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.
Tom Shukas
I longed to be more involved in my children’s day-to-day lives and to grow a stronger connection with the community. I wanted a job that had more meaning. Little did I know that I would soon have my professional day or reconning. After spending all night in the emergency room, I was told I needed gallbladder surgery. Which is considered emergency surgery due to the amount of pain it causes and the possibility of rupturing. Read more>>
Amy Mariaskin
We had one full-time and one part-time therapist at the time. Over the past seven years, we’ve grown to now have 20 therapists and two locations in middle TN. We also have contracts with local universities to provide lower-cost treatment with student trainees. In the meantime, I’ve been able to spend time working on other creative projects that I love, such as writing a book about maintaining relationships when you have OCD and drawing mental health comics for our clinic’s Instagram (@ocdnashville). Read more>>
Ciera Fernandez
I started my business, Local Vocal, in 2021 while living in Nashville, TN, when I was studying Commercial Music and Entrepreneurship at Lipscomb University. After deep research, I discovered that over 75% of musicians live below the poverty line, and many musicians are having to work 2-3 jobs just to support themselves and their musical endeavors. Read more>>
Jason Vanderlee
I grew up working on things. It didn’t matter if it had a motor, was electrical, or just a mechanical device. I grew up working on my go-kart motor, lawn mowers, etc. I rebuilt my first motor at 15 or 16 years old. It was a 350 small block that we had in a 1951 Chevy Pickup. Read more>>
Chris Wilkinson
Undeterred, a month into Covid we answered the calls when others didn’t and have been booming ever since. In 2023, we began laying the groundwork of an off shoot of Smoky Mountain Process and Legal Services aimed at fighting Domestic Violence, Smoky Mountain Offender Tracking. SMOT provides GPS ANKLE MONITORING and Victim Notification in compliance with Tennessee Debbie and Marie Domestic Violence Prevention Act. So here we are 8 years later, me and that same amazing proving Process Serving, Mobile Notary, Marriage Officiation, Skip Tracing.. and now Ankle Monitoring to combat Domestic Violence.. its a lot of hard work but I sure enjoy it. Read more>>
Joseph Daniels
I was born and raised in the Nashville area. I graduated from Tennessee State University with a bachelors in psychology. My interests and hobbies include holistic health, fitness, roller skating, and nature. I was always interested in entrepreneurship and with my interests in fitness, a moving company made perfect sense! Read more>>
JIMMY Eppes
We met at a previous job we had 10 years ago where i told Jonny about how i created a website on my phone for Tennessee Horror News and Jonny suggested we do a podcast. Read more>>
Maria Toker
I moved to Nashville when I was 18 to study Music Business and Audio Engineering at Belmont University. I knew that I wanted to get into the creative side of the industry from very early on, but didn’t know where or how. I did plenty of co-writes with fellow Belmont students, and made beats on Logic Pro in my dorm. Read more>>
Byron McBride
I’ve always been obsessed with music. I grew up around a lot of different genres — jazz, funk, gospel, rap, hip-hop, R&B, and even the boy/girl band era of pop. When I was a kid, I used to record music from the radio onto tapes. Read more>>
Amy Kirby
I started my business in Dec 2008 while I was an elementary music teacher in Connecticut. I was single, busy with a lot of music gigs and teaching in the public schools which was a very full time job! Read more>>
Qadiira (Lucky)
I was born in Richmond, Virginia, and moved around alot. Since a young kid, I was always into art. It started with drawing, and then I found myself engaging in more visual media. I lived overseas most of my life, so in elementary 2nd grade, I went to the youth center after school. One of my counselors, Mr. Read more>>
Emily Springer
In December of 2023, a tornado devastated my hometown and I felt compelled to help. I had made candles prior as Christmas, birthday, or thank you gifts but decided, at that time, to make candles using materials I had on hand and attempt to sell them and give all the profits back to an organization supporting displaced families from the tornado. Read more>>
Lakendra Morgan
Certainly! My journey into the world of tax services began with a personal experience that left a profound impact on me. Several years ago, I found myself facing a challenging situation during tax season. It was an experience marked by confusion, lack of communication, and, ultimately, a feeling of being undervalued as a client. Read more>>
