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.
Maya Bashir
I’ve always been drawn to creativity. Growing up in a family that valued design and the arts, it naturally became a part of who I am. While pursuing a career in the creative industry has never been considered the most stable path, I knew it was the one I wanted to take. Read more>>
Mark Esposito
I’ve always loved cooking and making people happy through food. I started my career working in some amazing kitchens under chefs like Stephanie Izard, Eric Greenspan, and April Bloomfield, where I learned the importance of technique, hard work, and attention to detail. I was also lucky enough to win a Food Network cooking competition, which pushed me to keep chasing my dream. Read more>>
Beth Dorsey
I’ve been fascinated by health and the human body for as long as I can remember. In high school, I became passionate about nutrition, fitness, and understanding how lifestyle affects our health, and that curiosity has stayed with me ever since. In college, I played competitive Ultimate Frisbee (yes, really!) and continued taking courses that fueled my interest in nutrition, anatomy, and optimal health. Read more>>
Heather Jannopoulos
My journey into web design actually started long before high-speed internet even existed. In the 1990s, my grandmother was a graphic and web designer in Hawaii back in the days of dial-up. I always saw myself as a creative type and loved computers, so by the time I hit high school in the late 90’s, my absolute favorite class was graphic design with Ms. Read more>>
Mel and Carol LaRussa
We bought 9 acres 1996We had the orchard graded and installed A irrigation system 2000. We started planting 2000 to 2010Fuji, gala and honeycrisp trees all half size. We sold apples to local stores and to Martinelli’s juice. We joined CCOF 2010 to sell organic apples uPick in 2010. Very successful 2015 we Built a Large Barm to handle sales And display apples. Read more>>
Lynn Hummer
Founded nearly two decades ago, Pregnant Mare Rescue (PMR) began with a simple but urgent mission: to rescue pregnant mares and orphan foals from abuse, neglect, abandonment, or trip to the slaughterhouse across our borders. Over the years, our approach has evolved. We learned that some horses—especially those who have endured extreme workloads, human demands, and/or abuse—cannot safely be rehomed. Read more>>
Daniela Dolgova
When I was 5-6 years old, my mother found me playing the melody to Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ (her favorite song at the time) on the piano at my grandmother’s house. She took that as a sign that I have a musical inclination and put me in piano lessons. Read more>>
Olha Failla
My name is Olha Failla ( Olha Horbenko when I came to Los Angeles), and I am a Ukrainian singer-songwriter, performer, and UGC content creator based in Los Angeles. I moved to Los Angeles from Ukraine in December 2021 to study songwriting and music production at Musicians Institute in Hollywood. My original plan was to complete the one-year program and then return home. Read more>>
Mary Leste
My name is Mary Leste I am a nurse and Executive Director, TLC (Tender Loving Care)Started with hospice Care in 1994 in Ventura County. We also started to provide caregiving services and Home Health Care in 2010, ( Access TLC Home Health) We are now in 4 counties in California including Santa Barbara County. Read more>>
Niccolo Lekai
I founded Leo Leo Gelato in 2010 with a simple goal: to produce frozen desserts that reflected the quality of the ingredients available here on California’s Central Coast. What began as a small passion project has gradually grown into a premium frozen dessert company serving restaurants, wineries, hotels, resorts, coffee shops, universities, aquariums, and regional grocery stores throughout California. Read more>>
Leigh-Anne Anderson
I actually got my start in public relations on the other side of the world. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work in London with one of the world’s leading public relations agencies. Read more>>
Kiya Knight
Sixteen Years in the Making Some partnerships happen in a boardroom. Ours began barefoot in the sand. In 2011, at Bikini Bootcamp in Tulum, Mexico, our paths crossed for the first time. I was leading fitness retreats. Jaimie Patrick Abbott had arrived from England, exhausted by the pace of corporate life and searching for something she couldn’t quite name. Movement became the doorway. Read more>>
Ingrid Pagliarulo
