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.

Melise Hill

I’ve been fortunate to have not faced any major obstacles during my career. I’ve been surrounded by great, supportive people who have helped to shape the outcome of my career. I’ve always been one who, if I decide I want to do something, I will figure out the steps required to get there, and won’t be stopped until I do, not paying much mind to outside factors that could slow me down. I’m a strong believer that if you set out with the right intentions, you will find your way. Read More>>

Cairo Eaddy

I am also a proud member of The Elevated Collective, a dynamic real estate team built on excellence, collaboration, and client-first service. Together, we bring a wealth of knowledge, innovative marketing strategies, and a hands-on approach to ensure every client receives a seamless and stress-free experience. Our team is dedicated to raising the standard in real estate, offering unparalleled support, market expertise, and a network of trusted professionals to assist with every aspect of the transaction. Read More>>

Brian and Sara Boven

Brian and Sara started praying for direction and sought out Kay to partner with them. With hearts totally amazed at God’s calling and purposes, the three of them knew they had just experienced a divine appointment, a calling on their lives. On December 20, 2019, they met at what is now called Homes Giving Hope and were united in spirit and purpose from the start. With hearts full of faith and expectation, they continued meeting, formed a board, and began moving forward with humbled hearts at God’s amazing gift. Read More>>

Aden Waun

We went through a few drummers before finally finding Phillip DeLaSotta, a wild, manic force of nature behind the kit. He was the perfect fit, and that’s when we officially settled on the name Skitchfall. The name comes from a skateboarding technique called “skitching,” where a skateboarder grabs onto the back of a car or other vehicle to hitch a ride. We tried this in a parking lot with Jacob driving and me being the willing (and gullible) test dummy. After shouting, “Gun it!” I quickly ate concrete, ripping up my clothes and skin. A few rounds of hydrogen peroxide later, we had a memory that would eventually have a lasting impact for the foundation of what Skitchfall is. Read More>>

Khalifah Green

Being in birth work hasnt been and isn’t a smooth road. There’s barriers to being trained like cost or distance. For me I was still nursing my child when I officially stepped into this role and working a 9-5 so at almost every training I had a car seat, baby, and a notebook. Everyone doesn’t have support or childcare to be able to attend continuing education seminars that are often required by your certifying body. Sometimes medical providers in the hospital are dismissive or even disrespectful, I’ve heard horror stories that could make you cry! Medicaid is a nightmare to navigate with becoming a provider and billing. You can go 30-90 days without pay! Read More>>

Porscha Harris

Hi, my name is Porscha Harris! I have always loved everything glam. As a kid I would always bedazzle or spruce up anything I could get my hands on. I started out in 2014 working under an old friend and then branched off in 2015 and started on my own. Then came Pretty P Stones. During these past 10 years there has been a lot of trial, error and success! I’m super excited to still be in business! I hope to increase my clientele and business enormously. Ten years down with plenty more to go. Read More>>

Gran Trueno

From there I I traveled all across the United States, wrestling all across the country, gaining fans and recognition across the way. Becoming recognized in the scene was difficult for me as a lot of promotions are hard, but as I continued in my pro wrestling journey I’ve found myself climbing the ladder more and more each year, but the ladder is never-ending and there is always more work to be done. I must continue my work to achieve my goal of being a signed professional wrestler. Exciting thing are ahead. You will be seeing me worldwide soon as I summon the storms across every continent!! Read More>>

Jennifer Casner

I met my husband in 2020 he was a single man raising three kids on his own. After meeting, we never separated. I knew he was the one we moved to Tennessee together.. Tennessee is where we opened our first tattoo shop. Its name is CDM in studio. Then for family reasons, we decided to move home to Michigan where we again opened up, our very own shop in the hive and downtown Lansing. We named it CDM ink studio. My husband is a tattoo artist, and I am a piercer, and I’m also a full-time medical assistant through university of Michigan Sparrow. Read More>>

