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.
Izrah And Jay Tan-Sprague And Sprague
One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced happened this past January. We were setting up for an event when, out of nowhere, our aura camera stopped working. We tried everything we could to troubleshoot it on the spot, but nothing worked. It was such an embarrassing moment, not being able to deliver the experience we promised. We had to cancel the event and ended up losing an entire month of bookings while we sent the camera back to California for repairs. To make matters worse, the repair facility was dealing with wildfire evacuations, which delayed things even more. It was a tough time, but we used that unexpected setback to reset, reevaluate, and get our heads in the right direction. Read more>>
Stephanie Johnson
On a more personal level, starting this journey after experiencing a loss made it even more emotional. It wasn’t just about building a career; it was about building something meaningful and healing for myself and my family. There were times when self-doubt crept in, especially during the early days. But every time I helped a client grow their brand or told their story in a way that made them light up, it reminded me why I started. Read more>>
Haley Hunt
We opened in the heart of Dripping Springs, a town known for its charm, community, and connection to nature. From day one, it was important that Haus of Jayne feel more like a sanctuary than a store. We hand-select every product, educate our guests without judgment, and lead with heart. Over the years, we’ve hosted everything from full moon ceremonies and cannabis education nights to bachelorette parties and community wellness events. We’ve become a trusted local resource — not just for high-quality THCa flower, topicals, and tinctures, but for honest conversations and connection. Read more>>
Meggie Buenz
Baked by Buenz began as a small dream in March of 2023 of teaching our homeschooled children about creating a business from the ground up, and the work that comes with it. We began by selling the kids favorite, focaccia. From there we evolved to homemade herb butters, bagels and other sweet treats that used only clean ingredients, no added sugars and tasted great. We started off selling weekly at the Pedernales Farmer’s Market and quickly gathered a following. Read more>>
Lindsay Herkert
Over the years, my style evolved into something clean, colorful, and full of feeling. I love using light to shape a story—whether it’s soft and glowy for a newborn session or bold and dramatic for a headshot. After moving from San Diego to Austin, I had to rebuild from scratch, which was both humbling and empowering. I leaned hard into community—connecting with other photographers, forming groups, and focusing on creating systems that made my business sustainable and joyful. Read more>>
Adam Grumbo
My story started when I was just 10, messing around with a camcorder in my small hometown. I filmed anything I could, but weddings were my first love—my first paid gig was a neighbor’s ceremony, and I was hooked. Those early days were all about trial and error, teaching myself how to shoot and edit while saving up for better equipment. By my teens, I was filming local weddings and events, building a name for myself. Read more>>
Alyssa Chavez
Those quiet moments rooted something deep in me: a reverence for the earth, a love for plants, and a belief in their power to heal and nourish, just like she did. What started as a simple experiment selling a few handmade tea blends at a local market quickly blossomed into something more. People were drawn to the flavors, the stories, and the spirit behind each cup. From there, Gaia’s Tea Garden was born. Today, my business is a reflection of those early days in the garden: grounded in tradition, inspired by nature, and built with love. It’s more than tea it’s a way to carry my grandmother’s legacy forward, one blend at a time. Read more>>
Nicole Boan
You always have to stay on top of the new trends, new formulas and new innovations in the skincare realm. It does make it more fun that way, but it’s also not a cheap industry. I found that truly focusing on what my brand is and things that work really well on client’s skin, is a hate most important to stick with, stay on top of the best practices and sticking with the path. The economy has taken a dip recently too, which has been a little hard but still going and putting in the work to keep building. Read more>>
Jennifer Crosby
For the Love of Go is a 501(c)3 public charity. Formed by a small group of parents committed to encouraging one another and others, our commitment is to cultivate healthier lifestyles through organizing, directing, and promoting healthy activities designed for families and individuals to set and reach fitness goals by simply getting off the couch. For the Love of Go finds ways to teach families and individuals how easy it is to add simple and healthy activities to daily life. We got here, over 10 years in and over 250 races and events directed, with a vast team of community supporters! Read more>>
Roberto Berrios
My journey in the ink life has been extremely rewarding. Like any other lifestyle I’ve come across many ups and downs pursuing my path. I think what I struggled with the most was within my devotion to all my clients. It’s I moved around I found many of my clients reaching out to me for more work to be done and many times my new location was to far for them or I to travel conveniently. I miss everyone! Another struggle I’ve come across was starting over in a new locations, opening a new tattoo and piercing shop not having a network in the area yet, keeping the business thriving until it made it on its own. Lots of promoting! Read more>>
