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.
Dwayne Greenhill
I started playing sax in 5th grade band and I bought my first guitar that summer, by mowing lawns. I started my first band in 7th grade and played school talent shows. 8 th grade we played smells like teen spirit and that’s when I knew this was my career path. Read more>>
Christopher Welch
We acquired the Fudge Shoppe in January 2023. We have evolved from a simple sweets and ice cream shop into a family friendly Ice cream Parlor and Bakery. We hand make as much of our products as possible and add a unique artistic touch. Our focus is to be a landmark business for downtown Marion. Read more>>
Dusty and Mary McGrath
Pizza has always been a huge factor in Dustys life. He grew up in the south with family in the North East who notoriously take their pizza very seriously. He got his first job at 16 working for a local pizzeria and stayed for over 10 years, followed by making pizza for himself and his family by hand for another decade. Read more>>
T.D. McMurry
I grew up in Louisiana and was always drawn to the arts. I started playing music when I was 10 or so and thought that would be my calling in some way, shape, or form. As I got older, no matter the job I had, I always played a couple nights per week at the local restaurants/bars as my creative outlet. Read more>>
CeLisa Patterson
I began my undergrad in 2009 and received a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Southern Wesleyan University in Central, SC. I took a year off and then started the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2014 from Webster University in Greenville, SC. Read more>>
David Auer
In 2020 my daughter Allison who is a wedding planner suggested we buy a horse trailer and turn it into a bar. At her suggestion I located a vintage horse trailer in Vero Beach Florida, drove down picked it up and brought it back to Charleston. Read more>>
Carl Johnson
How to put a life into words? I’ve experienced so much joy and so much heartache. I suppose that allows me to be really good at what I do. I can speak with first hand experience on many things such as: addiction, depression, marital issues, parenting issues, the loss of a child, church hurt, theological questions and many others. Read more>>
Calen Pangle
Calen Pangle began his career in nutrition by teaching nutrition education to children, where he first saw how clear, simple guidance could make a meaningful difference. He later transitioned into clinical nutrition, working in hospitals and dialysis settings, gaining experience with complex medical conditions and patients who needed structured, evidence-based support. Read more>>
Arialle K Smith
Birth work was actually something that I began to show interest in as a child. When I was a preteen, I use to stay up and watch birth stories on PBS where they actually showed live births. I was so fascinated by the birth world and set my mind to become an obstetrician. Read more>>
Shirine Arzu
I’ve always believed that the most meaningful work is created at the intersection of purpose, passion, and intention. I spent 20 years as a Senior Project Manager with Hertz, leading large scale initiatives and driving operational excellence across a global organization. Read more>>
ERIN HOBBS
I was approached from a friend to go into business together and after researching local businesses for sale, came upon the Breadsmith of Fort Mill. After purchasing the store in early October of 2023, I realized that the store had suffered greatly from the second owner who let it go downhill badly. Read more>>
Halli Sloan
I’ve always had a camera in hand for as long as I can remember… film, digital, Polaroid… if it could take a picture, I was obsessed with it, but it wasn’t until I got married that I felt the pull toward making photography my path. Then I became a mother, and everything came into focus . Read more>>
Kim Engle
Kim , her husband and their twins moved to Campobello, South Carolina from sunny Dunedin, Florida—craving mountains, fresh air, and a little more room to breathe. I left behind my successful massage practice, Pure Harmony, not imagining I’d open another wellness space anytime soon. Read more>>
Nicole Fehr
I have always loved capturing moments with loved ones. I wasn’t happy with my job at the time and it was a huge leap of faith and one night watching tv, I thought, ‘Why keep waiting? Why not me?’ So I started my business a week later with zero business knowledge or a clue of how to entirely work a REAL camera! Read more>>
Elizabeth Mozell
I grew up with a father who had a janitorial business cleaning restaurant like Outback Steakhouse on Rivers Ave, to my father opening a bail bonding business. My mom support him and eventually would start a private duty care taking business as she was a CNA. My parents had a love for health and wellness. Read more>>
Ling Chen
I started photography after having my first child. At the time, I just wanted to take better photos of my own kid, so I picked up a camera and began learning little by little. What started as taking portraits of my children and family slowly grew into photographing clients, and eventually turned into something I truly love doing. Read more>>
Bryan Cato
Absolutely! I grew up obsessed with bodybuilding, and excelling in all subjects in school related to health and science. But I had no guidance or peers who shared that interest and made almost no progress. That followed me into the military. I struggled with fitness, struggled to rank up, and constantly felt behind. Read more>>
