Grief and sudden change are hard.  You can run your business and thrive despite change. 
Widow Ally comes alongside widow owners of small and medium sized businesses get clear on the details and help with the heavy lifting.
Loss is heavy and change is hard, especially when it’s accompanied by grief. The weight of running a business left for you to manage feels unbearable. As decisions pile up, it’s hard to know where to start. 

We get it. We also know you have what it takes. Widow Ally is here to help with:    
  • A Listening Ear: We come alongside, learning about your business. What makes it great?  What does it need?
  • A Customized Plan: Prioritizing what needs immediate attention and what can wait. 
  • Support at All Levels: Empowering you to run your business and thrive.
Meet Kate.
Founding Partner in Widow Ally
My husband Kurt’s dream of owning a vibrant coffee house sprang to life in 2009 when we purchased a small general store in a tiny town of 200 in Western Wyoming. 

We got to work, bringing this dusty diamond-in-the-rough (our beloved ETC – the Etna Trading Company) to life by adding a full-service coffee bar, take-and-bake pizzas, a malt beverage license for selling beer, and upgrading the post office. 

Locals and travelers passing through noticed the transformation and became loyal supporters. 

Kurt was the heart and soul of our business, the everyday face of the ETC. I was comfortable behind the scenes, finding unique products to showcase from small businesses across Wyoming and the country. 

We had just celebrated the store’s 7th anniversary when our lives were abruptly altered in ways we could not have foreseen...

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After two weeks of feeling mildly under the weather, Kurt was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer. 

Immediately, he was unable to work. I was overwhelmed with grief, faltering under the all-consuming responsibility of caring for my dying husband. The added burden of operating the business in his absence was untenable. I was ill-equipped and I knew it. 

Thank God for faithful employees stepping in to help, and for our dear friend, Aaron Hovivian and his Collab Team. 

In the middle of my life-defining crisis, Aaron offered tools that steadied our ship in this life storm. Throughout the seven short weeks from diagnosis until my husband's passing - and continuing for a full year afterwards - the Collab Team offered trusted support, experience, and excellence in business operations management.

Walking our team through necessary decisions and anticipating needs I could not foresee, Aaron translated complex business operations into achievable steps that moved me and my crew forward. 

I found so much encouragement as we coaxed out potential, which he could see in us that we did not yet recognize. Looking together at all aspects of my business from an informed perspective, we tweaked where needed. We streamlined operations and installed and trained on an up-to-date POS system.

I found great relief in the fact that an excellent team surrounded us, a team we could lean on for compassionate support, business operations know-how, and clear, thoughtful communication. The Collab Team provided support until I was able to confidently move forward on my own. Who knew I could run my own business!

I've always told my kids, "knowledge is power". I knew I needed empowering to make the business decisions required; no one could make these decisions for me.

Aaron and his team got me to the finish line confidently. I ran the race with a clear eye, surrounded with a highly skilled business support team dialed into my needs. I gave it my all! When I chose to sell, I felt good knowing I was leaving a thriving business with the new owners.

I believe Aaron and his team could help you as well, I'd love to share more with you if you'd like to schedule a time to chat.

Knowing where to start is overwhelming, but working with the Widow Ally and the Collab Team is easy.

1. Schedule a call with Kate – share your story and your questions. How do you hope we can help?  Kate is available for support, and she’ll introduce you to Aaron and the Collab Team.

2. Work with Us – we’ll analyze your business, prioritize next steps, and help you with the heavy lifting.

3. Run your business and thrive - You have what it takes to run your business and thrive. Our excellent team stands by business owners and decision makers, anticipating needs, providing relief and business operations know-how.

You have what it takes to run your business and thrive. Our excellent team stands by business owners and decision makers, anticipating needs, providing relief and business operations know-how. 

Our Commitment:

  • Clear, thoughtful communication.
  • Compassionate support.
  • Up-to-date business operations know-how.

Who is the Collab Team?

Meet Aaron.
Founding Partner in Widow Ally & CEO of the Collab Team
Kurt was one of my very best friends.  His store was one of my favorite places to spend time (in fact, we coined their tag line together "Where it Feels Like Coming Home").  

He wasted away and was gone so quickly, my heart hurt for years afterward (it still hurts).  To be able to come along his bride after his passing was not only my privilege, I felt it was my duty (my calling) to stand beside his wife and children, to forge a legacy that would make Kurt proud.  

Since then I have been able to come alongside other ladies left in similar situations of carrying something they never imagined they would have to bear on their own.  Widow Ally allows me to use the skills and talents of my team at the Collab Team to serve those who deserve it most.
We love our clients.
Will you be one of them?
Clients and Colleagues
No one says it better than the clients and colleagues who have worked with Widow Ally and the Collab Team.
“My husband passed away abruptly from Covid and it was more that I was able to bear alone to now have to navigate our thriving business along with being a single parent to our 4 kids.  Widow Ally/the Collab Team came in and provided a layer of support beyond anything I could have ever thought possible.” 
DeAnna Rhoden - Human Bean Reno
“When my husband passed I was left with a business that had good bones but not much structure.  Aaron and his team came in and created infrastructure from our current systems beyond my wildest dreams.  The Collab Team has taken us to the next level.  Our store has never been more efficient.  I'm excited to see how far we have come in such a short amount of time.” 
Kate Garland - Etna Trading Company 
“Wow. That's what first comes to mind when I reflect on working with the Collab Team. Every step of they way, they have provided wisdom, support and direction beyond what we could have ever imagined.”
Lindsay McPhail - Outsider Coffee

"Wherever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision."  Peter F. Drucker

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