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.
BigMacKaz
I’m Zak, better known online as BigMacKaz, a UK-based streamer and voice actor. I started creating content because I’ve always loved games, films and random conversations that somehow turn into full-on debates. Streaming felt like the natural place for that, because it gave me a space to be myself, talk nonsense, share opinions and connect with people. Read more>>
Chrissy Choate
My husband and I started traveling together years ago, and once I got bit by the travel bug, I never looked back. We’d always loved photography and sharing our shots with close family and friends — that combination of storytelling and discovery became the foundation for everything that followed. Read more>>
Big P
I’VE been making music independently for about 6 years now. Got my start after I finished playing basketball and never looked back im apart of a hiphop and r&b collective called TRP THE ROSES PREVAIL Read more>>
Wynter Lewis
My path to becoming a Performance Architect was forged through lived experience. For over 15 years, I operated as an enterprise executor in high-demand corporate risk management and business operations roles. I experienced firsthand the systemic friction, high-stakes pressure, and physiological strain that leads high-capacity professionals to burnout. Read more>>
Lizzy Exists
Fashion and makeup have always been passions of mine for as long as I can remember. Growing up as a neurodivergent child I struggled pretty heavily in the social sphere, so I found that self-expression through my outfits was a fun and confidence-boosting way of expressing myself. Read more>>
Ken Wilson
I have always, even as a child, had a strong sense of fashion and appreciation of personal style. In high school I was known as the guy that wore dressy clothes when others were wearing T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. Read more>>
Kirin Heart
At some point, being a passive fan wasn’t enough—I didn’t just want to consume the things I loved. I wanted to make them, too. I’m Kirin Heart, a cosplayer and cosplay maker, known for cosplays such as ‘Buc-ee’s Miku.’ I’ve spent much of my life immersed in fictional worlds, from video games and anime to comics, movies, TV series, and novels. Read more>>
Cierra Fitzgerald
My Journey Into Entrepreneurship Before becoming a publisher, I was already an entrepreneur. I had started FitzFresh Cleaning and was still actively cleaning houses myself. I loved the business and the relationships I was building with my clients, but I was also realizing that, physically, it wasn’t something I could sustain forever. Read more>>
Michael Wise Jr
I’ve always been techy and building small intricate things like Legos, 200-piece model cars and attempting to build radios growing up. In college I started working at a battery and bulbs store in Akron, OH. Read more>>
Paulina Miller
Our story began with a love for music that started when I was very young. I am Paulina, and together with Tasha, I am part of the independent German music project Paulina Tasha Band. Over the years, we have built a small but growing international presence with our own music. Read more>>
Astrid Frontado
I started from being a Stay at Home mom to building EJAM Photography. I never imagine that photography would become my business and something I’m really passionate about after following a career path on Clinical Psychologist in Peru. But life has those turns that you are never expecting and I end up in the US. Read more>>
Wendi Mitchell
My journey has always been rooted in a love for design, creativity, personalized details, and giving gifts. After moving to Sherman six years ago, I quickly saw the need for a gift store that offered something for everyone and for every occasion. Read more>>
Courtney Denton
My love for photography started long before I ever considered turning it into a business. I’ve always had a passion for capturing moments, and even as a kid, I was the one who wanted the camcorder at Christmas. I loved documenting the little things, the people, the memories, and the moments that I knew I would want to look back on someday. Read more>>
Elena Barajas
My journey started with my love for sewing and creating. I never imagined that something I enjoyed doing would eventually become my career and my brand, EBadore by Elena Barajas. I started by making garments at a very young age for myself, family, and friends, and little by little people began asking me to create pieces for them. Read more>>
Peggy Sue
My creativity has shaped my journey from a very young age. I was heavily influenced by my grandfather, a college professor and artist whose house was covered floor to ceiling with paintings in practically every room — he painted every day. Read more>>
Emily Kenney
Hi! I’m Emily, an acrylic landscape painter based in Fort Worth, Texas. A few years ago, after a move across the country, I took a leap of faith and decided to pursue art full time. I’m a firm believer that the great outdoors is good for the soul, and try to capture not just how a place looks, but how it feels with my paintings. Read more>>
Victoria Godwin
I started playing Gaelic football and hurling/camogie while in medical school in Memphis, TN, after I saw a post on Facebook advertising for the local team. I had studied abroad in Northern Ireland so I knew about the sports but had never played until I showed up that night at practice and absolutely fell in love with the sport and the community. Read more>>
Breunna Johnson
What began with one class at the age of 16 has grown into a thriving business built through creativity, determination, hard work, and my love for making people’s celebrations a little sweeter. Today, Kiwi Sweet Trap represents more than desserts—it’s the story of a young entrepreneur who took a skill, believed in her vision, and continued building on it year after year. Read more>>
