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.

Brett Lionheart

I’ve been writing songs since I was a kid, but the real story starts around 2019 when I made a decision that changed everything: At the time I had felt cutoff and hidden from the world for years, like the real me was in an abyss somewhere totally cut off and disconnected. Read more>>

Robbie McMillan

Ten years ago I joined the United States Army as a vocalist. I attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning, GA and Advanced Individual Training at Camp Little Creek, VA. My first duty station was Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I was there almost three years and that’s where I learned how to front a band. We played everything from “Ain’t No Sunshine” to “Fire”. Read more>>

Kathy Hammer

My great Aunt manage the Genys Flowers in East Nashville for 48 years and I was a little girl 6 – 7 years old standing on a chair making corsages for Easter and Mothers Day with my Mother. My Mother taught me my love of flowers, birds , butterflies and all things beautiful. Read more>>

Donna Allen

I started over 25 years ago working lead positions and being recognized by upper management of my skills. I later decided to go to school and proceeded on until receiving a Doctorate. Read more>>

Alex St Kitts

I’m originally from Toronto Canada, and started playing music when I was about 16. My Dad (George St Kitts) is a well known musician/singer in Toronto and I first started to learn how to play bass in one of his bands. He pretty much gave me a bass and a book on how to and said “go for it”. Read more>>

Joshua Blaylock

I’m a Nashville Native that started playing piano at the age of 3. I grew up in the church (playing drums at first and then later piano and organ). Then in middle school, I started playing trombone in band (concert and jazz). Read more>>

Donesha Park

My story began the first time someone looked at me and decided they knew who I was. Before I learned my name, the world prepared names for me. I was born with twisted tibias and flat feet in San Bernardino, California. I grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, carrying questions that didn’t fit in classrooms or conversations. Read more>>

Cal “King Cal” Settles II

I come from a Grammy Award winning family of musicians that go back to Walter J Settles Sr. He sang with the Fairfield Four- having hit records including Safety Zone, the opening song in the movie Norbit. Read more>>

Biancha Darden

I got into Aesthetics because of my little sister. We are 10 years apart, and we had never had the opportunity to attend school together. I thought it was a wonderful time for us to experience that. I had already had my bachelor’s degree in psychology for about 6 years before I pursued a career and Aesthetics. Read more>>

Jacob Sollars

I started with my first song in late 2020 and it wasn’t very good I’ve been self engineering working on my craft since Read more>>

Patricia Patts

I started as a child actor. I was 3 the first time I auditioned for something, It was oddly, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I was so much smaller than the other kids I didn’t get the role. After the family moved to Los Angeles, we got involved in a theatre in Pasadena called Jesters Playhouse and we helped with everything! Read more>>

Tom Toomey

In addition to Tom being the lead guitarist for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, the legendary band ‘The Zombies’, he also writes, produces, plays and tours as a solo artist. His music includes work with ‘The Tom Toomey band’, ‘The Monficats’,’Jingo Santana’, as well as solo electric guitar and acoustic shows. Read more>>

Ciara Clark

I’ve always been intrigued by the arts, whether it be drawing, painting, photography etc. Photography however has always been a constant creative outlet for me. It wasn’t until 2021 when I got my first paid photography gig at a summer camp. Ever since then I’ve been photographing local shows, events, and food. Read more>>

Jennifer Schmidt

I started my journey as a fashion designer in 2012 when I lived in San Francisco, CA! My brand is JenniferSSchmidt Collection. When I first started out, I was focused primarily on womenswear. Since then, I have done menswear, plus-size, bridal, custom designs, and costume design. My work has been shown in both San Francisco & New York Fashion Week. Read more>>

Caro Silander

I am a multi-media artist currently based in Nashville, TN. I got my start in the arts with dancing. I danced through most of my childhood into college, being a part of dance teams, competitions, and pre-professional companies. Once I got to college, I decided to pursue my degree in Motion Pictures (film) with a minor in Film Acting. Read more>>

