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.
Deanna Dellia 
I’m a clinical psychotherapist, dark romance author, and podcast host. I was an extremely quiet, introspective kid that dealt with a lot of trauma and abuse. This pushed me toward helping professions, and a deep desire to become the person I needed growing up. And after much schooling, practicum, and internships, I became a clinical psychotherapist. Read more>>
Daniel Lawson
Music has been part of my life for about as long as I can remember. I was just a little fella when I started singing. By the time I was five or six, I had one of those little karaoke machines, and I would sing constantly. By 11, I was pretty convinced I was an unofficial member of the Backstreet Boys. Read more>>
melissa newman 
I am a painter and mixed media artist and educator originally from Chattanooga, TN. I currently I live in Donelson with my husband and thirteen year old daughter. I grew up much better at doing things than saying things and have always found comfort in making. Read more>>
Valerie M Wilhite R 
I was born in Knoxville and grew up in Murfreesboro. If you know what Middle Tennessee was like in the late 80s and 90s you’ll understand how magnetic Nashville was. To those not from here, Nashville was Music City because of Country Music. But if you lived here you knew the music scene was far richer than one single genre. Read more>>
J.K. Coltrain 
J. K. Coltrain was born in Columbus, Ohio. He spent his early childhood days between there and West Virginia where his parents operated a small Mom & Pop grocery store. His Dad also was an excellent auto mechanic and in fact owned a number of repair shops over the years and was a weekend stock car racer. That’s one reason why J. K. Read more>>
Zelena Hull
My largest project I’m currently working on is called single of the week. When I was studying for my bachelor’s in contemporary music, I decided to develop my skills further by pushing myself to create and distribute a full scale release every week. I’ve been releasing a fully original song every Friday in which I composed, wrote, recorded, and played each instrument/synth myself. Read more>>
Jake (Shuteye vocalist) Marcov 
I’d moved to Nashville in 2020 from Iowa, 3 months after turning 18. knowing nothing about myself or the world except that making music was the only thing I cared about. While trying to figure it all out I spent a couple years falling on my face, whether I didn’t have the maturity to be consistent or the people around me didn’t. Read more>>
Porscha Carter 
I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and my journey has been anything but traditional. I’ve always had a passion for creativity, fashion, travel, and connecting with people, but my professional journey actually started in healthcare. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Public Health and later went on to receive my MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. Read more>>
Jah Dreddz 
I started young in the entertainment industry, and I have Pioneered through every area from every aspect of understanding brings growth. Currently I have built a solid Brand bringing together Arts & Culture, whether it be Painting, Photography, Music, TV Production, Content Creating, Graphic Arts, ETC or giving back to Our Communities & Our Children. Read more>>
Halee Sprinkle 
If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d be running my own marketing company, speaking in front of rooms full of people, mentoring entrepreneurs, and building a career around some of my favorite things, I’m not sure I would have believed you. But looking back, the pieces were always there. Read more>>
Ben Woods 
I’ve always been drawn to both music and art. I started playing guitar when I was about eight, and all through high school I was drawing constantly. When I got to college, music took the lead. I played in bands, performed shows around Nashville, and got into producing electronic music. I still made art here and there, but it became more of a side thing. Read more>>
Joy Crystal Powell 
It all started when I couldn’t find anyone to cater my birthday brunch. I went on a search for chefs and caterers in my area. To my luck I just couldn’t find what I was looking for. Read more>>
Jeff Yarbrough 
Started in a small community theater with a 640 seat 1920’s art deco theater, and quickly became president of the arts council, and the theater. We were sponsoring plays, concerts and art of all types. That lead rather quickly into video production, and my first feature-length film project in Memphis. I went deeper into music videos, features, shorts and industrial/educational video production. Read more>>
Brandy Kemp 
I spent over 20 years as a professional photographer, and if you had told me back then that I would eventually own a marketing agency, I probably would have laughed. But looking back, it makes perfect sense. When you own a small business, you learn pretty quickly that being good at what you do is only part of the equation. Read more>>
Jamal Govan 
My photography journey began in 2015 at Tennessee State University. Growing up, I was always surrounded by cameras, which sparked my passion for photography and creativity. That passion eventually led me to pursue a degree in Graphic Design and Media Marketing, allowing me to turn something I loved into a business. Read more>>
