Sunport’s new small business program takes flight with 9 local retailers

When Roberta Easter began Enchanting Soap Collections nearly 18 years ago, she didn’t start the business with a large vision. Rather, she started with a hope to keep her ancestors’ craft alive.

Easter now runs Enchanting Soap Collections alongside her daughter and business partner, Chrystal Trykoski. Together, they secured a kiosk at the Albuquerque International Sunport and will begin operating in late September.

“We are incredibly grateful for the chance to be here at the Sunport and to share our product with travelers,” Easter said.

Easter and Trykoski’s business is one of nine retailers in the Ascend ABQ program, part of the Sunport’s Dream of Flight initiative that allows small and family businesses to operate kiosks in the airport. Other companies include Eddie Valentin, New Mexico Blue Corn, Worthington Farms, 19Twelve Clothing Co., Big Head Leather, The Kena Wrap, Broken Arrow Glass Recycling and T. Skies Jewelry.

On Tuesday at the Old Albuquerque Municipal Airport Building, city officials celebrated preliminary training completed by the Ascend ABQ program’s nine businesses. Gary Gilliard, deputy director of the city’s Aviation Department, compared it to “boot camp,” where vendors had three weeks of learning through presentations, business planning and speakers to further help them succeed in an airport setting.

In April, nine companies were chosen from a pool of 50 applicants, Gilliard said, where entrepreneurs pitched their business in a 45-minute presentation and the highest-scoring pitches secured their spots.

Gilliard said opening the kiosks in late September was intentional, as foot traffic is especially high during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and upcoming holidays. Selected retailers will remain in the airport for a year, receiving monthly or quarterly coaching and performance checks.

“They have to not just show up and open the store — they’re challenged to make sure that they’re just as attractive and functioning as any major company might be at an airport,” Gilliard said.

Having previously worked at airports with similar programs, Gilliard said he was able to bring a “bag of goodies” full of success factors. The biggest challenge was removing the barriers that come with breaking into the airport business, he added, and giving retailers the needed support.

“We want to give them exposure, but we also want them to be ready, and that’s what the internship is all about,” Gilliard said. “So that they have the credibility to be seen as a serious competitor in the airport industry.”

Patrick Falance is no stranger to running a business from a physical location or to sharing environments with other retailers. The owner of Big Head Leather also runs a small shop out of The ABQ Collective in the Northeast Heights.

For his initial program pitch, Falance said he “swung for the fences” knowing he’d be competing against plenty of applicants.

“I was really just trying to knock it out of the park because I knew I needed to give a heck of a presentation,” Falance said. “We make leather products, which are very universal. But, there’s a large demographic of people that enjoy leather products.”

Falance describes himself as a “master of none,” someone who enjoys finding and trying new hobbies but eventually goes on to the next one. After buying a beginner’s kit for leather making in 2019, he finally found one that stuck.

“I tried everything, and this was the one that I just kept getting better and better at,” Falance said. “It is my job, it’s what I do every day — and I love it.”

While presenting the business at the event, Trykoski said she’s in her sixth year of recovery from a methamphetamine addiction. Officially becoming partners with Easter in 2022, the mother-daughter duo focuses on hiring women who are transitioning out of incarceration or are recovering, like Trykoski.

“I’ve been on the streets, not necessarily homeless, but a part of the street community and now I’m out of that, and I just want to help women understand that they can be somebody,” Trykoski said, tearing up. “I never thought I could be somebody. I never thought I would be where I’m at today, ever.”

Trykoski said the program’s cohort created a sense of belonging. After not seeing each other since finishing training online, Trykoski said all nine retailers embraced each other upon return.

“It takes somebody believing in you and telling you that you are good enough to make change,” Trykoski said. “If they could see me and see the hope we can provide them, maybe they can grow and flourish too.”

Hannah García is a Dow Jones News Fund intern. You can reach García at hgarcia@abqjournal.com