In terms of speaking about the revitalization of the Downtown Helena area, it would be pretty hard not to mention Shalon Hastings’ impact on it.

Owner of the Taco Del Sol on the Walking Mall and the adjacent Hub Coffee, Shalon has had quite the entrepreneurial journey. She grew up around business owners; her father owned an auto body shop in Roundup, MT, and her grandparents were dairy farmers. To say she was raised to become a business owner herself would be an understatement.

But she’s taken her lumps over the years. From an employee embezzling thousands of dollars from her, to a flood that closed her business down for 3 months, even having to close an entire location at one point, Shalon shares her leanings from adversity as a small business owner here.

Her story is so incredible, and anyone running a business in Montana would do well by taking some hard-earned advice from a serial entrepreneur like her.