The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.
Ava Tyler
I cater and I’m a private chef , and now I’m adding Baker to that lately I’ve been specializing in cake and it has been great I’m proud of my growth how my food as evolved and how I’m still learning more daily, I am a from scratch chef! Wel when it comes to Pretty Lady Catering I love to do personal pieces for my customer a keep sake from the day Read more>>
Chris Turner
TheRingFinders Directory began in 2009, when a gentleman from the United States—whom I have yet to meet in person—contacted me after seeing my metal detecting service in Vancouver, Canada, called “Finders.” He introduced himself by email and explained that he had followed my website/youtube channel for years. Read more>>
Jaelyn Reynolds
My journey into the beauty industry began during COVID, when I started doing hair under the name The Loc Assassin. At the time, I had no idea that something I simply enjoyed doing would eventually grow into a true passion, a business, and a major part of my purpose. As my skills grew, so did my vision. Read more>>
Miranda Sky
Today, I wear a lot of hats in Nashville’s music industry. Depending on the day, you might find me fronting a band, singing harmonies, building a stage, running production, designing promotional materials, managing merchandise, photographing artists, or helping a client tell their story and build their brand through Sky Reigns Media. Read more>>
Marci Preheim
I got my bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from MTSU years ago, but I’ve always been interested in Real Estate investing. I read some books on how to get started and my husband Arnie and I started out by renting out our first home in South Nashville. A year later we bought another home in that same neighborhood out of foreclosure and flipped it. Read more>>
Kenaniah Caron
Meet Kenaniah Caron If you had told me years ago that an Instagram video would change the course of my career, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I grew up in San Diego, California, where I spent years playing drums in churches throughout Southern California while also performing with artists around Los Angeles. Read more>>
Majr
I’ve been making music since I was 13. I started as a kid in Toronto, teaching myself how to produce, write songs, and DJ because I was obsessed with understanding how records were made. Over time, I realized I loved every part of the creative process, not just being the producer and writer, but being an artist as well. Read more>>
Brooke Nickaro
For most of my life, I’ve been focused on everyone else. I’m a single mom of four, I’ve worked a full-time job for years, and like many women, I put my own dreams on the back burner while making sure my family had what they needed. A few months ago, I decided it was finally my turn. Read more>>
Blue House Band
Blue House Band was formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2021. Alex Bonyata and Trey Poluga met in Tampa and moved to Nashville together in 2020. That same year, Alex met Nathan Moll through an internship at a local recording studio. I (Tony Salomone) moved to Nashville in 2021, barely knowing anyone. Read more>>
Pull From The Jar
Every great idea has a messy beginning. Right after the pandemic, four guys had a lot to say and nowhere to say it. We tossed around idea after idea — a rotating cast of 8, maybe 10 people, doing it live, going big right out the gate. None of it felt right. Too complicated. Too much. Then one night at Avery’s house, something clicked. Read more>>
Melissa Stamper
Hi, My name is Melissa. I was born in the heart of Louisiana on England Airforce Base. My parents were both extremely talented. He, a musician of several instruments, a singer and a prolific poet. My mother a singer, musician, artist and novelist. I guess you could say I came about my gifts naturally. Read more>>
Ben Denton
In 2019 I began as a Motion Pictures major at Belmont University. I had built up a passion for film during high school and really enjoyed it. My second week into College the Women’s Basketball team was looking for male practice squad players and I wanted to get involved as I was very passionate about sports as well. Read more>>
Kayla Huddleston
My name is Kayla and I am a Nashville native, born and raised. I was raised in a house on the East side of Nashville, referred to as ‘Out East’. I come from humble beginnings and I would like to think that I was raised with a good balance of love as well as survival. Read more>>
Bailey Padgett
As I became a mother and my children grew, I longed to be able to help them with all of the bumps and bruises and illnesses they sustained along the way. I was familiar with taking them to the chiropractor for these instances, but I wondered if there was some way I could provide healing with my own hands. Read more>>
Krys Midgett
If you had told me years ago that I’d end up wearing this many hats, I probably would’ve asked where I was supposed to store them all. These days, I’m the owner and editor of Life Between The Lakes magazine, where I get to tell the stories of the incredible people, businesses, and nonprofits that make our community shine. It’s an annual publication. Read more>>
Anna Groos
I discovered photography in high school, where I learned on a 35mm film camera and developed black-and-white film in the darkroom. Starting with film taught me to slow down, be intentional with every frame, and really understand light, composition, and exposure before pressing the shutter. When I graduated high school, I got my first DSLR and officially started taking clients in 2011. Read more>>
Rachelle aka Roxy O’Connell
