The heart of our mission is to find the amazing souls that breathe life into our communities. In the recent weeks, we’ve had the privilege to connect with some incredible artists, creatives, entrepreneurs and rabble rousers and we can’t begin to express how impressed we are with the incredible group below. Check out our favorite stories from across the Voyage family.
Laura Haenlein
Through much prayer and a calculated vision of what Paul and I wanted to create at Utopia Tan & Spa, we knew we wanted to bring the best in tanning and red light therapy to our little Smoky Mountain town of Sevierville, TN. With our background in sales and real estate investments and much research on where to put the salon, we decided to situate Utopia Tan & Spa on Winfield Dunn Parkway where we have over 60,000 cars a day demographically. We liked the name “Utopia” for the more faith based version of the meaning, “Garden of Eden, peaceful, tranquil etc” and the rest is history. Read more>>
Focus Integrative Centers
At Focus Integrative Centers, we specialize in evidence-based outpatient treatment for both eating disorders and substance use disorders, serving individuals and families across East Tennessee. Our Knoxville location provides trauma-informed Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) that address the full spectrum of recovery: from mental health and emotional regulation to nutrition, body image, and relational healing. Read more>>
Peggy Pratt
While I was there I heard about a part-time job for an RD at a local eating disorder intensive out-patient program. I interviewed, was hired, and began the process of learning how to treat eating disorders from a nutrition perspective. This experience eventually led me to start my own private practice specializing in eating disorders, disordered eating and body image issues. I’ve been in private practice for over 8 years now and have added several registered dietitians over the years to join me in serving Knoxville and the surrounding areas in regards to nutrition for mental health, wellness, chronic disease, and sport. Read more>>
Amanda Neskaug
i purchased a small flower shop in bunnell fl a few years ago and decided to teach myself the art of floral design. after many years of hard work and practice it has brought me to oakridge TN where i now own Motts floral design. Motts has been in buisness for over 10 years. i am thrilled i get to carry it on into the future and watch as it grows Read more>>
Reagan Garcia
I grew an interest in photography in high school and formally decided to pursue that passion in college. I earned a degree in photography and another in journalism. Throughout college I worked as a sports photographer and interned at CBS Entertainment in their photography department on the studio lot, all while doing freelance portraiture on the side. Read more>>
Kali Watson
This idea for a club all began with wanting a safe and open community to be my sober self. Women empowering other women who are looking to, or have made a life change seeking sobriety. This is for the friend out there wondering how to have a genuine conversation outside of an intoxicating environment. Read more>>
Cara Oculam
He saw my passion for hair and the vision I had for a salon, and he believed in it just as much as I did. So, he opened the salon for me — blending both of our worlds under one roof. What started as his search for artists turned into an opportunity for us to build a creative space where people could express themselves fully, whether through ink or hair. It wasn’t just about opening a business; it was about creating a space that felt like home, both for myself and for every client who walks through the door. Read more>>
Jason & Angela Cottrell
Over the years, those quiet moments shaped not only our marriage but our vision for what a retreat could be. We imagined a place where couples could slow down, create new memories, and fall in love all over again. With a shared passion for real estate, design, and hospitality, we built Anson Arbor Farm—twelve thoughtfully designed cottages and a gathering barn set on 20 peaceful acres near the Great Smoky Mountains. Read more>>
Shattered Self
Our very first show was at the Pilot Light Bar in Downtown Knox, on March 3rd, 2024, with Extinct, Two Choices, Last Laugh and Knife Wound. The rest of the year was slow as we only played one more show in Crossville, where we started to see a little bit of traction take hold. We didn’t perform for the rest of the year due to personal reasons within everyones lives but we had managed to release our second single; Pussy Beatdown (of slightly higher quality we must say), before the end of ’24. We started performing again quite a bit as of the last few months and it has been amazing, we’re maybe hopefully getting the opportunity to travel to play sometime soon and it’s so exciting getting to link up with these other bands hours away to come together and do something fun for a whole new crowd. Read more>>
