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.
R Scott Hartsfield
I was last of 6 kids. When we were all young, as a family we would watch the news and TV shows together. My role was to either rub backs, feet, legs or whatever hurt. Unbeknownst to me, this training prepared me to be a Licensed Massage Therapist, now 30+ years. I have done this work 7 days a week for over 20+ years. Read more>>
Gabby Wettstein
I’ve always felt deeply connected to animals, especially dogs and horses. Growing up riding and working in horse barns, I was immersed early on in the rhythms, responsibilities, and quiet communication that come with caring for large, sensitive animals. Between the ages of 19 and 21, I worked full-time at a horse barn where I was first exposed to equine bodywork. Read more>>
Vasilii Isakov
I grew up in a large family. My father was an artist, and from an early age I saw how handwork, form, and attention to detail can be a way of thinking about the world. Later, I received an architectural education, which helped me approach space more systematically—through structure, proportion, and material. Read more>>
Sarah Sudheimer
I always knew I wanted to be in the healthcare field, but it wasn’t until I took a course in high school that I discovered the field of physical therapy. I felt a calling toward this field because I could form a relationship with the patient and see them continuously rather than once every year like a Medical Doctor. Read more>>
Robert Altomare
My journey has been anything but a straight line—more like a zigzag across continents, careers, and a series of entrepreneurial adventures that prove I have a knack for turning “What could possibly go wrong?” into a business plan. After high school, I spent a decade in the Navy as a cryptologic linguist, working on counternarcotics and intelligence collection missions in the Caribbean and former Yugoslavia. Read more>>
Dr. Holly Davis
I’m a scholar-practitioner, nonprofit founder, and leadership development professional rooted in Jacksonville. My journey has been shaped by years of working in HR, learning and development, and higher education, alongside my doctoral research focused on leadership equity and retention for women—particularly Black women. Founding EmpowerHER Collective Inc. in 2025 was a natural extension of both my professional work and lived experience. Read more>>
Keturah Teasley
I spent over a decade teaching academically in K-12 and adult education settings. As a creative, I could be found supplementing class work with cooking activities that curbed negative behaviors and brought students together in a fun manner. Today, as a Doctoral Student and Prevention Educator, I enjoy implementing programs that support the well-being of children and families in Florida and beyond. Read more>>
Ander Bishop
After leaving the military, I worked in a variety of fields, including towing, Emergency medicine, and law enforcement. While I thoroughly enjoyed everything I did, I particularly enjoyed working in customer service and interacting with the public. I have always been driven to achieve and grow, and the next logical step in that process was owning my own business. Read more>>
Amy Johnston
My journey to becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) began in the hospital where I delivered my first son, Quinn, in 2010. I had both adverse and positive experiences with two different IBCLC’s who were helping mothers in the inpatient setting. One made me feel like my body had failed me in both my birth and initial breastfeeding experiences. Read more>>
Michelle Jennings
I moved to St. Augustine during the pandemic. Having always been engaged in politics, I got involved with the local Democratic Party soon after I moved here. I joined several of the Democratic Clubs in the County and served as a volunteer. Read more>>
Larry Wilson
I’ve always had a curiosity of things in general and food creation was one of those curiosities. I would always try different seasonings to enhance the flavor of the foods I enjoy, especially if I considered them bland and the creation Larry’s seasoned pickles were no different. Read more>>
Brie Crane
Braham and I both come from dance families. His mother owned a studio growing up, and my grandmother danced professionally in New York, so I think it’s quite literally “in our blood”. We both grew up training, competing and taking every class we could get to. Learning is what still sets my heart on fire today. Read more>>
Gennie Crum
I didn’t originally set out to become a balloon artist—this path found me in a very unexpected way. I began doing balloons for my mom’s event business, which specializes in full event setups. When she asked me to learn balloons to complement her services, I was honestly terrified. Read more>>
Teresa Davis
In 2010, many things changed in my family. My stepdaughter came to live with us while her mother was sick. She passed away shortly after. My middle daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia and needed extra help and my youngest just started school. My husband, at the time, traveled a lot. So I needed a job that was more flexible. Read more>>
Patience Murray
I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When I was two years old, my mother disappeared from my life. To this day, my siblings and I don’t know the full truth about what happened to her. Read more>>
Yonette Turner
I was working for a local Ophthalmologist for 8 years. I needed a change to help with my home life balance. I decided go back to school for esthetics. When I graduated I went to work for a local franchise doing facials. I was there for 4 years. I was working 40 hours a week. Read more>>
Alex Milicic
Bring back the clarity and remove haze with a Headlight Restoration! With our restoration process we can remove cloudy and hazy headlights to to a like-new condition. Headlight Restoration is also a more economical alternative than replacing the lens and can also immensely help your trade-in value! Read more>>
Mila Warren Watrel
My journey started with a simple goal: to help people navigate important moments with clarity, confidence, and care. I started my business with a clear purpose: to help people feel confident and supported during important moments in their lives. My background is in the legal field. Read more>>
