Portraits of Nashville

It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around Nashville.

Kelly Riley

Like a lot of kids, my story starts with family road trips and singing for hours alone in the basement. But things got serious at 13 when I hijacked my brother’s guitar. The second I started playing, the songs just started pouring out of me. I eventually traded my basement stage for the classrooms of Berklee College of Music, where I studied composition and voice. Read More>>

Jazmine Taylor

My journey into Human Resources started with a deep curiosity about people; how they think, how they work, and how workplace environments shape their well-being. Read More>>

Dalona Jones

I was born in Nashville, but grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan in a family where music wasn’t a hobby, it was the air we breathed. My mother is a gifted Gospel vocalist, and church wasn’t just Sunday mornings for us. It was four, five days a week, every week, for as long as I can remember. Read More>>

Aaron Shepherd

Bad Island Easter has just released their latest EP Tomorrow Will Be Like Yesterday on 12′ Vinyl and it is for sale on their page bandcamp.com. My name is Aaron and this my band Bad Island Easter. We formed in 2007 in my parents’ basement by myself, Sebastian Mogan, Michael and Daniel Shepherd. Read More>>

Tiara Horton

My journey began as a little girl with dolls, dreams, and a love for creating beauty. What started as styling doll hair soon turned into practicing on myself and discovering a passion that would stay with me throughout my life. Along the way, life brought obstacles, setbacks, and lessons that slowed my progress at times, but they never stopped my vision. Read More>>

Dillon Mysliwiec

SeerNova Comics started in one of the strangest, most serendipitous ways possible: through a mislabeled Craigslist gig. At the time, I was living in upstate New York in the Capital Region and working as an engineer. I had a day job, but I was also trying to build a business of my own on the side. Read More>>

Mike Floss

Mike Floss on behalf of Southern Movement Committee: We founded SMC in August 2021 as the non profit organization that holds the work of the Black Nashville Assembly(founded in 2020). After engaging in Black organizing and participatory democracy work in Nashville, we expanded our work to the US South through the Southern Movement Committee. Read More>>

Julian Porcino

My path has never been a straight line, but looking back, every chapter seems to have been leading me to where I am now, which i can’t help but feel is exactly where I need to be. Read More>>

Russ Harrington

I’ve been a photographer for more than 40 years. Growing up in Middle Tennessee, I discovered photography while I was a student at Antioch High School and quickly became passionate about the craft. After studying photography at Middle Tennessee State University, I built a career photographing musicians, entertainers, and commercial clients. Read More>>

Rachal Nolen

My dream started in 2nd grade at Spring Hill Elementary, Ms. Dowing class. My childhood was so traumatizing most days at school were my free times to just be ‘normal’ I guess. I knew I loved being around the kids and talking. I knew I loved my mom’s social worker Ms. Tara. Read More>>

Adrienne Clark

I am a small-town girl with a heart the size of New York City. My story begins in 1994 when I was born to two teenage parents who laid a strong foundation for my brothers and me. As the oldest child and only daughter, I learned early about responsibility, resilience, and the importance of family. Read More>>

Cameron Weiss

I’ve been drawn to watches for as long as I can remember. There was something about a mechanical watch that felt different to me. It wasn’t just an object, it was a tiny machine built by hand, meant to live with someone for years. Read More>>

Embi Royal

From a very young age, Mario Bruno knew he wanted to be a musician. Whether it was mashing the keys at two years old in his father’s jam room, or performing in his hometown opera scene in Tampa, Mario dreamed of becoming a successful artist. Read More>>

Max Beal

I’m originally from Dover, Ohio. I started playing piano when I was 6. I was obsessed with trying to figure out songs by ear. I started writing my own songs and singing in 8th grade. By age 15 I was recording my own songs and learning how to mix and engineer for myself. Read More>>

Dr. Audra Lance

Honestly, it started with a dream long before there was ever a business. Growing up I was the kid playing doctor with my Barbies and stuffed animals. Even then, there was a part of me that knew helping people was what I was meant to do. When I moved to Nashville to start my practice, I was turned down by twelve different banks. Read More>>

Sara Douga

I always say that I was Cajun raised in a cowboy town. I grew up in Southwest Louisiana, and I’ve always known that I would do music. I don’t think it’s something you choose, I think it chooses you. I wrote my first song at 8, and at 35 I’m still writing… it never stopped. Read More>>

Holly T. Ashley

My story really began over forty years ago, after I experienced abuse myself. At the time, I had no idea that what I had survived would one day become the very place from which God would call me to serve other women. Read More>>

