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.

Krishon Gaines

I’ve been inspired by music since growing up as a little child watching my older brothers make music. Growing up in the church, music was always a part of our lives. I went to SAE institute for Audio to progress my knowledge and skills. From there I started working with artists around Tennessee which expanding my sound worldwide. Always growing, working, and upping my skills and talents has been the key to success. Read More>>

Erin Fiebig

Teaching in person is very different than online, interacting with students, and learning about their strengths and weaknesses gives you insight into where to correct them as well as yourself in your teaching. I’ve now been teaching at Heart of Wisdom for 2 years, I also teach at the 1 Hotel Nashville and just began to teach a yoga class at Solid Orange Crossfit. This past winter I spent 2 months in Rishikesh India earning my 300hr cert, now I am a 500hr certified yoga instructor. It has been a wonderful journey thus far! Read More>>

Wyatt Easterling

I was more interested in writing and performing and soon had an offer from Rick Blackburn at CBS which is now Sony. The papers were drawn up for me to sign at CBS when Sony purchased the label. Like most acquisitions the staff was let go leaving Rick with a two year non-compete clause and me without a deal. Read More>>

Ashley Mcewen Broadnax

I’ve spent over 16 years working in youth development and education, where I had the opportunity to teach middle school science and even started Crowns Up, a nonprofit mentorship program for middle and high school girls. Through these experiences, I saw firsthand the gaps in our educational system—specifically, the need for resources that truly reflect the diverse cultures of our students and help them grow their social and emotional skills. Read More>>

Rea Frey

I wanted to be a published author too. My first novel was published before I turned 22. However, I knew nothing of the industry. I had just spent four years studying the craft of writing and not a single class focused on the business. When I signed a book deal, I didn’t know how to negotiate. I didn’t know how to read a contract, what the terms were, or how I would get paid Read More>>

Madison Holmes

A few years ago, I found myself stuck in a 9-5 job I absolutely hated. I was working in a room with no windows, feeling trapped and unfulfilled. I knew I needed a change, but I wasn’t sure how to make it happen. Then, I stumbled upon the world of virtual assistants and social media marketing online, and something clicked. This could be my way out—my chance to find freedom and flexibility, and maybe even make a real impact. Read More>>

Andre Kaden Black

I’ve been able to produce over 100 records internationally in studios like Revolution Recording in Toronto, KMA Music in New York, and Abbey Road Studios in London. One of my proudest projects was working with Big Machine Label Group’s artist Vivian Hicks, alongside Taylor Swift’s former manager Rick Barker, where we collaborated with brands like Nintendo, Crayola, and ABC’s American Idol. Through it all, my passion for music and helping others succeed has always been my driving force. Read More>>

Natalia Cooper

I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and have always had a deep-rooted passion for children, education and community. After completing my studies in early childhood education at the University of Georgia, I took a bold step in 2011 and moved to Nashville to pursue a master’s degree in teaching at Vanderbilt University. With a fulfilling 7-year career in elementary education behind me, I embraced a new role as a stay-at-home mom to my two boys. Read More>>

Verenice Araguz

I am currently a Stylist at Studio Gaven! I have wanted to be a hair stylist since I was in middle school. I grew up in a household with 5 sisters and my mom didn’t really know what to do with our hair. I was always going to school in a low pony and that was it. Don’t get me wrong my mom tried her best but she just didn’t really know how. That’s probably why I’ve always had an interest in hair. Read More>>

Anna Daley Young

When I’m home, I work with the school community talking to students about dream chasing and following their hearts. I had a reoccurring sleeping dream that I was performing at my old middle school, we ended up making it happen and the kids were so excited. My message to them is to go your own way. follow your heart and listen to your intuition. Read More>>

Laura Grace Dziagwa & Dana Lohr

I went from being on stoked about a new career to wondering if I needed to start selling feet pictures online to pay my bills. Thankfully, my consistency has paid off and I couldn’t imagine another path for me. The industry, trends, areas, and clients are ever evolving, but my persistence to excellence remains constant. I’m a Realtor for people who don’t like Realtors because you come before a sale, always. Read More>>

Rahiem Thompson

I took on various gigs, capturing graduation moments, celebrating birthdays, and eventually immortalizing love stories through wedding photography. Over the past six years, I’ve transformed my passion into a thriving video production and photography business called Roletape. The name itself holds meaning: Roletape stands for “Real Opportunities that Lead to Elevating the Talents of Artistic People Everyday.” Read More>>

Samira Hardcastle

I have always loved art since I could hold a pencil! It was a natural process that evolved as I attended I.T Creswell Arts Magnet Middle school and Nashville School of the Arts high school. From there my love for being creative grew. I took a detour when I went on to become a middle school math teacher. Then a position opened for me to transition into the art teacher. This was a blessing for me to get back in touch with my art. Now I have an art business on the side to earn extra income, and I am working on my Masters in Business Administration. Read More>>

