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.
Becki Cole
Music used to be cassette tapes, CDs, and DVDs 5 times a year, with choreography notes to print. Today we are 100% digital with music, videos, as well as the choreography notes online monthly. This really helps us keep our classes fresh and new while always learning new material. Read more>>
Pastor T.J. Fisher
Absolutely — my story is really a journey of faith, service, and unexpected calling. I moved to Charlotte from New York in 2021, but my roots in ministry go back much further. I’m a PK — a preacher’s kid — so church has always been part of my DNA. Still, I never imagined I’d one day pastor a church myself. Read more>>
Jessica Flowers
I came to Early Childhood Education through the “back door.” I graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Biology, married, and within five years had two beautiful sons. When I enrolled them in our church preschool, I was asked to substitute one day—and that single day changed the course of my life. Read more>>
Secelie Russell
My story is one of continually building strength, fueled by resilience and a deep commitment to personal and professional growth, which has brought me right here, ready for this opportunity. I am in my 30s, and my most important role is being a mother to my eight-year-old daughter. Read more>>
Carl Young
BBQ has been a part of my life since I was a kid. During the summer months we had family BBQ’s almost every weekend! My love for BBQ continued to grow, which lead me to trying different types of seasonings and BBQ sauces, looking for a distinct flavor. I didn’t find what I was looking for so I decided to create my own. Read more>>
Judy Etheredge
I begin my journey as a certified fitness trainer in 2010, however my clients were interested in eating healthier. That inspired me to become a chef, so in 2015 I began my career at Natural Gourmet Institute in New York where I learned not only the love for cooking to help my community to eat healthier but to create delicious and beautiful food. Read more>>
Tressa Gardner
I began at Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) in 2003, after working in government relations, restaurant management and manufacturing. In my first role at FDTC, I worked with National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grants that focused on growing the technical skilled workforce. This afforded me the opportunity to connect with students, industry and educators across the country. Read more>>
Courtney La’Tonica
With roots stretching across South Carolina, my love for the earth was planted by the Black women who nurtured me, my grandmother and great-grandmother. Their hands tended to gardens, houseplants, flowers, and generations, sowing seeds of wisdom, care, and resilience. Read more>>
Mike Tilberry
Growing up, I was always the overweight kid—the one who got picked on, underestimated, and overlooked. Everything changed in high school when I joined the football team. I loved the sport, but the weight room is where I discovered something life-changing: I was strong. For the first time, I found a place where I felt confident, capable, and in control. Read more>>
Susan MacCargar
Transforming Brands Through Strategic Design. Hi, I’m Susan, a creative visionary, team cheerleader, and enthusiast of all things brand. I genuinely love what I do: finding the most compelling way to tell stories, empower businesses, and bring brands to life through purposeful design and engaging storytelling. Read more>>
Henry Mack
It all started on a Saturday morning after a few friend’s and I return from the gym playing basketball. Read more>>
Madeline Helms Charlie Jones
Charlie and I have always dreamed our having our own gym space. After years of both of us working in different settings with clients, we knew we could combine our exercise, nutrition, and rehab knowledge to make an all inclusive gym that could help people in more than one category. Read more>>
Tyson Matthews
Yeah! Life is good. I’m a husband of 9 years to my wife, Grace, a father to two equally wild and kind sons, manager at a local coffee shop, pastor at a local anglican church, and most recently your neighborhood bible rebinder! I grew up in Tampa, FL until the age of 19 when I moved to Myrtle Beach to marry my then girlfriend. Read more>>
Brittni Roper
I started doing hair when I was around 10 yrs old , I truly feel like it’s a gift I was blessed with . I took a 2 yr course once I got in highschool so I’ve been licensed since I was 17 . That’s 20 yrs now , it’s been a journey . Read more>>
Kenish Harmon
I have always been an artist. It has been my purpose, my calling and my dream since childhood. Every career day was spent with me dressed in a paint smock, a French beret, and a paint brush and palette in hand. There were no other options or desires. Read more>>
