Nashville’s Most Inspiring Stories

The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.

Jason DeMeo

Now, I create large-scale artwork, speak on Artistic Intelligence, and build experiences like my upcoming show Embassy that invite people into wonder, imagination, and connection. I believe creativity isn’t just for artists — it’s a vital force for how we lead, connect, and shape the world around us. My work — whether it’s on canvas, on stage, or in a room full of leaders — is about awakening that creative spark in others. Read more>>

James Berrian

Becoming a full-time therapist has definitely had it’s struggles. Since the pandemic, I have essentially rebuilt my entire life. My career, my relationships with myself and others, my faith… it has all changed. While I am grateful for the direction my life is headed, I do find myself at times feeling the weight of grief for what was. As a professor of mine at Trevecca said, “change is loss, and loss is grief.” Read more>>

Christian Carollo

I’m a musician! The smaller boxes I tend to fit in are audio engineer, and guitarist. But of course I also produce and play a couple other instruments when the need arises (like most of us here in Nashville). On the engineering front, I work on a good amount of live video shoots where we’re capturing audio and video at the same time, on location. I also work on a lot of more classical styles of recording (strings, brass, woodwinds etc.) and everything in-between. Those two worlds specifically are pretty unique, and about as different as two recording sessions can get. In the classical recording world everything is pretty surgical -in the video world we’re hardly ever even in a treated room! Read more>>

Jenny Ukaj

I was also really young and naïve at the beginning, which led me to trust the wrong people. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but each one taught me valuable lessons. I had to learn to be a stronger leader for my team, especially since I was used to working alone for so long. It was a journey of personal and professional growth, but I’m grateful for the lessons, even the hard ones, because they’ve shaped me into the person I am today. Read more>>

Erin Stoll

What I’m most proud of is staying true to who I am, even when the industry tries to put artists into neat little boxes. My voice, both literally and artistically, doesn’t always fit the mold—and that’s exactly what sets me apart. I bring raw emotion, real stories, and a deep connection to my audience every time I take the stage. I don’t just perform—I feel it. And I make sure the audience feels it too. Read more>>

Drew & Jessica Torres

Overall, yes, it has gone well. At our original location in Downton Franklin, the shop flooded in Spring of 2021. That was a critical point because we had only been in business for 1 year and still coming off the impacts of the pandemic. Luckily, we have great friends who jumped in to help and we had the shop renovated and open within 6 days. Read more>>

Barry Mankin

Starting in the landscape and construction industry to eventually owning my own business in Missouri for many years. We then moved to Nashville in 2016 after we sold our business to be around the music scene and apply all of the real world experience to the Inspection industry which led to environmental inspections and testing. Starting with the Home Inspection business, which we still have, to initiating the Environmental business, and then within the last year, starting a Ductwork cleaning business with a focus on home health. We have also launched a podcast called Holistic Home Health w/ Dr. House to address questions and concerns with indoor air quality and mold exposure to help others create a healthy home environment. Read more>>

Marvin Joles

I started podcasting about 5 years ago and that has been an amazing experience, as the conversations we have had have been life changing for some listeners. We are also to bring news, information and updates about what products and services are available to contractors in the asphalt space, which may make their processes and life easier. I have made multiple trips to Nashville to speak at conferences and exhibit at Expos inside Music City Center, as well as traveled to the city multiple times on vacation over the years. My wife is from the Murfreesboro area and when we began dating, I knew I wanted to live in the Area with her. That’s what really brought me to Nashville. Read more>>

Claudia B.

Since my move five years ago, I’ve been working hard to build a life that is sustainably centered around music and performance. While I did have to work a few coffee shop and cocktail waitressing jobs to get where I am today, I’m proud to be a full time musician in Music City. Currently, that looks like a lot of performing around town, writing songs for clients, and working on my own original music, which is a mixture of pop, jazz, and RnB. Read more>>

Lillian Watson

Taking a class with me at TAA meant that money was going back to Kids Arts Programs like dance, music, theatre, etc.! It means more than money to me. Then the community centers started reaching out and asking if I would teach for them. This meant that I would be able to bring yoga and meditation to those who could not afford studio prices so I said yes. Now, I do yoga at the community center and TAA. I do offer private classes or group sessions for people to book, and would love to help anyone looking to get one scheduled in the Nashville area. I’m doing a sound bath for Vanderbilt Nurses week actually and am excited about that. For me, providing peace and relaxation to the world is the ultimate gift. Read more>>

