Conversely, women often enjoy a running era, which I did through 2012 to 2014. Wasatch Back, Napa Valley, Del Sol and SoCal are the Ragnars I put myself through with a few half-marathons including Ogden. I may be biased, but Ogden is still the most beautiful course. Running was the best way for me to get that cardio until my anxiety took over and being trapped with my own thoughts made running endless.

Still running, I now get my cardio with a side of tactical laser tag. Yes, this will be a nearly 1,000 words homage to tactical laser tag written by a 41-year-old woman, not my 13-year-old son. I am in my Call of Duty cosplay era.

With his Green Beret background, it’s often difficult to find family activities that spark my dad’s interest (aside from pickleball). A quick search turned up 801Tag, which says, “Where laser tag goes beyond the ordinary and enters the realm of legendary.” It was nearly six years ago we rolled in with our family of 15 for our most memorable Christmas. As cars speed south along U.S. 89 just before Smith & Edwards, they can miss the warehouse fit to film a zombie apocalyptic movie. That’s 801Tag.

Here’s how it works. 801Tag, owned by Jessica and Jaime Cox, forgoes the tacky neon carpet, predictable maze flashing lights, bulky vest and broken gun found at your kid’s typical birthday parties. Instead, tactical laser tag feels like you’re in a video game with the dim warehouse reminiscent of an abandoned military base. Games of cat and mouse often end up outdoors, filled with barriers perfect for any sniper to hide. It’s looking for a place to hide, running to reload or revive and mostly to attack that lead to the best cardio you could only find acting out a survival scenario.

Meg Sanders, Special to the Standard-Examiner

From the melee comes the best bonding experiences and storytelling. Whether I’m hoping to fight off those teenage blues or remind my kids I’m still fun, 801Tag unlocks the smiles from my sullen teens.

Playing this style of laser tag allowed me to see a side of my military dad I never go to see — the tactics, planning, patience and savvy that made him a good commander. Watching him play explained why he was always so good catching me as I sneaked back into the house late at night. He knows how to lie in wait.

It was because of Jessica’s love of Call of Duty and her recognition she needed to get off the couch that the idea of 801Tag burgeoned. Just like they coach us in high school, she made what she loved into her job and she’s really good at it.

In what could be viewed as a male-dominated industry, Jessica and Jaime took the leap to create their idea of a small business.

“There’s no road map for it,” says Jessica. “It doesn’t matter what small business you start, there’ s no step-by-step of do this, then this, then that. You have to figure it out as you go along.”

Photo supplied

That’s why they started 801Tag as a mobile business, quickly finding out the set up and liability wouldn’t work. That’s when they landed at 9500 U.S. 89 in Box Elder County.

Now into their sixth year of business, surviving the horrid COVID years, even winning the Standard Examiner’s “The Best Of” award for best laser tag, best teen hangout and best date place, 801Tag seems to have created its own roadmap for a woman-owned business.

“I cannot tell you how many times somebody asks, who’s the owner and they don’t believe we are the owners,” explains Jessica as she shakes her head and smiles.

For anyone doubting Jessica’s ownership, all it takes is watcher her play tactical laser tag to understand she’s the real deal. She’s my go-to cheat code when playing against the agile teens. Just one tap from her sniper rifle and my team skates to victory. It’s nice to see some humble boys fresh off a loss to a bunch of moms. The only player better is her daughter who grew up behind the front desk of 801Tags watching her moms build a business.

Jaime explains, “They were just babies when we started. She’s grown up here and is 11 now. If she sees a group of teenage boys playing, she wants to show them her skills.”

Family is primary motivator for so many taking the crazy brave dive into starting a small business. The hopes, successes and future are all pinned on the idea building something for yourself will one day be for someone else, someone you love.

“I think that was our biggest motivator for doing this business,” explains Jaime. “We had this money and knew we needed to invest it into our future. And immediately for both of us, it was we have to start something that we can leave for our children. We put our blood, sweat and tears into this so one day our girls could say our moms built that.”

For Jessica and Jaime, 801Tag is more than just a business — it’s their era. Watching these women balance family life with the dream of building something lasting, overcoming challenges and preconceived notions, perfectly symbolizes the resilience of small business owners.

For Jessica and Jaime, 801Tag isn’t just a business; it’s proof that sometimes the best roadmaps are the ones you draw yourself.

Meg Sanders worked in broadcast journalism for over a decade but has since turned her life around to stay closer to home in Ogden. Her three children keep her indentured as a taxi driver, stylist and sanitation worker. In her free time, she likes to read, write, lift weights and go to concerts with her husband of 18 years.