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.
Jamie JC” Hopkins”
We want you to be 100% happy with your purchase and we want you to get exactly what you want – therefore if we aren’t able to provide that then we would rather NOT sell you a car that you won’t be happy with. We can’t be perfect of course, but our recipe has been pretty successful. We just treat people fairly, provide quality inventory that is highly reliable, and our prices are almost impossible to beat in most cases. We have been successful only due to the principals we live by, as well as our close relationship with Jesus Christ! Read more>>
Lori Lesnansky
Some dreams begin quietly, with a whisper. Others arrive like a warm coastal breeze, impossible to ignore. Beach Hippie Coffee was one of those dreams — born on the sugar-white sands of 30A, long before Myrtle Beach ever knew it was coming. What started as a family move to care for a father-in-law became the unexpected beginning of a new chapter. Read more>>
Jon Franko
Jon Franko has gained a wealth of experience in sales, management and leadership for 35+ years as a business to business, pharmaceutical and currently as a client based real estate sales professional. Consequently, his extensive leadership, coaching, training, and interviewing skillset has led to a passion for identifying opportunities to provide professional guidance and consultation in real estate. Read more>>
Jeffrey Stewart
My life story is a mixture of Forrest Gump meets Indiana Jones. We have been missionaries 35 years. We have traveled to around 70 countries. We were in Eastern Europe, mostly Bulgaria, 20 years and now travel to remote areas around the world. We have worked among some of the most neglected and impoverished peoples in the world. Read more>>
Sophea Ruchala
It all started when my mom signed me up for Cosmetology in high school. As an immigrant from Cambodia, my mom was a single mother who raised four girls while running a small grocery store. I didn’t even know what cosmetology was, but I trusted her. She’s always been my example of strength and hard work. Read more>>
Seneca Johnson
I’m an African-American woman from a small town in South Carolina, where big dreams often had to squeeze into small spaces. From a young age, I was captivated by the idea of becoming an engineer — not just to build things, but to build a life of purpose. Read more>>
Brian DiStefano
I have been helping people for the past 25 years practicing law so I naturally gravitated towards helping seniors properly plan with insurance products. Our brokerage focuses on Medicare, retirement savings, and life insurance. Over the past six years we have been helping our local community as trusted insurance brokers. Read more>>
Christopher Javis
From Christopher Javis to J. Chris the barber. My journey as a barber started at the hands of my parents both neighborhood hair care givers. Both cared for friends and family to ensure parents and kids looked their best to feel their best and do their best. That was many of the work ethics my parents and grandparents instilled in me as entrepreneur themselves. Read more>>
Chelsea Robinson
It all started a few years after I graduated from college in 2012. I got a lot of experience with different events through internships and different jobs in the hospitality industry. Read more>>
Lauren Capone
I graduated from NYU in 2022 and started working for a practice in New York City. I received more mentorship during that time specific to couples and relationships. When I moved to South Carolina, I finished my clinical hours and launched my own practice in Charleston, SC. Read more>>
Hannah Norman
I graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2020 and became a licensed Realtor shortly after. Real estate wasn’t originally part of my plan—in fact, it wasn’t even on my radar until I interned at a real estate law firm during my final two years of college. Read more>>
Shereka Johnson-Bean
After migrating to the United States in 2013, I made a promise to myself — that once I found my footing in life, I would give back to the place that raised me: Jamaica. Growing up, I knew what it felt like to battle limited opportunities, social pressure, and the discouragement that comes when your dreams feel out of reach. Read more>>
Genesis Wernham
My Story – Little Arrows Candle Co. Little Arrows Candle Co. was born almost three years ago, shortly after I had my youngest son—my fourth boy. At the time, I was working from home as a daycare provider, running a small preschool, and navigating a wave of postpartum depression. I only took two weeks off after giving birth before diving right back into work. Read more>>
Marcelle Malkin
I’ve always loved being in the kitchen, but I started baking sourdough when my middle son, who wasn’t even two at the time, was struggling with severe eczema. I wanted to see if I could help heal his gut through better nutrition. I quickly fell in love with the process. Before long, I was baking for friends and getting a lot of positive feedback. Read more>>
Kelly Kennedy
After I graduated from my PhD program at The University of Georgia in Child and Family Development with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy, I knew I wanted to create a clinic that welcomed all kinds of families to help them access high quality mental health care. Read more>>
Dale Cochran
Creativity plays a significant role in my story. Art is my creative outlet. My earliest drawing memories are lying on the floor beside my Dad while he worked. His day job was in textiles, and he had a side hustle as a sign painter. He enjoyed drawing, which lead him to take a mail-order art course. Read more>>