Colin Burns

When Covid hit in 2020, with entire days of free time on my hands, I dove headfirst into the Burnzy 8B project, even going as far to stream my music creation process on Twitch, and eventually releasing 20 full-length albums and two music videos. While now, life has taken me in a direction, not allowing me to dedicate much time to Burnzy 8B, I’m now too busy with my day job and working on making my first new short film since 2018. I am still proud of this project, and happy that I have such a plethora of music out in the world that I can truly call mine. Read More>>

Jeff Allison

We follow industry standards, train our team ongoingly to those standards, pay our team, a livable wage as well as benefits, we are a brick and water company who has been in business for 25 years, and our motto is do it right the first time and we are human and if we don’t, we come back and make it right. We have a high standard. We offer anything from weekly lawn, cutting to monthly bed and garden maintenance and trimming to landscape design build and installation to snow and ice management for commercial properties. Read More>>

Eric Kraus

We have talked about opening a restaurant but the overhead is just too much, so we started discussing a food truck instead. One day last year I told her “You know what? Let’s do it! Let’s open a food truck.” So we started selling food to coworkers and friends to see what people liked and what we wanted to use in our menu, and soon after we ordered our food truck. Four months later, here we are, up and running and introducing people to her delicious food! My wife gets all the credit because without her gift, this wouldn’t be possible. Read More>>

Peter Piwonski

My family (mother and uncles) owned music stores in Detroit in the past so this was a dream come true not only for myself but for my Mother as well. My Mother and Father worked along side me until my mother unfortunately passed away from Cancer. From 1999-2006 the store was successful, reaching 640 students at its best! In 2006 due to personal reasons, i took time off and moved to Madison, WI to become a therapist for kids with Autism while also teaching music. One of our teachers had taken the store over and continued the business. Read More>>

Anakin Chingwa

I have been playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons since I was 10 years old. While these games are fun they don’t try to explore our own history. I wrote Colonies & Conquerors to be a game focused on history. I also made the game a single edition, I didn’t want to make something that exploits it’s players just for financial gain. Read More>>

Tony Baxter

A time came several years ago where my career was put on hold. A time when jobs were few and far between, and I found myself homeless due to unfortunate circumstances. Back to my roots, I was Rockhounding the beaches and I had the idea to use diamond rotary tool to form a stone and attempt to set it into a poorly made ring. That ring is long gone now, but the path that it set me on was one that I loved very thoroughly as it allowed me to exercise a level of creativity and love that I had never known prior. Read More>>

Jesse Ray

From then on, I began to book playing solo acoustic at venues in the region. I had my doubts that I could ever get anywhere all by myself, but I got to open for some great talent like Larry McCray, and Scott H. Biram. A few days before opening for Biram at Tip Top Deluxe, I received my Farmer Foot Drum. I was looking to be able to do it all by myself. Not that I didn’t love the camaraderie of band life, or that I had a hard time working with people; I just wanted to take my destiny into my own hands. I wanted the freedom to to whatever I wanted in my career regardless of anyones availability. After the shutdown in 2020, I knew I had to rely on myself to keep the dream alive. Read More>>

Angie Hawley

It has been a smooth road with my business to get it where it is today, thankfully. I got into this business at the right time, before it grew to the popular trend that it is today. I am thankful to have the loyal customers that I do, and the support of local business owners to continue having me at their establishments. I think with any business, there comes struggles with rising costs of your product, so that is something I look forward to seeing a decrease in. Read More>>

Mandy Tamborini

My name is Mandy Tamborini and I started Spun Sugar Detroit in 2016. We noticed there was not many mobile options for private events. I also wanted to include a nut free, dye free cotton candy options as well. The mobile cotton candy business took off, we now offer many different cotton candy cart options and flavors. Fast forward to 2024 – we are now a tiny candy shop in Brighton, MI. We do many mobile events as corporate events, Bat Mitvahs, wedding showers, birthday parties, all the parties. Read More>>

