First of all, the man knows people. Even better? He connects them.

“I can’t think of anything more fun than connecting people,” says Bradford, whose wife, Linda, coined his “Human Internet” nickname. “People make businesses happen. It’s that simple.”

Bradford makes businesses happen, too. We’re talking Novell. FundingUniverse. Sorenson Capital. Omniture. LDS.biz. Fusion-io.

Whether Bradford’s role is large or limited, he’s instrumental.

Take Woz, for example. You know, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. (No big deal.) Bradford hired him as the chief scientist for Fusion-io after a chance meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho. Who hires Steve Wozniak?

The Human Internet, that’s who.

BusinessQ sat down with Bradford to navigate his lawyer-turned-tech-guru career, to discover what Utah Valley company he’s got his eye on, and to copy (er, learn) just what keys to success he’s been clicking.

Briana Stewart, managing editor of BusinessQ: Why don’t we start with your Utah Valley beginnings. Let’s talk Novell.
David Bradford: It was Sept. 15, 1985. My father passed away, and I remember that date because it was my mother’s birthday. Later that month, I came up to Utah to discuss estate planning with my sisters. I was driving down I-15 and saw a large Novell billboard around 800 North in Orem. I thought, “I’ve heard of those guys.” So I got to the Orem Center Street exit, did a U-turn and drove to their headquarters. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was doing it.

Q: You’re kidding.
Bradford: Nope. I didn’t even know they were based in Utah! I thought they were in Silicon Valley. So I walked up to Carol Carlson, the receptionist, — who’s still a good friend — and told her I was here to meet with the president of the company. I didn’t even know who the president was! But she said today was my lucky day because Mr. Noorda happened to be in town. “What did I want to see him about?” she asked me.

Q: Did you even know the answer to that?
Bradford: (laughs) Not yet. But I told her I was a lawyer who had practiced in the tech industry for a few years, and that I had heard about Novell and wanted to stop in and say hello. So I’m sitting down in this rotunda lobby, and I spy this job board with position listings — shipping and receiving, marketing specialist, sales — and then there it was: corporate legal counsel. It was like, “Oh my gosh.”

Q: Fate.
Bradford: Fate. So Mr. Noorda came out and shook my hand. I told him I saw the position on the wall for corporate legal counsel and wanted to talk about it further. Two weeks later, I moved my wife and four kids out to Utah.

Q: Now that’s a hiring story.
Bradford: And it gets better. In my 15 years there, I saw the company grow from $70 million in revenue to more than $2 billion. It was a great run, and I learned so much from three of its CEOs: Ray Noorda, Bob Frankenberg and Eric Schmidt.

Q: And then in 2000 you retired.
Bradford: Well, semi-retired. I got my golf game together and became an adviser to tech companies.

Q: Including Omniture.
Bradford: That’s right — although back then it was MyComputer.com. They really morphed their strategy over time, and when they started focusing on Web analytics, they were a power to be reckoned with. Josh (James) and John (Pestana) are great.

Q: Who else were you working with at that time?
Bradford: I was the chair of the advisory board for Wasatch Ventures, which would later become Epic Ventures. I also helped in the formative stages of Sorenson Capital — Steve Young, who is a close personal friend, invited me to participate in that early endeavor.

Q: So when did FundingUniverse come into play?
Bradford: It was around 2003. Paul Allen and I were sitting together at a conference, and we started talking about how there needed to be a website that linked entrepreneurs to angel investors.

Q: Have you always been interested in the investing world?
Bradford: I love connecting people — wherever those opportunities may be. It’s actually become a theme in my life: Help people, and it will come back to you tenfold.

Q: So Fusion-io. How did you get involved initially?
Bradford: It all goes back to that same theme: Take care of people and they’ll take care of you. In 2003, Don Basile reached out to me. I know a lot of venture capitalists in the state, and he was interested in purchasing some of their assets. So we spent some time together, and I introduced him to people. At the time I wasn’t thinking about how I was going to benefit. He was a smart guy, and that was enough for me.

Q: Then what happened?
Bradford: In 2008, Don reached back out to me about Fusion-io. He told me, “I think we have a big winner here. I appreciate what you did for me five years ago, and I’d love to involve you.” I met with key people and was impressed by this fast-growing company and its disruptive technology. I became chair of their advisory board June 1, 2008. Then I found this guy Steve Wozniak.

Q: I’ve been waiting to hear this story!
Bradford: I was in Sun Valley, Idaho, to do a little one-hour speech for the Utah Bar Association. As I was leaving the venue, I saw a piece of paper on a table that said the keynote speaker was Steve Wozniak. And I thought, “I gotta hang around for this.” So I went into the auditorium and sat down next to a beautiful young lady named Julie Roebuck. I introduced myself, and she did the same. Turns out she was Steve Wozniak’s executive assistant.

Q: Now there’s a handy coincidence.
Bradford: I’d say so. I told her about my background, and she said, “You have to meet Steve. He’ll be thrilled to talk to another tech guy.” So after his keynote, I went up, shook his hand and told him all about Fusion-io. The conversation ended with me saying, “Gosh, would you like to be on our advisory board?”

Q: That takes guts!
Bradford: You’d think so. But I believed in what we were doing. So I sent him an e-mail invitation later that night, and within 24 hours I got a reply back saying he’d be honored to join our team. I thought, “Are you kidding me? How did we do that?” Woz gets opportunities like this thrown at him constantly, and to have him accept was a complete privilege and thrill. But the best part? After meeting with Fusion-io’s executives, David Flynn and Rick White, Steve asked to play a larger role in the company.