Lana Ashby Rowder
I realized there was this huge gap: most people don’t want to hire an expensive personal stylist, but they also don’t want to keep buying random clothes from influencer links that don’t work for their body or life. So I created lookingGLASS—an easy, friendly platform that helps people get dressed using what they already own, with real outfit help from real stylists. We combine AI with actual human connection, and we make confidence and personal style feel way more accessible. Read more>>
Brad Hutt
I had spent eight years working in the field of sports medicine as an athletic trainer as well as teaching high school and college courses. I had a great job situation as a teacher/athletic trainer and could definitely envision staying in that role for the long term. But, in my spirit, I always felt like there was more for me. I would have to get past being comfortable and dive into a world of being a doctor and business owner. Read more>>
Nicole Lelli
After COVID, I shifted gears stepping into the Executive Assistant arena and later launching my own executive assistant company. As we began planning more events for our clients and attending many weddings, I noticed a recurring theme—friends who were getting married kept mentioning all the small but important things that were slipping through the cracks. It brought me back to my own wedding, where I remember how many little tasks ended up falling on the us or being delegated to friends and family. Read more>>
Lenore Callahan
I got an interview at a company in Austin and I as soon as i got off the plane i knew i had to live here! Of course i was hired for the job, working with a local company designing closets, i knew this was not my where my passion was, but it got me to Austin. Within a year I had ventured off on my own and started Lenore Callahan Interior Design. I was nervous as i never expected or intended to open my own firm, but people kept asking me for help on their homes not related to closets! People just wanted to work with me! it was very synchronizing and unexpected and the start to a new venture! Read more>>
Melina Perez
I started at UT in 2014, and my love and appreciation for fashion deepened, as my passion became a true study. I declared my major as a sophomore and was officially a fashion design student. Then, as a senior, I discovered film and costume design, and my world was changed forever. I had this wild, a-ha moment that this is exactly where I needed to be and never looked back. Since then, I’ve had the incredible opportunity of costume designing and styling several indie feature films, music videos, commercials and more, with creatives who really inspire me. I always say that everything I do is for 13-year-old me, and I know she’d be so proud of where I am and what I’ve accomplished. Read more>>
Montez Garner
In 2015, I co-founded G.W. Souther, a four-piece Orlando based Pop/Rock/Soul band aiming to build a global community around our music with smooth songs like “All back, Groupie, Who’d U Love” and many more. Music really starting getting fun. Over the years, I have expanded my work beyond performing. I now record instrumentation for feature films and TV while collaborating with Austin-based artists such as Sir Woman, Wild Child, and Sketch.Band—all while deepening my skills on the bass guitar and songwriting. Read more>>
Elle Reaux
I got my start in the wedding industry working for a wedding planner, but I grew up around photography with a photojournalist dad and I always had a camera in hand since I was kid. After doing two internships with wedding photographers for a couple of years building my portfolio, it all just clicked into place. I opened Elle Reaux Photography in 2017. Now I am a published, international photographer capturing weddings in Texas and around the world. Read more>>
Clint Bradley
No. As with any small business, there are things you can’t plan for or account for. We’ve put blood, sweat, tears and an immense amount of time into trying to establish our name in the Round Rock community, and it feels like it has been much slower for people to recognize us than we anticipated. We struggle with keeping beer stocked, cashflow, and being able to pay ourselves even to this day. We love what we do; we just wish we could stabilize and make a little for ourselves. Read more>>
Jen Shultz
As I started coaching and educating others, I began to realize that the journey to self-employment isn’t just about business strategy—it’s about personal transformation and how you feel about yourself. It’s about trusting yourself, overcoming doubts, and realizing that you are more capable than you think. Read more>>
Michael Ferrer
My mission is to inspire a million people for change. I provide a safe place where people can experience and share their stories of recovery. This allows those struggling with an addiction to know that they are not alone and that recovery is possible. When we recover out loud, no one dies in silence. Read more>>
Don & Tammy Struble
The Loose Screw was born. We moved to Taylor Texas to further escape the corporate landscape and found a space at The Old Taylor High. We were one of the first businesses to open in the old high school built in 1923. Tammy and I built out as much of the space that we could on our own. We filled the space with eclectic furniture and music posters. We built a big deck outside that can double as a stage for live music. One of the unique features of space is the passthrough window that allows us to serve directly to our patrons in the garden. Read more>>
