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.
Rosemarie (Rome Wilde) Bodrucki 
I launched The Joy Channel Podcast in 2019. After years of repeated injuries and illnesses, I realized that something needed to change. “Why do I keep ending up here?” was the question on my mind, and once I asked and observed, the answer was my repeated unconscious behavioral patterns. I thought working myself to the bone was normal – I thought it showed my dedication. Read more>>
Stephene Bloom 
My story began long before I ever stepped onto a sales floor or called myself a personal stylist. It began with a family that taught me the power of showing up for others, the importance of individuality, and the confidence that comes from feeling good in your own skin. Read more>>
Laura Messer Jackson 
I’m a Deep South storyteller with a global perspective. I was born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, came to UT Austin to earn my Masters in Creative Advertising (Copywriting), stayed in Austin’s ad agency scene for about a decade, spent a few expat years making commercials in Berlin, then moved back to Austin a couple of years ago to pursue narrative filmmaking. Read more>>
Hunter Brandenburg 
My love for photography started long before I ever imagined making a career out of it. Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was get my little sisters all dressed up, take them outside, and photograph them. Read more>>
Wayne Golden 
My journey has been built on growth, resilience, and a passion for helping people reach their full potential. As a former junior college basketball player, I learned the value of discipline, teamwork, and accountability principles that continue to shape my leadership today. Read more>>
Glenn Ball 
My dad was a DJ, so music was always playing in our house, and apparently, I never stopped dancing! Eventually, my parents decided that rather than letting me wear out all the carpets, they should probably send me to dance school. And that’s where it all began! Things moved pretty quickly from there. Read more>>
chris sofia 
I am a custom knife maker, it’s funny because I wasn’t allowed to have knives as a kid. I’ve always been interested in the craft, I was in between jobs a while back and figured I’d make a logo and a website just to add to the mystery of the gray area in my resume. Read more>>
Eric Sattler
I got into this industry in 2002, at 16 years old, and I started filming in 2010 and 2011. NVision Films is where all of it comes together. What started as a love for telling stories turned into brand films, athlete stories and documentary work for founders and organizations across Texas and nationally. Read more>>
John McNair 
It was the Summer of 2021 and I was planning to move to Cleveland to start a new career after quitting a job at an ill-fated company. After I took a vacation, it was time to go to Cleveland, but as fate would have it, my flight was cancelled due to weather-related reasons. Read more>>
Tenants 
Tenants started as a group in 2023. Charles, the founder of Tenants, wanted to make music to connect with deeper, more honest parts of themselves- and the community. In May of 2025 Sidney was recited to play bass. In February of 2026 Austin started playing drums for us. Since then, we have been playing steady gigs, recording, and filming music videos. Read more>>
Nicole Macias 
Before becoming a life and relationship coach, I spent about ten years working as a professional makeup artist. I loved the creative side of my work, but what I found most fascinating were the women sitting in my chair and the stories they would share with me. Read more>>
Meghan Lim 
I’m Meghan Lim, the creator behind Meghan Makes Money. Before becoming a full-time content creator, I was let go from three jobs in three years. After my last layoff, I spent nine months unemployed, applying for jobs and getting rejected. Read more>>
Jason Rosenblum 
My story with the dojo grew out of decades of practicing Aikido and exploring how the mind and body work together. I hold the rank of yondan, or fourth-degree black belt, in Ki-Aikido, and Chuden (second dan) in Ki development, which focuses on mind-body coordination. I am also a certified instructor and associate examiner. Read more>>
Gabriela Blanco 
I was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, where I experienced firsthand the realities of living under a communist regime. Like so many Cuban families, mine was deeply affected by family separation. I spent almost 10 years separated from my father and siblings. They moved to the U.S. first, and I was finally able to join them in 2019. We basically grew up separately. Read more>>
Shatara Johnson 
My name is Shatara Johnson, also known in the literary world as Lachel Jackson. My pen name means a great deal to me because it honors my late father, Ernest Jackson. May he rest in peace. Shatara is a mother of three wonderful children and a grandmother to 7 grandkids, all from Austin, Texas. Read more>>
Brooke Wilton 
I have many endeavors I have been and am still involved in, constantly evolving in order to realize creative ideas. I attended the High School For The Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, majoring in Visual Arts, and had a widely ranging liberal arts education at The University of Texas at Austin; full of classes in visual arts, audio production, film, photography, and creative writing. Read more>>
