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.
Brady and Whitney Johnson
We’re Brady and Whitney Johnson — we started our coffee journey back in 2023 when we purchased a coffee trailer after many years of dreaming of opening a coffee shop! Starting small was the best decision we ever made. Read more>>
Avery Fletcher Curb
My journey in photography began as a high school freshman when I picked up my first Canon DSLR camera. I fell in love with the craft and worked hard to purchase my own professional-grade camera during a Black Friday sale that same year. I attended West Texas A&M University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Equine Industry and Business. Read more>>
Mark Wheeler
At Exalt Recovery & Wellness, we pride ourselves on being a husband-and-wife team dedicated to transforming the health and wellness landscape for our community. With a shared passion for holistic healing and personal wellness, we have combined our expertise to create a unique and comprehensive service that brings wellness directly to the clients doorstep. Read more>>
Tim Long
I started as an intern at Circle Theatre in the summer of 1999. We were doing a show by Leslie Jordan—Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far—and it just exploded. Sold out every night. It felt like lightning in a bottle, and I wanted to be part of it. Read more>>
Stefania Glamour
I began my career in the Tampa Bay Area and returned to Miami in 2023, where I now live with my fiancé. Today, I’m an established hair and makeup artist working between Miami and New York, specializing in special event styling. I truly love what I do—especially traveling to connect with clients and being part of brand activations and educational events. Read more>>
Mia Saechao
I got into the beauty industry through my mom. My mom opened a PMU business when I was 13 years old. I used to watch her completely transform womens’ faces. I was deeply inspired by her. I always had always wanted to go into the medical field but I questioned my ability to do well in business. Read more>>
Mariana Viani
I arrived in Texas over 25 years ago from Argentina, driven by a passion for healthcare. I began as a phlebotomist, became a surgical tech, and advanced to RN with my BSN. I earned my CNOR and spent years in hospitals. In 2021, I trained and worked in med spas, gaining aesthetic expertise. Read more>>
Shanese Brown
My journey really started from a place of needing a real change in my life. I was struggling with my health, including high A1C levels, while also navigating motherhood—especially raising a child with a disability. It was overwhelming, and I knew something had to shift, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Read more>>
Aman Roy
I started middle school during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that disrupted not only academics but also students’ sense of stability and well-being. When I returned to in-person school in 7th grade, I was struck by how much had changed. I witnessed the impact of fentanyl-related incidents and even student deaths—something no student should have to experience. Read more>>
Taneisha Taylor
My name is Taneisha Nicole Taylor. I am 24 years old, and I’m the founder of Nicole Noir Luxe, a luxury cleaning and lifestyle/healing brand rooted in deep intentional transformation, intention, and care beyond the surface of what can be seen. But the truth is, my story did not begin with business. It began with survival. Read more>>
Miki Johnston
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago—a Midwestern girl at heart—but I’ve called Dallas home since 1993. I grew up in a loving family that, like most, was far from perfect. Read more>>
EMELIN RODRIGUEZ
I’m Emelin Rodríguez, a proud Latina entrepreneur behind PlayroomTX. PlayroomTX was inspired by my niece’s first birthday. My love for children grew even more with her birth, and about three years ago, while planning her celebration, I was looking for a soft play setup that felt safe, beautiful, and aesthetic for babies and young children. Read more>>
Dr. Simeon Udunka
After graduating college I became a Research Chemist at the CDC in Atlanta, GA. I was not fulfilled with my position and decided to pivot into dentistry. This became my career of choice because it would allow me to create Smiles and have positive direct patient care. I became focused on achieving my goal and completed dental school and residency . Read more>>
Whitney Sylvain
Whitney may not consider herself a Texas girl yet, but she’s a Southern girl at heart. Born and raised in Louisiana, she later relocated to Dallas after feeling a deep, intuitive pull while living in the energetic world of New York City. Her connection to New York began early, following a 2016 summer internship at Ralph Lauren. Read more>>
Uni Dang
I started Dangskyn with very little, but with a clear vision. I’m a licensed esthetician based in Dallas, Texas, and I went straight into building my own studio right after finishing school. I didn’t have the safety net most people wait for. I just knew I wanted to do things differently. Early on, I noticed a pattern. Read more>>
Ishan Gayali
You wake up one day and see everyone on the internet same as your age or even younger are building empires and printing money like there’s no tomorrow. You can not sleep anymore. This is exactly where I started my journey. I took the hard path of building a business instead of just making fast money with trading. Read more>>
Carlos Hernandez
I actually started dancing right after graduating high school. I joined a co-ed dance team here in Dallas called FLS Dance Crew, where we performed at quinceañeras and local events. That’s really where my dance journey began. Read more>>
Demarius Cooksey
I trained my first client my freshman year of college at the University of North Texas in 2013 , he was actually a linebacker in high school and wanted to lose weight . We hit the gym 3 times a week and got that goal achieved, I documented his journey, and received more inquiries. Read more>>
Habu Omar
