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.
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>>
Dee Ann Melton
Gymnastics and tumbling were added, along with many other avenues of family fun and fitness, including cheerleading, tricking, day camps and birthday parties. It was in 2007 though, that the infamous Nerf Wars began and word of Mpact Martial Arts, Gymnastics and Cheer took a hard right into something no one could fathom! Now, a bi-monthly community event, Ultimate Nerf Wars, has been a staple for at least 15 years with no signs of ending anytime soon. Read more>>
Kayla Simon
I didn’t start photographing real people until high school! I was lucky enough to have a childhood best friend whose stepmom worked for New York Models, and I loved shadowing the photographers who worked with their new faces. Seeing the creativity between artist and muse helped me fall in love with fashion photography, the starting point of my passion for portraits. Read more>>
Tom Bancroft
I am a twin and my brother, Tony, and I would draw together all the time as kids in California. We were competitive and the goal was always to get our mom to like one of our drawings better than the other brother. Read more>>
Kenyon Henry
I started by writing one short story for fun. That short story eventually grew over the course of ten years to become my first book in 2017. Since then, I’ve written ten books, three screenplays, and a number of poems and songs. Read more>>
Amelia White
I was born with an antenna that picks up life pretty hard and heavy and light and joyful. All of it. Im particularly drawn to the shadows, and the subtleties that are everywhere. Read more>>
Cheryl Blough
I started Wedding officiating about 9 years ago. It all started that summer . Seemed like everyone around me was getting married. A close friend of mine invited me to her Wedding at the Art Museum. It was a small outdoor wedding with about 15 guest. Her officiant arrived wearing a black suit and looking professional. Read more>>
Madison Gaspard
I’ve always had a passion for photography, music and the arts before I even realized it. In high school, we had “pathways” after our freshman year including health, business and arts. I went down the arts pathway where I discovered my passion for photography and learned so much. Read more>>
Andrea Anderson
I started selling cars in 2012 because of a bet with my dad. I was living in the mountains, and the jobs were very limited. I had some experience in sales in other industries and jumped right in to prove my dad wrong. Thankful for that bet with my father because it has brought so many amazing opportunities. Read more>>
Johnathan Hollingsworth
I decided in May 2022 to educate myself, so after 20 years of not being in school, I chose to pursue a career in culinary arts as a Chef. While in school, I was a sales associate at Lowes Home Improvements, and I detailed vehicles as a hustle. Read more>>
Brandon Burd
I spent more than a decade working as a CPA, building spreadsheets and keeping businesses on track financially. Around the same time that career began, I also started competing in powerlifting. On one side I had long hours behind a desk, and on the other I had the discipline, intensity, and community of training. For years I felt the pull of both—mentally and physically. Read more>>
Korie Burton Rott
I’ve been writing songs since I was 10 or 11 years old. I taught myself to play guitar at the age of 12, and decided pretty early on that I wanted to end up in Nashville to be a songwriter. After graduating high school, I packed up and moved to Tennessee to attend MTSU. Read more>>
Randy Cook
This is my second career. I spent a 35 year career in health care. I went back to school to become a therapist after retirement. My therapy practice, Brothers Counseling, is devoted exclusively to helping men find honorable manhood within themselves. My work is an outgrowth of my own personal work from decades in men’s circles learning to love and beloved. Read more>>
Ben and Erica Roberts
We started Purposed Life in 2019 because we saw a growing need, not just for therapy, but for a more holistic, community-centered approach to mental health. Too often, individuals were seeking support in systems that weren’t built with them in mind, systems that overlooked the cultural, emotional, and social realities people live every day. We wanted to change that. Read more>>
Laquisha Hughes
From the very beginning, I Ne’Sha have always been creative. As a child, I would sit beside my great-grandmother, watching the rhythmic motions of fabric and needle, observing how scraps of cloth transformed into garments full of character and purpose. That early exposure awakened something inside me —a fascination with beauty, craftsmanship, and making things with my hands. Over the years, My creative spirit expanded. Read more>>
