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.
Kathie R Creasey
Walking into an established business was a huge advantage, so as far as having a loyal customer base, and hitting the ground running, that’s been great. The biggest struggle for me was all the behind the scenes stuff I’d never done before, daily paperwork, keeping supplies, getting a lawyer & an accountant, doing all the taxes involved, etc. Obviously, I’ve learned all of that, and the work is still there, but I’ve got a routine that I’ve gotten into, and it’s gotten much easier. Read more>>
Nichole Curott
Being allergy friendly was very important to me. My son was never able to eat ice cream in an ice cream shop growing up with his dairy allergy and neither was my niece who has a severe nut allergy. This was a personal issue that affected our family and I wanted to be sure to offer the ability to enjoy a sweet treat together for other families. We take it very seriously and we have a large customer base with allergies as a result. My sister owns an allergy friendly shop in VA and I was able to get a lot of guidance and advice from her on how to navigate this feature of the business. Read more>>
Jazmin Moreno
When my family moved back to my hometown of El Paso, TX, sports became my new outlet. I played basketball and volleyball, learning the power of teamwork and discipline. In high school, I balanced both worlds, art and athletics, and then later explored photography as another creative passion. Read more>>
Patrick French
Davey’s is a US Heritage Brand dating back to 1954. At that time, production was in Worcester, MA and handbags were sold in major department stores including: Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdales. They closed in the early 90s and we brought the brand back to the market in 2012. Read more>>
Maya Stewart
I grew up surrounded by art, in the abstract sense and quite literally. Both my parents are artists. My dad has his MFA and seems to have tried every medium under the sun. My mom is a graphic designer with an eye for the smallest details. Most of my early memories blur together in galleries and art openings, the smell of wine and fresh paint lingering in the air, the adults talking about “light” and “negative space” while I tried not to touch anything. Read more>>
Laura Stiffler
I’m incredibly grateful to have found this career. It’s a privilege to walk alongside my clients in some of the most significant moments of their lives — whether it’s finding their dream home or selling a house that holds years of memories. Buying or selling a home is often the largest financial transaction a person will make, and it’s an honor to guide families through that emotional and exciting process with care and integrity. Read more>>
Elissa Phan Montpelier
After graduating, I applied to many salons but no one hired me. So, I took a leap of faith and opened my own business—running it the way I envisioned. Seven years later, I’m proud to say that my studio has become a trusted and well-known beauty destination in the city. I’ve served thousands of clients, and more importantly, I’ve transitioned into teaching. Sharing updated techniques and professional training has allowed me to help many young people earn their licenses and build strong foundations in the beauty industry. Read more>>
Veronica France
Pursuing photography as a full-time career hasn’t always been easy. I struggled to break into the wedding industry early on, unsure of how to get my foot in the door. One of the biggest turning points came when a dear friend, Mariah Phillips of Mariah Rock Photography, gave me my very first opportunity. Her support and example have inspired me deeply ever since. Read more>>
Steve Horton
I have always been involved in music, starting in church choirs, high school band, and taking up guitar and folk music in my final years of high school. Moving to east Tennessee for school at Maryville College, I was drawn to the coffeehouse scene and by the early ’70s was playing regularly on Cumberland Ave. in Knoxville on the University of Tennessee campus.. A friend of mine once described himself as a music enthusiast and I have adopted that approach.. Read more>>
Kelly Dicken
GetAwayDays was a program started in Austria in 2012 by a dear friend, Tobi Kley. Tobi was a professional athlete and outdoorsman, and he had a challenging life path as a teenager. Tobi had a heart for kids that. like himself, had difficult life circumstances. and so he began to develop GAD to offer opportunities for teenagers. GAD is based on the concept of Experiential Learning, which is a process of learning through physical experience, and then further integrating these experiences by reflection, analysis and direct application. This program uses high-intensity, extreme outdoor experiences designed to not only challenge the teenagers physically, but to purposefully create opportunities to learn about life by drawing emotional, spiritual and physical parallels. Read more>>
Kim Maison