Anna Morgan
Since we were in high school and dating my husband and I felt a call to serve children with difficult stories. Over the years we have been connected to children in foster care through friends and in serving with the youth at our church. Read more>>
Dananna Durrett
Honestly, Durrett Connect was born out of both necessity and vision. I’ve always had a heart for helping others. I just thought having a notary in the family would convenient. Then I started seeing ads about mobile notary loan signing agents. They notarize closing documents for home purchases, sales or refinancing…etc We go to the customer, homes, jobs, hospitals,nursing homes wherever I’m needed. Read more>>
Gregory Gray
I left the corporate world in 2010 to start a consulting and coaching practice. It has evolved today to be impactful primarily through remote engagement, with some onsite visits as needed. We also have digital materials, such as courses, and are soon launching an app to enhance engagement. My background was in Lean and Six Sigma, with experience in manufacturing turnarounds. Read more>>
Kelly Duncan
I was a stay at home mom and when my boys grew up I didn’t know what to do with my self. I had been at a ballpark most nights for 20 years then nothing. I started playing with stamping jewelry then took silversmith classes online and my love has grown from there. Read more>>
mikayla lynch
I’ve been in some part of the entertainment industry since i was in musical theater and acting since i was little. when i was around 12yrs old i decided i wanted to pursue music and country had always been my favorite genre because of the story telling. Read more>>
Oliver Wingate
It’s tough to grow up in Nashville without music becoming central to your life in some way. At least before the ongoing boom, people used to move here specifically for the music industry. Read more>>
Steven Young
A brief personal note…My journey began on May 20, 1956, in Vallejo, California, twenty-five miles east of San Francisco—the fourth of what would become five sons, a stout, blond-haired, blue-eyed baby. In the early 60s, after my father retired from active service in the Navy, we moved to Nashville, TN, a short drive down the highway from his childhood home of Watertown. Read more>>
Andrew Eckenrode
ACE DroneWorks started because I noticed we were paying a lot for drone footage—and I really like flying drones. I bought a professional quality drone, figured I could do the work myself, and turned it into a small side business with my wife. Our goal is to make good aerial visuals affordable. We focus on construction progress, real-estate listings, property showcases, events, and 360° tours. Read more>>
Kim Buchanan
In 2020, We had the opportunity to purchase a portion of my late grandparent’s farm. This land has provided years of fishing, camping, plum picking and animal raising throughout my life. We could not wait to continue those traditions with our own family. Read more>>
Michele Oglesby
I grew up in a small town in West Tennessee, where family, hard work, and education shaped everything I knew. As the first in my family to attend college, I carried more than my own goals. I carried the hopes of everyone who helped me get there. Read more>>
Kimberly Hagwood
Honestly, this all started way before I even realized it. Growing up, my mom made programs for everyone in the church, her job, the community you name it. I used to sit right beside her while she typed on her old typewriter, then carefully folded and stapled each program until it was just right. Read more>>
Emily DeSalvatore
I am a licensed professional counselor in Nashville, TN (LPC-MHSP). I have a BS in Human Development and Family Sciences with a specialization in Middle Childhood Education from The Ohio State University (2014) and an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lipscomb University with a specialization in play therapy and expressive arts. Read more>>
Shante McDonald
I’ve always been an organized person, though I never realized it was a skill not everyone had. As a child, I loved arranging my clothes, shoes, and school notebooks. Fast forward to adulthood—my childhood best friend once asked me to help her organize her closet, and I eagerly agreed. Read more>>
Ariel Lopez
I started doing makeup on myself when I was around 14, just black eyeliner and mascara, but I instantly fell in love with how it made me feel. As a shy kid, makeup gave me confidence and a sense of transformation that I wanted others to experience too. Read more>>
