Entrepreneur Brandon Young joined Utah Valley University's Reed and Christine Halladay Executive Lecture Series to share the customer-driven principles that formed the foundation of LDSBookstore.com, his approach to risk and marketing, and the story behind his newest venture, HIÜRD.
A lifelong Orem resident and entrepreneur, Young shared lessons from building businesses around customer needs, taking calculated risks, and continuously learning from feedback.
Young began by sharing how his entrepreneurial journey started with a simple observation while serving a mission in Madrid, Spain. After people asked him where they could purchase a religious ring, he saw an opportunity and created a business to meet that need. That early experience eventually led to the creation of LDSBookstore.com, which he grew into a seven-figure business employing 30 people in Orem.
Throughout the lecture, Young emphasized the importance of listening to customers. He described this as a "customer feedback loop," explaining that many of his best ideas came directly from customers asking for something they could not currently find. Rather than overlooking these requests, Young used them to identify opportunities and improve his businesses.
Young also discussed the risks and challenges that come with entrepreneurship. He shared examples of major purchases that paid off, as well as difficult situations such as suppliers changing their wholesale pricing. These experiences reinforced the importance of being willing to take risks while also adapting when circumstances change.
When discussing marketing, Young shared his belief that attention is more valuable than advertising. He encouraged students to look for ways to generate attention around their products, because getting people to notice and talk about a business can be just as valuable as traditional advertising spend.
Young then introduced students to his newest venture, HIÜRD, a local service marketplace designed to connect people with skilled workers in their communities. The idea came from the same customer feedback process that helped shape his earlier businesses, combined with the need for better ways to connect people with jobs and services.
Young closed by outlining three principles he believes are essential to building a business: identify real problems, solve those problems by creating value, and persist through an ongoing feedback loop. His message encouraged students to listen carefully, take action on opportunities, and continue refining their ideas based on what they learn.
The Woodbury School of Business thanks Brandon Young for sharing his entrepreneurial
journey and perspective with UVU students. His message reinforced that successful
businesses often begin by simply listening to people, identifying real problems, and
persistently working to create better solutions.
Want to catch every insight from this year’s Halladay Lecture Series?
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL FALL 2026 HALLADAY LECTURE SERIES SPEAKERS HERE.
Watch Brandon Young's full lecture below.
