Voices of Western Colorado: Discover

We Asked These Western Slope Locals to Weigh in on This Topic.

KRYSTA COSSITT

Krysta is the owner of Elevation Weddings and Events, a wedding and event planning company that services Western Colorado.

“This past year I have been discovering just how much I can take on both professionally and personally. It’s amazing how full our plates can become but the question is, ‘Is it sustainable?’ The wedding industry along Colorado’s Western Slope is seeing a huge boom — a welcomed scenario especially after the uncertainty COVID presented two years ago and continues to present. Last year I took on more weddings than I ever had before. I discovered that I could handle it, but I also discovered that it wasn’t a sustainable business model, nor was it good for my personal life. This discovery has shifted the way I work and play, resulting in a more positive experience with clients, family and friends.”

TIMBER

Timber is the mascot of local small business Timberline Bank, a Member FDIC, Equal Housing lender.

“Discover: to find someone unexpectedly during the course of a search. That is how I found my home here in Grand Junction. The co-owners of Timberline Bank wanted to build a business that focused on our local community. Throughout the planning process for the headquarters, the team discovered that the best way to do this was to add something unexpected. Over the last year, I have discovered so much joy and met many new people! One of my favorite activities is to greet guests at the Timberline Community Coffee Bar. If you haven’t met me yet, stop by during my Paw-ffice hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Bring the whole pack!”

NICOLE RUIZ

Nicole is the co-owner of Alta Home Builders with her husband, Carlos, and a realtor and assistant broker at Robinson and Co. Realty.

“A hidden blessing of the past two years is that a simplified schedule has allowed for more time together in the outdoors as a family. We have discovered that hanging out at our rural home and bottle-feeding goats is just as valuable as overscheduling our boys in demanding extracurriculars. We are learning to live in the present, to enjoy a mountain bike ride together in the desert or a simple hike through the sandstone. So much in our culture is a means to an end, but we are trying to enjoy the ride as an end itself, focusing on the present.”

Compiled by Lauren Farrauto.

Originally published in the Spring 2022 issue of Spoke+Blossom