As much as I truly love doing markets and meeting customers, helping them pick out the perfect new heirloom or item for their home, and hearing their own stories about crochet and the nostalgia it brings them, every single time there is a big part of me that feels like I am taking a whole day of the weekend away from hanging out with my babies, who won’t be babies forever. So it’s a hard balance. But I try to remember how important it is for them to see me doing something I love, something I am good at and confident in, something that brings me great joy because I want them to pursue things for themselves that provide all of that in their lives. Read more>>
Tiffany Murray
Living in a well populated city at the time, raising our own food never crossed our mind bc it never rained from the sky and it sounded “otherword” like. We were fine spending all our income on real food. Until we realized…. We couldn’t do that anymore. So we essentially stopped…. ate Oreos and goldfish and…. Felt terrible. So then we dreamed of having chickens and horses in the back yard and growing cucumbers. The cucumbers shriveled up and died in the lack of rain and the chickens and horses couldn’t happen bc of the close proximity of our neighbors. Read more>>
Madison Ramey
I think what sets me apart is how much I really care about the place I’m painting and the clients I have. When I’m painting in a town I dive in and try to fully engage with the people of the area and create something beautiful and wonderful that will be loved! To me murals aren’t just paint on a wall. It truly is a passion for me. We have been lucky enough to donate murals to special causes. One we did in Erwin after hurricane Helen hit and we had towns people coming up to us in tear just expressing that it gave them home and brightened the town in that time. It’s not just a job to me. Read more>>
Alaina Davis
It’s definitely not been a smooth road — more like a winding one with some steep climbs along the way. Much of what I’ve built has grown out of deeply personal, hard-fought experiences — navigating my own health challenges, becoming a mother, and trying to hold space for both family and business at the same time. Starting a practice while raising young kids has been no small feat, and going back to school full-time for massage therapy on top of it all stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. But each season — even the hardest ones — has shaped the kind of practitioner I am today: someone who understands firsthand how layered healing can be, and how important it is to meet women where they are. Read more>>
Damon Bartos
I was determined to make sure we could keep this going, so I began to offer a supply of our produce to restaurants to help out our budget, An amazing restaurant downtown Calliope, with chef Khaled AlBanna, a James beard award winner, has been buying produce from us weekly and has been a tremendous support of our work. We are now a market and community farm, we grow over 40 different varieties of produce and herbs, we have two beehives on site which we harvest honey from, we have 7 spaces full of beautiful flowers for pollinator habitats, media coverage, and generous volunteers. Things have blown up for us and I am nothing be eternally grateful for peoples belief in our work and my vision. Read more>>
Abby Douglass
Now I specialize in capturing intimate celebrations in the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas. I grew up hiking in the Smokies, and I am most at peace when I am out in nature. I even hiked 14 miles to my own wedding, so I deeply understand the magic of saying your vows surrounded by nature. I noticed that there aren’t many adventure specific elopement photographers here, so I wanted to focus on helping other couples who want to elope in the boundaries of the Park. It’s been such a rewarding path! One built on a love for the outdoors, connection, and preserving people’s most meaningful moments. Read more>>
Leslie Rosenbaum
I got started in bridal almost 20 years ago while in college in middle TN. After working at various bridal stores in Nashville for almost a decade, I felt called to create my own store back home in Knoxville. I purchased the business (previously called Wedding Wonderland), re-named it after both of my grandmothers (Lillian and Ruth Alyce), and moved it to downtown Knoxville. I wanted to bring something new to east TN that didn’t yet exist: elevated, refined bridal mixed with a down-to-earth, welcoming experience in a fresh atmosphere. Read more>>
Haripriya Nelatur
I started henna out of passion as I like arts and craft. Never thought to make it as a business. It was my husband who asked to use my talent and do take henna as my part time business since kids were old enough to take care of themselves. This is how my journey started and with the love and support of my family and friends I am what I am today. Read more>>
Ashley Johnston
KMC is entirely self-funded, and I’ve been really lucky to have the help of an amazing executive leadership team and head coaches — all of whom volunteer their time because they believe in what KMC stands for. One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to stay true to our mission and long-term goals while operating with limited resources. But having a team that truly believes in the vision has made it possible to turn this idea into something that just keeps growing every week! Read more>>
