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.
Adi Kaur
Today I am the owner and founder of Birmingham, Alabama’s first black-owned yoga studio. Today I’ve certified over 50 yoga instructors. Today I’ve attuned several students to the reiki lineage and continue to host attunement workshops. Today I am a sought-after teacher, mentor, and friend.
I would honestly say that this is from living my life to the fullest possibility. I think I got here by taking advantage of any circumstance I was placed in. I arrived today by walking in my lane and doing the impossible.
When it comes to my determination I am one of one. I won’t rest until the job is finished. I truly live and breathe “how you do anything is how you do everything” when it comes to the way that I show up in spaces. Read more>>
Paz Aboujaoude
As long as I can remember, I have always loved creating. I have sketched and doodled ever since I was a child. The older I got, the more I dabbled in different mediums and techniques. When I was 12 years old, I wanted to be a fashion designer. With that being said, I sketched designs and taught myself how to sew. This made me gain confidence in my work. Shortly after, I put my skills to the test and experimented with acrylic canvas paintings. Painting on canvases became an outlet for me. I have gained so much peace and patience because of it. My art is not perfect, but in reality, I do strive for perfection in every single piece of artwork I create. While sketching and creating these canvases, I discovered that I enjoy lettering and perfecting lines. This helped me come to the decision to go into chalkboard art for businesses. Furthermore, I have my marketing degree, so I have an advantage of what the customer would want to see when it comes to advertising. While designing my chalkboards, I use the knowledge and skills I have gained from past projects and my degree. This is a small, but important, part of how I started. There are a lot of other aspects that make me the artist I am today, but this is how I discovered my love for art. I will continue to better myself and my art by learning new techniques and practicing old ones. Read more>>
Stephen Pitts
I discovered that I liked to draw when I was about 8 years old. I drew castles, fortresses, spacecraft. Over the next couple of decades, I drew sporadically, without a special focus. During high school, I began to put more energy into my drawing projects. During my first year in college, I took a class in mineralogy and crystallography. It was during these classes that I learned about the complexity and intricacy of crystallographic symmetry axes. It was at this time that I became fascinated with drawing symmetrical shapes and forms. My earliest formal symmetrical drawings were made in 1980. During this period I started using Rapidograph pens for all of my artwork. Over the next several decades, I made several series of mechanical, space-themed, and symmetrical improvisational drawings on 14″ x 17″ paper. This became my preferred paper size. In 2021, I started a new series called “Real Places and Structures”. The drawings in this series are drawings based on blueprints or photographs I have found in various sources. My blueprint drawings are drawings of engine blueprints. My drawings based on photographs are drawings of amazing apartment complexes in Hong Kong, and drawings of the interior of the London Museum of Natural History. Three years ago, I started renting a studio space at Lowe Mill, which is the largest artist cooperative in the United States. I create most of my artwork at my studio at Lowe Mill. Having this brick and mortar site allows my artwork to gain exposure to the public. Also, visitors at Lowe Mill can see my art in person and they can see my artistic processes underway. I have had a website for many years. I also have participated in lots of regional art shows, but the vast majority of my art sales is done at my studio. The primary art product that I sell is art reproductions, but I now have high resolution T-shirts with my designs printed on them. Read more>>
Pamela A Dobbins
By way of introduction, I am Pamela A. Dobbins, Owner and CBO (Chief Baking Officer) of Delightful Cookies& Treats, LLC. I started my business back in 2017 as a cottage food home bakery while still teaching as a full-time college professor. I am a scientist and creative at heart and I love combining those two to see what the outcome will be. While still holding down my full-time teaching career, I would bake on the weekends and sell my goods at a local flea market. This started in August of 2017. I quickly realized I needed to be in an environment where more foot traffic existed. In January of 2018 I transitioned from the “flea market” to a local farmer’s market. I struck gold on every level– more foot traffic, creating loyal customers, meeting new friends, and forming community ties. Read more>>
Jessica Aldridge
I am a freelance graphic designer, mom, and entrepreneur. I started as self-taught, working in graphic design since 2020, I have mastered her skills in design work and website building. I gained my certification as a UI/UX designer in 2021. I have worked as a graphic designer for companies such as Global Payments, GoDaddy, and The Memory Company in Phenix City, AL. I am also a Shopify Partner and Shopify Brand Affiliate, designing over 150+ websites on the Shopify Platform. I am skilled in basic design work such as flyer art, brand designs, and marketing. My main focus and passion is website building and design. I am also a full-time Assistant Property Manager, working in property management for the past year. Read more>>
