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.

Mark Peterson, Jr.

My journey into branding started with creating flyers. As an educator preparing to become a father, I needed additional income and leaned into my creativity. That work grew, but eventually became limiting—so I learned early that if you want to sustain something, you have to pivot. I formalized my work by launching illgraphic Branding and initially focused on logos for small businesses. Read more>>

Marlene Waterman

I was born in London to Barbadian parents, but I was raised in Brooklyn, New York, where my journey into makeup artistry unexpectedly began. Ironically, I wasn’t even interviewing for a makeup position at the time — I was actually on my way to interview for a receptionist job. While waiting, I helped a customer who complimented me on my appearance and personality. Read more>>

Francisca Shaw

I was born and raised in Seattle, and my journey into birth work started long before I even realized it. I became a young wife and mother, getting married at 21 years old and welcoming my first child at 22 in 2003. Her birth was unmedicated and incredibly fast, and although intense, it showed me just how powerful the human body could be. Read more>>

Enoma Evbuomwan

Over the past 11+ years as a Physician Associate working in urgent care, telemedicine, and primary care, I noticed a recurring problem — many patients delayed seeking medical care because of cost, long wait times, lack of insurance, or difficulty accessing a provider quickly. Read more>>

Jayla Ceasar

At just 8 years old, Jayla Ceasar is already making an incredible impact in her community and beyond. Crowned Little Miss of Georgia 2026 through American Pageants Inc., Jayla is known not only for her bright smile and confidence on stage, but for her heart for helping others. Read more>>

Simone Rivers

From humble beginnings in Austin, beauty and entrepreneurship have always been woven into my story. I’m a triplet, and my sisters and I were raised in the heart of my parents’ salon. Watching them pour passion into their work taught me something powerful at an early age: beauty is transformational. Read more>>

AKOSWA Art

I didn’t start out thinking I’d be an artist. I just knew I needed a place to put the emotions and experiences I didn’t always have words for. Art became that space for me — first as a quiet outlet, then as a language of its own. Read more>>

Allie Garner

What started as a creative outlet quickly turned into something so much bigger than I ever imagined. I’ve always loved celebrating people and creating memorable moments, and after making balloons for friends and family, I realized how much joy custom event décor could bring to others. That passion eventually grew into Inflate Designs Balloons and More. Read more>>

Jasmine Hawkins

My journey with Becoming Her Magazine began with a vision much bigger than myself — a vision to create a space where women could feel seen, valued, empowered, and inspired while embracing every stage of their becoming. Read more>>

Truey

My name is Truey, and I’m an artist coming out of Atlanta, Georgia. Music started as something personal for me before it ever became serious. I’ve always been around music, but I really started taking rapping seriously when I realized it was a way for me to express everything I was seeing, feeling, and going through in life. Read more>>

LILITH

Ever since I was a young girl, I always loved music. Whether it was singing, songwriting, or dancing, I always found myself creating and expressing myself through it. I began songwriting around age 13 and knew I wanted to grow up to be a pop star. Read more>>

Carys Varner

I’ve loved performing for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was little, I was always dancing and putting on shows for my family and others I would meet. Being on stage feels natural to me, and performing makes me really happy. I started telling my parents I wanted to perform on TV and on stage from an early age. Read more>>

Jordan Martin

I was born in Kalamazoo, MI and moved to Evanston, IL when I was around 2 years old. My passion for radio started very early. In middle school, I was a Girl Scout, and my troop leader, Deana Durry, took us to visit WGCI, the hottest urban radio station in Chicago at the time. Read more>>

Diana Lee

In my early years, I started out as a painter. I grew up in South Korea, and in Korea, there’s always an “answer” to everything—even with art. Art felt formulaic, and I grew tired of it. When I was 19, my mother suggested I use my hands to build instead of painting, so I began to look for ways to create beyond the traditional canvas. Read more>>

Cynthéa V. Pope

I started my journey like a lot of ambitious women do — working hard, doing everything “right,” and still realizing that traditional systems were not designed to create real freedom for people who looked like me or came from communities like mine. But my story really begins long before me. I come from a family of immigrants and hard workers. Read more>>