Q: Now that’s a compliment.
Bradford: It was crazy. How does this little Utah-based tech company do that? In retrospect — and I say this somewhat tongue and cheek — it may just be the greatest hire in the history of technology companies.

Q: And it all started because you picked up a flier.
Bradford: Sometimes the best jobs and opportunities are ones you walk in on.

Q: Describe what it’s like working at Fusion-io — the energy, the culture.
Bradford: It was like the early days of Novell — everyone going 100 miles an hour. People come in early and stay late. And they love doing what they’re doing.

Q: Sounds infectious.
Bradford: Greg Butterfield describes it as an energy that elevates everyone. You start with a passion for what you are doing, and then you blend in the fact that what you’re doing can change the world. You feel unstoppable.

Q: And the company’s been unstoppable because of it.
Bradford: During the time I was CEO, the Wall Street Journal named Fusion-io America’s most promising company. The Wall Street Journal! And BusinessWeek conducted a poll that rated us the No. 1 most innovative company. Some of it is certainly attributed to Woz — he elevated our level of credibility. But the other component — which I preach all the time — is that human talent means everything.

Q: Now the company has gone public. What’s it really like to make the transition from a private to public company?
Bradford: Exhilarating. You start by selecting the investment bankers, and it’s amazing to see the level of enthusiasm they have for your company — the Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgans of the world asking if there is any way they can work with you.

Q: That has to be a great moment.
Bradford: It’s surreal. And then on June 9, my wife, Linda, and I were back at the New York Stock Exchange with the rest of the Fusion-io team. We went up on the podium, and David (Flynn) and Woz rang the bell together. It was heavy stuff. But what was really cool is you’re sitting there, the bell has been rung and trading has started with hundreds of people yelling prices. You have no idea what’s going on, but the one thing you know is your company’s stock was 19 bucks a share the night before, and then it opens at 25 bucks a share. You’re just sitting there going, “This is so way cool.”

Q: Now a big project of yours is LDS.biz.
Bradford: Wow! You are all over my stuff.

Q: Journalism is what you call a legal form of stalking.
Bradford: (laughs) Well, when it comes to LDS.biz, I need to put more time and energy behind it. I still love the idea and want to build something cool and useful for the LDS business community. I don’t know that we’ve found that killer app yet. But we’ll get there.

Q: What is it about the technology field that excites you most?
Bradford: I love being involved in the latest technology trends. I’m not a tech person when it comes to my education, but I love being able to spot trends that will speak to people.

Q: What’s a trend — or future trend — that excites you right now?
Bradford: Let’s talk VIEW — the Virtual Immersive Educational World. It’s something Linda has built in connection with her Ph.D. It’s a new software platform for higher education whereby students can participate in a class inside of a virtual world. It’s groundbreaking! Linda teaches Art 326 at BYU, and students from all over come in as avatars, view PowerPoint presentations and participate in class discussions.

Q: It must be 2011 or something.
Bradford: You know it. The deal is people learn best in mediums they are accustomed to. Most kids today grow up playing video games and participating in virtual worlds. These days, my grandkids get into these virtual worlds and hit the ground flying.

Q: I know what you mean. My daughter could unlock and scroll through my iPhone at 11 months old.
Bradford: Exactly!

Q: You’ve really become a master of all trades.
Bradford: We’re into so many things I get tired. (laughs) But seriously, it’s all good. We’ve found that in life you get what you put into it. I talk to people. I learn from people. Listening to people has been a huge key to my success.

Q: Do you ever get tired of technology? Do you have to “turn off”?
Bradford: I turn off with sports — that’s my outlet. I play hard and I work hard. I’m up at 6 a.m. and in bed by 11 p.m.

Q: What about social media? Is there such a thing as too much?
Bradford: People have to learn how to organize their social media — I have categorized my 5,000 Facebook contacts into work, entrepreneurs, golf, human resources, LDS, PR, etc. It makes it much more efficient when I need to reach out to a certain arena. Plus, I set aside an hour or two a day to participate on Facebook, LinkedIn and the like. And then I leave it. You will typically see my posts between 6 and 7 in the morning.

Q: You were Utah’s Executive of the Year in 2010. What do those kinds of titles mean to you?
Bradford: I was deeply honored. But the best part was that my family was there to celebrate it with me.

Q: Who is your choice for Utah Executive of the Year for 2011?
Bradford: Can I list a few? David Flynn of Fusion-io. Amy Rees Anderson at MediConnect. Carine Clark at Symantech. Carine is just great.

Q: What makes Utah Valley such a desirable place for tech companies?
Bradford: We have a lot of geeks who live here. (laughs) Geeks rule the world! I love to connect with them. Just think about the heritage of this valley! In the late ’80s and early ’90s, the four largest software companies were Lotus, Microsoft, Novell and WordPerfect. And two of them were located within five miles of each other here in Utah County. From that heritage we have spun Altiris, Omniture, Fusion-io. This is a special place for technology companies.

Q: Where do you see Utah Valley’s tech landscape in the next five years?
Bradford: You will see an infusion of capital in the state. One way in which this valley continues to get replenished is through the technology sector. It’s through people investing in local companies, liquidating a portion of their assets and then reinvesting that money back into the economy. It’s what happened with Fusion-io. Fusion-io’s market value right now is almost three times higher than Altiris’ was when it sold to Symantech, and it’s about a billion dollars more than Omniture’s when it sold to Adobe. How crazy is that? Hit me! (Gives me a high-five.)