Cam Cornelius

I grew up between Nashville and LA. My parents were in the entertainment industry. My dad was a record producer and discovered Alan Jackson, Sawyer Brown, Collin Raye. He also produced other legendary acts like Johnny Paycheck. My mom was a singer/songwriter and had music cut by several artists including Tom Jones. As a singer, she was signed to RCA Records Australia for a time. Read more>>

Emmy Burton

Born and raised just north of Nashville, I knew Tennessee was special, but I also knew I wanted to see more of the world than the cattle farm I grew up on. Looking back, I suppose I have my mother and my Nanna to thank for my seemingly insatiable hunger for travel and adventure. Read more>>

Gianluca Brill

My professional carreer: After spending most of my professional career in Italy, I decided to start a completely new chapter in my life by moving to Tennessee. My background was in sales and management. I spent many years working for major international companies, including Unilever, Red Bull, Carlsberg, and later as Commercial Director for a marketing company. Read more>>

Ashley Hernandez

When I think about where my journey into the beauty industry began, I realize it started long before I ever held a pair of shears. I grew up in a family where looking your best wasn’t just about clothes or hair, it was about creativity, confidence, and expressing who you were. Some of my earliest memories are rooted in fashion and beauty. Read more>>

Penny Kapadoukakis

I started making silly videos with my friends on a camcorder in elementary school, and I’ve been hooked ever since. In high school, I was accepted into a Film and Media Academy in Chicago, where I had a camera in my hands every day and learned editing software in class. Read more>>

Theresa LaVelle

Some of my earliest memories actually come from a screen-printing shop where my mom used to work. I remember the smell of the ink, the heat of the dryer, and screens stacked high around the shop. I would sit in the corner, draw, and watch Sesame Street on a small TV while she worked. Read more>>

Nei Marie

I started my modeling journey in college as many people know and I am where I am today because of my networking. Read more>>

Kim Coker

I never really set out to own a business. It honestly wasn’t something I had ever pictured for myself. When the previous owner of The Pottery Room first approached me about buying the business, I was completely caught off guard. I remember thinking, “How does someone even buy a business? Read more>>

Jack Stell

I arrived in Nashville 15 years ago, living in my truck, sleeping in parking lots. Within 48 hours of arriving in town I had a job at 3 Crow Bar in the 5 Points. I spent the next 10 years bartending and playing music in town, like every boy in his 20s. Read more>>

Melaneice Gibbs

My story really started with baton twirling and being an active child in church. I’ve been twirling since I was seven years old, and honestly, it has always been my core love. Dance eventually became a huge part of my life, but baton twirling was what first pushed me into the creative and performance space. Read more>>

Zack Fenderson

My story goes all the way back to high school, when I decided to join the swim team. For a majority of my childhood I was skinny and scrawny, and for a long time, that affected my confidence. But after a few years of training and, admittedly a little help from puberty, my body started to change. Read more>>

Rob Dee

I became interested in becoming a Rapper in 1985 while watching the film ”Krush Groove”. I saw LL Cool J and that was all it took for me. I later started writing my own raps while beating on a table. It was 1997 when I dropped my first project and got my name started. Read more>>

Kamica Duke

My entrepreneurial journey began with Meridian Street Cafe, where I discovered my passion for building businesses that bring people together. Owning and operating the restaurant has taught me the importance of leadership, customer service, and creating a welcoming environment where people feel like family. It’s more than a restaurant—it’s a place where the community gathers, celebrates, and connects. Read more>>

Angie Hewett

From an early childhood age I had always known that I always wanted to help people and make them feel better. Read more>>

Samantha Starr

To start at the beginning I have to take you back to nearly three decades ago, when I was still a young baby just beginning to make sense of the world. I recall being enamored with coloring and would find any reason to do it. Family, friends, guests of any sort—I would draw pictures and tape them up around the house. Read more>>

Gaurav Bali

I’ve actually been interested in music since I was eight years old. I started playing violin in school in the third grade and actually really enjoyed it! Unfortunately for my violin teacher, MTV was getting huge and as soon as I saw my first rock videos it was all over for the violin! Read more>>

