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.
Danny McMahon
I’m the former UK Country Artist Of The Year and I moved to Nashville in April 2026. I started working with labels from the age of 16 in a rock band and played the likes of Glastonbury Festival in the UK. Once I’d finished University I started listening to Country Music through my friend and absolutely fell in love with genre. Read more>>
Jessica Smith
I had my first baby in December 2019, and by the time I was ready to return to work as a bedside nurse, COVID was beginning to shut everything down. I decided to stay home with him instead, and a few months later, our family moved from Florida to the Nashville area. I stayed home exclusively for that first year before eventually returning to nursing. Read more>>
Jeff Flathau
i started out in the restaurant business and veered to catering. From there, I added baked goods to the wholesale gift industry. We branched out to include almost all sectors of the market from grocery to export. I still operate our catering business today[Flathau’s Fine Catering] as well as our cookie and cheese straw manufacturing facility;. Read more>>
Sarah Beth Terry
I’m an Appalachian storyteller who figured out pretty early that sometimes a song is the only way I know how to explain myself. I grew up in Kentucky, and music and storytelling were just part of the fabric of life. I started writing songs young, and somewhere along the way I got stubborn enough to believe I could actually make a life doing it. Read more>>
Lisa Durand
I have been in the mortgage industry for 38 years, and while the business has changed tremendously over that time, the part I have always loved most has remained the same: helping people navigate one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. Read more>>
Howard Litvack
Photography was always fascinating to me. At an early age, I remember being handed a Brownie camera at Mesa Verde park in Colorado. I positioned the camera at my waist, looked into the tiny viewfinder, and clicked. I was hooked a few weeks later when the film was processed and my pictures were good ! At least they were to me. Read more>>
Grant Emerson
I started out as a musician — I spent years touring and recording as a member of Delta Rae, which took me all over the country several times over, and to far corners of the world beyond that: Australia, Europe, Bahrain, Djibouti. Read more>>
Creature (Jessey) Comfort (Clark)
*note: I’m so sorry if this is too long. Creature Comfort was formed out of the ashes of my college band in Murfreesboro, TN circa 2011. Our first years as CC were spent playing rowdy sweaty house shows to fellow drunk college kids in the beloved Boro house show scene. It was in Murfreesboro that we home recorded our debut record, Fox Tales. Read more>>
Davina Quinonez
I went to cosmetology school directly out of high school at 17 years old. I graduated top of my class and got recruited by a high-end hair salon in the Nashville area. Read more>>
grant batson
I built my first guitar at the age of 15 in high school shop class in Thrall, Texas. After college, I went to work for some cabinet/furniture shops and soon began building custom acoustic guitars with my brother in Nashville, TN. Years later, I began making artisan tobacco pipes, which I still do today, selling them all over the world. Read more>>
Trace Faulkner
I was drawn to music early, I can’t really remember a time in my life where it wasn’t the thing that mattered most to me. I started taking piano lessons around 7 and then saxophone in the 6 grade for school band, but soon switched to trumpet the year after. Read more>>
Michael Doster
I played bass for B.B. King for 17 years from August 1985 until July 2002. How I got the gig was through Mr. King’s nephew, Walter King. I first met Walter at Tennessee State University in 1978 where I was a music major. Read more>>
Dennis Upkins
“Not everyone will like me. But there will be those who will accept me just for what I am. I will develop myself to such a point of excellence, intelligence and brilliance that I can see through any problem and deal with any crisis. I will become such a master of my own abilities and career that there will be a place for me. Read more>>
Mandy Keez
Thank you so much for asking! I started piano lessons when I was 7 in Lombard IL, then guitar lessons at 10 when I started my first Rock band with my best friend and her brother, going on and adding electric bass at 15, already singing and writing songs. Read more>>
Corinna Valdez
Hello my name is Corinna Valdez and I am the owner of Aesthetically Vibin’ in Clarksville, TN. I moved to Clarksville the summer of 07 when I graduated high school. I was a teen mom who thought moving to a different state with my sons’ father would be best for us. Read more>>
Iain Weigert
I picked up the guitar when I was about 4. My parents both played, so it seemed natural. They exposed me to Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and a ton of other great artists of the era and steered me in that direction initially. Read more>>
Megan Feveryear
I started as a fan of the music that I now work within. Moving to attend College at Liberty University, interning at the college Record Label, eventually graduating and accepting a job from a mentor of mine who had his own business in Nashville, which brought me to move from my home state of Pennslyvania to Tennessee. Read more>>
Justin Alexander
I became interested in bluegrass music riding around the county roads near my home in Sweetwater, TN with my dad when I was around 12 years old. His best-friend of 35 years had an MP3 player loaded with bluegrass, red-dirt, and country music. As he would upgrade his MP3 player, he would give his old one to my dad. Read more>>
Jeanice McCord
I am a proud Tennessee native, born in Nashville and raised in Shelbyville. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), I am a mother, community advocate, and newly elected Rutherford County School Board Member for Zone 1. As the mother of a former LaVergne High School student, I understand firsthand the experiences and challenges facing students, educators, and families. Read more>>
Jerimae Yoder
I grew up in Indiana, a good Mennonite boy. My life has always revolved around music and business. After several business startups and leading worship ministry in several churches, we moved to Tennessee in 2022.. My entrepreneurial journey continued, and I’ve started a three main businesses here in Tennessee. Two in the music and manufacturing sector, and one in construction.. Read more>>
WEEPING (artist)
I grew up singing in the church and The Greater Atlanta Girls Choir, which really established a love of music for me early on. My mother was a classically trained pianist and my father played most instruments by ear. Read more>>