Q: Are there any Utah Valley tech companies you have your eye on?
Bradford: I like AtTask. It’s a solid if not spectacular company. Also, AdaptiveComputing — they are going to do great, great things.

Q: Why do you think you’ve been successful? What’s made the difference for you?
Bradford: I’ve just surrounded myself with good people. I’m never afraid to hire people smarter than I am. You’re never going to be successful if you keep pressing people down. Let them have their wings.

Q: When do you feel most successful?
Bradford: I feel successful when I’m surrounded by my kids and grandkids. I also feel successful when customers respond to the message by writing checks. Yeah, that feels pretty great.

Q: You’ve had some amazing business partners. Who taught you the most?
Bradford: Ray Noorda and Eric Schmidt. From Ray I learned the power of distribution networks and how important it is to have what you would describe as a big brother strategic partner — people who can pull you up, take your product and move it into the marketplace. Eric is a great organizer and a great reader. He would come into meetings incredibly prepared, which has caused me to do the same. When I go into meetings with the smart guys, I want to keep up. Readers are leaders.

Q: Do you have a dream business partner?
Bradford: My wife.

Q: What makes a great leader?
Bradford: There is no perfect leader. There are people we put on pedestals because they have had major successes, but every one of them has their strengths and their weaknesses. The best leaders understand what their weaknesses are and know how to backfill.

Q: What makes a great team?
Bradford: When everyone understands that at the end of the day, people matter most. Life is too short to make enemies.

Q: What would people be surprised to know about you?
Bradford: I was a cheerleader for BYU back in ’72 and ’73. We called them yell leaders then.

Q: What’s next for you?
Bradford: I’m eyeing a few options. And I’m actually writing a book about my experiences and what I’ve learned. It’s been a lot of fun. Hopefully it will be out sometime early next year.

Q: What advice do you have for tech-driven entrepreneurs?
Bradford: Live your dream. Live your passion. Work relentlessly. Not everyone is willing to put in the effort necessary to be world class at something. Be world class at what you do.

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Time to get back in shape. Time to set new goals. Time for your annual portfolio review!

I know for some that sounds about as much fun as an annual physical. But in terms of importance, it ranks at the top of your list. If you don’t know where you’re going, it’s difficult to get there. And if you don’t measure your progress, you may never get there.

It’s time to clarify why you’re investing in the first place. Is it to provide retirement income? Is it to supplement it? Is it to provide an education for your kids? Is it so you can travel? Is it so you can be financially free?

Whatever the reason, clearly define it. And once you’re clear on the why, look at how you’re going to make it happen.

How much money do you need to save each year to meet your goals? What rate of return does your portfolio need to generate? What is the probability you will reach your objective — at different rates of return? Is your portfolio properly positioned for the market cycle? Are you taking too little risk? Are you taking too much?

If you can’t answer these questions, you’re leaving your financial future up to pure luck. “Luck” and “hope” are two words you never want to use when talking about your investments.

At Paragon, we offer free portfolio reviews each year through our website. Many are for local investors. Others are investors referred to us nationally from Morningstar, the well-known mutual fund rating organization. Most are experienced, retired investors with significant investible assets.

Below are five mistakes we repeatedly see in portfolios.

1. Risk levels: Investors often don’t know how much risk they need to take in order to reach their goals. They haven’t defined how much market volatility they can comfortably live with. What’s more, they have no idea how much risk they’re actually taking. As a result, next time the market goes down, they will likely endure sleepless nights as they hope the market recovers. Odds for success? Low.

2. Diversification: Investors own many mutual funds and think they are diversified. We regularly see accounts holding 40-plus funds. What they often don’t realize is many of their funds hold the same stocks. In reality, they’re not diversified at all. They’re usually taking much more risk than they realize.

3. Bonds: Investors hold bonds for safety and stability. Bonds provided safety over the past 30 years because interest rates declined from 18 percent down to 2.5 percent. Most bonds do not provide safety when interest rates move up. To the contrary, bondholders may see significant losses going forward as rates increase from all-time lows.

4. High expenses: Many portfolios are filled with expensive mutual funds. Investors are paying management fees, transaction costs and 12b1 fees. They can often achieve the same market exposure through ETFs at a fraction of the cost.

5. Knowing when to sell: Buying a stock or fund is the easy part. Knowing when to sell is the hard part. Investors should never own a position they wouldn’t be willing to buy today. We see portfolios full of investments that should have been sold long ago.

If you have at least $200,000 invested and would like a second opinion on your portfolio, go to www.paragonwealth.com and request a free portfolio review.

It’s that time again.

• Founded 2009
• City Provo
• Employees 15
• Industry Dental hygiene
• Website www.orabrush.com
• Founder Dr. Bob Wagstaff, 75
• What It Is A creator of a tongue-cleaning device designed to extinguish bad breath.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy The real question is, what isn’t watch-worthy about Orabrush? With more than 35 million views on YouTube and more than 270,000 Facebook fans, Orabrush has taken its social media success and created a tangible, multimillion-dollar breath of fresh air.
• The Big Break “Our first YouTube video — we had no idea it would lead to where we are today.”
• The High Point “We’ve sold more than a million Orabrushes now, and I just get a kick out of knowing we’re helping people and educating them on bad breath.”
• The Low Point “Knowing we had a great product but not being able to get it to market.”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “In the beginning, my wife and I did everything — mailing, packaging, customer service calls — all right from our home and garage. It was overwhelming.”
• The Advice “If you really believe in your product and have good reason to believe it’s going to be a success, stick with it. You’ll find a way to make it work.”
• In 2015 “A recognized leader in our industry.”

