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.
Kaitlyn Pickett
I started Sun Ink’d Tanning in September of 2021 with a clear intention: to create a space for people who never quite fit into the polished, cookie-cutter version of beauty. From the beginning, I knew I didn’t want to be just another spray tan artist following trends or playing it safe. Read more>>
Stacy Means
Ever since I was a child, I have always dreamed of living on a farm. We started with goats and chickens and grew our hobby farm from there. About 5 years ago, my daughter Marie said ‘Mom, we have all these sweet friendly animals. Read more>>
Jefferson Delgado
My passion for photography began in high school. I was always carrying my camera, capturing moments with my friends, and little by little I realized I had a special way of connecting with people through the lens. For years, I continued learning, experimenting, and growing, but I never imagined that one day this could become a business. Read more>>
Lunara Blaze
My journey has been shaped by both structure and soul. For many years, I built a successful career in corporate leadership, learning how to manage people, systems, and high-pressure environments. From the outside, everything looked stable and accomplished, but internally, I felt a growing pull toward something deeper, more aligned with who I truly was. Read more>>
Kristin Cobb
I have always been involved in the arts– as a young child I would put on neighborhood shows with all the kids and was Lady Macbeth in my 8th grade English class! Read more>>
Dana Ball
My massage career began in 2006 when I enrolled in a small massage school here in North Charleston that was owned/operated by a massage therapist. Massage was introduced to me through my Mom’s work accident. She was misdiagnosed with a rotator cuff injury when she actually had a herniated disc in her neck. Read more>>
Jaclyn DeMiro
We’ve worn just about every hat a gym can offer—member, coach, manager, programmer. And for ten years, we talked about opening our own place. Not just a gym—but something more personal. More intentional. Every time we almost started, something got in the way. Looking back now, we’re glad it did—because we weren’t building for the right reasons. Now, we are. Read more>>
A’Neshia Samuel
My journey didn’t start with a blueprint or a safety net. It started with survival, responsibility, and me knowing I wanted more for myself and my kids. I’ve always been a hustler in the purest sense figuring it out as I go, learning through experience, and trusting my instincts. Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t a trend for me; it was a necessity that turned into purpose. Read more>>
Ben & Jen Keys
After deciding to make a somewhat dramatic career shift from marketing to become an artist, I went back to school to study painting at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, and then in Italy, and afterward, moved to Wrightsville Beach, NC to create paintings for private collectors and galleries. Read more>>
Alex Luhring
My career started right out of my undergraduate with becoming a Strength and Conditioning Professional. I landed at a large high school in Minneapolis, training 400 student athletes in a 1200 sq ft weight room. I enjoyed getting to work my craft of mentoring and training. Read more>>
Leslie Norton
I’ve always been interested in how people actually live in their homes—what they need, how they move through a space, and the small moments that make a house feel truly personal. That curiosity is what initially drew me to architecture after watching my parents and their architect transform my childhood home. Read more>>
Adina Maynard
I began my professional career as a full-time office manager, where I developed leadership and operational skills – managing teams, marketing, accounting, and complex scheduling – all while raising two children. Wearing many hats became second nature and laid the foundation for navigating the multifaceted challenges of entrepreneurship. Later, my path shifted when my father was diagnosed with cancer. Read more>>
Beth Romer
My work as a scholarship strategist and college consultant began the same way it does for many parents. With questions and pressure. And a growing realization that the college process had changed dramatically. When I applied to college years ago, the path was simple. Applications were straightforward. Costs were manageable. Read more>>
ROBIN WAGES
I was born in Columbia SC to what I would call a hard family. It wasn’t long before I understood why I felt that way. When I was around the age of 14, I started having dreams about someone being molested. Read more>>
Audrey Bakhach
I started Custom Digital Solutions in 2018 with a laptop, a clear vision, and a deep belief that marketing should actually work for businesses – not just look good on paper. At the time, I was working in sales and digital marketing, specializing in SEO, and I noticed a clear gap in the Charleston market. Read more>>
Tracy and Dean Ernst
