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.
Darby Pincock & Logan Dodd-Frigo
Co-owners, Darby and Logan, connected through massage therapy school. We have since embraced a holistic lifestyle, continuing to explore ways to support both ourselves and our clients. Through shared experiences, including yoga training in Bali and further education, we continue to evolve as therapists. We are advocates for body awareness and self-exploration and created Hamsa House as an extension of those values. Read more>>
Sara A. Freites
I’ve been writing short stories and poems for as long as I can remember, but my first book ‘Rise of Midnight’ is my first published work. I wrote this book when I was 17, and worked off and on on it, sometimes setting it aside for long periods of time, for many years before I really got serious about doing something with it. Read more>>
Leslie McKee
I’m sure it probably sounds a bit cliché, but music has been a significant part of my life since I was a little girl. My parents started me in piano lessons when I was five years old, and eventually I would also play the flute and drums. Singing became in interest somewhere along the way…I’m guessing sometime around my middle school years. Read more>>
Allison Schmitt
I grew up in Michigan, and from a really young age I was drawn to chasing big goals—swimming just happened to be the arena where that showed up first. That path took me all the way to four Olympic Games, ten Olympic medals, and the honor of captaining Team USA. Read more>>
Jeremy Burt
I am a man of faith, and it all started with a dream showing me that I would someday be in a position to be successful. In the summer of 2019, I was having a conversation with a cousin that pertained to opening a barber school and it planted a seed. Read more>>
Wilson Cooke
The concept of Beachaven was fostered by my grandfather, William O. Beach. He was born and raised in Clarksville, TN and had a successful professional career as a lawyer, Judge and eventually County Executive of Montgomery County. He was quite the wine enthusiast and gained a passion for Traditional Method Sparkling Wine. Read more>>
Randall Bedwell
I’ve loved racquet sports all my life, from tennis and squash to the emerging world of pickleball. I played college tennis and later worked for the United States Tennis Association, helping develop the prototype for what is now USTA Junior Team Tennis. Read more>>
Anthony Poteet
In 2014, we fostered and adopted our two children out of the foster care system. I learned during that timeframe how underserved the fostering population is. About a year after adopting, I decided to turn my work history and passion for helping children into a non profit focused on providing tangible resources to the fostering community. Read more>>
Sara LeBlanc
I began my nursing career in the early 2000s in adult and pediatric emergency medicine and resuscitation instruction. I became a nurse practitioner in 2011 and transitioned to urgent care before expanding into spine, joint, and pain management — where I developed a passion for neurotoxin and hyaluronic acid treatments to improve patients’ daily functioning. Read more>>
Jennifer Perdue-Frazier
I was born at Nashville Metropolitan General Hospital to Grand Ole Opry regular, Harvey Perdue, and Cross Plains native, Delores. Harvey also was the manager of the Nashville Airport at the time as well so there were some very cool opportunities that came with that. My father, Harvey, got his musical break in 1982 being discovered by Henry Slaughter. Read more>>
Bethany Hansen
Honestly, Next Step Home Organizing started as a side hustle in 2020. I was teaching full time, and on afternoons and weekends I’d take on organizing jobs because it was something I actually enjoyed and felt good doing. It wasn’t some big master plan at first. I started it with my step-daughter, and that’s a huge part of the story. Read more>>
Matt Schroer
I started my career as a nurse because I was drawn to the human side of health care — the conversations, the complexity, and the moments when showing up really matters. Early on, I knew mental health was where I wanted to focus, which led me to earn a master’s degree in counseling and later train as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Read more>>
Dante Mitchell
I was Presented with an amazing opportunity Late 2023 by a Gentleman Named Andy Rutherford (Another Strong Pillar of the White House Community). I’ve Known Andy for over 20 years. In fact, he was my service Manager at a previous concept over 15 years ago. Read more>>
Patrick Maciel
I grew up in a tiny town in upstate New York called Potsdam. Trying to find things to do was always a bit of a challenge, we would skateboard a lot and try to make little skate videos, which was my first introduction to cameras and editing software. Read more>>
