The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below.
Mikki Ramey
For over 20 years, I’ve been dedicated to helping buyers and sellers in the Charleston market, selling over 1,700 homes along the way. I still love working with clients and finding solutions that make their real estate dreams a reality. In addition to helping others buy and sell homes, I’m also a real estate investor and own multiple investment properties. Some girls buy shoes—I prefer buying houses! 🙂 Currently, I am the leader of the top female real estate team in Charleston! Read more>>
Michelle Wright
I started tinting windows with my violent controlling X-husband. I really enjoyed this line of work and started trying to learn as much as I could online and learning about what all window film can do besides just make a car look good. Window tinting was my escape from what my life had become. I developed a passion and a sense of pride which encouraged me to be more in life. Problem was I was beaten down mentally and physically and didn’t think I could do it on my own. Read more>>
Homicyde
Well, we’re a death metal band. We started in 2010 as 3 brothers playing drums, bass, and vocals. We needed to fill in the last few roles so after some people came and went we were able to finalize the lineup we have today. We’ve opened for acts like Whitechapel, Carnifex, Signs of the Swarm throughout our existence. We released an album in 2022 called “The Sickening Tales” and last year we dropped our EP “Immortal.” We’re currently filling out 2025 with shows and tours while writing new music in between. Read more>>
Olivia Dallas
Although our conversation was brief, it was impactful. I enrolled in school and made a commitment to learn everything I could about photography. I continue to do this and am enjoying every moment learning about something that has intrigued me for years. One thing that she shared that continues to resonate with me was not to spend another moment doing what sustains me but doing what I love. Ironically enough, she is also a full-time photographer. With that encouragement and belief in me by a total stranger, I leaped into something that makes me happy because I was doing something that I love. Read more>>
Shawna Marino
Then there is the matter of fashion shows and theft of dresses that you sometimes encounter. Even most recently I had to walk away from my supplier of 5 years due to continuous issues. That was truly a nightmare because I has worked so hard to get to that point and now in the process of starting all over with a supplier that I can trust, and that is going to exclusively produce my pieces. There a lot of dark areas in the fashion world that can be tough to navigate so it isn’t easy and you need a little bit of grit and a whole lot of Jesus to persevere. Read more>>
Carolyn Williams, Emily Rypkema, Liz Rypkema, Grace Rypkema, Anneliese Rypkema
Instead it has been about celebrating our friendships, encouraging creativity along with our individual strengths while challenging our perceived weaknesses. Sometimes we have a beautiful product to present for our time. Sometimes all we have to show for our efforts is a lengthy text thread of our newest endeavors and/or failures or “toilet paper projects” as we like to call them. Our hope is that regardless of what we tangibly produce that what we have worked for under the title of LEGACY will last much longer than this company ever will. Read more>>
Sam Simon
I primarily focus on sports photography, but I also cover concerts, portraits, and a variety of formal and informal events. I’ve had the privilege of being on the floor for several major events, including the NCAA softball regionals, Mizzou football homecoming, and Mizzou men’s basketball’s victory over Kansas. My photos have also been used in various designs that I’ve created, and players often ask me to send them my pictures so they can post them on their own social media. Read more>>
Joy Bucher
Even before we moved, I knew that I would need to open a local location since the closest location was 60 mins. away. So, I opened Jazzercise classes at a local yoga studio on Hilton Head Island in September 2017 with only 2 members. By January 2019, I had secured a space within the Island Rec Center, which is where we are today. We currently offer 8 classes per week (morning, evening, and weekend), and have grown to 40 customers. I have realized that Jazzercise is the best workout program for me and so many women as our cardio/strength classes have worked to improve muscle tone, increase bone density, and reduce the effects of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. My goal has always been to get as many people fit as possible, all while moving to music and having fun! It’s that feel good feeling that keeps our members coming back for more. Read more>>
Allison Batson
While traveling, I instantly was inspired and loved fluffy alpacas. It sparked an interest in fiber farming and loved the idea of producing my own yarn and other products. One thing turned into another, and I started my own little alpaca farm. I loved alpacas so much and wanted to share my passion with the world. So, I started doing agritourism type things by offering photoshoots with alpacas and that turned into meet & greets and seasonal events and so much more. We now host countless guests and events throughout the year from Galentines picnics to parties. We also love taking our 3 alpacas out in the community to participate in fun events. We’ve been to markets, coffee shops, college campuses, and anywhere someone will have us. Read more>>