Katie Boland
My pottery journey actually started back in high school, during a pretty tough chapter. I suffered a serious brain injury and ended up missing months of school. Coming back was slow, I had to re-adjust to noise, light, movement, and just being in a classroom again. I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write, I couldn’t look at a screen for more than a second. Read more>>
Mitchell Hanks
The dream of TriFit Physical Therapy and Performance started as that, a hypothetical daydream. It was an idea, taken from many conversations and experiences, that would ‘likely never come to fruition.’ Then as the frequency of conversations and hypothetical brainstorming grew, my wife, close friends and family began to push me to consider the real possibility of starting my own Physical Therapy business. Read more>>
Dan Guzman
The history behind Ra Coffee Company actually started with a 20 year dream of Christina Guzman. Coming from Washington state, great tasting coffee is a way of life. In 2015 Dan and Christina Guzman move to South Carolina from Washington. At the time it was not to start a coffee company but actually working in the aerospace industry supporting Boeing. Read more>>
Lin Cook
I started Mother’s Helper in 1988 after the birth of my son. I had several pregnancies that didn’t end with a baby. I had devoted a lot of time to reading and learning everything about pregnancy, birth and lactation. After my beautiful son was born, I planned out the business to assist other mothers. Read more>>
Melonie Trinh
My formal educational background is in Applied Mathematics, but I have always felt a pull toward creative arts. After graduating and working as a Math Instructor for a couple of years, I ran into an opportunity to create digital marketing materials for a small business. Read more>>
Bernadine Donaldson
I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, so I’ve always loved the feel of a small town. In 4th grade, we studied the stars and planets, and until I was about 20 years old, I thought I would be an astronomer. Unfortunately, the job prospects were few and most of them were teaching positions, so I looked for something similar. Read more>>
Stacy Peth
Originally from New Jersey, I grew up moving by body through dance. I received a dance scholarship to attend Goucher College in Baltimore, MD and graduated with a BA in Psychology in 2001. Read more>>
Gordon Reynolds
I came from loving parents and family and friends. In spite of having a good foundation and support of family and friends. I began to hustle and make poor decisions. By God’s and only God’s grace and mercy. I kept receiving chance after chance. So after many failed attempts. I started to make positive strides. Opening 2 Clothing stores of my own. And being successful. Read more>>
Dawn Blackstone
I started working out at 13 years old out to get stronger for sports. But soon after movement, strength, and nutrition became my lifelong passions. I didn’t begin my professional life in fitness as I started as a commisioned artist after college. Read more>>
Robert Gilmartin
We began our story in Weddington North Carolina where our family quickly became part of the community. Our home naturally turned into a gathering place for friends, neighbors, and school events. Hosting came easily to us, and what started as simple dinners slowly grew into larger and more refined celebrations. Read more>>
Anthonie Rookard
My journey into event planning actually started long before it became a business… it began with the birth of my oldest son, the very first ‘prince’ in our story. I was determined to create the perfect baby shower for him and spent days visiting every paper shop in Spartanburg, SC, designing what I thought would be a simple little invitation. But that ‘simple detail’ changed everything. Read more>>
Donna Roch
I was gearing up for retirement, picturing myself sipping coffee and minding my own business, when a coworker casually said, “You know… being a notary would be a perfect retirement gig.” Flexible, independent, and still a way to help people? Fine. I’ll bite. Read more>>
Lorena Carr
My photography journey began back in 2008 or 2009, long before I ever imagined it becoming a career. It started with my love for nature and wildlife, so much so that I bought my very first camera, a simple little point-and-shoot from Walmart, just so I could capture the things that captivated me. Read more>>
Lila Bennett
My start in the fitness industry was when I was 16 years old working in the babysitting department at an all women’s gym. Through the glass windows, I would watch these women exercise, move their bodies and have a great time doing it! They were all ages, all different personalities, but fitness brought them together in a positive way. Read more>>
Beth Poore
As a busy wife and mother of three, I found myself always doing for others. At the end of each day I was tired and frustrated that there was nothing left over for just me. As I was looking around the house one day, I realized that I wanted to spruce things up, but didn’t want to spend a bunch of money doing it. Read more>>
Kelsey Harrison
I am a yoga student/teacher, an international retreat leader, yoga studio owner, yoga educator, a mother, a partner, a breast cancer survivor and more. I began teaching yoga in 2018 and quickly devoted myself to this path career and lifestyle. My story has many parts to it, all of which have led me here. Read more>>