Misty Clark 
I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, in a small two-bedroom home with my mother and grandmother in a neighborhood now known as Westwood-Houston. We didn’t have much growing up, and there were times when my family struggled to make ends meet. But looking back, I realize that some of the most valuable lessons I learned came from those early years. Read more>>
Jerry Reynolds
I have been a custom home builder for 30 years as well as being in the building and construction industry for 50. My dad and I collected knives for as long as I can remember and in the early 1980’s, we owned a furniture business called ‘The Trading Post.’ In the 2000’s, I started collecting again, not just knives but vintage and antique goods. Read more>>
Lisa Ciesliga 
My family had moved out to the country next to a horse farm in Madisonville, Kentucky when I was a young teen. The owner of the horses gave me one thirtyish minute horse lesson : how to properly saddle and bridle a horse, and how to steer once mounted. That was all it took for me. Read more>>
Isaiah Thomas 
Our story matters; all of our stories matter. You have a voice, and you deserve to be heard. When I was 3 years old, I discovered basketball. My parents saw how much I loved basketball, so they got me my first hoop, Laker jersey, and mini basketball. I love my parents because they were the first humans that cared about me. Read more>>
Spencer Lee IV
My journey has been about discovering what I want for myself and having the courage to pursue it. I’ve always had a creative side, and over time, I’ve wanted to find ways to turn that creativity into something of my own. Over the years, I’ve been figuring out who I am, what I’m good at, and what I want out of life. Read more>>
Mariyah Higgins 
I’ve always had a love for visual art. As a child, it was my main interest in and out of school. After attempting to pursue visual arts through a magnet program in high school (2009) and being rejected, I stopped practicing for a long time until a few months after I had my daughter in 2018. I needed an outlet for depression. Read more>>
Diego ‘Bull’ Avello 
I’m from Cangas del Narcea, a small mountain town in Asturias, northern Spain. No rock scene there!. I fell in love with American rock & roll through cassettes, vinyls and TV, Elvis, Chuck Berry, ZZ Top, and that became my direction. Read more>>
Gabrielle Jesse 
I never really set out to become a vintage stylist. I just always loved clothes that felt like they had a story. I’ve always been drawn to the thrill of finding something unexpected, an old pair of bell bottoms, a perfectly worn-in jacket, a funky little western piece, and figuring out how I could make it feel fresh and completely my own. Read more>>
Lorenzo Hawkins, III Jacques Merrell 
Lorenzo and Jacques both worked at a telecommunications company years ago. In the midst of working together, both noticed that they were fans of the Tennessee Titans. Once noticed, this opened conversations about the team. They both realized that they were both from Nashville, TN as well. Read more>>
Brittney Bennett-Mahmoud 
My story is one of resilience, growth, and purpose. I was born and raised in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica. At 16, I moved to New Jersey. It was a pivotal age that brought new beginnings and challenges. During this time, I tragically lost my dad. While that loss was incredibly difficult, it strengthened my resilience and shaped my perspective on life. Read more>>
Kaylen Kelsey Kristen Kassab The K3 Sisters Band
Since its formation in 2009 the K3 Sisters Band has been led by sisters Kaylen Kassab (27), Kelsey Kassab (25) and Kristen Kassab (22). Kaylen: As the oldest of the three of us, I was introduced to the Suzuki method for violin at the age of 4. Read more>>
Leslee Mitchell 
I’m a photographer based in Nashville, TN who specializes in photographing architecture, interior design, advertising, people and toy cars. Before photography, I practiced law in Atlanta for a large corporate firm. Long story short, I have passionately loved and been moved by photos my whole life. I saw pictures long before owning a camera. My photos are most known for light, color and beauty. Read more>>
Elizabeth Bucher 
Caring for the vulnerable is a calling I take to heart as a person of faith. I was raised by my parents, along with my younger sister, in a loving Christian home in Cookeville, TN. My parents are artists at heart and cultivated our home as a place of learning, creativity, and love. Read more>>
Daniel Krenz 
I grew up in a musical family: my dad is professional guitar player, and my mom is a pianist. I learned how to read music from the piano bench, as did both of my brothers. There was a variety of music in my house growing up from Jazz, Classical, Gospel, etc. Read more>>
Master Park
My martial arts journey began when I was eight years old in South Korea. As a young boy with endless energy, I was fascinated by Taekwondo—the movements, the kicks, and the action immediately captured my attention. At the time, however, my parents could not afford the tuition. Read more>>