Kelicia (Kalli) Taylor
And of course, balancing all of this while being a mother and running a family is a challenge of its own. Time management is crucial, and some days feel overwhelming, but I remind myself why I started. I want to build something that not only supports my family but also inspires others to chase their dreams. Every setback has been a lesson, and I know the work I’m putting in now is laying the foundation for something greater. Read more>>
Alexis Thompson
After graduating with a degree in journalism, I was torn between a corporate world and a world where I had my own freedom. Choosing freedom, I spent the last fourteen years building a business in a completely different field. It taught me diligence, work ethic, marketing, sales, and the personal development has been invaluable. I’ve loved every second. However, that love of storytelling, the desire to be a resource for others, has consistently creeped to the surface in small ways, specifically on social media. For the past ten years I have documented everything, recommended everything that deserved recommendation. January of 2024, I decided it was time my passion for storytelling, desire to be a resource for others, and my background in journalism needed to combine. Read more>>
Lindsay Tompkins
Through Rosie, I became close friends with two incredible people who had deep experience in both shelter and rescue work. As I learned more about the overcrowded conditions of shelters in South Carolina and saw how many amazing dogs were being euthanized simply due to space, I knew I had to take action. Starting my own rescue was something I had always dreamed of, but I didn’t think I could do it alone. With the support of these friends, Rosie Rescue was born. Read more>>
Danielle Hatton
The balance between creativity and a clinical lens is something I’ve wrestled with. I’m not someone who wants to just follow a textbook —I love learning and the science behind what I do, but I also believe healing is just as much an art as it is a science. The magic happens when I take evidence-based tools and make them feel human, intuitive, and personal. Finding that balance has been an ongoing process, but it’s also what makes my work feel so fulfilling and true to me. Read more>>
James Moseley
My father started our company in 1994 focusing on high-end wooden curved stairs. In early 2000 he noticed the market trending towards including hand crafted metal work on the stairs, this was about the time I was taking a welding class in my first year of college. He asked me “If I buy you a welder do you promise to make my money back”, I replied yes, I’ll do my best. That’s how we got into doing custom metal work, I put a new welder in the back of a truck and worked hard to fulfill my promise. 25 years later, we have a 25,000 square foot shop focusing on high-end architectural wood and metal projects both in commercial and residential. Read more>>
April Renee
It’s been an honor and a wonderful experience to be apart of the community here, and the response has been overwhelming. I’m truly so blessed and all I can say, is that I felt like after that experience, being involved in a violent crime, my relationship with Jesus and my relationship to music has taken new heights. Charleston has been so good to me, and has helped me heal though music and friendship. I am grateful for every opportunity and would love for people to check out my orignal songs. You can find me on streaming platforms at April Teppe. Read more>>
Marley Presswood
Like many entrepreneurs, my journey wasn’t linear. From the beginning, I focused on networking, mastering the market, and continuously refining my approach. Relationships have always mattered more to me than transactions—I prioritize trust, transparency, and expert guidance. Over time, that mindset paid off, and I built a business that consistently ranks in the top 1% of realtors in South Carolina. Read more>>
Rebecca Deans
In 2021, after 10 years in the medical field, I took the leap and started SHIFT into Organized. At first, it was just me helping people declutter and create systems that made their homes feel more peaceful. What I quickly realized was that this work went far beyond tidying up. For so many of my clients, getting organized wasn’t just about their physical space — it brought clarity and ease to their lives as a whole. That’s what really fueled me to grow SHIFT into what it is today. Read more>>
Heidi Stephens
In 2021 I showed my work at 5 markets. This year I already have 10 scheduled. I also have some prints and smaller pieces in a local art shop All4Art in the Market Common area of Myrtle Beach. It becomes more clear every year that this is what I have always wanted to do. In the near future I will continue to paint on terracotta pots with different botanical and fantasy elements. I currently have patterns with daisies, mushrooms, and sunflowers in addition to the many colors of hydrangeas. On the fine art side I want to continue pushing myself to make more unusual art and incorporate social messages and reused materials to communicate ideas about environmentalism, feminism, and other counter-culture ideas. Read more>>
