There’s nothing more sobering than a distant stat hitting close to home—and we’re not talking physical distance. Mental distance: the kind of distance we manufacture in our minds to separate us from the pain of truth to enjoy the comfort of ignorance. Whether it’s hunger, cancer, disease, or poverty, most of us will never think twice until we experience it ourselves. And yet, in 2016, nearly 70% of all Americans reported having less than $1000 in savings, while 34% reported next to $0. What’s more? The outlook is bleak: estimates suggest 39% of Americans will have close to $0 in their savings by the end of this year. So, what’s happening? Misplaced taboo, insufficient education, and bad habits, according to Jennifer Myers, founder and president at SageVest Wealth Management. Not surprisingly, these three symptoms are related, having been passed down from one generation to the next. “[Financial stability] is a subject nobody really wants to talk about, [but] we need to change that in our society because someone’s financial standing dramatically impacts their lifestyle, their health, their ability to survive.” Tragically, most people don’t even realize how little they’re saving. Jennifer’s advice: Take action now (if you can start in your twenties, don’t wait), make a wise investment in a financial future, and consider what matters in life. “I pursued corporate finance for a very brief period of time before someone wisely said to me: ‘Go into the office tomorrow and look around and decide if you want to be the people that you work with 20 years from now.’” Realizing she wanted nothing to do with that future, Jennifer dedicated her life to educating clients, and extending high level wealth management structure to ordinary people. “Finances are related to real people who need real advice… Too often wealth managers just simply look at retirement and crack the numbers and they don’t get to know what’s really important in somebody’s life. And life is short. You want to make sure it matters.” SageVest Wealth offers a myriad of other services beyond retirement planning, including SageVest Kids – a family focused branch of SageVest, and a passionate rebuttal to breaking the financial illiteracy cycle. You can learn more about Jennifer and SageVest at: https://www.sagevestwealth.com/

Kindergartener or senior citizen, entrepreneur or employee, hobbyist or professional, everyone has a story to tell. The question for Rusty Foster is: how do you go about telling that story? As one of the 7% of residents that is born and raised in Loudoun County, and founder of BowTie Strategies, Public Relations Firm, Rusty recognizes that Public Relations is not just a Hail Mary Press Release to salvage a potential disaster. In reality, PR is a major branch of every company young or old, big or small, something he sees as a delicate, yet powerful series of relationships–each worthy of deep respect. “I love helping individuals, nonprofits, or companies tell their story, figuring out what challenges [they face], helping them craft their message and then best utilizing that message to spread into the masses.” And for those looking to get their next big break on TV (or any platform for that matter), Rusty cautions against heuristics and many “publicists,” which can cost companies tons of money with no real returns. His advice for entrepreneurs starting out: Research. Research. And then research some more by “never asking too many questions of real people with [actual] experience.” And as for PR: with the increasing over-dependence on technology and its effect on communication skills today, many “publicists” may only have the ability to type 280 characters. But, with nearly eighteen years of experience and a background in fundraising, Rusty hopes to lead by example and impact the surrounding community one friend at a time. You can learn more about BowTie Strategies’ and the services they offer at: www.bowtiestrategies.com

For most people, bankruptcy is often thought of as a financial Armageddon, set to reverse a lifetime of hard work and worse yet, irreversibly scar their reputation for years to come. Ashley Morgan helped us understand that in reality, bankruptcy (and bankruptcy lawyers) are not as bad as people think. She is one of just a handful of bankruptcy and immigration lawyers in NOVA that are bilingual (fluent in both Spanish and English) and has found education to be the real culprit behind crippling fear: “When people come into my office, I think they’re worried about what I’m going to say, but you don’t have to make a decision right away – a lot of my clients make a decision after they go home and sleep on it. Sometimes months later.” She asserts that if you’re scared about anything, the best way to overcome that fear is to get educated on what your options, rights, and possibilities are for your future. “[A lot of people] think lawyers are all sitting back making lots of money; most of us are small business owners just like everyone else. But you don’t go into law, especially bankruptcy, [to become] a millionaire. You go into helping people.” This passion for helping people was no better illustrated in a story Ashley shared with us regarding a complex immigration case: her client was facing deportation despite being instrumental in cooperating with the government against a cartel gang that would kill him if deported. On top of that, he had a criminal conviction, which meant his resources were even more limited. Having almost no options, Ashley taught herself as much asylum law as possible and prepared extensive documents for the court case. In the end, when all the information was presented, the judge granted relief under a specific code section that had never done before and was only possible because [they] had met an exceptionally high standard. Needless to say, this accomplishment is very rare, but in reflecting on this story Ashley remained as humble as ever: “we didn’t realize in the moment [that the case was special] because when we were going through it, it was [just] something that worked.” You can reach Ashley at: afmorganlaw.com.

Making those decisions when it comes to taking care of aging parents are sensitive subjects. Topics that Justin Roberts of Waltonwood Senior Living Community understands on a personal level. When we heard the story of why he entered this industry, we knew his story needed to be told. His Grandmother was living alone at the time that she suffered a stroke. No longer able to care for herself, the only options seemed to be home and a nursing home. It was then that Justin researched other options and found there was a bridge in between the two. That search led him to George Mason University to get his Master’s degree in Health Systems Management, concentrating in Senior Housing. There’s something really welcoming and caring about Justin when you first meet him. It’s probably the 12 years of experience in his field. Why is he so good at it? One, it’s personal. And two, over the years, he’s worked his way through many of the roles he’s managing today. It gives him the understanding of how to run this community. The ultimate goal? To keep people as independent as possible. Get in touch with Justin at www.waltonwood.com