Aimee Nielsen

It is a 4 song EP and the first of two parts inspired by love, loss, certain life struggles, healing, and overall having high hopes for people in different situations, only to be let down. The album leans towards the country/americana/rock music genre. It’s available now to listen/purchase everywhere where you get your music. I look forward to continuing to create music, art, and fashion as it brings me so much happiness and makes me feel complete in that I am contributing to something in the universe much bigger than myself. Read More>>

Yasmine Martin

Once I received my license in October 2022, I searched for job opportunities. The first spa I had applied to, is where I ended up working at. The ladies at Alluring Looks have taught me so many things and I am forever grateful for this job. All thanks to my girl, Jill Anderson, for the referral!! They all became my family. Read More>>

Alice Kate Torres

My pottery teacher Jane Young was always incredibly encouraging and suggested I apply to study ceramics in college. I went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn NY and studied ceramics and psychology. After graduating in 2019 I had no idea I’d be where I am today. I didn’t imagine making and painting ceramics would become my job, but COVID brought me down to Nashville with my partner David, who is from here, and he suggested building out our garage and turning it into a ceramics studio. Read More>>

Aaron Johnson

I still invest my time in making music but at the moment I’ve taken a pause to help my childhood friend build a local brand called “DropShopNash”. We own a studio in Nashville but we don’t limit ourselves to just that. Every Monday we bring guest speakers to give their testimony and what it’s like to work in the music industry as an artist/producer. The main goal is to help the underground community of Nashville with any unanswered questions they might have about the lane they are pursuing. I look forward to releasing more music myself and helping other artists/producers reach their potential as well. Read More>>

Molly Rivers

I was born with a natural interest in creating. For as long as I can remember I have always loved art, expression, dressing up, and all things glam. Whenever I envisioned myself as an adult, I didn’t see myself in any other career besides the hair and makeup industry. I enrolled in a Cosmetology program as soon as I could and was able to start class a couple weeks before my senior year of high school. By the end of summer 2007, I was a high school graduate and a licensed cosmetologist. Read More>>

Daniel Allen

Farming is never a smooth road. Every year brings it’s own difficulties because farming is hard. Some of the struggles along the way have been drought or too much rain, can’t have too little but can’t have too much, the heat, working along side mother nature is always unpredictable. Long hours, most do not understand a farmers schedule. It’s hard even for family to understand sometimes. Equipment upkeep, the list is long. Running a farm requires a lot of overhead. Read More>>

Abby Blake

After graduating in 2021, I then moved to Nashville, where I’ve been for the last three years! Since moving to Nashville I’ve released my EP, Quit Leavin’ Me Alone along with several other singles prior to my EP release. I’ve gigged all over town from small writers rounds, to the Broadway Honkytonk, and even being cast in Season 22 of American Idol! It’s been a wild journey so far and I’m so excited to continue moving forward in my career! Read More>>

Courtney Lopez Gervais

Traveling and going on adventures with little ones isn’t easy, but it’s possible! And I love sharing our explorations in Tennessee and beyond. Being a mom is something I dreamed about for as long as I can remember – now that the time has come, I feel so blessed to be able to raise these small humans and share our journey. Read More>>

Mitch & Rachel Schneider

We love soft serve, and wanted to rent a soft serve ice cream machine for our wedding reception. After hours of researching and looking at different options, we discovered a problem — we couldn’t find anyone in Nashville providing soft serve for private events. So, we decided to buy a machine and a few bags of soft serve mix and make it happen ourselves! Read More>>

Tammy O’connor

Inspired by my uncle, I chose to follow in his footsteps as a professional photographer. To that end, I studied design, color and composition at The Art Institute of Atlanta, graduating with a degree in photography. Though intrigued by playing with light and composition, the medium didn’t feel like a fit. Later introduced to stained glass and still able to play with design, light and color, I found my place. Read More>>

Adam And Kristi Sturgeon

For our business we have been constantly trying to keep up with the needs of the business and the availability of resources. We have had struggles with pricing, distributors, contractors, staffing, and scheduling, but we push through and try not to let the little things get us down.  Read More>>

Lauren Hanthorn

My interest in photography began in the early 2000’s, using a simple Canon Powershot. The high school I attended offered film photography classes where I learned more about composition and the art behind it. I would spend hours photoshopping a single photo and experimenting with different editing methods. Read More>>

Kornrow Kween

I really missed being in a open floor salon so i moved to a salon and stayed there for a couple of years. After a while i started missing being by myself and giving my clients that intimate moment with me so i moved into a small suite and I’ve been there almost a year now. It hasn’t been easy at all but i make the best out of it and this is something i would do for free if i needed too to help others because i jus love braiding it’s therapeutic to me and helps me explore my talent! My pain turned into purpose n i love that for me Read More>>

