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.

Marc Vera

We carry many lines that are not represented anywhere in central Tennessee. We also take great pride in being able to tell the backstory behind almost every single product in our store. Many of our lines give back to non-profits and many are small mom + pop companies with only 1 or 2 employees. nook also supports the Mt. Juliet community in multiple ways. We put on craft:Ed twice a year, a handmade goods market that benefits the band programs of Mt. Juliet. To date, craft:Ed has helped raise over $30,000 for the bands. We also put on art exhibits from not only local, and national artists, but the students of Wilson County schools. Read more>>

Justin Renfroe

from there he introduced me to his trainer who hired me then he introduced me to other trainers and athletes and from there I was able to build my brand, shoot new content and learn more about the photography business. from there I just kept grinding and shooting and since then ive been able to work with clients such as the ufc, starbucks, popeyes and have been to shoot several ufc events, nashville soccer games, cma fest, bonnaroo and have been featured in rolling stone magazine, new york post, new york times and several other publications. Read more>>

Jacob Jones

No matter where I was at I always found local musicians to get plugged in with to hone my craft. Eventually that led me to relocate one more time to Nashville to pursue music full time. I’ve been blessed to have a phenomenal team. Specifically I’ll highlight my producer, Andrew King who aiding me in crafting my debut EP, “Son of a Military Man”. The success of that project elevated me to be able to get on the road and gear up for project number two, that will be announced later this year. Read more>>

Preston Moreloc

It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve been in bands for years, and it’s always felt like an uphill grind. Musicians can be tough to work with—keeping everyone happy and on the same page is a constant challenge. Social media is another big one for me. Trying to stay on top of all the pages, profiles, and promo stuff can be overwhelming. Sometimes it feels like you spend more time promoting than actually writing or playing music, which is the part we love most. Read more>>

Fred Mossler

Our kitchen struggled to keep pace and we had two hour waits for food. Our kitchen manager and a cook got into a scuffle and the kitchen manager walked out. Food was cold, guests were upset and it was an all around awful night. We have come a long way since then and now serve one million guests a year. One of our restaurants ranks 41 in the world on yelp for the highest stars and most number of ratings. We are still have room for improvement, but our never ending devotion for delivering the very best experience to anyone visiting Nacho Daddy is what keeps us going. Read more>>

Phoebe Scott

During my time at Belmont, I signed an artist development deal with Centricity Music and released my first solo project, a three-song project called “This Isn’t Fun.” At this point, I was convinced that the only way to have a music career was to be an artist. During my time at Centricity, I was introduced to the role of “topliner.” It felt like I finally had a word for what I wanted to do—tell stories without having to be in the spotlight. Read more>>

Lacy Zee

I love to tattoo so I embrace all styles. My favorites being realism, floral, portraits, and “the weird stuff”. I grew up in a tattoo shop near Dallas, Texas watching a close family friend tattoo both of my parents. Ever since i was six years old i knew i wanted to be a tattooist. It took years of hard work to get into the tattoo industry. In the late 90s it was very difficult to obtain a start in this career. Especially hard for women. There were not very many of us choosing this career path. Nowadays it’s really awesome to see more ladies in the business. Read more>>

Kate Falcon

What began as small shows around our hometowns quickly turned into something much bigger. We started gaining traction online, building a following, and putting together a team that believed in what we were creating. In the early days, our parents wore all the hats — they were our drivers, road crew, merch team, booking agents, and biggest fans. Looking back on those sweet memories reminds us just how far we’ve come. Read more>>

Anthony Wolfe

Since launching the website in December 2018, I started a weekly songwriter showcase. The show began with doing take over nights with Nashville Tour Stop and Radio SoBro. But, in 2021, I started what is now called “On the Verge.” The Greenlight Bar at 833 9th Ave. S is now home to our show. Read more>>

Cheley Tackett

I’d sing everything I could think of to an open strum, probably driving my parents a little crazy. As I grew big enough (around age 10) to hold the guitar, they put me into lessons. My guitar teacher quickly learned that I could sing and started teaching me to play guitar so that I could back myself up performing. I dabbled with songwriting in high school and delved further in through my college years. Shortly after college, I moved from Ohio to Nashville to start officially learning the craft of songwriting and performing at every open mic and stage that would have me. Read more>>