Jocelynn Tyson
My name is Jocelynn Tyson . I’m makeup artist in the south of Alabama . Not only am I a makeup artist , I’m also deaf with a cochlear implant . I started my makeup journey in 2015 . I was self taught watching YouTube. Before I began my makeup journey , I was in the 6th grade wearing mascara , eyeliner , lipgloss until I got to college wanted to learn more of makeup and the beauty industry . Where I’m at today , that I’m so grateful through the process of this makeup journey had me on the chokehold of its ups and downs . I’ve done fashion shows , clients , models , etc . To make other women feel beautiful regardless they still gone be beautiful with or without makeup . It’s not gone stop me from loving makeup when I’m put so much energy and passion to it . Read more>>
Kalaigh Sullins
Little about myself: I am from Opelika, Alabama. I have 3 beautiful kids and married to my high school sweetheart. When I was little I had very bad self esteem issues. Which lead to a deep depression but that deep depression lead me into therapy in turn , help me overcome a lot of my fears Read more>>
Christian Belle
I became intrigued with makeup at such an early age. As a child performer, most people know that life comes with lots glittery costumes and pounds of makeup and as a kid, I really enjoyed getting glammed up. I continued dancing all through out high school. Once I got to college, I started practicing makeup on my friends and I thought to myself “I could do this for a living” and here I am 7 years later still loving what I do. Read more>>
Nancy Becher
I’ve been a business consultant for over 40 years and hold a Master’s in Counseling as well as a PhD (abd) from Western Michigan University. In 2014, I was involved in a hit-and-run car accident that left me disabled and in constant pain. This experience made me realize that many women face stigma, anxiety, pain, and other challenges due to their invisible disabilities. Read more>>
Faith Woods
I was raised in the small farming community of Leighton, Alabama. Each school day meant a thirty minute commute to and from town. Besides my love for school sports and activities, looking back, I believe my lack of immediate access to a girl next door to attend my tea party provided me more time to hone the craft of southern entertaining. I either spent my free time outdoors or learning the art of home entertaining alongside the women in my family. It seems a dinner party, shower, or porch gathering was always in the works. I was a wedding shower hostess in elementary school in a hand-smocked dress. I baked brownies for my high school calculus teacher. My love of graciousness and entertaining is simply in my blood. I have the mother who can crank out a multitude of pecan pies with a one hundred year old recipe. I have one aunt with the fresh fruit ring ready for whatever size punch bowl you’ve got. The other aunt is known far and wide for savory cheese straws fresh from the cookie press. All of these people live within a three mile vicinity. The party is literally right around the corner. Read more>>
Amber E. Price
My journey began in Birmingham, AL, where I was born and raised. Growing up, I was deeply influenced by the strong women in my family, particularly my grandmother and mother. Their names, Elease and Eleana, became the inspiration behind my company’s name, E.L.E.A.S.E. Ensembles LLC, emphasizing the values of leadership, achievement, and entrepreneurship they instilled in me. Read more>>
Pamela Harris Bowie
I had always felt like a cat with nine lives, but of course we know a cat don’t have nine lives. I have always love writing. Even in college, a professor thought I didn’t write my paper, so he had me to come after class and write on a subject. I wrote a story that is now in my current book “No More Taking Hit after Hit: A Memoir About A Woman Who Discovered That The Fight Had Already Been Won & Want To Help You Do The Same” that is where a friend of mines was killed, and I saw it. The teacher asked me then was it true, but I denied it. Recently after going through therapy, I learned that I deal with a lot of situations with delusional thinking. That is, if I don’t talk about it, then it means it didn’t happen. This is a trauma response. This can be seen in a lot of people now how they are coping. See this new book was like my first baby. What got me writing was the loss of my mother. Writing became my coping mechanism to grief because all the lessons my mother had taught me came flowing back. It brought me comfort since I could no longer call her and talk. My God/adoptive mother, DeeDee taught me about therapy after I made a bad decision that led me in juvenile detention center when I was only in the 8th grade which is how my godmother became my adoptive mother. I couldn’t go back and stay with my parents because the victim lived there. The victim was my sister (my only sister). I discuss that encounter in my 1st book. In my second that is now out book, I dive deep in Chapter 5, “Are you Mad or Nah?”. Read more>>
Dino Jones
I decided to pursue a career as a writer because I wanted to create stories that move people. Whether through laughter or tears, I’ve wanted to create characters and stories that people can connect with. Since I was a child, I wanted to get into writing stories. Back then I had a desire to create an animated series. These days I created a universe far from what I wanted as a kid. I’m currently gearing up to release my first short story collection. I’ll release it this summer with a book signing soon after. Read more>>
