Taking risks and forging ahead, meet Jess Baldwin of Budget Blinds

Photo: Deb DeKoff, Park City Photographers // The Baldwin family

Jess Baldwin, co-owner of Budget Blinds in Heber Valley and single dad to four beautiful children,  has a background working with at-risk youth, a career that taught him the importance of building connections in the face of adversity. 

Jess is a Utah native, born in Cedar City and raised in Orem he graduated from Utah Valley University with a degree in public relations. His first career was working in social services supporting kids and teens who were either gang-affiliated, in state custody, or in foster or proctor care in Salt Lake City and Vancouver, Washington. But with his fourth child on the way, Jess began assessing alternative career paths, and even toyed with the idea of joining the police academy in Mesa, Arizona.

“The story of how I entered the blind industry is really kind of crazy,” says Jess, who’d been accepted into the police academy and flown to Arizona the day before he was slated to complete the necessary polygraph test. It was then he ran into the sister of one of his best friends, a guy he’d known since the 7th grade, Cameron Gentry, an encounter that changed the course of his entire life. Shortly after running into her, his long-time friend reached out and offered him the chance to go into business as co-owner of Budget Blinds, Wasatch Back. “I said no over and over again until he finally convinced me otherwise. He says he saved my life, and maybe he did.”

The move into entrepreneurship brought Jess and his family back home to Utah, leaving Vancouver, Washington, for Heber City, a place he remembered fondly from his childhood when his dad would pack up he and his nine siblings into the family van for Granny B’s milkshakes. It is not the same Heber it was back then, but Jess welcomes the boom and growth of his small town and is grateful to be raising his kids in such a beautiful, safe, and family-oriented place. 

Going into business with a close friend certainly comes with risks, but in this case the decision has undoubtedly paid off. The pair started very small with just three employees. “We’ve now doubled our employees and have gone from a small little warehouse in the middle of nowhere to a storefront right off of mainstreet with a showroom. It feels like a family environment. When you get along with the people you work with it’s really special.” 

The success of co-owning a business has been gratifying, as has earning the trust of the community. Jess appreciates the opportunity to get to know his neighbors on a personal level. “I’m in people’s homes every day. The amount of respect people show to us when we are in their homes goes a long way. When we meet families interested in our consultation, whether they purchase from me or not, I like to spend a good 10-15 minutes just getting to know who they are. It’s nice that I can go from business to a more personalized conversation and no one takes offense to it.” Jess has a knack for connecting with people, largely dictated by his earlier career. When asked how he is able to fulfill what for a long time felt like a calling working with kids and teens in need through his current line of work Jess answered, “I decided to take this route because the hope is I get to a point where I can take a step back and get involved with the community a little bit more.” 

Jess says he has adjusted to single-fatherhood well. On the days he has his kids, he works less. “I’ve really learned how to balance work and home life,” he says. The family of 5 (plus Luna) spend weekdays debriefing from their school day, homework, and just going about daily life. “We really like to ride the scooters around town and take Luna on walks to the park as a family. The kids love to spend time with their cousins.” Their favorite thing to do on his weekends is restock the candy cabinet at the house by riding down to Ridley’s Market and picking out their favorites. Sunday morning pancakes are a staple and the answer to ‘what should we have for dinner?’ is always nachos on the Traeger.