Essential Candy began as a simple act of care. During a close friend’s chemotherapy treatments, I felt divinely guided to create a botanical lozenge that could help ease some of the side effects he was experiencing. Read more>>
Anne Janousek
I lived in New York City for ten years after college and happened to live around the corner from Ramona Singer of The Real Housewives of New York. Seeing her dog, Coco, being walked along Third Avenue always made me giddy — spotting Coco bopping around the Upper East Side felt like such a fun Bravo sighting. Read more>>
Dr. Beth Scott
I have just recently retired from clinical PT work after 38 years, and am moving into seeing private female clients to support their health in movement, nutrition and overall wellbeing during peri/menopause. Read more>>
Kelsey Halm
I’ve always loved photography. One of my aunts, who was like a second mom to me, always had a camera in her hand, and I think that’s where it started, seeing how meaningful it could be to document everyday life. I took a photography class in high school and loved it, but like a lot of creative interests, it got set aside for a while. Read more>>
David Simms
I started in the Medicare Insurance Business in 2010 initially as a side job to supplement my income as an aspiring Pilot. I fell in love with helping seniors and that made me move full time into the Medicare insurance business. I loved how everyday I was just helping people have a better life because I could reduce what they were spending on their healthcare. Read more>>
Sidney Huskey
I began homebrewing in 1991 after my sister gave me a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas. I self taught myself from Liquid Malt extract through Dry malt extract kits to all grain brewing and creating my own recipes. I began my commercial brewing at Good Times Brewing for their first few years. In 2022, I opened my own brewery, Sled Dawg Brewery. Read more>>
Christy Barney
I entered massage therapy school with the basic necessity of finding a career that would feed my family. After becoming licensed in 2013 it did not take long for me to realize how much of a blessing this career actually is. Read more>>
Ayanna White
Power In Changing was born from a very real, very human moment for me a single mom working hard for my family, realizing I had to choose between diapers for baby and gas to get to work. That moment made one thing clear to me: no parent should ever have to make that kind of choice. Read more>>
Tiffany Riva
My path to event planning has always been rooted in purpose and connection. I spent many years in nonprofit development and communications in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, producing large-scale fundraisers and community events where thoughtful planning and strong relationships were essential. Through that work, I discovered a deep love for creating meaningful, well run experiences that allow people to be fully present in important moments. Read more>>
Jacy Painter Kelly
I started working for a builder and a developer out of college, and quickly realized I preferred being on the other side – representing the client. I have had the privilege of working for myself (Jacy Painter Kelly Interiors), and along side a partner, Kerri Robusto (431 Designs), for the past 13 years. Read more>>
Olga Nikolaienko
I never planned to become a florist, flowers found me. What began as a simple love for beauty and creating with my hands slowly turned into something much deeper. I discovered that flowers speak when words fall short. They carry emotion, memory, and meaning, and I knew I wanted to tell those stories through design. Read more>>
Summer Hopkins
I’ve always been drawn to photography because I needed a creative outlet. I wanted a way to express myself visually and see the world differently, and photography became that space for me. It started with curiosity and creativity, not a business plan. Read more>>
Melanie Jefferson
Laura and I have been friends for over a decade. What began as a client–stylist relationship from Laura doing my hair naturally grew into a deep and meaningful friendship. A few years ago, Laura found herself at a crossroads, contemplating closing her salon and exploring an alternative business venture. Around the same time, I was in a season of transition as well. Read more>>
Amy Brady
I am the treasurer for Artists for Africa, a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2012 by professional ballet dancer Cooper Rust. Deeply moved by her volunteer work in Nairobi’s Kibera slum, Cooper returned to Columbia, SC to create a platform supporting arts education for underprivileged children in Kenya. Read more>>
Jay Wisner
I attended The University of South Carolina and graduated in May 1996 with a Major in Biology/Pre-Med. After initial medical school interviews, I determined that was not the right path for me. I withdrew my applications and had to rethink my future. After speaking with friends and acquaintances, I decided dental school was a good fit for me. Read more>>
Hope Caldwell