Ren Anne
Our nonprofit has grown by leaps and bounds since we first opened in December 2022. In large part, because of the love and support of the community! They have brought their volunteerism, their class ideas, their clubs, and their support to the teahouse over and over again. our staff is made up of people from many different backgrounds, who have a love for the space, for education, for learning about tea and tea culture, and who make our guests feel so welcome. Read more>>
Monica Friske
I finished my 200+ hours of post doctorate education for animal chiropractic and then flew out to Oklahoma to sit for the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association examination. I opened my office as soon as I returned from Oklahoma as a certified animal chiropractor. However, my office was in Bristol and I practiced on people and animals with veterinary supervision. In the last year, I moved from Bristol, TN with my two daughters to Knoxville to be closer to family. I am in the process of building my mobile chiropractic practice for humans and their four legged family members. Read more>>
Dean Russell
I began cooking in my teens while I was in high school, professionally anyway. As a kid I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and she loved to cook so naturally much of my time was spent in the kitchen with her. As I progressed in the professional world of cooking I moved through several restaurants and several styles of food absorbing as much as possible. In 1992 I realized that if I ever wanted to do what I wanted to do I would have to take a risk and go out on my own. I opened my first restaurant in 1994. It was called The Bleu Hound Grille. Luckily it was a success and I’ve opened 7 other restaurants since then. Read more>>
Susan & Allen Tate
In 2007, we rented an apartment in Paris in the 7th arrondissement in St Germaine de Pres, a great historic area where the impressionist and writers roamed, and close to the trains at Montparnasse that leave for Brittany, where crepes originated. Not flush with money, we became fascinated with crepes, on the streets and in crepe restaurants. In Paris there is always someone with a baguette under their arm, delicious crepes and sandwich vendors on the street and a great little cafe on every corner to sit with a creme cafe and croissant and watch the world go by. Read more>>
Holly & Dustin McCorkle
Logistics were another hurdle. At one point, the bus was stored 40 minutes from the nearest hardware store. Later, we had trouble finding a shop to fabricate custom storage boxes, which pushed back our plans by several months. Even after the build, things like getting stuck in the mud or losing a dirt bike off the back of the rig reminded us that the road isn’t always kind—but it’s always memorable. Read more>>
Shayla McDaniel
My sound blends honeyed vocals and alt pop-rock with a sweet spot between major and minor tonalities, pulling in a pan-genre appeal. Pristine vocals, breezy pop grooves, big hooks, and soaring melodies shape my pop sensibilities, while my soulful, guitar-driven alt-rock edge gives the songs depth and grit. Read more>>
David Cook
For more than a decade, I wrote the city column for the Times Free Press in Chattanooga. My beat was everywhere: politics, crime, sports, culture, religion, anything and everything. I won awards, respect and death threats, all in the same job. A few years ago, a trifecta of pandemic, political upheaval and mid-life questioning led me to step away from the newspaper, my column and that entire career. Read more>>
Ben Bostick
After getting kicked out of the Naval Academy Prep School, in 2010 I go into a depression and had no idea. This continued at Campbellsville University in 2011 and I quit the team when my first season didn’t go as planned. Instead of going home to Birmingham, AL and facing the music, I decided to stay in Lexington, KY and take a break. That break turned into 8 years (2012-2020) of a whirlwind. It started with just drinking and snowballed from there. I couldn’t and wouldn’t do anything without alcohol or drugs. I worked in bars and hung out in bars. A big cycle of nothing. Read more>>
Mieka Schambach
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road — starting a unique business like this comes with unexpected challenges. One of the biggest hurdles we faced was navigating zoning and occupancy regulations. Time and time again, we’d find what felt like the perfect location, only to discover that our type of business didn’t fit within the local zoning requirements. It was frustrating and disheartening at times, especially when we had momentum and vision but kept hitting roadblocks. Read more>>