Savannah Giles
I’m a published author with experience in both indie and traditional publishing. I specialize in paranormal romance and began writing as a hobby—one that quickly evolved into a true passion and career. With several titles to my name, including contributions to charity anthologies, I’m proud of how far my writing journey has come. I’m especially grateful for the support of my husband, who encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming an author. Read more>>
Amy Finch And Dee Morgan
My name is Amy Finch and my business partner is Dee Morgan. We were teaching middle school math together and decided there was a real need for a math center that was fun, interactive and impactful for students. We started Calculating Minds Math Learning Center for students in Preschool through ACT Prep. We engage the students using many visuals, hands on materials, activities and games. Our motto is “Count on us to make math fun!” Read more>>
Kaye Loveday
I started Black Cat Folk Magic out of necessity. Financial, spiritual, emotional, and physical demands all converged in a way that could no longer be ignored. I was in my early forties, limited by physical disability, financial hardship, and a growing concern that I was handing my most vital years over to survival mode. I was struggling to afford cat food. My days were unstructured and, while I am always productive, I was unfocused. I was surrounded by people who were not in alignment with my unfolding path of growth. I knew something had to change. I didn’t know what direction to choose, and so I simply started from where I was. Read more>>
Annie Dugger
There is nothing smooth about running a business; the good does outweigh the bad by far and it has been absolutely worth it every step of the way, but it has been challenging, exhausting (mentally and physically), and there’s been times I wanted to just give up. There has been so many amazing clients, but with that comes clients you can’t always please. The best thing you can do when times get rough is keep your eyes on the good and the positive and most importantly just do your best. Read more>>
Jeny Conrad-Rendon
My next dream was to become a teacher. I started college at Laverne University in California. I got married after my freshman year to a Marine. We then moved to North Carolina where I started at Carteret Community College in Morehead City, NC. Unfortunately, only one class from Laverne University transferred to this community college. My college advisor informed me that the field of teaching was saturated, and some teachers were not able to find jobs. After we had our first son, I decided that I did not think that I could be around kids all day as a teacher and then have enough energy for my own children when I came home. Read more>>
Bianca Pickle
I own a micro bakery called Salt&Honey, based in Abingdon, Virginia. What I’m most proud of is how much I’ve been able to grow this business in just four short years. Despite being a one-woman operation, my name has become well-known in the area—especially for gluten-free desserts, wedding cakes, and specialty pastries. Read more>>
Rainia Winegar
Our most recent challenge has been the Main Street Rebuild which deterred some clients from booking due to the uncertainty of having access to the venue, parking, etc. for large events. However, during that time we revamped our menus, websites & social media as well as updating our venue space with a beautiful new bridal suite, new garage doors, new draping & new fencing, lighting & updates in our courtyard. With the completion of the Main Street Rebuild, the entrance to our building is so much more inviting & makes for a beautiful backdrop through the windows of our garage doors. Read more>>
Aisle Be Honest Podcast
We wanted to create something that cuts through the Pinterest noise and tells the truth about wedding planning. Not in a doom-and-gloom kind of way, but in a “here’s what actually matters and what you can let go of” kind of way. Each episode follows the flow of planning a wedding, from the engagement high to a straight-up conversation about food on a wedding day. These are honest conversations, combined with vendor insight and plenty of laughter in between. Read more>>
David Rosser
After graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2004 I worked at a few local commercial firms. I had great experiences learning required skills that school doesnt’t teach you, and working on some local exciting projects such as the Neyland Stadium Renovations. After 12 years I begin to get interested in custom residential and so begin transitioning to a solo practice. My boss at the time was very accomodating as I begin picking up clients on the side. After 1 year of that, in 2016, I begin my own solo practice and haven’t looked back since. I had humble beginnings as I toted my laptop around from various places, to the library, to local coffee shops and even fast food restaurants, to find Wi-Fi and work on my projects. Now, I have a home office, so I guess it’s still a pretty humble venture but I enjoy it every day – almost! Read more>>
