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.
Felicia McCreary
My body felt so much better afterwards. It was hard, but refreshing in a sense to where your body felt awake, even a little bit more agile and might I add feeling more in tune with my body as a woman. So, I asked the instructor if she could teach me how to become a Pilates instructor. Her name was Nadja Hadzistevic and she owned the Like Pilates studio in Belgrade, Serbia. It was an Authorized Training Center through Balanced Body, which is located in Sacramento, California. She was just as excited as I was and began my training. Read more>>
Jocelyn Jones
My business was born ten years ago from a ‘do better’ challenge from my husband after a terrible experience a photographer. I combined my background in systems with my creative passion to build a photography brand rooted in total professionalism. My journey over the last decade has been one of Battle-Tested Growth. Read more>>
Mark Goldfuss- Big Fuss Fresh Food
What started as a backup plan has turned into a dream come true. I’ve always loved to cook. While I was running my construction business, I began thinking about starting a food truck as a Plan B in case the economy ever slowed down. I had no idea that one day it would become my full-time career. Read more>>
Jill Regalado
I spent the beginning part of my career on the AA hunter jumper circuit. I was primarily working in Wellington, Florida and Lexington, Kentucky, with some of the best national and international riders. Fast forward to 2021, Wanderlust Pony Services launched in Charleston after my first son was born. Read more>>
Joshua Walker
Joshua Walker is the founder and owner of Wine & Company in Charleston, South Carolina, a nationally recognized wine bar and bottle shop built on the belief that great wine is ultimately about people. Read more>>
Jametras Jamie Shokes
My journey into the beauty industry began with a passion for creativity and helping others feel confident. What started as a love for nail artistry eventually grew into a desire to educate and empower others, leading me to become a licensed nail instructor. Read more>>
Sherrea Williams
Management: Hello, AceRi started music professional around the pandemic in a duo group that consist of two young ladies . They both were fashion designers. She allow you to freestyle in college and with her brothers develop a love for music. Read more>>
Tierra Ravenell
When the pandemic hit, the world seemingly paused overnight. Like so many others, I watched people around me face layoffs and job loss. The sudden fragility of traditional employment was eye-opening. I realized I didn’t want my financial security left in someone else’s hands—I wanted to build something I could control, nurture, and sustain, no matter what was happening in the world. Read more>>
Mia Mazyck
I became a licensed hairstylist in 2013 and started working behind the chair in 2014. After spending a few years learning the industry and developing my skills, I opened The Hair Art Gallery in 2017. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t just building a business, I was building something that reflected who I was becoming. Read more>>
Mary Ware
A side hobby turned into an unexpected passion that I turned into a business. By God’s grace I have been running and managing Marytopnotch braids since 2020. Read more>>
DJ Kelly Kel
Humble beginnings started in 70’s in our family owned business. Each young sibling had a job in our business. My job was playing the music. I was very into music and watching the dancefloor full on each record I played was very inspiring. Additionally, thru-out my worldwide travels, I was exposed to various music scenes and opportunities that futhered my interest in the culture itself. Read more>>
Taylor Onze
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved creating. What started as a jewelry business eventually grew into something much bigger than I ever imagined. I launched Taylor Soul Designs with the dream of building a business that allowed me to express my creativity while creating meaningful pieces people could wear every day. Read more>>
Charity Gentry
My journey has been a little unconventional. By day, I’ve worked as a dental hygienist since 2014, but in 2019 I decided to pursue a creative passion that had been on my heart for years. I started sharing my love for seasonal decorating, DIY projects, baking, gardening, and creating a cozy home on social media under the name **Mornings on Macedonia**. Read more>>
BRITTANY TICKLE
I’ve always believed that our hardest seasons can become the foundation for our greatest purpose. My journey has never been a straight line. I’ve been a musician, vocal coach, personal trainer, Reiki Master, and someone who has spent years exploring the connection between the body, mind, and spirit. Read more>>
Brandon Angelilli
Way back in the year 2000, when I was 15, I got my first job working at a juice bar in Orlando, FL. I prepped fresh squeezed juices, blended smoothies, and quickly became a team leader with my own key. Read more>>
Stephanie Holder-Szkolnicki
Southern Garden Solutions began in 2020 with a simple goal: helping people create outdoor spaces that are both beautiful and purposeful. I’ve always believed landscapes can be so much more than something to look at. They can provide fresh food, support pollinators and wildlife, conserve natural resources, and become places where families genuinely enjoy spending time together. Read more>>