Caleb And Jackie Goodaker-Craig
Like any small business journey, it’s been full of twists. Balancing entrepreneurship with family life, navigating a constantly evolving market, and trusting our instincts have all come with their fair share of challenges. The biggest hurdle has been staying true to our vision—choosing to showcase the weird, the nostalgic, and the unexpected, even when it meant going against the grain. But every risk has helped us find the right people—the ones who get it. Read more>>
Andrew Martinez
We’re so proud of the music we’ve been able to make together it almost feels like a rebranding with our next single coming out this year! Read more>>
Didier Stunner
In 2024, through networking with other creatives in the industry, I successfully booked for several fashion shows in New York and Miami which turned out to be a very productive year since beginning my career. Fast forward to 2025, I moved to Austin from DC where I thought was a breathing ground for fashion and TV. So far in Austin, I’ve successfully booked a TV commercial for a beer company (Michelob ultra) and was also booked for a fashion street campaign at the South by Southwest festival (SXSW). Currently, I’ve managed to book my first major acting role for a student film “Through Time” which would be out soon. Overall, it’s been an amazing journey so far and I definitely look forward to bigger opportunities to sky-rock my career. Read more>>
Anne Marie Grajales
Getting started as a nurse injector definitely wasn’t easy. It’s a highly competitive field, and starting from the ground up meant constantly feeling the pressure to prove myself. Building trust with clients, sharpening my assessment and injection techniques, staying current with trends and new methods, and learning how to market myself—it all took time, patience, and persistence. There were moments when imposter syndrome crept in—and honestly, it still does sometimes. But every challenge along the way has shaped me into who I am today: resilient, adaptable, and always open to growth. Read more>>
Wendy Van Den Boogerd
Over the next few months I developed a comprehensive business plan, identified key market demographics, and brought on a like-minded business partner who shared my vision. With my husband’s unwavering support, we built Weddings by Wendi from the ground up. We designed an affordable yet elegant venue space for both ceremonies and receptions and launched a professional website to begin marketing our services. Read more>>
Carlos Reyes
Driven by that belief, he’s spent his career building something different: an institute that blends one-on-one, relationship-based care with cutting-edge technology and data-driven outcomes. From force plate testing to advanced screening tools, RPI mirrors the standards of pro-level athletic care—and brings that to everyone, not just the few. Read more>>
Charles Huurman
I was raised between Valencia, Spain, and Ireland, and initially followed a path as a young entrepreneur. But after the 2008 financial crisis, I took it as a sign to return to what truly fulfilled me: art. It was around that time that friends started turning my drawings into tattoos, and I realized I could make my art not just permanent, but personal — worn proudly on someone’s skin. Read more>>
Anita Castaneda
there has been many times I have wanted to give up, because the economy is very hard, and everyone is pretty much self-taught, but it’s the students again that do take their career seriously and want to elevate from being limited of what they can do vs. the nail technicians that DO NOT hold a legit license that hold themselves back and there are some awesome self-taught nail technicians that can go sooooo far if they just take that leap of faith to get their license, but those ones keep me going and I love them for that. My school is located in Arlington, Tx. I also offer 300 hours distant education and 300 hours in person. Follow us on our website www.vivadebeauty.com Read more>>
Nathan Stowe
I always wanted to be a teacher and a baseball coach. But growing up, I was told those careers wouldn’t pay the bills—I needed to be a doctor, lawyer, or banker. So I chose finance. By senior year of college, though, it was clear I wouldn’t be happy behind a desk. While my classmates were analyzing portfolios on Saturdays, I was lifting weights, eating enough chicken for two people, and reading Men’s Health over lunch. I didn’t know what I was going to do—but I knew it wasn’t that. Read more>>
Callie Jenschke
Not at all—it’s been a beautiful but bumpy road, like most entrepreneurial journeys. One of the biggest early challenges was gaining traction in a highly competitive industry where brand trust and reputation mean everything. We were new, and convincing designers to take a chance on us required persistence, a lot of relationship-building, and a relentless focus on delivering impeccable service. Read more>>
Peter Lin
During this adventure I deepened my practices in several wellness modalities, including yoga, meditation, breathwork, communication skills, psychotherapy, and massage therapy. They made a huge difference in the well-being of my life: mentally, emotionally, and physically. This was especially healing after struggling with such a difficult childhood. The practices resonated with me so much that I went on to become certified to teach many of them. Read more>>