Miranda Guerra
I haven’t always been healthy and I haven’t always been captivated by birth but along my own personal journey, I have found a deep passion for both of these. God breathed a dream in my heart in 2017 to help people in their health as I had my own major health transformation and was eager to help others achieve that as well! Read more>>
Megan Felts
The Grumpy Bookpeddler started with my dad, the OG Grumpy Bookpeddler, 14 years ago in 2011. We are a family of avid readers and his dream was to own a used bookstore one day. In August of 2011, he opened his store with a few shelves of books and a prayer. Read more>>
Kurt Willis
It all started about 10 years ago when my brother and co-founder, Shaun Willis, graduated from a software development bootcamp in Nashville and began making the rounds to networking events. When he ultimately came up short in Murfreesboro, he decided to start one and what started out as a couple guys and gals at a coffee shop has now grown to over 750 members. Read more>>
KayLee Street
Born and raised in East Tennessee, I traded the mountains for music city to chase my Samantha Jones dreams—just in Tecovas instead of Manolos (because stilettos on Broadway? Not today). Hospitality runs deep my her roots. Read more>>
Anthony Bukengolts
Photography had always existed around me. When I was a little kid, I grew a love for films, and when I found the family camcorder, I began making my own skits and movies with my neighborhood friends. After some time, I fell apart from those friends and found myself more secluded. Read more>>
Loreal Moss
I didn’t start with a business plan. I started because I was given the choice at my job to either quit or be fired. At the time, I had a baby that was a few weeks old and I had a 4 year old. So, I started with burnout, motherhood, and a deep ache to provide for my family and find myself again. Read more>>
Jesse Johnson
My name is Jesse Johnson. I am also known as DJ Infamous. I was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. I moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1997, and never left. I am a husband, father, DJ, business owner, and much more to those who know me. Read more>>
Keisha Brady
My journey into pediatric dentistry wasn’t traditional, but it’s one I’m proud of. I actually started my career as a science classroom teacher — I spent nearly 15 years in education, teaching and mentoring children in the Nashville Public school system. Read more>>
Sarah Harrison
I’m originally from Canada and was adopted from South Korea at birth. I grew up in Montreal, where my dad — an avid amateur photographer — gave me my very first camera, a vintage Praktica LTL from the 1970s, for my 11th birthday. That gift sparked a lifelong passion for photography. Read more>>
Adam Jones
Well, I moved to Nashville in December of 2007 as a bass player with a dream of making that my living. I played a lot of live shows, some recording sessions, made a lot of contacts. But eventually had to make a REAL living as that never took off as much as I wanted. Read more>>
Angelo Valenti
When I earned my PhD in psychology from the University of Georgia, my goal was to be a college professor. I achieved that by teaching at Oklahoma City University from 1975-79 and was chairman of the department of psychology from 1976-79. The school was in financial trouble and I decided to explore other career options. Read more>>
Abby Vaden
I grew up facing challenges that most kids never imagine. Much of my childhood was spent in and out of hospitals battling SCID, a life-threatening immune disorder. While other kids were thinking about sports and sleepovers, I was focused on surviving surgeries, treatments, and the uncertainty of each day. Those years taught me resilience, empathy, and a deep appreciation for second chances. Read more>>
Austen Oxendine
I’ve always had a passion for cheer and tumbling, and after years of coaching, I started giving private lessons out of my garage. It began really small, just a few athletes at first, but it quickly grew through word of mouth. I realized there was a real need for a supportive, family-oriented gym where athletes could build skills and confidence in a positive environment. Read more>>
Crystal Catron
Well, Queen of Hearts Tattoo started in Radcliff, KY in 1991 by Fallen Angel who was the original owner and my mother. By 1993 Angel opened a second location in Nashville, TN and that’s where the magic happened. Angel fell in love with Nashville and the community, and in 1995 she decided to close down the studio in KY and focus on the studio here. Read more>>
Alex Baker
