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.
Debbie Baisden
I’m a mom to 4 boys (Paul, Brad, Andrew, and Joshua, or “PBAndJ” for short) that I had in a span of four years. My home is full of volume, violence, and destruction at all times. How ironic that I never even wanted kids yet became a baby factory. Unexpectedly widowed in 2012, my world was turned upside down. Read more>>
Elaina Ruth
I definitely wasn’t the kid who grew up wanting to be a chef. Honestly, the kitchen was just where I went to do my homework and eat. Cooking just wasn’t something I had a passion for early on. That really showed in high school. Read more>>
Jamya Jackson
My journey into the beauty industry started long before I realized it would become my career. I grew up surrounded by beauty and self-care. My cousin, Marquita Briggs, introduced me to hair shows at a young age, while my godmother was always exposing me to different beauty products—from press-on nails and nail polish to perfumes and so much more. Read more>>
Sarah Messner
I’ve always had a passion for photography. In high school, my dad bought me my very first camera, and that’s really where it all began. I went on to take photography classes in college, but it wasn’t until years later, after moving to South Carolina, that I decided to turn my passion into a business. Read more>>
Elias Bustos
I spent twenty years building Solutions DGR, a point-of-sale and inventory platform for the thrift retail industry. We grew from one person to about thirty and made the Inc. 5000 twice. I sold the company in 2024. What I learned in that process is the thing I’m building around now. Read more>>
Tamara Brown
I really didn’t start JAK’s because I wanted to be a business owner. That honestly wasn’t even the plan. I started because I was a mom trying to figure out what to do for my kids. Read more>>
Priscilla Holmes
I am a Travel Advisor and founder of Cilla Travel. I help active adults, women business owners, professionals, ‘ grand mom-preneurs’, and all-around superwomen connect with their ‘Inner Explorer’, and travel the world on their own terms. I help you live the dream through travel 🌎I come from an I.T. Read more>>
Kelly Colyer
The band got started with George and a couple of other friends in Naples, Florida, under the moniker My Girl My Whiskey & Me. I (Kelly) was added to the band around 2012 and, after marrying in December of 2013, we moved to Greenville, SC to continue as a duo. Read more>>
Chloe Sabel
I was born and raised on Guam before moving to Charlotte at 16. While I’ve built a career in dentistry over the past eight years, content creation has become my biggest passion. I love sharing beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content and connecting with people who enjoy the same things. Read more>>
Eric Cota
I’ve always loved music and film, so I started pursuing both at a young age. I began playing guitar when I was 10 and initially went to college to study music, eventually attending SCAD Savannah. After my first semester, I realized my true passion was filmmaking. After college, I freelanced up and down the East Coast before landing a job in television news. Read more>>
Yvetka
My path to becoming an artist was not a straight one. I was born in Estonia to Ukrainian and Russian parents and immigrated to Montreal with my family when I was five years old. Since then, I have lived in the Netherlands, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. Read more>>
VonGretchen Nelson-Donawald
Ten years ago, I started **Bessie’s Sweet Delights** with a passion for bringing people together through homemade desserts inspired by family recipes and the legacy of my grandmother, Angeline ‘Bessie’ Nelson. What began as a dessert business quickly grew because of the incredible support from our community and our commitment to quality, hospitality, and making every customer feel like family. Read more>>
Katie Fincher
I graduated from East Carolina University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program in 2019. After graduation, I spent two years practicing in outpatient orthopedics and neurology in a rural community, which gave me a strong foundation in treating a broad range of musculoskeletal and neurologic conditions and helped shape the way I approach whole-person care. Read more>>
Dria Ashley
I developed a passion for the Beauty Industry as a young girl in grade school. From Kiss Press-On Nail Kits to Wet & Wild Beauty Kits; I loved it all. I began my professional career as a Beauty Service Provider in 2018. I started as an entry level nail & makeup artist working in a salon full time. Read more>>
Madi Huffman
I’ve always been drawn to creating things. My mother used to lovingly inform everyone that I was born with a pencil in my hand. I spent every waking moment drawing, learning, reading art history books – obsession doesn’t begin to cover it, but passion gets close. As I grew into adulthood, my own experiences began to shape the work I was making. Read more>>
Alli Griffith
I graduated from Clemson University with a marketing degree in December 2022. I did what any new graduate would do and took a decent paying job in a Fortune 500 company. I worked in tech sales for about a year and learned two things—I was really good at it but I knew it wasn’t for me. Read more>>
Kiersten Brown
I started Brown Dog Walking Co. in 2019 with a simple goal: to create the kind of pet care service I would trust with my own dogs. I’ve always loved animals, but my background was actually in hospitality and tourism management, where I learned that exceptional service comes from building relationships, paying attention to the details, and making people feel cared for. Read more>>
Cherie Fowler
This year, I introduced a new service to my business my Bloom Bar and it has quickly become one of my favorite offerings. The inspiration came during a trip to Paris. Everywhere I looked, I was surrounded by beautiful fresh flowers lining the streets, decorating cafés, and filling charming storefronts. Read more>>
Richard Grant
