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.
Lorena Malm
I am self taught with a passion for many kinds of art. At nine years old, I discovered my love for art in the form of a paint by number oil set, gifted from my parents. Read more>>
Dr. Shinika McKiever
Looking back, I can see that my career has been shaped by a series of unexpected opportunities. I grew up in Liberty, North Carolina, a small rural town where I learned the value of community, believing in yourself, and helping others. My family instilled the importance of giving back, living with purpose, and using your talents to serve others. They also encouraged creativity. Read more>>
Madison Noisette
My journey started in 2019, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. At first, I thought I wanted to DJ, hahaha. So I was pursuing that for a (very SHORT) amount of time. Funny enough, during my stint of trying to be a DJ, my friend Jeremy kept asking me what my DJ name would be. Read more>>
Randi Milroy
I’ve been in the tanning industry since 2003, and what started as a job quickly turned into a career that I genuinely love. Over the years, I worked in everything from corporate tanning to education and training, helping other professionals grow while continuing to learn myself. Read more>>
Mark McGee
I’ve been into games for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are of playing cards, video games, or games with toy soldiers in the back yard. As I grew up, that hobby evolved into career ambition where I studied computer science and video game development in school. Read more>>
Michelle Collins-Windle
My Journey with MCWOriginal, my journey began at home with a $20 thrift store sewing machine and a dream. Read more>>
Caleb Farrell
I’ve always loved filmmaking and visual effects. Even as a kid, around seven years old, I was borrowing my mom’s camera to make little home movies. I also spent hours in Microsoft Paint drawing creatures, characters, and energy blasts, then layering them onto photos to create slideshow animations. At the time, I didn’t even realize I was experimenting with VFX. Read more>>
Cris Fuller
I began my gymnastics journey with a dream to become a cheerleader in 8th grade. In preparation for the tumbling that would be required, I started taking gymnastics classes. I was eventually asked to lead the class and became a full staff member in 10th grade. Read more>>
Jaclynn Reynolds and Nilka Marin NA
**Nilka:** My journey began in Panama, where I built more than 12 years of experience in logistics and supply chain management. Over the years, I focused on developing and scaling logistics operations, particularly in import and export, while building a deep understanding of what it takes to move goods efficiently across borders. Read more>>
Mary Knox
We are an independent, family-owned art gallery showcasing work from local artists. We opened almost ten years ago, with a commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and increasing art awareness. We want to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be seen and heard, and that everyone has an opportunity to engage in and appreciate art. Read more>>
Helen Zhang
I grew up as the only girl, among four brothers, on a pig farm in rural China. Where I’m from, that came with a label: just a girl. I heard it so many times I started to believe it. Then at 21, I was diagnosed with cancer. I was lucky that I survived, but it left a scar. Read more>>
Jonathon Leach
My journey into photography and filmmaking has been anything but traditional. I served in the Army National Guard for over a decade, including two deployments to Iraq, where I learned the importance of discipline, teamwork, and staying calm under pressure. After my military service, I worked in the flooring industry for several years, but I always felt a strong pull toward creativity and storytelling. Read more>>
José Manuel Cruz
Well, I will have to go back to my elementary school, Burnet Street School in Newark, NJ (aka BrickCity). The art teacher, Bernard took me under his wings once he noticed the talent I had with art. Read more>>
Samantha Casolaro
Hi, I’m Samantha Casolaro. I’m 26 and I’ve been traveling the world solo for the past 3 years to over 34 countries! I didn’t grow up traveling and had no idea where to even begin. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill in 2022 from the MEJO school, I booked a one-way ticket, planning to explore for three months before starting a “real job”… Read more>>
Lori Reising
I was adopted. When I was born, I was wheeled out of the room. I wasn’t held. I didn’t get a goodbye. I just got separation. Three weeks in a hospital room, fed and changed, with none of the deep nurturing or trust a baby coming into this world expects to have. So I decided abandonment was my thing. Read more>>
Kirstie Spadie
A New Orleanian, I started dancing at 8 years old. My mom signed me up at the local sports complex and we danced in the gym with the basketball players. At the end of the year, they gave me my costume. A bumble bee. The headpiece wacked me in the eye. After that, I told my mom I wanted to do jazz. Read more>>
Stephanie O’Keefe
My journey to Southern Creative wasn’t exactly a straight line—but looking back, every step helped lead me here. Early on, I took a few marketing classes and began questioning whether the traditional 9-to-5 cubicle life was really for me. From there, my career took a few turns, including a pivot to teaching and eventually to being a stay-at-home mom. Read more>>
Bill Norman
After visiting our first Distillery in 2012, we knew that this is what we wanted to do. Andrew Norman, our son, was a mortgage banker at the time. He came to us in 2014 and said ‘this is not for me’ and ‘let’s start a distillery’. Andrew began the study of distilling and is now the Master Distiller at Fainting Goat Spirits. Read more>>
Molly McKinley
I was the kid selling lemonade, then starting the next thing before the pitcher was empty. Owning a business was never a question of if. I studied art history and fine art at Kent State and went straight into art dealing in Chicago at a family-owned gallery. That was my business school. Read more>>
Julia Hall Swales
I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have always had a passion for art and creativity. In 2019, I graduated from Meredith College with a degree in Graphic Design and Studio Arts. During my time there, I focused on watercolor illustration and explored ways to thoughtfully incorporate my artwork into my graphic design projects. Read more>>
Tori Musumeci
99th Street Beach Club comes from some of my favorite memories growing up: spending my summers on 99th Street at the beach in New Jersey. When I was 14, I got my first job at Just Bead It, a make-your-own jewelry store. That was where I learned the basics of jewelry making, beadwork, and even some early business lessons. Read more>>
Julie Paddison
Second Chance Pet Adoptions was founded in 1987 by Cheri Sowter, Judy Benrud, and Deborah Ruggero, three women who simply couldn’t ignore the growing number of homeless cats and dogs in the Triangle. They began by taking stray animals into their own homes, relying on compassion, volunteers, and community support to give each animal a second chance. Read more>>
Jaimi Grether
I started playing the violin when I was 9 years old on my grandfather’s violin after having attended a Dayton Philharmonic Orchesta children’s concert. My mother had won tickets to the concert through a local radio station. Read more>>
Katherine Williford
After pursuing a BA in Fashion Design at SCAD, I began working at a mall brand as a designer for tops and sweatshirts. Pretty quickly, I became disenchanted with corporate fashion. There was a huge lack of transparency but, most of all, I missed the comforting tasks of patternmaking, cutting and sewing real clothing. Read more>>
Nikki Candito
My story has been anything but linear, but every chapter has led me here. I spent more than two decades building a career in marketing, eventually becoming a vice president and leading high-performing teams, shaping brands and driving business growth. From the outside, I had built a successful career. Read more>>
Keyah Greer
I always knew I had an interest in nail polish. I’ve been painting my nails for as long as I can recall. Growing up, I began collecting a few bottles here and there, and before I knew it, my modest stash had grown into crates of polish! Read more>>
Morgan Grimm
Welcome Tattoo started with a simple idea: a tattoo shop could be more than a place to get tattooed. Read more>>
