Hidden Gems: Local Businesses & Creatives You Should Know

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.

Levi Christopher

Both of us have day jobs and full lives, so we’ve developed Indie Rock Catalog at an easy and controlled pace. This has helped keep things fun and manageable, but has made for a longer process of seeing what works for us. At the beginning of our journey of just trying to act on this idea, we asked each other “what exactly do we do?” several times. We weren’t sure if we were aspiring YouTubers, podcasters, journalists, or record label founders, so we threw a lot of ideas at the wall to discover what we felt best about bringing to an audience. Read more>>

Magaly

The entrepreneurial journey is rarely a straightforward one. Juggling the demands of family life with the all-consuming nature of a startup often requires a constant recalibration of priorities. Yet, despite these challenges, an unwavering energy and a deep-seated desire to create persist. I find that establishing a strong brand presence is particularly complex. While numerous tools and resources exist, the competitive landscape is significant, making the initial stages a demanding yet essential process of learning and growth. Read more>>

Brandon Larsen

I’ve always been into photography growing up. Ever since my parents bought their first smartphone I’d take it as often as possible to take photos of whatever I could. At the time it would mainly be nature and landscape photos. Flowers, cool views, animals whatever it may be. Once I got my license I bought my first camera. A Canon Rebel SL3. I would travel to any state park I could and take photos of whatever was there. I always had a passion for cars so I decided to combine the two and created my automotive photography Instagram page on September 1st 2022. Since then I have made it official and created Larsen Media LLC. In November 2024 I moved from Wisconsin to Raleigh NC to expand my business! Read more>>

Jakara Vincent

Owning your own business is NOT an easy task. There are so many things to do and when it’s just you it rests all on your shoulders. I have found that marketing is the biggest hurdle to conquer. Without good marketing no one will visit your site and you don’t make sales. With the new age of social media and so many platforms to sell on its, hard to cultivate media to find your true audience. Word of mouth is great but there are millions of people that could be potential customers and you have to find a way to reach them. Read more>>

Genita Spencer

By then, God had already blessed my husband and me with one grandson, born three years before COVID. When the second arrived just 18 months before the pandemic, our weekends were filled with giggles, snacks, and hugs. We saw them every weekend—until we couldn’t. When the world started talking about how children might affect the elderly, especially those with pre-existing conditions, everything changed. Our joyful routine vanished overnight. Read more>>

Amanda Ramey

The reality is, not everyone is ready for therapy. Some women are unsure where to start, some don’t feel emotionally safe enough to dive in just yet, and others face barriers like time, finances, or lack of access. I wanted to bridge that gap—to provide accessible, approachable resources that support healing in the everyday moments. Tools that help women begin rebuilding their sense of safety, reconnect with themselves, and take meaningful steps forward—no matter where they are on their journey. Read more>>

Emma Whitehead

That Christmas, I did my first market at Surfin’ Spoon back in the OBX. It went well, so I started looking into summer markets for the upcoming season, when I’d be home from college. I graduated from ECU in 2021, and shortly after, my old high school back in the OBX reached out to see if I’d be interested in teaching. I accepted the job, moved back in with my parents, and spent the next year working as a high school band director—while continuing to sell swimsuits on the side. Read more>>

Parys Braxton

It has definitely been far from a smooth road. Being so young in the real estate industry has come with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest struggles has been overcoming the assumptions people sometimes make based on my age or experience level. I’ve had to work hard to prove that I’m just as capable, knowledgeable, and dedicated as agents who have been in the field for many years. Read more>>

Brittany Dunn

I end up joining a group that I found on craigslist. This guy, Keith Washo, came from California and wanted to put on a show called the Love Show for Valentine’s Day. I saw it as an opportunity of growth, I reached out to him and from there a relationship grew. I stayed with the group for about 2 to 3 years. We would do Valentine’s Day specials where we will all come together and sing classic love songs. Deep down I still want it more. I want more personalized music, so I learned how to write my own songs. Were they the best? No not all the time, but I was always determined to keep growing, despite what others would say. A lot of times I would feel down because I knew I had more potential that I just did not know how to unlock. Read more>>