Deann Hebert

I grew up with a love for art and creativity, earning my BFA from Auburn University. Like many artists, I started with a dream but very little certainty about how to turn it into a business. Read More>>

Jon Wood

I started buying and reselling antiques when I was about 21 years old. My journey began when a family member introduced me to a local auctioneer, and what started as a simple opportunity quickly turned into a passion. From auctions, I moved on to yard sales, flea markets, and antique shows, steadily building my knowledge and inventory along the way. Read More>>

Monika McClain

From a young age, beauty was more than just hair to me. It was connection, confidence, and creativity. As a little girl, I spent countless hours playing in my two sisters hair, never realizing those small moments would plant the seed for my future. Read More>>

J.L. Lawrence

My story really started as a very frustrated teenager. In order to have an outlet and deal with all the stress, I created stories in my head. In these worlds of my creation, I could be anything and do anything. It was a break from reality and a coping mechanism. Over time, it became a fun distraction. Read More>>

Mahaley Patel

I’ve always been drawn to people’s stories. Long before I became a therapist, I was fascinated by how people make sense of difficult experiences, heal from loss, and find their way forward after life doesn’t go according to plan. Read More>>

Chris Rippy

I got started with a camera in college at Western Kentucky University. At first, I was filming pretty much anything I could—events, nightlife, student projects just trying to get reps in and figure out what I enjoyed. Over time, I started working with athletes and local businesses, which led to bigger opportunities. Read More>>

Charlie Widmer

I was born originally in Switzerland to a Swiss father and a Puerto Rican mother. When they split up, I moved back to the US with my mom and brother to be close to my mom’s family. Read More>>

Ja Tatu

I got started with graffiti back in high school around 2006. After graduating in 2010, I enrolled at Tennessee State University in 2011 and studied art, where I was introduced to art history, traditional painting, and a broader understanding of visual art. Read More>>

Kaitlyn Kee

As a child, I always knew that I wanted to help people. That knowledge turned into the dream of being a nurse. Out of high school, I started the nursing program at the University of Memphis, but didn’t end up finishing. I married young and we immediately started a family. Read More>>

Reina Mar

I’m a Cuban American Latin Pop artist from Bergen County, New Jersey, and music has always been my way of connecting with people. I started by performing locally and sharing bilingual covers online, blending my love for both Latin music and American pop. Over time, my renditions began reaching wider audiences, especially my version of Juan Gabriel’s Amor Eterno, which resonated with millions of people. Read More>>

Corsi Donovan

In 2017, I began buying, selling, and trading turquoise jewelry. I traveled a lot and collected pieces on my journey, buying and selling as I went. I was quite the nomad at the time! MY dream was to continue operating my business in that capacity. Always on the road, never in one spot for too long. Read More>>

Sara Beth Bivens

I have always been a dreamer and a wanderer. I was raised as the youngest of four girls in Brentwood, Tennessee. Growing up in the 1980s was pretty blissful, and it was a small town back then. My best friend had horses, and we spent our days riding bareback through creeks and neighborhoods and just exploring. We were allowed to wander, discover, and be kids. Read More>>

Rachael Mann

I started singing at the age of seven. One day, I simply remember waking up and singing in my garage. No one in my immediate family was a singer, but I grew up around music, with many family members playing different instruments. Read More>>

James Lucente

**How I Got Here** I was supposed to be a rock star. By the time I got out of high school, I was already putting cover bands together and chasing music seriously. In 1990, I moved to Boston, where I was technically supposed to go to college, but instead I started a band. Almost immediately, we were making money playing shows nearly every weekend. Read More>>

Ellie Lynn

At 48 years old, I found myself asking a question that had been quietly growing in my heart for years: ‘Is this it? Is this all there is for me?’ My life wasn’t falling apart. In many ways, it looked perfectly normal from the outside. But deep down, I felt like I was merely existing rather than truly living. Read More>>

Victoria Morris

I live on four acres in Ashland City, Tennessee. It may not seem like much to some people, but to our family, it’s everything. We have poured our hearts, time, and resources into turning our small piece of land into something meaningful. A few years ago, I fell in love with raising chickens. Read More>>

Alicia Mayes

Deep Roots Retreat has been part of my family’s story for generations. My grandparents bought the old Cedar Hill School property in 1953, but their roots in the Narrows of the Harpeth area go back even further. This was my grandparent’s home and the place where our family gathered. Read More>>

Angela Agia

I have always been a builder. Long before ministry, I spent years building businesses in the health and wellness industry. Entrepreneurship came naturally to me. Creating, leading, marketing, and helping people transform their lives was something I loved. On the outside, my life looked successful. But God had a different plan for me. Several years ago, everything changed. Read More>>

