Portraits of Nashville

It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Nashville.

Louissita Virgile

Photography began as a simple hobby for me — something I did just for fun. But over time, I realized how much joy it brought me to capture genuine smiles and special moments. Seeing others happy through my lens always made my heart full. The inspiration for Girls of Honor Leadership Mentoring Program came from a deep desire to make a real impact. Read more>>

Monica Sadler

Honestly, my story began from a place of frustration. If someone had told me years ago that I’d be sitting here on Music Row coaching artists signed to labels and publishing deals, I would have laughed. But that’s the beauty of God—He redeems the years you thought were wasted. 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>>

Nicole Barton

I actually started my career in healthcare as a nurse, working in emergency medicine and pediatrics back home in Chicago. At the same time, I pursued massage therapy and a degree in nutrition, because I’ve always been fascinated by the many ways our bodies can heal and thrive. Read more>>

Eva Evans

When Dr. Eva Evans founded Alitura Veterinary Care, she set out to create more than just another veterinary clinic in Nashville. Her vision was to build a place where modern medicine and holistic healing meet — where pets are cared for as whole beings and owners are empowered to participate in their pets’ long-term wellness. Read more>>

Emily Springer

In December of 2o23, a tornado devastated the northern border of my hometown. I was heartbroken thinking about all the children and families who were displaced right before Christmas. Read more>>

Cieara McBride

Yes, I’m Cieara the owner of The Bloom Room Nashville. I found flowers through my healing process as a Chronic Myeloid Leukemia survivor. I was recovering from my second transplant in 2022. After my first transplant failed, I felt no choice but to sit still and really focus on healing. Read more>>

Julie Schutt

I’m a Middle TN native – I grew up in Lebanon and attended MTSU. I was always a very quiet, studious kid who fell asleep with a book on my face each night. My mother was the administrator of elections for Wilson County, so I grew up spending all of my free time and most weekends in the courthouse. Read more>>

Kayla Carr

I grew up in a small town in Kentucky—a place that reminds me so much of Fairview, where I’ve now opened my own practice. I was a competitive gymnast growing up, which led to a scholarship at Auburn University, where I earned my undergraduate degree. After college, I returned home to attend Dental School and complete my Orthodontics Residency at the University of Louisville. Read more>>

Edward Faria

Being a Nashville native, I started my journey as an entrepreneur around 2000. This is the year I left Channel 4 where I had worked for 6 years as a technical operator while in college at Tennessee State University. Stepping out into the entrepreneur world was a risk, but one I was willing to take to trade time for money. Read more>>

Amy Curle

I started my career 25 years ago as a social worker in community mental health, working with adults and families. After spending a few years in the mental health/substance abuse field, I moved into school counseling. I worked for well over a decade in the private school setting focusing on the social and emotional health of students through counseling and psycho-education. Read more>>

Greg Milnar

Greg Milnar was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and began working at Milnar Organ Company during his high school and college summers. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University in 1995, majoring in Marketing with a minor in Photography. Read more>>

Mariko Hickerson

began my career as a newspaper reporter in San Diego, CA, where I honed my skills in writing, graphic design, website development, and content marketing — skills I also used to support a few freelance clients on the side. When I realized I could make a full-time living from that freelance work, I took the leap into self-employment. Read more>>

Ally Zahringer

On a whim, I picked up a part-time job in college working front desk for a cycling studio and from there, I fell in love with group fitness and the community it provides! After school, I moved to Nashville mid-covid to be as close to music city as possible. Nothing could stop me –It was Nashville or nothing! Read more>>

alanah rushing

As a single mother working for an infertility agency helping those struggling to conceive bring home a child it has shaped me into who I am today. A young woman who has competed on and off in pageants her whole life moved to Nashville for a fresh start. I quickly begin Miss Nashville which let me to the title of Miss Tennesse for America 2025. Read more>>

Dr Troy Williams

I started my journey over three decades ago with a simple mission to protect people and organizations from the growing threats hidden in our digital world. What began as curiosity about how systems break evolved into a lifelong pursuit to make them unbreakable. Read more>>