Bozhena Etin

Starting the business all over again in NC, with no contacts was the greatest challenge. However through joining different leadership initiatives and networking with women in business organizations the network of great contractors, interior designers and clients has grown and allowed my business to do well in my new home state. Read more>>

Heather Stephenson

I feel fortunate to have grown up in an open-minded household. We weren’t sitting around discussing deep spiritual concepts, but the existence of ghosts and aliens was more or less a given. Halloween was a big deal—lots of dry ice and fake spider web material. I was always instructed to make the spider webs look as realistic as possible: no big clumps! Read more>>

Camellia Jade

Because I have a background and modeling a very easily hopped in front of the camera for product photos, as well as showcasing the clothes on the live shows. From there, it was a slow evolution to hosting the live shows, and taking ownership of photo shoots for new inventory. Read more>>

Hannah Darakjian

Thus far, my business is off to a great start! There are some limitations to running a home bakery in NC, as far as what can and cannot be sold. I cannot sell desserts that require refrigeration – cheesecakes, cream cheese frosting, mousse, etc are not offered. However, there are many great alternatives! I even have a cheesecake-flavored cake that is in compliance with the food laws. There are also many wonderful options for fillings for cakes – buttercream, jams, ganache, whipped ganache (very similar to mousse), caramel, etc. Read more>>

Jeremy Cucinella

My brother Andrew and I grew up in FL in our dad’s bakery/pizzeria. Pizza and baking has been the family business since 1932, when Veltre bakery opened in Rochester NY. After college, we pursued different careers—me in retail consulting in NC, Andrew stayed in restaurants and was working in CO—but we always held out hope that we could get the family back together and do a joint venture. Read more>>

Max Rivera

Since there were a lot of market companies in the area, we wanted to separate ourselves in this space, which led to our Underground Markets (Market and Concert series with Oak City Music), our Foodie Fares (Foodie and Arts Markets featuring a food truck rodeo), and our new Raleigh and Durham Nights (Night Market Series featuring vendors, a live DJ and performances from Dakota Fox Entertainment). We wanted to truly bring experiences to the community and think that’s what pop-up markets were lacking in the area. Read more>>

Ja’Nell Henry

The idea for the market was born through the vision of my father, Rickey Henry, during one of those events, after him and I sat and listened to the powerful stories and advocacy of two older Black farmers. They asked directly: “Can you all host this more often?” That moment stuck with me. Their ask wasn’t just about markets. It was about visibility, sustainability, and legacy. That conversation was the spark, and from it, the Black Farmers’ Market was born. It is rooted in the spirit of community, service, and urgent need. Read more>>

Drew & DeAnna Fex

Our Coffee Trailer idea was then slowly brought to life. We love supporting small and local businesses whenever possible so we used a spouse owned trailer business in the area to custom build a small concession trailer for us, a family owned Graphics company for the logos and such, and yet another family owned Coffee Roaster in the Wilmington area for our equipment and coffee needs. Add in a ton of behind the scenes paperwork and boring legal stuff and Drew’s Brews Coffee Trailer was open for business (July 2023)! Read more>>

Karley Mitchell

I tend to struggle with wanting to make sure what I capture is true to my client and that they will love it and cherish it for a lifetime. With that being said, it warms my heart when my clients enjoy my photography and continue to come back with each new milestone. It gives me the opportunity to really get to know them on a personal level. Read more>>

Pooja Gurudatt

Coming from a middle-class business family, I had always been exposed to the art of entrepreneurship—managing clients, understanding business strategies, and learning how to walk the walk and talk the talk. Inspired by my father, I dreamed of becoming the first female entrepreneur in my family. But like many in Bengaluru at the time, I followed the traditional path, pursuing a degree in computer science and eventually landing my first job as a software engineer. Read more>>