Shawna Chase

I came to this work the long way around. My arts background is classical piano and theatre. I have twenty years in product leadership, seven of those at the New York Foundation for the Arts, plus time at GE building enterprise systems. Read more>>

Kate Raymond

I grew up in St. Charles, Mo. My mother and grandmother were nurses and from their influence I knew from little on that one day I wanted to go to medical school. I went to Loyola University of Chicago for my undergraduate education. I chose that school for their good reputation in pre-medical education and to get away to a larger city. Read more>>

Gia B

I’m Gia, a fashion model located in Atlanta and originally from Germany. Growing up, I was inspired by photos and stories from when my mother was a fashion model walking runways and pageants. I grew to love the industry and her work and knew I wanted to be part of it in my own way. I took a risk moving to Atlanta. Read more>>

Ashshahid Muhammad

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. As a little boy, I always liked to draw. Watching my uncle sketch and make amazing art. I wanted to be like him. But my life took a turn for the worse when crack cocaine flooded the Memphis streets. Crack hit my family hard. As I watched my uncle chase crack cocaine, I continued to draw. Read more>>

Matthew Odejimi

Growing up, I played multiple sports and eventually attended Willow Canyon High School in Arizona, where I played basketball, ran track, and played football. After my junior year, I decided to fully focus on football. We weren’t the strongest team and I was still developing as a player, so I didn’t receive much recruiting attention coming out of high school. Read more>>

Christian ‘DADO’ Alvarado

I started DADOdesign from a very personal place trying to understand identity, value, and what it truly means for something to feel authentic. As a Taino artist and creative strategist based in Atlanta, I’ve spent years working at the intersection of art, branding, and technology. Early on, I was deeply influenced by design, storytelling, music culture, and the emotional power of experiences. Read more>>

Kristen Bodniza

In 2014, I started hosting community gatherings in South Florida (Hollywood & Miami areas) when I was around 16/17 years old. It started when I became vegan and had the desire to bring people together in celebration of delicious vegan food by hosting an all vegan potluck. This became a consistent gathering and was open to everyone, not just vegans! Read more>>

Avery Diecks

I’ve been an artistic person for as long as I can remember. As a child, I would create paper sculptures of scenes from my favorite movies to make them feel more real and give myself a sense of escapism. My parents always encouraged my artistic ventures, letting me participate in art-themed summer camps and pushing me creatively. Read more>>

Isabel Langdale

I have known I wanted to be in film and content creation since fifth grade when I was gifted a flip camera for Christmas and started filming everything around me. However my parents would tell you I have known since I was a toddler because in every home video I am yelling to hold the camera. Read more>>

Shaadie Nunnally

Rashaad ‘Shaadie’ Nunnally (pronounced ‘shoddy’ not ‘shady’) is a true renaissance man from the Crestside streets of North Vallejo. Born in 1986, he is an entertainer of many which include modeling and athletics. Growing up in Vallejo, he made a name as a small athlete with a big heart and freakishly good abilities. Read more>>

Toby Strong

Since I was a young child, I only had one dream on my mind: immortality. Not in the literal sense, but through creating something that could live forever. Art became that for me. I started with school pencils and printer paper, constantly drawing and trying to prove to others that this was more than just a phase. It was a dream. Read more>>

Zuly Linet

Growing up, I was always surrounded by the beauty industry because my mom’s sisters were hairstylists. Some of my earliest memories are of being in the salon while they worked, watching them interact with clients, create transformations, and make people feel more confident about themselves. Being exposed to that environment from such a young age naturally made me fall in love with hair and beauty. Read more>>

Christina Wilson

Honestly, I feel like my story has always been rooted in creativity. I grew up performing, storytelling, and finding ways to express myself through art. Over time, that turned into acting professionally, going on national tours, teaching, directing, producing, content creation, social media management… honestly a little bit of everything. I’ve always been someone who loved creating experiences and bringing people together. Read more>>

Baby Bishop

I started taking music seriously at the age of 20. My first song in the studio was at 17. My family situation and the beef I was in at a young age influenced my music a lot back in those days. I was in a group as well back home in Mississippi, MGE and OD. But there were too many people and too many problems. Read more>>