Savanna Stevens
I’ve always had a love for photography, but it really began for me in high school when I got my first DSLR camera. I started out photographing landscapes and wildlife, whether I was traveling somewhere new or simply exploring what I could find in my own backyard. Read more>>
Erin Hicks
Brady’s Coffee opened it’s doors in February of 1996 by James Brady, the founder and owner of the shop. The quant shop is located in Tyler’s historic Azalea District lined with the town’s iconic brick roads. For the last 30 years Brady’s Coffee has served the community with the highest quality coffee and the coziest environment. Read more>>
Audri Fleming
My baking story starts at a very young age. I started baking as soon as I could sit on the counter with my mom. I continued baking with my mom, my grandma, and my great grandma who is currently 95 years old. Read more>>
Sydney Harrell
I was a Landman previously, but when I could not find the rugs I wanted in the right patterns and colors, I started designing them for myself. Friends wanted to buy them, then friends of friends did too, and it grew! In 2021 I was selling a few of rugs out of my garage. Read more>>
Zach ‘Juddha’ Brown
It started with loss — and a decision to turn it into something. When my father passed in 2012, it changed everything. Grief has a way of forcing you to ask what actually matters. For me, the answer was clear: I needed to create. Read more>>
Rosy Santoyo
My journey’s beginning is difficult to pinpoint, but it has brought me to this active presence in my community. I guess I have always been a writer, a runner, and a romantic, and when I committed to recovery, I gained the time to reconnect with those passions. In 2016, I became a first-time mom after experiencing teenage pregnancy. Read more>>
Terri Thoman
Here is a complicated story, intertwined are the Artist, Entrepreneur, and Educator: At the age of 25 I returned to Dallas with a BFA in Printmaking from Swain School of Design. I began my artistic career with Peregrine Press, as an assistant Intaglio printer. I became aware of the scarcity a vital resource most artist need, Fine Art Paper. Read more>>
Brandon Averhart
I was born and raised in Dallas, Tx and am the 2nd oldest of 4 siblings. At age 16, I was diagnosed with a germinoma brain tumor that had to be treated with radiation therapy. Shortly after my recovery, I went on to complete high school and attended and joined the Air Force when I turned 20. Read more>>
Angela Wei
I started expressing myself visually from a really young age. I was lucky to grow up in a very creative family on my mother’s side: my grandparents were traditional Chinese painters, my aunt is an oil painter, and my mother was a designer. So creativity was always encouraged and felt like a natural part of my life. Read more>>
Sulieman Alhazma
My entrepreneurial journey actually began long before I opened a furniture store. I’ve always had a passion for business and building things from the ground up. In early 2022, I launched a couple of online ventures, including KingNetWide—where I helped others build and launch their e-commerce businesses—and Palestinian Elegance, a brand dedicated to preserving and promoting my cultural heritage through modern designs and embroidery. Read more>>
T Ashley
I’ve always been a storyteller, but my path to becoming an author wasn’t exactly linear. I studied Theatre and Drama in college, and creativity has always been a huge part of who I am. Eventually, writing became the place where all of those pieces came together. Read more>>
Susanne Schraa
My journey has really been shaped by two things I’ve always loved: learning and teaching. I grew up in Springfield, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., with my mom and older brother. I became a teacher in 1998, initially as a generalist for grades 4–8, and I found my passion in mathematics, particularly working with middle school students. Read more>>
Veronica Rivera
I was born in Bolivia and raised by my grandmother on my father’s side. My parents were only 16 when I was born. When I was 14, one of my father’s younger sisters and her husband, who had served in the U.S. Army, adopted me and brought me to the United States. Read more>>
Jamal Umer
I am a worship pianist, and I have been walking in faith with Matt Brown of Homestead Church for about 20 years. In 2019 I was forced out of a corporate position. He was the first person I called. I showed him the plan for Dreams Music Academy, and I started the studio in Aubrey that year. Read more>>
Javier Guemes
My name is Javier Güemes and I was born and raised in Mexico, where I studied Mass Communications at Tecnológico de Monterrey. I started my career as a copywriter, and honestly, I was drawn to advertising because it gave me a place to combine ideas, strategy, and storytelling. Read more>>
Cinceria L. Isaac
I am a woman of faith, unapologetically authentic, straightforward, and relentless in my pursuit of growth and success. Proudly rooted in Dallas, Texas, I believe that perseverance, purpose, and a positive mindset can overcome almost any obstacle. I am the middle of three sisters, each of us strong and accomplished in our own unique way. Read more>>
Word Hunter
My story started long before I officially became a business owner or recording artist. I grew up learning the value of hard work through my family, and I got my first experience working in 2010 through the family photography business. Read more>>
Frankie Z