Amber Miller-Burns

Howdy y’all! My name is Amber Miller and I am the founder/CEO of “Double Tap Marketing LLC” (www.doubletapmarketingllc.com) — a full encompassed digital marketing agency that specializes in social media management, content creation, influencer marketing, SEO/web design, PR Publications, email/SMS marketing, paid ads, radio, TV, billboards and more! We create personalized strategies that reflect your brand’s voice while authentically and creatively delivering measurable results to help your business thrive in the digital world. Read more>>

Judea Edwards

I create social-ready wedding content—short-form video and candid moments captured throughout the day, made for sharing and reliving right away. I’m there capturing the soft, real moments—the energy of getting ready, the details, the laughs, the little things that make the day feel personal and alive. I focus on telling the story in a way that feels effortless, modern, and intimate. Read more>>

Gabi Brown

My creative journey began in music. I was classically trained as both a pianist and cellist, and spent much of my young adult life studying piano performance. Music, for me, was more than an art form—it was a structure, a discipline, a way of expressing emotion and beauty when words fell short. I loved the rigor of it, the shaping of something transcendent through hours of quiet practice. But over time, the intensity of that world–the constant evaluations, endless competitions, the technical acumen–began to feel too narrow, too consuming. I was drawn to a different kind of life—one that allowed space for relationships, teaching, and eventually, motherhood. Read more>>

Emma Osborne

In the early years of my career, I photographed weddings and events for nonprofit organizations. I captured laughter, love, and raw, unfiltered moments. These events were my training ground—they taught me how to think fast, feel deeply, and shoot with intention. But over time, my focus began to shift. I started creating music videos, commercials, promotional content, and eventually ventured into short films. Video gave me another layer to work with—motion, sound, rhythm. It gave my stories new dimensions. Read more>>

Grayson Miller

Along the way we struggled with finding a space to operate, losing out on our first space due to a landlord’s abandoning our first lease. While that set us back about a year and a half, we were able to find a new space with a wonderful supportive landlord in East Nashville. From there, typical red tape with the city kept the buildout moving slow, though in the end it wouldn’t have mattered. Read more>>

Richard Gooch

We have always prided ourselves on going the extra mile whenever it’s possible. From saving someone who has accidentally locked themselves out of their new home by scaling their balcony like Spider-Man to transporting the ashes of a deceased loved one cross country in time for a families memorial service! The appreciation is what drives our determination. Read more>>

Lora Mofield

Even though I looked hilarious at times while experimenting with different looks, it led me to discovering so many amazing techniques and makeup artists throughout history. During my teens, I started doing other girls’ makeup for prom, pictures, dances, etc. and realized that maybe I could make a career out of my passion. Over the last decade, I have taken on all types of gigs as a makeup artist. I started out doing primarily bridal and formal event makeup, then diving into more editorial and more production work. These days, I mostly enjoy working on photoshoots, fashion shows, films, and really anything creative! Read more>>

Abby J

When I began working at Tall Tales Rooftop Bar in East Nashville, which has easily the best skyline view in the city, I realized it was the perfect place and time to start hosting my own round again, and Main Street Writers’ Guild was born. We are currently a one-woman booking, marketing, and logistical operation that prides itself on featuring all genres. We’ve showcased pop, R&B, and rap artists, in addition to some fantastic country artists, and hope to continue to grow and expand our repertoire as the years continue. Read more>>

Caleb Zufall

My wife and I launched our production company in 2021, blending my background in the film industry with her experience in business and corporate leadership. I’ve always been drawn to the creative energy of production, while she brings structure and strategy from her role in a major grocery chain’s corporate office. Together, we’ve built a company that reflects both of our strengths and passions. Read more>>

Nashgirl Sk8

In the early days, we experienced significant growth, fueled in part by the unique circumstances of COVID, when many people had more time to explore new interests and when skateboarding saw a surge in popularity. Now over four years later, we’ve seen the natural ebb and flow of community members as some transition to new hobbies or relocate after college. Despite these shifts, we remain committed to evolving with our audience, continuously finding fresh and creative ways to engage new folks as we as individuals grow alongside NGS. Read more>>

