Hidden Gems: Local Businesses & Creatives You Should Know

Every day we have a choice. We can support an up and coming podcaster, try a new family-run restaurant, join a boutique gym started by a local fitness champ or we could keep giving away our money to the handful of giants who already control so much of our commerce. Our daily decisions impact the kind world we live in; if we want a world where small businesses are growing and artists and creatives are thriving then we should support them with our time, money and attention. We’re proud to highlight inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs each week in Hidden Gems series. Check out some of our latest local gem features below.

Gone With The West

Mary Kaye and Micki had met previously at an IWMA (International Western Music Association) event and had collaborated on a few projects. Micki brought Mary Kay (MK) in for some harmony vocals on her upcoming album, Westbound. Mary Kay’s husband, Gary Holt, president of the IWMA-TN chapter, arranged a meet-n-greet pickin’ potluck for the members, and that’s where MK and Micki met Tecia and Merna. Read More>>

Brooke Garwood

Sun Child’s debut EP, “Everything,” was recorded with Patrick Taylor of Trash Panda in his home studio. At the time, Garwood was a solo artist who had just moved back to the beaches from Charleston, South Carolina, where she was a part of several folk projects. The goal of her “coming out project” was to convey a fuller and more distinct sound compared to older tracks like “Elephants” and “Can’t Move,” released under different identities. Read More>>

Michael Petillo

I thought I had a fairly normal life growing up in Chicago, but everything I knew flipped completely upside down when I turned 10. For the next 12 years of my life, there was some sort of traumatic experience or tragedy every few months. My dad had been arrested and convicted for dealing cocaine, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and later pancreatic cancer, I had multiple family members abusing various substances with 2 of my cousins overdosing from heroin and passing away, my mom and I were forced to move multiple times while my dad was away, it felt like was never going to stop.  Read More>>

Tuentitz King

so my father heard the tracks and hooked me up with a producer from the UK CALLED “UnBeats” this man form the UK sent me 25 beats and the next day i sent Him 25 songs . He told me he was is shocked he never heard of anybody making music that quick and especially different styles of music and flows all at once . He taught me to never send people my music with out copy righting at 1st . Since then i been Making music since non stop . Read More>>

Carly Klaire

Fast forward to designing stationery for my own wedding I couldn’t help but become obsessed with all the little things that make our love special – I wanted to share it with everyone! Our wedding branding carried through stationery, props, overall aesthetic palette, wearable swag, take-away gifts for our guests and more. And with that Lovers For Life was born, the content we created from our wedding found us our first client! It has now been three years and we couldn’t be more proud of the stationery work our studio is putting out. Read More>>

Nicole Zadok

I grew up in Los Angeles listening to a lot of electronic music because my dad makes house music. When I would go back to my mom’s my step dad would be playing classic rock and country music. I have vivid memories of being younger and over at my dad’s apartment watching him go through kick samples him and his friends would send to each other because Splice wasn’t a thing then. I picked up a guitar when I was about 13-14 years old and put down my art supplies because prior to music I loved to draw.  Read More>>

Rick Rodriguez

I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, a region in the Southmost tip of Texas, in the 80/90s. Music was always a part of my life. My first hero was my older brother Homer who at a very young age, played drums in our local church. I grew up wanting to be a musician like him. My father Ricky Rodriguez, was also a huge influence as he worked hard until he became one of the most recognized radio personalities on Spanish Christian radio in the entire Southwest, Texas, Mexico and Central America, a position he held for over 20 years and he always had the most current music on hand. Read More>>

Samantha Cormier

In 2017, I started my travel brand and Instagram, @samanthas_suitcase, which is where I started to post travel content and hone my photography skills along the way. I’ve grown my community over the years to 164k and I’ve worked with some amazing hotel properties and huge brands around the world creating content for them. Read More>>

Randy G. Howell Jr.

My journey began in the depths of my own struggles, grappling with the shadows of past trauma that often seemed insurmountable. These early experiences of pain and healing shaped my understanding of what it means to live authentically. It was through facing these challenges head-on that I discovered a profound truth: true healing begins with embracing your story, no matter how painful or complex it might be. Read More>>

Alvaro Hernandez

That experience laid the foundation for my freelance business, The Lucky Aperture. Over time, my skills naturally transitioned into portraiture and concert photography, which fits well with being based in Nashville. Now, I bring that same level of authenticity and storytelling into every shot, whether it’s on the street, at a concert, or in a portrait session. This journey led me to establish The Lucky Aperture, where I focus on creating completely custom content that aligns with each client’s unique vision and needs. Read More>>

Anya Alexander

As a young adult, I helped lead worship at the BSM (Baptist Student Ministries) at Midwestern State University and picked up guitar from a book in my dorm room in Killingsworth Hall. I have continued worship ministry through my adulthood and to today. But, I always had a big dream of writing my own music and sharing it with the world. A feat that was practically impossible in my Gen X years and that was placed on the back burner for all of the usual reasons – marriage, health crises, surgeries, divorce, and more. Read More>>

Laurie Carpenter

Upon graduating from college with a Communications degree, I landed a job in Sales and Marketing for a software company. A layoff after 6 years of employment forced me to figure out my next path. I knew I had an “eye” for photography but never had formal training. I studied a bit online, created a website, along with some not-so-fancy postcards! This was in 2002 during the “film era.” To my surprise (thanks to my insanely low prices!), I booked 22 weddings in my first year in business. It was at that point that I knew this was no longer a hobby. Laurie Carpenter Photography was formally formed in 2004. Read More>>

Daniela Cortina

It was also a struggle having to rebuild my clientele. Social media can only help so much especially when most of my followers are from Alabama. I did get a job at Sephora to help me meet people and advertise myself. It opened lots of doors for me. I met some of my bridal clients there, I’ve met an amazing makeup artist and assisted her with the CMA awards and her bridal clients. I’ve also gained clients for my salon services. It was definitely a jumpstart I needed for my career. Read More>>

Devon Lawton

In November 2023, I moved to the downtown Franklin location of Salons by JC and absolutely love it. I feel like I’m living in a hallmark movie every day I come to work! The support I’ve received from all of my guests, my husband, Wesley, family, and friends has been amazing through this journey and I am forever grateful for where I am today. Read More>>

Erin Oviatt Stephens

I’m a Christian, single mom, trying to make it all work, and survive. While working and going back to school for my own degree in Special Education, life is anything but easy. Every day is an uphill battle, and the struggles are very real. But through it all, myself and my children, we make it work for “us.” This is how “life after divorce” looks. Read More>>

Jamison Worley

My love for nutrition started in college. I was an athlete and took on a summer internship working with the sports dietitian at UTK. This is where I learned all of the in’s and out’s of this field. From there, I moved up to Boston, MA to do graduate school and my dietetic internship program.  Read More>>

Fabi Powell

Meeting my late husband when I was 27 felt like the beginning of a beautiful journey. We quickly fell deeply in love, and our bond strengthened with each passing day. However, our happiness was abruptly overshadowed by his diagnosis of a rare form of cancer called Synovial Sarcoma. Read More>>

Melanie Krishnamurthy

It wasn’t until I had babies of my own that I discovered the world of baby sleep. I had some experience working with newborns, but actually getting my own baby sleep well was a new concept for me. I did a deep dive and learned everything I could about baby sleep. It soon became a passion of mine and ultimately led me to getting my certification as a Pediatric Sleep Consultant. Now, I get to help other tired families improve their baby’s sleep.  Read More>>