Jennifer Hines
My path to pelvic health physical therapy has been shaped by a desire to support women in ways I felt were missing in traditional care. Over and over, I met women who had been told their symptoms were “normal,” or that they just had to live with pain, leaking, or postpartum changes. I knew there had to be a more empowering, patient-centered approach. Read more>>
Justin Thompson
I grew up in West Virginia. Decided to move to South Carolina with my family in 2014. We Moved to the Summerville area, got a job at the local GM dealership. We started attending church regularly at North Trident Baptist Church. As we served for years in the church I felt led to the calling of preaching. Read more>>
Amanda Little
Several years ago, the company I worked for volunteered at the Indie Craft Parade, which is how I first connected with the Makers Collective. During that time, I also became friends with Jennifer — we worked together at that same company before either of us got involved with the pop-up shop. Read more>>
Kay Davis
Big D’s BBQ has been in business for over 50 years! In 1973 when Big Ds opened in Surfside, Russell Davis was just 12 years old. His job was opening the drinks and cleaning up. He had no idea then that he would still be serving up BBQ today. Our BBQ journey began with our initial location in Surfside, followed by a relocation to Waccamaw. Read more>>
Woody Liles
A few years after college, in the middle of the pandemic, I had the opportunity to take on a new role and relocate to Asheville, North Carolina with my wife. We both grew up visiting the North Carolina mountains, so the chance to move to Asheville felt especially meaningful. Read more>>
Julie Kassis Long
I took over my dad‘s dental practice in 2001, a practice that he started in 1969. My father immigrated to this country from Lebanon when he was 14 years old and achieved the American dream through education and hard work. He graduated from the College of Charleston and went to Georgetown University for dental school. Read more>>
Allison Lindquist Cross
I began studying yoga 34 years ago. My undergraduate degree is in Child and Family development and I have graduate studies in educational leadership. I first began working as a crisis intervention counselor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. However, I knew in my heart I needed to explore more holistic routes to heal myself and others. Read more>>
Robin Aiken
There has never been a moment in my life when I didn’t want to be immersed in the arts. As a child, I created constantly. I later attended SCAD and majored in Illustration—partly because I never felt compelled to limit myself to just one medium. Read more>>
Tammy Butler
Over 10 years ago I learned that I have Celiacs Disease. Options to eat outside of the home were very limited at that time. My husband, Shawn, is a chef by trade. He suggested that we attempt to sell pies at a farmer’s market. Surely there were others like me that would benefit from a Gluten Free business. Read more>>
Peyton Real
I’ve always been interested in photography. I used to steal my mom’s blackberry when I was little to take photos and make little videos. When I was 17 I started to focus on cinematography and I began asking why movies look the way they do, that’s when I realized I should practice photography to really hone my skills with lighting and composition. Read more>>
Bernie Saboe
In 2012, U.S. Army Ranger Carlos Poysky discovered something powerful, wind sports were more than adventure; they were freedom, movement, and healing all in one. After years of military service, Carlos recognized a truth many Veterans face: the transition home can be just as challenging as deployment. Read more>>
johannah Powell
From an early age, a pencil and paper were all I needed to stay happily occupied. Art was my favorite subject, and I entered every contest I could. To fund art school, I painted restaurant signs, freelanced illustrations, and ran the campus graphics office. Read more>>
Chris Bruner
I have been an avid photographer since the 1970’s when I would document family vacations with any type of point and shoot camera I could get my hands on. We would vacation at the beaches and mountains of North and South Carolina and I simply adored the photographic process. Read more>>
Corey Dwyer
From 2021-2024 I decided to take a position within the private sector As a Center Director with private own Child Development Programs, with an intention of serving more of the general public. This experience really showed me just how much youth in society were lacking positive community, basic workforce-preparation and Character Development Skills when it comes to pursuing professional success. Read more>>
Narmeen Abojamoos
My journey with House of Pizza Clinton has been one of faith, resilience, and community. What started as a small family dream became a true local landmark — a place where families, students, and friends gather to share good food and even better memories. But our story hasn’t been easy. In 2024, a devastating fire destroyed everything we had built. Read more>>
Kevin Boyd
I started my career in IT through a paid externship that turned into a full-time role, and I spent over five years developing strong technical and problem-solving skills. When COVID shifted everything to remote work, it gave me time to reflect, and I realized I wanted to build something of my own—something rooted in service, trust, and real connection. Read more>>