NO. 2 FOUR FOODS GROUP

• Founded 2008
• City Highland
• Employees 221
• Industry Food/Retail
• Website www.fourfoodsgroup.com
• Founder Andrew K. Smith, 35
• What It Is A restaurant management and investment company specializing primarily in the fast casual dining industry.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy After the success Four Foods Group has had with the Kneaders brand (our No. 27 Fastest-Growing Company this year), restaurants wanting to expand will be aligning themselves with this expertly led company.
• The Big Break “Having a fantastic 2010 in sales, making 2011 look even better for new growth!”
• The High Point “Being able to find a supportive financing arm with Bank of American Fork, as well as having extremely benevolent and excited investors to continue our growth curve year over year.”
• The Low Point “The amount of mental, emotional, office and manual labor required to get the company to this point so far. It has been rough … but that is what it takes to make any business succeed right now.”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “Multiple employees working from my home office for the past two years while preserving the company money to reinvest into the future. Working around the family is rewarding … but hard. We finally moved into our new offices in February! We are so excited.”
• The Advice “Stick to one thing, and give it all you got — even when you want to quit. Focus. Execute. And be passionate about what you’re doing.”
• In 2015 “Twenty-six Kneaders Bakery & Café restaurants operating in the western United States, grossing more than $55 million in sales a year.”

NO. 3 STUBTOPIA.COM

• Founded 2008
• City Spanish Fork
• Employees 5
• Industry Live event ticketing
• Website www.stubtopia.com
• Founder Dallen Allred, 23
• What It Is A secondary-market ticketing website.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy A winner of a number of business competitions, Stubtopia.com has lived up to its winning name by becoming a million-dollar business and a go-to site for ticket takers.
• The Big Break “We’re still hoping for that.”
• The High Point “Being chosen as the No. 1 Student-run business in Utah for 2010.”
• The Low Point “A couple weeks every mid-December and mid-April (finals week).”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “A roommate and I ran Stubtopia from our shared bedroom at our BYU apartment for the first year and a half. We would have customers from the East Coast begin calling at 5 a.m., which would drive all our other roommates nuts. We had a good time closing out thousand dollar orders in our pajamas.”
• The Advice “Find a mentor, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about stuff you don’t know. (Everything.)”
• In 2015 “It’s hard to say. There is so much opportunity in our industry and so much disruption.”

NO. 4 CREXENDO

• Founded 2009
• City Orem
• Industry Online marketing
• Website www.crexendo.com
• Founders David McCoy; Clint Sanderson
• What It Is A Web marketing services company.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy Armed with experienced, solid leadership, stellar products and free public training, Crexendo has made a big splash in a small timeframe.

NO. 5 GROSOCIAL

• Founded 2009
• City Provo
• Employees 7
• Industry Social media/Marketing
• Website www.grosocial.com
• Founders Zach Mangum, 27; Kevin Kirkland, 29; Chris Wright, 35
• What It Is A developer of three Web-based social media marketing applications that help businesses acquire new customers.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy Its social media apps (SuggestThis, Swap and Customizer) are gaining excellent traction with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide using them (including Diapers.com and Energizer). What’s more, the company is striking while the social media iron is hot.
• The Big Break “Closing our initial round of seed capital from an awesome investor.”
• The High Point “Watching our flagship product grow by 258 percent in Q4 2010.”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “Meeting a potential partner for lunch and having to tell him we were doing a ‘cleanse’ and wouldn’t be eating, when the real reason was because the debit card’s balance was too low. This doubles as our ‘low point!’”
• The Advice “If you wouldn’t use and pay for your product or service, don’t assume anyone else will.”
• In 2015 “A leading provider of enterprise-level social media marketing software.”

NO. 6 PROPERTY23

• Founded 2008
• City Orem
• Employees 70
• Industry Real estate Website www.property23.com Founder Sean Whalen, 32
• What It Is A turn-key property investment company.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy When you’re making more than $20 million in sales after just two years of business, you’re watch-worthy. And doing it in a real estate market that’s less than ideal? We’ve got our eyes peeled.
• The Big Break “Turning the management over to my partner, Jon Day. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done in business, but the best decision I have ever made — and one of the main reasons we’ve grown.”
• The High Point “Hearing from employees how much they love working with our company.”
• The Low Point “Being around people who have no vision and no loyalty.”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “We travel a lot. When Jon has any input with travel arrangements, he chooses the smallest and least-expensive car. Have you seen how hard it is to fit four sets of golf clubs, four suitcases and four, six-foot-and-taller guys into a Ford Focus? Needless to say, Jon is no longer allowed to book rental cars.”
• The Advice “Never ever get offended when you ask a question and get an answer you don’t like. If you ask, be prepared to learn.”
• In 2015 “I see P23 buying and selling more residential investment property than any other company in America. I also see more golf in 2015.”