Benjamin Sinderman
Over the years, I’ve explored almost every corner of agriculture—working on conventional farms, organic farms, and most recently conducting research at a hydroponic facility. No matter where I went, I kept coming back to the same question: How can we work with nature instead of against it? That question eventually led me to study permaculture and earn my Permaculture Design Certificate in 2020. Read more>>
Ané Roos
My name is Ané, I’m 22 years old, and animals have been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in South Africa surrounded by pets and farm animals, and from a young age, I felt connected to them in a way that went beyond words. Read more>>
Bob Sager
I came to the Pee Dee State Farmers Market in 2019 after spending two years working with the Florence Downtown Development Corp. as a Community Development Consultant focused on recruitment of businesses to be in Downtown Florence. I moved to Florence in 2007 to manage the Belk Store at Magnolia Mall with an extensive background in retail management with Federated Dept. Read more>>
Marisa Sissel
My journey into social work began long before I ever earned a credential. I grew up witnessing firsthand how trauma and adversity shape people, their families, and their futures. I knew early on that I wanted to make a difference, not by ‘fixing’ people, but by helping them find their own strength, voice, and balance. Read more>>
Timothy Simmons
I started out as an artist from day one, but I avoided turning it into a career at first because I didn’t think I’d make a steady living at it. Instead, I stumbled into photography in the early 90s, which led me to become a private investigator and run my own detective agency. Read more>>
Melissa Altman
I’ve been a Registered Nurse for 35 years and got into Functional Medicine and Nutrition about 12 years ago when I wasn’t feeling my best and none of my doctors were able to offer any valuable solutions. So, I saw a Functional Medicine Dr. and was markedly improved within just a few weeks. Read more>>
Sandra Bullock
Around 2017, I had a vision for a program that would help low-income individuals and families, including those experiencing homelessness. In 2019, at 75 years old, I resigned from my job to pursue that vision and dream. I have always felt that people were not treated with the respect and dignity they deserved when trying to access services. Read more>>
Bill Jasan
In January of 2010, I heard the news of a great and deadly earthquake that destroyed very much of the land of Haiti. Now, it’s certainly not unusual to learn of various tragic events taking place throughout the world. But, for reasons that I can’t quite explain, this occurrence seemed to weigh extra heavy on my heart and on my mind. Read more>>
Alan Beckley
For 20+ years I had been doing computer drafting in an office setting. I had little interaction with other people. While I enjoyed the work at first, it became harder and harder to find contentment staring at a monitor all day long. Read more>>
Aashini Shrivastav
Meeting a need is something that drives me on a daily basis, and that is what I have set as the foundation of my career: meeting a need. I worked in public interest law for 4 years, and enjoyed every minute of it. In 2025, I spent some time evaluating my career and desire for personal growth. Read more>>
Cory Anderson
I launched my first business, SolutionsIT, in 2013 at just 18 years old. As a self-taught IT professional with a passion that began in childhood, I spent my high school years assisting with on-campus technology needs and immediately entered the IT field after graduation. SolutionsIT began as a residential and commercial IT consulting company specializing in computers, networking, servers, printers, and full-scale technology support. Read more>>
Tim Rogers
I grew up just outside New York City and fell in love with the performing arts at a young age. I spent much of my childhood and teens performing on stage and in TV commercials, and that early connection to the arts shaped how I see community and storytelling. Read more>>
Christy Kinard
I never had to discover creativity — it found me. It lived in the dances I invented, the sketchbooks I filled to their edges, the bursts of color spun across the backyard, and the small sculptures shaped from dough at the kitchen table. Long before I had a name for it, creativity was the language I spoke most naturally. Read more>>
Savannah Dreblow
What began as personal repair evolved into a calling. I started Soul Vibrations Yoga + Sound because healing my own nervous system changed the trajectory of my life. For years I lived in a constant survival state, people-pleasing, pushing through pain, and searching for validation outside of myself. Read more>>
Nicole Martin
