gardner Village Galentines event. 5: A couple enjoying the Connect the Hearts Fundraising Gala in support of My Healing Home. 6: Ask-A-Dad Handyman lends a hand to the Indoor Percussion drumline at Mountain Ridge High School. 7: Congratulations to Jed's Barbershop for celebrating its second anniversary!

Ask a Dad Handyman Focusing on Interior Finishes

Ask a Dad Handyman is now focusing on high-quality interior finishes that transform a home without the need for a full remodel. The business specializes in custom aesthetic upgrades such as accent walls, wainscoting, and shiplap features, providing homeowners with professional craftsmanship to refine their living spaces.

Beddy’s now has Real Salt Lake Blankets

Beddy’s recently launched a new Real Salt Lake blanket line. They’re available for purchase on Beddys. com and also in the Real Salt Lake team store at America First Field in Sandy. These comfortable blankets make great gifts for Father’s Day!

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Picture Perfect Homes Creates Opportunities for Others

At Picture Perfect Homes, the owner takes pride in creating opportunities for young adults ready to start their careers. Having recently hired a motivated 19-year-old second employee, the focus remains on teaching the value of hard work, teamwork, and hands-on skills across various trades, ensuring every team member gains lasting confidence, experience, and skills they can carry with them wherever they go.

Renewal Aesthetics is Leading the Way with New Laser Technology

Renewal Aesthetics and Sexual Wellness is now offering Titanium Lift Laser treatments. Unlike other laser treatments, the Titanium Lift uses three simultaneous laser wavelengths to provide immediate tightening, brightening, and sculpting without the pain. This non-invasive treatment targets multiple layers to rejuvenate skin and contour the face with zero downtime and no risk of fat loss, making it the ultimate comfortable alternative.

Ski Trucks Offers Year Round Outdoor Rentals

Ski Trucks is transitioning into summer by launching electric bike and paddle board rentals, alongside sales of skateboards and outdoor gear. As a year-round shop, they offer discounted new and used equipment, plus essential services like U-Haul rentals, airport shuttles, long-term storage, and gear trade-in programs.

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Local,

OU R P I CKS

the CITY LIST

We have such amazing, innovative business leaders in our community who are proud to serve you, our residents, with class and quality. We’ve compiled some of our top company picks for the services that might be on your mind this month in an effort to make your lives a little easier.

Health & Wellness

Renewal Aesthetics and Sexual Wellness renewalaestheticsutah.com/ | 385.758.7844

Purple Duck https://purpleduck.com/ | 801.599.3311

iCRYO https://icryo.com/location/south-jordan-ut/ | 801.601.1107

Beyond the Plate, Nutrition & Gut Health Coach https://www.beyondtheplateinhc.com | 385.506.5945

Soulstice Day Spa & Salon https://www.soulsticedayspa.com/ | 801.255.3655

Shopping

Beddy's https://beddys.com/ | 801.753.9050

Closets by Design - Salt Lake City https://saltlakecity.closetsbydesign.com/?source=gmap | 385.412.8855

Gardner Village gardnervillage.com/ | 801.566.8903

Want to suggest a monthly pick?

Jen Fox Photography https://www.jen-fox-photography.com | 801.831.8199

CF Home Furniture & Design https://www.gardnervillage.com/cf-home-furniture-and-design | 801.566.2842

Six inspiring local women are redefining business success with purpose and passion

Women Who Lead

Janet Snow

Women-owned businesses have become a powerful force in Utah’s economy, blending innovation with empathy, resilience with creativity, and building businesses that make things better.

Studies consistently show that female entrepreneurs are more likely to reinvest in their communities, support other small businesses, and prioritize workplace culture. There’s something more personal to their work—a willingness to build organizations that reflect real life, real challenges, and real people.

For the six women featured here, entrepreneurship is about flexibility, family, and purpose. It’s about creating something that aligns with their needs and values while opening doors for others to do the same. Whether balancing motherhood, navigating career pivots, or stepping into leadership for the first time, these women are having meaningful impact on those around them.

Janet Snow

One Day Doors & Closets of Utah

For Janet Snow, owner and marketing director of One Day Doors & Closets of Utah, success has always been about people. Whether in a classroom or her own company, her focus is always the same: connection, community, and creating spaces where others feel they belong.