Brannen Temple 
Ok, so I’m originally from Austin, Tx. Yup. Born here. Not a goofy unicorn. I know countless souls just like myself – also born right here. But yes, since about 2010, we seem to be more scarce. Especially since home ownership became (nearly) unattainable in Austin proper. Now, I’m gonna sound old. Austin has changed by an extreme amount. Read more>>
Jakai Li 
After spending a few confusing, but formative years in China, I made my way back to the States. I grew up in the Southwest part of Houston, Texas in a city called Sugar Land. Growing up a 90’s baby in this part of town meant spending a lot of time outdoors playing tackle football with kids much older than me. Read more>>
Jason Wright 
I’ve been practicing law since 2012, but my path to becoming an attorney wasn’t necessarily a traditional one. After earning my bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin, I struggled to find work or start a career. After experiencing a divorce, I found myself in real estate and commercial banking. Read more>>
Jimmy Le
Fitness Culture Strength & Conditioning was originally founded in 2013 in Houston, Texas. While our physical doors closed in 2016, the heart of our mission, coaching, training, and helping people grow, never stopped. Over the next decade, I brought my passion for coaching into the tech industry, spending years leading sales training at Dell and high-growth startups. Read more>>
Rosy Campanita 
I want to start out by giving gratitude to my ancestors, my family, friends and community for all the love, challenges & support throughout this experience called life. My name is Rosy Campanita, and I am a, 2-Spirit / queer, born and raised by Mexican immigrant parents in the culturally rich neighborhoods of Chicago. Read more>>
John Orr 
I’m an actor, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, originally from the Indianapolis area. I started playing saxophone at an early age, which led to my love of performing in many different avenues. I began writing songs at age fourteen (good songs at age eighteen), and played in numerous bands throughout my school years. Read more>>
Iris Taylor 
My journey into medical aesthetics actually began with my own struggle with severe cystic nodular acne. I know firsthand how much a skin condition can affect your confidence, and I was determined to find solutions, not only for myself but also for others experiencing the same thing. After moving to Austin and exploring several different career paths, I discovered esthetician school. Read more>>
Ciara Gammon 
I ended up where I am today because I chose to believe that being broken was never an option. For 31 years, I’ve lived with a severe spinal injury, and I’ve been a caretaker since I was four years old. After becoming a mother at 18, I spent years fighting severe CPTSD, self-hatred, and addiction, culminating in a blackout suicide attempt at age 40. Read more>>
Tori Stosic 
Hello! My name is Tori Stosic. I am the Director of Operations at TNT Creative Studio, which I co-founded with my husband, Tucker Stosic. (Tucker and Tori, TNT!) We launched TNT Creative Studio in April of this year (2026). Together, we bring nearly two decades of combined experience in the creative advertising industry, having worked at agencies like TBWA/Chiat/Day, MullenLowe, Droga5, The Many, and David&Goliath. Read more>>
Rana Khmur 
My Jordanian identity is a source of pride, and I maintain a strong connection to my culture and heritage. Art became an interest since my childhood, when I spent much of my free time drawing scenes from my imagination. Following high school, Yarmouk University selected me as one of four students from 150 applicants to study fine arts, after passing a design test. Read more>>
Nick Stolte 
I knew from a young age I was musically inclined. I learned early on that singing brought me comfort & uplifted me & I wanted to bring that feeling to others. I started taking music lessons locally. I began with guitar & voice & then adding keys. As my journey progressed I wanted to learn drums. Read more>>
Rhanda Luna 
I’ve spent nearly 20 years in the nonprofit sector, although I’m not sure I ever sat down and intentionally decided, “I’m going to build a career in nonprofits.” I was drawn to work that felt meaningful, and pretty quickly, I found fundraising somewhat by accident. Read more>>
Meghan Gonzalez 
My background is in broadcast journalism. Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved talking and telling a good story. After graduating from college, I started my career in news and eventually moved to Austin, where I worked for Spectrum News 1 for many years. Over time, I started to notice how much the news industry was changing and how people were losing trust in it. Read more>>
Erin Jantz, BSN, RN
Hello, I’m Erin Jantz, BSN, RN I can remember back when I was a little girl playing nurse, diagnosing ailments and treating my family with my life saving sweet tarts. Apparently, they were my cure all for just about everything. Read more>>
