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 Cloud
I travele a lot for work and it was hard for me to find a place to board my rottweiler. I couldn’t find many places that would take her, due to her breed, and the places that would take her would get filled up quickly. I was also trying to find something to keep me busy after the loss of my son. Read more>>
Antonio Trippett
Hi my name is Antonio and how I got started in the jewelry business was when I was a young boy. I was quickly influenced by entertainers that I saw on television such as Mr t, Ric flair. As I grew older I was heavily influenced by The hip Hop community and the record label Cash money records. Read more>>
Sarah Bianco
Back in 2013, my sister Rosa and I kept getting the same comment everywhere we went, that we looked just like a pair of newly popular animated royal sisters. We’d both been performers our whole lives: Rosa has a degree in vocal performance, and I come from a musical theater background. Read more>>
Briggette Slivinski
I have been working as a ceramic artist for over 17 years. I originally started out teaching at the community college, I can’t say I ever envision owning my own studio. I always had a passion for teaching others so it was no surprise that I found myself teaching. My business really started in response to the pandemic in 2020. Read more>>
Chris Ecklund
I knew upon graduating from college that I did not want to do 2 things: 1. I did not want to work with people who had injuries or aches and pains (i.e. Physical Therapy) 2. I did not want to teach or be ‘up front’ Let me save you the suspense…fast forward 30 years and you can guess what I do: 1. Read more>>
Marilea Moore, LCSW
My path didn’t begin with a single defining moment — it unfolded, and continues to unfold. The journey to becoming a mother, a mental health professional, a wife, a daughter — me — has often felt like a tangled mess rather than a straight line. Read more>>
Rachel/Phyllis Jessen/Dooney
PHOTO FARM was initially conceived out of a desire for space; director and founder Phyllis B. Dooney spent most of her life in and around New York City, so having room to make and experiment was always appealing. The dream evolved from a personal project—a darkroom of her own—into a photography-based maker space, driven by Phyllis’s inclination toward the communal. Read more>>
Marilyn Monroe
My name is Marilyn Monroe, and yes that’s my real name lol. I was born and raised in Winston-Salem. I’ve been a licensed cosmetologist for 14 years. I graduated from Paul Mitchell Gastonia in 2011, where I was selected to be part of the prestigious design team . Read more>>
Shawn Paul
New York City girl joined the Army after college. Learned how to jump from planes, rappel down cliffs, among other skills, like take feedback and choose decisively . After I did a little purchasing in the Army, General Electric hired me as a buyer. Read more>>
Elizabeth Wood
I’ve spent my life surrounded by the military community, and that environment has always felt like home. Prior to joining Randolph County, I worked on a military installation and realized how much I missed that daily interaction with those who serve. Read more>>
Candice Lovett
I met my husband, here at Fort Bragg, over 30 years ago. We were both stationed here and we ended up on the same company. I worked supply and was in charge of the barracks so I put him in a room next to me because I thought he was a cutie. Here we are 30 years later. Read more>>
Jessica Williams
My journey in Property Management started last year, believe it or not. I previously worked for a storage company where I had the title of a Lead Customer Accounts Specialist. It was great, but I wanted something where I had the option to progress and move up within a company. That is when I found VRG. Read more>>
Brandi Dykes
My creative journey started with a simple love for design and storytelling. I have always been drawn to the way visuals can make people feel something, whether it is a logo that gives a small business confidence or a book that helps a child fall in love with reading. Read more>>
Tal Blevins
Life is short and I love variety and learning new things, so I tend to explore whatever interests me at the time. In high school and college, that meant working a range of restaurant jobs like delivery driver, busboy, and cook. I also playing guitar in a band. Read more>>
Christopher Nadeau
It has been a dream of mine to open a brewery for many years. I had been homebrewing for more than 15 years and had received a lot of positive feedback on my beers. People kept suggesting that I should open my own brewery, and that only fueled my dream. Read more>>
Sherry Comstock
I spent my early years on Johns Island, SC. When I was eight, my family moved to Charlotte, NC. I have always wanted to be an author. While some teenagers dream of being a renowned sports figure or movie star, I wanted to write books. Read more>>
Irell (Mela) Little
I started my photography business nine years ago after falling in love with the idea of capturing people who looked like me. At the time, I spent a lot of time at a shop called Detox Boutique. There was a guy who would come around saying he’d take photos of their inventory, but he never actually showed up with a camera. Read more>>
Edward Westbrook
Edward Westbrook and David Williams became friends and came up with a new musical project around 2015. We both sing, write lyrics, play multiple instruments, record, master and enjoy entertaining people. We came up with the concept of ‘Atomic Energy Society’. Read more>>
Sharon Valentin
Sure! My path to interior design wasn’t exactly linear, but looking back, it makes complete sense. I’ve always been drawn to beauty, the details, and making things feel ‘just right’. As a kid, that showed up through art, fashion, and sometimes redoing my homework just because I loved how it looked when it was neat. Read more>>
Dino Nowak
I’ve been in the health and fitness industry over 30 years, my path started in California, where I worked with artists and entertainers, including touring with performers on world tours. Read more>>https://voyageraleigh.com/interview/meet-dino-nowak-of-renu-health-and-fitness
Amanda Wazlavek
We started our company back in the year 2000 when there was virtually no one going on site and doing Hair And Makeup services for weddings. We came up with the idea from basically having brides ask if we would travel on site to them. Read more>>
Deborah Goldsmith