Seyma Ugur

I am a visual artist who studies at Georgia State University, focusing on drawing, painting, and printmaking. Being an artist has always been the path that I want. My journey started in my early years and developed in a very personal way. A way to process my story, experiences of being human, emotions, and what remains to me at the end of the day: memories. Read more>>

Breyonna Parline

My journey started with a passion for helping others and creating something that would make a real impact in people’s lives. I founded TrueBright Home Care after recognizing the growing need for compassionate, dependable care for seniors and individuals with disabilities throughout Georgia. Read more>>

Emily Manns

Three years ago, just after having my third baby, I hit a point where I wanted to completely reinvent myself. I would scroll through Instagram seeing these effortlessly chic girls in Paris and NYC and think, I want to feel like that. So I did something bold — I sold almost all of my clothes and started over from scratch. Read more>>

Tammy Balaban

When I was younger I knew I wanted to go into a profession where I could help kids. When I was in undergrad I volunteered at a school for kids with physical disabilities. They assigned me to work with the occupational therapist. I fell in love with the kids and enjoyed the work so I realized I found my calling. Read more>>

Keenan Deal

Keenan Deal, professionally known as Laid3, is a viral influencer, actor, comedian, and emerging rapper signed to Boss Lady 365 Entertainment, LLC. Born in East St. Louis, Laid3 built his name through his natural comedic talent, entertaining social media presence, and ability to connect with audiences through humor and creativity. Read more>>

Seven Jenai

It started off as just a love for fashion… putting on clothes and expressing myself. I thought that’s what God had in store for me. First, I started off designing clothes, then I shifted into becoming a wardrobe stylist, working with talent on TV, celebrities, artists, and even some of our Atlanta officials. Read more>>

DEBOE VIBES

Well, I’ve always loved food. I’m a big-time foodie. I’m a firm believer that food brings people together. Food is great for the spirit, the heart, and a soul. However I’m even more in love with my community. I’ve been in Clayton County, Georgia for over 20 years. Clayton county is where it all started for me in Atlanta over 25 years ago. Read more>>

Generation BMG

I grew up in Savannah surrounded by music. Before I ever stepped into a studio, band music was my foundation. It taught me rhythm, discipline, passion, and how music could move people without saying a single word. Read more>>

Vixx

I started creating through art and cosplay almost a decade ago because I loved storytelling and bringing characters to life. What began as a creative hobby slowly turned into something much bigger as I started sharing my work online, attending conventions, and connecting with communities that were just as passionate about gaming, anime, and creativity as I was. Read more>>

Saika Delic

Like most kids, starting around the age of two and a half, I would sing around the house and pretend to be a star. Read more>>

Cheryl Daniel

I’ve been a part of the disability community in one way or another for my entire life. My mom was a special education teacher and throughout my childhood I would visit her classroom at various schools or go on field trips with her classes. Read more>>

Messiah Lewis

Honestly? It started with a pair of clippers and a whole lot of figuring it out. I’m Messiah, based in Marietta GA, and I’ve been cutting hair for years now — but the journey wasn’t a straight line. Like a lot of barbers, I started just trying to be good with my hands. Read more>>

Elizabeth Aylor

I started my journey over a decade ago after personally struggling with extreme health issues that completely changed my life. On the outside, I looked “healthy” because I was in fitness, but behind the scenes I was dealing with chronic gut issues, severe bloating, hormone dysfunction, digestive pain, metabolic damage, burnout, and constant frustration trying to figure out why my body was breaking down. Read more>>

Earl “E.Dot” Hackney III

I grew up in Detroit, MI around music . Since a toddler my uncles (Musical Band DEATH: Known for creating the genre Punk Rock) exposed me to the work ethic and importance of music in our lives and the world. Hip hop grabbed me around the age of 10-11 and that’s when I made my first rap song. Read more>>

Eléwa

I began my journey as an artist from writing introspective poetry at the age of 9. I translated my poetry into lyrics at 15 and began creating music as a way to process life, questioning the world around me, and staying connected to my spirit and individuality. Read more>>

