Northern Virginia Advice-Givers

In exciting news, the entire team at Northern VA Advice Givers® has been reassigned to impact the local community in other ways, specifically the growth and development of ImpactClub® Northern VA. We've found the community needs us more than ever. Not just as an authority in business, but as a leader in transforming the lives of people who need help the most. This means, effective October 1st, 2018: We will no longer be hosting interviews, producing a podcast, or compiling a magazine.

Allison Felix is the recently made President and Principle of Cassaday & Company, a wealth management advising company that assists people who understand the need to fund retirement but don't know how or aren't able to put in the time to do it on their own. A lot of their clients seek help with investing in and managing stock, saving for retirement, building a plan to save for their children's education, and planning for unexpected expenses such as potential health issues down the road. Cassaday & Company stands out in the financial industry because of the dedication they maintain for their employees, their ability to actively plan for themselves as well as their clients, and their continuity between financial advisers that perpetually allows for an excellent customer experience.

Christie Yerks, Brittany Hagaman, and Laura Ritchie are the founders and owners of Grit & Grace Inc., an event designing company that does extensive event design planning and production for major large scale events, primarily weddings. Grit & Grace Inc. takes pride in their ability to push the creativity envelope and step outside the box to highlight what makes their clients unique through creative event design. They gracefully wear the grit that it takes to be an event planner as their brand, shining in authenticity to their clients and leading them along a path of success and synergy between them and just about everyone they work with. These ladies take us inside what it's like to be an event designer, what to expect once you hire them, and how important it is to learn from your mistakes in order to grow.

Pamela Jackson Sams combined her talent for advice giving with her knowledge of finance to start her own financial planning business called Jackson Sams Wealth Strategies. She works primarily with single women ages 45 to 65 to help them feel comfortable with their finances and reach their short and long term goals. She stands strong in her moral beliefs and life principles, which draws people to her and has paved her way to success. Pam discusses the problematic lack of education in finance, the best ways to invest in the market, and how to plan realistically and effectively for the future.

Denise Stern is the founder and owner of Let Mommy Sleep, a team of nurses and caregivers that help new parents just home from the hospital with their newborns, in addition to providing overnight care. Their team tends to newborns in-house any time from 10pm to 7am and offers education services as well. The mission of Let Mommy Sleep, and its corresponding nonprofit Mission Sleep, is to change the way people bring babies home in the United States by emphasizing the importance of postpartum care and integrating this care as a normal part of having a child.

Cindy Battino is the founder and owner of Transformational Healing, and in the past 26 years, she has become a life coach, energy worker, and happiness expert. Cindy began her quest to help others find happiness in the fitness industry as an aerobics instructor, then became a personal trainer. Realizing in her early 30s that she could not seem to find happiness for herself, Cindy embarked on her quest for happiness by spending years in therapy, attending workshops, and reading self-help books. Once she learned how to love herself, she decided to dedicate her energy to leading the way for others with her business Transformational Healing.

Anne Beverly is the owner of the Bluebird Counseling Center. She specializes in Women's Empowerment Therapy, but also opens her doors to individuals, families, couples, and teens. Her methods incorporate Solution-Focused Therapy, role-playing techniques, and positive self-talk. Helping people has always been her calling. Before she opened up her own counseling center, Anne was a special education teacher for ten years. She spent most of her career comforting parents and talking them through difficult times, which is how she discovered her passion for therapy. In this episode, Anne describes the importance of loving yourself and how self-love can be a learned thing if the right steps are taken.

Elaine Gibson is the founder of Renewed Living as well as an author, speaker, private coach, green juicer, and grandmother. After she successfully beat stage four cancer without using traditional methods, her sole purpose became to help people lead extraordinary lives. Renewed Living is dedicated to getting you into a happier, healthier place that allows you to "dance vibrantly, youthfully, in your own unique style." In this episode, Elaine shares her spiritual journey to recovery, the holy grail of health, what stops people from reaching their full potential, and how she hopes to impact the world.