Paloma Havlik

My degree will be in Studio Art (after bouncing around a few majors throughout my college career). I also have experienced a lot of love, heartbreak, grief, joy, and just my own emotions in general throughout this timeline which has contributed to the way I picture life unfold, my experiences lend a big hand to my perspective. In the end, I believe everything happens for a reason and the path I follow and continue to follow is right, whether new doors open or different doors than expected open, I will end up where I need to. Read More>>

Mady Chen

Overall, it’s been a fairly smooth road. There have, of course, been bumps and challenges but I think they have all been opportunities for me to learn and grow from. For example, not all events I’ve done have been successful, and some have even been a loss financially, but I’ve learned extremely helpful information from each of them that help me choose more successful opportunities in the future. Read More>>

Andrew Verburg

I will often say running a great restaurant is physical, we work long days and nights, weekends, and holidays the biggest challenge at the end of the day is how much can you really take? But the more you take on the easier it gets, things that used to bother me or scare me in the past don’t really affect me too much anymore. My mother had a quote that brick walls are put your path to see who will climb over them. I embrace challenges at this point, they make me feel alive. I enjoy overcoming the struggles and seeing how many I can overcome along the way. They live inside me like little badges of honor I reflect back on. Read More>>

Arthur Toussaint

Not at all. Starting out, getting clients to trust a small moving service was tough. Business was slow, and I faced challenges like truck issues, cancellations, and competition. I had to learn marketing, customer service, and team management on the go. But every struggle taught me something, and that’s what helped me grow. Read More>>

Kenyatta Jones-Arietta

I was too young at that time—not ready for the grind so back to the club I went. Fast-forward 5 years, I ended up going back to school and got my degree in interior design. I met my husband in 1999 and moved from the city to Rockland County, NY. I took a job in the city at Roche Bobois/Maurice Villency as a furniture salesperson. I enjoyed it until we expanded our family. Commuting and being away from the kids started to wear on me. Read More>>

Shawna Mang

As the business grew, balancing my passion with the demands of running a company—marketing, finances, and tight deadlines—became overwhelming. One of the hardest challenges was gaining the trust of brides to handle something so meaningful to them. But every struggle taught me something valuable, and I’ve worked hard to create a business rooted in care, quality, and trust. Each obstacle has made The Evermore Floweret stronger, and I’m proud of how far it’s come. Read More>>

Lalonie Willhite

Driven by my experiences in foster care, I founded the Dream of Kalamazoo Foundation in 2022, partnering with local salons to provide free hair services to foster and adoptive families. Additionally, I wrote a book titled I’ve Already Made It, sharing my story to inspire others facing challenges. In 2020, I launched Hydr8 Organics, an all-natural hair care line. Throughout my journey, I have remained committed to following God’s guidance as best as I can, believing that every venture should align with His plan. My experiences have taught me the importance of perseverance, self-discovery, and the power of sharing one’s story to inspire others. Read More>>

Sarah McDaid

However, I did have 2 babies during the process of all of this! My daughter is 3 and my son is 1.5. It was challenging at times balancing being a mom and also work, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. My kids and my amazing Husband are what keep me motivated. Read More>>

Ben Bancroft

Like any small business there has been growing pains. Keeping enough hives to supply an ever increasing demand for the farmers markets, to battling the always present Vorroa Mite. When you keep honeybees you are a farmer. Like other farmers you are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Read More>>

Noelle Smith

Postpartum work was where I started because it was easier to plan with having a newborn baby and being able to schedule shifts however fast forward to 2025, I have two little ones now and am also both a birth and postpartum doula as well as a midwife’s assistant attending homebirths. Additionally I’m also in nursing school simultaneously training to eventually become a midwife myself and move into a position of supporting moms from the front lines. I found my true passion in birthwork and have never once felt turned away from it. In the same realm, a recent hobby I’ve picked up is photography which has really come into play in the labor and delivery room capturing moments for families to keep as precious memories. Read More>>