Christin Brown

He’s not forgotten his roots in Bowling Green while growing up in Nashville and building a community in the Nashville hip hop scene. Negro Justice is the brainchild of Chris (Chris) Brown, coining the name after Project Justice – a fighting game by Capcom that black folks love. The name has since taken on a larger meaning with the rise of movements like Black Lives Matter as people are becoming more aware of socioeconomic injustice, but it will always have its humble genesis. Read more>>

Nikita Adickes

Ofcourse the road had bumps in it ! pot poles even, and detours… but nothing stopped the passion that fuels my days. It’s hard to work hard, as cliche that sounds. It’s hard showing up everyday and putting 10+ hours in the shop every Day, and having a good attitude everyday, and keeping that momentum everyday. It’s hard stuff, but my curiosity and self discipline always prevailed. Read more>>

Allie Jackson

I was watching this huge skyrise being built and wondered what the building was. I then found out it was to be the Four Seasons. Fast forward, I sold the penthouse in that building as a gray box making it the record for the highest one sided sale in brokerage history. Standing in what would become the living room of that unit, I could see the corner I stood on as a broke, and cold police officer years before. I wish I could give that young girl a hug and tell her it was going to be ok. Read more>>

Angela Autumn

People always asked “What do you want to be?” I just said artist. Visual art was my first task before I became a musician and performer. My journey started as the only daughter to a Catholic outdoorsman and a hippie woman. I grew up planting, foraging, and learning about herbs, running in the woods, and going to church. The music really began in church for me. I didn’t have many neighbors in my rural community so I would just listen to the radio, and slowly my aunts and uncles introduced me to rock music. Then I picked up a guitar at age 9 and started doing live shows when I was about 12 or 13. Read more>>

Neha Agarwal

I’m most proud of finding my way back to art—of returning to something that’s always been a part of me, even after years of putting it on hold. Life got busy, priorities shifted, and for a long time, I stepped away from painting. But I never let that part of me disappear completely. Reigniting that passion, opening my Etsy shop, and creating space for my creativity again—all of it took courage, especially in a new country and a new phase of life. I’m proud that I kept that spark alive, and that I continue to grow, experiment, and share my work, even when the path isn’t perfect. To me, that quiet persistence is worth celebrating. Read more>>

Andrea Thomas Hand

During the early stages of my husband Joshua and my dating relationship, we were fortunate enough to have mentors at our church who recommended inner healing counseling for my husband who was experiencing mental health challenges. If it weren’t for the help of our mentor, the spiritual counselors and marriage counselors we would not be together today. This was the beginning of our introduction and the understanding of the need for counselors in the church. Read more>>

Julie

During the pandemic, we saw the need to do our own meat processing and built our new farm store with processing facility on our farm. We want to pass down our farm operation to our two sons, In addition to our meats, we sell other local farm’s chicken, eggs, milk, ice cream and cheese. We also sell local artisan’s products like popcorn, coffee and honey. We offer breakfast and lunch using our meats and host numerous events throughout the year including our annual farm to table dinner. We are open year round Monday through Saturday 7am-4pm and Sundays 1pm-4pm. Check us out on Facebook and Instagram for offerings and events. Read more>>

Kayla Perlstein

Through taking a social media course, I met my now mentor and Dose of Social business partner, Lindsay Mauch. I started to teach myself everything I could about social media and slowly started to sign on my own clients as a freelancer. I would say after about a year, I started to sign on some bigger more corporate clients and knew this was going to be bigger than freelancing….and that is when Goldenbird Marketing was born. Today, we have been in business for 8 years, we have an amazing roster of clients, a great team, and I couldn’t be happier. Read more>>

Madi McGuire

My goal has always been to become a mainstream artist and go on tour, but as I have gotten older I realized that I want to make an impact in peoples lives. My passion is to help other girls know that it is possible to do hard, scary things in life and take risks for what you want. I want to be a role model and inspiration for people to look up to and for my songs to connect with them. Storytelling through the songs I write is what is most important and I can’t wait to see where I go from here! Read more>>

Anna Chowning

My husband is a farmer and we bought a piece of land back in 2017. So we did some research and came up with a plan. We planted less than half an acre of strawberries our first year, I was nervous it wouldn’t work out. But we had a great crop! So each year we’ve added more and more. We have built a little strawberry barn on our farm where we sell the strawberries and things we make with the strawberries… like slushies! Read more>>