Our Story My journey in carpentry began long before I ever picked up a saw of my own. I grew up working alongside my grandfather, Bear — a patient craftsman who taught me the value of precision, pride, and doing things the right way. Those early years shaped not just my skill, but my love for the craft itself. Read more>>
Jason Flanagan
I was working as a tour guide for another company when a few customers suggested I start my own business—they loved the tour and believed I should be doing it independently. That planted the seed, and with my wife’s support, we quickly got to work—buying a bus, building a website, and creating our brand. Four years later, it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Read more>>
Isaac Hughes
I started photography when I was just 12 years old with very inexpensive cameras that my siblings had. I found my love of taking photos due to my competitive nature. I wanted to take better photos than my older brother! He was a great photographer, but I wanted to be better. Read more>>
Brooke Watts
My story is probably a lot like many other small business owners! I was feeling a bit stuck and unfulfilled in my 9-to-5 job, and I knew there had to be a better way to use my marketing background. Read more>>
Jack Carmody
I have been a licensed counselor since 2020, but in many ways I have been counseling for most of my working years! I worked as a pastor in South Carolina from 2010-2019. I am also a chaplain (part-time) in the Air National Guard and prior to that I was a chaplain in the Navy Reserves. Read more>>
Christopher Payton
I spent over 16 years working inside car dealerships—learning every angle of how deals get structured, how profits are protected, and, honestly, how customers often get the short end of the stick. I saw good people walk into dealerships hopeful, but leave stressed, overwhelmed, and usually overpaying. Read more>>
Warren Feld
I never seemed to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. I thought archaeologist, then no, found it boring. Psychologist, then no, didn’t want to listen to other people’s problems all day. Perhaps hospital administrator, then no, too much about cost control and not enough about expanding access to health care. Read more>>
Lauren Conklin
I’m the co-founder and President of the Board for the non-profit Mental Health Initiative. Mental Health Initiative is a non-profit that helps people access life-saving residential mental health treatment. I started this organization with my sister, Jessie Louverture, about three years ago. Read more>>
Peter Hartzell
The Story of Tree House Media Tree House Media was founded in 2017 in Spring Hill, Tennessee, just south of Nashville. In those early years, most of our clients were based in Franklin and Brentwood, where we worked with businesses, artists, and organizations to create podcasts, music videos, and brand films. Read more>>
Hayden Sorrels
Construction has always been part of my life. I grew up around my family’s plumbing company in Kentucky, spending much of my childhood on residential jobsites and learning what hard work really meant. After college, I entered industrial construction with one of the nation’s top-ranked general contractors. Read more>>
Gwen Canfield
I grew up in Franklin, Kentucky, in a close-knit, working-class family. My parents, who have been happily married for over 50 years, taught me the value of hard work, integrity, and creating a home filled with warmth and love. Today, I live in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, with my husband, where we enjoy the small-town charm just outside of Nashville. Read more>>
Noa Stroop
I am a business & entrepreneurship professor at Cumberland University. The biggest excuse for entrepreneurs that keeps them from starting their business is that they think they need a loan or investment for operating capital, or they think they need a unique idea. Read more>>
Donna Rioux
My name is Donna, Leola was my mom. She taught my sisters and I how to quilt, my brother how to sew a button back on. Which really impresses the clients that stay at the hotel where he is a manager. Read more>>
Neal/Mikey Yakopin/Mcdowell
In 2021, we had the idea of creating a comprehensive suite of products and services tailored for emerging touring artists. After playing with many developing artists, we identified critical areas where they needed support. Many struggle in their early years due to limited experience. Read more>>
Chris Blair
I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was always drawn to the stories behind the songs and the people who wrote them. In 2006, The Listening Room was born in a small space just outside Nashville because I wanted to create a place where songwriters could be heard, not just the artists who cut their songs. Read more>>
Stefanie Harris
