We recently sat down with local entrepreneur and aesthetician Heidi Bellerjeau, whose personal journey is a story of reinvention, resilience and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others. In her 50s, Heidi made the decision to return to school and further her education in aesthetics, skincare and the science behind beauty and wellness. After completing 750 hours of classroom and hands-on training, she achieved her goal of graduating with a renewed passion for helping both men and women better understand and care for their skin. That passion eventually led Heidi to launch her own skincare and makeup line, Salt Mineral Beauty, featuring products made with 100 percent minerals and natural ingredients. Her philosophy centers on embracing the aging process naturally and helping people feel confident without relying on harsh chemicals. But for Heidi, beauty is about more than skincare. It is also about community and giving back. A portion of every purchase through Salt Mineral Beauty supports those who are facing ocular melanoma, turning her business into another avenue for helping someone she cares deeply about. During our conversation, Heidi also opened up about the importance of mental health and suicide prevention. Having worked closely with fashion designer Kate Spade, who died by suicide in 2018, Heidi shared her firsthand perspective on how someone can struggle privately while appearing successful and happy to those around them. For Heidi, beauty and wellness are closely connected to overall well-being. Today, Heidi says her goal is simple: to help people in Nashville feel loved, confident and strong. Her story is a reminder that it is never too late to start a new chapter, pursue a passion and use your talents to make a positive impact in the community around you. Now, you can nominate someone whose confidence gives you strength to have a lipstick in the line named after them on her website.

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What happens when you are wrongly convicted? There is an organization in Tennessee that is there to fight with you and for you. We sat down with Jason Gichner, Executive Director of the Tennessee Innocence Project, to learn more about the organization’s work to help correct wrongful convictions across our state. Founded in 2019, the Tennessee Innocence Project investigates and litigates credible claims of actual innocence, working to give wrongfully convicted individuals a path back to freedom and, ultimately, back to their families and communities. But the organization’s work goes beyond the courtroom. TIP also helps exonerees rebuild their lives after release, while advocating for policy changes and educating the public about the factors that can contribute to wrongful convictions. Since its founding, the organization has helped secure the exonerations of 12 people, representing more than 300 years of wrongful imprisonment. In our conversation, Gichner shared why this work matters not only to the individuals and families directly affected, but to communities across Tennessee—and why seeking justice also means working to strengthen the system so that wrongful convictions are less likely to happen in the first place.

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A Mt. Juliet mother is helping create meaningful change for children with disabilities, and she’s doing it with the support of Wilson County officials and members of her community. Jennifer Ethridge is a mother to several children, including her son Leo, who was born with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Because of his unique needs, traditional Parks & Recreation playgrounds haven’t always provided a space where Leo can safely play, explore, and have fun. But Jennifer wanted more for her son, and for other children like him. She teamed up with Mt. Juliet Parks officials and community members to turn that vision into reality. Today, LeoLand is underway and continuing to grow, creating an inclusive space where children of all abilities can play, connect, and simply be kids. We spoke with Parks Director Ross Hudson about the work that went into bringing LeoLand to life. We also spoke with local nonprofit founder Steven Whitehouse of SW & Friends, whose organization has helped provide funding to make the space even bigger and better. Find out how one mother's determination is helping build a place where every child has a chance to play.

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