Chandler James
I started playing guitar when I was seventeen years old. I actually dropped an AP psychology course the second day of my senior year and took guitar lessons instead. Mostly because I heard it was an easy class and we really didn’t have to do anything. Read more>>
Randi Smith
Believe it or not, I actually wasn’t much of a reader until I picked up the Percy Jackson series in middle school. After that, I was hooked, and as an avid daydreamer, I always imagined writing my own stories. I very rarely shared that dream either anyone, though. It was more of a “what if” for my imagination. Read more>>
Benno Nelson
Benno Nelson spent (or wasted, depending on your point of view) his youth playing in bands. He went on to build a career and business in video production in the heart of Los Angeles, founding his production Company Yes Equals Yes. After moving to Nashville in 2017, Nelson wanted to make a change. Read more>>
Laura Deneen
Hi! My name is Laura Deneen. I am a licensed professional counselor in the State of Tennessee. I moved up to Nashville in August of 2012 after graduating from Clemson University. I was a Biology major in college, but decided my senior year of college I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go into medicine. Read more>>
Rhonda Birdwell
I began my journey here in 2019 after meeting with the previous Coordinator. At that time, she required assistance with daily tasks, and I agreed to join the team part-time. Although my background was in accounting, I quickly developed a passion for our volunteers and the history we preserve. As bookings and tours increased, my role transitioned from part-time to full-time. Read more>>
Hope Mckee
I’ve always been drawn to music as a way to tell the truth and connect with people. i started out as a singer-songwriter, learning my voice through blues, and R & B, and over time that grew into a much broader creative path. Read more>>
Laporcsha Haggins
My story began in a place that many only see in headlines: I was born in a federal prison. My early years were defined by the weight of a system that often forgets the human beings caught inside it. Read more>>
heylee b. achten
As a Makeup Artist and Fashion Stylist, Heylee Brianne Harris-Achten knew at an early age that she was destined for a career in the beauty industry. Read more>>
Miles Creed
I was born legally blind, and used that as a motivation for people that may feel like they’re handicap or something is holding them back from achieving greatness. I started out playing the tuba in elementary school because it was the only instrument I could see from a distance and later learned that drums is my true passion from there. Read more>>
Jeremy Beck
I have always loved music! As a child i moved around a lot and music brought me comfort whenever i was in a new and strange place. Discovering Drum & Bass was like turning on a lightbulb for me. Somehow it just connected with my brain and i knew i wanted to learn how to DJ and eventually produce. Read more>>
Balentino The 3rd sun
I come from a very artistic and musical family . My mother sings jazz , my siblings and I were all in band . I started writing when I was about 10 but didn’t get in a studio until I was 15 ( 2015) My brother makes film score so in 2015 he built a home studio , allowing me to further purse music .. Read more>>
Jeff Odum
Nashville Bed Bugs started after we saw how often people were being misled or underserved when dealing with bed bug infestations. Bed bugs are stressful, disruptive, and emotionally draining, and too many companies either overpromise results or don’t truly specialize in eliminating them. From the beginning, our focus was simple: specialize in bed bugs, do the work the right way, and communicate clearly with customers. Read more>>
Amy Watson
Clinton and myself have been doing popups in and around the Nashville area since 2020. We both have a strong background in the restaurant industry. Myself in the front of house and beverage realm, and Clinton as a chef. Read more>>
Angela Looney
I left for the military right after high school. I served 8 years in the United States Navy. During my time in the military, I was deployed on several different ships over the years. During this time, I got to see some of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. Read more>>
EVAN CUNNINGHAM
I worked in construction off and on since high school. I worked in the music industry for several years and did handyman work and painting on the side since we had so much off time. In 2017 I formed my own Painting company, which I later dissolved to become the operations manager at a larger franchised painting company. Read more>>
Glenn Hill