In 2020 I was on a camping trip with a friend and she shared that she was moving, then out of my mouth flew ‘I’m moving’ I gasped because the words seem to just fly out of my mouth, but i knew in my heart that it was true. It was time to move on. Read more>>
Joshua Inman
I recently published a book on Amazon called, ‘Identity Lost and Found.’ I was born in 1976. I grew up in a Christian home, outside of Seattle as a gender confused boy. I was really close to my mother but not so much with my father. While he was loving, he was emotionally absent and so we never formed a strong bond. Read more>>
Chris Shank
Long story short. Once upon a time, a high schooler named Chris Shank was dead set on being a teacher. After knocking out some pre-college education to get my teaching license early, I decided that I wasn’t really a fan of the bureaucracy of teaching, and decided to pursue a career more conducive to my mental and physical wellbeing… Read more>>
Chip Leavy
Our names are Chip and Crystale Leavy, we moved to Springfield in 2015 after Chip accepted an engineering position at Electrolux. Chip was given or came up with the idea while on a lunchtime walk around the Electrolux property. We looked for a year or so, then bought an 11 acre wooded property in Greenbrier in 2017. Read more>>
Audrey Frazier & Debra Kilpatrick
We met as brand new nurses in 2008 at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital and became friends immediately. After a few years of working together, our careers took us in different directions in the medical field however we remained friends. Then in 2017, we were brought back together at Midtown working in the same unit. Read more>>
Jeremy Rutherford
I inadvertently found my way into the insurance industry, beginning my sales career with AT&T, where I sold cell phones. My ability to forge strong relationships led to a robust network, and I was approached by an insurance agent who invited me to join his agency. Read more>>
Zinah Scott
From Trauma to Triumph: A Filipina Immigrant’s Journey to Healing and Empowerment’ As a child, I endured unimaginable trauma within the walls of my family’s home. While inside a rice sack, the echoes of my adoptive mother’s words still linger: ‘I’ll throw you away in the river.’ Yet, it was this darkest memory that ignited my journey to triumph. Read more>>
Sonia Briggs
What I consider ‘My Beautiful Life’ began when I met my VHH. (Very Hot Husband) 34 years ago. We have now been married for almost 31 of those years and have raised 2 incredible humans. As in life, we’ve had our struggles along the way. Marriage, parenting, and homeschooling naturally come with problems. But our solutions arrive when we work together. He’s my favorite. Read more>>
Susan Earl
The journey began in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as a medic, where the experience of responding to emergencies laid a strong foundation for a future in healthcare. Motivated by a desire to provide more comprehensive care, the next step was enrolling in nursing school, followed by nurse practitioner school. This educational pathway not only expanded clinical skills but also opened new professional opportunities. Read more>>
Dannie Holmes
Condensed version: Owned restaurants for years. Sold out because I had 4 children (3 of which are triplets) and I needed to raise them. My mom was staying with us recovering from breast cancer. Everyone kept calling me at home because they needed me to cater their parties (I catered through my restaurant and the new owners were catering also). Read more>>
Perry Starbuck
My brother and I weren’t always brothers. when I was 8 and he was 10, we met and quickly became best friends. For years we had adventures together, and even picked up some work walking a cheerful pug named Ace around Grass Valley for some pocket change. We enjoyed the work, and working with animals. Read more>>
Angela Hart
I grew up in Idaho, and my first big risk was moving to Nashville at 18 — for a guy, of course (a musician, so cliché!) — and enrolling at Belmont. I earned my journalism degree there and started my professional life in the music industry as a publicist. Read more>>
Roy & penny Griffy
We started doing a simple hayride for the community and we did this for three years and then we stop doing it for a little while. And then we had stopped raising tobacco on our farm as the stipulations poundage and money adding up for us. Myself and Penny really enjoyed doing the Halloween event and now being we were no longer raising tobacco. Read more>>
Deion Wykowski
I’ve always liked music, and was very interested in learning to play an instrument. Through out highschool I learned a few chords here and there on guitar as well as participated in choir, Getting positive feedback about my vocals pushed me into pursuing music while briefly attending college in Texas. Read more>>