NO. 7 FROGHAIR

• Founded 2008
• City Provo
• Employees 6
• Industry Ad-specialty/premium incentives
• Website www.froghair.com
• Founders Curtis Blair, 43; Richard Christiansen, 46
• What It Is A provider of corporate awards and gifts.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy With impeccable leadership at its helm (the founders have started upwards of 30 businesses — many of them multimillion dollar operations), Froghair, which already represents more than 150 well-known American brand-name products, will become a leader of its industry thanks to an emphasis on “meaningful and motivating” corporate gifts.
• The Big Break “When the first zig zag zig (three progression steps for the business) were mapped out on a dinner napkin.”
• The High Point “When the team was assembled and everyone jumped into Froghair full-time.”
• The Low Point “Managing cash flow associated with growth.”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “When we came up with $240,000 in 24 hours.” (Editor’s Note: OK. Wow.)
• The Advice “Fail efficiently.”
• In 2015 “Working on the business not in the business — diversified into three revenue streams.”

NO. 8 MALAWI’S PIZZA

• Founded 2010
• City Provo
• Employees 43
• Industry Dining
• Founders Blake Roney, 52; Kent Anderson, 42
• What It Is A pizza restaurant with a philanthropic cause — for every meal sold the restaurant donates a dollar to the country of Malawi.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy Combine delicious pizza with a charitable mission, and you may just have the greatest thing since sliced pizza.

NO. 9 NETHOSTING

• Founded 2009
• City Orem
• Employees 4
• Industry Web hosting
• Website www.nethosting.com
• Founders Lane Livingston, 38; J. Lee Livingston, 41
• What It Is A provider of Cloud hosting and storage options.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy As a sister company to Fibernet Corp., this business has all the right leadership, all the right tools, all the right customers (including Cisco, Dell, HP and Intel) and all the right gumption to go very, very far.
• The Big Break “We could not have done it without Fibernet Corp.”
• The High Point “Launching the new site and having customers sign up for hosting with almost no effort.”
• The Low Point “Several months after the launch of the new website, we discovered 99 percent of all the hosting accounts that had been setup were paid for with stolen credit cards.”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “We launched the new company without any debt or equity financing.”
• The Advice “A good business will not succeed long term without principles, fiscal restraint and good people.”
• In 2015 “We’ll be one of the top three Cloud hosting providers — NetHosting.com, Amazon.com and Rackspace.com.”

NO. 10 LUMOS, INC.

• Founded 2008
• City Orem
• Employees 10
• Industry Sports medicine
• Website www.kttape.com
• Founders Reed Quinn, 30; Ryan Dewey, 35; John Mackay, 52; Jim Jenson, 39
• What It Is A designer, developer and distributor of sports medicine products.
• Why It’s Watch-Worthy With its flagship product, KT Tape, sticking with top athletes like Kerri Walsh, Mike Bridges and the TeamUSA WaterPolo team, and with a presence in more than 3,000 retails locations in the United States, we have no doubt Lumos, Inc. will be glued to athletes for years to come.
• The High Point “Interacting with our customers. Our product really enables people who are sitting on the sidelines because of injuries to get back to doing what they love. We love to read and listen to the success stories from our fans.”
• The Low Point “Making trade-offs because of budget constraints.”
• Best Bootstrapping Moment “Our first office was a 600-square-foot retail space between the UPS Store and Pier 49 on University Avenue in Provo. We could only fit a couple pallets of product in the space, and that was if we stacked product around, on top of and beneath our desks. At one point we had product taking up every usable space except for a two-foot aisle. When we shipped out product we would label cartons and build pallets on the sidewalk in front of Pier 49 Pizza where they would sit until a truck came to pick them up. Ultimately, a visit from the fire marshal convinced us we needed a new office.”
• The Advice “Don’t wait until everything is perfect before you get your product out in the market. And don’t be afraid to commit before you know exactly how you are going to make it happen.”
• In 2015 “TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION! Or, maybe just KT Tape recognized as an essential piece of athletic equipment.”

The Startups to Watch list was selected from a pool of applicants that have less than three years of operating history. The winners were determined by BusinessQ’s editorial board.

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Young Living is no youngin’ when it comes to essential oils. The 18-year-old Lehi company has been an industry leader since its inception, and founder Dr. Gary Young has been researching and experimenting in the natural health world since 1980. “Ever since these oils have come into my life, I’ve felt it’s been my mission to share them with the world,” says Young, who has published books and research papers on his discoveries. “I’ve watched them drastically improve medical conditions and change people’s lives. It just doesn’t get better than that.” Young also has a life-changing wife and business partner, Mary. “I could not have made this journey without her. She kept pushing me when I would have been perfectly happy living a life as a rancher. But she knew I was capable of this.” And now Utah Valley does, too.

I started experimenting with oils back in 1980 with some I had purchased from a health food store. After five years of experimenting with them — and seeing no results — I gave up and deemed it a new-age fad. This was voodoo medicine, I thought.

Then a woman came to my clinic. Her sister lived in Switzerland, and she asked me what I knew about essential oils. I said, “You mean that aromatherapy stuff? Been there, done that, not interested.”

She was offended. I was trying to think of a way to get out of this awkward conversation when she asked me, “Do you believe all herbs are created equal?” I told her they were all created equal, yes — but they weren’t all manufactured equal. “The same is true with essential oils,” she said.

She proceeded to pull out a manila folder with research papers on infectious respiratory diseases and how the oils had killed the virus in the bacteria. She had translated the document for me and told me she wrote her home number on the paper. “If you have further interest, call me at home,” she said.

I finished the paper at 3 in the morning. I started highlighting passages and writing countless questions in the margins. I was overwhelmed by it. It gave me answers to what all people in the natural health world were looking for. I paced the floor. I couldn’t sleep. And so at 6 a.m., I picked up the phone and dialed her number. Deciding it was too early, I was about to hang up the phone when I heard, “Dr. Young! I’ve been waiting for your call.”