Cole Giovanni

Thank you, my journey as the Founder of The Pink Collar Club has always been rooted in movement — both personally and professionally. I’ve lived in several cities over the years, but Atlanta holds a very specific place in my story. I spent 5 years living there during the pandemic, between Buckhead and Marietta, and it was a pivotal season for me. Read more>>

Audrey Allen

I started college straight out of high school, then dropped out to join the Navy. Worked as an Aviation Electrician and then converted to UAS operator. After 6 years I got out and worked as a UAS operator overseas as a military contractor for another 5 years while also building my own graphic design business. Read more>>

Evered Douglas

Nobody picks up a firearm for the first time because things are going well. If so, it’s a rare instance. I wish my story was rare. For me it was 2017. Read more>>

Clarence Gates

I’m a content creator and actor while I’m doing my skit content I go by the persona “Sonik”.i got interested in acting at age 13 I got into plays in middle school and high school. I had a thing for entertaining ppl. After school I attempted to get into acting it was hard trusting agencies when they be asking for money upfront. Read more>>

Jenn Bishop

I’m Jenn Bishop, founder and managing director of Savannah Repertory Theatre. About my journey personally, I am from Los Angeles, CA. I started my journey into the world of theatre in 3rd grade where I was cast as the title role in The Practical Princess. Read more>>

Ajza Irving

It started in high school theatre class. I looked at theatre as something fun to do, not a passion or a dream. My parents divorced and my father left when I was eight years old to chase his dreams in the entertainment business. Read more>>

Gentry Hirsch

Well my stage name is Dat Block Gentry But I didn’t always go by that name. I started rapping and writing raps at the age of 10 picking out the nickname Mc Gee quickly changed to Lil Gee starting freestyle and rapping with friends and slowly digressed back to my planner because I wanted to do something more I wanted to hear our songs. Read more>>

DJ Prince Akeem

My journey as a DJ started with saying yes to every opportunity I could get. Early on, I was DJing anywhere that would give me a chance, bowling alleys, house parties, department stores, school events, and small local gatherings. Read more>>

Sean Brown

I’m Sean Marques, also known as SMB — short for “Southern Music Boy.” I’m a multidisciplinary fine artist from the South whose work centers around portraiture, identity, memory, and Black expression. My foundation is in oil painting and drawing, but my practice extends into watercolor, printmaking, graphic design, jewelry, and ceramics. Read more>>

Tabitha Canty

From a young age, I’ve always had a bubbly personality, high energy, and a natural passion for bringing people together. I’ve always been the person who loves to laugh, uplift others, and create memorable experiences. As a child, my parents enrolled me in acting classes to help channel my creativity and outgoing personality—and honestly, that fun, expressive side of me never went away. Read more>>

Justin Windsor

When I was younger, I never imagined insurance would become my career. Like most people, I simply wanted to build a life where I could support my family, help others, and live comfortably while doing meaningful work. After graduating high school, I wanted to explore the world and gain new experiences, so I moved to Mexico and became a scuba diving instructor. Read more>>

Yessenia ‘Yesse’ Rodriguez

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my journey in entertainment started early. As a proud Puerto Rican, storytelling, performance, and creative expression have always felt like home. Acting began at 11 years old with the full support of my family, and by 14, modeling became a natural extension of that passion. Read more>>

Lord Smiff

Born in Lithonia and raised in Ellenwood on the eastside of Atlanta, Wesley Warren — better known as Lord Smiff — has spent his entire life turning struggle into art. The youngest of three children, raised in a fractured household after his parents divorced when he was two years old, creativity became both an escape and a survival tool early in life. Read more>>

Malak Williams

I’ve always been around music since as far back as I can remember. My parents always had music playing in the house when I was growing up. My folks met at a well known underground club called ‘paradise garage’. So I heard a lot of music that was played at that club during the majority of the 80s. Read more>>

Shelly Winterboer

I have always been a seeker of holistic health (therapy, retreats, exercise, diet etc.). I was in a difficult spot in my life so I hired a life coach to help me get over a hump and it was then that I knew, this is what I’ve had in my heart to bring to the world all along! Read more>>