Kate Milligan

Years later, that dream became a reality when I founded 1 Girl Revolution. I wanted to create a space where every woman’s story could be heard and where every girl could see her own power, purpose, and ability to create change. 1 Girl Revolution amplifies the voices of women who are making a difference in their communities and in the world—women who often go unrecognized but are the true changemakers. Read More>>

Aliyah Brown

In 2019, I graduated at Oakland University and doing all sort of jobs, but still had a passion for digital marketing and graphic design. I started job searching high and low, to being a teacher for a couple years. Later I get married and became a mother in which pushed me to fully pursue being a business owner of my brand. I quit my job in 2022 and was a full time entrepreneur. My Twenty Vision was the name I always loved rooted from blog. I rebranded the name with the slogan “The Place to See Your Vision Come to Life”. I am excited to continue my entrepreneurial journey. Read More>>

Tajreen Sandhu

In the realm of mental health support, the journey of refining our focus has been a significant challenge because mental health is such a large umbrella. However, through dedicated meetings and thoughtful deliberation, we have honed in on addiction and suicide prevention as our primary areas of emphasis. This deliberate focus showcases our commitment to making a targeted and meaningful impact within the expansive landscape of mental health support. Read More>>

Megan Lui

From a young age, I was curious about finding new ways to use art supplies. I remember making home made paste and seeing how it would interact with my watercolors on paper (not well). From middle school on, I took as many art electives as allowed and planned to go to college for art. But art school didn’t really work out for me. The recession was hitting, and I decided to go the stable financial route of switching to nursing school. Read More>>

Jerome Adams

In 2006, I earned my Doctorate in Physical Therapy, driven by a passion for rehabilitation, movement science, and patient care. While working in the field, I noticed a need for structured basketball development in my community, which led me to establish Flint’s Finest Basketball Club in 2008. What started as a small initiative to help local athletes improve their skills has since evolved into a premier youth basketball program in Michigan, preparing players for high school, college, and beyond. Read More>>

Jordan Dozois

I was born and raised in Canada, then moved to the USA in 2017. I first attended college for Fashion Design straight out of high school, and wanted to expand my education in the beauty industry by enrolling in Hair School immediately after. For as long as I can think back, expressing myself through art and design came natural to me. I was born with an eye for beauty which fuels my passion for my career in the beauty industry. Read More>>

Dr. Mike Williams

That practice was a very typical chiropractic office. I was a “back cracker,” a “bone cruncher.” I mostly adjusted patients for The Big Three: back pain, neck pain, and headaches. My practice grew and became successful, but I began to notice that not all patients that came to see me had one of the big three, and not all patients with the big three got better after an adjustment. The longer I was in practice, the more of this I noticed. The more I noticed it, the more it bothered me. I didn’t like the idea that there were people that needed my help and I had no help to offer. I was doing what I had been trained to do, but it wasn’t always the answer. Could there be something more?. Read More>>

Austin Scott

While working with Pasha and Haus of Raya, my dear friend Olivia Hanson and I decided to produce a fashion show ourselves! We called it The Vortex. We brought together 8 local designers, 40 models, djs, photographers, and detroits best painters, all in one night hosted at Exodos in Detroit. We wanted to give local artists, and our hair team a chance to shine, and bring the Detroit creative scene together as a whole. And we did just that! Our vision came to life after selling over 160 tickets! We’re currently working on our next show, and can’t wait to bring the community together for another amazing night! Read More>>

Terri Shattuck

My photography journey has been both long and short. The long part is I’ve always been interested in photography since a teenager, but I have had short stints throughout my life. I would say that my journey started in high school when I took a photography class back when there were dark rooms. I had always been in art classes, but I loved the challenge of seeing the everyday world in different ways that photography brought to me. But the hobby ended once I started working full time and hanging out with friends well into my 20s. Read More>>