Five days later I was in Switzerland taking a class on essential oils. And in 1985, I was doing my first clinical research on cancer. And now look at us! Through Young Living, essential oils are literally changing and saving lives every day — I’ve seen it with my own eyes hundreds of times.
We’ve been here at our corporate office in Lehi for seven years now. It was quite the day when we loaded up the semi to move here from Payson. In each place we’ve been during our 18-year history, we’ve thought we’d never be able to fill the space. But every single time we end up bulging at the seams.

I’ve been called a snake oil salesman and all kinds of other awful names. And those people later saw how successful we’ve been and wanted to buy the company. Interesting, isn’t?

But I can’t get caught up in the lies and the slander. I have never done anything in my life for financial gain. I always knew if I did things in an honest and right way, the financial gain would come. And it has.

The most rewarding part of our success has been the people we’ve helped. No question. And the more successful we are, the better we can spread our message worldwide.

Young Living is becoming a household name around the world. And for our distributors, it’s not about how much money they’re making. It’s about how these oils have helped them and those around them.

It’s been a fabulous journey, and taking something that had never been exposed to the world in our time — something that had never been marketed before — has been a privilege. Sometimes you have to pinch yourself to realize it’s not a dream.

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• Revenue in 2010 $1,540,000,000
• Founded 1984
• City Provo
• Employees 1,100 (in Utah)
• Industry Direct sales/Beauty
• Website www.nuskin.com
• Founder Blake Roney, 52; Steven J. Lund, 57; Sandie N. Tillotson, 53
• The Company A direct sales company that sells skin, beauty and nutrition products.
• The Success With unparalleled revenues, a 27-year history of standout leadership and an integral emphasis on being a “force for good” locally and abroad, Nu Skin has been and will continue to be an irreplaceable economic engine in Utah Valley.
• The Milestone Moment “Our greatest milestone was the past year. We posted record revenue for the third straight year. We also celebrated feeding 200 million meals through our Nourish the Children initiative. We welcomed more people than ever before into the business. We set records with the launch of our revolutionary ageLOC skin care products. We announced our 700th career million-dollar earner. And we announced a new building in downtown Provo that we are very excited about. It was a great year.”
• The Key to the Economy “Innovation.”
• Best Part of Being High Revenue “Seeing all of the lives we have been able to impact for good. We operate in 51 markets worldwide, and we love hearing the stories from our distributors and employees about how their lives have improved because of their association with Nu Skin.”
• Where to Splurge “We make sure we give our distributors and employees some WOW with their events. Making sure they are recognized is an important investment. In fact, our company vision is entirely based on this — we want to be the world’s leading direct selling company by generating more income for our distributors than any other company.”
• The Advice “Find smart, good people and keep them by your side. When we were a young company, it was basically us against the world. Just about everyone thought we would fail. But we supported each other and made sure we all never quit on the same day. And then we welcomed other people who saw the vision and values of Nu Skin.”

NO. 2 VIVINT, INC.

• Revenue in 2010 $217,782,000
• Founded 1999
• City Provo
• Employees 5,000
• Industry Home automation
• Website www.vivint.com
• Founder Todd Pedersen, 42
• The Company A home automation company with technology that enhances safety, convenience and energy efficiency.
• The Growth Formerly known as APX Alarm, Vivint has re-branded its name and vision — but kept its impeccable growth. Its impressive market dominance is thanks to its first-rate technology, sales force and employees.
• The Milestone Moment “Our employees take pride in what we do. People have built a career with us, and there’s nothing more rewarding than that.”
• Where to Splurge “Your employees — no question. It’s the team that makes the company, and you have to take care of them.”
• The Advice “Read ‘Atlas Shrugged.’ If people remember nothing else, remember this book. Everyone should read it.”

NO. 3 YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS

• Revenue in 2010 $162,012,318
• Founded 1993
• City Lehi
• Employees 473
• Industry Direct sales/Health and wellness
• Website www.youngliving.com
• Founders Gary Young; Mary Young
• The Company A direct sales company that sells essential oils and oil blends, oil-enhanced nutritional supplements, bath and body products, and skin-care solutions.
• The Success Thanks to extensive product research, intense loyalty among employees and distributors, and a strong international presence, Young Living has soared to success in its impressive 18-year run.
• The Milestone Moment “The successful expansion and continued rapid growth of our international marketplace,” says CEO Doug Nelson.
• Best Part of Being High Revenue “The financial freedom to spread Young Living’s goodwill to the world.”
• Worst Part of Being High Revenue “There’s always increasing pressure to raise the bar and exceed expectations after each success.”
• Where to Splurge “Brand identification and brand promotion.”
• Where to Save “Companies can save by avoiding distractions — some of which are worthy ventures — that don’t align with the core company philosophy.”
• The Advice “Define your business vision, and then stay true to that vision through good times and bad.”

NO. 4 ONE ON ONE MARKETING, LLC*

• Revenue in 2010 $50,864,838
• Founded 2002
• City Lehi
• Employees 150
• Industry Technology
• Website www.1on1.com
• Founder Nick Greer, 34
• The Company A Web-based lead generation company focusing on education, insurance and security.
• The Success Charmed with impeccable leadership, proven technology and a vibrant culture (“ping pong smack talk” is not unheard of), One on One Marketing has cornered its market with swish after swish.
• The Milestone Moment “Getting upper management out of the way and letting others really make things happen.”
• The Key to the Economy “We don’t view the economy as tough. We look for opportunities and take advantage of them as quickly as possible.”
• Where to Splurge “Splurge on the people — your team. Build them up, allow them to take themselves to new heights and give them everything they possibly need. It’s not worth it to hold back. Help them find and discover themselves.”
• Where to Save “Travel expenses and paper clips.”
• The Advice “Create your core values (the team creates these — not just one individual). Find those who believe in the same core values and never back down or compromise.”