Thank you for asking! I founded Napulitanamente after a more than a decade abroad, working also within the Italian community. I launched it because I was tired of the distorted image of Italy presented by those who neither speak the language nor understand the culture—people who are not even Italian and promote clichés and a skewer perspective rather than reality, prioritizing profit over authenticity. Read more>>
Andrea Niestas
I earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the age of 29 in San Diego, CA. After various internships and jobs – in schools, outpatient clinics, residential treatment facilities – I began working at an inpatient behavioral health hospital. I worked in the Intake department, which was responsible for patient assessments and admissions. Read more>>
VITO TENORIO
I started out drawing and painting as a kid, in 1997 I was introduced to graphic design. I was told i could take my hand drawings and turn them into digital art, ever since then I was hooked. I started with humble beginnings, I spent countless hours learning my new craft. Read more>>
Susie Fitler
I didn’t begin my design career until 41. I met my husband at 38, got married at 39, and our first daughter arrived at 41! A lot of life in a short amount of time! After I had Bella my eldest girl, home took on a whole new level of meaning and function. Read more>>
Helena Zhang
I grew up in China, where Traditional Chinese Medicine was more than a profession – it was a way of understanding life. From an early age, I became fascinated by the idea that health is cultivated every day through our relationship with nature, food, movement, emotions, and the changing seasons. More than twenty-seven years ago, I began my journey as a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. Read more>>
Gabriella Liu
If you had asked me a few years ago whether I’d be building an incense company, I probably would have laughed. My career was anything but traditional craftsmanship. Like many people, I was focused on building a career, chasing opportunities, and constantly planning what came next. Read more>>
Amber Paresa
I’m a martial arts film fan and I always thought it would be cool to learn how to disarm someone, like Jackie Chan. At 42, I found a Groupon for a local Krav Maga studio and thought I’d give it a try. Krav Maga, more martial than art, is a straight forward defense system without fancy acrobatics or katas which I found appealing. Read more>>
Ben Gluck
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where my family’s roots ran deep. My grandfather owned and operated the historic Edison Hotel on 18th Street across from St. Louis Union Station. Growing up in a state that produced Mark Twain and Walt Disney, I found myself captivated by storytelling from an early age. Read more>>
Lisa Constant
Financial advising wasn’t my first career—it was the career I never knew I was looking for. Before entering the financial services industry, I owned and operated several businesses in different industries, including a consulting firm. Read more>>
Wendy Brickman
Wendy Brickman’s Passion for Promotion The Monterey-based Wendy Brickman, owner of Brickman Marketing, is passionate about marketing and public relations. After growing up in Westwood in Los Angeles and subsequently working at Paramount Home Video in Hollywood and other video companies, Wendy Brickman, MBA, MA, established her award-winning firm, Brickman Marketing (www.brickmanmarketing.com), in Monterey in 1990. Read more>>
Julie Willi Martin
I found my way into floristry through a series of passions that ultimately led to Willi Wildflower. With a deep appreciation for art and color theory, I earned a degree in Fine Arts with a focus in photography. After graduating, I spent a brief period working as a wedding photographer, but quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit for me. Read more>>
Kenneth Goodrich
Music started as an escape, but it eventually became an obsession. Early on, I realized I couldn’t afford to wait for someone else to believe in me, so I made it my mission to learn every part of the creative process myself. Read more>>
Joannie Lee
The Ergo Expert was born from my years providing corporate chair massage throughout San Diego. As I walked through office after office on my way to the designated massage room, I couldn’t help but notice a pattern. Employees were spending hours hunched over their desks with poor posture, awkward workstation setups, and obvious signs of physical strain. Read more>>
Joleen Green
I opened Lucys On Lighthouse in the middle of Covid in July 2020. Timing wise wasn’t so perfect… I ran our citys baseball park concessions for a few years, and everyone loved hot dogs!!! I knew I wanted to create a place where I could be more creative in our comfort food and bring it to our community in a fun fresh way. Read more>>
