How We Started

For seven years, Jon woke up with the sun, slipped on cowboy boots, and made his way into work. It was a career he never saw himself in, but one he was incredibly grateful for. When Jon graduated college and moved back to Arizona, he knew two things were true. The first was that he couldn’t wait until July 24th when he would finally marry Erica! The second was that he’d need a job to provide for his new wife. So when an opportunity opened up to work in the tractor industry with Caterpillar, he jumped on it! It wasn’t glamorous. At all. Especially at first. Steam cleaning yellow steel machines under open sun through the Arizona summers was northing short of brutal. But it was a dependable job with a great local company and we couldn’t have been more appreciative.

The tractor world was good to us, and although we found some early successes, there was still an empty void that Jon continually wrestled with. He knew that this wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life, but how could we turn away from an opportunity that continued to open door after door for advancement? One thing Jon was always scared of was that he would become so focused on climbing the corporate ladder, that he would pass on the real opportunity he was seeking when it finally presented itself. Even still, we followed that career to Washington – an adventure we will never forget.

We couldn’t have been any happier for the two years we spent in the Pacific Northwest. We wondered at one point why in the world God had led us there, and He slowly and faithfully started to answer that question. The environment at the new CAT dealer was completely different and even less fulfilling that what we had previously. It created a deep hunger. A serious appetite for something new. Something even a little dangerous.

Erica had been enjoying some early success with photography on the side before we moved to Washington. Once we moved and settled into our new home, she tried hard to convince herself that it was a silly dream. That she could just let that experience be what it was and nothing more. That the camera could stay in the closet. But true passion can’t be hidden for long. It was during this time of struggle with Jon’s day job that we decided something huge. Jon, who didn’t know the front of the camera from the back would learn photography and we would do this thing together!

It was magical. It was brilliant! And it was oh-so-difficult. We were exercising patience on a macro level. Trying to hustle hard during the time Jon wasn’t at work. And all the while raising two little ones at home. But God knew He still had more growing to do in us.

Erica was ready to move back home to Arizona after going through our first winter in the Northwest. Jon couldn’t have been feeling any more different. He loved Washington. It’s funny though how God works. Jon’s heart began to change. He secretly began to think of Arizona, and finally expressed it to Erica. We didn’t know what that meant, but God was faithful to reveal that to us over time.

In January of 2017, we knew what we needed to do. And it hurt in a huge way. Erica’s parents and her sister’s family all had moved to Washington. So when we felt the tug on our hearts to leave and head back home to Arizona to start our business full time, we knew it meant leaving our close family relationships behind. All we can say is that God truly works in mysterious ways, because today we are all back together in Arizona – but that’s a story for another time!

It would be seven months before we’d leave Washington. Seven long months of being faithful to a job we had no desire to serve in. Seven months of longing for the day we’d start our entrepreneurial journey full time. We saved, planned, and jumped in with both feet! In July 2017, Jon quit his job and we moved everything back to Arizona. We had no business on the books to speak of, but we had a dream and the will to make it happen.

It’s been six months since we jumped into this with everything we had. It’s been terrifying and amazing. It’s been excruciatingly difficult, yet completely fulfilling. We were sharing this story recently, and someone commented at how amazing it was that we cut ties with a steady job to move into the uncertain. If we can be honest though, deciding to do it has been the easiest part about this journey. Following through with that decision has been FAR more difficult.

It’s the hardest thing we have ever committed ourselves to. As much as we feel complete fulfillment from our passion and from serving our wonderful clients, the realities that come with starting a new business completely deplete us! And that’s the honesty we want to be able to share, because it’s the truth that is difficult to share openly, since it isn’t always pretty. Some nights we go to bed feeling high on life and other nights we cry ourselves to sleep. It’s real, and it’s hard, but it’s the most amazing journey either of us have ever been on.

We can’t wait to share more of that truth with you as we continue walking through this together. Thanks for cheering us on! We hope that our openness can help even just a few of you know that you aren’t in this alone! We’re right there with you, and cheering you on!