Hope Caldwell has always possessed a remarkable gift—the ability to bring people together in ways that transcend ordinary interaction. Her talent goes beyond simply organizing gatherings; she creates environments where authentic connection flourishes naturally. Working with influential leaders across industries, Hope developed expertise in crafting spaces where partnerships form organically and transformative ideas take root. Read more>>
Rebekah Gahimer
I began working in the massage industry in 2012 as a wellness associate and quickly worked my way up to assistant manager. Seven years passed, and I found myself postpartum with my second child. Postpartum depression hit me hard; it was truly one of the scariest and hardest times in my life. I stepped down from management and disconnected for a while. Read more>>
Priscilla Bloedoorn
My entrepreneurial journey began during a season when I became a stay-at-home mom. While I deeply loved raising my two beautiful children, I found myself missing work and craving a sense of purpose outside of motherhood. I wanted something that allowed me to still be present for my kids while also fulfilling my passion to build and create. Read more>>
Shari Stauch
I didn’t grow up dreaming of owning a bookstore — but I did grow up loving books and the way they quietly shape our lives. Reading has always been where I’ve gone for curiosity, escape, and connection. Over time, I realized that what I loved most wasn’t just the books themselves, but the conversations around them — the way stories bring people together. Read more>>
Melisa Daveiga
My journey into marketing started long before I ever set out to build an agency. Early on, I naturally stepped into roles where I was developing strategies, shaping content, and building marketing systems, often because someone needed clarity, direction, or a more effective way to communicate their message. Much of my early work was rooted in the healthcare, education, and nonprofit sectors. Read more>>
Brandiann Garfold
MommaReview started very organically, out of real life. I’m a mom first, and like many moms, I was constantly researching products, tools, and resources to make family life run more smoothly—whether that was for my home, my kids, wellness, or everyday routines. Read more>>
Craig Hewitt
I didn’t always plan on becoming a chiropractor. I actually started out studying biology and neuroscience at Georgia Southern with the intention of going to medical school. I’ve always been fascinated by how the body works — especially how the brain and nervous system control everything else. While I was in school, I dealt with my own back pain and decided to try chiropractic care. Read more>>
Alex Bolan
DigitalThinker Inc was founded in 2003 by my father Tony Bolan. Originally Tony and my mother (his wife) Maria were the two employees, Tony being the on the road consultant and Maria managing the admin portion of the business. Prior to starting DigitalThinker Tony was a consultant for Datastream, a Greenville software company, on a product known as MP2. Read more>>
Liz Moore
As many other things, our program sprouted out of the time during Covid. I was boarding a horse at a friend’s farm and like so many people, the need to be outside was a top priority. Read more>>
Jeff Rogers
From the Beat to the Breakroom: The Evolution of BetterHealth Vending The ‘Power User’ Perspective For over 20 years as a police officer, I was what you might call a ‘power user’ of vending machines. When you’re working late shifts or stuck at a station, those machines are your lifeline. Read more>>
Elizabeth Santa Ana
I grew up in Binghamton, New York, not far from what was then called SUNY Binghamton. My father, originally from the Philippines, was a psychiatrist, and my mother is from England. I was first-generation, raised in a bicultural household shaped by resilience and family history, including the trauma both of my parents experienced growing up during WWII. Read more>>
robert cassi
I started SBC when my other store front wasn’t preforming well . I didn’t realize we would be getting into basically a catering business by switching over We do fresh tex mex and catering all over charleston Read more>>
Karessa Thompson
My business first started out as a social media marketing consulting and service business. The idea came from the work I was already doing to grow my online personal brand MissRessaT. With MissRessaT, I make Youtube videos so I already had a thing for capturing moments through photo and video. Read more>>
Fatima Lewis
I was inspired to become an interior designer by my husband, Curtis. When we met I was a First VP in the compliance department of a bank on Wall Street and a few months later on September 11th 2001, after I walked 4 hours from ground zero to Harlem, he and his brother picked me up and he asked me to marry him. Read more>>
Chloe Heyward
didn’t wake up one day knowing I wanted to work with lashes. It started way smaller than that—just me, a mirror, and a growing curiosity about how something so simple could completely change the way someone feels. I was a single mom trying to juggle kids working in the middle of a Covid pandemic and I knew something had to change. Read more>>
