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.
Shannon Slayton
I’ve always had a passion for the outdoors and try to make it part of my daily life in some way. Whether it’s the lake, river, creek, or ocean, the forest , a trail, or the mountains; I love to travel and create new experiences for myself and others. I’m a curious life long learner and enjoy observing the world around me. Read more>>
Aundra Lafayette
Hello. My name is Aundra Lafayette. Known as the SoupLady of Nashville. After teaching Dance for 40 years. I Wanted to find a way to give back but also away to teach people how to eat properly and love on self. Soup worked for me!!!! Read more>>
Brittany English-Spencer
Hey there! I started my love of costuming back in high school! I created my first real cosplay in 2012 for an Anime Convention. Final Fantasy was my favorite game series, and I wanted a challenge. Sooo, Cait Sith was born! I won an award with him, and it pushed me to keep going. Read more>>
Trenton Grayson
I’m Trenton Grayson from Wetumpka ,Al 28 years old I have two businesses I make shirts Heat press, DTG Maker , and screenprinter and I also have a clean business G Cleaning LLC located in Montgomery Al. I am very meticulous about my personal clothing choices. The smallest detail, such as the stitching, is a big deal for me. Read more>>
Chris & Anna Holmes
Most of our students start by telling us they “can’t even draw a stick figure.” I’m Anna, and together with my husband, Chris, I run Serenity in Color, a small West Tennessee art business where the floor is never completely free of paint, and where those same people walk out with a finished landscape or seascape they’re genuinely proud of. Read more>>
Dominique Brown
I am Dominique Brown a wife, a mother, a teacher, and a creative entrepreneur who believes in purpose, resilience, and trusting the path even when it shifts. Read more>>
Tayzha Collier Alexius Shelton
Lexi and I met through our job, and when we would hang out we would cook for our friends. We always had such a good time, that we decided to turn our hobby into a side hustle. It’s honestly just grown from there. Read more>>
Heidi Burson
My life in music began as soon as I was born. My father, the music teacher/choir director/guitarist/drummer and my mother, the pianist were always doing something musical in the house so from the very beginning it was part of my life. Read more>>
Seemi Rizvi
Strolling through Centennial Park, I stumbled into a celebration of culture. Music, color, and community came to life in every direction. I had a single henna cone in my pocket, and somehow, courage rose in me. I started doing henna for people right there. Before I knew it, strangers were asking for my business card. Read more>>
Demonte Miller
Post Covid i had my own little revival. I had went through a season of change that led me to be evicted from a place i never got to live in. I ended up with thousands in debt and nowhere to stay, at least not in nashville. Read more>>
Casey Derhak
I moved to Nashville in 2010. Originally from New Hampshire but lived in Florida for many years. I was playing music all over Florida when I met a songwriter who brought me to Nashville. About a year later I made the move to pursue songwriting. I got a job at a gym in Belle Meade as a personal trainer to help pay the bills. Read more>>
Loralea Landrum
I’ve been an artist literally my whole life. As far back as I can remember, I’ve told people I’m an artist. It’s always been a huge part of my life. It was what grounded me during a very troubled upbringing at home and eventually group homes, children’s homes and a foster home. Read more>>
Lucy Thomas
I started painting when I was 47 years old. Kind of a late start! I’d been given a medical diagnosis that made me realize life is short and I better get started on something that I really enjoyed. For some reason that meant picking up a paintbrush and turning my garage into an art space. Read more>>
Cory Mercer
I’ve been a musician, and taken music seriously since I was in grade 7. I’ve played in several bands and written, and helped write hundreds of songs. In 2007, I graduated from Cambrian College with an advanced diploma in music performance, majoring in classical guitar. In 2021, in the wake of covid restrictions, I moved to Trenton, Nova Scotia. Read more>>
Sheila Wysocki
My journey into the world of private investigation wasn’t planned—it was born out of tragedy, purpose, and a refusal to look away when something was wrong. When I was in college, my roommate, Angela Samota, was murdered. Her case went cold for more than 25 years, but I never stopped pushing for answers. Read more>>
Autumn Nielsen
Growing up, I was definitely the outcast. I was unapologetically weird and always 100% myself, which unfortunately made me an easy target. I was bullied throughout school—so much so that I ended up transferring districts after middle school and eventually switching to online school my junior year. When I first started posting on social media, I never imagined it becoming a career. Read more>>
