18 OCTOBER 2024 K en Bonham likes to think he’s got it made in the shade. And why not, as he and his wife, Tiffany, own multiple Budget Blinds franchises that serve most of the Valley. “You could say that we have the city covered, but that comes off as a corny pun,” Bonham laughed. In a more serious tone, the 44-year-old entrepreneur says Arcadia is the neighborhood that he and his employees most enjoy serving. “The people are so genuine. They know what they want, and they appreciate quality products,” he said. Before getting into the window covering business, Bonham owned several marketing firms, and admits that he sometimes wishes that the Budget Blinds brand wasn’t so named. “Our window covering products run the gamut and we can provide anything that even the most discriminating homeowner may want,” he said. Bonham and his sister and brother grew up in Trenton, Michigan – the fourth generation of Bonhams living in that south Detroit suburb. He found his way to Arizona to attend ASU, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education. “I started working when I was very young, first in a flower shop, and then other odd jobs. I saved up money to pay for college,” Bonham said. Bonham is a big sports fan and his greatest love is hockey. He first started skating at the age of two – his older brother played hockey and his sister figure skated, all while they were babysitting him. “All I ever knew was being in the ice rink, and I was officiating hockey games by the time I was 15. The minimum wage was $4.25 an hour and so I made $10 a game. It was a no-brainer,” he said. He officiated hockey games for 26 years – 16 at the professional level – before retiring in 2021. He says he learned many valuable lessons as a referee and may one day write a book. “Being a successful official in any sport is extremely difficult. You are managing time, people and unforeseen situations. I have carried a lot of the lessons learned on the ice into my professional and personal life,” he said. Bonham considers himself a master networker, so it’s little wonder that he met his wife at a political networking event. They stayed in touch but didn’t start dating until 10 years later. “Tiffany lived elsewhere but when the pandemic introduced the world to working remotely, she was able to move here and still keep her job,” Bonham said. “And today we have a beautiful baby daughter.” After considering other areas of town, they chose to live in Arcadia. “Arcadia has it all; family-friendly environment, great location, quality schools and it’s close to our friends,” Bonham said. These days, he’s exchanged ice skates for golf clubs and plays whenever he can. Like most everything he has done, he excels at the game, sporting a 7 handicap. “I’m not playing as often as I used to, now that I’m a father, but I’m not complaining because having a family is my proudest achievement.” His advice for Gen Z and those who follow is about who you associate yourself with: “No matter who you are or where you came from, you can always choose who you surround yourself with,” he said, “and those people will play a big part in who you become.” Ken Bonham        

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