utahvalley360.com
Like any good mother, Becky Lunceford wanted her daughters to work. Since they lived on a large farm in Utah County, there was no shortage of work to be done.
“One day I saw my 12-year-old daughter out driving a tractor and I almost had a heart attack,” Becky says with a laugh.
Rather than letting her daughters do potentially dangerous farm work, Becky decided to start a business they would enjoy. She looked into opening a chain bath and body store. The expense was too high so Becky, being the entrepreneurial BYU business grad that she is, decided to make her own products.
The operation started in Becky’s kitchen where she and her daughters began mixing colors and lotions. Eventually they moved to the larger garage and the even larger barn.
“We opened one store as a hobby and as a place where my girls could work,” Becky says.
From those humble beginnings of her home and a single store in the University Mall called For Every Body, a giant business emerged.
Her customers kept requesting different fragrances they enjoyed at her store. Becky hired a cosmetic chemist in 1996 to come up with her own line of products. Becky’s products stood out from the rest of the bath and body products for one major reason.
“All of our products are all-natural,” she says. “They’re more healthy.”
Soon, Becky was showing her lotions, soaps, sprays and candles in national showrooms. She also started selling an “at home” line that specialized in home decorations.
Eventually, Becky found big clients such as Mervyn’s, and she also began selling her For Every Body products on QVC, the home shopping channel.
It’s no surprise that For Every Body products have become nationally known and loved. With flavors like banana nut cake, peach cobbler and blueberry muffin, these candles smell good enough to eat. Each candle is decorated with ingredients that make it look good enough to eat, too. Bath products range from fizzy colorful bath salts to romantic or relaxing lotions. All are beautifully packaged, appealing to every sense.
Being in Utah has helped the success of her company, she says.
“You get good, honest help here,” Becky says. “I love my employees.”
Many of Becky’s employees have been with her from the beginning. She even provides free day care to keep her employees with her.
“Being a mom is still my No. 1 priority,” she says.
And she means it. She leaves work every day at 2:30 p.m. to pick her daughter up from school and to spend time with her family.
Reflecting back, Becky says she’s surprised how far the company has come.
“When I think about the risks I took now, it scares me to death,” she admits.
However, Becky, who claims to have a Ph.D. in the school of hard knocks, says being willing to take risks is important for anyone who is starting a business.
“You just have to shut your eyes and go for it.”