Jen Marchal
My journey to owning Tippi Toes Nashville wasn’t something I planned, but it’s become one of the most meaningful parts of my life. For the first 14 years of being a mom, I worked in a traditional office, so I deeply understand the constant push and pull of work, family schedules, and wanting to give your kids every opportunity without feeling completely overwhelmed. Read more>>
Audrey Gale
I started drawing dogs 10 years ago, during a summer break from nursing school. After I finished my first piece, I thought, “I’m actually pretty good at this.” Looking back, it was decent, but my blind confidence led me to keep drawing, and over the next year I actually got really good at drawing dogs. Read more>>
Bryce Gardner
graphic designer and visual artist, but over time, I realized that music was the next essential step in expressing my vision. Music gives me a medium to present myself in my most vivid and imaginative forms, letting me merge both my sonic and visual ideas into a single, immersive world. Creating that world meant becoming Bugs. Read more>>
Sydney Jackson
I have always been a creative. When I was younger, my sister and I made music videos and short films just for fun, but I never saw any of it as a real career path. Read more>>
Angelica Rodriguez
My journey into esthetics began before I ever entered a treatment room. I struggled with acne for years, and it affected my confidence in ways I didn’t fully understand until I was older. I spent so much money trying to “fix” my skin, often feeling defeated because I couldn’t afford the treatments or products that promised results. Read more>>
Aaric Lupo
When I was young I was obsessed with Godzilla. My grandparents took notice of that and brought me and my brother to a local park to make my first movie at the age of 5! Read more>>
Mary Heather Hickman
I was born in El Dorado, Arkansas and raised just outside of Dallas in Frisco, Texas. I have always loved singing and performing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was the kid who wanted to be on every stage I could find, from school talent shows to Opry houses like Johnnie High’s Country Music Revue. Read more>>
Kate Stedelbauer
I first started pursuing a career as a singer/songwriter right out of high school, releasing music and playing shows around Hampton Roads, Virginia. I am lucky enough to have incredible parents who fully supported my decision to chase music – they never wanted me to look back and regret not following my passions. Read more>>
James Arnold Taylor
My name is James Arnold Taylor. I’m an Actor, Entertainer, Author, Motivational Speaker, Podcaster, and Filmmaker. Read more>>
Leah Patton
I started my photography journey the beginning of 2019. I’ve always loved art and I thought I would be good at it. I took my entire check from my retail job at the time, and bought a Canon EOS Rebel 7. I started photographing friends and peers for fun. Read more>>
Jared Ragsdale
In 2022, I became a notary purely out of curiosity, without realizing it would eventually grow into a true career path. At the time, I was working full-time and viewed notary work as a small side interest. However, I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed the work and the connections it allowed me to make. Read more>>
Bryan Williams
I started filming consistently in 2018–2019, really just vlogging my travels and documenting my life. It wasn’t anything serious at first. Then a friend asked me to film something for them, and the project turned out great. I didn’t think much of it until more people started reaching out, asking for my services. That’s when I realized there might be something here. Read more>>
Angela Lese
I’m a professional drummer residing in Nashville, TN. I’ve been here for 13 years now, and some of my previous bands include The Dead Deads, Taco Mouth, etc. and I’ve played with several other artists, too (Raelyn Nelson, Jax Hollow, Emily Wolfe, Kalie Shorr, Brennan Wedl, etc.). I’m currently in a rock duo with my partner Rachel Brandsness called Lips Speak Louder. Read more>>
Ryan Perry
I started my musical journey at 19 years old in 2009. Thanks to my Mom secretly signing me up for random Karaoke at a local bar and my Dad saving me by getting up to sing with me because I was too nervous to do it alone. We sang Family Tradition by Hank Jr. Read more>>
C.J. Woods
My story regarding film honestly takes place back when I was about four years old. My mom took me to an audition, and I was incredibly shy and bombed it. But leaving the audition I was more fascinated with what was going on behind the camera than in front. Read more>>
Deanna Walker
I came to Nashville in 1998 as a composer, pianist, and a newbie songwriter and miraculously, within just a few weeks, I was hired to teach piano at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt. Looking back, it feels like a little bit of destiny. A pianist on the faculty had just left for another school and suddenly there was an opening. Read more>>