Stephanie Bohland
However, I also understand that religion must have boundaries. The existence of LGBTQ+ people can not, and will not, be dictated by the beliefs of religions we are not a part of. Telling me I can’t be gay because your god forbids it is a lot like me saying you can’t have cake because I’m on a diet. No one, no one, has the right to mandate their faith onto the lives of others, but unfortunately our government is willingly and actively participating in this inappropriate blurring of personal beliefs and public policies. Read more>>
Jason Corlette
My second stint in nc I purchased a food truck 5 years ago without a name or logo. My best friend Paul said all the customers at his bar would always ask “what’s Jay cooking tonight” Paulnsaid you should name your truck that and I did. I’ve always had a passion for smoking food but one day having a party at my house I made burgers and a secret sauce. All my friends said you can sell those and make big money. I laughed cause I was thinking these are just burgers. People seemed to really like the secret sauce and the seasoning I used on my smash burgers. Then my business just took off Read more>>
Micalah Locke
For my entire life, I have been involved in the arts. My earliest exposure to visual arts was my grandfather, John Locke III. He was an artist and a professor for 29 years. Although I am a practicing visual artist now, my first love of the arts wasn’t visual art; it was dance. I started lessons around age eleven and eventually transitioned into performing in my high school color guard. I even wanted to pursue a career in dance at one point, but despite still performing, I drifted away from the idea of making it my career. About two years after my grandfather’s passing, when I was about seventeen, I started to take an interest in visual art again and enrolled in drawing and painting in school. I eventually applied and was accepted into the Studio art program at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Read more>>
Jordan Redd
From then on, I threw myself into sports, finding a new passion in basketball and cross country throughout middle and high school. It wasn’t art, but it gave me a sense of purpose, something to chase. Then, in my junior year, I took a leap and joined speech and debate, where I fell in love with theatre and competitive acting. That passion carried me into college, where I pursued theatre further, believing I had found my true calling. Read more>>
Karen Parrott
I fell in love with them but wanted everyone else to give me their opinion. I posted several pictures on Facebook and everyone started wanting to buy several. I started selling to my Facebook Friends and decided that I love making them so much I would start a small business. This was almost 3 years ago and I haven’t slowed down for one minute. I love being creative and enjoying trying new projects. Read more>>
Justin Gray
Last year I obtained my SC auctioneer license and currently just obtained my auctioneer firm license for the state of SC. We are excited to start doing auctions for clients in SC this year. We also recently opened an antique shop in Union SC located at 720 W Main St Union SC. we have a new antique mall that we just created and we have dealers from Asheville NC, Charlotte NC, Columbia SC, and Spartanburg that will be selling their merchandise in our store. Read more>>
Dana Jones
I’m a painter. My work falls under the umbrella of Geometric Abstraction. For the past year, I have been collaborating on a project with Asheville-based artist Ralston Fox Smith. We’ve been exploring themes of pattern, weather, and the outdoors. We’ve always felt that our work would look good on the wall together. And frankly, it does. You can see the results of that collaboration now, through April 25 at Upstairs Artspace in Tryon, NC. (upstairsartspace.org) Read more>>
Ruth Anne Millen Bigley
In college I studied Psychology and had planned to pursue Psychology as a profession, but after graduating decided to get a certification in Holistic Health Coaching. I practiced health coaching for a while, but found I preferred creating recipes and online heath and wellness content over health coaching. I transitioned to full time food blogging and content creation in 2020 and have been doing it ever since! While I love what I do and love sharing my recipes, I am planing a slight rebrand soon and hope to incorporate more holistic health and wellness content into my business. While I will always love creating delicious, nutritious food, I am deeply passionate about holistic health and wellness – health of the mind, body, and soul – and am planning to begin sharing more on those topics very soon! Read more>>
Debra Siegal
We added summer camps to our offerings in 2021. This past year, we fielded 6 Dragon Bytes teams, 6 FLL teams and 2 FTC teams. We even expanded with one of our FLL teams being a satellite team located in Rock Hill, SC. As I enter my 10th season coaching and my 6th as Chair of CDR, I am more excited than ever to see our program grow! We hope to have our own building soon and expand what we are able to offer. Read more>>