Shannon Summers
After raising my family and spending years working in construction and heavy equipment operation, I never imagined I’d end up in the body piercing world. My best friend, Chasity Shanti, was the one who saw something in me before I ever did. She kept telling me, “You’d be amazing at this,” and honestly, at first I just laughed. Read more>>
Chad Anderson
I always wanted to be a sports broadcaster growing up. I followed this journey on and off through college and during some months after I graduated. However, the life in sports broadcasting is a complete grind that involves a lot of nights in shady hotels, on buses, and sitting in the stands while calling a game for little to no pay. Read more>>
Sherry Schetiel
I do not remember a time in my life when I was not an artist. My parents enrolled me in painting classes from the age of 5 because I had always shown an interest in art. I create things for the joy of it! I hope to inspire the viewer to think more creatively about the world around them…to find beauty everywhere. Read more>>
Keleigh Wyatt
My life has been shaped by trauma, which I’ve learned to transform into opportunities to grow and to help others. When I was 11, I was home alone with my brother as our neighbor opened fire on his pregnant wife and daughter. Read more>>
Melvin Gatewood
Melvin Gatewood is a retired U.S. Army combat veteran, and the co-founder of Operation Continue Service, a nonprofit organization committed to remembering fallen military personnel and supporting the veteran community. Read more>>
Roberta Bell
I started making small fabric figures in 2018. As I created each one, they took on a personality of their own and it was not long before they were telling a story. Building on my embroidery, quilting, beading, and collage skills learned from my mother, I started making landscape backgrounds to tell their, often fantastical or mythological, story. Read more>>
Tameka Dumas
T Sweets was founded in 2019 out of a love for art, family, and the joy of creating something sweet to share with others. What began as a simple passion has grown into a one-stop sweet shop specializing in everything from elegant wedding cakes to fun, custom birthday cakes and treats. Read more>>
Zachary Teter
It all began with a simple, yet powerful conviction — connect the people of Nashville with a God who loves them. So, we partnered with CrossBridge here in Nashville to launch You Are Loved Church. We gather together in their facility on Lindsley Ave. at 9:30am on Sundays. Read more>>
Hayley Wilson
My entrepreneurial story started with a crappy boss, a sink full of dirty dishes, and not knowing how I was going to pay my rent the next month. One day during finals week, I got extremely sick—so sick that I could barely leave my couch, let alone clean anything. I started desperately calling around local cleaning companies asking if someone could do my dishes. Read more>>
Tiffany Prutianov
My story really began when I was working a job I had absolutely no passion for, yet I knew deep down I was meant to do something that made people feel better about themselves. I’ve always been drawn to aesthetics- the mix of science, artistry, and confidence it can create and one day I decided to stop thinking about it and take action. Read more>>
Chris Johnston
I think I took a bit of a ‘wandering path’ to becoming a therapist, honestly! I started college right after High School, but finished up at middle age! Read more>>
Rebecca Witt
My husband is actually the one who bought me a sourdough starter several years ago. Originally he thought it would just be a fun hobby for me and that I could make us bread once a week – I took it waaay further than he expected! Read more>>
Christopher Van Schenck
After Medical School I went to residency for a total of 4 years. The first year was at Wake Forest for Pediatrics. I graduated University of Florida Psychiatry residency in 2012 and worked in California in outpatient psychiatry for 8 years before moving to Tennessee. In Tennessee I have worked 2 years inpatient work and the rest outpatient. Tennessee has been wonderful. Read more>>
Huseyin Ustunkaya
I worked for Marriott Hotels and Gaylord entertainment for 5 years. I opened first Anatolia restaurant in 2003. I opened my second restaurant Chateau west in 2014. I opened Music row bar and grill in 2025. I partner with my brother Anatolia and Music row bar and grill. Read more>>
Kari Brown
My path to becoming a fractional CMO and Agency Owner wasn’t linear – it was built step by step, with plenty of bold moves along the way. My career started in the music marketing scene, where creativity and hustle were the name of the game. Read more>>
