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.
Breanna Hernandez
As the year passes, time slows down, I get a full time job back in my hometown, Georgetown, Tx, my photography gets put to the side with life getting hectic and becoming busy with a 9-5. When my Boyfriend found out he has another year of eligibility of baseball, he accepted the offer and suggested I move down to Laredo with him and quit my job. Like a silly little girl, I did and I upgraded my gear because why not? Why save my money right. Read More>>
Jada Walker
After speaking with her and learning that she has classes here in Austin, I decided to sign up. A few months later, I was then fired from my job at seven months pregnant. This was also before I’ve had taken any of the training from Laura. I took her training a month before I gave birth. Then, in January around my birthday. I got a message from Laura asking me if I wanted to help her with one of her clients. I of course said yes! While helping her she asked me to be her assistant at the salon, I gratefully accepted! I’ve now been working as her assistant for a little over a year and I love it! Read More>>
Reagan Zimmerman
During this unexpected down time I had time to reflect on where I had gone wrong, and what I wanted for myself looking into the future, and came out of it with an ironclad resolve to keep both my dream of music and this band alive. As soon as I could walk on crutches hunter and I got back to work, and we recruited Haval (Drums) and soon realized what an integral part he would play going forward. As a three piece we released our Latest single “Body Count” in late 2024 and are currently working on releasing a new ep summer 2025 and our first mini tour with our good friends in Lonestar Massacre. Keep your Eyes peeled because biG ThiNgs CoMing SoOn! Read More>>
Marine Barian
Later, back in France, I started a fashion blog, blending my love for photography and fashion. Collaborating with fellow bloggers made me realize how much I enjoyed creating imagery that told a story, while focusing on a product. When I returned to Texas for work, I got my first photography gig for a local boutique’s social media. Knowing how to make outfits shine in photos was second nature, and it reignited my passion. Read More>>
Vanessa De La Cruz
Whether a sensitive soul is looking for relief or whimsy in our online shop or at our new Local Honey Lip Gloss Pop-Up & Charm Bar, every skin type will find timeless beauty and calming & natural relief! You can look forward to our new project we are nurturing this year. GIVE BEES A CHANCE! We bring our beloved Pop-Up Honey Lip Gloss Charm Bar to your party or special event. So your guests enjoy & personalize a unique party favor from East, Austin! P.s. This year we have formulated something for your pups too! Read More>>
Bryson Tucker
Eric is a great friend. We were college teammates and roommates and he is the Facility Director and my right hand man. We have grown tremendously over the years not only economically but most important relationally in this community and the greater central Texas area. We have clients that are convicted enough in what we do to not only drive in 2.5hrs 3 days a week or fly in and spend a couple days to train and learn. Its been a great journey, and I say that humbly bc we wouldn’t be here without the support of my wife, Eric, our clients and most importantly God. Read More>>
Katy Reddell
Overall, it’s been a relatively smooth road of business growth, and I feel incredibly fortunate for that. Of course, like any business, there have been challenges along the way. The biggest hurdle was navigating the chaos of COVID—dealing with reschedules, cancellations, and all the uncertainty it brought to the wedding industry. That period was definitely stressful, but we managed to adapt and push through. Beyond that, I really can’t complain. I’m grateful for how far the business has come and the amazing clients and opportunities we’ve had along the way. Read More>>
Uday Kumar
For the next two years, I threw myself into creating what would become flareAI. Drawing from my expertise in SEO and inbound marketing, I combined it with my knowledge of AI to forge something entirely new. It wasn’t easy – there were countless late nights, failed attempts, and moments of doubt. But I kept pushing forward, driven by the belief that I was onto something that could help not just my business, but countless others facing the same struggle. Read More>>
Mark Perun
In the fall of 2020, we moved to Austin, TX. COVID was somewhat a blessing in disguise because it really gave me the time I needed to build the business without interruption, and allowed me to get all the tedious groundwork out of the way – creating the recipes, building the website and social media pages, applying for all the necessary permits, etc. Renting space at a commercial kitchen was also required, and it’s where all the manufacturing takes place. Read More>>
Em Gray