Mark Crader

I began my journey into Financial and Career Coaching out of sheer determination to break free from the crushing weight of debt. At my lowest point, I was buried under **$323,501.21** in consumer debt — credit cards, car loans, student loans, and rental properties. Read more>>

Hettle Patel Roopa Pastakia

We both began our careers as pharmacists, where our work centered on helping people feel better and live healthier lives. Over time, though, we felt a growing desire to build something of our own — a small business that could not only create jobs and opportunities but also make a difference in how people feel, inside and out. Read more>>

Buddy Teaster

Like most people, it’s not been a straight path…very little that’s happened is what I would have imagined growing in rural West Virginia and Pennsylvania or suburban Washington DC. I’ve been lucky to have amazing friends and family, an incredible wife, and two terrific daughters. Read more>>

Richard Griggs

I’m a self-taught artist, lifelong learner, and someone who cares deeply about sustainability and meaningful connection. I started making art during a pretty rough time in my life. It was 2016, and I was studying theology in Lakeland, Florida, trying to graduate while simultaneously deconstructing my faith and struggling with depression. Read more>>

Megan Wilson

My interest in functional health and wellness began back in college at Samford University, where I studied Health Sciences on a pre-PA track. At first, I was set on pursuing traditional medicine, but the seeds of functional health were planted early on. Read more>>

Tracie Grace Riesgo

Sure! I’m Tracie Grace (it’s a double name). My story starts with just that – a love of stories. I love reading and listening to people’s stories. As I read and listen, I feel like I’m there, feeling what they’re feeling. I remember reading The Silver Chair by C.S. Read more>>

Cara Stubenrauch

My journey has been anything but linear. I started my career in corporate America, working in account management, and while I learned a lot, I quickly realized that environment just wasn’t for me. I felt like I was trying to fit into a box that didn’t align with who I really was. Read more>>

Drew Basham

Hi, I’m Drew Basham. I am a 26-year-old musician (pianist/keyboard player) with autism and ADHD. I play the piano (the main instrument I play), guitar, ukulele, and sometimes drums. I was born a preemie and spent the majority of the first month of life in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Read more>>

Miller Morris

My journey began with a career in public health. I’m a women’s health researcher, and I was working for Lwala Community Alliance, an organization based in rural Kenya but with strong ties to Vanderbilt and Nashville, when the idea for Comma first came to me. Read more>>

Justin Hammond

In 2022, my wife, Malissa, and I purchased Let’s Get Moving! and are continuing the legacy. I have been working in the senior healthcare market since 2014 and, most recently, was the owner of a successful in-home care business with locations in Nashville and Chattanooga. I’ve always had a passion for serving seniors since childhood, bringing joy to their lives while meeting their unique needs. Read more>>

Russell Moody

I began my career selling Honda parts in Georgia, where I developed strong relationships with the team and became intrigued by the collision repair side of the business. That interest led me to expand my knowledge and pursue opportunities in the collision field. Although I was initially passed over, I was soon offered an Estimator position with European Collision Repair (ECR). Read more>>

Joshua Drake

Classical Education likes to date its beginnings to ancient Athens, but in reality, it starts in the 1990s when some educators wanted to recover methods of education that were more common in schools about 100 or so years before that. Read more>>

Katelyn Gregory

Our story began with three friends — Benton Cotter, Johnny Reading, and Ryan Niece — who shared a vision: to create more than just a dessert shop. They wanted a place where the Franklin community could come together, share delicious treats, and make meaningful connections. Read more>>

Aimee Dukes

I started as a school psychologist with Metro Nashville Public Schools and was with the school system 25+ years. In 2016, two of my colleagues and fellow licensed psychologists approached me about opening a private practice. I was hesitant at first but eventually got on board. Read more>>

Diana Jurand

My parents were very involved in our local community theaters in West Virginia where I’m from, so I literally grew up in theaters. I’d spend nights doing homework in the audience, running lines with my parents in the kitchen, and watching shows (over and over) from my favorite spot in the balcony. Read more>>

Jillian Monzon

I started as a photographer by working under a husband and wife photo team out of Orlando, Florida in 2022. They were so talented and I was eager to learn from them. They taught me everything from how to work a camera to how to create a photography timeline. Read more>>