Before stepping into the business world, Snow built her career in education. After graduating from college, she taught kindergarten, an experience that shaped how she views both leadership and community. “I actually worked in a school community my whole career,” she explains. “You have to fit into that community, and you have to become part of that community.”

That idea of belonging now sits at the center of the business she and her husband have built together.

After years in corporate environments, the couple made a conscious decision to step away and do things differently. “What’s happening in corporate America can be very toxic,” Snow says. “As a small business, we definitely need to focus on metrics and outcomes, but we’re also trying to prove that we can do it by creating a positive culture.”

For Snow, that culture starts from within and extends outward. “We’re really focused on happy customers and happy employees,” she continues. “Why be in a business that’s grinding people down? We just like to prove that you can do both things right: work-life balance and enjoyment of your job.”

Snow is motivated by the idea that business can be human. “When you can enjoy most of your work and the people that you work with,” she says, “it makes your work nicer, better. We’re making sure that the customer has a fabulous experience from the minute they look at our website to the time we’re done.”

That customer experience is deeply personal to Snow. As a mother of three sons and grandmother to three grandsons, she understands the importance of home—not just as a place, but as a feeling. And her job is about helping others create that same sense of comfort and pride in their own spaces.

Brandy Price

Beyond the Plate

For Brandy Price, wellness is about awareness, connection, and learning to trust your own body. As the founder of Beyond the Plate, her expertise as a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach includes nutrition, lifestyle, and self-empowerment.

“The more I can help people be aware of the challenges we face in our food and healthcare industries and then show them how making small shifts in their daily choices really makes me feel like I’ve done my job,” she explains.

Price’s friends describe her as dedicated, caring, and motivated. Just the kind of person who can help guide clients toward better health. “I’ve really been stepping into my educator role as a coach,” she says. “I want my clients to feel empowered and confident in their own health choices.”

It’s a philosophy that challenges the all-or-nothing mindset often associated with nutrition. “People assume working with me is all about the next fad diet and how restricted and miserable they’re going to be,” she continues. Instead, her approach starts with observation, not overhaul. “The first ‘assignment’ my clients get is to change nothing and keep a food log.”

She believes that true transformation happens beyond what’s on the plate. “I take the time to look at my clients’ lifestyle,” she continues. “How are they sleeping? Moving? Handling stress?”

It’s a holistic lens that reflects how Price lives her own life as well. Self-care comes first. Diagnosed with Celiac disease, her own health journey ultimately changed the course of her life as she began exploring the connection between food and overall well-being. Looking ahead, Price’s vision for the future continues to evolve in both personal and professional realms. Through the Engage & Empower women’s networking group and growing her Beyond the Plate platform, Price is creating spaces for community connection and discovery. “I would love to host wellness retreats—gatherings of like-minded people stepping into ownership of their bodies.”

Marie Franco ModBaskets

On any given Friday in Sandy, you might spot a small curbside stand with something freshly baked—custom orders for pick up, cinnamon rolls, a loaf of focaccia, maybe some cookies. It’s a simple setup, but for Marie Franco, owner and baker of ModBaskets, every item she makes carries a piece of her time, her story, and her standards.

As a teenager, she took cake decorating classes and baked alongside her grandmother, learning recipes that would later become staples in her own kitchen. Years later, while pregnant with her first child, she made her first wedding cake—an ambitious, Ozzy Osbourne-themed creation.

It wasn’t until 2021 when she got serious about starting a micro-bakery from her home though. Today, she balances business ownership with raising four children, ages 4 to 16.

Most orders are placed online for pickup, though her curbside stand offers a rotating selection, especially during busy seasons or after the Sandy City Farmers Market each week. “You can swing by on a Friday and there’s usually something,”

“For these six women, entrepreneurship is about flexibility, family, and purpose.

Whether balancing motherhood, navigating career pivots, or stepping into leadership, these ladies are leading the way.”

she says. “And if you order, it’s made within 24 hours. I never freeze anything.”

ModBasket’s menu reflects a mix of creativity and tradition close to Franco’s heart.

“I used to bake with my grandmother all the time,” she recalls. Customers can order pecan pie—made exactly as her grandmother taught her. “Everything’s done by hand. Exactly how she said to do it.”

In addition to baked goods, ModBaskets also offers thoughtfully curated and personalized gift baskets.