J Waddell

A few years later, a General Manager position was posted in the restaurant, and I applied. I was again at a table with the business owners interviewing for this position. I was The Laundry’s General Manager for several years. Fast forward through years of hard work, many really great days, a few tough days and a global pandemic that challenged yet strengthened The Laundry, I was back at a table with The Laundry’s founding owners discussing purchasing their landmark business. I took sole ownership of The Laundry in October 2023. Read More>>

Dan & CJ Zondervan

Ten years ago we decided to move to northern Michigan, where CJ has roots, to open our own Antique and lifestyle businesses. True North Interior Design & Antiques, in Charlevoix. Charlevoix is a picturesque charming coastal small town with lots of victorian summer cottage history along with Native American history. Lots of boating, beautiful beaches, excellent dining and destination weddings. Our store includes antiques, vintage finds, furniture, bedding, lighting, local art, home decor, handmade jewelry, hand made fashion, boho fashion, folk art by Dan Zondervan and lots more. Read More>>

Kanda Parrott

Sometimes these rejections come with feedback and sometimes they come with nothing at all. However, I haven’t let these stop me from continuing to apply. And I have prevailed through consistency and persistence-coming back and trying again. I also believe “success” is such a broad spectrum and it can be a real struggle to have society’s perception of “success” strictly measured monetarily. I would like my success to be defined by what I have created, by what I have accomplished, not how much I have earned in that process. Read More>>

Ellen Sherman

I think I will always wrestle with the business side of my career. I just want to be locked away in the studio, covered in paint and making things that excite me. Not doing bookkeeping, inventory or marketing plans. But, those things are what keep this ship afloat so I’ve learned to find some fun in it over the years. (But I’d still rather be playing with paint.) Read More>>

Gfe Guap

I’m most known for my Trap flow while my Afro/dance style is mostly overlooked, I feel that it’s just too ahead of its time & I released it too early in my career. But everything happens for a reason, that’s how I feel. I’m most proud of my growth & ability to block out all the noise & focus on myself & my own career, where everyone has an opinion, that’s where I remove myself, I just make the music & focus on my Real life situations. What sets me apart from others is my ability to create music outside of my normal Trap sound. Read More>>

Mike Wood

WoW…Going back 39 years…In 1986 I purchased a small “mom and pop” bike shop. Lakeview Bike Shop. My Business took off…In 1992 I purchased an old building in the hart of downtown and it has been one very FUN and interesting ride ever since. www.teamactive.com Read More>>

Jaquetta Taylor

My journey in the beauty industry began in 2020. I started by making body butters and sugar scrubs, attending pop-up shops to sell my products. Wanting to expand my knowledge, I enrolled in esthetician school, where 1 discovered my love for lash extensions and brow services. At the time, I was working as a CNA, caring for the elderly. I’ve always had a passion for helping and healing others, but I wanted to pursue my dream of doing so in a different way. Read More>>

Amanda Coder

My husband and I bought Buffalo House in May 2020, during the height of COVID-19. The Village of Michiana on the shores of Lake Michigan is home to log cabin homes built in the 1930s that are found dotted throughout the forest. Our cabin was the first prototype for all of the logs in the village and it really is a special place. The previous owner was a Chicago fashion designer and the property was filled with incredible antiques they had collected (including 14 taxidermy animal heads!) and unique details that immediately caught our eye when we first saw it. Read More>>

Nur Shah

Our vision for House of Her was clear from the start: it wouldn’t just be a café. It would be a private ladies’ lounge—a sanctuary where women could truly unwind and feel at home. Growing up in Hamtramck, a community rich with cultures from all over the world, we were inspired to infuse those influences into the space. I’ve always had a passion for cooking and creating, and I wanted to bring that love into the lounge. Whether it’s a dessert blending Bangladeshi and Yemeni flavors or a refreshing drink with a Mexican twist, I wanted the menu to reflect the beauty of diversity. Read More>>