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 gems from Norcross and the surrounding areas.
Jaydine Royes
Initially, I didn’t plan on turning this into a business. I simply enjoyed making people feel loved and appreciated through these special occasions. However, as demand grew, so did the encouragement from friends and family to turn my passion into a full-fledged business venture. Read More>>
Toka Wilson
I have always been a spiritual person, driven by a deep-seated quest for understanding our individual and collective purposes as human beings. It was in the year 2020 that I stumbled upon the profound wisdom of Vedic Astrology, and from that moment, I delved headlong into an exploration of the Vedas and the intricate world of astrology, employing it as a powerful means to rediscover my true self. Read More>>
Dale Jones
I started in the Floral industry when I was 22. I went to college at ABAC for Landscape Design and discovered the love of arranging fresh florals. I opened my own shop in Downtown Clarkesville, GA shortly after college graduation in my hometown. Read More>>
Na’Stassia Joy
I started my business during the pandemic. I’m in the hospitality business, and when Covid came, I had to get rid of 35 people on my staff with no warning. I arrived at work one day, and my General Manager said, we have to let go of all the staff today. Read More>>
Sade Lee
I was born in Hampton, Virginia during Hurricane Floyd on September 15, 1999 on Langley Air Force Base, coming in the world with a bang! My dad was in the Air Force and with that it granted me the opportunity to move around when I was growing up. Read More>>
Diasia Williams
I am a Children’s and adult book author, as well as a Certified Life Coach and Mental Health Advocate who has a platform- Dia Talk Mindfulness LLC., whereas we talk about mental health-related issues and focus on mindfulness. Read More>>
Benita Bobo
I’ve been a figure skater for over 20 years and when I graduated from undergrad at UCLA, I knew I wasn’t ready to leave my passion for skating behind to get a “real” job. I kept pursuing skating which led me to performing with various shows, most notably Disney on Ice. It was an absolute dream being able to skate, entertain kids, and travel to over 20 countries in the world! My second passion in nutrition developed out of necessity because as a professional athlete living out of hotels, it wasn’t easy to meet all of my health needs. Read more>>
Shay Agboola
Being a former basketball alumni of Gwinnett County, I wanted to bring our community together to have a reunion of sorts without the formality of a school reunion. Also, I wanted to bring basketball, especially the summer basketball aspect down to Georgia. As a native New Yorker, summer basketball is the biggest event we look forward to every year and I wanted to have something my community can look forward to each year. Read more>>
Chef Brittney Bell
I am from a small but well-known town called Thomasville, Georgia. I grew up admiring my late aunt Pam’s catering and skill set in the kitchen. I have an eight-year-old loving Son who is as outgoing as I am but he drives me to push harder towards my dream. I graduated culinary arts school in 2015 but it wasn’t until 2020 that I started my professional culinary career. I have successfully owned and operated Bell Room catering company as a personal chef company that has grown into a large event & corporate catering-driven business scaling over 6 figures within the past two years. Read more>>
Joshua Angus
So I originally went to college to study pre-law. After a year, I realized that that route wasn’t for me so I dropped out. Took some time off from school and then randomly woke up one day wanting to give the film a shot. January of 2019, I started film school, which was how I met Aaron. A friend of a friend got word that I was trying to get into the industry and offered me a PA gig with the company that he was currently DP’ing for Consume Media. I began to PA for them and on some other sets. Leading into my senior year, I moved up to PA and began to AD for them. I parlayed that into an internship with them and moved into a full-time position with them as a Jr. Producer/Assistant Director. Most recently as of May this year, I received a promotion to the title of Producer/Director! Read more>>
Joyce Mayberry
I have always worked for for-profit organizations as a tech/Helpdesk Manager until I decided to volunteer for a nonprofit that helped women recovering from drugs and alcohol and become self-sufficient through the organization’s corporate social responsibility practice. That was all she wrote. From there, I went to work for that non-profit. From that point on I made it a point to only work for organizations that gave back to the community. I learned so much through that change. Not too long after that, I began working at Georgia Center for Opportunity as a Program Coordinator helping to coordinate a grant whose sole purpose was to strengthen families through providing couples relationship enrichment. Read more>>