Matthew Kennedy
I didn’t start out trying to build a business — I started by wanting to be good at something that mattered. I’ve been making dental restorations for over three decades, and I learned early that this work is a blend of science, art, patience, and responsibility. Teeth may be small, but the impact they have on someone’s confidence, health, and quality of life is enormous. Read more>>
Randy McDaniels
I have always been exposed to the trades as my father had a large family and most of them were Contractors and Framers. So, I was always working weekends and summers in various trades. In school, I studied drafting and later a degree in Construction Technology as well as courses in Auto CADD during a 6-year enlistment in the Marine Corps. Read more>>
Ali Denny
I was raised in Ponte Vedra, Florida. While I didn’t grow up attending church regularly, everything changed during high school when I attended a week long Christian camp called Breakaway and gave my life to Christ. That experience marked a turning point in my faith and set me on a new path. Read more>>
Sean Keane
In May 2021, after 31 years of military service, I retired. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp how much timing, opportunity, inspiration, and relevance would shape my next chapter. These forces had guided me through the most intense training in the U.S. Read more>>
Dustyne King
I launched my business by investing my own savings, driven by a desire to work independently and build something of my own. My first major project came from a longtime friend who had inherited a property that required extensive renovations, both inside and out. That project ultimately took about a year to complete and became the foundation of my experience. Read more>>
Latoya Copeland
Hello! My name is Latoya Copeland, but I am known to most as Torri. I am proud to be the owner of The Garden of Esti Spa, established in 2025. Read more>>
Rosa Crespo
I started my notary journey two years ago in South Florida, serving clients throughout Dade and Broward County while working full-time in management. What began as a way to create extra income quickly grew into something more meaningful as I saw how much people relied on having a dependable, mobile professional during important moments in their lives. Read more>>
Haley DeSouza
I didn’t start with a grand plan to become a photographer. I started by paying attention. What began as a creative outlet became a profession once I realized I was less interested in making “pretty images” and more interested in how people felt in front of the camera — and how much a photographer’s presence can shape an entire day. Read more>>
Dylan Potter
I finished my PhD in the early part of the 2000’s and looked for a practical way to apply my skills as an entrepreneur to help others in a practical way. In the early days of search engine marketing, I saw an opportunity and reached out to a number of local businesses in Jacksonville about handling their local SEO work. Read more>>
Marissa Scott
I didn’t grow up with much. My life began with heartbreak, losing my father to tragedy, being separated from my mother, and being raised by my grandparents in a small town in a third-world country. Everything I have today started from a place of survival, faith, and unshakable determination. Read more>>
Rosa Haynes-Thomas
My journey began with a deep calling to support people navigating life transitions, especially those who often fall outside traditional systems of care. I founded S.O.A.R. Ministries and Transitional Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, after witnessing how individuals and families who appear financially stable can still experience unforeseen life changes that leave them without meaningful support. Read more>>
Shannon McFauls
Looking back, it’s clear I was the ‘unofficial therapist’ long before I ever held the degrees to match. Even as a child, I was the person peers and even adults gravitated toward when they needed to be heard. I possessed a bottomless curiosity about what made people tick. That curiosity wasn’t just a personality trait; it was a survival skill. Read more>>
Josh Bernard
I’m a proud Jacksonville native, and while my background is in business, my path into Painting with a Twist really started with my sister, Geri. She began working with the brand back in 2010 as an instructor at the very first franchise in St. Petersburg, Florida. Read more>>
Stephen Fine
I was born and raised in Gainesville and have lived here for most of my life. When I was very little I started studying violin with the legendary teacher, Sonnhild F. Kitts. Mrs. Kitts was a German immigrant with degrees in violin and piano from the Folkwangschule für Musik, Tanz und Sprechen. Read more>>
Andrea Baggott
I am from Brazil and used to work for the United Nations in a educational program there. I came to US to learn how to speak English and mat my husband Jason. We got married and I loved to Ohio where he is from. Read more>>
Jeremy Scott
My role as an insurance agent is new, I have been shaped by over 14 years of experience as a high school educator. My teaching career focused on business and marketing, where I empowered students with essential skills for success in the professional world and served as an advisor for both Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and DECA. Read more>>
Alvin Brooks
I started my business when I was terminated from my previous job. I started cooking at the local high school. I also cooked on Saturdays at a local car wash giving out samples. An inspector slowed me down because I didnt have the proper credentials but he helped me get licensed and the rest is history. Read more>>
Allison Fox
I began my journey as a birth doula after the birth of my first son! I had a beautiful but typical hospital birth experience. After his birth, I did the research I should’ve done during my pregnancy. I learned about the ins and outs of labor, birth, and postpartum, and how much my experiences were impacted by others opinions. Read more>>
Ericka Moore