MaryKate McCarroll

Bloom Bridal is truly a family dream come to life—my mom, sister, and I own it together, which makes the journey even more meaningful. My sister and I have been obsessed with wedding gowns since we were little girls. Our mom used to buy us every issue of The Knot magazine, and we’d spend hours going through each dress, drawing big hearts over the ones we loved and Xs through the ones we didn’t. We watched every episode of Say Yes to the Dress, designed our own gowns by cutting up old dance costumes and dress-up clothes, and hosted fashion shows down the hallways of our home. Read more>>

Patrice Powell

By 2024, we were once again bursting at the seams and decided to take another leap by moving next door to a space more than twice as big as our 2nd location. More than a year in our latest space, we truly feel at home. We have room to organize, display, play, and BREATHE. We now have one area designated just for pointe fittings and another area for all other shoe fittings. And because we have so much area to display merchandise, our customers are more easily able to find what their looking for – and often times find the perfect thing they didn’t even know they were looking for! Our back of store gives us a large storeroom, offices, a shipping area & break room, and even “Studio B” – a space for photo shoots, private dance sessions and educational classes. Read more>>

Anna McClellan

However with a 3 and 1 year old, being on call for births was just not in the cards at that time. I was still doing group and personal training at the time, so I decided why not marry all my passions together. So I went through several certifications for pre/postnatal exercise. I started my business called Move Like A Motha and I’m now working with women every day through all seasons of motherhood. From preconception, to pregnancy, to postpartum. It has been BEYOND rewarding. I have such a passion for women. I want them to know their worth, their strength, and to feel empowered as they navigate these beautiful yet challenging seasons. Read more>>

Melissa McClellan

Nooo, definitely not! It’s been a winding road with plenty of bumps. I’ve struggled to master Facebook ads (still figuring those out!), and there have been moments of serious doubt—like wondering if I’m talking to the right audience or second-guessing every little decision. Starting a business sounds glamorous, but behind the scenes it’s a lot of trial and error, YouTube tutorials at midnight, and learning things the hard way. But even with all the messy parts, I’ve grown so much. Every challenge has pushed me to get clearer on my mission and who I’m trying to serve with Travel Well Box. So no, not smooth—but definitely worth it. Read more>>

LunaverSol

Holding myself accountable and making sure I stay on an administrative schedule is definitely a challenge that I’m still working on. I have writer’s block sometimes, but I’ve learned that if I just give myself permission to write ‘trash,’ something I like usually comes out of it. Read more>>

Darren Mittermeier

We put on monthly meetings, music festivals, and shows for local producers for about 10 years and still do. I am not as active with the Nashville Electronic Music and Synth group now but we have about 1400 members! For the last 6 years I have been more active as a digital media artist not leaning into AI too much. My art style is a combo of graphic design exploration and 3D modeling concept art. I draw inspiration often from Sci-fi and fantasy settings, graphic design of the 60s-80s and 90s-2000s CGI. Album art from these decades particularly inspires me! When you look at my art you will often see: Read more>>

Chelsea Madison

To deepen my expertise, I became certified through the Academy of Orofacial MyoFunctional Therapy and earned an additional certification from the Graduate School of Behavioral Health Sciences through the Coulson Institute for Orofacial Myology. I also pursued specialized training in Infant Oral Motor Therapy to broaden the age range of patients I could help. In between my MyoFunctional training, I studied cranial nerve dysfunctions with an experienced Occupational Therapist, learning how these affect infants. Additionally, I became TummyTime! Method certified. Read more>>

Mo Obayomi

Also, I absolutely underestimated how racial differences have separated our world. Being a Pastor who was born in Nigeria, though I have now lived here more than anywhere else in my life, it is no small feat trying to unite different people of different background. However, I am convinced it is possible. When Jesus is truly made the common ground and not our natural preferences, it is truly achievable. We are beginning to see some fruits in this area but it has not come without a fierce contention for the vision and realignment of people back to what truly matters. Read more>>