Gina Webb
I have been on a health journey for almost 20 years seeking truth about how to heal my family. I have 10 children, my first ones were injured by the medical system and so I sought alternative care and healing for my children. That sparked a flame of passion to find how we were truly designed to be healed and find wholeness. Read more>>
SARA HOBBS
My journey from corporate banking to entrepreneurship began with a desire to help people take control of their finances. After more than 20 years in banking, I took a leap of faith and founded Forecastle Financial, a virtual financial advisory firm providing Personal CFO and Private Wealth Accounting services to high-net worth families and households. My tenure in banking was diverse. Read more>>
Brett Bayda
I didn’t grow up swirling wine in crystal glasses — I grew up on a farm drinking beer out of a cooler. But after a trip to the French countryside eight years ago, everything changed. I saw families laughing, farmers covered in dirt from the fields, all sharing wine like it was part of who they were. No pretense. No rules. Read more>>
Kevin Kilpatrick
The first hint of being a voice actor and producer today probably began at age 5 – the first time I set foot on a stage. It was a kindergarten school play and I didn’t fully comprehend what we were all doing up there. I just knew I had to say like two or three sentences and then the audience would react. Read more>>
Steve Stern
1st paid gig at 15 years old in hometown, Fairmont, WV 1969 After high school studied at WVU. Played solo and band sh.ows through 1975, and then moved to Pittsburgh, PA. Earned BS in Clinical Psychology at Pitt graduating in 1976. 1988 “The Bikers Anthem” was used for promotion for Harley-Davidson for 3 years. Performing in Pittsburgh through 1993, then moved to Nashville. Read more>>
Ben Lay
I am a 2time survivor of Ewing’s Sarcoma spinal cancer. Diagnosed at 16 yo with a 90% mortality rate, I underwent 9 months of multiple chemo’s and radiation and somehow made it to remission. I was in remission for 2 years and 2 weeks and then my cancer returned. Read more>>
The Barrax
Eric, Greg and Julie began their business relationship out in California. With California not being business or gun friendly, they decided to move their dream out to Nashville TN. It was a hunt trying to find the right building but eventually we landed at 4108 Hillsboro Pike, across the street from Green Hills Mall and next to the Iconic Blue Bird Cafe. Read more>>
Nate H.
In June of 2023 while I was still fully employed as an IT Support Analyst I felt the desire to create a side hustle to allow me to use my creativity and passion for small businesses. Little did I know that 6 months later I would be laid off from my job due to a reduction in force. Read more>>
Ema Balos
From Fear to Freedom: My Personal Birth Story: My journey began in an extreme place: in the midst of a revolution to overturn communism in Romania, my mom went into the army guarded hospital to give birth to my brother, four days later she passed away due to the neglect and medical malpractice of her medical team. Read more>>
Inga Casha
I’ve always been drawn to creating spaces that feel deeply personal and lived in—places that tell a story. That thread goes back to my childhood in Eastern Europe, where I grew up in an orphanage. Even then, I was constantly imagining what “home” could look and feel like. Read more>>
Stephanie Flowers
My name is Stephanie and I am a professional in the wellness field. I have been lucky enough to call myself a Licensed Massage Therapist for 19 years now. Read more>>
Kendall Goddard
I’m Australian born, bilingual English-French, and have lived in France, England, Canada and now the US. My Canadian husband and son, and American daughter, and I dwell in our beautiful Nashville home in Tennessee with our two cats. I used to be a dog person but wow how things can change! Read more>>
Jason Pennington
We Actually Started in the 80’s Run-A-Muck started in the Mid ‘80s, we just didn’t know it yet. My partner, Hunter Stapp, and I grew up together, went to school together, wrestled on the same team together, and roadtripped across the country together. I got my first canoe when I was 13 years old. Read more>>
Kumar Gonzalez
I started mowing lawns with a friend in 1988 when I was just 11 years old. We used to drag our push mower up and down the neighborhood streets of Belle Meade, mowing lawns. Through many trials and tribulations, a few other add on businesses and college, I remain in the lawncare and landscaping business to this day. Read more>>
Julie Lilliston