Active Family Wellness, a full service chiropractic office located in Fairfax, VA, is founded and owned by Dr. Greg Lee and uses various modalities such as dry needling, disc decompression, stem, ultrasound, muscle work, rehabilitation, tool assisted scar tissue/adhesion removal, and nutritional counseling. The office primarily works with infants and pregnant women due to the extra care they require in the prevention of health problems, but they serve patients of all ages as well. Dr. Lee discusses the basic steps to achieving a healthy lifestyle, common misconceptions directed towards chiropractors, and the business model he used to become successful.

Rusty Foster is the founder and owner of Bow Tie Strategies, a public relations and events management firm. Rusty has 16 years of experience in public relations and fundraising. He primarily works with small business owners in Loudoun County, VA, and helps them grow their audience through various methods such as website redesign, social media outreach, event planning, and writing press releases. There are many different ways to reach out to customers, so Bow Tie Strategies spends a significant amount of time getting to know each business and its story in order to orchestrate the best strategy for them.

Jennifer Myers is the CEO of SageVest Wealth Management and SageVest Wealth Kids. SageVest Wealth Management helps individuals, families, and small business owners look at their long term objectives, manage their investment portfolio several layers deeper, and look at every aspect of their financial situation to help them achieve their goals. SageVest prides themselves on getting to know their clients well and helping them to connect with their wealth in meaningful ways. Jennifer is a strong advocate for establishing a foundation of finance basics early on in life and focuses a lot of her efforts in SageVest Wealth Kids to encourage parents to help their kids grasp a firm understanding in their developmental years. She discusses money as a taboo topic, technology's integration with finance, the retirement crisis, and the importance of establishing a realistic financial plan that sets you up for success.

Daryl Collette is the founder and owner of Automotive Quality Solutions, which is a one-stop shop for vehicle related needs, including cosmetic repair, detailing, and pretty much everything except for mechanical issues. They operate based on their slogan, CPR for Cars, which stands for "Clean, Protect, Renew," and simplifies the extensive list of offerings available. AQS is 70% retail and 30% wholesale and provides an unprecedented standard of quality. Daryl shares his background in the car industry and how he built a thriving business through persistence and innovation.

Anne McCabe Triana is the President and CEO of Curo Private Wealth. Her business offers two private services in the financial space: Comprehensive Financial Planning and Investment Management Services. According to Anne, planning for retirement has never been more crucial because the existence of Social Security and pensions have never been more volatile. She offers ample advice to anyone looking to make smart financial decisions as well as students just entering the industry who are looking for wisdom in building a strong career.

Justin Roberts is the Executive Director of Waltonwood Senior Living Community, a family-owned senior housing operation based out of Michigan. Waltonwood Senior Living stands out in a competitive market of retirement centers due to their tightly knit community and the variety of services they offer. Waltonwood caters to seniors who prefer to live independently as well as those who need some extra assistance, which has allowed tenants to maintain their residency in this "one-stop shop" of retirement communities. Justin discusses common misconceptions surrounding senior homes, what it takes to successfully operate a thriving community, and how to best plan for your own future.

Ashley Morgan is the founder of Ashley F. Morgan Law, a firm that primarily deals with bankruptcy, immigration, tax resolution, and setting up and closing down businesses, as well as everything in between. Ashley discusses the truth about bankruptcy and goes over the misconceptions people tend to have that stall them from making a necessary financial decision. She enjoys educating people on their rights in addition to potential consequences and provides a judgement-free atmosphere for her clients to get the financial help they need to move past their struggles.

Terri Aufmuth is the owner and founder of Cornerstone Landscaping. She primarily deals with drainage issues due to erosion and disturbed soil, but also works on landscape design and cleanup quite a bit. Throughout 23 years of operating her own company, Terri has learned to always be in communication with clients and to hold her employees accountable for their assignments. She enjoys working with nonprofits and having a positive impact on the community through Cornerstone Landscaping.

