Hidden Gems: Local Businesses & Creatives You Should Know

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.

Kate DeL

I’ve always been drawn to music that feels timeless — the Great American Songbook, jazz, Broadway, old Hollywood, and the kind of songs that make you feel like you’ve stepped into another era. Read more>>

Tannayia Thomas

When I was a little girl I would make little dances and “attempt” to sing for my family. It grew into a deposed love and talent when my family started to call me microphone. My journey officially started with theater when I was 13, where I discovered how much I loved performing and connecting with an audience. Read more>>

Jasmine Viola

Mother Hustler Liquidation started about seven years ago with a simple love for finding great deals and turning them into opportunities. What began with flipping pallets and bulk purchases to family and friends quickly grew into something much bigger. Read more>>

Larry Kennon

Music has pretty much always been the common thread in everything I do. I’m a musician and music educator first, and DJing became another way for me to connect with people through music. DJ OhK started back in 2010, honestly just from loving music and wanting to create a great atmosphere for people. Read more>>

Anthony LaMarca

Peppermint Productions is a recording studio and record label in Youngstown, OH. It was founded in 1971 by Gary Rhamy, who is still working there, making records to this day. Gary’s history in the area goes back to the mid-60’s when he worked at WAM, the city’s first recording studio, which was started by Del Sinchak. Read more>>

Courtney Warren

The Whisk Co started as just me baking cookies for my children every week and posting them on social media. People started asking if I could make cookies for them and I became The Whisk Co. overnight. I branched off into cakes and pies by people asking if I could recreate ideas they saw on TikTok. Read more>>

James Logan

I started out recording a YouTube show about producing music. It was my first experience filming or editing anything, and I quickly became hooked. To my surprise, the show impressed some of the people around me, and before long, a few engaged couples began asking if I would film their weddings. Read more>>

Candy Polk-A-Dotty

Ever since I was little I loved playing dress up! My first email and MySpace username was dressupgril1999. I was also obsessed with Hannah Montana and I thought I would always live a double life. Becoming a drag entertainer feels like destiny! As I got older I started to form an obsession with make up influencers on YouTube. Read more>>

Anthony Church

I began making music in 2016 producing for my friend Jay and then later started working with other artists from around the globe. In early 2020 I began to self-release my own instrumental work and have since released over 10 projects while continuing to produce full bodies of work for artists as well. Read more>>

Rebecca Skeeles

My path to becoming an attorney was a little unconventional. At 19, while attending The Ohio State University, I had the opportunity to start Skeeles Manufacturing with my father. What began as a family business grew into a successful custom countertop and retail fixture manufacturing company, and I spent nearly 30 years helping build and operate it. Read more>>

Shelly Teed

I grew up in upstate New York and moved to Brooklyn in my mid-20s because I was looking for something more. Coming from a small town, I loved that in New York there was a class, workshop, or internship for pretty much anything I wanted to learn. Read more>>

Chuck Thokey

My story is probably a little different than most people in sales. I didn’t grow up thinking I was going to become a sales trainer, speaker, or business owner. I actually started my career in aviation as a Flight Test Engineer for Bombardier Learjet in Wichita, Kansas. Read more>>

Mark Stewart

I am the owner, Mark Stewart, and I’ve been passionate about photography and videography since I was a young adult. When I was 14, I saved up money from my first job as a dishwasher and bought my first camera, and immediately started making videos. In high school, I was accepted into Interactive Media: a 2-year college-accredited tech program. Read more>>

Niyh Love

My journey has been anything but easy, but every experience I’ve gone through has played a major role in shaping the woman and entrepreneur I am today. I’ve always been someone who wanted more for myself and was determined to create something of my own. My professional journey started in behavioral and mental health, where I spent years working with children, adolescents, and adults. Read more>>

Johnny Hill

I started DJing in 2010 in Mansfield, Ohio. At the time, I was working as a manager at McDonald’s and was still college-aged, but I was already completely obsessed with DJing. I started throwing parties at my house, buying equipment, learning how to DJ, and using those parties as a way to build experience. Read more>>

Rommel Thorpe

We are a independent sports media company based in cleveland, ohio. We have podcast shows and also broadcast live sports. The best thing about our company is that we have a following with the city of cleveland as well as all of our staff gives their knowledge and opinions from the a actual player perspective. Read more>>

Holly Cox

I have been in the marketing, branding and web development industry for almost 2 decades, so when TikTok became a hub for starting businesses whether it be reselling a digital course or ebook and tangible products, selling your own digital work, getting monetized, all the programs that help you make money on the app… it fit perfectly with my career. All in one app. Read more>>

chloe wolfenbarger

I started drawing when I was really young, and it always was a part of who I was. I started getting tattooed a little past 18 years old and definitely became a regular at my favorite tattoo studio. There was a point in time where my brain could not process doing art anymore after it had been a passion of mine my whole life. Read more>>

Michael A. Wright

I kind of fell into Kitchen and Bath Design. I was adamant that I was going to be a Marine until the last semester of my senior year. I had an art teacher who completely reshaped my ‘only one way to do anything’ mindset. I had to paint a flower with water colors, typical Marine’s way to pass the time. Read more>>

Skylar Gaver-Baughman

Skylar Dean Christian Gaver-Baughman, born June 16, 1995, in Alliance, OH, and raised in Damascus, OH, has always had a passion for the creative arts. From soccer and Star Wars to musicals, his childhood was filled with a love for storytelling and expression. Known as the “oddball” in many social settings, Skylar was never one to fit into the “normal” crowd. Read more>>

laticia pittman

My journey with Fab 5 Marketing began with a passion for creativity and a genuine desire to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. I have always had an eye for design, strong communication skills, and the ability to recognize what makes a business stand out. Read more>>

Kale Sudhoff

I was born with a stutter; I always tried to avoid anything at school that involved reading because I was picked on a lot. It wasn’t until I was fifteen years old that a word came into my head. Read more>>

Bakari Robinson

I was always drawn to things that were dark, psychological, and macabre. I didn’t just want to consume that kind of art—I wanted to build it myself, so I threw myself into learning everything I could about CGI engineering and digital design. I started Macrocosm Studios at the age of 17 years old in the year 2020. Read more>>

Hayden Floro

I was born and raised in East Tennessee until I was six, when my family moved to Dayton, OH for my dad’s job. Growing up, I often felt like an outsider. I was born with a heart defect and that condition kept me from sports and many of the things I thought I was supposed to do as a young boy. Read more>>

Alexis Mersel

I am a cookbook author, pizza obsessive, and recovering corporate executive who lives in Columbus, Ohio with my husband, daughter, and giant cookbook collection. After spending ten years in the media industry as a VP at Food Network and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, I was eager to get my hands dirty in the kitchen. Read more>>

Sierra Siler

I started drawing in 2011, with a focus on people, portraits, and semi-realism. In May of 2020, I graduated cum laude, earning my bachelor of arts degree from Tuskegee University in three years. I was the University’s first student to obtain a Visual Arts degree since their founding in 1881. Read more>>

C’anna Wells

I’ve been in love with wedding since I was a kid. I started out with another company and gained only more love for the industry from that. I branched out and started my own company. Read more>>