The Rundown:

• Want your widgets to fly off the shelves? Then know your market.
• It’s all about telling a story.
• From Iran hostage crisis to PR.
• Finding her passion with yellow ribbons.
• Jumping on opportunities.

Summary:

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.

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

• [00:10] Welcome and introduction to Sharon Wright, founder and owner of Loudoun Clear Marketing.
• [00:42] The problem she’s passionate about solving.
• [01:45] It all started with the Iran hostage crisis.
• [05:38] What has contributed to her success.
• [07:21] Starting her own business.
• [08:53] Business strategy.
• [11:11] Common mistakes that clients make.
• [12:49] What sets Loudoun Clear apart.
• [14:37] The future of the marketing and public relations industry.
• [18:35] Social media.
• [19:29] Sharon’s superpower.
• [21:25] Her favorite campaign so far.
• [23:40] What every small business should know about marketing and PR.
• [25:19] Jump on opportunities.
• [28:59] The next big thing.
• [31:06] Camera-shy clients.
• [33:06] On the horizon.
• [35:02] Contact information.

The Rundown:

• Around the painting industry since the ripe old age of two.
• The art and science of finding the right employees.
• Family feuds.
• No such thing as work-life balance.
• Cancer diagnoses.
• Paint It Forward.

Summary

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.

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [00:11] Welcome and introduction to Mike Katounas of Home Works Painting.
• [01:15] Being around the industry since he was a toddler.
• [01:51] Employees are the number one contributing factor to his success.
• [02:16] The art of finding the right employees.
• [03:03] Getting into the painting industry.
• [04:20] Starting his business.
• [06:14] When old and new collide.
• [09:24] Building up his business.
• [10:57] Work-life balance.
• [14:10] Ups and downs.
• [14:37] Setting and maintaining realistic expectations.
• [16:14] What sets Home Works Painting apart.
• [18:44] Paint it Forward.
• [23:07] The worst moment.
• [25:06] Technology in the painting industry.
• [26:17] Trends in the industry.
• [27:19] On the horizon.
• [27:59] Contact information.

The Rundown:

• Spirit communicator from childhood.
• The Awakened Life.
• Celebrating your wrongness.
• Fighting against the grain.
• A strong line of women
• Uranus, Taurus, and the future.

Summary

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.

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [00:10] Welcome and introduction to Uma Alexandra Beepat.
• [00:56] Lotus Wellness Center.
• [01:28] The Awakened Life.
• [03:22] The wrongness of people.
• [04:18] Starting her journey.
• [05:46] Contributions to her success.
• [07:03] Getting skeptics to meet in the middle.
• [09:10] The most common problem among her clients and students.
• [10:36] The treatments with the most skepticism.
• [11:24] What sets Lotus Wellness Center apart.
• [12:52] A strong line of women.
• [15:30] Her favorite treatment to give.
• [16:18] Her favorite treatment to receive.
• [17:23] Essential oils.
• [18:59] The next big thing in her industry.
• [22:45] Her superpower.
• [24:38] On the horizon.
• [26:00] Contact information.

The Rundown:

• Providing non-medical support to children with cancer.
• In the trenches with the families.
• You promised.
• Renegades of cancer.
• Don’t be anybody, be somebody.

Summary

When Tom Mitchell’s daughter Shayla became sick and eventually passed away, he wondered why somebody didn’t do something about the horrors of children with cancer. Then he realized that he is somebody. Tom, also known as Tattoo Tom, founded StillBrave Childhood Cancer Foundation to provide non-medical supportive care to children with cancer and their families. They focus on the day-to-day, in-the-trenches types of needs that families may face, such as rent, gas and grocery cards, utilities, car and home repairs, and funeral costs.

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [00:10] Welcome and introduction to Tom Mitchell, founder of StillBrave Childhood Cancer Foundation.
• [00:53] StillBrave’s mission.
• [02:45] Why cancer assistance is so underfunded.
• [07:58] He’s not doing this for his daughter, he’s doing it for yours.
• [11:07] The birth of StillBrave.
• [13:38] Ways to get involved with StillBrave.
• [18:56] Common misconceptions about Tom and StillBrave.
• [21:00] How does he do it? How do you not?
• [23:23] The common denominator.
• [24:35] Tom’s hat.
• [26:53] Self-care.
• [29:15] On the horizon.

The Rundown:

• A rough start in life.
• From GI Joe to CEO.
• Controlling his own destiny.
• Don’t steal from yourself.
• The big-dollar contracts sound sexy, but that’s not where it’s at.

Summary

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 is the center of his story.

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [00:34] Welcome and introduction to Sean Jensen of Polu Kai Services.
• [01:52] Deciding to write a book.
• [03:39] GI Joe and CEO from a young age.
• [05:13] Starting Polu Kai Services.
• [06:36] Pick your battles.
• [07:43] The biggest challenge to starting Polu Kai Services.
• [09:15] Polu Kai Services today.
• [11:20] Stealing from yourself.
• [13:42] Finding himself.
• [16:16] Solving problems for veterans.
• [19:45] The hardest chapter to write.
• [20:49] Advice to new business owners.
• [21:55] His self-rule for accepting new contracts.
• [24:07] His superpower.
• [25:28] On the horizon.
• [28:35] Contact information.