April DeTreville
I do not think being a business owner is ever easy but for me I went in blindly just trusting that since God brought me to it he would get me through it. The biggest struggle I had at first was finding a place that suited what I wanted out of my business. Then came the challenges of getting everything together to open the business., especially since I didn’t have a background in business. I was blessed with a couple of good friends who had opened business of their own that took me under their wings and guided me in the direction I needed to go and helped me check all the boxes of the requirements. Read more>>
Angie Mizzell
There were seasons of uncertainty, times when I questioned whether I had made the right choices. But what I’ve learned is that the struggles are often the most valuable part of the journey. They teach us to listen more closely to ourselves, to embrace change with curiosity rather than fear, and to recognize that fulfillment isn’t about following a straight path—it’s about finding a path that truly fits. Read more>>
Kydd Joe
After a thrilling five-year stint at WFXA, Kydd Joe’s star power was undeniable, and he took his beats to WPRW Power 107.7, where his influence soared to new heights. But Kydd Joe isn’t just a voice on the radio; he’s a phenomenon that dominates the CSRA’s mobile DJ scene. His electric presence is a staple at college blowouts, wedding celebrations, high-energy prom nights, and he’s the master of ceremonies for electric concerts and the legendary Power 107 graduation bash. Read more>>
Sarah Hodge
Throughout my teenage to young adult years of schooling, I discovered a love for poetry. It helped me express the trauma of rejection, inappropriate connections, and low self esteem in more ways than I could imagine. God gave me the gift of creativity to not only express but to heal myself and heal others. Today I help others heal through my many different gifts: Singing, Dancing, and Writing. It is not by chance that my business’s mission is “To help readers become writers and specialize in helping children write through their pain and trauma.” Read more>>
Sandra Rivas
He needed something different—something that would support the way he learns and not mold him based on a fixed teaching method. That’s when I began researching alternatives to conventional preschool. This research led me to the Forest Schools of Europe. I fell in love with their philosophy and model of connecting children to their more than human kin. As an early childhood educator, I was already familiar with the hands‑on, child‑centered approaches of Montessori and Reggio Emilia methods. I decided to take what I loved from all of these education models and founded Peaceful Gatherings Nature School. Read more>>
Maggie Shumpert
I decided to get my masters degree when my girls were 18 months and 3 months. Crazy, I know! Throughout the time I was working on my masters, my husband and I experience the loss of several family members, including my father. I also worked full time throughout the entire time I was working on my masters which added time to the degree, but ultimately I finished! Getting licensed had its set of struggles also. I graduated in 2015, but didn’t pursue licensure until 2021. I was the only one working in our household after my husband became ill and had to medically retire. When I decided to actually get my LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), I passed it on the first try. Read more>>
Holland Sharon
Here and there, I would find time to paint, but it was always something I wish I had more time for. After a friend reached out to me to do a live wedding painting for her wedding, I took a leap of faith to incorporate painting into my everyday life again. Between live wedding paintings and commissions for friends, I have been continuously encouraged to make more time for it. While I love getting to create spaces and places for people to live and celebrate life in, there’s a different excitement to seeing a piece of my art on their walls. Read more>>
Alfredo Valoti
DJing in a small Southern city is not easy… your music genre need to conform with certain standards. If you are alone and play House Music or other electronic genres but still want to play Downtown, be prepared for a certain level of opposition and rejection. Local DJs need to be strong willed and always have a positive attitude. There is nothing worst for a DJ than spending weeks and weeks organizing an event, and then only 6-8 people shows up. But when this happens, you just need to learn from your mistake, recalibrate your efforts, and start planning the next event. Read more>>
Andrea Kolman
The journey of my business has definitely not been smooth. I opened before the second wave of Covid hit so that was unfortunate timing. Advertising has been hit or miss for me the past few years but I just keep going and give my clients the best care and service I can. My space has served me well for a boutique studio but I’m always finding great, new equipment I want to incorporate, so I really had to get creative with my layout to make it all fit. Read more>>
Jamie Daskalis