Alfonzo “Renny” Farmer

Spring of 2014 I was talking with my sister about doing something different in life after waking up with 50 Cent in my pocket. I made some pretty bad business investments and lost everything and had to completely revamp my life and start over. Read more>>

Kenny Levister

While balancing my professional career, I started building a brand called TUNLVSN. The name comes from “Tunnel Vision,” but for me it has always meant more than just intense focus. Read more>>

Aniqua & Leonardo Paskell

Design by Faith Co. honestly started by accident. We were preparing for the arrival of our first baby and needed a welcome sign for our own event, so we decided to make one ourselves the night before. We posted it online not thinking much of it, and suddenly people started asking if we could create signs for their weddings and events too. Read more>>

One Swayze

I’m One Swayze artist from Atlanta, Ga. I Grew up on the east side of Atlanta in Lithonia, Ga. I grew up with both my parents In my life, listening to lil Wayne, T.I., OutKast & Goodie Mob along with the r&b melodies of Mary J Blidge, Escape, SWV, Fantasia, Whitney Houston and the list goes on along with Gospel. Read more>>

Lisa Crossley

I’ve spent over 20 years in beauty, fashion, media, and cinema advertising, helping brands tell stories and connect with people in meaningful ways. I’m NYC-born, Florida-raised, now based in Atlanta, and creativity, empowerment, and storytelling have always been at the center of my life. The idea for GirlStrong came to me during a CrossFit class back in 2017. Read more>>

Lakeia Burrell

Hi! I’m Lakeia. Keiaa Richelle is what I go by for my content; it’s a mix of my name and a way to honor my mom, who passed away two years ago. I’m a 30-year-old woman from NYC, and I began my streaming journey in December 2021. Read more>>

Courtnee Walker

My journey hasn’t been traditional, but every step taught me something valuable. In 2007, I moved in with my sister and graduated from high school in 2008 while working part-time at a nursing home. I initially attended college to study psychology and sociology, but while supporting myself financially, I decided to take a break from school. Read more>>

Andrew Snorton

It all got started during a summer camp (well, part of it). One of the students in attendance pulled me aside and asked me if I could help him with one of his classes. Thankfully, it is a subject I’m well acquainted with and things worked for him. Read more>>

suzi watkins

I’ve been in the hair industry since 1990, so this has never just been a job for me. I started as a hairstylist, focused on helping people look their best, but over time I kept seeing the same concern come up… thinning, shedding, and hair just not growing the way it used to. Read more>>

Manuk Torossian

I learned my craft in the workshops of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. At seventeen I moved to New York, earned my GIA Gemologist certification, and spent years setting diamonds for some of the industry’s most respected designers. In 1999 I brought that standard to Atlanta — and never looked back. For over two decades, Luxor Fine Jewelry has been a manufacturing studio first. Read more>>

Kai Cooper

I am Kai ‘Vintagenista’Cooper Stewart writing to share the journey and evolution of my brand. What began as a personal passion for collecting vintage handbags from local thrift stores has grown into a comprehensive personal shopping and styling service. After frequently being asked about my own finds, I began sourcing vintage handbags, clothing, and accessories for others. Read more>>

Lauren Auda

Photography started as a hobby for me. I always had a ‘nice’ camera, and it was something I genuinely loved. After a while, friends started asking me to shoot for them, and that’s organically how my business was born. When I became a mom, everything shifted. Read more>>

Jesaira Glover

My journey has honestly been one of reinvention, healing, leadership, and learning how to fully become myself. I was born in Detroit and eventually made Atlanta home, and over the years, my career has evolved through several layers of identity. Read more>>

KILLUMANTII

I started off with very humble beginnings. I’ve always wanted to make music since I was in high school so I started rapping , freestyling, in my room with just my iphone. I would upload the videos to Instagram for my friends. In 2017 I got lucky and went viral. I ended up signing a major label deal that next year. Read more>>

Alex Borton

I guess it all stems from being just another odd-ball kid. A lot of people and children sing in the shower but growing up I would always do voice impressions. It started as just reenacting scenes from the cartoons I watched, where I would say the lines over and over until I sounded as close to the character as I could. Read more>>