Through the distribution of supplies and from their own experience, N.I.C.E. has witnessed and understands the enormous needs of unhoused people who use drugs in the community that they provide outreach to. While continuing the naloxone saturation initiative is vital to maintaining the abundance mindset and reliability of access to overdose reversal medication, N.I.C.E. is hoping to grow their community outreach initiatives to the people experiencing homelessness in our reach. Read More>>
Michael Alexandersson
My father is a musician and I have been raised around it my whole life. My family played a lot of classics while I was growing up so I was always curious about music and enjoyed seeing my father make a living at it. I sang a few songs when I was a kid on stage with my dad but that was about it. It wasn’t till years later that I thought I would choose it as a career and passion. I actually only started in the beginning of 2024 at an old folks home and did a couple local performances until I was accepted to be a contestant on the voice. Read More>>
Tina Weldon
I worked as a server in Austin’s fine dining restaurants to pay off student debt while Orion built chicken coops and learned everything he could about farming. Our business grew quickly with business partnerships blossoming and opportunities we couldn’t pass up, so we decided to stay in Texas. We partnered first with Apis Restaurant to provide them with almost all the proteins on their menu- pork, chicken, eggs. Then we supplied Thai Fresh exclusively for nearly 5 years along with some special orders at Uchi, Counter 3-5-7, and more. Read More>>
Paige Bockhorn
I had a few vegan friends who had no interest in running. I had running friends who had no interest in eating vegan food with me. I figured there was no way I was the only vegan runner here in Austin. That’s when I happened to stumble across a vegan running Facebook group. It had been dormant for a couple years. I started making events where we meet at a vegan friendly eatery and run some miles in that neighborhood. Now we do this all over town! My first event, no one showed up. Now we get a solid 30 people to a Sunday morning event! Read More>>
Gralyn Stiehl
We are a group of musicians who specialize in rock and roll. We are most proud of all our original songs. What sets us apart from other rock bands is our professional attitude and unique songwriting approach. We aspire to be the “New Rock” of Austin and of the World. Read More>>
Sara Rojas
but the most important was that I felt happy to finally be with my family and they were the ones who gave me all the emotional support to continue, my mom (Elvia Gonzalez) and my father (José Rojas) to whom I thank for all my triumphs and everything I have achieved, I also have my sister ( Alma Rojas) who is the one that continues sharing my struggles as she is the one covering the store’s back ( and myself’s) every time it needs Read More>>
Sonoe Tarbox
Born in Tokyo, educated in Australia, and now a proud Austinite for over a decade, I blend rich cultural traditions with creativity to craft unique photography experiences. My award-winning costumes and props have earned recognition at events like Round Rock’s Halloween costume contest and the Texas Renaissance Festival. This same attention to detail goes into designing immersive photo sets that make every session feel magical. Read More>>
Lexi Mcneely
I also got pregnant with my first baby around this same time. I struggled with how I might manage being a mom and a business owner trying to build something new. Over a year later I am so glad I took the leap because I grew my team and my business well beyond what I thought I would! I was able to find the balance between motherhood, business owner, and a working artist after all. I do still find myself being challenged some days, but overall everything worked out exactly how it was supposed to! Read More>>
Mitzi Avila
In 2019, I was just chilling at home on my couch in Richmond, VA, when I decided to bake some butter cookies. My partner and I are huge fans of homemade sweet treats, and I thought, “Why not start selling them alongside my freelance work as a social media manager for local restaurants?” So, I began working on a logo, a chocolate chip cookie resting on a cup of hot cocoa, my all-time favorite drink. From there, I set up my social media and started selling my cookies on Instagram. Read More>>
Brent Thomas
As I have continued to devote myself (sometimes reluctantly) to the practice and have committed to incorporating it into my routine as a lifestyle it has provided me with a sense of clarity of purpose as well as giving me the strength and peace to deal with adverse and challenging situations when they arise. I consider myself a qi gong practitioner/enthusiast and it is one of my passions to share this amazing healing art with others! I currently teach weekly classes at Shuniya Yoga Collective and offer occasional qi gong training programs and retreats. I am the founder of Golden Monkey Qi Gong, Qi Resource, and Qi Retreats. Read More>>
Heather Cash
