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.
Danielle Palladino
I’ve been in the health and performance space for over a decade, but my story started long before that. I grew up as an athlete, learning early that discipline, consistency, and how you take care of your body shape everything else in your life. Read more>>
James Laster
I began comedy two years ago. As I worked toward mastery, I have learned much about myself and the city I was born in. I hope to bring this journey to my jokes and give a narrative that’s funny as well as insightful. Read more>>
Chelsee McClintock
I didn’t exactly wake up one day and think, “I’m going to be a travel advisor.” It was more like…travel kept pulling me in until I finally stopped resisting it. I’ve always been the person who cared way too much about the details of a trip. Not just where you stay, but how it feels to wake up there. What your kids will remember. Read more>>
Raymel Moleiro
I arrived in Nashville 10 years ago with a professional background in Cuba as an actor, director, and producer. That foundation shaped my beginnings, but what truly defines my journey is what I’ve built here. I founded Moleiro Productions, a company focused on audiovisual production, marketing, and the organization of social and corporate events. Read more>>
Braden Wall
I went to school, got a guitar and started playing some college bars. I got good feedback on my cover songs so I kept singing. I started playing my own songs live, and got good feedback, so I kept writing. Here we are. Read more>>
Will Herrin
I moved to Nashville in 2013 as a freshman at Belmont University studying music business. There I made many valuable friends and connections. I played all sorts of music during that time. Aside from my guitar playing, I had a stint as a bass player, drummer, singer, and would start to take my song writing more seriously. I graduated from Belmont in December 2017. Read more>>
Kearstin Massa
I didn’t always know I would end up in pharmacy. I actually started on the pre-PA track while studying anthropology at the University of Florida, where I was really drawn to the human side of healthcare, understanding people, cultures, and how that shapes the way we experience medicine. After going through the PA school application cycle, interviews, and waitlists, I found myself at a crossroads. Read more>>
Olivia Porter
I had my son in 2024 and decided to transition from working full time as a nurse to a stay at home mom. Finding friends as adults can be challenging, but I found myself with almost zero mom friends. Read more>>
John Reaves
I grew up playing guitar and singing in multiple metal bands within the Nashville music scene. When the pandemic brought live music to a halt, I started a podcast with a friend and quickly fell in love with content creation. From there, I began live-streaming on Twitch, playing video games, connecting with new people, and building a community. Read more>>
NICOLE MASULLO
Hi! I’m a 16 year Nashville resident, with deep roots in the East Nashville community. I love helping folks and families secure what’s important to them, which is what led me to life insurance. I’ve worked for many organizations over the years (TPAC, MARGOT CAFE, AJAX TURNER CO), and am fortunate to be able to build a business on ethics, and taking care of families! Read more>>
Harry Hinch
I (Harry) met our bassist, Paul , and I asked him if he wanted to jam, and the rest is history. Since then, we’ve come together alongside various drummers in local venues around Nashville. About eight months in, we are preparing to release our self-titled first album on May 26th. Read more>>
Brayden Finchum
Well I’ll try and keep it as short as I can haha. But it all started with a push from my Grandparents. My grandma Yvonne worked in her younger years as a bar back at some clubs in Nashville not sure of the names as she’s in her late 70’s but between her and grandfather sadly he passed away 23 years ago. Read more>>
Melanie Wiley
I’ve been a licensed aesthetician for over a decade. My business, BeautyHaus Co., opened in June of 2022 — born out of a pivotal moment when I experienced sexual trauma with a male client at the salon where I’d worked for years. That experience clarified something for me: it was time to go out on my own, on my own terms. Read more>>
Mariah Jackson
After graduating at 16 years old. I immediately started working 3 jobs at a time. I’ve always been an extremely ambitious individual. I loved going into multiple environments at a time and comparing them. I learned what worked, what didn’t and why. I knew college wasn’t it for me. Experience would benefit me more in the long run. Read more>>
Catron Wallace
I began painting years ago as a way to explore atmosphere and emotion through color. What started as a personal practice gradually grew into a full studio career, and over time my work found its way into galleries throughout the southern states — thirteen in total — and I continue to work with two here in Tennessee. Read more>>
Aaron & Allie Thompson
Bo Jacket really started from a gap I kept seeing while I was playing shows, both on the road and on Broadway—sometimes up to 200 shows a year. I was working closely with a lot of newer and opening bands, and one thing became pretty clear: when it came to protecting gear on stage, the headliner always came first. Read more>>
Jakobi Johnson
Initially from South Florida, I got my start as a DJ in middle school. After attending my first school dance, I was fascinated by the control and energy the DJ had over the crowd. Read more>>
Jacquelyn Moses
I found my way into herbalism in a very personal way—through my own family. When my children were young, I was trying to help my four-year-old, and the only path I was offered was more and more medication. Read more>>
Jan Rubins
* Bachleors Degree from Bowling Green STate University, in Health & Physcial Ed. Read more>>
Andrea Jones
Photography started as something deeply personal for me. After I had my first baby 14 years ago, I realized I had completely missed out on those sweet newborn photos, and I tried to capture them myself. Let’s just say… it did not go well. But that moment lit something in me. Read more>>
Adrian Zackery
My story started in high school when I decided to quit the football team and pursue my way into photography. Growing up I always played sports and I thought that would be my passion growing up and eventually going D1. Read more>>
CHAD FLATT
I’ve always been interested in the world of collectibles. Each piece represents a memory frozen in time. I set up a table as a vendor at my very first event in 1988 at age 11. Like many 80s kids, I started out in the sports card hobby but eventually branched out into more pop culture related collectibles like toys and comic books. Read more>>
Courtney Steed
I grew up part of a minister and missionary family. My parents ministered all over the United States and in Russia during my childhood. I was the eldest of six siblings. I went to Harding University for a BS in Nursing, graduating and marrying Adrian Steed in 2001. We had our first of three sons in 2004. Read more>>
Brina Kay
I was raised in Schaumburg, Illinois, and got my start in music by learning to play the violin as a kindergartener. I also loved to sing from an early age. I was drawn to Disney princess movies and would run around barefoot in the backyard, singing to the birds and squirrels and pretending to be one of them. Read more>>
Tim Hartman
In a slightly biased opinion, my own..I think my start out story is pretty funny, and definitely unique. So lets back up, summer of 2025, a prior friend gave me a camera, my first camera. A trusty canon Rebel T7, kit lens included, bag, and various other accessories I knew nothing about. The trusty rebel transferred from his closet to mine. Read more>>
Kacie Bryant
The journey of LOCAL started back in 2017. Kacie and Tara had a mission of connecting the businesses in Clarksville with the local community by telling their stories through a page on Facebook and Instagram. Originally known as Clarksville Marketplace, popularity for the page quickly increased and the fun began. Read more>>
MAXX DBLX
MAXX DBLX is an East Nashville based artist, born and raised in the Music City. With roots in the local creative music scene, he began with a love for the arts early. Cultivated by all the sounds that make Nashville unique. MAXX debuted his music in 2020 with my first single titled ‘HIGH’. Read more>>