Christopher Austin 
I never met my father face to face. Today, I’m raising four sons of my own. I often say God must have a sense of humor—but being their father has become one of the greatest privileges of my life. My story began in Los Angeles, California, where my mother raised three boys on her own. I’m the oldest. Read more>>
Rachel Schumacher 
I moved to Nashville in June of 2022 to pursue music full time after being rejected from Veterinary school. I had been singing & writing songs prior to that, but not as more than a hobby. In the back of my head, I always knew music was my true passion, but didn’t think it was possible to make a career out of. Read more>>
Ty Mathews
I started organizing sports leagues and tournaments to help my community and make people happy. The growth continued to the point that I had a full scale business and began providing jobs for others. Providing jobs and extra income streams for people who love sports is one of the greatest joys of my job along with providing social outlets for individuals and families. Read more>>
Tiffany Ford 
I spent years in HR, most recently as a senior recruiter. I loved working with people, but I kept noticing that the decisions that mattered most, like who we hired, why people left, and where we were losing candidates, all came down to data. I wanted to be the person who could actually read that story, not just hear about it after the fact. Read more>>
Susanna B Long 
Born and raised between the distinct landscapes of Denmark and Spain, my journey to becoming an artist has been anything but linear. After graduating from the Copenhagen Business School, I spent a significant chapter of my career working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. Read more>>
Jewel Walcott Johnson
My story has had a lot of chapters, and for years, I wondered why they seemed so disconnected. I was born in the Bronx, New York. My mother passed away when I was five, and shortly afterward I moved to Michigan to live with relatives. Read more>>
Samantha Youngblutt 
I’ve been in the beauty industry for over 20 years. My grandmother was a hairdresser in the 60s and 70s, where she did competitive beehive competitions. She taught me everything she knew, which is why bridal and special event styling has always had such a special place in my heart. Read more>>
Adam Smith 2nd 
Growing up in Memphis, a musical family, I was surrounded by music from a young age. Both my parents are musicians who perform at church. At the tender age of two, they noticed my innate ability to keep time with any music I heard and gifted me my first drum set. Read more>>
Terrie Drescher
I went back to school as an older adult and fell in love with the entire clay process. I started selling at shows while still at student at IU Southeast in New Albany, Indiana and then sold out of our coffee shop, Grinders Switch in Pekin, Indiana. In 2015 life simply got in the way and I got out of the pottery business completely. Read more>>
Elizabeth Goff 
I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember. Dabbled in writing and photography throughout my childhood and teenage years. I picked up photography again in my 20s, earned my bachelor’s in photography, and graduated in ’25. Started writing again in 2020, then tapered off and picked it back up in November of 25. Read more>>
Jack Bouchard 
The idea for Acme Armi started when I was working at another firearms store in Murfreesboro. It used to be a destination store until customer service was no longer the priority. Profit margins and faster transaction became the goal. Read more>>
Kelsey Brasher 
I went to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) for a music business degree at first, not design. Somewhere along the way, I got assigned a project to record a song, and I ended up way more obsessed with designing the album art than the song itself. Read more>>
Brandon Lay 
I moved to Nashville in July of 2010. My sister taught kindergarten in Murfreesboro and had an extra room so the segue was easier than if I had come from Kansas or somewhere far. I was blessed to have that runway. Read more>>
Maura Feaheny
I have known a true love for design since I was 14 years old, when my parents bought an old colonial home in Michigan. This home was fully gutted and remodeled and I was fortunate to shadow the General Contractor, Designer and the Architect for that home renovation. Through my high school years, I aimed to become an architect. Read more>>
Tosha Kozloski 
I started Mouthy Matters because I kept realizing how much people don’t know about what’s happening in their own mouths, and how much it can matter to the rest of their body. I’ve spent years teaching dental teams about the mouth-body connection, oral bacteria, inflammation, microscopy, and salivary testing. At some point I thought, why are we only having these conversations with dental professionals? Read more>>
Prana Kishore 
Article Title : 119 Albums,5 Grammy Entries for PLUR D, Nirvana Dasakam -Who Are You?, One Global Mission: Meet Nashville’s Visionary Artist, Prana Kishore My musical journey began early, at the age of seven, when I started learning music from a blind teacher who deeply shaped my ear and intuition for sound. Read more>>