I went into my program not knowing what the heck I was getting myself into and no intention of actually using my license until I decided I didn’t want to sing anymore. As school went on, I had a knack for the industry, I won awards in school. Just a couple of days after I passed my state boards, I got my first job as an esthetician at Massage Envy in South Round Rock. I was a top seller and really excelled in my position. Since the beginning of my career, I always had an interest in the corrective side of esthetics. I loved to solve problems and make visible changes in people’s skin and self-confidence. Read More>>
Gabriel Tello
In real estate the Pareto Principle is alive and well, truly the top 20% are making the lion’s share in commissions. Why is that? Most likely they offer some kind of service, value, or knowledge that sets them apart. I’m the kind of individual who likes to know as much as I can about what I’m doing. After joining a commercial team (in addition to continuing to do residential on my own) I saw a gaping whole in the market that investors weren’t receiving. Read More>>
Lyzz Torres
I started my business, The Virtual Warrior, in August 2022 when my son was just 6 months old with $0 in my bank account. I wanted to ensure he had a bright future and that we wouldn’t have to depend on anyone. As the first in my family to start a business, I faced a lot of doubt in the beginning—many people didn’t think it would grow. But I was determined to prove them wrong. I started small, balancing work with full-time motherhood. It wasn’t easy—my son wasn’t in daycare, and he was waking up every 30 minutes at night. I was sleep-deprived, juggling everything, but I kept pushing forward. Slowly but surely, my client list grew, and with it, my confidence and determination. Read More>>
John Bates
Smooth is not a word I would use. Running a restaurant has many struggles that are not unique to us. Staffing, team building, fixing the broken culture of restaurants, covid, funding. Read More>>
Rafael Salguero
The biggest obstacle I have faced in this business is the push back to some of my concepts and ideas. I always try to implement new and innovative ideas that perhaps have not been seen before and people tend to be a little afraid to try something new. They usually say they have never seen a particular idea or ask me to show them a picture of what I am trying to convey but my response is, “I cannot find a picture because this had not been done yet”. However, once I have worked on a few projects with my recurring clients, they no longer question any of my ideas. They have seen the results and are very confident in trusting me. Read More>>
Sage Bara
I honed my skills and studied the process of floral care over the years while I ran my school of the arts. I am completely self-taught and after much trial and error, often going the long way around, I arrived at a level that allowed me to jump in the professional waters. It has been a most rewarding journey creating beautiful experiences for the most significant events in our client’s lives. Belle Soul Florals is celebrating our eleventh anniversary this month. Read More>>
Sohlin Partida
No one was interested in adding a member, so I stepped up to the plate. Since then we have just focused on building a brand, an audience, and damn good music. House shows turned into little bars, and little bars turned into venues. Now we are working on an album and have more opportunities by the day. We have a long way to go, but we are pretty proud of us keeping it together through all of the obstacles we have endured together. Read More>>
Jeff Poindexter
For nearly as long as my memory dates back, movies struck a particular cord with me I simply couldn’t shake. We all go through phases growing up, narrowing down the options of the life we want to live as time moves forward. But as I saw each day pass, the world changing around me, friends coming and going, experiencing the highest highs and the lowest lows, one of the few consistent aspects of my life as my 30th go-around on this giant floating space rock approaches, are my love of movies. Read More>>
Tylah Blaize
My interest in photography and videography stemmed from wanting to be an actor in high school believe it or not. I’m a huge movie and tv fanatic and saw myself in that world, that was my dream. I quickly gave up on that dream when I went to college to be an EMT, but while taking classes I found that I wasn’t very interested in the classes I was taking and wanted to do something more creative with my life. The next semester I changed my major to Radio/TV/Film and then I felt something click; THIS is want I want to do, I want to be the person behind the camera creating things I love seeing. Read More>>
Cullen Ricks
My goal as the director of Kinder Tänzer is to promote German dancing in the young people of New Braunfels and its surrounding areas. Our program has dance groups for kids PK-12th grade. I hope to grow the skills of my students so that they may perform the highest difficulty German dances. I also hope to inspire the creation of German dance groups in local high schools. There are regional German dancing competitions and the state competition is held in San Marcos at Texas State University. Read More>>