Nguyen Lam

My Name Nguyen Lam . Sure! I’m originally from Vietnam and came to the United States in 2019 It was a lot to learn as far as culture, language, infrastructure and so on. Read more>>

Shannon Leigh

I grew up in a small town where a ‘career in beauty’ wasn’t exactly a well worn path. But I was the kid that couldn’t leave the drugstore without another black eyeliner, and eventually that curiosity turned into a full-on career. I spent my early years hauling my kit to any shoot or show that would have me: fashion editorials, music videos, you name it. Read more>>

Zarema Maxwell

Nearly 10 years ago when I was having my first baby, I had a traumatic birth experience. Unfortunately, most of the things that were done to me during birth could have been avoided if I only knew then what I know now. Read more>>

D. Revolution

Growing up in Chicago. I wanted to find my purpose. I saw my first Spike Lee film while I was on high school. Suddenly, my purpose was realized, I wanted to make movies. So I thought, but what I really wanted to do was tell stories. I learned the art of storytelling. I mastered the art. Here I am writing books Read more>>

Patchwork

Patchwork began as my COVID project. I (Max) wanted to find a fresh perspective through which I could get all of my sadness and anger out into the world. Patchwork was my solution. I began writing to a concept that had real world ties, but on a surface level wasn’t of this world at all. Read more>>

Jacob Perleoni

I grew up in Maryville, Tennessee which is about 3 hours from Nashville. My parents loved music so as a kid I was listening to a lot of Bruce Springsteen from my mom and a lot of blues from my dad. At around age 12 I got into REAL music like Greenday and Blink182 and that’s when I really fell in love with it. Read more>>

Josh Denton” Bracken”

It was rough on me mentally and physically, the driving back and forth/the long hours, but the product I’ve created and time me and the guys had together has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. All this to say, I feel like now I’m in a good space creatively and also in my personal life. My whole story really boils down to starting over. I’ve been writing songs for ten years at this point, but I feel like I’m just now getting the hang of it. I’m really excited to see where this stage of my artist career and life takes me. I imagine (and hope) it’ll be nothing but fruitful no matter what happens. Read more>>

Victoria Frehe-Torres, PhD

We are deeply grateful to the Mt. Juliet community for welcoming us and valuing the work we do. Dr. Joyce D. Pallens, a licensed psychologist, specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and extensive and specialized training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy for the treatment of OCD. She received certification from the Behavior Training Therapy Institute by the International OCD Foundation. Additionally, she utilizes ACT and EBT as additional interventions for the treatment of anxiety, OCD, and other related disorders. Read more>>

Jessica Neely

Jess is a mom to Axel her 2 1/2 year old little boy, and wife to the love her life Trey. Trey and Jess just celebrated their three year wedding anniversary at the end of August. In her free time she loves spending time with her family at local parks, the Nashville Zoo, or just spending time together at home. She loves to be in the kitchen and can quote every episode of the Office TV show. Read more>>

Amber Rossi

When I graduated, I moved to Dallas, TX to earn my BFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University. I had the incredible opportunity to work in professional theaters across DFW both during and after my years at school, including the Dallas Theater Center, Undermain, and Stage West. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I really started exploring film and commercial work, alongside theatre. I worked for brands like Tostitos, Penske, and Everlywell. I also got the chance to work on voiceover projects with Crunchyroll, the Writer Wrong podcast, and the Trevor Project. But much like singing Wicked as a kid or performing on stages across DFW, nothing compared to the energy of creating independent shorts and passion projects. Read more>>

Dave Nooe

At that time my wife Jenny Anne and I began Charleyville which continues to this day. Charleyville is a registered 501(c) that provides lessons, instruments and scholarships to those who could not otherwise afford these resources. Charley was Charlotte’s nick name and over our 13 year existence we have provided countless services. Currently we offer assistance to Guns Not Guitars, Boys Brigade and provide 2 scholarships at the university level. Over the past year I have been organizing shows with the Rockin’ Bones that feature many Nashvillians in a. community of performers who honor such artists as Bob Dylan and Chuck Berry. I believe in cooperation as opposed to competition. Read more>>