Samantha Roberts

Most healers/spiritual coaches tend to have an intense backstory and mine is no different. I had no idea what my purpose was in life, however I knew I was destined to be one to speak truth. Before stepping fully into my calling as a spiritual coach, I have always prioritized the liberation of anyone who experienced abuse and oppression. Read more>>

Katja Lauterbach

I was born and raised in East Germany, behind the Berlin Wall, which gave me a unique perspective on creativity, resourcefulness, and the way our environments shape how we live. Growing up in a very different society and later experiencing life in multiple cultures has deeply influenced both my personal journey and my design philosophy. Read more>>

Nairobi Armstrong

Honestly, my passion for this work began when I was a teenager. I’ve always had a deep interest in the development of children and their families and how the family system works, which led me to earn my Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences at The Fort Valley State University. Read more>>

Temika Brackins

I started my journey with a passion for helping people feel confident, whether through beauty, healthy hair care, or financial empowerment. What began as doing hair and learning the beauty industry eventually grew into building multiple businesses centered around transformation and independence. Read more>>

Judith White

I didn’t plan on becoming a travel advisor; it happened after my honeymoon became both a comedic mishap and a cautionary tale. Our room was old and outdated, nothing like the photos. There wasn’t even a restaurant nearby. We were stuck with condo-style rooms, complete with kitchens. Cooking on my honeymoon? Not in my honeymoon plans. How did we end up there? Read more>>

Alex Thaxton

My parents started a horse farm together before I was born, so I can truthfully say that I was raised in a barn. Growing up around horses helped me develop a strong work ethic, a love of the outdoors, and obviously a love of horses. I competed in a local Hunter/Jumper association until college, at which point I stopped competing. Read more>>

Kathryn Yancey

KDY Cosmetics, by Kathryn Denise Yancey, began during the COVID-19 pandemic. How it came about is that after closing my event business, I took a job at the post office. There I quickly saw that while some businesses were struggling, e-commerce was thriving. That experience inspired me to pray for a business that could reach every household, much like the post office does. Read more>>

Dorothy Reavis

Most of my adult life, I battled with finding purpose in serving my community creatively while balancing the commitment to my personal artistic journey. I started my career as a high school art teacher and centered my professional focus on advocating for accessibility for arts education and demonstrated how the visual arts supports academics and the overall intellectual and cultural development of students. Read more>>

Collins Ero

I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. We weren’t rich, but my parents were very intentional about how they raised us. The message was simple: carry yourself with dignity and integrity, no matter what the circumstances look like around you. That stayed with me. My earliest understanding of ‘work’ wasn’t a job. It was a mission. Read more>>

Mary Margaret Mauer

Serving alongside our neighbor was a value that was instilled in me as a child, modeled by my parents, and part of the fabric of the small south GA community of Homerville that I was blessed to grow up in. As I grew up, I was drawn especially to service opportunities focused on children and youth. Read more>>

Kristie Carter Simons

As a child I’ve alway admired beauty from doing my dolls hair, makeup, clothing to going to the salon getting my hair done and feeling really cute when I got out of the chair. But to be honest I never wanted to be a Cosmetologist. Read more>>

Dr. Stephanie Wimberly

I graduated from Howard University in 2013 with dreams of attending medical school and serving in the Air Force. I had always envisioned a future centered on healing, service, and becoming a physician. But life often writes its own plans. After the birth of my daughter in 2011, my priorities shifted. Motherhood became my greatest responsibility and my deepest motivation. Read more>>

Robyn Groenewald

After a long career in Market Research and then having my kids I wanted to make a change. I’d always loved baking and I wanted to do something where I could be flexible and work from home. I also love being creative. It grew very slowly, I was worried that it would stop being fun when I started taking orders. Read more>> 

Bonnie Montney

I came to this work through a long-standing pull toward plants, traditional medicine, and the practical side of healing work. I have always been drawn to the place where old knowledge and hands-on making meet. Herbs, oils, minerals, clays, resins, and the quiet discipline of understanding materials rather than just using them because they are trendy. Read more>>