Camille Wood
During my master’s program at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, our professors briefly talked about starting your own practice. Since there was not an elective on how to get started, I researched what went into starting a private practice. There is a lot of information out there from previous therapists, including my own supervisors; who were great mentors! Read more>>
Guadalupe Nava
As a son of immigrant parents my dream has always been to own my own business and be able to provide for them as they have for me. Growing up my dad would take me to work at a concrete company, to do plumbing work or to pick vegetables at a farm. Read more>>
JaM – Jamie and Mike Acoustic Classic Rock
JaM began in 2013 when Jamie Stewart (lead vocals and guitar) and Mike Coyle (harmony vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, bass) got together to create an acoustic classic rock duo. Our music focuses on tight harmonies and all live performance – no backing tracks, covering classic rock music from the 60’s through today. Read more>>
Adriane Maxwell, LMP RMT
My journey with One Healing Touch began with a deep desire to help women find peace in their bodies and minds — because I’ve lived through the overwhelm myself. Before becoming a massage therapist and Reiki Master, I spent years in high-stress roles, constantly giving but rarely pausing to receive. Read more>>
Francesco & Joseph Laterza
For Drs. Francesco and Joseph Laterza, LaterzaMD Aesthetic Center began as a shared vision rooted in medicine, artistry, and care. Joseph, a Family Medicine physician, was drawn to aesthetics through his understanding of how confidence and wellness are deeply connected. Francesco, an Internal Medicine hospitalist and medical educator, brought a love of precision, balance, and patient relationships to the idea. Read more>>
Kat Shafer
I grew up in Georgia, where my parents were amicably divorced — the kind where holidays were civil and everyone still showed up. My two older sisters and I split our time between Atlanta and a small rural town called Jasper, which meant I got the best of both worlds: a little bit of city polish and a lot of dirt-road common sense. Read more>>
Kimberly Donaldson
What began as a simple love for cooking and entertaining, and bringing people together – evolved into a business that blends creativity, hospitality, and memorable experiences. After completing a 26-week Culinary Program at L’Academie de Cuisine in the Washington, DC, it deepened my passion for food and appreciation for the joy it brings others. Read more>>
JaVonna Alexander
JaVonna Alexander is a proud Charleston, SC native and a dedicated real estate professional with a passion for helping families achieve homeownership. She graduated from the University of South Carolina Upstate in May of 2016. She has a dual degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics/Finance & Bachelor of Arts in International Business from her one year study abroad experience in Landshut, Germany. Read more>>
Regan Zeller
For the better part of two decades, my world was the hum of an anesthesia machine and the controlled chaos of a busy treatment floor. I started in the kennels, earned my LVT license, and eventually moved into practice management, leading teams in every kind of hospital imaginable—GP, ER, and multi-specialty. Read more>>
Destiny Clayton
From a young age I had always dreamed of helping and working with animals. I spent several years working in the shelter, veterinary offices, and even dog daycare. I recognized a lack of dependable in home pet care and wanted to create something meaningful for me and the people in the community that could be trusted. Read more>>
Bernell King
Most of all, I find, create and personalize experiences with local communities and lesser known destinations that my clients would not find or experience on their own. By being a partner with local communities, my clients experience the true essence of the local people and culture that they cannot experience through travel booking engine trip and tours. Furthermore, our immersive cultural encounters are thoughtfully and strategically built with the 6Cs of Travel (TM): Care, Culture, Community, Climate, Connection and Contribution to intentionally and practically impact social and economic growth of local communities. Read more>>
Mandy Owens
While working as a Mother/Baby RN at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland between 2004-2007, I found myself wanting to give families more with regards to education, postpartum care and newborn care. I often had moms say to me, “I wish we could take you home with us” as I was walking them out to their cars upon being discharged from the hospital. Read more>>
Michael Huh
My entrepreneurial journey started with a golf startup. The idea was to help golfers connect with other like golfers. Our app would help golfers find other local golfers who matched their skill level and playing style and also helped them connect with golf courses, golf coaches and golf events and tournaments. Read more>>
mimi kline
I have always loved to work with my hands. My mom taught me to knit at a very young age, and that began my interest in arts and crafts. I always wanted to go to art school, but that wasn’t going to support me so I went in a different direction. Read more>>
Sabrina Jackson-Cunningham
I started out as a teen mom at just 16 years old, but I was determined not to become a statistic. I graduated from Richland Northeast High School—on time, might I add—and made a promise to myself that my son, who’s now 14, would have a great life and never go without. Read more>>
