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.
Lucas Sams
My name is Lucas Sams. I’m from right here in Knoxville. I’ve been a musician for most of my life. In my 20’s I did a lot of touring all over the United States and Europe. My band’s were either independent, or on very small labels so I learned to do a lot of things for is in terms of business and marketing. Read more>>
Liza Zenni
I was eight when I stepped on the stage of the Oak Ridge Community Playhouse. And that was it. Supporting and defending the arts has been my life’s passion and career. Read more>>
Melissa Timm
When I was 18, I got my first job at a local flower shop. From the very beginning I knew I wanted to own a florist one day. I fell in love with the creativity, the details, and the way flowers can transform a moment. Read more>>
Trevor Jones
I’ve spent over 26,000 hours in my career tracking marketing and advertising, using data to guide decisions. Creative ideas and gut feelings don’t exist around here. Everything we do is built on proof, not guesses. Before starting Rhythm Collective, I worked closely with service-based companies and learned how to turn marketing from an expense into a reliable growth engine. Read more>>
Heather McLellan
I learned to crochet from my mother and watched my grandmother make afghans. I stopped crocheting through college, but picked it up again when a college from my first auditing job handed me a hook and yarn and told me to try it again. I took off from there making things with yarn in my spare time. Read more>>
Meredith Greene
I started pet sitting after my last dog passed. She passed in the summer of 2021 and I started pet sitting in winter of 2021. I realized when my dog passed that I really missed being around animals. I started out on the pet sitting apps, Rover and Wag, but pretty quickly realized that I wanted to make my own business out of it. Read more>>
Nicole Pavlik
I began my career as a paralegal, where I saw firsthand how painful it can be for families when a loved one passes without clear legal documents in place. That experience led me to focus my legal career on estate planning—helping people prepare in advance so difficult times aren’t made harder by confusion or conflict. Read more>>
Michael Marsh
I was working as a mechanic at a large auto repair shop and I was disappointed with the way that customers were treated and taken advantage of. I prayed that I could get out of there, because it bothered me so bad. That goes to show that you should be specific with your prayers. Read more>>
Michael Ryion
I’ve always been a hands-on problem solver. Ever since I was a kid, I saw the world differently — I didn’t learn like everyone else, but I could take things apart and understand how they worked. Read more>>
Barrett Wilson
My story began in Knoxville, Tennessee off Sutherland Drive and later in Rocky Hill, being one of those kids who was observing behaviors of others with endless fascination and curiosity about the how’s and why’s of relational engagement. Read more>>
Leanah Nau
Some of my first memories are in the kitchen. My Aunt Daisy was a self taught Chef, and ran a successful gourmet cheesecake business in Hollywood, California. My sister and I were her unhappy little helpers in the kitchen as children. We hated helping ! We spent days on end helping prep for every family holiday and for her cheesecake business. Read more>>
Morgan Gray
My photography journey truly began in my early childhood. My mom always placed a high value on documenting moments that otherwise might be forgotten, whether that be through writing it down, or home videos, but most of the time it was photographs. Read more>>
Michelle Golden-Champ
Hi my name is Michelle Golden-Champ, I am one half of The Flipping Champs. I am originally from the Tri Cities area and relocated to Sevierville in 2011 then Knoxville in 2012. I grew up competing in clogging with the Tennessee Hoedowners and also preformed in The Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show. Read more>>
Kelsey Caraway
I started decorating cookies in 2018 as something fun to contribute to a women’s group for church. I had never attempted sugar cookies with royal icing before, but I had seen them at another event and became determined I could do it too. I taught myself everything I could by looking at blogs, YouTube videos and trial and error. Read more>>
sharif harb
We actually started about 20 years ago in North Knoxville, selling wholesale chocolates and pastries to local grocery stores and restaurants. That experience taught us a lot about quality, consistency, and what people were really looking for. Over time, we realized we wanted to create a space where customers could experience our products directly, not just buy them on a shelf. Read more>>
Michael Carr
I had never so much as nailed two boards together when my wife told me she wanted a farmhouse table. Of course the only appropriate response I could give was that I would build her one. And that is what I did. I built her the most atrocious table one could imagine. I found the plans online and went to work. Read more>>
Maria Terziski
The Reel Factor really came out of me seeing a gap. I’ve worked in video and marketing for a long time, and I kept noticing how many production companies were just order takers — you ask for a video, they make it, and that’s it. But to me, it’s not just about hitting record. Read more>>
Matt Brown
My name is Matt Brown, and I’m proud to own and operate Gutter Guardians LLC alongside my three sons, Trevor, Tyler, and Tucker. After years of experience installing gutters in Montana, we moved to East Tennessee for the better weather and greater opportunities, and last March we officially opened our family business here. Read more>>
Celeste Ballard
When I was younger, my parents were wise and started looking at their parenting role and how it was impacting their children and we all had the chance to meet with a counselor. Read more>>
Aayush Patel
I’ve always believed that great engineering isn’t just about electricity—it’s about empowering people and places to function safely, efficiently, and beautifully. My name is Aayush Patel, and I’m an Electrical Engineer who started his journey working hands-on in the field—testing, troubleshooting, and launching manufacturing production lines. Also, worked on everything from transformers and switchgear to large motors and power systems. Read more>>
Ronda Disch
If you’d told twenty-year-old me that I’d end up running a consulting company, I probably would’ve laughed and asked what kind of cocktail you were drinking. But looking back, every odd turn in my career pointed me right here. I started in construction project management. After a decade of doing that work, I went to grad school to become a therapist. Read more>>
Jennifer Dubin-Parrish
My name is Jennifer Dubin – Parrish, growing up my father always worked in international freight and as a US Customs Broker, I can remember back to my childhood when I would go to work with him and pretend to be a Customs Broker, little did I know that I would also walk the same career path. Read more>>
Eddie Robinson
I ran a pizza franchise operation for many years, but was frustrated because I was required to sell only what the company allowed. I had a lot of ideas for unique pizzas but the company would not allow me to offer them. So, when my contract was nearing expiration, I decided to get out of the franchise and do my own thing. Read more>>
