Posts by
Lendio
Series by
Lendio
Blog Contents
Blog Contents
Blog Contents
Customer Stories by
Lendio
Meet Anna Richey and Zach Fackrell, the founders of Zaana Jewelry, a husband-and-wife team who launched their business the same month they found out they were expecting twins. What started in a condo bedroom quickly outgrew its walls, went viral, and turned into a full-scale retail operation. Watch their story and find out how Lendio helped them take the leap from basement to brick-and-mortar.
Zaana Jewelry's Story
Zaana Jewelry was built on a simple idea: jewelry is an expression of who you are. Every piece is designed to be the finishing touch — what Anna describes as "the cherry on top of your outfit." From day one, the brand was a true family operation. She handles the design and creative vision. He handles the strategy and site. Together, they turned a bedroom side hustle into a nationally recognized jewelry brand.
They launched entirely online, shipping orders from a condo while navigating a pregnancy. As the business grew, so did their ambitions. A viral video with 1.5 million views in the first 24 hours made clear that demand was real, and that a basement wasn't built to handle it.
The couple knew in-person shopping would be a major draw for their customers. But opening a retail storefront meant one thing: they needed capital, without disrupting the cash flow that kept operations running.
That's where Lendio came in. Rather than dipping into their reserves, Anna and Zach leveraged financing through Lendio to cover the costs of their new location while continuing to run payroll and fulfill inventory orders. The result was a business that didn't just survive the leap — it accelerated through it.
"Lendio and funding has really helped with the foundational side of Zaana," said Anna, "and helped me focus on what's so important and what I'm best at."
The new storefront represents more than a business milestone. It's a place designed for community. Customers can come in, be with friends, feel at home, and feel confident. And for the founders' twins, now growing up watching their parents build something from nothing, it's proof that anything is possible.
Meet Heather Beck, Owner and Founder of K9 Lifeline and Heather's Heroes. Like many small business owners, the businesses had to shut down when the global pandemic hit, but Heather knew her community needed her. Watch Heather's story and find out how Lendio helped her small business.
"Having funds from Lendio really helped us be able to push out our dog product line."
K9 Lifeline's Story
Heather Beck first started K9 Lifeline to provide a safe place for dogs to socialize and to help their owners create better relationships with their dogs so fewer dogs end up in shelters.
She came to Lendio looking for funds during the pandemic. Business had slowed dramatically, but she knew her community needed the services she offered.
Heather said the process of getting funding through Lendio was really easy with clear communication every step of the process.
"If I could describe Lendio with one word, it would be supportive.... Having those funds available really impacted how big that company is now," said Heather.
Porters Bar & Grill used a loan found through Lendio to solve his business’s cash flow woes and help turn things around.
"I was so happy to be able to do this deal with Lendio; it totally saved my business."
Porters' Story
Located near Boston’s TD Garden, home of the Celtics and Bruins, the 85-seat Porters Bar & Grill fell on hard times in 2017 during the summertime off season.
Scott Nogueira, who opened the pub in 1999 with two business partners, scrambled to come up with the cash to survive, but the business’s debt “hole” continued to grow.
“We’d end up going into debt, and paying it back would take all season, so we couldn’t build up a pile” of savings, Scott says.
Spurned by traditional lenders, including his bank of 17 years, Scott turned to Lendio to solve his cash flow woes and help save his business. After securing financing through Lendio, Porters became positioned to earn over $1 million in annual revenue.
“I was so happy to be able to do this deal with Lendio,” Scott says. “It totally saved my business,”
{{block="/blocks/calculator"}}
Urban Patchwork, which helps schools create spaces that connect kids to nature, faced issues with a different type of green. So its owner sought financing through Lendio.
“Lendio worked with me quickly and allowed us to get funds … and just gave us a buffer through the summer.”
Urban Patchwork's Story
Paige Oliverio started the nonprofit Urban Patchwork in 2009 with the goal of designing and building spaces that incorporate nature. But just like any other business, Paige found she had issues with a different type of green.
“People assume there is a surplus of grant cash just out there waiting to be claimed by nonprofits, but it’s not true,” she says. “It has to be run like a business. And like any business, keeping skilled staff, and the cash on hand to pay them, is hard.”
Paige persisted, eventually starting a for-profit spinoff of Urban Patchwork, working with a number of Austin-area schools to revitalize their campuses. After facing a shortage of working capital, Paige turned to Lendio for financing.
“Lendio worked with me quickly and allowed us to get funds for everything from paying off high-interest debt to hiring a new assistant,” she says, “and just gave us a buffer through the summer.”
Autism House in Texas outgrew its original location, so its owner turned to Lendio’s marketplace for the funds it needed to purchase a larger place to call home.
"[Lendio] kept me in the loop on each step of the process, which is always appreciated!”
Autism House's Story
Jessica Cordova started Autism House in 2011 with a $10,000 loan and a desire to help children with autism and other disabilities.
“When we first began, I borrowed $10,000 from Allegiance Bank and asked friends and family to donate toys and books,” she says. “I shopped garage sales and second-hand stores to stretch our budget. I was able to pay off the loan within the first year.”
Just four years after opening its doors, Cordova found that Autism House’s first location could no longer accommodate its growing community. So she turned to Lendio for a loan that she used to purchase a house on 3.5 acres, where it remains today.
“My passion is really seeing a difference in the children we work with,” Cordova says. “Seeing the progress we can make with them, sometimes in just a few short months, is very rewarding.”
{{block="/blocks/calculator"}}
GKX Martial Arts in Texas received a loan to remodel and grow prior to the pandemic, then swiftly pivoted to remote classes to stay in business. Students have since returned to train in person.
“We’re sticklers for how somebody is treated in a transaction, and our experience with Lendio was phenomenal from the beginning.”
GKX's Story
Don Harris started learning martial arts for a reason many ’90s kids can relate to: “I wanted to be a Ninja Turtle—so I decided I’d do the best I could and train like them.”
When it came time for their oldest son to start training in the martial arts, Don and his partner Serenity Harris, both black belts, couldn’t find a martial arts school that suited their needs. So they opened GKX Martial Arts.
“We’re more about training people to be black belts, not just have black belts,” Serenity says, “to be martial artists and gain the respect and discipline and composure that comes with that.”
Prior to the pandemic, the Harrises applied and received a $50,000 loan through Lendio to remodel and grow the business. After adapting to remote classes, GKX successfully weathered the pandemic and welcomed students back in person.
“Regardless of global pandemic or injury or anything else,” Serenity says, “our doors staying open is success for us.”
"I used Lendio in the past for a P.P.P. Loan during Covid, which was a really scary time for everybody. Their customer service representatives really helped me through the process."
— LYNN SIMPSON, OWNER
"While we did look around, Lendio was our first and then our final stop, we turned away all other companies in the process just because the ease of access, the the amount of offers that were on the table and the specifics about the offers."
— KEVIN RUDNY, OWNER