Melissa Korey

I have a lifelong love of the arts. When I was much younger I danced, was in theater, and always had a sketch pad nearby. Life rolls on as it is wont to do. Working a 9-5 desk job left me needing an artistic outlet. Scrolling through videos on social media, I heard a woman speaking about how she used to face paint in the park for tips. That wiggled its way into my brain. Here’s something that I could easily love and could also replace my current part time side gig for extra income. I searched for “face painters near me” and found there was a definite hole in the market that I could fill. I ordered some cheap face paints for practice and I loved it. I did lots of research on quality products, current trends, and running this as a business. Read more>>

Hannah Hall

I started wedding paintings in 2018! I’ve been honored to paint at over 120ish weddings! I’ve worked with some amazing vendors at some beautiful places… but most importantly I’ve painted for some incredible people. Capturing their love in a moment with my brush is something that I will never take for granted! And the fact that they choose ME to play a small part of their big day is so special! Read more>>

Bryan & Judy Lee & Werckle

We started doing pop-ups with an adorable custom mobile trailer, while keeping our day jobs. In order to move toward taking the business full-time, we explored every avenue of what that could look like (trailer or not). Thanks to a friend’s suggestion, we seriously considered the current Willow House space. When we first toured the property, we knew we had to say yes. From there on out, the humans who were involved in the process of renting, build out, to opening our doors have felt nothing but aligned and supportive. Thanks to them and those who have been willing to come spend time with us in our new shop, we are here! Read more>>

Alyssa Coleman

Like too many people in the world, my journey was born from childhood abuse. Over 15 years of abuse and neglect impacted me in the most deep and lasting ways imaginable. Even after 33 years, the trauma still presents itself in so many facets of my life. My decision to pursue a career in mental health started with a desperate need to understand what was happening to me internally. However, it grew into something much bigger than that after having the profound realization that the people who I hated so vehemently because of how deeply they hurt me, were hurt themselves. Read more>>

Philip Kiecker

Upon returning from that trip, I decided I’d like to be a pastor when I grow up. After undergraduate studies and the Seminary, I was assigned to pastor a small church in North Raleigh. I got married to my beautiful wife Julianna. We moved, adopted a puppy, and learned how to correctly pronounce Bojangles — all part of acquiescing to the Triangle. I became the pastor at what was then called Gethsemane Church, while my wife became the director of our Early Learning Center. Read more>>

Brian Lafontaine

My story begins waaaaayyyyyy back in the late 1900’s. I got my introduction into show business the way most people do. By losing my golf scholarship in college. Yup, true story. I had a very small scholarship to play golf for a very small school in Salisbury, NC. It didn’t take them long to find out that I actually kind of suck at golf and they kicked me off the team and took my scholarship back. So, I did what any washed-up-has-been-former-student athlete would do in that situation. I went into stand up comedy. Of course, I did! Who wouldn’t? I did stand up whenever I had the chance over the next 3 years. Read more>>

Desmond Noland

I got started with art at the age of 5. I was inspired by my aunt Tammy who was painting a canvas of Queen Nefertiti while attending Philadelphia Art Institute. In that moment I knew I wanted to be an Artist. As of today, I travel the us doing art shows,conventions,comic cons, curating my own art shows,custom clothing,murals ,etc. I was featured on a tv show for sneaked designing. I’ve created art/hand painted items for the Migos,Anthony Anderson,Mack Wildz,Corey Holcomb,Dreamdoll and more celebs. I married my beautiful wife Courtney 2-4-23 and have a beautiful daughter Deja-Marie. Read more>>

Michelle Deuink

I’ve been creating for basically my whole life and it’s really the core of who I am as a person. It started with arts and crafts—acrylic paint, glitter, all of it. I remember that there was this time in elementary school where I got in trouble for cutting up my friend’s curtains to make a dress for my American Girl doll, which is an infamous story in my family! Over time I got into more serious stuff like charcoal and pen and ink, especially in high school when I was applying for college scholarships. These days, my tools are a little more digital with mostly my iPad and Apple Pencil when I’m designing stickers and prints for my Etsy shop. Read more>>