I immigrated here from the Philippines as a young girl, where my family sought better opportunities for us. For a long time, I had difficulty with my cultural identity because I’m too Filipino to be American and too American to be Filipino. My feet were separated by different tectonic plates and every time the ground shook, the greater the divide. Read more>>
Sharon Walker
Most people know me as an active Singer/Songwriter…. I have been doing that from the age of 14. I came by that quite by accident.. My mother was both a musician and visual artist and encouraged the arts in all three of her children… I took to painting early in a fresco style because even young I loved the depth of oil painting versus watercolor. Read more>>
Tiffanee Arnold
Tiffanee Arnold is an educator, choreographer and dance advocate. She is Artistic Director of Full Circle Dance (www.FullCircleDance.org), a contemporary modern dance company in North Dallas. As a national company, Full Circle Dance has been selected to perform at the St. Read more>>
dareia jacobs
My journey has never been a straight line—it has been a journey of faith, purpose, perseverance, and serving people. I began my professional career in media and communications, a field that gave me the opportunity to use my voice and connect with people from all walks of life. Read more>>
Luiz Filipe Alves Martins
I have been drawing and painting since childhood. I made my first paintings around the age of twelve, and although I later studied Law and became a lawyer, art was always the activity I returned to. I am essentially a self-taught artist, and over the years I developed my practice independently, experimenting with different techniques, materials, colors, and ways of working. Read more>>
Patricia Glass
My path has not been especially traditional or linear, but the common thread has always been people and community. Through nonprofit leadership, volunteering, board service, and my own personal experiences, I saw how many passionate people were doing important work without the resources, training, or support they needed to succeed. Read more>>
Kendra Johnson
My journey has been a story of resilience, creativity, and constantly evolving into the person I was meant to become. I’ve always had a passion for creating memorable experiences, connecting with people, and bringing ideas to life. That passion first led me into event planning, where I learned the importance of details, atmosphere, and making people feel seen and celebrated. Read more>>
Chelsea Cace
I grew up in Longview, Texas in a family that owned and operated a restaurant called Johnny Cace’s Seafood and Steak House. I went to college at Texas Christian University and majored in Foodservice Management. I had always desired to be the grandchild that carried on the family tradition by working in the restaurant. Read more>>
Lauren Netherland
I have always loved music. As a little girl, I was writing my own little songs, recording them on a cassette player (aging myself with that one!), and performing for my family! Read more>>
Stacy Alvarez
Katie and I met in college and quickly became best friends. We went through our teaching credential program together at Chico State, and before we knew it, we were starting our teaching careers side by side in the Bay Area. Over the years, we’ve moved schools together, grown as teachers, and somehow ended up sharing a door and teaching Kindergarten side by side. Read more>>
Brian Patterson
The Wildlands are a Dallas four-piece making original music with roots, grit, and a restless pulse. Blending intimate storytelling with full-throttle live energy, they create songs built for both close listening and wide-open stages. With no interest in fitting neatly into a category, The Wildlands are focused on one thing: making music that connects and stays with you. Read more>>
Sarah Nelson
Waco Moms was founded in 2017, and Sarah Nelson was invited to join the team as a Contributing Writer. Over the years, Sarah’s background in business and marketing allowed her to utilize her skills in public relations to consult and offer assistance with media interviews and events. Sarah published numerous articles on the platform pertaining to parenting, marriage, and self-care. Read more>>
Ana Done
My journey begins in Brăila, Romania, at the age of seven. My mother knew she wanted more for me as her only child, so we moved from the countryside to the city to enroll in a school called Hariclea Darclée. At the time, it was an arts school that provided students the opportunity to learn an instrument. Read more>>
Teddie McCoy
Soil & Stone Wholistic Wellness really started from a place of necessity. In 2023, my husband was diagnosed with cancer, and that completely changed the way our family looked at health and wellness. I started researching herbs, ingredients, and natural ways to support our family alongside the traditional care he was receiving. Read more>>
Mike Farmer
I have always been interested in fashion, cars, and music. I started collecting jeans in the 80s. I went to races with my dad while growing up, and he was a car enthusiast all his life. Once I got my license, I started working on muscle cars, and had a 1979 Camaro with a race engine in it. Read more>>
Lee Benting
I have always played football/soccer for as long as I could remember. Growing up in South Africa I was extremely active and participated in almost everything as long as I got the go ahead from my parents. Read more>>
LaShawn Graham
Engaging in local politics with the DFWULYP requires an immense amount of energy. When your day is already consumed by corporate roadmaps and parenting, community work usually costs you your only free asset: sleep and personal downtime.Emotional Burnout: Fighting for local political advancement and civil rights requires heavy emotional labor, which can be exhausting when you are already running on empty. Read more>>