ZavaZone is a multi-attraction indoor experience - the brainchild of two groups of parents who were sick of hearing their children argue about what to do in their spare time. Josh Oboler and Joe Henry, the founders, decided to channel that restlessness into something fun, active, and healthy that they could do together. Through plenty of trial and error but even more determination and eagerness to learn, Josh and Joe found a way to reverse engineer everything that has ever been wrong with family entertainment centers and turned their dream into a very successful reality.

The Organizing Mentors is an organization whose mission is to help people improve their lives and resolve internal and external clutter by organizing their spaces. Lisa Geraci Rigoni, the organization's founder, uses a highly effective system known at LITL to help her clients find peace from a state of physical and mental overwhelming clutter. Lisa and her team work to give their clients time back from facing the daunting task of organization and to clear the stress and shame from their lives.

Dr. David Berman, MD, FRCSC of Berman Cosmetic Surgery & Skincare in Sterling, VA operates a very successful practice and varies from many aestheticians due to his genuine desire to help people. He is strictly in the business of improving lives, and has been known to refuse surgery requests that he believes will negatively impact the self-esteem of his patients. His dedication to stay well-nourished and stay physically fit is deeply represented in his work; he encourages all his patients to pair their cosmetic adjustments with the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Berman enjoys working for himself and learning from his own mistakes, which ultimately pushed him to develop his own practice in plastic surgery. His specialty is in body contouring, particularly utilizing smart liposuction under local anesthetic to focus on minimally invasive fat reductions.

Julie Mendez was a recruiter for some time, but needed a job that she could move around with. Now she's one of the premier career coaches in Northern Virginia. She offers practical advice, cheer-leading, and support to help people navigate the next step of their career paths.

Damien Madison and Kodi Smith co-own CrossFit Prominent in Gainesville, Virginia with their wives. The four co-owners focus on family and relationships to make it work. Prominent Athletes helps teach kids the fundamentals of sports, along with speed, strength, and agility, while simultaneously giving kids an outlet and a place to woosah. You don't have to be a kid or a super athlete to benefit from CrossFit Prominent, though. Anyone can do it.

Registered dietitian Deborah Jeffery wants her clients to have a healthy relationship with food. She helps them wade through the abundant misinformation about food and make small changes for a big impact on their weight loss journey.

Doneen Hoffman, founder and owner of Estate Professional Services, is here to take the stress out of estate sales and put cash in her clients' hands. She specializes in estate sales, clean-outs, and appraisal services. Although she's been in the industry for a long time, she only started her business about four years ago. Despite being a young business, Estate Professional Services is already in the top two most-viewed companies in her area on estate sale websites, with over 6,000 followers on Facebook.

Tim Hipp is the founder and owner of RxR3 Recovery Lounge, which focuses on helping people with pain, fatigue, and poor performance. He treats everyone from athletes to 80-year-olds with a variety of tools and technologies. Tim encourages proactive maintenance so his clients can excel past the line and go from existing to living.

Romin Zandi was just a teenager when he took a self-development course and decided to become a disc jockey. Now he's been deejaying for almost seven years, has his own LLC called Zandi Entertainment, and teaches his staff and himself to strive towards forging real connections with their clients and bringing their events to life.

Nick Mann's love of fitness started all the way back in elementary school when a teacher inspired him to get involved with a running program. Now he runs Occoquan Bay Performance, a gym that focuses on lifestyle change. Nick is passionate about solving the obesity epidemic in America, and the obesity epidemic among America's youth. Developing healthy habits can facilitate real lifestyle change and impact his clients for the better. 

John Patrick, known to many in the community as JP, is the founder of the Rock of Ages Music school, or ROAM, an all-inclusive music school that offers both private lessons and group instruction for students of all ages and experience levels. As a former artist in a rock band, JP knows a thing or two about varying levels of success in the music industry and being a rock star. Now he's helping others become rock stars, too.

