Welcome to the official website of Marty Holker.

Meet the Holker Family

In the Fall of 2018, the Holker Family was honored to be featured in Alpine Life magazine. Heather was interviewed by the editor, Kelley Gregory. Read on to learn more about the Founders and Co-CEO’s, and their family.

Tell me about your family? Marty and I have been married for 14 years and we have 5 amazing children: Mary Elizabeth (12), Scarlett (10), Chase (6), Grace (3), and our little Rock (1).

You guys must be pretty busy!  Yes! That is an understatement. We have a lot going on! We’re very busy. Our hearts and hands are very full.

Do you have any pets?  We do! We have our horses – Echo and Maia, our pup – Lily, and 7 chickens (you’d have to ask the kids what their names are, I’m always forgetting!).

What do you and Marty do?  First and foremost I love being a wife and mother. I feel like everything else in life rolls around our family and busy home. My education and professional background has always been in the health and wellness industry, and Marty’s background is in entrepreneurship and marketing. For years we tried to work within the parameters of other companies, but at the end of the day we just never found anything that really aligned with our values. We have always been so passionate about helping others discover their best health while helping them create strong financial security. There just was nothing out there that really met our qualifications from a product standpoint – that was clean and pure and something that your body really needs – and also from a company standpoint that carried our moral values.

For a long time we have been pulled in different directions, but our children are young, our house is busy, and time is passing quickly. We felt strongly that there were other people out there who were looking for the same thing that we were, and that in order to take full advantage of these years, our time and our talents, and be more “in the moment” that we needed to create something we were really passionate about and could all be involved with as a family. Together we created LIVEDEN, which is a health and nutrition company, with a strong philanthropic base, that educates on how to live a pure, balanced life. This company is the quintessential of our passion, drive, commitment, and purpose.

“If you’re woking on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” – Steve Jobs

What is the philanthropic side of your company? There are a lot of children in the world who are in need of help. Today 66 million school-aged children attend classes hungry every day. As a mother that statistic is really hard to hear. Many think of this as a third world country issue – but the fact is it’s closer than you think – with 1 in 6 children in the U.S. living with Food Insecurity. We believe there is so much power when we join together in a mission to help others in need – and so we infused our giving with every purchase – providing 10 meals for every PURE SUPERFOOD purchased. In my mind I just imagine what it would be like if every company operated with a mandate to give back. It would change the world overnight! We really wanted to teach our children that by “small and simply things great things are brought to pass”. 10 meals may not seem like a lot – but for those 10 children it means everything. It means hope.

Where do you donate your meals? Right now we donate meals in 19 countries. Our goal is to have a giving outreach in every country. Every child deserves to have enough food to eat regardless of where they live. We believe no child should ever be hungry.

Let’s talk about your family…

What are your activities and hobbies?  We are an active family! We love to be together, and we love to be outdoors! We love hiking and enjoying the beautiful surroundings of Utah. On Sundays we go to church, study together, and then we love to make healthy treats with our kids.

As business owners much of our time is spent with our company, but we try and make it a “family affair” and love that our children feel like they are a part of what we do. We really consider our business to be a mission that we do together as a family.

Do you have a special park or place you like to hang out?  We love all of the beautiful parks and surroundings in Alpine, but our absolute favorite place in the world is our backyard! We already have so many wonderful memories there. We love it and are so grateful for the previous homeowners who took so much care and attention to plant all of the trees so many years ago. It has been such a gift for us. We always comment that we feel like we’re in a park. It’s heaven for us.

Do you have a favorite restaurant?  We frequent Blue Lemon. We love how clean their food is and that it’s so close to home. If we’re going for a “destination dinner” then we love Maxwell’s in Park City.

How about a vacation destination?  We absolutely love Hawaii. For a close vacation destination we love Park City. We lived there a few years ago and it feels like a home away from home for us.

Any favorite sports teams?  Whatever teams and sports our kids are playing on are our favorites.

How about favorite TV shows or movies?  We don’t watch much TV. We enjoy being active and on the GO. If the TV is on it’s usually a Curious George (which is our 3 year old daughter’s favorite – she’s in charge, if you’ve ever had a 3 year old you get this =).

What kind of music do you listen to?  Music played a huge roll in how Marty was raised. His mom is very musical and shared that love with her family. They had their own music group and performed at venues all across the U.S. and in other countries (even with Bob Hope!). Today that love continues with her grandchildren. We have two nieces that have been part of EFY soundtracks so those are our favorites to listen to!

My side was also heavily musical with instruments (with my Grandmother and Great-Grandfather playing with John Philip Sousa). We try and carry that tradition on with all things orchestra (as Mary and I both play the violin). We really love music and feel like it can be such a powerful way to teach and convey important messages.

Every now and then we go old-school with music Marty and I were raised with for our family “dance parties” (the kids love this). And Chase’s favorite song is “I Can Only Imagine”…so we’ve listened to that a million times. I also believe you can listen to Christmas music any time of the year =).