Oluyinka Davids
My journey as a filmmaker began with a passion for telling meaningful stories; especially African stories that are often misunderstood, overlooked, or told without the necessary depth. Read more>>
Alicia Jones
Scooter Doodle is a woman-owned, small stationery business that I established in 2022. Since my formative years, art has been a constant in my life. My first exposure to art was through my dad, who was a talented artist and craftsman. From my mom I learned how impactful a handwritten note card can be . Read more>>
Benny Smoke
I grew up in the 90s with having Hip Hop culture in my life, since about 4 I remember my father always playing some cassette in his Ford galaxy and it’d always be some rap, a bass album or a DJ mixtape. Read more>>
D’Angelo Lee II
I’m Oak Cliff born and raised, and growing up there definitely gave me some thick skin. You had to learn how to move, stand on your own, and be comfortable being yourself. I also grew up in a broken and sometimes toxic household, so I experienced a lot at a young age that forced me to become resilient. Read more>>
Derrick Holmes Jr
Over the years I had a passion for music. Grow up around Fort Worth Tx surrounded by family and friends. Recently I attended a college in Dallas called Mediatech. It was for recording arts. Music is something I would like to do full time but the market for it takes time.Things has change over the years. But it’s not going to stop me. Read more>>
Jacob Lewis
My name is Jay, and I’m a creative and content creator based in Dallas, Texas. I’ve always had a passion for fashion, acting, modeling, singing, and expressing myself creatively. Growing up, I attended a performing arts school where I studied singing and acting, which helped me discover my love for being in front of people and using creativity as a form of expression. Read more>>
Ravish Thomas
My story is one of resilience, courage, purpose, and believing that your circumstances should never define the limits of your dreams. I grew up as part of the Pakistani Christian minority in Pakistan, where I witnessed firsthand the challenges and discrimination faced by persecuted and marginalized communities. Read more>>
Crafted Events
Crafted Events actually started long before Crafted Events was a thing. In 2020, I started what was then Crafted by Nelle as a creative outlet for some of my crafting hobbies and interests. A close friend eventually reached out and asked me to help plan her baby shower, which is really where I got my start in balloon décor and event design. Read more>>
Elsie Ndema
I stand six feet tall, and I have searched the ethers of the world to find clothes that fit. I have tried every trick in the book to look as normal as possible in clothes that seldom keep tall women in mind. Read more>>
Amanda McCoy
I started in real estate in 2016 because I genuinely wanted to help people. I also came into the industry with a background that made homes feel familiar to me. I have a degree in architecture from Texas A&M and grew up around construction, so I’ve always been interested in how homes are designed, built, and lived in. Read more>>
Dayathemodel
Driven by Vibe, Powered by Grit: Inside the World of Dayathemodel My name is Dayathemodel, but to everyone in my corner, I just go by Daya. If you try to put me in a box, you’ll fail every single time—I’m an artist, an entrepreneur, a mother first, and a multi-hyphenate built on pure hustle. Read more>>
Danielle Hall
MEET DANIELLE HALL — FROM RECOVERY TO FREEDOM!!!! My journey into the travel industry is about so much more than booking vacations. It’s about freedom, purpose, and creating a life that works for ME. After multiple surgeries and a long recovery journey, I realized I needed a career that worked with my life—not against it. Read more>>
Tim Plummer
I was at my friend’s wedding in Australia in 2017 and there was a guy in the corner with his camera doing nothing. Every few minutes he would pick it up and do a move and go back to the corner. Read more>>
Leilani Calderon
I started cosmetology school in high school and graduated with my license at 18 years old. I worked in a salon right out of high school for 2 1/2 years in my hometown. And then joined forces with my close cousin who also went through the same high school cosmetology program. Six months later, we opened our first salon in Cedar Hill, Texas. Read more>>
Natalie Smith-Wells
If I had to describe my story in one word, it might be renovation. My journey has rarely followed a straight line, but every chapter has prepared me for the next. I began my professional career in collegiate athletics, spending approximately 15 years coaching track and field and working with young adults during some of the most formative years of their lives. Read more>>
Kristen Moniz-Martens
From an Unexpected Spark to a Life Filled with Art and Purpose Hello! I’m Kristen, the artist and owner behind All Things Arty TX. I’m a wife, a mother to two wonderful girls, a small business owner, and someone who discovered that sometimes life’s unexpected detours can lead us exactly where we’re meant to be. For 12 years, I worked in the medical field. Read more>>
Veniecia Roberts
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and a love for the beauty industry. I started out doing hair and, over time, I realized I wanted to build something bigger than just working behind the chair. I wanted to create a space where other beauty professionals could have the freedom to grow their own businesses while still being part of a beautiful, professional environment. Read more>>