Michelle Morton
This is for the Nashville Voyager.- My journey in the hair industry began over 30 years ago as a stylist and more than 15 years ago as a hair extensions supplier with a single core vision: bringing truly high-end extensions to stylists and clients who deserve the very best. Read more>>
Camillya Masunda
My journey started with curiosity, purpose, and a desire to create something I didn’t see represented. While I was in college, I became fascinated with wine. I found myself studying the labels on bottles and wondering who created them and why I rarely saw Black-owned brands represented in the industry. Read more>>
bumpandfuzzies@gmail.com HANSEN
My journey started with a simple passion for creating natural products that people could feel good about using. I wanted to make skincare products with ingredients I trusted, so I began handcrafting soaps in small batches using nourishing oils like olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. As I learned more and saw how much people appreciated quality, handmade products, I continued expanding my line. Read more>>
Alyx Scott
Back in 2018 I decided I wanted to go to school for aesthetics and upon finishing, my mom and I decided to work together to create a work space that benefited women in the beauty industry. We started Lusso Beauty Bar as a collective space for women to start their own beauty business by booth renting suite spaces inside our salon. Read more>>
Alaysia Belle
I always had a passion for beauty and fashion since I was a little girl. Watching my late grandmother, Janie Mae Jackson and also my mom, Yvetta Jackson, get ready. My grandmother used to sew and could make an outfit out of scraps! She even made me clothes growing up. Read more>>
Karen D Baggott
I moved to Summerville, South Carolina during a time of major transition in my life. I had just become an empty nester and was adjusting to a quieter home and a new chapter. Everything changed when I adopted three rescue dogs. They brought comfort, purpose, and joy into my life, and caring for them helped me heal in ways I never expected. Read more>>
Brenda Williams
First, I am a mother of 3 boys 22, 12 and 3. I am an Army veteran. I have my bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in sociology. I received my master’s in social workers. I began my business because of the situation I found myself in at the time. I was going through a divorce and at a job that barely paid the bills. Read more>>
Ashley Hunt-Poole
I started my entrepreneurial journey with a simple goal: to create products that solved everyday problems while building a legacy for my family. What began as one business has grown into multiple brands, and through persistence, learning, and a willingness to take risks, we’ve been able to get our products into major retail stores. Read more>>
Ashley Foster
My love for fashion started with my mother and grandmother. My grandmother was a beautician and my mother was an interior designer and they both modeled! I grew up watching my grandmother make women feel beautiful and my mother transform spaces into art. They both were well dressed, well spoken and God fearing. Read more>>
Javon Johnson
My melodic talent and love for the barbering industry originate from my early upbringing. I started out cutting hair at the early age of eleven years old. I grew up in the barbershop and salon setting with strong influences from my mother, who is a Master Haircare Specialist. Read more>>
Christian LeBlanc
I launched Christian LeBlanc Media in 2016 after years of trying to break into the corporate marketing world. Friends and colleagues kept coming to me for help with branding, messaging, and digital strategy, and I realized I didn’t need permission to do the work I was already trusted to do. So I built my own path. Read more>>
Courtney Burnett
My story, like all others, is ongoing and unfinished. But, a clear defining moment in my story was the day I went from physician to patient. In 2020, while studying medicine in Thailand, I diagnosed myself very unexpectedly with a brain tumor. At 29 years old, I learned I had a rare and incurable brain cancer called anaplastic astrocytoma. Overnight, my carefully crafted plans dissolved. Read more>>
Valeriana Wick
After retiring from the military I suffer from persistent skin issues, as it often necessitates a delicate balance between effective treatment and the maintenance of a healthy skin barrier. Despite maintaining a consistent cleansing regimen and utilizing non-comedogenic products, recurring inflammatory breakouts continue to disrupt skin texture and overall complexion health. Read more>>
LaSeaun Crawford
My journey into the beauty industry started long before I ever imagined owning a salon or educating other locticians. It all began at a sleepover when I was about eight years old. I was sitting on the floor braiding a Barbie doll’s hair when the other girls noticed what I was doing and asked if I could braid theirs too. Read more>>
Hannah Smith
My work background up to this point has been in caregiving and applied health sciences. I have a degree in Public Health and a Physical Therapist Assistant license. Read more>>
Vincent Buttrick
My story begins in a rural suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. As a child, my parents dragged me out to help in the garden. Despite all the nagging about having to pull weeds, those summers were defined by an endless bounty of sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchini. Read more>>