NO. 5 BIG-D CONSTRUCTION*

• Revenue in 2010 $48,022,058
• Founded 2005
• City Lindon
• Employees 14
• Industry Commercial construction
• Website www.big-d.com
• Vice President Greg Fix, 37
• The Company A construction management and design-build services company.
• The Success Built with determination, willpower and integrity, Big-D has become an undeniable force in Utah Valley’s commercial construction market with projects ranging from under $1 million to more than $100 million.
• The Key to the Economy “Optimism.”
• The Advice “Slow and steady wins the race.”

NO. 6 BANK OF AMERICAN FORK

• Revenue in 2010 $44,097,000
• Founded 1913
• City American Fork
• Employees 270
• Industry Banking
• Website www.bankaf.com
• CEO Richard Beard, 58
• The Company A community bank with 12 branches in Utah and Salt Lake counties and a loan office in Layton.
• The Success With an unquestionable emphasis on the customer, community and employees, Bank of American Fork has become the largest community bank in Utah — and one of the most influential.
• The Milestone Moment “Emerging from the great recession with our customers, our communities and our bank in tact. The fact that the bank is the largest community bank in Utah validates that Utahns really do want and will support community banks. Utahns are educated and discerning consumers of financial products. They don’t want out-of-state control of their financial life, and they value customer service on a local level.”
• Key to the Economy “Companies should focus on the old-fashioned virtues of putting the customer first, being honest and caring about the community.”
• Best Part of Being High Revenue “It allows you the freedom to pursue alternatives and to give back to the community.”
• Worst Part of Being High Revenue “If not managed right, it can become the only metric of significance.”
• Where to Splurge “Splurge on customer service and employees. When customers and employees are happy it will be reflected in the performance of the company.”
• Where to Save “By cutting luxuries and perks for top management.”
• The Advice “Develop values and stick with them, particularly in tough times.”

NO. 7 HADCO CONSTRUCTION*

• Revenue in 2010 $40,816,681
• Founded 1989
• City Lehi
• Employees 231
• Industry Construction
• Website www.hadcoconstruction.com
• Founder John D. Hadfield, 42
• The Company A civil construction/earthwork/excavation contractor.
• The Success Thanks to the most loyal of customers and the most hardworking of employees, Hadco Construction has managed to grow 30 percent in the past three years — which is no easy feat in the construction industry.
• The Milestone Moment “Changing from a residential contractor to a heavy highway contractor.”
• Key to the Economy “Never give up.”
• Best Part of Being High Revenue “It enables you to meet lots of people and customers.”
• Where to Splurge “Pay your top people well.”
• Where to Save “On the fru-fru perks.”
• The Advice “Make sure the growth has purpose. Don’t just grow to grow.”

NO. 8 VITALSMARTS*

• Revenue in 2010 $32,290,660
• Founded 2001
• City Provo
• Employees 88
• Industry Corporate training
• Website www.vitalsmarts.com
• Founders Joseph Grenny, 50; Kerry Patterson, 64; Al Switzler, 61; Ron McMillan, 59; Mike Carter, 51
• The Company A corporate training and organizational performance company.
• The Success With bestselling books (including “Crucial Conversations”), experience with more than 300 of the Fortune 500 companies and 30-plus years of ongoing research, the principles VitalSmarts espouses have been economy-proof.
• The Milestone Moment “For most people, milestones come in the form of revenue targets per month or a related business number. However, a great milestone has been overhearing someone in the local community tell a friend about an important benefit they gained from one of our books or trainings. We have hundreds of thousands of users worldwide, so it has been extremely gratifying to see our material is widespread enough to circle back to our own neighborhood.”
• Key to the Economy “At the end of 2008, when no one could see two weeks in advance to predict or strategize, we thought about doing what a number of companies did at that time, play defense — cut this, drop that, etc. We then thought better and decided to play offense. We clarified new strategies and budgeted them such that we could quickly drop them if they didn’t work. All but one strategy worked — which made 2009 and 2010 successful years of growth.”
• Best Part of Being High Revenue “It is great to know we are able to bless the lives of a growing number of people each year as we grow our company, since our content greatly aids both individuals and organizations in accomplishing their goals. We feel so fortunate to have grown our business so much during a tough economy.”
• Where to Splurge “Companies should invest in that which will help them achieve their corporate objectives. Oftentimes, when times get tough, companies cut corporate training. However, through research we have found training is an investment rather than an expense.”
• The Advice “We worked hard to have products that are not commodities. We also worked to make sure the content of our training was seen as ‘crucial’ or mission-critical solutions to multiple problems. When our clients experience tough times, we’re fortunate to be seen as a solution rather than something to cut.”