Makayla Lynn

I don’t know that anything is ever a smooth road! Of course there are obstacles you face on a daily basis when your job involves creativity and sharing pieces of yourself with others. I think the personal fight I’m always in is about prioritizing the heart of what I want to say in my art. Not letting anything come before the authenticity of it. I think that helps me get through any level of obstacle that comes with the journey. Read more>>

Kathleen Cooke

Theatrical acting was part of my DNA. I met and married my husband, director, producer, and writer, Phil Cooke, in college, and we moved to LA in 1991 to pursue our dream of working in the Hollywood industry. Together, we have not only worked in the Hollywood industry but have shot in over 60 global cities. Pursuing the industry is just that. It has to be pursued, which means long hours, sacrificial living choices, and existing on a financial rollercoaster. It takes grit. But we couldn’t go after what we were passionate about, and that was excellent storytelling and the power of the story to change lives and bring joy. Read more>>

Esther Wood

We pride ourselves on using the freshest ingredients around to create amazing and memorable food. Our dough is made in-house and aged overnight to enhance the perfect depth of flavor. Our cheese is shredded off the block daily and we use only the highest quality toppings. Our salad greens come from a local hydroponic farm and all our dressings are made from scratch. And for dessert, how about some homemade ice cream? We make all our ice cream the old fashioned way with real ingredients and churn it in house, without any artificial flavors or colors. And there’s lots more on our menu Read more>>

Jackie Wagner

My husband, Josh, and I basically grew up together. We started dating when I was 16 and he was 18, got married in 2005, and then took the wrong path for several years. We chose a life of drugs and did not even have the first thought about what our future would hold outside of partying. We are so very thankful that the Lord had different plans for us. When we realized it was time to get it together, we both started to work on ourselves and find our paths in life. As far as our family, we are so very blessed with three beautiful children Levi (13), Mia Kate (9), and Hayes (6). Read more>>

Bernadine ALLALA

After completing my master’s in May 2021, my uncles organized a graduation party for me in Nashville. It was my first time there, and I went with a group of friends. We had such an amazing time that we returned in September of the same year—and since then, Nashville has become one of my favorite getaway spots for vacations and weekends. There’s always something exciting happening there. Read more>>

Allen Clark

I also spent time as an agent/manager and I once had to negotiate with Robert Redfords Production Company for one of my artists who was in the movie “A River Runs Through It” starring Brad Pitt. (little known fact) As much as I loved the Music Industry I just wanted to be responsible for myself and really wanted my own thing – that’s when I decided to try photography because I had always loved it and had been doing it since Junior high . I knew early on that people would respond better to pics of others or celebs that they recognized so I went back to all the artists that I once repped and did whole photo shoots on a lot of them. The response was amazing and I have been a commercial photographer ever since. Read more>>

Di Tran

Louisville Beauty Academy began not as a business idea, but as a moral obligation. I saw students in beauty programs buried in debt, working multiple jobs just to keep studying — often leaving without graduating, or graduating without ever licensing. That didn’t sit right with me. I asked a simple question: What if we built a school where students could thrive without debt, graduate without delay, and enter the workforce with pride and freedom? Read more>>

Brye Sebring

My “big break” was a song called “LEMONS” that I produced, wrote and released when I was sixteen. It went viral two weeks before the pandemic hit and it flipped my life upside down. I had always been musically inclined. I was a stereotypical theater kid, I was singing before I could talk, I was always writing. I knew that I wanted to be a musician, I just never anticipated it becoming a full time thing. Thank god it is. Read more>>

Deirdre Colligan

I founded Candy Shop Vintage in the mid 2000s. It started with a collection of whimsical vintage jewelry sourced from estate sales and flea markets and sold at private events and trunk shows. My background in fashion and design enabled me to curate a stream of sought after, one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that I sold in Charleston, SC where I was living at the time. I have always found it such a huge source of inspiration in terms of style, color and design.  Read more>>