I moved to SC in June 1999, I transferred with a national company’s cleanroom division. I arrived on a Saturday, unloaded on Sunday, worked on Monday, and came home that night with my forehead all broken out. My skin had issues with the Southern heat and humidity. That summer, I was also introduced to Aveda while staying with a family friend. Read more>>
Shakeita Price
I started off as a mortgage lender in 2020 and had the privilege of helping over 300 families get approved for financing while working in retail lending. In 2025, I took the next step and acquired my real estate license, which now allows me to help clients not just finance their homes, but also find them. Read more>>
Genea Johnson
My journey into Chinese Medicine was not a willing one, at least not initially. I was already a licensed massage therapist, but after a series of car accidents left me recovering for six months, I questioned whether I could even return to the profession. My body was in chronic pain, and my emotional state was fragile. Read more>>
Kelsey Sturgis
The Sweet Spot was birthed out of one of the hardest seasons of my life. I officially started on July 4, 2025, but God gave me the idea a year before that. During that time, my husband and I were trying to adjust after a major life change. Read more>>
Austin Lengacher
The key to the success of the store is God providing for us! In faith, our church began cleaning up the project before the funds showed up. Our current building was a demolition project in it’s previous state. But with vision and a lot of hard work – the building was restored. Our building and business is now a shining light to the community. Literally! Read more>>
Kristen Fuller
I have opened my practice as the third phase of a career in helping youth and families. My first career was as a high school teacher for 12 years, then as a corporate interventionist for our national public schools with Scholastic Inc. During Covid, I realized that it was time to get my psychology masters to become a mental health counselor. Read more>>
Stacie Hamilton
Ever since I experienced my first massage session as a client, I wanted to learn how to help others feel better. While working a desk job by day, I attended Massage & Bodywork Therapy School at night. Then I knew a desk job was not for me, so as soon as I graduated I landed a part-time position working side-by-side a wonderful chiropractor. Read more>>
Mike Macri
I always enjoyed preparing meals and entertaining. Anytime we were to host a holiday or have people over, I would take charge over the food and presentation. I loved it so much that I had joked on one occasion it would be great to do this for a living, but thought it was just a dream thought. Read more>>
Russell DeMott
I began practicing law in 1995 after serving as a law clerk to a circuit judge for two years. I have practiced in several different areas of law but now limit my practice to estate planning and bankruptcy. I also serve as a part-time magistrate judge for Dorchester County. Read more>>
Nikia Hill
I grew up in Augusta, GA and deeply rooted in my hometown community. My wellness journey began with a personal need for rest, grounding, and balance while working full-time as an analyst. What started as curiosity about yoga quickly became a calling—I realized how breath-led movement and stillness could transform not just my own life, but the lives of others. Read more>>
Janette Marvin
We began in 2018 after someone came to our church with a request for help getting dental care. I had assumed there was help from some governmental agency and set out to find it only to discover there wasn’t any as the individual didn’t have Medicaid or income. Read more>>
Mandy Henderly
I am a yoga therapist who lives in Hendersonville and has an office in Travelers Rest, SC. My yoga therapy practice is a part of Table Rock Integrative Health and Wellness, and I provide yoga therapy to support mental well-being. Read more>>
Jessica Cooke
We’re heading into what will be our 10th year in business in 2026, hard to believe! We started out with a direct selling boutique brand for 4 years before opening our own boutique. We’ve done it all; worked out of our house selling online only, had a camper turned mobile boutique for events, then a converted city transit bus! Read more>>
Julianna Boone
Party Barn Play Adventure has been a dream of mine since my oldest child, Asher (5), was little. During those years as a stay-at-home mom, I cherished every moment, but it could also feel lonely at times — especially when my husband, a lineman, was away working storms. Read more>>
Kelly MacDonald
My father was in the Airforce so when I was two, we moved to Italy then Germany until moving to Charleston for high school and college at CofC. I started drawing adamantly when I was four and never stopped, I think part of that was living off base in a foreign country I didn’t speak the language of. Read more>>