Kristin Parr
I later moved to London, where I expanded my expertise in luxury marketing. I worked at Quintessentially Lifestyle, a global leader in concierge and lifestyle services, where I led the rebrand of the company into a full-fledged global lifestyle brand. From there, I joined Caprice Holdings, known for London’s most iconic restaurants, including The Ivy and Le Caprice. I supported high-profile campaigns and helped maintain the distinctive identity of each venue through strategic marketing. Read more>>
Caleb East
I was 17 when I bought my first iPhone a few months after getting my first job, and I downloaded instagram. The son of my painting and pottery-throwing mother, I had taken up drawing, painting and illustration. This was especially so after I had been insanely obsessed with the Tokusatsu genre in middle school. Now honestly, I really got into art because I wanted to depict Godzilla! My crazy middle school brain told me I NEEDED to, obviously. Read more>>
Emily Woodard
The first tattoo shop ever in its history, and I was going to do whatever it took to make sure that any client who found us would walk through our doors and feel home. And I did it with la Belladonna. My safe space. We offer tattoos, piercings, laser tattoo removal, and permanent jewelry. We have amazing clients who we call our family and that we care deeply about. When you walk in to the shop it’s not your typical look for a tattoo studio. We’ve converted an old home built in the 1920’s in the downtown area into a sacred space full of art and taxidermy. January of this year was our 2 year anniversary and I’m looking forward to serving my community for many more. Read more>>
Linn Rivers
About 6 years ago, I really started being drawn back into the world of film and wondered if there was something there for me. I always allow myself to follow my inner guidance, so I bought the gear and started playing around again seeing what I could create. I was in a massive healing phase at that point in my life and really needed something simple and something that allowed me flexibility to rest when I needed to and I saw a post for a real estate photographer, and decided to put in for it even though I had absolutely no experience in that specific field. I knew I would learn quickly though, and sure enough I became really good at it and actually enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Read more>>
Brittney Creager
Definitely not! Starting with no clients, no fancy equipment, and just figuring things out as I went was tough. Then finding out I was pregnant just a few months in added a whole new layer of pressure — but also purpose. Balancing being a new mom and a new business owner wasn’t easy, especially with only a short maternity leave. I’ve had moments of burnout, work and life balance, and the usual growing pains that come with scaling. But every challenge taught me something, and looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Read more>>
Cheri Freeman
A few good friends urged me to get serious about my “art” (I was like, “art? you mean my photographs?” lol) and so I set up a website and started entering my images into exhibits. I love looking at the work of other photographers and I’ve come to realize that photography is, in fact, an artistic expression of the photographer who is conveying a message, a feeling, or a story through their work. Read more>>
Marlene Reyes
But those tough seasons taught me so much. They pushed me to slow down, go inward, and start healing. That’s when I really began reconnecting with myself and leaning into my spiritual side. All of it helped me create something meaningful and real something that not only helped me, but now helps others too. I wouldn’t be who I am today without those challenges. Read more>>
Emily Martinez
I specialize in a style of bouquet called Ramos Buchones, which are especially popular in the Hispanic community. Being Hispanic myself, I remember the first time I traveled with my parents to visit my grandma and relatives in Mexico . We’d walk through the local shopping plazas — the centros — and I’d get lost looking at the flower shops, packed with flowers all the way up to your neck. I’ll never forget how mesmerizing it was. That memory is a huge part of why I create the way I do today. Read more>>
Andew Sakamoto
I started pursuing art after moving to Leander, TX from Oakland, CA in November, 2023. My intent was to live closer to my parents and two sisters, but I was also looking for something new in terms of a career. I saved up money having worked as a senior water treatment operator for a little over 7 years, and wanted to invest in myself as an artist. I had always loved drawing as a child. I grew up on cartoons, anime, and comics which I now use as inspiration for my art. Read more>>
Diana Skellenger
Over the years, we’ve grown into a team of talented, specialized professionals who care deeply about craftsmanship and customer service. We’ve added in-house cabinetry, vertically integrated with some of our key trades, and continued to build out our pre-construction process so that we deliver the highest quality product, on time and at a fixed price. Today, we’re one of the top luxury renovation and custom builders in Austin. But more importantly, we’re still grounded in that original mission: to care for people and their spaces through thoughtful construction. Every decision we make—every hire, every partnership, every process—is about honoring that commitment. Read more>>