Melinda Melton

I’ve been the proud owner of Inspired Help since 2020, but my journey in the wedding industry began alongside Brittany Smith, the founder of Inspired Help, in 2015. Before transitioning to event planning, I started my career in commercial real estate, where I honed my skills in negotiation, project management, and client relations—skills that seamlessly translated to the world of wedding planning. Read More>>

Rahul Iyengar

Most primary care physicians are expected to oversee a patient panel of 4,000+ patients and practice in a reactive health climate where people wait until they have symptoms to go to a doctor. This leads to short impersonal visits, a lack of availability when you need to be seen urgently, and minimal opportunities for preventive care. As a physician, I have felt forced to deliver formulaic, impersonal, and rushed care due to an overbooked schedule driven by insurance reimbursements and spend most of my time documenting the visit, calling pharmacies, or battling with insurance companies to cover the best treatments. I knew there had to be a better solution. Read More>>

Elizabeth Moore Laura Dale

Our company formed as we realized there was a market for both individuals and small businesses who needed an occasional assistant but couldn’t (or didn’t want to) hire one full time. I think our peers generally feel stretched thin working, raising children, helping their parents, volunteering at school/church and on any given day could use “an extra hand.” We realized this service model would appeal to many as we provide cost effective solutions for daily to-dos. Read More>>

Marist And Andrew Lamson

We find passion in learning new skills, habits, and mindset hacks that enhance our daily life, and bring us closer to the best versions of ourselves. We have found that steady and consistent daily focus on personal growth massively enhances our peace, joy, and fulfillment in every area of our lives. Whether we’re practicing new cooking skills, running (literally) around Nashville, or plotting our next creative projects—we’re all about growth. Personal growth, professional growth—you name it, we’re chasing it. Read More>>

Stacy Jagger

When I’m not with my family, the thing that brings me the most joy right now is our nonprofit – Advocate for the Creative Child. I started this organization after the Covenant school shooting that just completely rocked our
community. As I began to see children and families directly impacted by the shooting, I knew I needed to do something for the children who see violence every day, but don’t have the resources to come to my office. Read More>>

Andrew Thurbush

It’s kind of been like one of those roads that have filled in potholes, but you can still tell there’s potholes, you know? Over all it has been such a fun process. The hardest part is probably just been consistent. Posting content when you have no followers, no views and somehow end up with less likes than zero or just feel like you’ve run out of ideas. But the joy is also knowing that every time you post a piece of content it could go viral and reach millions. Read More>>

Maj-lis Nash

I moved to TN from MI in 1996 with some friends on a journey to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I have spent the previous 7 years working the summers on Mackinac Island in Michigan and then traveling and taking odd jobs in the winter months as I tried to find the path in life for me. Traditional college just wasn’t the road for me, I never really enjoyed school anyway so we all find it ironic that I now own a trade school.  Read More>>

Holly Martinez

Since childhood, I’ve had a passion for secondhand shopping. I fondly remember waking up early on weekends with my father to drive around my small mountain town in California, searching to find yard sales and hidden treasures. Thrift shopping became second nature to me. Read More>>

Michael Frazier

So 2020, I registered the business and began doing distillery tours and tastings to develop my palate as well as my education of the Industry during that processI tried over 300 Bourbons and whiskeys and after that I felt, I had the pan and knowledge to create a premium quality Tennessee bourbon. In 2021, I launched in retail in the Nashville area. My first batch exceeded our projected sales expectations by 10 months and in the first six months, we had to go to an allocation for retail stores which made the product exclusive and a premium product. Read More>>

Christine McDevitt

Specializing in the wedding markets of Middle Tennessee and Florida has allowed my team and me to assist countless wonderful couples in making their wedding dreams come true. Unlike many of our competitors, we don’t offer pre-set packages. We believe that every event is unique and by working closely with each couple we help bring their vision to life. Read More>>

Emily Haddock

This deep-seated passion for science, combined with a lifelong passion for exploring new foods, a fascination with the Food Network from a very young age, and a genuine joy for cooking, led me to discover the field of dietetics. Additionally, my personal struggles with body image and disordered eating, which are surprisingly common among dietetic students and professionals, fueled my desire to learn more and help others navigate their own challenges. Read More>>

Nate Mcgowan

Dust on a Lampshade started our freshman year at Belmont in 2017. It was a miracle that five jam-band loving dudes of different instruments (Mike “dirty” Eiler on vocals and guitar, Tristan “fingers” Ferner on keys and vocals, Drew “scooby” Kubinski on drums, Nate “big” McGowan on bass, and Max “j-hook” Mendeloff on guitar) were randomly assigned to the same floor.  Read More>>