From Contractor to Sexologist. After 24 years of a painful marriage, my wife Phyllis encouraged me to return to school and pursue a career in marriage and family therapy. We had always believed in marriage, but we continually struggled relationally. We cared about each other deeply and wanted to connect, but found ourselves ill equipped to do so. Read more>>
June Lawson
I began my photography journey in high school after receiving a Canon T6 kit for my sophomore-year birthday. At the time, photography was simply a creative outlet something I did for fun, capturing moments for friends and family without any intention of turning it into a business. Everything changed in 2023 when my younger cousin competed in the Little League World Series in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Read more>>
Lauren Johnson
Choose Joy Nursing began as a dream while I was working in Mother Baby at the hospital. I had the privilege of educating new parents and caring for both mom and baby in those first few days postpartum, and I always wished I could continue supporting them once they left the hospital. Read more>>
Jack Roden Maddie Heckler
Maddie: I grew up outside of Boston in a really intense ballet dance program. I had always acted in local and high school musical theatre. Then I went to Belmont University, majored in musical theatre, and from there, being at Belmont really opened my eyes to what I can accomplish outside of doing theatre. Read more>>
Donna Lann
We started Woodfeather in 2020 with a simple goal—to make wines that feel comfortable and familiar, the kind you’d open at a family dinner or share with friends without overthinking it. I’ve always believed wine doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive to be meaningful. It should fit into everyday life and be something you enjoy coming back to. Read more>>
Shay Wright
I’ll never forget when we were on our first tour and we ended our set and a man came up to me, crying, and telling me how much our song, “Say it Back” meant to him. It had a completely different meaning for this man than the reason I had written it, but that’s when I realized that we as a band have begun to succeed in what I’ve always wanted. We’re heavy, sad, energetic, rule-bending metal and we have so much more to say. We can’t wait to take larger steps. Read more>>
STACIE CHESSON
Turns out, they’re filled with not so great ingredients, like most snacks available in the grocery store these days. Unfortunately, my Father passed away suddenly in 2016. I often think to myself, “maybe all of those ingredients we were eating are more harmful than healthy.” A few years later, I started my own family and knew that I wouldn’t allow any of us to eat any harmful ingredients that most foods contain these days. Read more>>
Nancy Youssef
When I returned to the U.S., I continued to build a global retail career at HSN, Genesco, and Destination XL, leading international growth, launching new markets, and becoming the Branded Group’s first female executive. Each role reinforced my belief that fashion, storytelling, and commerce are deeply interconnected across cultures. Read more>>
Steve Sullivan, Scott Touron of The Brewery Underground Podcast N/A
I realized this was a brand-new world I knew nothing about, and I instantly developed a thirst for it. With each IPA, Lager, Stout, Kolsch, Brown Ale, etc that I tried, it led me to other more complex and maybe even “crazy” styles like Double IPA’s, Triple IPA’s, Barrel Aged Stouts, Shandy’s, Pretzel Beers, Meads and even PB&J Beers. Read more>>
Bob Bickford
I grew up in Northwest Arkansas attended the University of Arkansas and felt a calling to ministry – working in the local church. Over the years I served as a Student Pastor, Worship Leader, Association Pastor and Denominational Leader (Nationally and Locally) Read more>>
Penny Styles
I moved to the United States from the UK, having an international background, I simultaneously developed production contacts in Australia and the US. Coupling my creative skills with a strong financial background (with The London Stock Exchange & NM Rothschild Bankers). I went on to produce and line produce a plethora of Film, Television and commercial projects which were award winning in several Industry Awards, Film Festivals & Tellys. Read more>>
Lori Eldridge
My journey began when I took on a position at a childcare center where my youngest daughter attended. I was in school for child brain development and to be a teacher. Taking on that position seemed to be a good stepping stone into the world of Early Childhood Education. Read more>>
Paul RoseWood
I started my musical journey when I was about fifteen years old. I had always been interested in singing and music but I really “got the bug” when I was put together with three other prospective musicians to form a band in high school. We continued as a group for about six years and then went our separate ways. Read more>>
