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.
Phil Watson
I started playing music at a young age. My entire family were all a musical. I remember being just a kid and listening to my family play music. It was inevitable that would be the path I would take. I started off singing in children’s choirs and then became a saxophone player. Read more>>
Tatiana Marie
I grew up in Miami in a Cuban-American family, which isn’t exactly where you’d expect a country artist to come from. But I fell in love with country music young, and over time, the PRCA rodeo community became a second home to me. Read more>>
Martha Lupai
Roots & Community Service: Born in Ethiopia with Sudanese heritage, Martha moved to the US in 1995 and graduated from Tennessee State University in 2000 with a B.S. in Social Work. She served Nashville as a social worker for seven years (including at the YWCA domestic violence center and Metro Head Start) before entering entrepreneurship. Read more>>
Beth
Founded with a passion for entertainment and fan engagement, In 2016 following a death in the family, The founder (Beth) decided to join in on the Celebrity personal appearances as a side job that is now a full time job. Pink Daisy Celebrity Entertainment has grown into a premier agency for celebrity bookings with at least 4-6 employees and handlers all over the country! Read more>>
Gina McDougall
So when I started on social media I was like 18, and it’s wild to think of. Read more>>
Christian Music Guys
Christian Music Guys: From a Family Idea to a Sold-Out Nashville Event What started as a simple idea between three brothers to reminisce about the Christian music they grew up on has become a story none of them could have written themselves. Read more>>
Jennifer Iyase
My creative journey really began in college. I was a Resident Assistant, the president of one campus organization, and the social media coordinator for another. Each role brought me into contact with people from different cultures and backgrounds and gave me opportunities to bring people together in creative ways. Read more>>
Sari Jordan
My name is Sari Jordan (they/them) and I’m a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. I’m originally from New Jersey and arrived to New Orleans in 2018 for school. Somehow I found the band kids and figured out that I was supposed to be singing. Then some things just found me. A Grateful Dead cover band, Black American Music combo, recording sessions. Read more>>
Matheus Granjeiro Granjeiro
I’m a Brazilian singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Brasília, Brazil. My relationship with music began when I started learning piano at seven years old, and I later picked up drums, guitar, and other instruments. Read more>>
Jake Seipel
Our family owned business Kron, started out at the end of 2018 when the farm bill allowed access to cannabis hemp products. There is a small family dynamic that pushed us towards the hemp industry when it became legal to sell. We built a business as a high quality cannabis dispensary with a more welcoming feel. Read more>>
Evelynroze
My name is Evelynroze. I’m a 24-year-old singer/songwriter, actress, multi-instrumentalist, and advocate originally from Paxton, Massachusetts, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. I honestly don’t remember a time in my life when music and performing weren’t a huge part of who I was. Read more>>
River Eckert
River Eckert (b. Oct. 9, 2009) is a 16-year-old piano player born and raised in New Orleans, LA. From a very young age, River has been surrounded by music. Immersed in the styles of legends such as Professor Longhair, James Booker, Dr. Read more>>
Zach Wolfe
It started in junior high with guitar lessons, the way it does for a lot of people who could play the intro to a song and then not much else. I kept taking lessons through high school, learning scales and chords and picking patterns, but I was bored, and I finally quit. Which (to my parents’ chagrin) is when I actually started learning guitar. Read more>>
Fimone
I’ve always been a storyteller first. Music just became the place where I learned how to tell the truth. I grew up in rural Minneosta in the middle of nowhere, on a farm. Read more>>
Melvinia Ford
My journey began long before ReBirth Holistic Healing had a name. In many ways, the work I do today grew out of my own journey of healing, self-discovery, and learning how to rebuild after some of the most difficult experiences of my life. I experienced significant loss at a very young age, losing my mother as a child and my father as a teenager. Read more>>
Ramallah Brown
I started modeling in 2024 during my second year of college after reaching out to a photographer who was looking for models for a free photoshoot. From there, I began building my portfolio through multiple shoots each month. I was uncomfortable at first, but modeling quickly became a way for me to express myself and build confidence. Read more>>
Eliza Williams
Eliza Williams is a multidisciplinary artist whose work interconnects the worlds of professional acting, writing, poetry, and film. Born in Cleveland, Mississippi, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Eliza began acting in 2002 when she auditioned for her high school play and landed the role of Bernice in August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson. Read more>>
Crazy Cam