After 35+ years in Chicago my wife and I moved to HHI, about 9yrs ago. In Chicago I spent many years in the restaurant industry and almost a decade at an art gallery. After moving to HHI I tried to become part of the arts community. As I became more active in said community I slowly started trying to give back. Read more>>
Eddie Farrington
Started my journey in Durham, North Carolina just me and my mom after leaving home around 16 years old I moved to Chapel Hill North Carolina, where I had my dad side of the family pretty much matured into a man there at the same time forming a hip-hop group and getting a small independent deal with mammoth records. I’m about a 10 year run. Read more>>
Anwar Stokes
I picked up my first DSLR in 2009, while living in Hamden, Connecticut. It started as a hobby. I just liked taking pictures. But it quickly became something I couldn’t put down. I found myself photographing the people closest to me, friends and family, and somewhere in those early frames, I fell in love with it. I didn’t set out to become a photographer. Read more>>
Grecia Huerta
Visit La Mesa started almost seven years ago from a genuine love for the community. At the time, I saw so much potential in La Mesa its small businesses, local events, beautiful neighborhoods, and the people who make the city feel special but I felt there wasn’t one dedicated place bringing all of those stories together. Read more>>
Ro Arns
6 years ago I moved from Iowa to Hilton Head Island. As an entrepreneur, its easy for me to spot niche holes in markets. I knew no one was doing beach picnics. I knew there was opportunity for grazing boards, and later realized that a Low Country Boil personal chef experience would work well here. Read more>>
Rebecca Tallarico
People often ask how I got started, and the truth is, I knew from the very beginning at the age of five years old, I told my mom I wanted to be a “hair lady” and here I am, still living that dream. Read more>>
Sherrill Hill
I began my journey with a college internship at a stained glass shop, where I learned through hands-on experience, creating church windows and learning to see glass as a form of painting. I’ve always loved working with my hands and creating pieces that bring joy to others. Every artist is unique, and with my work, I truly put my soul into each piece. Read more>>
colin henderson
I have been a fine artist all my life using mediums of paint, drawing, and sculpture. I went to college in Philadelphia for graphic design. I have been a civil servant for the U.S. Army as a graphic designer for near 25 years. I saw the world ice carvers competition on the Discovery Channel and fell in love with ice sculpting. Read more>>
Elle Loreux
I was born and raised in Kings Mountain, a small town in North Carolina. I’ve always been drawn to fashion, but looking back, I realize it was never just about clothes for me. Even at a young age, I knew I was multifaceted. I never really belonged to one particular group or clique because I could see aspects of myself in all of them. Read more>>
Latavia Williams
Hi everyone! This is my third SC Voyager Interview, but like the last, this one will be different because I as a person has shifted and evolved many times. So much has changed in my life and I have been rebuilding my life for the past two years now. Read more>>
Joselyn Johnson
Growing up I used to write little plays. As I got older I realized what I really enjoyed was orchestrating all of the moving parts that lead up to a major event, lesson or celebration. I always thought I would grow up to own a lounge or event space. But then I got a job in a leasing office for income based housing. Read more>>
Heike Burleigh
Some of my earliest memories are of being about seven years old and following my father around his workshop in the basement of our home in Germany. He was a master carpenter, and I was his little shadow. Depending on the project, you’d find me holding a paintbrush, trying my hand with a saw, or standing beside him with the big wallpaper brush. Read more>>
Jake Almonds
Hello again, readers! It has been three years since my last interview with the gang at Carolina Voyager, and I’m excited to share what I’ve been up to since 2023. The magazine first caught up with me back then while I was escaping the harsh Pennsylvania winter in beautiful Beaufort, South Carolina. At the time, I was DJing, rollerblading, and enjoying the local skate park. Read more>>
Latonya Jones
My story started back in 2014 when I was on a quest to discover my life’s purpose. I was working a call center job at the time and although I enjoyed the job, the work environment was toxic and mentally taxing. Read more>>
Vanessa Krombeen
I actually started my career in a completely different world. I graduated from Clemson University and spent six years in corporate IT sales before eventually realizing I wanted to build something of my own. I started sharing online as a creative outlet while I was still working full-time, and in 2018, I made the leap to leave corporate America and pursue content creation full-time. Read more>>
Jordan Stokes
People often see Holy City Nails and think they see the finished product. They see the business, the creativity, and the success. What they don’t see is the woman I had to become before any of this could exist. There was a time when I was searching for purpose, trying to understand who I was and whether I even belonged. Read more>>
Charlene Keys Bowen
My story is one of evolution, faith, and building with intention. For nearly thirty years, I held executive leadership positions within the telecommunications sector, overseeing large-scale operations, navigating complex challenges, and driving organizational growth during periods of significant transformation. These experiences fostered a disciplined approach, honed my strategic acumen, and reinforced the vital importance of effective leadership. Read more>>
Sarah Ball
I was what our culture calls a high-functioning achiever, praised for pushing through stress, rewarded for burnout, and celebrated for how much I could carry, while my body was quietly breaking down underneath it all. Eventually, my body began to reflect the cost of living this way, and I could no longer ignore it. Read more>>