Jo-Anne Barr

One of the biggest challenges has been balancing everything — being a mom to two young kids, working as a nurse, and building a business. It can be overwhelming, but seeing repeat customers come back week after week has been such strong validation. It reminds me that I’m building something that resonates and keeps me motivated to keep going. Read more>>

Jeremiah Jett

When I was very young, I had a severe stuttering problem. It was so intense that I could hardly get a sentence out. My mom, who has always been my rock and my warrior, refused to accept that as my fate. She began laying me on altars at churches, praying boldly and believing that one day, I would speak — not just fluently, but powerfully. And then one day, after all the prayers and all the faith, she said I simply woke up… and never stopped talking. Read more>>

Andrecia Hinton

Even when the world counted me out, God had a greater plan. I fought my way back from mistakes and setbacks, determined to turn my story into something greater. Today, even though I was born and raised in Raleigh, Nc and gave it 30 years, I am currently residing in Charlotte, Nc. I am a wife, a mother of three, an actress, comedian, entrepreneur, and a woman boldly walking in her calling to reach others in an unorthodox way. I’ve starred in major stage productions, appeared in true crime TV series, and built my own cosmetics brand, Vain by Andrecia. Read more>>

Bill Rambo

All of our children are now at an age where they can contribute. We homeschool and most of their learning is on the spot learning what a business is and how to maintain. Most of our kids also help sell our items in our shop (gaining a commission percentage). Our shop now includes 3D printed figurines, better handmade jewelry, recycled melted sculptures, books, book purses and wallets, and other upscaled items, Read more>>

Michael Eaborn

As I got older, my father began showing signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s. When I got into high school, the Alzheimer’s took over. Eventually my older siblings moved out and it was just my 3 younger sisters and I. In my senior year of high school, I would take care of my dad. I’d be watching over him as my mom worked. I’d help make his dinner and watch tv with him. In 2015, I graduated from Millbrook High School and moved out. I moved in with my best friend and his mom. This is where my story really begins. Read more>>

Cassidy Crump

Ask any of my friends, I had a vision, it just took me a few years to go after it. One of my friends started a women’s empowerment group in Raleigh, and I saw the opportunity to get started in a comfortable setting that would allow me to build my portfolio and hone my craft. After capturing content at two events, I recognized how content creation sessions would be beneficial for not only brands and small business owners, but also hairstylists, aesthetician and estheticians, permanent jewelry artists, and more. That’s when Creative x Cassidy was born, to capture the real and authentic behind the scenes moments and turn them into scroll-stopping content. Read more>>

Tyree Minor

Since then, we’ve grown into one of the most respected and affordable programs in North Carolina. In the 2022-23 season, our post-grad team won the Big Shots Post-Grad Nationals, and to date, we’ve helped over 40 players move on to play college basketball. We take pride in providing a professional, competitive environment without the overwhelming financial burden that often comes with elite prep athletics. Read more>>

Maranda Morgan

I started my brand PINK GANG in North Carolina about 10 years ago. It started off as a fashion blog with local boutique fashion and model spotlights. I took that and moved to Atlanta and expanded my brand to model casting where I casted models for events and videos/photoshoots and model portfolio building. In which led to PINK GANG Magazine. I just released the 13th issue in the winter of 2023 in Charlotte, NC. Read more>>

Brett Beasley

This life of an artist is not for the faint of heart. One must persevere or you’ll perish! Just because you make good quality art, have wonderful photographs of them and apply to the fancy festivals & art shows… DOES NOT MEAN YOU’LL GET ACCEPTED! That was the one thing I learned early on, getting used to rejection. Furthermore, even if you do get accepted, that does not guarantee any sales… Diversify your income streams with online sales, teaching, part time jobs, whatever it takes to make artwork. Sacrifice for what is important and you’ll be happy. Read more>>