My name is Cameron, professionally known as CrazyCam, and I’m a hip-hop artist from Lexington, Kentucky. My journey started from simply loving music and having a personality that naturally stood out. Music became a way for me to express myself, tell my story, and connect with people. The name CrazyCam actually came from Kash Doll back in 2014 because of my personality. Read more>>
Nyke Latrice
Who Is Nyke Latrice? Nyke Latrice is a multifaceted entrepreneur, author, and industry leader with over 20 years of experience spanning healthcare, beauty, and personal development. She is a licensed Medical Aesthetician, Phlebotomist, Lifestyle Coach, International Makeup & Skincare Educator, and Motivational Speaker dedicated to empowering women to evolve through life’s lessons by learning, loving, and elevating themselves. Read more>>
Kenna Elpers
I originally grew up in a small town in southern Indiana. From a young age I fell in love with music. I enjoyed listening to classic country 80s rock and blues. When I was 11 years old, I declared right then in there I wanted to be a country music singer one day. Read more>>
Christine Black
My journey in media started in Birmingham, Alabama, when I was in college. In 2016, I got my first real opportunity in radio, working with 102.9 The Buzz and 102.5 The Game. That experience introduced me to the world of broadcasting and gave me the confidence to realize that media was something I wanted to build a career around. Read more>>
Kloe Hilton
My story is really one of rebuilding, rediscovering myself, and learning how to turn the life I’ve lived into something meaningful for others. I started sharing pieces of my life online because I wanted a space that felt real. Motherhood, everyday adventures, creativity, travel, the outdoors, and the beautiful—and sometimes difficult—parts of life became the foundation of my platform. Read more>>
Hannah Smuda
I moved to Nashville straight out of college to pursue a career in the music industry on the touring/live event production side. This is what I have done for most of my career. In the pandemic, obviously my career was grounded and that is when I completed my Yoga Teacher Training. Read more>>
Ross King
I never saw myself as a musician. It just sort of happened. I grew up in Texas, and it was a very cliche Texas childhood. Lots of small town life and hard work. I didn’t know anyone who actually had a career in music, so I was never aspiring to that. I don’t think I even knew that was a possibility. Read more>>
Erin Hale
Bad Spell Books started as a dream I had in the midst of one of the most difficult seasons of my life. While walking with my brother during a life-threatening illness and liver transplant, I found myself in a season of rediscovering. I was struggling with my mental health and having a hard time showing up for everyone in my life, including myself. Read more>>
Patrick Sharrow
I grew up just outside Albany, New York, in a town called Rotterdam, and pretty much from the start, music was a huge part of my life. I started taking piano lessons as a kid and eventually taught myself how to play guitar. Read more>>
Jessica Ludwig
The Rae of Light Foundation was born out of the most devastating moment of our lives — the loss of our daughter, Jillian Rae Ludwig. Jillian was 18 years old and a freshman at Belmont University in Nashville, studying Music Business. Music was her passion and Nashville was exactly where she wanted to be. Read more>>
Lisbeth Hernandez
Hello reader! My name is Lisbeth Hernandez, and I’m a licensed lash artist in both Texas and Tennessee. I went to Glance Lash Academy in Fort Worth, Texas, and after graduating, I started doing lashes full-time and building my clientele. Eventually, I decided to move to Tennessee and completely start fresh. The main reason I moved here was actually for love! Read more>>
Kelly Alayna
I grew up in the small town of Hazlehurst, Georgia, and I’ve been playing piano since I was about five or six years old. Music has always been a part of my life—from playing piano and singing specials at my small church to being involved in both symphonic and marching band throughout school. Read more>>
Lisa Scimeca
My partner and I purchased the coffee shop in 2018 on a whim. We lived locally and would frequent the shop for delicious coffees. One day I said to the owner, Benney Pulley ‘Hey, if you ever decide to sell the coffee shop, let me know’. Read more>>
Blair Ryker
I think most writers say, I’ve always loved writing or I’ve always wanted to be a writer and that is true for me as well. Storytelling has played a major role in pretty much every aspect of my creative life for as long as I can remember. Read more>>
Rick Prince
Rick Prince is an award-winning special effects artist, filmmaker, and creative force known for delivering cinematic visions with precision, passion, and cutting-edge artistry. With over 30 years of professional experience in practical effects, character design, and immersive storytelling, Rick has built a global reputation for bringing bold concepts to life – from screen to stage to studio. Read more>>
Taylor Johnson
Nashville native who went to study at SCAD (Savannah College of art and design) briefly then moved back to Nashville and continued my studies in photography at Watkins college of art and design. After working a variety of jobs I eventually opened up my own studio, Taylormade Photography and started doing what I love. Read more>>
TRULY ALVARENGA