Tiffany Riches
My passion for pastry is deeply rooted in my childhood. I grew up with my grandmother always making special birthday cakes for my siblings and I. I vividly remember her clipping recipes and designs from magazines, constantly trying new techniques. That tradition—having a meaningful, custom-made cake—is where my first love of cake decorating began. Read more>>
Thomas Family
We both started doing hair in Birmingham. Matty in 2013 and Becca in 2015. We met while we were working at a supercuts in 2016. We moved up to Nashville in 2017. In august of 2019 we got married. Our son was born in 2022 and Becca decided to stay home with him instead of going back behind the chair. We’ve talked about opening our own shop for years but the time never felt quite right. Around July of 2025 we decided it was time. So Timber & Blade was born! Read more>>
Ty Ryavec
My dad told me I was no longer his daughter while I behaved in such an unbecoming manner. I spent the subsequent months fielding shame-filled calls from my parents’ friends, sneaking my siblings to my apartment to watch TV and eat junk food and tell me about their lives. I begged my then-boyfriend to propose, because that seemed to be the only way out of this utter spiral. Read more>>
Chandra Jarrett
In high school, I took a career education class where we took an assessment to help us choose a career. I scored high as an engineer and accountant. I chose Mechanical Engineering because I love math, and I love using my hands to fix things. Read more>>
Alex Hollis
The real story of Treemont began long before we ever imagined owning it. We knew the previous owners (only the second family to hold the property since it was built in 1987), and one day they casually mentioned they were thinking about selling. Shannon joked that she’d love to buy Treemont, though in her mind it felt impossible. Read more>>
Adam Rosenberg
My journey in real estate started after studying at Vanderbilt and later at NYU Stern, where I was drawn to the intersection of creativity, business, and human experience. My first major project was an art-infused boutique hotel in Panama City, Panama—a super fun, sexy venture that was as energizing as it was ambitious. Read more>>
Kaleob Ashley
We began our journey in 2023 with a mobile coffee trailer, inspired by our love for exceptional coffee and a deep family connection. While the name ‘Montana Coffee Company’ might seem unusual since we’re from Tennessee, it honors the original visionaries, Casey and Montana, who were linked to our families — Casey was the cousin of our wives, Megan and Courtney. Read more>>
Ryan Lampa
People always ask how People Loving Nashville started, and honestly, it wasn’t some big strategic plan. It was just a group of friends who loved Jesus and wanted to love our city in a tangible way. Back in 2008, a few of us were cooking meals in my kitchen and taking them downtown to folks who were sleeping outside. Read more>>
Laura and Charlie Packard
BinFresh launched in March 2021 serving the greater Nashville area. As a husband and wife team became empty-nesters, Charlie and Laura Packard decided to follow their dream and start their own business together. Their daughters grew up enjoying the beaches and waterways of Saint Simons Island, GA and Beaufort, SC. Read more>>
Anna Austin
It was February 2021 that my husband, Mark, and I sold everything we had, left everything we knew, and moved our family of 6 from the state of Oregon to the hills of Tennessee. Our goal was to start a family farm from scratch and serve the local community. Read more>>
John Henry Soto
I grew up in the South Bronx, in a tough neighborhood where you had to grow up fast and find something to anchor you. For me, that anchor was music. My grandfather gave me my first guitar, and that gift changed everything. Read more>>
Travaar Armstrong
My connection to nonprofit work started long before I ever had a title or ran a program. I grew up watching my father serve our community with a level of commitment that left a lasting impression on me. He was involved in multiple organizations focused on uplifting youth and strengthening families, and I saw firsthand what it looked like to show up for people. Read more>>
Jet Jurgensmeyer
I started out on stage when I was 3 years old at the Nashville Palace. It’s a restaurant that my parents owned at the time and I always wanted to be on stage performing. When I was 4, we had some friends (the Mandrell family), tell my parents to try acting with me. Read more>>
Jenny Grace
I started out singing as a child in the church choir. My parents are very musical people. They were always playing such a wide variety of music in the house, everything from Bach, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, all the way the to rock bands (like heart). So we really had eclectic musical selection growing up. My brother and I are very musical. Read more>>
Dana Lester
