SCORE Mentors El Paso

“Being an entrepreneur can sometimes be a super lonely place.”

Today, Baking Coach is a thriving business offering baking and cake decorating classes and innovative baking kits, but that wasn’t always the case. When owner Lisa Basini felt alone in her entrepreneurial pursuit, she turned to SCORE.

“I have had several SCORE mentors depending upon what exactly I am looking to do with my organization. Their encouragement and expert advice has been essential in the success and growth of my business.”

Today, that success looks like this:

- Winning a SCORE pitch competition
- Scaling her operations
- Expanding her product line
- Growing her workforce

AND... celebrating 20 YEARS in business!

Join us in congratulating Lisa and her team on reaching this incredible milestone. 🥳

💡 Ready to take your business to the next level? SCORE offers live webinars and local workshops to help you start, grow, and thrive.

👻 Last minute costume has hit the shelves!!!

This Halloween, the SCORE Mentor Costume comes fully equipped with decades of experience, a passion for helping entrepreneurs, and plenty of success stories to share.

🎃 Costume: $54.99 | Mentorship: FREE

📚 Low-cost business learning opportunities await!

Join a SCORE El Paso webinar or workshop this week and 🚀

✨Full Circle Moment ✨

"When I launched my business 13 years ago, SCORE was a game-changer—helping me learn how to build, scale, and run a business.

So it was an incredible honor to deliver the opening keynote at [my local] SCORE Mentors Accelerate Your Business Conference.

We explored how to build the resilience needed to navigate tough times, change, and uncertainty.

I left inspired by the passion, grit, and brilliance of the women in that room.

Thank you, SCORE, for the work you do to support entrepreneurs—and for giving me the chance to give back to a community that supported me from the start."

- Darcy Luoma, CEO of Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting

"Working with David [my SCORE mentor] has shown me I have the ability to rewrite my whole life, not just a business plan, but my whole future...I'm living the dreams I used to pray about, back in the day when I was on the street."

Homeless, substance dependent and eventually incarcerated-- John Peyton Schmidt used entrepreneurship to turn his life around.

During his incarceration, Schmidt embarked on an academic journey and through that process came up with the idea of launching his own business. Schmidt was introduced to community resources that could help by Arkansas Rehab Services. Communities Unlimited and SCORE mentor David Brunton partnered to devise a plan for Schmidt to obtain a Small Business Administration loan from CU’s Lending Team to develop his business, Wholly Schmidt.

Today, Wholly Schmidt is a mobile food concession stand focused on providing people with high-quality meals and a safe and sober atmosphere at large events. The meals are organic and locally sourced reflecting Schmidt’s passion for fresh produce and meats. Not only does he grow vegetables himself, but he is also able to share seeds with local farmers to help cultivate his community's local produce-- a long-held aspiration of his.

"My story is one of addiction and recovery, rekindling dreams I had set to the side. Today I stand a proud father and business owner. I was only able to get to this point through dedication, hard work, taking suggestions and doing what I could to change my life. In taking those steps, I found SCORE."

✨ Celebrating Women’s Small Business Month! ✨

If you’re a woman entrepreneur (or want to support one), this is for you!

SCORE’s Women Entrepreneurs Resource Hub is full of inspiration, guidance, and actionable support to help women-owned businesses thrive.

🔍 What you’ll find there:

- Mentoring and networking opportunities
- Business planning templates & guides
- Stories from successful women business owners
- Tips on funding, growth, and leadership

Let’s shine a spotlight on women leaders building tomorrow’s businesses in our community! 💼💡

Link in the comments to check it out and share with someone who could use the boost!

Learning never stops when you’re building your dream! 🌟

Join SCORE mentors and small business experts for low-cost webinars and local events designed to help entrepreneurs like you succeed.

“Finally got to meet my advisor in person. This free program has been a game-changer. I can’t recommend it enough for fellow entrepreneurs.” - SCORE Client Maggie Benson

We ❤️ hearing feedback like this! At SCORE, our mentors are here to guide you every step of the way—whether it’s your first meeting or your 50th.

Best part? It’s completely free.

Ready to level up your business? 🔗 Link in comments to connect with a SCORE mentor today!

“It’s not about finding yourself. It’s about shedding what is holding you back.”

Fermented Felon Founder Tony Horner was no stranger to the word no.

- Denied employment from a call center for his criminal history.
- Denied an SBA loan from a bank because of his criminal history.
- Denied admission to professional investment classes because of his criminal history.
- Denied access to trade school because of his criminal history.
- Denied admission to college programs because of his criminal history.

From incarceration to innovation, kombucha was Tony’s big YES.

Fermented Felon combines the restorative powers of kombucha with Tony’s belief in fresh starts. Consumers can sip on handcrafted flavors like Profound Peach and Raspberry Respect while supporting their mission to uplift lives impacted by the justice system.

Tony may have developed a winning kombucha recipe but when he needed business support, he turned to SCORE.

“My SCORE mentor was phenomenal. He had the formula for success.”