Does your family have a favorite dinner?  We are pretty simple, healthy eaters. We really just love anything we can eat outside. It’s not about the food for us, it’s just about being together (and anything Marty and I can eat standing up – as we play defense on the littles) is perfect.

Do you have any family traditions?  Marty and I both feel like having family traditions is the “tie that binds”. We want our children to always be close to us so we’ve made our traditions a priority. Each holiday, time of year, and birthdays (even half birthdays) have their own traditions. On one of our family picture walls we have the quote “We were together, I forget the rest”. We hope to fill our children’s childhood with happy memories of us spending special family time together. We really hope that they’ll carry on those traditions with their own families someday (and that they’ll bring their children to spend a lot of time at “Grandma and Grandpa’s house”) – that will be everything.

What college/university did you attend?  Marty went to Rick’s College (when it was “Rick’s” – now BYU Idaho), and I went to ASU.

Where are you originally from?  Marty is originally from Minnesota, and I’m from Arizona. We met while Marty was living in Saint George, UT and I was living in Fountain Hills, AZ. We met on an LDS singles website (yes, it can actually work =). We physically met on a Friday, were engaged that Sunday, and married 34 days later (I know, our parents were horrified as well). That was 14 years ago. I can honestly say that I feel Marty was created just for me. He completes me in every way. We’ve learned that a strong marriage is something we must work on every day. We try to always put each other first and realize that our marriage is the heart of our eternal family – which is everything to both of us.

How long have you lived in this neighborhood?  4 amazing years! We have loved every minute!

What do you like to do to relax?  We really just love to be together. Marty and I love to sit on our back porch and watch the kids play (we consider that our downtime =). We find so much joy in just watching them create and “perform” for us. The hammock is also a favorite quiet space for the family. If we have any extra time we love to run up to Park City or Sundance – they’re our two favorite close destination places (it feels like a “destination” when you have 5 kids in the car =).

How are you involved in the community?  We feel it’s so important to give more than you take, and to “lift where you stand”. We love to support local businesses and always try to keep our family and their activities “close to home”. Literally all of our children’s extracurricular activities are within a 5 minute radius. We love supporting local families and their businesses. Our community is an absolute treasure of amazing individuals that are experts in their fields! They have greatly impacted our family and taught our children so much. We homeschool and really feel like learning is family centered. When our children learn, we learn. It’s been amazing for all of us.

What activities are your children involved with?  Mary and Scarlett both love English riding and doing Hunter competitions with their horses. They also love playing tennis and painting. Mary plays the violin, and Scarlett loves gymnastics. Chase loves baseball and tumbling. And Gracie and Rock just love to cheer their siblings on with whatever they’re doing. I feel like we’re our own cheering section.

What is your favorite part about living in your neighborhood?  We love how close our community is. We literally feel like everyone is family here. We love how everyone watches out for each other and takes care of one another. We have had the opportunity to travel all over the U.S. and live in many different places. When we first came to Alpine we felt like we were home. This area just called to us. We love being so close to the mountains and we love how quiet and quaint it is here. But it’s so much more then the surroundings, the people here make Alpine what it is. For us this is truly a piece of heaven. There is no other place we’d rather raise our precious children in.

Photography by: Candace Ashworth Simpson

I was born and raised in Minnesota, one of seven children. With both sets of grandparents also in Minnesota, my childhood was full of family gatherings — nearly every holiday brought everyone together. When my grandmother, Isabel Holker, passed away, she had one hundred descendants in her posterity. Family first has always been the Holker way.

Minnesota gave me a wonderful childhood. And because of my parents’ business, we traveled the world together as a family and shared experiences I carry with me still. My family were my best friends. I will forever be grateful to have been raised by two of the finest parents who have ever lived.

My parents began their marriage in very humble circumstances. My father was attending St. Cloud State University, while my mother worked to support the family earning $1.35 per hour as a car hop at my grandfather’s drive-in. In 1963, my parents were introduced to Shaklee, one of the first network marketing companies. Dr. Shaklee and my parents were a perfect fit! As such, my parents soon became the top producing distributors in all of Shaklee for 21 years, while Shaklee became the top producing network marketing company in the world. This created one of the great industry success stories. Within a few short years, my parent’s Shaklee organization grew from two young kids, to thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of distributors throughout the United States. By the late 1970’s their organization was selling over $300 Million in Shaklee products annually. My parents went from a small mobile home in Monticello, Minnesota in 1963, to a nearly 20,000 square foot french castle on 10 acres in Minnetonka, Minnesota in 1972. Later in 1980, my parents added another 20,000 square feet onto our home, including a full-size collegiate indoor basketball complex.

My mother was raised in a Protestant family where music was central, and it became central to my life as well. We formed the Holker Family music group and performed at hundreds of events throughout my youth. What I cherish most from those years isn’t the performing — it’s the driving across the country, the new places, the hotel swimming pools, and the late nights in empty auditoriums waiting for my parents to finish their meetings.