I’ve been in the fashion industry for about 20 years, but I’ve been making things for much longer than that. I was homeschooled and one of eight kids. I had a wonderfully unconventional childhood. Read more>>
Alicia Braswell
I was known, all my life, as someone who gave everything to everyone. President of the People Pleasing Club — I put them before me, always, never realizing how much chaos that was quietly creating in me. I checked all the boxes in life. But there was one question I kept coming back to: who am I? Read more>>
Tycho Bergquist
Where other coaches see their clients hit plateaus a get injured, I created Inner Core Gainz to train the mind muscle along with the physical muscles–and reduce risk even more. Read more>>
Amy Leader
I was going through a mid-career transition after having worked in for profit healthcare the past ten years. Read more>>
Graeme Morris
Risology Club started in 2015, in the back garage of Queen Ave. Coming from a graphic design and printing background, we were drawn to the aesthetic of the Risograph printing process. Riso is a lot like screenprinting or letterpress, where each is printed separately, one color at a time, and layered to produce the final print. Read more>>
Sydney Barham
I used to work as a dental assistant for years. After I had my second child I got out of dentistry and was working part time at an investment office so I could be more present with my girls and have a more flexible schedule. Read more>>
Marie
Creativity has always been a part of who I am. When I was little, I remember wanting to grow up and be an artist. At the time, I pictured myself drawing and creating traditional art, so it’s kind of full-circle that I did grow up to become an artist—just in a different way. Read more>>
Pierre Banco
I started making music around 2011-2012 with a bunch of my close buddies. It was like 5-7 of us, which was crazy cause we all had different styles of music. Some of us stopped but I still wanted more. Now in 2026, I’m wiser and most polished than before. Two projects and a handful of singles in. We got more on the way of course. Read more>>
Elizabeth Kasyanyuk
My name is Elizabeth Kasyanyuk. I am a designer, writer, and media director based in Nashville, TN. I am the founder of the ethical fashion brand and creative platform – Rendered Free. I grew up captivated with many different things, and struggled for a time to choose a focus as I felt pulled in many different directions as a young person. Read more>>
Kelly Motley
I was miserable at my corporate job and wanted something to do on the weekends to offset my free time. I knew a high school friend that had a successful lash business in Atlanta. I got in touch with her and she trained me, the rest is history. The hard work, determination and mindset, to never fail, is what carried me thus far. Read more>>
Elham Fanoos
I was born at a time where music was banned in Afghanistan and that was during the height of first Taliban rule. My father, Ahmad Fanoos, is a renowned Afghan singer, and he secretly practiced and made music at home during those difficult times. Therefore, I was born in a family with strong musical influence. Read more>>
Alice Nelson
My music journey started when I was just 3 years old, singing in church. I quickly discovered that I absolutely loved being in front of people and sharing music. By the time I was 7, I was performing regularly at BBQ competitions my dad competed in. Read more>>
Alejandra Guanipa Camargo
I officially started my content creation journey on February 24, 2026. My journey into motherhood is still very recent. I became a stay-at-home mom when my first son, Emiliano, was born, and he is now three and a half years old. Read more>>
Anna O’Connor
When I first started selling I had just gone through a divorce and I had a lot of things to sell . It kept me busy and helped me to get rid of the old and start a new. I enjoyed every aspect from the photo taking to the research and meeting the customers. Read more>>
Brody Hall
I actually got my start photographing Santa Claus. Back in 1989, I started working with one of the companies that did Santa photos in shopping malls. It sounds like a strange place to start a photography career, but I learned something there that I’ve carried with me ever since: don’t get trapped behind the camera. You have to interact with people first. Read more>>
Fawn
My journey into the entertainment world began when I was six months old, appearing in national television commercials for Cain’s Coffee and others. I started print modeling around age two. Read more>>
Vic Griffin
Back in 2020, covid came along and took away two of my 3 jobs was working at the time. One being a cook, catering delivery driver, and a In Home Expert, so CFA, Zaxbys, and Asurion. Decided to take a risk and bet on myself and my talents. Read more>>
Nicole Miller
My name is Nicole Miller, I’m originally from West Des Moines, Iowa. I moved to Nashville after high school to attend Belmont, where I went to school for a year before dropping out and pursuing music full time. I was a singer/songwriter full time for years; working on songs for other artists and putting out my own EP ‘Lonely On the Weekend’. Read more>>
Maggy Wheeler
I grew up taking pictures of everything. My dad was an incredible hobbyist photographer. When I was about 13 he gave me his old Nikon film camera that he used for everything. We went on photo taking adventures regularly. Once the film was used we would then take the film to get developed and he would give me feedback on the prints. Read more>>