Not long after relocating to South Carolina, I began carving out a reputation for myself in Myrtle Beach. The close-knit community I serve gives me the opportunity to give back to the people who support me every day. With the opening of the first Johnny D’s in the heart of Myrtle Beach, I transformed my family’s restaurant into a culinary destination. The success of that first location led to the opening of two more along the Grand Strand, proving that both locals and visitors can’t get enough of the menu I’ve worked hard to perfect. Read more>>
Mac Rich
May 18th or 2024 Mac Rich thew his first show ever which he fully set up and ended up getting the radio to pick it up and promo it along with tay simone from z93 jamz coming out the host the event. It was the Summer of 2017 when Mac Rich really felt and noticed he had a talent that could help give people a kind of Hope that he had gotten from hip hop since a kid. Seeing how he had impacted peoples life through the years only fuels his passion to continue on this life long journey of being a positive influence on everyone he comes into contact with. Read more>>
Nyjah Monique
I grew up in a house where music wasn’t just background noise, it was the main character. My mom was deep in the House music scene, my granddad loved jazz, my dad had the kind of car bass that made the whole block vibrate, and my grandma? She stayed singing. So, of course, I picked up the clarinet at six, started teaching myself piano by ear at 13, and somehow ended up at a major record label before I was even old enough to drive. Read more>>
Chris Vincent
When people 1st start they thing it’s as easy as making a Spotify playlist but the truth is you’re going to spend endless hours finding music to download, organizing that music, learning the equipment, learning the software, marketing you’re brand, creating marketing material, networking with other artist, reaching out to venues who most likely won’t reply so you can try to get booked. Read more>>
Eva Hardy
I felt discouraged and for a few months I was without a job. I found myself working out of my house for a little while to try to stay a float, a dear friend I went to high school and also worked with at a restaurant in high school became a client of mine she’s a hair stylist who works at the bohemian suites, she encouraged me to keep my head up. One day she told me that a bigger room was available at the suites and asked me if I’d want to rent a booth from her and work with her in that studio! I was so thankful, full of joy, and so happy to work with her again! Read more>>
Jessica Williams
Each new home had new memories and great friends. 
I was able to breed and continue my business at each duty station all though not without challenges in all the moving.
After finishing the 6 year pilot contract my husband had he was hired by South Carolina National Guard. This was such a blessing for us as we felt God calling us to move back to Greenville SC permanently. We were both excited to start our family and put some roots down in the place we love to call home South Carolina☀️! God has blessed us with Trust in the Lord Labradors and everyday I am so thankful Read more>>
White Gold
WhiteGold is a recording artist/actor currently residing in Atlanta, GA. Recently he had his start in the Film Industry where he plays a El Camino Gang member in the new HBO pilot for DC Comics: DMZ starring Benjamin Brett, Rosario Dawson & Ava Duvernay. Additionally he starred in Lil Boosie’s bio pic “My Struggle” as a prison inmate as well as starring in several up & coming films. Read more>>
Dwayne McMillan
Playing music provides artists with several rewards simultaneously: the instant gratification of feeling, hearing, and experience the meaning of the lyrics, the music, the combination; seeing the profound impact on the faces of the audience members, the “dance joy” felt as they move their entire bodies on the dance floor – or just tap their feet from their chairs; and the applause and words of appreciation – spoken and written. Many people have literally been brought to tears! Some say it was the best and most meaningful experience they have had in a very long time. They start dancing, laughing, and demonstrating their festive moods! Kids, teens, adults, black, white, green, and yellow – the music touches all ethnicities. Read more>>
Judy Mcsween
I retired early from teaching to paint full time. It was the best decision ever, and I honor the curiosity and fearlessness of my students in my paintings. I had a solo show at Dare Gallery in Charleston two months after retiring and shipped pieces to two exhibitions out of state the next month. And I’ve just kept moving forward since then. My work has been juried into numerous shows and has even been recognized— like the Best Painting Award at Piccolo Spoleto Juried Art Exhibit at City Gallery in 2022. Read More>>
Rebekah Truett
My journey into the event industry started with a deep love for creating beautiful, memorable experiences. I always enjoyed arranging flowers for family and friends and curating special meals for gatherings. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a passion. I realized how flowers, food, and décor can completely transform an event, and I wanted to share that beauty with others. Read More>>
