Owner: Mohammad Naeem | Established in 2016 by Mohammad Naeem, Afghan Kitchen was born from a desire to trade the cold, cavernous feel of a typical restaurant for the intimacy of a home. Stepping inside feels less like entering a business and more like discovering a well-kept secret—a sanctuary where resilience is served alongside recipes that feel like a hug.
There is a moment every brand chases. The moment when a journalist covers them without being paid to. When a publication features them without a media buy attached. When an audience talks about them not because of an ad but because of a feeling.
Entrepreneurship through acquisition has become one of the most talked-about paths into business ownership. But behind every closed deal is a much messier reality.
Owner: Samiullah Niazi | As a former Afghan refugee and co-owner of Halal Meat Market, Samiullah Niazi was driven by the dream to be his own boss and financially support his family. He also felt a deep responsibility to provide employment for other Afghans seeking stability for their own loved ones.
Owner: Matt Sheridan | Team Thirteen Productions started with three friends, all born on the 13th, making ski movies for the love of it. That was 25 years ago. No strategy deck. No growth plan. Just a camera, the mountains, and a shared drive to create something worth watching.
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is the process of purchasing and operating an existing business rather than starting one from scratch.
A good business has strong revenue, loyal customers, and a compelling mission. A newsworthy business has all of that plus a reason for someone to care right now.
Entrepreneurship stories usually focus on the wins. This conversation focuses on the part that rarely gets discussed.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling a business in Utah, this episode offers a candid look at what really happens behind the scenes of a deal.
If you’re asking whether you should be an LLC or an S-Corp, it usually means your business is working. That surprises a lot of owners.
On February 19, we gathered at Lassonde Studios for the official kickoff of the ETA Utah Chapter — and the energy in the room made one thing clear: Utah is ready for a thriving ETA ecosystem.
Owner: Justin Vigh | AMS Inc. is the kind of company you don’t hear much about, even though you’ve probably been inside buildings they helped bring to life.
I run a landscaping design-build company in Utah where we focus on creating lasting visions for the discerning clients with whom we work. Getting this work done though is more like threading a needle with a blind fold on.
As a business owner who is also a publisher, there are many facets of this work that are vital. Most businesses believe visibility comes after growth; publishers know visibility creates growth.
For most small business owners, tax season is reactive. You gather documents, send them to your CPA, brace yourself for the number, and move on.
That approach quietly costs you money every year.
Owners: Bella & Levi Linchenko | Let’s Go Design didn’t begin with a business plan. It began with a comment about a boring Zoom background.
Owner: Mike Metzger | When Michael Metzger started Lifepoint Design, he wasn’t chasing a trend or a tidy business plan. He was running from something that didn’t sit right.
Owner: Monica Thornburg | Some business stories start with a plan. Monica Thornburg’s started with a conviction: work should lift people up.
In Utah, ETA has shown up in different ways — through universities, operators, and individual initiatives. The ETA Utah Chapter brings those efforts into a shared, statewide space focused on connection, learning, and community.
Owner: Brian Brown | For most people, a cold plunge sounds like punishment. For Brian Brown, it sounded like purpose.
Owner: Lydia Martinez | While some businesses are carefully planned, Elle Marketing and Events was sparked by something bolder — a moment of clarity.
Owner: Cindy Chia | Some businesses are built to serve clients. Aspire Psychological was built to serve a community.
Owner: Tunisha Brown | Tunisha Brown didn’t set out to make a magazine. She set out to make space for stories that didn’t have one.
Owner: Joshua Lucero | When Joshua Lucero launched Lucero Hair & Wellness in 2023, he didn’t just open a salon — he created a sanctuary.
Owner: Taylor Vance | Most people only learn how pet cremation works when they’re already grieving. Taylor Vance noticed that gap and couldn’t ignore it.
Owner: Adam Frederico | Rooted in Utah, Frederico started as a small family landscaping business built on craft and care.
You’ve probably heard of GetOutPass — or even used it. But what you don’t know is the wild business story behind one of Utah’s most recognizable family brands.
In this long-overdue (but worth-the-wait) episode of The Durable Business Podcast, host Chase Murdock sits down with Kyle Poll and TC Krueger to tell the full, untold story of GetOutPass: from local startup to $30M+ juggernaut through a surprise merger with its top competitor, Pogo Pass.
Small Business Saturday is a powerful idea: a day to support the local businesses that bring character and connection to our communities.
Last week, we hosted Durable’s first-annual, invite-only retreat for business owners. They came for one reason: to step out of the business long enough to think clearly about it.
If you’re running a business in Utah, chances are you’ve heard about SBA loans. But what are they, really? And are they worth exploring for your company? What is important to know?
What does it take to build a beloved, multi-location coffee brand in one of the toughest industries around?
Missy Greis, founder of Publik Coffee, joins Chase Murdock to share the remarkable story behind one of Utah’s most iconic local brands.
Trent Mano is all-in on Utah.
As co-founder and general partner at Convoi Ventures—and the force behind Utah Tech Week—Trent is investing in the next generation of breakout startups and reshaping what early-stage venture looks like in the Mountain West.
Failure is part of business — but too often hidden. At Durable we’re opening real conversations about setbacks, bankruptcy, and resilience so small business owners don’t have to face hard times alone.
Durable is Utah’s Business Commons: a gathering place for business owners. Connect through curated events, peer groups, and a supportive community built to help you grow.
Blake Harber knows how to scale — but he also knows how to struggle.
At HireVue, Lucid, and Workstream, he helped take SaaS companies past $100M in revenue. Then he left the high-growth tech world for small business, trading venture-backed chaos for steady, cash-flow-driven businesses.
Paul Henderson has seen it all — from high-powered roles at Apple, Goldman Sachs, and GE Capital to leading High Times Magazine. Now, he’s breaking new ground in Utah’s emerging and controversial cannabis industry.
What does it really take to buy a small business and make it thrive? Will Smith, founder of Acquiring Minds, has spent years uncovering the answers by interviewing the most successful searchers and operators in the game.
In this can’t-miss debut episode, Chase Murdock of Durable hosts a live AMA with Brent Beshore—one of the most respected voices in small business and long-term investing.