I graduated over 40 years ago from James Madison University in Virginia. I passed the CPA exam in May 1987. Our first child was born in September 1987. I worked part-time here and there in accounting until 2018 when our last child graduated high school. Read more>>
Jessica McQueen
Honestly, I haven’t gotten to where I want to be in life yet. I am ever changing and ever evolving. There have been some wins and there have been some losses. As far as how I got to where I am now, its been a winding road filled with changing seasons and many speed bumps. Read more>>
Nicole Miles
Empower started with a clear purpose: to create a space where movement could build confidence, discipline, and self-worth—not just technical skill. I founded Empower in Durham’s historic Black Wall Street district after recognizing that many young people loved dance but didn’t always feel seen, supported, or represented in traditional training environments. From the beginning, Empower was never just about dance. Read more>>
Lindsay Corrigan
When I began to study photography, the primary equipment was still film. I spent hours in the dark room developing and enlarging my own prints in high school in Ohio and college at Malone University. At that point, I was pursuing a career in journalism and began working with the school newspaper as photo editor and eventually editor in chief. Read more>>
Nikki Dung Le
I immigrated to US at the age of 18, and shortly after, I began working in the nail industry while attending college, starting part-time and eventually moving into full-time work. Like many immigrants, I learned early on how to balance responsibility, resilience, and ambition, all while building a new life from the ground up. Read more>>
Erman Burak Satana
I started WLO out of a very personal need. I’ve always cared deeply about design, craftsmanship, and animals, and I couldn’t find pet furniture that truly balanced functionality, durability, and aesthetics without feeling disposable or purely commercial. So I decided to build it myself. WLO began as a small, hands-on operation focused on thoughtfully designed, well-built pet homes made to last. Read more>>
Amanda Ostergard
My business, Gardian Creek, was born out of sitting around horse arenas weekend after weekend. My daughter shows competitively in the Western horse world – ranch horse and cutting, to be specific. There is a lot of downtime at shows and time to daydream. Read more>>
Steven McFarlane
I graduated from a small college in Ohio in 1986 with a BA in English. I wasn’t interested in any of the jobs that were available for that degree, so I decided to go to law school at UNC-Chapel HIll. I graduated in 1989 and began working in the claims department for Nationwide Insurance. Read more>>
Immanuel Jarvis
The story of Jireh Family Farm begins in 2017, when my wife Valarie and I, Immanuel Jarvis, decided to make a bold change. As a former sales manager with a background in web development and social media, and Valarie as a registered nurse and third-generation tobacco farmer, we were living a typical suburban life. Read more>>
Roselyn Kachuck
Zorba said, ‘Life is trouble, only death is not. To be alive is to undo your belt and look for trouble.’ But when I found myself in trouble I needed an escape. For me that has been writing. For when I create worlds and characters I am lost in those worlds. As a Baby Boomer and Later Day Hippie, life has proved challenging. Read more>>
Megan K. Farrelly
Dr. Campbell started the dental practice from scratch in 2010. I helped her during her first maternity leave in 2016 and then stayed on board as an associate. She was my best boss ever! After several continuing education courses together and much thought with our growing families and the growing practice, she and I joined in a partnership at the end of 2019. Read more>>
Patrice Brown
atrice Shavone got her start the hard way—through lived experience, not shortcuts. Before she was known as a counselor, author, or healer, Patrice was someone trying to make sense of her own pain, identity, and mental health. She didn’t begin with a platform; she began with survival. Read more>>
Rylee Frizzell
When I was younger, I remember wanting to be able to draw so badly. My opportunity came when the Covid-19 virus hit and everyone had to quarantine. With nothing else left to do, I googled ‘How to Draw Animals’, and that is where my art journey really took off. Read more>>
Rahnà·wakę·w Donnie McDowell
My journey began with a deep desire to understand the true history, culture, and living philosophies of my Tuscarora ancestors and what it means to carry that responsibility forward today. Read more>>
Erin Stone
Samuel Lawrence Hospitality (SLH) is the custom hospitality furnishings division of Hooker Furnishings, a 101-year-old American furniture manufacturer with a legacy of craftsmanship and scale. Founded in 2007 as part of Home Meridian International (HMI), SLH was born from a simple but powerful insight: the hospitality industry was underserved by high-quality, value-driven casegoods manufacturers who could truly deliver custom solutions at speed. Read more>>
Cadence Rose
Soap making has been in my family for many years. So, in 2023 I started the process of building my own soap making company from scratch. Previously, I noticed that I had a difficult time finding all-natural products with transparent ingredients. That is why I focused on making completely all-natural soaps for Cadence Rose and every ingredient used is labeled. Read more>>
Valentina Lopez
My story began about ten years ago, in 2016, when I received my degree as a professional chef from the culinary school in my home country, Venezuela, in a small coastal city called Punto Fijo. I had always loved desserts, so choosing a path within the culinary world came naturally to me, and without a doubt, it was pastry. Read more>>
Martina Douglas
In 2017, my husband and I made the decision to move with a clear intention: to raise our family in a community we believed in and to build businesses rooted in purpose, resilience, and service. Like many entrepreneurs, our journey has been marked by both meaningful wins and humbling failures — experiences that shaped not only how we do business, but why we do it. Read more>>
Nicole Thompson
As a little girl growing up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I was always thinking about how to help others. I vividly remember being around nine years old when I wrote a letter to the editor of our local newspaper, asking them to draw attention to the homeless population in our community. Read more>>