Looking ahead, she envisions a brick-and-mortar space once her youngest is older. “The whole point is to have a business I feel good about,” she says. “Will I become a millionaire? Probably not. But will people love what they receive? Absolutely!”

In the meantime, she’ll keep bringing joy to her customers— one loaf, one basket, one meaningful moment at a time.

Jennifer Sweat

Sweat Equity

Most days, you’re just as likely to find Jennifer Sweat on a tennis court as you are touring a home somewhere between Ogden and Spanish Fork.

“I play two, three, sometimes four times a week,” she explains. “I’m on two USTA teams, and we’ve made it to nationals three times.”

That passion, drive, and competitiveness shows up in everything she does.

With over a decade in real estate, the industry has given Sweat the flexibility to be present in her children’s lives as a single mom, and now that they’re grown, to pursue her own interests.

“It was weird,” she admits about living alone. “But I gave myself some grace. It became a time to decompress, to figure out what I wanted to do next.” And that sense of openness is shaping her current chapter.

Though she doesn’t claim to be an avid hiker, she gravitates toward Utah’s canyons whenever she can. In summer, Utah’s country music concert lineup keeps her calendar full.

There’s also her love of food. “I go out to eat probably more than the average person,” Sweat admits. “But it’s easy when you’re single.” Trying new restaurants is her way of exploring the city and staying connected.

“I love people,” she continues. “I love staying in touch. Most of my clients become friends.” Whether she’s building friendships on the tennis court, staying close with family across states, or maintaining relationships with past clients, Sweat approaches life as a growth opportunity—personally, professionally, or both.

A new role as a host on the Real Estate Essentials show, a local platform that highlights listings and gives agents a unique way to showcase properties, is a natural fit.

Sweat’s 2026 mindset mirrors the way she plays tennis—always moving, always improving, always looking for the next point.

Dr. Kat Lofley

Renewal Aesthetics and Sexual Wellness

For Dr. Kat Lofley, beauty has never been just skin deep. As the founder of Renewal Aesthetics and Sexual Wellness, her work lives at the intersection where science meets self-worth and personal transformation isn’t just visible, it’s felt when patients are at their best both inside and out.

In an industry often focused on surface-level results, Lofley’s holistic approach to aesthetics and wellness reflects her passion for empowering men and women to live beautifully. Utilizing all her expertise, from injectables and skin treatments to hormone therapy and sexual health services, she hopes to help shift conversations around topics that have long been considered taboo yet cause significant physical and mental discomfort.

A women’s health nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife, Lofley’s path into aesthetics was shaped by a broad clinical foundation that allowed her to specialize in women’s health and midwifery.

Before opening Renewal Aesthetics, she worked at the Salt Lake City VA Hospital, where she managed the urology department and created a male sexual dysfunction clinic—an experience that shapes her broader approach to patient care today.

At home, Lofley balances her work with life as a mother of two, a role that grounds her perspective and fuels her to help others in a variety of ways.

Jen Fox

Jen Fox Photography

Jen Fox spent nine years in the classroom as a second-grade teacher before discovering her path behind the lens as a sought-after boutique photographer.

Her approach to portraits is intentionally different, offering what she describes as a concierge-style experience, guiding clients from consultation to final portrait.

Her sessions are designed to bring out genuine emotion— whether that means playful humor with kids or carefully guided posing for adults. The goal is always the same: to create what she calls an “oh moment,” when someone sees their image and recognizes their own beauty.

She believes strongly in preserving memories too. After once letting her own family photos sit unprinted for years, Fox realized how easily meaningful moments can disappear into digital storage. Now, she ensures every client leaves with tangible portraits designed to live on their walls and enhance their daily lives.

Beyond preservation, her inspiration comes from her own childhood struggles with self-image. Those experiences shaped her passion for helping others, especially children, see themselves differently. “I want them to feel like they matter,” she says.

For Fox, every photograph is an opportunity to capture a moment and change the way someone sees themselves.

Don’t Skip the Strategy.

Medications can suppress appetite, but real success requires nutrition, movement, detox support, and nervous system regulation, beyond the plate. I specialize in strategic GLP-1 coaching alongside metabolic reset, detox programs, and personalized nutrition so your results are sustainable, not temporary. Because this isn’t about eating less.

