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.
tanaeya taylor
I started my career with a plan to be a songwriter. To be behind songs that I love – and help artists tell their stories. After starting to play writers rounds in Nashville, I noticed that the most common comment I got from the audience, was ‘you should be an artist, not just a writer.’ So I decided…why not try? Read more>>
Latonja Welch Smith
Be Jeweled Boutique was created during my empty nest season when I decided to turn my love for fashion into a business. I started with my own savings, purchasing inventory little by little and focusing on offering quality, affordable accessories and apparel for women. Read more>>
Clelia Stefanini
My journey into coaching started with my own love of movement and training. I was a competitive Figure Skater for 14 years and I’ve always been drawn to fitness, not just for the physical benefits, but for the confidence, resilience, and sense of accomplishment it can build. Read more>>
Remo Wakeford
Originally from South Africa, I moved to the U.S. about nine years ago, but the journey here wasn’t exactly direct. Before coming to the States, I lived in Ireland for about seven years, where I worked in the funeral industry helping develop cremation technology for a company called EcoLegacy. Read more>>
Jamie Clardy
My story really begins with my own struggles with self-confidence. Growing up, I was bullied in high school and spent many years doubting my self-worth and questioning whether I was enough. Those experiences shaped me in a profound way and ultimately inspired me to build a career centered around helping others see the beauty, strength, and value within themselves. Read more>>
Brooke Noel Morgan
I picked up a brush in 2019 in the midst of a significant life shake up…painting became my muse, a meditative practice and means of expressing life experiences, emotions and the subconsious. At the time, I was teaching and I had a lifestyle brand called Nomad Collective. I was surprised and delighted by the response to my art, and I just kept going. Read more>>
Tyson Campbell
I started my photography journey after retiring from the Air Force in 2015. I’ve always had a love for photography and decided to get a degree in photography and ultimately start my business in 2017. I completed my degree in 2019. I moved to Nashville in 2020 and began to build my clientele from that point. Read more>>
Hailey Antonacci
I have always loved fashion and expressing myself in the way that I dress. Before I got serious about social media, I was still posting my outfits on my personal accounts. However, in 2020, I really saw a need for plus size representation in media and began posting on Tik Tok. I posted hauls, outfit inspiration, confidence videos, and much more. Read more>>
Raven Simpson
Sweet Cakes by Ray honestly was never part of my plan. Looking back now, I can clearly see God’s hand in every step of the journey, but at the time, I was simply taking the next step in front of me. My love for food and edible art started long before I ever baked a cake professionally. Read more>>
Styx
Growing up, I always felt a need to perform and put myself on display to other people. I would choreograph dances with my friends in my bedroom and show them to my family and neighbours. I did ballet, theatre, pageants, sports, and even marching band just trying to fulfill my inner need to be seen. Read more>>
Joe Kelly
I grew up in rural Ohio and, like a lot of kids who loved country music, I had a dream that seemed bigger than where I came from. Read more>>
Axel Raighn
My journey as a DJ began in 2016 while I was in college, where I got my start as a hype man for local rap artists before stepping behind the decks myself. By 2017, I was performing private events for schools, organizations, and individuals, building the foundation for what would become a career centered around creating unforgettable experiences. Read more>>
Paige Robinson
My passion for photography started when I received my first camera for Christmas at just 10 years old. From that moment on, I was constantly taking photos, and throughout high school I became known as “the friend with the camera.” The creative aspect of photography was something I was passionate about. When I started college, I initially pursued a degree in nursing. Read more>>
Uncle B
Born Bryan Simpson in Harris Hospital in FW, TX – i was a fussy baby… too far back? okay… How’d i get started ? don’t really know. I know that my north star has been music for as long as i can remember. Took all my social cues from it. Never cared about school or sports too much. Read more>>
Crow Buntry
Our group started as a writing collective and built a following by creating songs using humor and creativity. We are based all over the United States from Nashville to Florida and Texas. Read more>>
Jennifer Hobbs
My path to becoming the owner of Rhinestone Wedding Chapel wasn’t a straight line—it was built through decades of entrepreneurship, reinvention, and a willingness to follow opportunities that felt meaningful. Before purchasing the chapel, I had spent years helping run multiple multi-million-dollar businesses. Building, growing, and managing businesses was never new to me. Read more>>
Benjamin Schultz
I was born in New York City and moved to Florida around age three. Music found me early. Piano at three, trumpet at five, drums at six, guitar at seven. I achieved first chair trumpet quickly in both elementary and high school and became Florida State sight reading champion two years running. The guitar thing came naturally. Read more>>
Karynn Hough
FreshTalent Group began in 2016 with a simple vision: to create the kind of agency I wished had existed when my daughter, Solace, began pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. Read more>>