My first birth experience was extremely challenging. I didn’t receive the support I needed from the medical staff, and despite reading all the “right” books and attending all the right classes, I didn’t yet understand the depth of transformation that birth and early parenthood would bring. Looking back, I realize I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Read more>>
Danny & Andrea Brown
Andrea and I met in Jacksonville in 2015 when we were booking and promoting EDM shows at Mavericks at the Landing (they were struggling as a country bar). We started dating not long after and ended up moving in together down in St Augustine. We purchased our first investment property in 2016 in St. Augustine. Read more>>
Matt and Sandy Rieder
Matt’s Story: I’m good at hurting myself. Like, if it were an Olympic sport, I’d be on a Wheaties box right now. I’m an Army veteran, runner, scuba diver, climber, yogi, and weightlifter. In my younger years I used to surf the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, and played a lot of ultimate frisbee. Read more>>
Josh Porter
I made my first pizza at age 9 at a Domino’s in middle Pennsylvania my cousin managed. I got my first job making pizza at a local spot called Cruisers. It was a one man operation except when you had a delivery then the kitchen manager of the seaside restaurant it was attached to would answer the phone. Read more>>
Sarah Chapman
I grew up in Lake City, Florida, and my parents enrolled me in dance classes when I was four years old. From that point on, dance became the constant in my life. Even when I explored other interests, it was always the thing I returned to and the place where I felt most myself. Read more>>
Crystal McCraw
“Sometimes the path that feels uncertain is the one that finally allows you to become who you were meant to be.” — Crystal McCraw I began my professional journey in a very different world than where I stand today. I earned a master’s degree in Information Systems and started my career in the financial sector, with aspirations of eventually transitioning into a technical role. Read more>>
Barbara Gammage
Barbara is a devoted woman of faith, mother, wife, and friend. With over twenty years in patient care and customer services, she currently works as a Certified Radiology Scheduler. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Coastal Carolina University, and an associate’s degree in Applied Science from SUNY Erie Community College in Buffalo, New York. Read more>>
Joseph Golan
The group started in 2014 helping one charity here in Flagler County, Christmas Come True. In June of 2017 we started to repair donated bikes for The Sheltering Tree aka Flagler County Family Assistance Center – and started our portable repair shop operation when the Sheltering Tree office was open. Read more>>
Apryle Melvin
Silver Lake Mobile Home Community is part of our broader vision at KOP-Realty to build thriving, inclusive communities people are proud to call home. At KOP-Realty, our mission has always been simple yet profound: to provide safe, welcoming, and vibrant communities that empower individuals and families to thrive. Read more>>
Erik Larsen
My Dad took me to a golf course when I was 5yrs old. Starting working on that same golf course in Newton, Iowa at 12 yrs old. Worked on golf courses from then, until I finished college. BS, Landscape Architecture NCSU. Approached Ed Seay, EVP of Palmer Course Design Company in 1983. I worked for Ed and Arnold Palmer from 1983-2011, becoming EVP in 2006. Read more>>
Elizabeth Reed
I’m currently the executive director of the Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park. I found out about the Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park (SCOOP) when I was caring for my elderly mother. Read more>>
Brian Grimley
Started cooking while working myself through college in the UK. After graduation realized I loved the service industry more than the engineering I studied for so moved to the USA where I had family in the restaurant business. My wife and I started out on our own in 1997 and after 3 previous restaurants we built Lagniappe to our own specifications in 2018. Read more>>
Brian Trank
I started JBFIT because I genuinely care about helping people feel strong, capable, and confident in their own bodies. My background is in biomedical sciences, clinical research, and CrossFit – but at my core, I’ve always been a coach. Read more>>
Shelby Hodges
I moved to St. Augustine when I was just eight months old, so this community has shaped nearly every chapter of my life. I grew up here, built lifelong relationships here, and ultimately chose to build my business here. Real estate was always part of my world. Read more>>
Daniel Vish
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and my path into healthcare began much earlier than I realized. Chiropractic care was a normal part of my upbringing. My older brother struggled with recurring ear infections as a child, and chiropractic care was one of the few things that truly helped him. Read more>>
Brian Packer
My wife and I moved to St. Augustine with our 3 kids in 2021. Once we got settled, it felt really important to open a business as a way to connect with and pour into the community. I was familiar with Outer Banks Boil Company and loved not only their seafood boils, but how it was really about bringing customers a unique and memorable experience. Read more>>
Mitchell Yass
My entire life has been a continuum of events which have led me to where I am today. I started as a child with severe self-esteem issues because I was very thin. By the time I was 26 I tried to lift weights as was commonly thought to be correct. Read more>>
Thomas Koch
I’m originally from Jacksonville, Florida, born and raised. Growing up, I’ll be honest — I wasn’t always on the right path. I was a troublemaker and made a lot of mistakes that led me down a road of incarceration. But looking back, those experiences are part of what shaped me. When I got out, I knew I couldn’t keep living the same way. Read more>>
Jamee Yocum – Pittman
I opened Bark on Park in 2009 after moving from South Florida to Jacksonville. At the time, I had four Yorkies and absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was an art school dropout, working as an aesthetician by day and bartending by night. Read more>>