Travis Mobley
Travis started playing music at an early age of 12. By the age of 14 he was already playing local music venues in and around his hometown of Searcy, Ar. In 2007 Travis made the decision to move to Nashville Tn. Since then he has made waves in the music industry. Read more>>
Jennifer Wheeler
Hi, my name is Jennifer Wheeler, and I am the owner of EM Nails & Beauty. My journey into the beauty industry began long before I ever opened my own salon. Nails and beauty have always been a part of my life and my family. Read more>>
Jerry Oliver
After spending several years through the 90’s and early 2000’s as a professional musician and guitar teacher in my native hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota I moved to Nashville in 2003. Read more>>
Nick Casey
I started playing country music when I was 16 years old. A high school friend and I formed an acoustic duo. We played every bar and coffee shop we could. Since then, I’ve been playing all over the North East for the last thirteen years. Read more>>
Ben Stopfel
I was born and raised in a small south eastern Ontario town called Brockville. I started playing guitar so I could join my youth groups worship band. Guitar became my obsession, and I spent my evenings learning folk songs and my Saturday mornings playing them at the farmers market. Read more>>
Logan Koch
My path into the creative community has been shaped by discipline, discovery, and a willingness to keep taking the next step—even when the outcome was not clear. Before cameras, design, and creative collaborations became central to my life, basketball was everything. I dedicated years to the game and eventually had the opportunity to play at the collegiate level. Read more>>
Brent Sanders
I grew up aspiring to be a cartoonist and was heavily influenced by skate culture as a young teenager. I later attended Chattanooga State, where I studied graphic design, before going to work for Micro Sports, a local PC-based gaming company. As an assistant art director, my projects included game graphics, user interface design, and packaging. Read more>>
Greylee
as long as i can remember, i have been in love with words. The way people craft their words into colorful motifs to sea their joy and their pain has always drawn me in. It’s my dream to be a professional wordsmith. Songwriting for me has been an outlet to craft my words for as long as i can remember. Read more>>
TJ Pruitt
As an author of over seventy books, and an artist, my books covering numerous topics from history to fiction, I love both writing and painting. Read more>>
Maggie Kavanaugh
My journey began in a counseling and coaching background, where I spent years helping people work through the wounds, struggles, and circumstances that kept them from moving forward. Over time, I began to realize that healing is only part of the journey. Read more>>
Claire Sully
I’m a professional singer songwriter from Boston newly located in Nashville TN! I started in music at a very young age. I started bar touring and doing open mics at the age of 13, Right then and there I knew this was the career I would be in for the rest of my life. A back up plan was never a thought in my mind. Read more>>
Keagan Denney
It’s crazy to say, but I started songwriting when I was 13 years old. My brother and I were both pastor’s kids at the time and were heavily involved in church, leading worship, and ministry. We weren’t just inspired by the artists we listened to, but also by the atmosphere and dynamic of our little church in Cadiz, Ohio. Read more>>
Mrs. Phancee Davis
From brick-and-mortar to mobile, COVID changed the way we did business. During that time, I came up with what I thought was a bright idea, buy a bus and transform it into a party bus. It took some time, but I eventually brought it to life But I didn’t want to create just any party bus. Read more>>
Angela Jarrett
Security of A Lady started with just the heart to help other women even teenage girls who was me, I’m reminded of my mentor who played such a big part in my life, and I miss her so much. She was someone who identified past the facade I carried when I was a teenager, I was angry, I had daddy issues the weight of neglect. Read more>>
Melissa Barrison
I started violin at age 9. The apartment manager who was also a former member of the San Jose symphony became great friends with my mom and offered to give me violin lessons. Read more>>
Melinda Ebert
How did I get started and how did I get to where I am today? Good question! I’ll give you the abbreviated version but know it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. It’s been more like a rollercoaster ride and a lot of hand holding with Jesus. Read more>>
Sam Stoane
I grew up in Southern California and have lived in Nashville, Tennessee for ten years now. For as long as I can remember, music and horses have always run a consistent parallel in my life. Both directly shaping me into the woman I am today. I have been heavily inspired by artists such as Gene Autry, Loretta Lynn, Eddy Arnold, Emmylou Harris, and Marty Robbins. Read more>>
Kela Ro
My entrepreneurial journey began several years ago with my passion for creating wigs. What started as something I genuinely enjoyed doing gradually developed into a business. Over the years, I continued to invest time into learning, practicing, and advancing my skills, which allowed me to grow creatively and professionally and build my brand into what it is today. 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>>
kinggbagg
I started rapping by actually producing and I wasn’t really the best at it, I could make something decent but never good enough for a rapper to take it. I started rapping on my own beats and it was fun and I fell in love with the entire process Read more>>
Kevin Cushman
When I was a child living in Tucson, I began taking drum lessons at age eight and continued for years with the lessons and then playing in various bands. In middle school, I learned guitar and picked up songwriting, which has been one of my main focuses in life. Throughout high school I challenged myself to write a song every day for the school year. Read more>>
Gabby Shepherd
The Joe Beretta Foundation started with our founder, Lillian Beretta, and her husband Joe. In the spring of 2016, Joe suddenly went into advanced heart failure, and the only thing that could save him was an LVAD, a heart pump only a small number of hospitals in the country are equipped to implant. Read more>>
Kayla Romero
My journey into egg donation and surrogacy began in a very personal and unexpected way. Years ago, I worked as a nanny for a mother who had struggled with infertility and ultimately became a mother through egg donation . Watching her experience motherhood after everything she had been through truly touched my heart. Read more>>