NO. 9 KS MARKETING*

• Revenue in 2010 $28,816,904
• Founded 2007
• City Pleasant Grove
• Employees 25
• Industry Scrapbook/Crafting
• Website www.ksmarketinginc.com
• Founder Kory A. Boyd, 33
• The Company A seller of retail and wholesale products primarily in the craft industries.
• The Success BusinessQ’s No. 1 Fastest-Growing company last year (and a “Startup to Watch” the year before that), KS Marketing has shown no signs of slowing down — thanks to a strong team, great products and game-changing alliances.
• The Milestone Moment “Achieving a $5-million sales month in November 2010.”
• The Key to the Economy “Perseverance through any condition, making conservative and well-thought-out financial decisions, and constantly looking for new ideas and ways of improving our business.”
• Best Part of Being High Revenue “The added job security for myself and our employees.”
• Worst Part of Being High Revenue “Having to address so many more issues/problems that weren’t present as a smaller company.”
• Where to Splurge “Splurge on things the company has a passion about — and things that truly set yourself apart from others. Also, splurge on getting the right people to your company.”
• Where to Save “Save on things such as facilities and equipment — you don’t always have to buy everything new for it to work just fine.”
• The Advice “Take the time to fully evaluate your situation and then act quickly on your evaluation. Always have an eye open to the next opportunity, and be ready for the ups and downs.”

NO. 10 AMP SECURITY*

• Revenue in 2010 $27,984,505
  
• Founded 2007
• City Orem
• Employees 600
• Industry Home security
• Website www.ampsecurity.com
• Founder Allen Bolen, 35
• The Company A home security company with a marketing niche in door-to-door sales.
• The Success With enviable market timing and momentum, 4-year-old AMP has quickly risen to become a top force in a most competitive industry.
• The Milestone Moment “I believe in grindstone mentality more than a milestones perspective. Grinding it out takes longer, but it’s the surer path. If you wait for big breaks, you may be left waiting.”
• The Key to the Economy “Focus on the benefits of a tough economy. For instance, a tough employment market increases the supply of talented people for key positions.”
• Best Part of Being High Revenue “Being able to boost momentum — the key to success.”
• Worst Part of Being High Revenue “Growing to a point where I can’t do everything myself.”
• The Advice “It’s crucial to focus on strong sales and support personnel. Treat your sales reps like customers.”

The Top Revenue list is selected from a group of applicants and ranked based on their 2010 gross revenue. The 2010 gross revenue figure has been verified by BusinessQ and is accurate as of March 1, 2011. BusinessQ disclaims any responsibility for companies that did not apply.

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Kneaders Bakery & Cafe started cooking in 1997 with one Orem location and a whole lot of comfort. Fourteen years later, it has 10 Utah locations, two in Arizona, $16.8 million in sales and — you guessed it — a whole lot of comfort. “We’re in the business of making people feel like home,” says Colleen Worthington, who co-founded Kneaders with her husband, Gary. “Comfort is the biggest thing we sell.” And it’s the very ingredient that sets the local lunch legend apart. (Well, that and their Turkey Bacon Avocado on Focaccia. Yum.) These days, when Colleen drives down I-15 and sees Kneaders dotting the state, she can hardly believe how far they’ve come. “I had no idea we’d be here. It’s absolutely surreal.” But Gary knew it all along. “This is exactly what I pictured,” he says — which gives Colleen a laugh. “Really? Well, I’m glad one of us had a vision.”

Gary and I owned nine Subway sandwich stores. But we were tired, so we decided to sell them and retire.

We got bored — fast. So we thought, “Let’s do something.” We owned a piece of property in Orem, and we really wanted to sell amazing bread we baked everyday. After doing our research, we decided Europeans have the best bread in the world.

We opened Dec. 2, 1997. We have a lot of customers today who were our customers the first week we opened. We sold bread, pastries and cinnamon rolls, but we started listening to what the customers had to say. And they wanted sandwiches.

We had signed a non-compete agreement that said we wouldn’t make sandwiches. But we went to them and said, “How much do we need to pay to get out of this agreement?” They gave us a price, we paid it, and here we are.
The majority of our sales are in the sandwiches — and it’s because of the bread. It’s so fresh and good. But fresh isn’t easy. If it was, everyone would do it.

Kneaders is a family business, and that’s always been the plan. On the day we opened, everyone was here. I even had James, who was still in high school, come in and help me decide what radio station the store should play. I told him, “Find something you like and I like.” Thankfully, he liked ’60s music.

Because it’s a family business, it’s hard for us to not talk about Kneaders when we’re at home. It’s who we are. But during Thanksgiving dinner we try not to talk about it. That’s the day!

Gary and I come from homes of people who worked. When we were at Subway, our kids worked right along side us. Hard work is what it’s all about.

Growing this fast is great — and scary. We have a new plan every year as far as the volumes we go through. We never do it the same way twice. The key to handling that growth is flexibility. There will be hiccups. There will be problems. But if you are able to adapt quickly and efficiently, you’ll be in a great position.

Two years ago, we partnered with a development agency — Four Foods Group — and they’ve handled most of our expansion. Andrew Smith is a mover and a shaker, that’s for sure. And we feel so fortunate to have this partnership with them.

A really great thing for us is to employ 700 people. That amazes me. It’s the nicest thing to see all of these great young people working hard. I think of Candice at our front register. Is there anyone more adorable and friendly than her? But that’s why we’re lucky. Our employees have pride in Kneaders. In fact, a quarter of our franchisees were employees at one time. They’ve grown up with us.

What we love about entrepreneurship is you’re in charge of your own destiny. If times get really hard, Gary can be in the back baking and I can be at the front counter. We can always pull together and make things work.

We’re situated in a really great place. When times are really good, people who typically eat fast food eat at Kneaders. And when times are bad, people who eat at high-end restaurants eat at Kneaders. Sometimes being the middle child isn’t so bad.

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