Brittany Chisem
It’ll be my pleasure. First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to share my story with this amazing platform! I am Brittany Chisem, a native of High Point, North Carolina. I’ve been blessed to attain my Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a concentration in Mass Media Production from the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Read more>>
Mark ‘Mystery’ Gray
I have been in the music industry over thirty plus years singing but I have been producing music for twenty five plus years. I also have two gospel radio shows that I host, one is gospel singing and the other is gospel hip hop. Read more>>
Kelsey Tubbs
I grew up in West Tennessee and didn’t come from much. Like a lot of people, I spent years working hard, bouncing between jobs, and trying to figure out where I fit. I restored cars, painted aircraft, managed teams, and learned valuable skills along the way, but I never felt truly fulfilled. The turning point came when my back was against the wall. Read more>>
Kelly Donovan
Faith and Wildflowers began from my own journey in sobriety and a deep desire to help women feel seen, valued, and dignified during some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Read more>>
Wendy McCown-Williams
I transitioned almost three decades ago. I am from Eastern Ky and eventually moved around to Ohio, Florida, Kentucky and now in Tennessee. I moved here when I bought Cookeville’s (hour from Nashville) only LGBT bar. I kept it open for six years before closing. Read more>>
Erlend Gunstveit
First of all, I just want to say that my Artist name is my first name in all capital letters ; ERLEND. It is in fact, an old Viking name meaning immigrant so it suits me well. After winning The Voice in Norway in 2021, I went from my career as business owner in a landscaping company to start doing music professionally. Read more>>
Brandon Leclere
I have never been one to take a straight-line approach to life, and I believe that is exactly what makes me the professional I am today. With a family history in home building spanning two generations, the construction industry was always in my blood, but my path to finding my place in it was anything but conventional. Read more>>
Qaylynn Farrington
My journey has been anything but traditional. I’ve always been someone with a lot of interests, and over the years I’ve explored everything from healthcare to content creation and entrepreneurship. While working and navigating life’s challenges, including recovering from a serious car accident, and single motherhood, I became increasingly interested in building something of my own. Read more>>
Sunny Gable
I became interested in music at a young age, learning to read music when I was 5 and picking up violin when I was 6. Read more>>
Maleny Mikels
My name is Maleny Mikels, I’m a profesional guitarist and composer. I’m also a certified consultant in personal growth and consciousness development I’ve always loved music. Started playing the keyboards self-taught when I was around five years old and then took a few lessons when I was seven. I first fell in love with the guitar when I was eight years old. Read more>>
Tyra Franklin, MSIO
The Orderly Ethos has been years in the making, even before I realized it would become a business. I was raised in rural Mississippi, surrounded by people who knew how to create order out of whatever they had. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and community members taught me lessons about stewardship, resourcefulness, and making things work long before I ever studied psychology. Read more>>
Jessica Smith
When I was growing up, no one in my family went to get their clothes tailored, so being a tailor wasn’t on my radar as a kid. My mom made all my costumes and hemmed things, but wasn’t really an avid sewer. When I was younger, I wanted to be an artist. Read more>>
Sam Wade
I gravitated towards the arts at a young age and discovered music pretty early on. Both of my parents are creative and we had a very artistically encouraging home. By the time I was thirteen or fourteen, I was already writing, recording and performing songs. Read more>>
Christie Meyer Faccinto
My grandfather was a veterinarian, and it seemed I was destined for that direction my whole life. My parents were wildly tolerant of my love for animals, with only four main rules: no more dogs (we had a family dog), no cats, no rats, and nothing with more than four legs. Read more>>
Joe Moerschbaecher
As a teenager I had a strong desire to push both my mind and body. My father in his wisdom encouraged me to try out for the cross country team in high school. In cross country I found discipline, structure, motivation, love of nature, and an avenue to push my physical and mental limits. Read more>>
Clayton Chaney
In 2006, I moved to Los Angeles from Arkansas at 18 to study film. In the unsuccessful process of trying to find work in the film industry after graduating college, I formed an indie/folk/bluegrass band called ‘The Show Ponies’. There was a lot of positive movement with the band from the get go, and my creative focus quickly shifted from film to music. Read more>>
Amy Elizabeth
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had a pencil, crayon, and the likes in my hand, drawing anything from Disney characters to fantastic creatures I created in my mind. Drawing was the primary way I expressed myself as a child, as well as a teen and young adult. Read more>>
Jasmine Lopez
In my first year of acting, I started receiving DMs from other actors asking for advice, and eventually it hit me: there’s a business here. I started one-on-one coaching, then created a separate account to build my online presence. Read more>>