Brandy Price beyondtheplateinhc.com 385-506-5945

PROGRAMS:

GLP-1 Coaching | Metabolic Reset Detox Support | 1:1 Coaching | Workshops Online Programs

When Good Isn’t Good Enough

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ARTICLE BY KALI KASORZYK

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

BECKY HILLYARD

From Side Hustle to Style Empire

The power of taste, trust, and the courage to “just start.”

She didn’t have a business plan, a media budget, or even a name anyone could pronounce. What Becky Hillyard had was taste, a young family, and the instinct to just start. Today, her lifestyle brand Cella Jane commands an audience the size of Vogue’s, she’s nine collections strong with Splendid, and she’s built it all while raising three kids — refusing to sacrifice one for the other. In an exclusive conversation for the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Becky shares what it really takes to build a brand, a career, and a life you love. Read the highlights below, then scan the QR code for the full conversation.

Q: WHEN DID YOU KNOW CELLA JANE WAS MORE THAN A HOBBY?

A: Two moments. Women started emailing me saying they bought something I recommended and felt amazing — asking me to help them find a dress for a wedding. That felt incredible. Then I looked at my affiliate numbers for one month and realized I could cover our mortgage. I thought, I can actually do this. I never set out to build a business. I started it because I genuinely loved it.

Q: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST RISK YOU EVER TOOK WITH THE BRAND?

A: Designing my own collection. It’s easy to point at items on a website and say I love these. But to create something from scratch, put your name on it, and wait to see if people connect with it — that’s terrifying. I had an incredible partner in Splendid, and women loved the pieces. It was the biggest risk and the biggest accomplishment.

Q: HOW HAS INFLUENCER MARKETING CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED?

A: When I started, brands didn’t know whether to take it seriously. Now it’s a legitimate line item in their marketing budgets — sometimes bigger than TV. Because what we’ve built is trust. People trust a real recommendation from someone they follow far more than a commercial. There’s no question about it now.

Q: YOU’RE A MOM OF THREE RUNNING A FULL BRAND. WHAT DOES YOUR DAY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?

A: I try to get up at five and not hit snooze — that first hour before the house wakes up is the most productive, most peaceful hour of my day. Then it’s all hands on deck with the kids and school drop-off. After that I work — planning content, connecting with my team, editing. After pickup, the day shifts completely and it’s all about them. I’ve learned to protect both halves fiercely, because both matter.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BUILD SOMETHING OF THEIR OWN BUT KEEPS WAITING?

A: Don’t wait. Don’t wait for the perfect camera, the right strategy, or enough followers. We find every excuse to stay comfortable. Just start, be consistent, and be authentically yourself. The right people will find you — and they’ll stay.

This conversation is just the beginning. Becky goes deeper on the risks that almost stopped her, the design process behind her latest Splendid collection, and what she’d tell her 2012 self today. Scan the QR code for the full, exclusive City Lifestyle interview on the Share the Lifestyle Podcast.

“Trust is the only metric that actually compounds.”

— Becky Hillyard

Kamee Valdez Photo specializes in f ine art maternity, newborn, milestone, and family photography for families who value heirloom imagery and an elevated, fullservice experience. Every session is thoughtfully styled and guided from start to f inish so you can simply arrive and be present in the moments that matter most.

Local Artist Spotlight: Nicky Soulier

Finding Light Through Art

For artist Nicky Soulier, oil painting is a kind of refuge, a healing space where hours pass as her brushes move deliberately across canvas and the noise of the outside world fades into a manageable and beautiful process.

Her path to painting, however, was anything but linear.

For years, Soulier has navigated life-threatening depression, anxiety, ADHD, and complex PTSD. She’s explored nearly every avenue available in search of relief. While some approaches offered temporary support, nothing resonated as deeply as painting.

“Painting has been the best therapy I’ve found,” she explains. It demands her full attention. “My ADHD has been like a super power and helps me focus on my passion. When I paint I’m in such a state of mindfulness that I can’t think about my problems or worries,” she says. “It gives my overactive, sensitive brain a break to focus intently on my work.”

Though she didn’t initially set out to become a professional artist, an art show rejection in 2024 was a turning point. “I didn’t want that to happen again,” she recalls.

Soulier enrolled in respected art programs, studied under established artists, and even traveled to France for a retreat. She painted daily, often for 12 to 14 hours at a time, channeling her natural intensity into mastery.

