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.
Tama Fortner
I suppose my start as a writer happened around the time I was eight years old. It was then that I discovered (thank you, Jo, from <i>Little Women</i>) that there were actual people writing all these books I loved. And perhaps, just perhaps, I could be one of them. Read more>>
Tina Stoyka
For a solid portion of my life, I was driven by a single dream: to become the Chief Marketing Officer at BMW. We’ve all been there, right? “Chief Officer” — the ultimate leader. I’ll be that. I love marketing. I love BMWs. It’s a perfect fit. It’s the kind of dream you have before you truly know who you are, what drives you, or how you want to define your work and your life. Read more>>
Jennifer Walker
I grew up in Germantown, Tennessee, with my parents and my younger sister, Brooke, in a family that valued education, curiosity, and independence—principles that shaped my path. Read more>>
Cassie Groves
I’m a proud farmer’s wife in Robertson County, Tennessee, a mother of three, and a grandmother of six. My days are rooted in family, hard work, and a deep love for the simple beauty found in nature. Read more>>
Michael Yanez
I started my career in the early 2000s as the first salesperson at Ulead Systems, a photo/video software publisher, where I grew sales from zero to $60 million annually by opening major retail accounts like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart—an experience that taught me the fundamentals of building distribution channels and go-to-market strategies from the ground up. Read more>>
Jeff McDonald
I actually started out with a pretty unlikely college major for someone who now runs a healthcare data technology company: theatre arts and stage design. At first glance, that seems like a hard left turn, but the older I get, the more it makes sense. Stage design is all about structural reasoning, sequencing, and communication. Read more>>
Blake & Laura McIntire
We started NTO Bedliners out of a simple goal to build something of our own and create a better life for our family. We have both ran businesses in the past so we had a background in serving our customers and we knew we were willing to work hard and figure things out as we went in this adventure together. Read more>>
Renee Perron
My journey into fragrance began long before I ever imagined owning a business. As a child, I would pick honeysuckle flowers on my grandmother’s property, completely captivated by how scent could create a feeling, a memory, a moment. One of my earliest and most vivid scent memories was my kindergarten teacher’s perfume—Estée Lauder’s Cinnabar. Read more>>
Kim Jones
My son played for the football team in White House, TN a few years ago. His junior year I helped to serve some meals for his team and thought to myself “I could cook this next year” so I went to the coach and offered to cook pregame meals! Read more>>
Jamie Jean and Elliott Davis n/a
Jamie: Elliott and I were both aspiring musicians when we met and became roommates while attending the University of Alabama. I got my BA & MA in education, got married & we moved to Nashville for my wife Amy to attend Physician Assistant grad school at Trevecca. Read more>>
Tori O’Hara, Matt O’Hara, Layla O’Hara
We started Float Ya Boat following the pandemic’s impact on the job market and overall quality of life. After our daughter, Layla, was born, we wanted to build something that would benefit both our family and the community. Floating the Red River is an activity we have enjoyed for years, as being immersed in nature is very important to us. Read more>>
Chelsea Exton
16 yr old me would be pretty proud of my story. As a competitive dancer, it surprises no one that I struggled with body image and disordered eating. Two decades later, not only is it hard to remember those days, but I’m running a business helping girls and women heal from those same, tormenting struggles. Read more>>
Logan Hood
For some, hospitality is just a job. For others, it is a birthright. Born and raised just outside the neon glow of Nashville, I initially set my sights on a nursing career at Western Kentucky University. However, life has a funny way of steering you toward where you truly belong. Read more>>
Josalynn Pech
I never really planned on being a photographer, even though I have always loved taking photos and done a good job with just a cell phone! When I had my first daughter Tessah, I would do cute set ups of her every month and get some really great photos! Read more>>
Craig Carpenter
I never had any idea I would become a business owner. Read more>>
Abby Myers
I ended up in Nashville for my undergraduate education, thinking I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I have always had a passion for working with teenagers and wanted to continue working with them in nonprofit, formational settings. Read more>>
Andrea Hammond
I have been canning and doing food preservation for 30+ years. When we first moved to Brentwood, I would occasionally give neighbors jams as gifts when I made it. After our neighbor, Michaella Zetts, started making her sourdough breads, she asked me if I would be interested in making jams to sell along side her breads. Read more>>
Lauren Osborne
Not many people can say they have the same job now as their first job ever. I started working at a running store as soon as I could legally work and did through high school and college. After college, while working at a running store in South Carolina I met my husband James while he was working for Nike. Read more>>
Gina Early