David Bradley

Caitlin graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelors in Audio Engineering Technology with a minor in Music Business, She was the perfect fit. With my team assembled we were given Press Credentials for CMA Fest 2024. We ended up doing 48 shows in the press room with Artist, and their PR people loved the Show. As you know… people talk.. Word got out and people started contacting Julie to be on the show! They love the laid back, easy vibe and can talk about anything they want while still covering who they are and the music they create! With just starting the 3rd year, things are growing, and a lot of people are loving what I created!! Read more>>

Will & Reid Nichols

Finally gaining some recognition, they won New England Music Awards ‘Song of the Year 2023’ and ‘Act of the Year 2024’! 2024 was a big year for the 12/OC brothers, selling out a handful of self made concerts ranging from 500-900 cap venues and selling them all out! We also were able to sell out ‘Aura’ in Portland Maine (1100 cap) in 7 hours and also the State Theatre in Portland as well (1900 cap) in 8 days! Now we are touring nationally on our self made and self managed runs and are spreading the word and good vibes to people all around the country! Our next huge show is a 6500 cap amphitheater in Portland Maine with Artist/Writer John Morgan as direct support! Read more>>

 Virginia Alexander

Virginia was also born in Grass Valley and was 7 when the family moved across country. After graduating high school in 2005 she swore she would never return to Smith County. She had high hopes of moving to Colorado or NYC. However, after attending MTSU and living in Murfreesboro for 7 years, she realized the importance of a small community and decided to move home. The positive impact of everyone knowing everyone outweighed the idea of moving away, so she bought a house in Lancaster, TN. She fell in love with her best friend Billy Jack Alexander (another long story) and they got married in 2018. They now reside in New Middleton with their sweet pups Buddy Roo and Hawkeye. They love camping, kayaking, hiking, and traveling during their free time. Read more>>

Kiera Sadler

I’ve always been an artsy, creative person. And I’ve always loved jewelry. When Covid started and we were under lockdown, that’s when I really had time to discover how I could take the two and make it something I absolutely love! Making jewelry became an outlet for my creative expression. I’ve taken quite a few breaks from creativity but I always find my way back to the drawing board. Or in this case, I should say craft table. Read more>>

Precious Book Gal

As I started connecting with some of the indie authors I loved, I realized I wanted to help promote both them and the voice actors who brought some of my favorite stories to life. It turns out — when you’re comfortable making conversation in the “real world,” it comes just as naturally online.  Read more>>

Staci Smith & Kara Boo

Our retreats are designed to offer a meaningful pause—a chance to step out of the busy pace of everyday life and into the natural world. Surrounded by the scenic beauty of Middle Tennessee, each retreat becomes a space to breathe deeply, move intentionally, and reconnect with yourself through guided yoga practices and mindful time outdoors. Whether flowing through sun salutations beneath a canopy of trees, meditating beside a quiet stream, or hiking along winding trails with birdsong overhead, nature is not just a setting—it’s an active participant in the experience. Read more>>

Katie Kludac

Running till 2019 and decided that the limos were not a hot commodity here as they were in Illinois. So we sold our fleet, And moved on to bigger things. Literally. We created the biggest open air party bus. Patrick designed the upstage bus with concerts in mind. In 202o we had our first child. Avery grace. We then created Upstage Miss Avery Grace. That bus was designed by me and built by Patrick. Miss Avery was built by us. Read more>>

Chef Rima

One of the biggest struggles has been dealing with a recent legal dispute that disrupted my business finances and forced me to shift how I operate. I had to take on extra work, downsize in some areas, and really reevaluate how to protect myself and my brand going forward. It’s been emotionally and financially exhausting at times, but I’ve learned so much about standing on integrity and advocating for myself as a business owner. Read more>>

Luke Zajdel

I don’t think any road is ever truly smooth, as mine certainly hasn’t always been, but it’s all what you make of it. I’ve lost gigs, turned gigs down that went on to become very successful, not landed auditions, all of which felt disappointing at the time, but I’d later find a silver lining in. I truly believe everything works out for a reason, and that I had a lot of growing and learning to do. I don’t think I was ready professionally or personally for a lot of the opportunities that came up early on. Read more>>

Jody Todd

A Kansas farm girl turned graphic designer and nonprofit leader, I have spent over 34 years combining business savvy and creative vision to serve others. Through personal experiences with trauma, motherhood, and mental health, she found healing in creativity and founded The Respite – Mindful Art Studio in 2022. The Respite is a non-clinical, non-religious space where individuals can pause, express, and reconnect—no matter where they are on their journey. Read more>>