In the summer of 1990, I was twenty-one, home after two years of church service and a freshman year of college. My father told my older siblings and me about a new venture he had entered: a gold mine in Montana.

He had been introduced to the mine in 1989 by an ownership group that had held the claims for roughly fifty years. Geological reports and expert opinions pointed to a viable deposit, and my father was convinced. He personally invested the first few hundred thousand dollars to get the placer operation running. When his partners decided to reopen the underground mine, it became clear that more capital was needed — additional machinery, more than twenty full-time miners, and eighteen months of stockpiling ore before it could be milled. When my father asked for my help raising money, I was glad to give it. I was not an owner or an employee of the mine; I was preparing to return to college.

After eighteen months of production, the ore ran through the mill and no gold was recovered. My father had put everything into the mine. He was forced into bankruptcy and lost it all.

That was a very difficult time for our family. We went from a 40,000-square-foot home to living in the unfinished basement of a close family friend. The years that followed were hard. Some mornings, getting out of bed felt like a monumental task. I dropped out of school, set aside my athletic career, and worked full time to help support the family however I could. Slowly, things began to look brighter.

Then, in the summer of 1996, my father received a call telling him that he and I were being arrested for securities fraud. In January of 1998, on the advice of my attorney, I pled guilty to four misdemeanor counts of attempted securities fraud in connection with the mine. My attorney advised that pleading guilty was in my best interest and that I would not serve jail time. I served ten days in jail and was then placed on house arrest for a few months. The case was expunged more than twenty years ago. I address it here openly because a news article containing significant inaccuracies has circulated for years, and I would rather you hear it from me.

Comparing my father’s twenty years of success with Shaklee to the failure of that mine, I keep returning to counsel I received years ago from a leader I admired: it is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop. My father is my hero — not for his many successes, but for the way he chose to meet the hardest years of his life.

“All good things come to those who wait” certainly applies to my life. The mine and everything that followed set me back several years, and I met the love of my life at thirty-five. When you know, you know. I met Heather on a Friday evening, we were engaged Sunday morning, and we were married thirty-four days later — and we would have married sooner if our two families hadn’t lived in different states.

How do I describe my soulmate? Two peas, one pod. We spent the first six months of our marriage in Southern Utah, hiking Zion three or four times a week with our scriptures, a notepad, and a pen, setting goals. We set them high. With Heather beside me, my confidence returned, and I believed the two of us could be a force for good in this world.

Heather’s story is different from mine. Her youth held some wonderful times and some that were not. Her parents divorced when she was fourteen, which was very hard on her and her sisters. She worked to support herself from a young age and graduated from high school early in order to do so. That set her on a lifelong path of setting goals and reaching them.

Heather is the most remarkable person I have ever met. She has the personal integrity to do the right thing, for the right reason, all the time. She earned her degree in Exercise Physiology from Arizona State University and later her master’s in Fitness Sciences. She is an award-winning NPC Figure competitor and spent years working with some of the top names in fitness apparel. I can say without hesitation that the greatest day of my life was the day Heather became my wife. As Mark Twain wrote of his Olivia, so it is with me: “Wherever she was, there was Eden.”

Of all the blessings that have come into my life, nothing compares with our children. Heather and I have been blessed with four daughters and two sons.

There are lines from Victor Hugo that have stayed with me:

She broke the bread into two fragments and gave them to her children, who ate with eagerness. “She hath kept none for herself,” grumbled the sergeant.

“Because she is not hungry,” said a soldier.

“No,” said the sergeant, “because she is a mother.”

I know from experience as a parent how true those lines are. Raising our children together has created a bond between Heather and me that I never knew was possible. Children are the greatest gift we receive and our greatest responsibility. Everything we do, we do with them in mind.

And I am reminded of Charles M. Dickinson:

They are idols of hearts and households; They are angels of God in disguise; The sunlight still sleeps in their tresses, His glory still gleams in their eyes; These truants from home and from Heaven, They have made me more manly and mild: And I know now how Jesus could liken The Kingdom of God to a child.

LIVEDEN’s mission is to inspire and help others find their own personal best through living a pure, balanced life — while helping feed impoverished children throughout the world.

Heather and I knew we wanted to build something better than what already existed. We wanted a company with real meaning and purpose. Something that brought light and hope. A company with a mandate to give back, to help others in need, and to leave the world better than we found it. A company that lifted everyone who chose to be part of it.

LIVEDEN was created to be a force for good. As Co-Founders, Heather and I have brought together leading experts in their respective fields, and we built the company on principles we won’t compromise. LIVEDEN is a company we hoped honest, trustworthy people would want to put their hearts behind, because they believe in the mission as much as we do. It isn’t about the superficial. It’s about lifting where we stand, helping others become better, and creating light in the world.

We are the culmination of our experiences — the things that have made us who we are. LIVEDEN exists only because of the challenges Heather and I have both faced. We never welcome hardship, but it shapes us. I can’t imagine my life any other way, and I’m grateful for every experience that brought us here.

www.liveden.com