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 Northwest Dallas’ gems below.
Josh Miller
I’m a musician and have been my whole life. I was a band kid through and through; that was my community. In school and afterward, I did everything I could to be a part of the musician culture and scene. It served me pretty well; ultimately it’s what led me to this industry. I figured out early on that it’s nearly impossible for musicians to make enough money exclusively by playing music. Read more>>
Uma Devireddy
I started my career at 16 as a teacher by accident. Yes, by accident due to necessity. However, I soon learnt that helping people grow is what brings me true happiness. I have worked with over 500 kids and over 5000 adults in the last 25 years training them on various self-development and leadership topics. At 19, I started my first company called Kshitija Consulting. At Kshitija, we focused on helping professionals learn and grow to fit into their dream job. Read more>>
Kyle Powell
On one of my first days at a new job, I was handed a camera and told to figure it out. They were in need of video and photo content and didn’t know how to use the camera they had just bought and tasked the new guy with figuring it out. As I began shooting and watching tons of tutorials, I quickly fell in love with the art form. Photography quickly became more than a necessary part of my job and an absolute passion. Read more>>
LaKeisha Williams
As a kid, whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say I wanted to run my own business. But because I didn’t know anyone that could or would teach me to be an entrepreneur, I followed in my mom’s footsteps and got a job straight out of high school. Fast forward to 2014, I was overworking myself and driving myself crazy trying to dig out of the financial hole I was in from trying to help everybody. Read more>>
Brittney Lemons
I started Unbutton Trends after I did a Passion and Purpose fast. After completing it, I was able to really pin point my love for thrifting and come up with a business plan that could be profitable for me while at the same time helping others feel good and look good at a very low cost. From all of the long nights and early mornings came Unbutton Trends, an online reconsignment and second-hand store. Read more>>
Daniel Contreras
When I was about 12-13 years old, my dad insisted I should play an instrument. Him being a musician he wanted to pass along his love of music to my brother and I. After he had gotten my brother and I guitars he showed me how to play iron man from Black Sabbath and I was hooked! I’ve been playing guitar in original Bands and tribute bands since 2011. Read more>>
Ethan Bouchard
We started off in 2015 with members Garrett Noel, Richard Lacy, and myself, later to be joined by David Laurent and Henri Roelke after a few months. One drunken night, our good friend and local comedian Kevin Ward sang the chorus to an improv song he created in the moment called “Livin’ in a Mine”. Shortly after, with his permission, I wrote it into a full song and presented it to him. He responded by saying “Strong Work. Read more>>
Jenny James
I’ve been a teacher for 20 years. I studied elementary education and music at Baylor and taught in the public school systems for a few years. Then I moved from teaching mainstream classroom to teaching private piano lessons out of my home. This was a great career switch for me since my husband traveled and it allowed me to be at home with our boys while they were young. Read more>>
