OVBA Spotlight: Ogden Valley Real Estate to Benefit From Distinguished Broker’s Experience and Commitment to Ethics

by Justin Yates

          Since 1988, Joseph Jedrowicz has been involved in the real estate business, believing right from the start that being ethical is the number one priority. Within a few months, he will be moving to the Ogden Valley from North Ogden and will run his Mountain Country Realty business from home. Due to his hard work, integrity, and driving passion he has gone far and learned much. He has worked many years for RE/MAX, the world's number one real estate name. He has been the recipient of several awards and has been named as Broker Owner of the Year. He bought his first title company in 1997 and served there as president for nine years.
 

          Twenty-four years ago, Joe was living with his wife in Baltimore, Maryland. At that time, he began his work as a sales associate in the real estate business. Eight years later, in 1994, he visited the Ogden Valley for the first time and was stunned by its breathtaking beauty. Ever since, he has considered it one of the most beautiful places in the United States. He has longed to call it home, and today that is becoming a reality.
 

          He and his family moved to North Ogden in 2009. There, Joe continued to work for RE/MAX, maintaining property and business in both Maryland and Utah. More recently, Joe worked for Prudential Utah Real Estate, but has now decided to work independently and start his own real estate business as a professional, licensed broker.
 

          Joe’s main focus is to help people with their real estate decisions while giving them the peace of mind of knowing they are working with someone whom they can trust and who will work in favor of their best interest. He loves to complete successful transactions, ones that will not only benefit his clients now but also in the long run. “When everybody wins, it’s fun,” he says. “If it’s not fun, I’m not doing it.”
 

          For nearly three years, Joe has been a member of the Ogden Valley Business Association (OVBA). He recognizes the good the OVBA has done for people and the businesses that comprise it. He affirms that one beneficial aspect of OVBA membership, among others, is the exposure it brings to businesses, especially from internet marketing. The popular tourist websites Go-utah.com and Utah.com, for example, often advertise OVBA services and events. This kind of exposure, Joe believes, is the key to driving people to the Valley. As a nonprofit organization, the OVBA also values integrity, and Joe is glad to be a member.
         
          Joe is excited for the future of real estate in Utah and his opportunity to help it move forward effectively. Though he knows there are those who seek success by cutting ethical corners, he believes that success can be achieved while being completely ethical: "You gotta have ethics," he says. "Professional standards are paramount."

          Joe is a friendly, happy individual, eager to help people and teach them about buying, selling, or taking care of homes. He even has great stories to tell from the experiences he has gained throughout the years.  

          Find Joe on http://www.ovba.org/, as well as information on all OVBA member businesses, including discounts, contests, and events.

OVBA Spotlight: Local Business Woman, Reverend, and Therapist Never Ceasing in Service

By Justin Yates
         
          For as long as Sharon Lewis has lived in the Ogden Valley, she has continued to do what she enjoys most—helping others to be happy and to feel good physically. Sharon manages three of her own businesses, which are all located in the Ogden Valley: Healing Hands of Eden, Reverend Sharon Lewis, and Ogden Valley Treasures. 

As an experienced massage therapist, having specialized in the profession for nineteen years, Sharon provides quality therapy for local residents and visitors. She brings her services directly to the customer’s own home, condo, or hotel. When occasionally demand requires it, she will team up with two or three other massage therapists to accommodate for larger groups. Her therapy provides relief from tension and soreness in the body. For example, skiers can benefit from this after a long day of skiing. Her massages can also sooth pain that comes from injuries, headaches, and chronic conditions. Her Healing Hands website, www.sharonlewismassagetherapist.com, is a great source to learn more in depth about the kinds of massages she gives.

          Sharon has been an ordained reverend for nine years, and during that time she has helped many couples experience their dream wedding, in addition to officiating at other kinds of ceremonies. The weddings she performs are tailored to the unique circumstances and needs of each couple. Sharon’s desire is to allow them greater flexibility than they would normally have in the traditional marriage setting. For example, she allows couples to plan and personalize their own wedding ceremonies, which proceed in accordance with their own personal convictions. A number of couples who were married by Reverend Lewis have written her and expressed their gratitude and joy for having her be the one to make their marriage a reality: “You did such a beautiful job uniting us in just the way we had wanted it,” one couple expressed. Another couple, whose marriage was performed in Snow Canyon, UT, was pleased with how well Sharon had conformed to their wishes: “We hired Sharon to perform our ceremony and were impressed by the wide range of ceremonies available. Planning our wedding was easy, thanks to Sharon. She is resourceful and prompt with help and advice, and made our wedding a dream to plan.” Sharon provides a variety of different options and services pertaining to weddings and ceremonies. These, as well as some great photos, can be found on her website, www.revsharonlewis.com.