The following year that same show accepted her work.

Since then, she’s completed more than 100 paintings and participated in ten exhibitions.

ARTICLE BY HEATHER L. KING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEN FOX PHOTOGRAPHY

Her work was selected for the Springville Museum of Art’s Religious and Spiritual Art Show and she received the first-ever Emerging Artist Award from the Inspirational Art Association. In 2025, she also earned second place in the South Jordan Art Show.

“I’ve learned so much,” she says. “Who would’ve thought one rejection could lead to all of this?”

Her work spans a wide range of subjects—landscapes, animals, abstract forms, and increasingly, the human figure. “I’m still experimenting to find my own unique artist voice,” she continues. Soulier began with landscapes, but portraiture—both in oil and graphite pencil—presented a different challenge.

In recent work, she’s gravitated toward painting women as divine goddesses. “So much of our society is male-centered,” she explains. “I wanted to create more female representation—something for my daughters to be represented by and to aspire to.”

Her personal connection to oil painting goes back to her grandmother, a professional artist in New Mexico, who worked in the same medium. “I remember going to her studio and gallery growing up and I was inspired,” she recalls.

Before painting, Soulier’s life revolved around movement. She danced for the University of Utah and later performed as an NBA dancer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. She coached, taught, and built a life around performance and discipline. But as her personal challenges intensified, she found herself needing a different kind of outlet.

Painting filled that space.

Today, Soulier balances life as a full-time artist and a stay-athome mother of four. Her days stretch between family responsibilities shared with her husband, Danny, and long hours in the studio.

What she has found is a sense of alignment. Painting isn’t a cure or a sudden transformation but a steady practice and a way to move forward.

“I hope people can see that there’s always something that can help,” she says. “Something that can bring light back in.”

For her, that something came in the form of oil paint and canvas without knowing where it would lead. And with every finished piece, she hopes that same sense of beautiful possibility offers others a glimpse of light.

Visit nickysoulier.com to view her artwork and upcoming shows.

THE ACCIDENTAL ART OF FOCACCIA

A simple, flavorful sourdough focaccia recipe from Marie Franco of ModBaskets

Marie Franco’s sourdough focaccia is a ModBaskets’ customer favorite, prized for its airy texture and versatility. She bakes it savory or sweet, sometimes transforming it into thick breakfast sandwiches layered with eggs and cheese. “It’s something fun and pretty fast compared to regular sourdough,” she explains. But it actually began as a mistake.

“I wanted to make sourdough bread, and I over proofed it,” she recalls. Instead of tossing the

dough, she adapted. “One of the things you can do with over proofed sourdough is make focaccia. So, I just poured it into the pan and thought, we’ll see what happens.” With rosemary from a struggling plant, garlic, and a sprinkle of sea salt, her now-signature bread was born.

“It was kind of an accident,” she says. “But it turned into something delicious.”

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA BREAD

Ingredients:

• 1 cup active sourdough starter

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (around 95 degrees)

• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

• Optional: flaky salt of choice for topping.

Directions:

1. Combine the wet ingredients by whisking the sourdough starter and water together in a bowl, dissolving the starter into the water.

2. Add dry ingredients beginning with 4 cups of flour and salt to the wet ingredients and combine well. Work the dough until no dry pockets of flour remain and the dough is shaggy and sticky.

3. Cover the dough with a kitchen cloth or bowl cover. Rest the dough for 30 minutes without touching it.

4. With wet hands, grab the dough from the edge of the bowl, stretch it upwards, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and work your way around it 4-5 times. Cover the bowl again and rest for another 30 minutes.

5. Repeat the stretch and folds two more times. The dough should become more elastic and smooth and bubbles should start to form throughout.

6. Coat a 13”x9” pan with enough olive oil to cover the bottom.

7. Pour dough into the pan and gently spread it with your hands. Cover with a bowl, place in a warm space and let it double in size (approximately 4-5 hours depending on the warmth of your kitchen). To slow down this process, place it in the refrigerator overnight to develop a more “sour” flavor.

8. Preheat the oven to 425F. Take pan of dough and drizzle more olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Then, using your fingers, dimple the dough.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and the edges are crispy. Cool and enjoy.

Optional

Try toppings like thinly sliced pears with cheese and balsamic glaze. Avoid adding toppings to the inside of the dough as some can hinder gluten development.