Joe Sasto
CELEBRITY CHEF JOE SASTO found his love for cooking and appetite for Italian classics as a child at his mother’s side, and it was at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Quince in San Francisco that his passion for pasta truly began. In 2018, Sasto forged his own path and dreamed of opening his own restaurant. Read more>>
Emily Heintz
I founded Sèchey in 2021 after noticing that consumers wanted more sophisticated non-alcoholic options, but retail hadn’t caught up. After two decades in retail, consumer brands, and tech, I saw a chance to build a destination for premium alcohol-free beverages — the kind of discovery experience people get for beauty at Sephora or wine at a specialty shop. Read more>>
Suzette Montes
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where family has always been at the center of my life. Like many people, I dreamed of building a life where my family wouldn’t just get by, we could truly live and enjoy life together. Before moving to the United States, my husband Jeremy and I were struggling to make ends meet. Read more>>
Regina Davis
The impetus of my real estate career occurred April 19,2020. Ten days after being admitted for Covid 19’ double lung pneumonia. I was admitted April 9, three days after my birthday. 1 year and 2 months after my mother passed from stage 4 colon cancer. Read more>>
Bryan Sullivan
Like many people, my career has taken a few unexpected turns. I spent years serving in the U.S. Army, an experience that shaped my work ethic, taught me the importance of integrity, and showed me the value of serving others. After leaving the military, I joined Michelin North America, where I spent another 10 years as a Business Analyst. Read more>>
Malika Hagins
I started doing makeup when I was 15 years old during my sophomore year of high school. What began as a creative hobby quickly turned into a true passion. I spent countless hours watching tutorials, practicing on myself, friends, and family, and continuously refining my skills. Read more>>
Alexandra Valanzola
Alexandra Valanzola founded bellybeats as a love for food photography through her international travels. She soon started capturing landscape and animal photography. Capturing the beauty of a moment was something that lit her up. bellybeats soon became a business of heart-felt photography and heart-led healing. Alexandra received her Reiki II certification along with her Emotion Code practitioner license. Read more>>
Kay Hughes
In 2020, just six days after having my son, the world shut down because of the pandemic. During such an uncertain time, I decided to share my birth story to help other moms who were preparing to give birth without knowing what to expect. I shared my experience, along with tips, encouragement, and honest advice. Read more>>
Tyler Beall
I started Catholics in 2015 as a little solo project. I now consider it to be more of a collective rather than a band in the traditional sense. We tend to operate with various satellite members whom are dispersed across the United States. Read more>>
Dominique Dros
I’m a Latina content creator originally from Honduras, and my journey into content creation started during the pandemic as a creative outlet. What began as sharing beauty and lifestyle content quickly grew into something much bigger as I discovered a passion for storytelling and building genuine connections with people online. Read more>>
Erin Hopkins
For years, I styled family and friends for special occasions just for fun. After one friend encouraged me to turn it into a business, I received my Image Consultant certification in 2017 and officially started offering wardrobe styling services in 2018. Since then, Erin Nicole Styling has grown tremendously. Read more>>
Pierce Alexander
I started out playing in bands throughout high school as a guitarist. As time went on and I joined a band called Heartfelt Hinges, I slowly started to transition from just playing guitar to being more involved with the songwriting. Read more>>
Amie Cooper
Flourishing Families of South Carolina was founded from a simple but powerful belief: families caring for children from hard places deserve support. Too often, adoptive, foster, and kinship caregivers are expected to navigate the effects of trauma without the tools, encouragement, or community they need. Read more>>
Shakeisha Young
My passion for food began at an early age, I gained inspiration from my grandmother and mother. Seeing them in the kitchen inspired me to sharpen my skills and techniques. I’m a proud native of Winnsboro, SC my southern roots are showcased throughout the menu selections and styles of cooking I offer. I pride myself on creating southern classics with a twist. Read more>>
Jackson Droze Warren
My entire life, I dreamed of becoming an entertainer. Proud to say I have been a full-time musician now for 5 years, going on my 6th. Read more>>
Jeannie Baker Brown
I once spoke to a man who told me that you learn new things every single day. He also told me that it may be something you want to know or not. Regardless, you learn. In 1988, at 21 years old, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Read more>>
Tyler Keef
My journey began in 2002 when I saw wrestling on TV for the first time. Read more>>