         

          Ogden Valley Treasures is Sharon’s third and most recently developed business. Launched in August of 2011 as a non-profit classified ad website, it provides individual people and other businesses a place for listing ads, products, and services. She believes her site will make it so people in the Valley will not have to travel to Ogden or Salt Lake to find what they are looking for. It is a simple and easy classified website to locate and to use: www.ogdenvalleytreasures.com. People can list for free.
         
          Though Sharon did not grow up in Utah, she has come to love the area, especially the Ogden Valley, and also the people. In addition to her businesses, she serves in two volunteer service organizations, the first, an organization for rescuing and raising basset hounds (www.UFBH.org), and the second, an organization for helping Native Americans in the Navajo Reservation (www.anelder.org).  She is a member of the Ogden Valley Business Association (OVBA) and helps, with the other members of the Association, to contribute to the needs of the residents and those visiting the Valley. Sharon lives in Liberty with her husband and three beautiful basset hounds.

To learn more about other OVBA Member Businesses, visit www.ovba.org.

OVBA Spotlight: Simply Eden Gives People a Chance to Live Again

by Justin Yates
         
          Athena Steadman, owner and creator of Simply Eden Bath and Body, decided several years ago that she wanted to change her life for the better. She had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and had to quit her job. With her health suffering, but with the resolution to improve her situation, she made a decision that she would change the way she ate and took care of her body. She concluded that the best way to do that was to go natural, to go back to the way things used to be, before the age of processed foods, harmful chemicals, and life-destroying ingredients. She began to cook homemade meals with natural ingredients and to research natural health products, such as soaps and lotions.
      
          Before long, Athena began making her own soap. She had become tired of using commercial soaps, which irritated her skin. While living in Eden, she had acquired a small collection of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, goats that produce milk high in vitamins and nutrients and rich in cream. She used the milk not only as a refreshing, organic beverage, but also as an ingredient for her soap, to make it soft, mild, and healthy.
         

          Born into a family with entrepreneurial genes, Athena decided to start her own business and share with others her knowledge about the effects of commercial health products. She was eager to help others and provide them with a product that would contribute to an improved lifestyle by going back to the basics, as it had done for her.
         




         


         




          Today, Athena successfully continues her business, making all of her products by hand at her own home in Eden. She has since expanded her product selection (many of which are also made with goat milk), adding lotions, face creams, lip balm, body mousse, body butter, soap dishes made out of bamboo, and more, including her unique and popular soap cakes, all made in her own Simply Eden way.   
         
         


         


         
          Athena loves what she does. She is very passionate about her business, her goats, and helping others. She says that one of her favorite things about running the business is when people come to her and say that it was at Simply Eden where they finally found the right product, when other products had not worked.
         

         

          Athena is a first-year member of the Ogden Valley Business Association (OVBA), a nonprofit business organization dedicated to helping Ogden Valley businesses join together for the betterment of the community and the lives of those who come to visit. While being a member, Athena has benefitted from the great support that the OVBA gives. She has enjoyed the classes that they have offered to help her succeed, and she is grateful for the networking opportunities that have come while being a member.
         
          Athena’s products can be purchased at The Shop Around the Corner (Formerly Dottie Becks) in Old Town Eden and from her website www.simplyeden.com, which has a complete listing of all her products. To learn more about other OVBA Member Businesses, visit www.ovba.org.

Marketing 101 - Basics to jump-start your business

The Ogden Valley Business Association Invites Local Businesses to Learn Marketing 101 - Basics to jump-start your business!

Local business owners are invited along with members to the next OVBA meeting on Thursday, May 17th at noon at the Ogden Valley Branch of the Weber County Library in Huntsville.  The cost is $5 for OVBA members and $10 for non-OVBA members, which includes lunch served by Harley and Bucks.  Please RSVP to 801-745-2550 by May 14th to ensure lunch availability.

Whether you are a new venture or on ongoing entity it never hurts to analyze the Marketing basics and make sure you are on game. This session will help you evaluate your product/service, customer demographics/psychographics, price point, market, competition, distribution AND then help give you the tools to develop a promotion plan.

With over 24 years of experience, Christy Leth Tew has the knowledge to help you do a snapshot overview of advertising, your website, direct and electronic mail, P.R., events, promotional items, CRM Database, testimonials and presentation materials and how to capitalize on your industry expertise.

The mission of The Ogden Valley Business Association is to promote and support member businesses of Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon by providing opportunities for improving commerce, to be an economic resource for the betterment of our community and its visitors, and by fostering a robust economic climate, through the promotion of our natural and cultural resources.

For more information visit www.ovba.org