The Rundown:

• Entrepreneurship from childhood with a cardboard box and a transistor radio.
• Service and staff are key, and the three rules to success.
• You can make a promotion out of anything.
• Balancing art and business.
• A customer, Alexa, and Ashburn Pub Specials walk into a bar …

Summary

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.

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [00:13] Welcome and introduction to Kevin Bednarz of Ashburn Pub.
• [01:10] Getting started.
• [03:09] The rules of success.
• [05:33] Focusing on the current customer base.
• [06:18] Entrepreneurship from a young age.
• [07:18] Bednarz’s greatest mentor.
• [08:00] Utilizing social media.
• [08:30] Pushing through the growing pains.
• [10:15] Social media contests.
• [12:00[ Balancing art and the business.
• [13:15] Long-term stellar staff.
• [14:51] Ashburn Pub’s secret sauce to success.
• [16:03] Pop-up parties.
• [17:20] You can make a promotion out of anything.
• [18:50] Proud moments and everyday happiness.
• [20:00] On the horizon.
• [21:37] How long does it take to put a masterpiece together?
• [22:38] Contact information.

The Rundown:

• From hating his job to finding his home.
• Risking awkward family holidays for his dream.
• There’s no such thing as a backup plan.
• The importance of brand and community.
• Bill Clinton? Oh no, he’s just Chris Farley the Running Store Guy.

Summary

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.

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [05:10] Welcome and introduction to Chris Farley, owner of Pacers Running.
• [05:30] Getting started.
• [08:17] His passion for running.
• [09:15] Going all in.
• [12:23] The challenges of growing Pacers Running.
• [15:50] Building and connecting with the core community of runners.
• [18:37] Communicating with his audience.
• [19:47] Competing with large online companies.
• [23:14] Finding the perfect employees.
• [27:30] A great work culture translates to a happy customer experience.
• [28:45] Learning along the way.
• [30:00] Expanding the community through races.
• [32:16] It’s more than just a shoe business.
• [33:04] Help from James Carville.
• [34:55] You’re buying more than just shoes.
• [37:35] Why runners need the best equipment.
• [39:35] On the horizon for Pacers.
• [43:30] Upcoming events.
• [44:43] Contact information.

Summary:

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.

The Rundown:

• Bartending and backstage catering.
• What do you do when you’re catering for Bruce Springsteen and your pan won’t fit in your oven?
• You have to love what you do.
• Make like Nike and Just Do It.
• A presidential catering event with President Bill Clinton.

Show Notes

• [00:02] Welcome and introduction to Linda Harkness of Tasteful Affairs Catering.
• [00:35] First gig.
• [03:19] Contributing factors to the success and longevity of her career.
• [04:47] Secret ingredient to making each event magical.
• [05:50] Developing her passion for food.
• [07:12] Starting her business 35 years ago.
• [08:22] Balancing business with motherhood.
• [10:38] Creating a can-do culture among her staff.
• [12:34] Transitioning from a concert caterer to a private event caterer.
• [15:17] The most memorable event she’s ever catered.
• [17:17] Challenges for catering companies.
• [18:21] What keeps her loving the business.
• [19:56] Advice for finding a wedding caterer.
• [20:54] On the horizon.
• [21:40] Contact information.

The Rundown:

• From a dark place to happy orange.
• When you are good, good things come your way.
• Inspiring by example.
• You are accountable for your own behavior and happiness.
• Simple acts can change a life.

Summary:

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, and are raising their children to be accountable for kindness as well. 

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

• [00:29] Happy Orange Project.
• [01:10] The beginning of Happy Orange Project.
• [04:04] The motivation behind starting Happy Orange Project.
• [05:52] How Galya and Audrey came together.
• [11:14] Going from an inspiration to a business.
• [15:10] They must make a profit in order to spread the message.
• [17:50] Hopes for future generations.
• [19:50] Taking control of your own happiness.
• [20:19] Consistency.
• [23:40] The youth of today are anxious.
• [24:58] The Baby Beanie Project.
• [29:59] Simple acts.
• [35:50] It’s not about instant gratification.
• [37:50] Get involved and keep in touch.

Summary: 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.

The Rundown:

• Wine without a road trip.
• Paradise Springs Winery is steeped in history.
• Fighting for this passion.
• Taking Virginia wines to California.
• Writing the script of the Virginia wine industry.

Show Notes

• [00:58] Introduction to Kirk Wiles, owner and founder of Paradise Springs Winery.
• [01:32] Recent renovations.
• [02:12] Opening the winery.
• [02:40] A rich history.
• [04:19] Growing up on the land.
• [05:26] Refusing to sell the land for development.
• [06:07] Wiles’ previous work experience.
• [07:33] The passion for the land and the wine.
• [09:44] Grand opening mistakes.
• [11:53] Being an entrepreneur in the wine industry.
• [13:03] Growing to include a Santa Barbara location.
• [14:21] The challenges of having a winery in Northern Virginia.
• [15:51] The team.
• [17:47] Rejected ideas for the land.
• [19:09] The longevity of the wine business.
• [20:16] Writing the script of the wine industry in Virginia.
• [22:33] Paradise Springs events.
• [23:27] Biggest mistake in entering the wine industry.
• [25:27] Contact information.
• [25:56] Future plans.