Nan Seymour: strong willed and fiercely independent.

• Author: Fondario, Mike
• Position: Around Utah

At 22 years old, Nan Seymour discovered entrepreneurship in a job that was only intended to get her through college. Soon after becoming manager of the Great Harvest Bread Co. store in Holladay, the owner offered her the store. Seymour was an English major, with an emphasis in poetry, but this passion took a back seat and for the next 17 years she was a local business owner.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Seymour says she turned her store into "a gathering place for the community." Young locals might recall Colonel Wheat, the mascot that accompanied her on the community education program she created and conducted at 40 local schools. Through this program, thousands of students learned about wheat and the baking process, and took tours of the bakery.

Seymour also co-created a collaborative marketing effort with other Utah-based Great Harvest Bread Co. owners to maximize purchasing power and marketing efforts. It was this experience that taught her that "strong-willed and fiercely independent business owners" can find common ground and work as a collective.

This is a lesson that has served her well in her latest endeavor as executive director of Local First Utah. The role seems handpicked for her passions and talents. She describes Local First Utah's mission as a "movement of collaborative partners," whose membership is encouraged to purchase goods and services from local Utah companies before seeking it elsewhere. Members are also encouraged to seek advice from one another and view competition as a strength. They can provide each other with...