Corey Tucker

I used to go to a lot of shows in town. I would meet the bands and become friends with them. Eventually I would be asked who they should play with in town or people had friends coming into town and wanted to see a certain genre show. I would give them recommendations. Read more>>

James Dennis

I’ve always loved photography, although I didn’t realize at first that photography would become such an important part of who I am. Some of my earliest memories are of watching my father load and unload film into his Nikon camera after family reunions, football games, vacations, and countless moments that probably seemed ordinary at the time. Read more>>

Kam Bugger

I’m a 19-year-old singer-songwriter originally from a small town in Illinois. After my papa passed away during COVID, I inherited some of his instruments, including an acoustic guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He and I spent a lot of time together listening to music, watching old cowboy movies, and fly fishing in rural Missouri with my dad. Read more>>

Britney Jones

I’ve been a cosmetologist for over a decade. I took a break to go to school for nursing & worked in healthcare for nearly a decade as well. The medical & hair industries are both passions of mine. I had no intention of getting into the hair loss industry but when family members started coming to me for answers, I had to figure it out. Read more>>

Erin Woodward

These days, life looks more like an art piece than a business plan. Building and exiting businesses in the medical field gave me the financial freedom and time to explore a wide range of interests and unconventional pursuits. That eventually evolved into funding and advising other people’s startups, often providing capital when other investors wouldn’t. Read more>>

Danielle Lewis

My journey has taken a few different paths, but somehow they have all connected and led me to where I am today. I earned my degree in psychology and later went on to earn my master’s degree in business while also obtaining my esthetician license. I’ve always been passionate about helping people and have had a strong interest in health, wellness, and beauty. Read more>>

Nick Watson

Interview I grew up in Jacksonville, FL in a very musical household. By age 9 I picked up my first guitar and starting lessons. When I was about 10 or 11 I started learning to play and sing songs, this is where my love for music really took off. Read more>>

Ryan Moore

In 2020, I found myself almost broke, ashamed, and out of options after a major life decision went sideways during the pandemic. My wife Rosario insisted I watch a documentary called The Secret, and that Saturday afternoon on the couch changed the entire direction of my life. Read more>>

Miss Lonely

Never thought I could do much… I was born yellow and premature on the Jersey Shore and grew up in the Pine Barrens. As a child, I felt very alienated from my peers. Music showed me that it’s okay to dance wildly and sing off-key at the top of your lungs if it makes you feel alive. Read more>>

Louise Geri

I started my female-oriented music blog as a hobby in high school. Despite the initial casual nature, the female-oriented theme was always present. I was intrigued by the feminist concept presented by the Nashville writer’s round Song Suffragettes. It gave me the thesis that in the music industry, men have power, but women have relevance. Read more>>

Blue Willow

Hi, We’re Blue Willow , a indie rock band based out of Nashville, TN. We’ve been a group since around 2017, but the members have changed over the years. Our current group of members have been playing together for about three years and we’ve made huge headway in that little amount of time. Read more>>

Cordale Jamal

Long before my entrepreneurial endeavors, I was pursuing my dream of playing in the NFL. That dream carried me to the University of Arkansas, where I had the privilege of competing as a Division I football player. Football challenged me in ways that extended far beyond the field. It taught me discipline, resilience, teamwork, and what it truly means to pursue excellence every single day. Read more>>

Mike Alidadi

Apadana Rugs & Carpets represents the pinnacle of luxury and quality in the fine rug market, established in 1980 in New York City by the Alidadi family. Drawing upon a distinguished heritage spanning generations within the rug industry, the family has cultivated an unparalleled expertise in the art of rug making. Read more>>

Debbie Millman

I began my career without a particularly clear plan, which, in retrospect, may have been one of the most useful things that could have happened to me. I knew I wanted to make things, and I knew I was drawn to design, culture, language and the way ideas could be given form, but I did not yet understand how those interests might become a life. Read more>>