Luana Sandoval

When I was fourteen years old, I was bullied in school for being different. I had no friends to talk to. All I had was a notebook which became my journal and companion. I shared my deepest thoughts that I could not articulate with anyone. One day, I picked up my mom’s guitar in the music room and played random chords. Read More>>

Tiny Baker Tiny Baker

We are Tiny Baker – a family owned and operated business located in Union City, Tennessee. We opened in February of 2018. We have always been a close family and have done many things together – everything from traveling and vacation to cooking and get-togethers. So, when the opportunity for us to open our bakery, it was a dream come true. Read More>>

Taylor Hughes

I’ve always had a deep love for music and performing, ever since I was a little girl growing up in Lexington, Kentucky. For a long time, though, I was quite shy and poured most of my energy into athletics. That all changed during my junior year of high school after a career-ending injury. Read More>>

Dori Gronich

I grew up on Long Island, New York and graduated college from the State University of New York at Oswego with a bachelors degree in Graphic Design and a minor in expressive arts therapy. I moved to Nashville 5 years ago and fell in love with music city. It’s a wonderful place and I’m enjoying living here! Read More>>

Jesse Sunga

Hello! Yes! I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old and mostly played at home with family until I performed on stage for the first time at 24. It’s been a decade since then, and I still get excited every time I have the chance to play live. I definitely plan to keep playing for many years to come. Read More>>

Sean Keys

I’m a producer, composer, songwriter, and musician from Kenner, Louisiana. My journey started in church behind a keyboard, where I developed a love for music and the impact it can have on people. Over time, that passion grew into producing, songwriting, and composing, and I committed myself to mastering the craft while building meaningful relationships throughout the industry. Read More>>

Ash Taylor

I grew up in Bakersfield, California, which has such a rich country music history, so music was always a huge part of my life. I started writing songs young, and somewhere along the way it became less of a hobby and more of a calling. I moved to Nashville in 2015 with a dream, a lot of faith, and honestly not a whole lot else. Read More>>

Carrie Brewer

My mother always told me that I was singing before I was talking, so performing has just always been a part of my life. All the way from singing in school chorus concerts and performing in high school musicals, to my work now as an audiobook narrator. Read More>>

Cole Tolle

I grew up on a wheat farm in North Central Oklahoma and was raised on country music, hard work, and storytelling. College took me to the Oklahoma Panhandle, where I was introduced to a lot of the music coming out of West Texas. The songwriting, storytelling, and authenticity of that scene made a lasting impact on how I write songs and view lyrics. Read More>>

Dusty Grimes

I grew up in West Tennessee and moved to Atlanta after high school. There I spent over 2 decades building a life and all the joys and trials that come with living through your 20s and 30s. I met the love of my life and got married, bought a house, and truly enjoyed the 22+ years I spent in that city. Read More>>

Dawn Marie Morris

Corporate training found me more than 15 years ago. As a recent graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, with a BBA in Marketing, I was newly married and living in Chicago with my husband and our son. Read More>>

Noah Marr

My name is Noah Marr and I began Chattanooga Folk at the end of April 2025. I created this nonprofit purely through happenstance, I am a large-time media collector and frequently purchase hauls of VHS, cassettes, 8-tracks, and other analog formats. These hauls would have me traveling through Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia frequently. Read More>>

Kemontae Jordan

Around 2023, I started working at a local coffee shop in Nashville. At the time, modeling was my only creative endeavor. I gave it my all, and, eventually, I went from modeling for local brands to being posted and given PR by Telfar. However, it didn’t always yield the results I wanted or thought I deserved. Read More>>

Brandon Taylor

I got here by learning early how to connect with people, staying disciplined through sports and fitness, and turning adversity into growth. Injuries, fatherhood, mental health struggles, fraternity leadership, and college all shaped me into a man who values authenticity, community, and resilience. Read More>>

Chelsea Rae

Music became my lifeline at a very young age. At 12 years old, after facing serious health challenges, I began writing music as a way to cope and heal. By 15, I started playing guitar after my mother enrolled me in lessons, and from that point on, music became more than a passion — it became my purpose. Read more>>

Pete Healey

I’ve always been drawn to the arts whether through music, live performance, design, or photography. It’s part of my DNA. For nearly 30 years, I toured globally as a Production Manager, Show Designer, and Audio Engineer at the arena and stadium level. That experience continues to shape my photography today; especially in the way I approach lighting, atmosphere, storytelling, and cinematic editorial imagery. Read more>>