I never set out to become a dog trainer, but life had other plans — and a German Shepherd puppy I found changed my trajectory forever. I named her Lakota. I’ve always been around dogs and thought I was pretty good at understanding them. Then Lakota came into my life, and she completely stumped me. Read more>>
Katrina Gessler
Yes! I’ll start at the very beginning. I remember watching my hairstylist neighbor pass by our house, and telling my sister at 4 or 5 years old that I’d like to be a hairdresser one day. I’ve had a passionate love for beauty for as long as I can remember. Read more>>
Hunter Dorton
Our story began out of a loss. My wife’s mother was battling cancer and when she unfortunately passed away we took a serious look at our health and wellness and what we could do to be as healthy as possible. We started working on growing our own food and being more aware of toxic ingredients in our everyday lives. Read more>>
Brendan Davis
Honestly, I didn’t come from some polished entrepreneur background where I always knew exactly what I wanted to build. For most of my adult life, I assumed I’d retire from law enforcement. I spent over a decade in that career, and it shaped a lot of who I am. Read more>>
Tom Davis
Hilltop Foam Parties started pretty organically. I was already running Hilltop Website Design and working with a lot of local businesses, and I kept seeing the same thing over and over. There was a demand for unique, high-energy event experiences, especially for schools, communities, and larger gatherings that wasn’t just the usual bounce house offering. Read more>>
April Harrington
My path into property management actually started with my mom — and a pretty wild adventure in Costa Rica. She jumped into vacation home rentals before it was trendy, before there were systems, and definitely before there were easy buttons. Read more>>
Oluwatoyin Ajogbeje
Adullam Counseling and Trauma Care grew out of both lived experience and a deep sense of calling. My journey into trauma work began years ago while volunteering at an orphanage in Nigeria. That experience was my first real exposure to the effects of trauma, especially in children navigating loss and instability. Read more>>
Chelsea Hodges
I would spend summers in Vermont with my Nana at her hair salon. I’ve always been really into hair and make up. Before social media existed I would take my babysitting money and rip out magazine, pages of models and re-create the look on myself with my mom’s makeup she didn’t use. Read more>>
Jocelyn Cruz
My journey didn’t start with a clear plan in fact, for a long time, I felt lost and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. Right after high school, I didn’t have the right mindset. I was more focused on living in the moment, going out, and just figuring life out as I went. Read more>>
blrwtch
Back in 2017-2018 I got inspired by instagram edits on my for-you-page to make edits of my friends from school. After making a few picture edits with basic transitions, I moved onto editing anime which is when I learned about the many different communities, styles, standards, and thresholds of editing. Read more>>
Paul Jolley
Before becoming a force in the world of design, Paul Jolley first gained national attention as a Top 9 Finalist on American Idol. Read more>>
Rebecca+Veronica Rebecca+Veronica
Food and Fash in Nash is run by us, 2 best friends, Veronica and Becca, and it all started from our shared love of finding the best places to eat, drink, shop, and explore around Nashville. What began as a fun hobby quickly turned into something we’re truly passionate about. Read more>>
Trula Rockwell
I got started in my content creation journey in early 2016 when I began blogging. I signed up for a free WordPress website (formerly known as Southern Belle Grace) and began writing blog posts that I personally wanted to see out in the world what I wasn’t seeing. Read more>>
Luka Milicevic
I came over to America from South Africa when I was 18 and landed in Murray, Kentucky. I was there on a tennis scholarship and ended up studying accounting at Murray State, where I graduated in 2011, and then again in 2012 with my Master’s. I actually met my wife there; she’s from Nashville, so we moved here right after graduation. Read more>>
MC Amoke
My story starts back in high school. I went to a school called Kapsabet Boys High school in Kapsabet town, Nandi County right here in Kenya. There we had school functions that included math contests, English contests and symposiums etc. It is during one such event that I realized I had a talent in emceeing. Read more>>
Alex Cruz
My journey really started from just having a passion for creativity and figuring things out on my own. I didn’t come in with a blueprint or a big team—I was just creating, learning, and building as I went. Read more>>
Lamont Lockridge
I’m a Nashville-based content creator and comedian, Ive always been a creator, I love writing, directing, and acting. Read more>>
Kaylee Kirk
For nearly a decade, my mom served the wedding industry from behind a camera lens. After attending countless weddings she knew two things to be true- every couple deserves to have the focus be on their love story and choosing the right venue can greatly impact how seamlessly everything goes. Read more>>
Stacy Blackwell
After my colon hydrotherapy training, I was working at a wellness facility that abruptly shut down not long after I had entered into my new career path. I was blessed to be able to started my own business, Butterfly Factory, and I built out a space to work from in the ground floor of my home. I learned a lot about managing a construction project but was finally open for business about 9 weeks after I was informed I wouldn’t have a job any longer at the wellness facility. Read more>>