I got started working in public relations and marketing communications through the nonprofit side. After graduating college in Ohio where I grew up, I was accepted into a full-time volunteer program called US-2 through the United Methodist Church. My placement was Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville and they just had become a conference and retreat center. Read more>>
Jimmy Hagerman
We all experience some degree of brokenness in life. From an early age God allowed me to experience a measure of brokenness–broken dreams, broken promises, and a broken home. I was acquainted with isolation, social-awkwardness, and pent-up anger. Read more>>
Shannon Vawter
I am a veterinarian originally from Mississippi. I grew up in a mixed animal practice, mentored by two wonderful veterinarians who inspired my love for the profession early on. I earned both my Doctorate and Master’s degrees in Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University. Read more>>
Rachel Hoffman
As a young girl, I was blessed to grow up in a tight-knit family that loved cooking together. The kitchen was our gathering place, filled with laughter and the warmth of shared meals. Over the years, we found creative ways to bon,, like crafting elaborate gingerbread houses from scratch each Christmas- a tradition that sparked my fascination with Nordic cuisine. Read more>>
Marla Hamm
I was called to counsel at a young age. Growing up, I battled anxiety and depression without really understanding what it was or how to find help. That pain became the seed of compassion that God planted in my heart for others who are hurting. Over the years, I’ve walked through my own healing journey through temperament therapy and the truth of God’s Word. Read more>>
Misty Crawford
I actually was one of those people that didn’t even really care for yoga, lol! I’ve always been active, playing sports & working out, but I’ve never been crazy about the warm up or cool down part. I never really worried about stretching or whatever. I just never really appreciated the value of it. Read more>>
Tom Davis
I was a musician in school and had many a band through my college years. The more I learned about recording studios and audio gear the more interested I became in the engineering side of things. There were no recording schools in the late 70s like there are now. Read more>>
Louise Wright
Ten years ago on June 5, 2015, my daughter Rebekah was heading home from visiting a friend . We were living in Wyoming at the time. When she was just 2 miles from home, she somehow loss control of her car on the I-80 and crossed the median and ran into a semi-truck head-on that was going at least 65 mpn. Read more>>
Dr. P. Michelle Wyatt
Dr. Paula “Michelle” Gordon-Wyatt was born in Nashville, TN to Robert E. and Joyce H. Gordon. Michelle received her elementary and middle school education in Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Schools. In June 1986, she graduated from Elk Grove High School, Elk Grove, Illinois. In September 1997, Michelle completed her Practical Nurse Diploma and worked as a pediatric charge nurse for many years. Read more>>
Russ Norment
I was a career educator and coach who taught Spanish for 35 years, mostly in independent high schools across the state of Tennessee. I needed to reinvigorate my career and do something totally different, while leveraging my Spanish fluency to gain a special niche in a new arena. A family member had the idea of looking into becoming a notary signing agent. Read more>>
Dolly Sharp
I have been the owner of Two Sisters Travel LLC since December of 2022. The previous owners were selling and retiring. I was with a company that had previously been acquired, and I was dealing with being on burn out as I had been at my current job for 28 years and just looking for a change. Read more>>
Charles Cain
I worked many different jobs since moving to they Nashville area. WTVF, then TNN and CMT for several years as an uplink engineer, project manager, engineering department assistant supervisor, and then a project director for the parent company of CMT, Viacom. Worked with project teams at MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1, and MTV Europe. Read more>>
Stephanie Smith
My story (please forgive the English spelling, my Siri has a British accent therefore it corrects everything to British spellings
) I have been in the skincare industry a very long time. I first attended esthetics school in 96, in Sarasota, Florida at a tiny school The Sarasota Hair Academy. Read more>>
Denissa Rogers- Giles