THE SON OF BABA (My Story) I was born in Bamenda, Cameroon, a city of hills, strength, and pride. A place where people learn early that nothing is handed to you—you either become somebody through struggle, or you remain a shadow in the crowd. But even in that environment, I grew up seeing something rare… something unforgettable. My father. He was not a fashion designer. Read more>>
Samuel Jones
I’ve always been in love with visual storytelling. Movies were a big part of my life growing up and my career as a professional ballet dancer further solidified this interest for me. Creating films was always something I aspired to but for a long time the barrier to entry was just too high. Read more>>
lisa Gistarb-Brown
My Story My name is Lisa Brown, and I am the founder/director of LRGS Paradise of Styles & LIAX Jewels Foundation. My journey with stage 2 cancer began in August 2024 and has profoundly reshaped my perspective. As someone who has personally navigated cancer treatments and diagnosis, I’ve witnessed firsthand the generosity of organizations providing support and the profound impact it has on one’s life. Read more>>
Marissa Nelson
I am the youngest of four kids, so obviously I like attention, and have always been putting on a show. I was singing and dancing for my family from the jump. I first took a dance class when I was three years old. I got back into it in first grade, including tap, which I did consistently every week until I graduated high school. Read more>>
Abiola Fashina – Sanusi
I will say for me being a Compere is an innate talent! I was born to do this but I didn’t just stop there, I have mastered the art of hosting events on various levels. I started from hosting every church event, student union events, fellowship and friends events. I was the go to person to “emcee” every event! Read more>>
Leslie Faye (I go by Faye) Mikulec
I guess it all started growing up in rural Sinton, Texas, just a 30-minute drive from Corpus Christi. I was homeschooled on a 20-acre farm with six siblings. Throughout my childhood, aside from swimming in ponds and riding motorcycles, we were also part of a wonderful church family. Read more>>
Eddie Brown
My parents are my heroes, and growing up, I always knew I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and pursue a career in law enforcement. I earned my degree in Criminal Justice from the University of North Texas in Denton, then began my career with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as a parole officer. Read more>>
David Crawford III
Back in June of 2023, I was forced out of work due to my gallbladder being removed. Around the same time, one of my close friends from High School, Assad, or as our fans know as $peedyyy, moved back to Houston, and he had his own studio set up & equipment as he had just graduated college with a music degree. Read more>>
D’Andra Willis
I come from a long line of people who knew how to tend things. The women in my family, from my great-grandmother to my great-aunties, my grandmothers, and my mother, were women who fed people before they fed themselves. They cooked without being asked, opened doors without waiting to be thanked, and loved their communities in spite of everything. That was just who they were. Read more>>
Patsy Balacchi
My story begins in El Salvador in the early 1970s, in the backyard of a big, beautiful Spanish colonial house, surrounded by lush fruit trees, a flower garden, and the warm, comforting glow of mountain sunsets. Nature was my first teacher, refuge, and companion. Read more>>
Rylin Rossano
I started my journey really young, but not in the traditional sense. I graduated high school at 15 because of ongoing health challenges, which forced me to slow down and really learn my body, my mind, and how deeply everything is connected. That time shaped everything for me—it’s where my interest in wellness, psychology, and storytelling really began. Read more>>
Tami Gardner
The Place at Lake Whitney has been a dream of ours for over 25 years , No Kidding, one of out first dates over 38 years ago was to this lake and we both said then we would love to live here. We saw the property over 15 years ago and knew THIS WAS THE ONE!! Read more>>
Sonia Enid Ríos
For a long time, I was holding everything together… except myself. I grew up in a loving and protective environment, and later built my life in the United States, becoming a wife and mother of two. Read more>>
Antonella Salazar
My story with photography really started when I was little. My mom was always taking pictures, capturing everything, and that stayed with me. In 8th grade, I decided to start taking photos myself. I’m a pretty impulsive person, so I went ahead and bought my first camera without overthinking it. That same year, I started small by taking pictures for my middle school soccer team. Read more>>
Sunshine James
Singer-songwriter Sunshine James is just as comfortable entertaining people in small bar rooms across the country to tearing the roof off honky-tonks in Nashville, Tennessee. As an Arizona native, he grew up in the outskirts of the city just east of Phoenix in the desert near the Superstition Mountains. Read more>>
Mariana Kienast
My name is Mariana Kienast, and nearly ten years ago I began working in animal-assisted education, particularly with horses. My father raised horses when I was a child, which is where my passion for these incredible animals began. I later studied veterinary medicine. Read more>>
Ruth Villalonga
I am a Venezuelan asylum seeker. Twenty-three years later, I lead a strategic communications firm that provides senior counsel to Fortune 500 and mid-market businesses, leveraging culture to drive business, reputation, and growth in America’s fastest-growing markets through a trademarked business framework we created. Throughout my career journey in the US, I have advised Fortune 500, multimillion-dollar entrepreneurs and government officials. Read more>>
Xaviera Lee
In January of 2024, I noticed that Valentine’s Day was approaching. I’d sold Boo Baskets that previous Halloween and they did pretty well. However, I was ready to officially launch a business with a full list of services. I decided that I wanted to experiment making glitter roses so that I could sell them as well. Read more>>