I launched the first Black Barn Market & Craft Sale in November 2022 with nothing more than an idea and a heart for supporting local, small businesses. After seeing how many talented makers in our community needed a place to share their work, I realized my family’s outdoor event space—Events at East 96—was the perfect backdrop for bringing people together. Read more>>
KAMEELA WILLIAMS-JACKSON
I founded Vita Infusion & Wellness with one purpose: to help people feel confident, healthy, and empowered through preventative care and education. After years working as a nurse practitioner in hospital medicine, I saw firsthand how often people reached the hospital only after their health had declined. I knew I could make a greater impact by helping individuals care for themselves before disease progresses. Read more>>
Kennie Dozier
I actually started off in the church-I wasn’t interested in theater at all. I wasn’t pursuing acting, I wasn’t trying to be on stage, and I wasn’t even a regular theatergoer. I was simply serving as a youth leader when someone at my church asked me to step into a small part in a show. That one experience changed everything. Read more>>
Halee Sprinkle
I like to say I’m a marketing alchemist — I take ideas, community, and creativity, and turn them into growth. I started my career in the corporate and agency world, spending more than a decade managing grass roots marketing, loyalty marketing, events, and marketing analytics for companies of every size. Read more>>
Taylor Wafford
I’ve always been a musician. When I was a kid, about 9 years old, I began experimenting with recording at my ‘studio’, which consisted of a little M-audio interface, a knock-off SM58, and a little digital keyboard. It’s always been about the craft–finding ways to make something out of thin air, and obsessing over the process. Read more>>
Lakisha Brimage
I never thought college was in the cards for me but started it, taking 1-2 classes a term… it took me 8 years to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Once I got the hang of balancing college courses, raising children, navigating relationships, and meeting expectations of a full-time employee, I obtained a Master of Education in Counseling and Human Development two years later and several years after that, I returned to school to obtain a Doctorate in Psychology. Read more>>
Linda McRae
I was born in Duncan, BC Canada (lovingly referred to as Druncan Duncan back then). My Dad was a truck driver and my Mom was a short order cook. What better subject for a country song. Right? My Mom and Dad loved country music, the classic stuff, Hank Williams Sr, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Lefty Frizzel, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette. They passed that love on down to me. They had a lot of friends and many of them were musicians. Read more>>
Shane Almgren
I’ve always been artistically inclined and one of my side hobbies was producing tracks for starving artists and bands on a shoestring budget who could barely afford the 50% Friends & Family discount I’d give them. They would need album covers, press kits, band flyers, t-shirts, business cards and whatnot – so I’d just design those and throw it in for free. Over time, I started getting a bunch of design referrals. Read more>>
Demita Northern
The road definitely hasn’t been smooth — but every bump has built my strength, my sound, and my story. As an independent artist, there have been moments of uncertainty, sacrifice, and learning how to do it all myself — from writing and performing to promoting and producing. There were times when doors closed opportunities fell through, or people didn’t quite see the vision. But through it all, I kept my faith, stayed focused, and leaned into my purpose. Read more>>
Laia Jones
As a songwriter, my artistic expression adapts many voices. I embrace several genres which include Country, Americana, Christian, Soul, and R&B. I want music to be music without separation due to race or social statuses. I hope to create a sound that causes hate to cease and love to abound while reaching the hearts of many people no matter where they come from or who they are. That’s most important to me as a songwriter. Read more>>
Andrea DeWinter
Our journey to Tennessee began under unexpected circumstances. In May 2021, just one week after I graduated as a Nurse Practitioner, my husband Mike suffered a spinal cord injury on a job site. At that moment, I postponed starting my NP career and worked nights as an RN in the CVICU, dedicating my days to helping Mike with his rehabilitation. Read more>>
Andrea Pryor
My journey started in women’s health over two decades ago. I began as a nurse and eventually became a board-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. For more than 20 years, I’ve had the honor of caring for women through every stage of life—helping them feel empowered, informed, and confident in their own skin. That same passion for helping women feel their best led me to aesthetics. Read more>>