Growing up, I was born and raised in Gary, Indiana (where Michael Jackson is from), which is the “hood” and at one point was known as the murder capital of the world. Being a minority and coming from a marginalized and underserved community, I saw firsthand homelessness, addiction, mental health struggles, poverty, and how silence and survival shaped our community. Read more>>
William Love
I started my remodel and home improvement company called Chill Creative Contractor LLC 2 years ago. I worked for a paving contractor previously doing road work for about 10 years. I felt under appreciated for how long I’ve worked there. I also seemed to barely be getting by with the inflated economy. Read more>>
Katie Gustafson
I’ve always been drawn to the deeper layers of what makes us human—the stories beneath the surface and the patterns that shape who we become. My path to this work, though, has been anything but straight. I started out in music, writing and performing songs that gave voice to things I didn’t yet know how to say out loud. Read more>>
Christie Abbott
I was born on a dairy farm in Nashville. My Dad was a farmer and my Mom a house wife. I have 2 older brothers. We are Native American, Kituwa Eastern Band Tsalagi. My parents took us to the reservation in North Carolina every summer so we could learn about our culture. I was an odd child who played with her animals. Read more>>
Christy Pierson
Welcome to the StoryBook Cottage, a whimsical bookstore and coffee shop where every corner tells a story! Born from the dream of myself, my husband and my two daughters, our family opened this magical space one year ago to bring the joy of books and community back to life. Read more>>
Amanda Marques
My name is Amanda Marques. I grew up in a small town called Ponchatoula, Louisiana, about 50 miles north of New Orleans. In 2008, I moved to Nashville to pursue a music career. While chasing that dream, I began working full-time in the mortgage industry, where I spent the next eight years. Read more>>
Justin Moore
Growing up, one of my fondest memories was taking family trips to Sunnyside beach once a year during the Summer. For those unfamiliar with Sunnyside, it is the west end of Panama City Beach. I always anticipated the trip coming and dreaded it going. Read more>>
Ki’ara Larkin
My journey started in nursing. I’ve always had a calling to help people heal. But over the years, I realized that true healing goes far beyond prescriptions or procedures. Working in healthcare opened my eyes to how many people were silently struggling with burnout, stress, and emotional pain that medicine alone couldn’t fix. Read more>>
Pastor Stephen and Kerry Wilson
Jesus Provisions Ministries (JPM) opened our doors in 2019. For several years before that, my husband, Pastor Steve, was involved in prison ministry, and my daughter Lexi and I supported families on the outside by helping meet their everyday needs with food and clothing. Read more>>
Raven O’Rourke
As an undergraduate, I got involved with Peer Health Advocates and started educating my classmates on consent, healthy communication and pleasure in sexuality. I was amazed at how little any of us had learned prior to college. I enjoyed the candid conversations that resulted from this education. Read more>>
Greg Thompson
I didn’t plan on starting a business. I just wanted to teach and coach. Right out of college, I was in the classroom during the day and in the gym by afternoon—grading essays, drawing up plays, and trying to help teenagers figure themselves out. I loved it. Still do. Read more>>
Brooke Boling
I grew up in the Seattle area and went to undergrad in Washington State before heading to Georgia for graduate school at the Portfolio Center, where I studied art direction and design. From there, I jumped right into the creative world, working in art direction and photography for ad agencies, fashion magazines, record labels, and large corporate branding teams, including Target. Read more>>
Olivia Dykes
I worked with a new PFPT and a pregnancy and postpartum coach. Both of these women, literally changed my life. I worked with my coach for 18 months. In that time, so much physical, emotional, and mental healing happened for me. I was empowered in my own body and asymptomatic with my prolapse symptoms. My coach encouraged me to become a certified pregnancy and postpartum coach. Read more>>
Lain York
I went to the University of Tennessee and returned in the late 80’s to work downtown for the Metro Arts Commission, the Greater Nashville Arts Foundation, and the Summer Lights Festival. I also worked on the Arts at the Airport Program for 18 years and joined Janice Zeitlin and Zeitgeist gallery in 1997. I have been fortunate to have a job in in my industry for this long and see it continually evolving. Read more>>