Christian Myers is the co-founder of VeloCity Bicycle Co-op. Their mission is to grow and empower an inclusive biking community through education and affordability. Christian had managed bike shops on and off for years, and was a bike messenger, so he knows his way around a bike. He also volunteered with a bicycle co-op in Oregon, and the idea had stayed with him for years.

Paige Crouch doesn't let being a quadriplegic limit her painting. In fact, she never considered starting to paint until after her accident. Now she's a member of the Foot and Mouth Painting Artists, she creates beautiful paintings, and she inspires others with demo days at churches, schools, and rehab centers in Northern Virginia.

Everyone has a story. Sharon Wright's began when she was in high school learning about the Iran hostage crisis. The crisis led to Sharon finding her passion from a young age, and now, over 30 years later, she's helping solve marketing challenges for clients in the Northern Virginia region as the founder and owner of Loudoun Clear Marketing.

Mike Katounas has over 20 years of painting experience. After working in the family painting business with his father, he started his own business in Chantilly, Virginia called Home Works Painting. There have been ups and downs along the way, from family fights to being diagnosed with cancer to the economic downturn, but Mike isn't going anywhere. The sky is his limit.

Most people would be less than thrilled to hear voices in their head, but for psychic medium Uma Beepat, it's just life. Uma has been a spirit communicator since her childhood, and is also a healer, spiritual teacher, speaker, and the author of The Awakened Life. She's also the founder and owner of Lotus Wellness Center, which brings together northern Virginia's top practitioners to offer a variety of holistic services, workshops, and classes to improve the overall health and wellness of their students and clients.

When Sean Jensen, CEO of Polu Kai Services, was abandoned into the foster care system at the age of six, he had no idea that he would grow up to become a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. When he started a business to compete with a boss who had done him wrong, he didn't know he'd be the CEO of a company that would become a leader in the small business federal marketplace. And when he wrote his book, Sergeant to CEO: A Foster Kid's Lessons in Family, Fidelity, and Financial Success, he was unaware that he was going to touch so many lives that he'd have an online community of over 28 thousand followers. Letting people know that they can survive and thrive is the center of his story.

Kevin Bednarz always wanted to own his own business. Though he went to school for graphic design, he began working as a bartender to make extra money and fell in love with it. Now he's the owner of Ashburn Pub as well as an artist, balancing his passion with his business, and attributes his great success to service and stellar employees.

Many people would love a database management job in a government office. Chris Farley hated it. He wanted to run. After finding an advertisement for runners to work part-time at Pacers, Farley began working there and felt that he'd found a long-term home. He bought the store that he'd been working in in June 2003, and has grown Pacers to six stores and 18 road races a year.

Linda Harkness began catering 35 years ago for a Washington, D.C. club called The Bayou. Although she was also a bartender at the time and had to run her catering business out of her house, she pulled it off. Her food continued to get glowing reviews even through a divorce and raising two children alone, so much so that she even got to cater for an inaugural gala for President Bill Clinton. Whatever needs to be done, just do it. 

When Audrey's life as she knew it exploded into a deep, dark place, she knew she could either go deeper into the darkness, or turn it around to be a force of kindness. She chose the latter. Good things come to those who do good, so a great thing came to her — her friend and former neighbor Galya. Once these like-minded people came together, they became an inspiration by example to their entire Washington, D.C. metropolitan area

Kirk Wiles made his first wine in 2007 and opened Paradise Springs Winery in 2010, after a ringer of a fight with the county about whether or not growing grapes counted as agriculture. Wiles won that battle and is now writing the script of the wine industry in Virginia and sharing his story and his wine all around the world. His passion not only for high-quality wine but also for the land that's been in his family since 1716 and for helping customers make memories come together to create a wine experience that everyone can enjoy.

How Marrying the Business Leads to Success

Behaviors in dogs are external manifestations of internal underlying driving forces, but people often try to fix the wrong end of the leash. Kimberly Artley is a dog trainer, life coach, author, and the founder of Packfit, which helps owners and pups communicate and get to the root causes of so-called 'bad behavior.' She gives practical tips on changing human behavior to condition calm for a cool, collected dog.