Music has always been part of who I am. Some of my earliest memories are of going down to my parents’ basement, plugging in a microphone, and pretending I was on stage. I’d sing along to everyone from the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears to some of my dad’s favorites like Lesley Gore, The Beach Boys, and Johnny Rivers. Read more>>
Emily Pries
I’ve always been drawn to hospitality and the way great spaces can bring people together. I studied Hospitality & Tourism Management at Southern Illinois University and worked across several parts of the industry; from Disney World and Norwegian Cruise Line to breweries and restaurants, and then spent some time in digital marketing. Read more>>
Joel Guptill
I want to focus my story around two things: 1. Experiencing the gift of the communal nature of music 2. The becoming of a guy who finally began believing and trusting in himself. I was born in Eastern Canada and fell in love with music at a young age. My mom, being a piano and vocal teacher, meant there was no shortage of music encouragement. Read more>>
Brianne Bugbee
I started dreaming up Retro Grinds in 2019 after having my second son. I had been in Management for Trader Joe’s for 15 years. After having 2 boys, 20 months apart in age, my life priorities changed drastically. I wanted to be a mom that got to raise my children. I couldn’t handle the idea of working so someone else could be with my kids. Read more>>
Camryn Gardner
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up singing in every school and church choir I could be a part of, and later became the lead vocalist for my youth worship band. When I attended Clemson University, I continued performing as a member of both the university choir and an a cappella group. Read more>>
Aaron Stapler
Music runs fairly deep in my bloodline. I got a drum set at age 10, first guitar at 13; it’s been music ever since. Through the years, I’ve dipped into every genre I could. I’ve toured the country, written with many artists, played on many sessions, and produce (and I still do all of it to this day). Read more>>
Sophia Murphy
After a 20 year dance career, primarily in ballet and modern dance, I was living with chronic hip pain and numbing. I was told that I would need a hip replacement before the age of 30 if I continued dancing after a doctor deemed an injury ‘career ending’ when I was 14 years old. But that was truly where my health and wellness journey started. Read more>>
Darrell Caldwell
I begin to have a passion for helping my community when in the eighth grade, my basketball coach bought me game shoes because my mother was receiving government subsidies and could not afford them. I volunteered with Young Life and visited middle / high schools while in college for a short period of time. Read more>>
Jared Jones
I’m the singer/songwriter and guitarist for the Hard Rock band Emerge. We started like a lot of others bands, in a bedroom in my parents house right after high school. We’ve gone from playing for (or annoying) our neighbors, to stages all across the southeast playing to thousands of rock fans while sharing the stage with some of our favorite bands and biggest influences. Read more>>
Jeni Calhoun
# Christina Barclay Christina Barclay is a real estate broker, community developer, speaker, and healing practitioner whose life’s work has been shaped by resilience, faith, and a deep commitment to helping people transform their lives. Raised between Detroit, Michigan, and Nashville, Tennessee, Christina experienced adversity at an early age. Read more>>
Mike Riddle
I never set out to become a grill builder or a content creator. My career started in professional kitchens, where I spent more than twenty years working my way from dishwasher to Executive Chef. That’s where I learned to respect fire, ingredients, and the discipline great cooking demands. Read more>>
Stacey Collins
Hey, I’m Stacey and I’m the owner of Wilshire Collections, a decorating and DIY brand. I started Wilshire 13 years ago with a paint brush and a dream. Painting furniture locally, having booths in stores and doing custom work. As the years went on, I started to pivot into the online space with a blog and growing my community on social media. Read more>>
Stefan Solea
I am a lifelong artist, I see the creative process as more than an entrepreneurial pursuit, but a divine calling on my life. I began playing the guitar at seven years old and basically started writing songs immediately. I went through a turbulent upbringing in West Baltimore, which led me on a spirit quest traveling around the world with creativity as my inner guiding compass. Read more>>
Kathy Fox
I moved to the Nashville area in 2013 and was looking for a job or business that would let me get out and explore the area. When I learned about the TravelHost Nashville franchise in 2014, it was exactly what I was looking for. Read more>>
Carissa Warren
I started doing nails back in 2022 as a press-on nail artist. Now, nails and art have always been a part of my life. but I took it more seriously in that years. starting this business came in a somewhat funny way. it wasn’t because I wanted to be a business owner. in fact I wanted to be a singer. Read more>>
Kristin Schmoke
I’ve been a teacher in the truest sense of the word for over 25 years. I’ve taught children from toddlerhood through college, across nearly every type of classroom you can imagine. Traditional schools, progressive schools, Christian schools, outdoor classrooms, preschools, elementary schools, and higher education. I have a master’s degree in education, certifications in parent coaching, life and health coaching, and neuro-identity work. Read more>>
Seth Cook