Roland Clarke

My Name is HakimOnDaTrack also known as an artists by MajorLeagueTrill, I’m from the Southside of Atlanta and I discovered my love for music when I was 13 years old. At the time, I was recording myself just for fun, and that’s when I first became interested in production. Read more>>

Nickita Thakkar

My journey in the beauty industry started in India, later took me to Dubai for ten years, and eventually brought me to Atlanta. Over the years, I’ve learned that hair is so much more than beauty — it’s confidence, self-expression, and how someone feels when they see themselves. Read more>>

VILE KYLE

I was born under a waxing crescent in a small Midwestern town. As a kid, we moved around a bit with the military before eventually settling in Georgia. After graduating high school, I made some questionable choices—some that worked out better than others—and ultimately found my way to culinary school. I cooked professionally and butchered for a while, eventually stepping away from that life entirely. Read more>>

Michaiah Dominguez-Brown

My career story begins from a place of curiosity during the darkest moments of my first marriage. After withstanding infidelity, financial abuse, and emotional neglect as a stay-at-home mom of three, I enrolled in a Mental Health Counseling M.A. program in search of answers on how to heal a broken home. Read more>>

Annie Brar

i got into modeling during covid when i was 10. being home and bored, i feel like everyone picked up something new during quarantine, and for me that ended up being modeling. my mom put me in virtual runway classes, and even though i didn’t do them for long, that’s where my love for modeling really started. Read more>>

Katie Carper

For years, my path wasn’t clear. Born and raised in Colorado, I grew up with a solid foundation along with a mix of athletic and artistic talent, but I lacked a definitive direction. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science, I found myself working multiple types of jobs, the last of which was delivering respiratory equipment. Read more>>

Precious Bolden

Peace! My name is Precious Bolden , and I have been here with my three children , Princeton and Princess(twins) , and Pristine from Central Florida, since the beginning of COVID season . Before I left, I had gotten casted for an HBO in South Carolina called the Righteous Gemstones, I was chosen , along with 300 others. I couldn’t believe it! Read more>>

Stacy Milburn

I’ve always been interested in art and design and after taking classes at Parson’s school of design I fell in love with the things that pulled a space together like lighting, art and the finishing touches that made the space special and come to life – the ‘jewelry of the room’ as we say. Read more>>

A Joelle Bennett

Movement was once something I loved. Now it is the language I use to build, to teach, and to become. My journey as a choreographer did not begin with steps, but with curiosity. How does the body tell the truth? How does a young dancer learn to trust their voice inside technique? Read more>>

Paul Shaw

I grew up in Millville, New Jersey. My earliest musical influences were family. Several nights a week, my Granddad and two uncles held rehearsals with their respective bands. I would sit on the basement stairs soaking up classic country, popular rock, and classic rock. I inherited my youngest uncle Steve’s drums at the age of four. By nine, I was studying drums formally. Read more>>

Anastazyia Vareschi

I hadn’t set out to become a therapist. After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I worked for a few years teaching adult ESOL. During that time, I was connected to a volunteer opportunity supporting a housing and recovery program for women Veterans navigating co-occurring conditions like substance use and PTSD. I worked alongside psychologists and social workers, and I was seeing women rebuilding their lives. Read more>>

Tiana Lewis

What up Doe! My name is Tiana Monè AKA the Midwest Babydoll. I am from Lansing, MI. I’m a wife, Mom and All around creative. I have a license in cosmetology. I fell in love with doing hair when I was around 11 my mom used to have me dye, cut and curl her hair. Read more>>

Dave Holland

During the pandemic I bought a grow kit for some mushrooms, online. It became a fascination, then an obsession, then a daily hobby, to a business, in early 2024. I didn’t come from agriculture, in fact, I cam from marketing and design for brands like Purdue University and Apple. Read more>>

Die Laughing Comedy

Die Laughing started as the brain child of JB King. I, Ryan Schrilla ran a few shows in north Georgia and JB had a mic as well as a show or two himself. Once we realized that the comedy scene needed some firepower, we combined forces and brought our rooms together and voila. Read more>>