Been performing since I was 5 years old. Touring with my family band. My whole family is musical. My parents are both singers/performers. My brother plays drums. We had in the high hundreds of gig experience before moving to nashville. Since being in nashville, I’ve made a few solo albums along with being a hired gun for some of the best acts in the business. Read more>>
Lucy Knowles
I was born in Nashville, so I’ve been surrounded by music since the beginning. When I was 6 years old, I was part of a community ‘Broadway Revue’ in which we performed selections from classic musicals. I was captivated by musical theatre from that moment on. My earliest songwriting efforts were parodies of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ songs. Read more>>
Alexandere Peach
The story begins with wanting to be a little different. I was always interested in tattoos and piercings which led me to getting a piercing apprenticeship at 18. I fell in love with this career with my first client experience. The came in wanting a helix piercing and she had an emotional response after seeing the piercing. Read more>>
CJ Land
As a child my mother began giving me vocal lessons, primarily in traditional country music. As a teenager we moved to Templeton, California living in a small trailer down by the railroad tracks. Read more>>
Krys- Christopher Penn-McCroskey
My passion for cooking began at a very young age, just as my passion for hairstyling did. One day, I simply woke up and decided I wanted to become a chef. From that moment on, I dedicated myself to learning and mastering a wide variety of cuisines, while also developing a love for creating desserts. Read more>>
Jimmy Sullivan
I was very young when a family friend pointed out to my parents that I seemed to have a natural ear for music. Mom and dad subsequently put me in different music classes and instrument lessons (piano, clarinet and singing in choir) that didn’t stick with me and I lost interest quickly. Read more>>
Jennifer Carland
People sometimes assume I started by loving maps, but really I started by loving places. Even as a kid, I was fascinated by architecture, cities, and the idea of exploring the world. As a kid, my ‘dream job’ was to be a tour guide of the Egyptian ruins. Read more>>
Jenna Kay
Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started performing at five years old in musical theater, where I fell in love with being on stage and telling stories through music. Read more>>
Kelvin Chambliss
My story began at the Barger Academy of Fine Arts. During those years, I was placed in classes such as Art, Dance, Choir, and Theatre. I quickly developed a love for theatre, which would continue throughout middle school and high school, where I would write short plays for class! Read more>>
Emily Gray, APRN ( on behalf of Smart Skin Med Spa)
Over 25 years ago, Smart Skin Med Spa began as the vision of a single esthetician, our founder, Carmen Meherg. Through hard work, dedication, and a passion for helping others feel confident in their skin, she built what started as a one woman practice into a thriving, family owned business. Read more>>
Marcus Williams
I discovered gymnastics during my freshman year of high school, and what started as a new challenge quickly became a lifelong passion. Through years of training, I fell in love with tumbling, acrobatics, and constantly pushing myself to grow as an athlete. Read more>>
Lisa de Jong
My work actually started long before I ever called myself a coach. I had my own journey with chronic period pain and endometriosis, and for years I just tolerated it, the way so many women are taught to. Everything shifted one evening when I sat down to try a womb meditation, of all things, right before heading out to my brother’s engagement dinner. Read more>>
Jonathan Louis
My Story My artistic journey began when I was 16 years old at Studio Evi’Danse in Auxerre, France, where I discovered singing, acting and musical theatre. That was the first place where I realized the stage wasn’t simply somewhere to perform—it was where I felt most alive. Looking back, that was the moment a dream quietly began. Read more>>
Charles Walden
My love for music started when I was a kid. I fell in love with the sound of the drums—the rhythm, the energy, and the feeling of simply playing without knowing anything except that it made me happy. Growing up in church, I was inspired by watching my cousin play the drums, which made me want a set of my own. Read more>>
Zëta Ræ
Growing up, I always loved singing and performing. I moved around a lot, and as an only child, I spent a lot of time on my own, which gave me the opportunity to build a rich inner world. I sang everywhere I could – choir, musicals, church, talent shows – which eventually led me to attend Berklee College of Music. Read more>>
Lillian Hyde
Hard work and creativity have been the foundation of my life. I was raised on a farm in Southern Kentucky where almost everyone in my family has lived and/or worked for. From an early age, my mom, grandmother, and aunts saw my talents and pushed me to keep seeking creative outlets. Read more>>
Gabriel Hernandez
I was born in New York City, but when I was six my family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida—the same year my grandmother gave me my first guitar. I’ve been hooked ever since. By high school, I knew I probably wasn’t destined to be a rock star, but I never lost my passion for music. Read more>>
BENJAMIN CALEB CGP
Since my childhood, I’ve always been intimidated by music, I didn’t have enough self-confidence to say I could become a musician, I could never have imagined that one day I would have the ability to convey emotions, to move hearts, to make people cry, it was such a great act in my eyes that I didn’t feel capable of it. Read more>>
