Outside of Gravity, the Law of Averages is arguably the next greatest force that affects people on a daily basis. The theory suggests that the result of any given situation will be the average of all outcomes. The most powerful demonstration of this is in human potential. Hence the phrase, “you are an average of the five closest people around you.” But what does this mean? Pick any characteristic or trait. Chances are: if one person possesses it, so do their five closest friends. Drinking beer, smoking, work ethic, politics, even the way they dress. That said, what averages someone has now doesn’t matter. What matters most is whether someone is intentional about upping their average. In fact, it’s part of why Allison Felix, President & COO, Principal of Cassaday & Company, continues to foster a culture of entrepreneurship for her team. The goal? Providing objective guidance to investors seeking financial advice, with excellence and integrity in everything they do. To achieve this, founder and owner Stephan Cassaday, sought to establish an independent and employee-owned firm with fewer conflicts, and no proprietary interests. One that could act in the client’s interest 24/7 by selling advice, and not products. To complete the vision, it required an investment larger than money: the right people. People with character, not afraid of challenges and growth. Those who show mass potential exhibited by behavior. This was something Allison learned from her mentor first hand, who pushed her limits and encouraged her to get her MBA. The investment paid off. Seventeen years later, Allison grew from Executive Assistant to become Cassaday & Company’s first COO. And was just recently promoted to President. Her advice to anyone looking to achieve a massive goal: latch on to the person [with experience and credibility] who sees something more in you that you may not see in yourself. Then, surround yourself with people you can “give and take from,” that can help you reach that potential. “The best thing to be is the person talking the least in the room.” Today, she continues the work of Stephan Cassaday and promotes ownership over individual performance, learning from peers, and corporate responsibility. In fact, Allison recently founded the Northern Virginia Women’s COO Forum for local operations leaders to network, problem solve, and share resources across all industries. To learn more about Allison and the services Cassaday & Company offers, you can visit: www.cassaday.com

Most of us grew up learning the importance of taking care of the environment. From Captain Planet to Fern Gully, we’ve had our fair share of lessons. But nothing may be as powerful as the popular children’s book, The Wartville Wizard. The short story tells of one man exasperated with picking up his neighborhood’s trash when no one else will. In turn, he is granted a magic power that allows him to command litter to ‘go back and stick to the person who threw you.’ With everyone buried in their own trash, he teaches the town residents that every piece counts. Mark Gatanas, founder and owner of Gatanas Services, is one such wizard for Northern Virginia. But, instead of magic powers for litter, Mark has mastered the craft of furniture restoration over the last three decades. The idea came to him from seeing furniture left on the side of the road, waiting to be taken to the dump. Rather than letting it go to waste, he saw a whole new purpose and business. But it wasn’t all smooth sanding. Since 1988, Mark has had his fair share of ups and downs, during which his own passion took a brief hiatus. It wasn’t until 2009 that he doubled down and re-branded his company into what it has become today. What does Mark attribute to his success? An unyielding tenacity, and curiosity in all things. Skills he learned from his grandfather. His advice to entrepreneurs starting out: renew yourself every once awhile. “[You should] educate, reeducate, and look for opportunities for growth, which will better serve [others].” Through his work, he hopes that he can inspire a cultural shift in the community. A society that invests in trades, thinks outside of the box. One that abandons the black and white, use or no use mentality. You can find out more about Mark, the services he offers, and examples of previous projects on Facebook and at www.gatanasservices.com

As an entrepreneur, the daunting prospect of taking the next leap can seem insurmountable at times. Especially when you don’t know where to start. For photographers moving from hobbyist to pro, this is an all too familiar reality. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to distinguish yourself in a marketplace. One dominated by an array of skill sets ranging from unqualified to top dollar pros. And as with most other pursuits, lack of knowledge can lead to common mistakes. The biggest mistake? Jumping onto social media and asking random strangers for advice. Although the unbiased perspective may at first seem alluring, credentials and credibility are too often overlooked. Enter Dorie Howell co-founder/co-owner of IPS Mastermind, an entrepreneur “boot camp” of sorts for photographers. Her origins into photography was a much needed return to her creative roots. As a former opera singer, Dorie found the insurance world fit like a square peg in a round hole. Thus, what started with photos of her own family, quickly expanded into photos for friends and then clients. Now with over a decade of experience, she notes one common thread among photographers starting out is the practice of devaluation as means of differentiation. I.e. giving products and/or services away for free. In the professional space where the price of many lenses can run a few thousand dollars, unchecked underselling can run a business to the ground. Dorie advises: if you’re adding value to other people, never sell yourself short. But how? Dorie wondered the same thing when she sought to answer this very same question. In her quest to develop her own business, she realized there was a tremendous gap in business training that would have otherwise saved her time, mistakes, and generated more revenue. In the coming years, she met her business partner, Rachel Boer, and together they founded IPS Mastermind. You can learn more about IPS Mastermind and the services offered at: www.ipsmastermind.net

In a world that is rapidly changing, fueled by online media sources, start-ups, and gurus, it can be difficult to navigate the ever expanding swamp of knowledge. It seems there’s a recipe for success around every pop-up window and subscribe button. Especially when it comes to starting your own business. According to the online “experts,” it’s never been easier. Just buy their course! Fortunately for the Advice Giver reader, there’s people like Candace Carson who give us a much needed reality check. As the founder and president of The Intelligentsia Agency Inc., she’s no stranger to hardship. In fact, she’s releasing a memoir later this year that walks through her journey as a survivor. From abuse to homelessness, the murder of her fiancée to single mom, and now most recently successful business owner. To push through these trying times, Candace turned to her faith, which she credits as the most important part of moving forward. From there, she also sought out motivational speakers and dove into books. This journey lead her to discover the foundation of what would become The Intelligentsia Agency, previously known as Lily of the Valley Speakers. It’s purpose: To represent and connect the most brilliant minds, contributors, and intelligence to the world’s greatest companies and organizations. But, it wasn’t an overnight success. In fact, Candace fully admits she had no idea what she was doing when she got started, with barely any knowledge in the industry she sought to improve. By all accounts, she was destined to fail. And at first she did. What carried her through? An unrelenting force of passion, purpose, and curiosity. Her message to anyone with doubt, [you] can overcome any hurdle that’s in your way. Entrepreneurship is not only about solving problems for other people, but solving the problems within yourself that prevent you from reaching your own human potential. “If I can apply myself and go to the library multiple times per week, sit down, read, and eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches for a week at a time, or live on $20 per week for groceries, which I did. I can tell you exactly what I bought. Ramen, eggs, pasta, bread, cheese, etc. If I can do that and come out as successful as I have, anybody, anybody, anybody who is willing to do the work can succeed.” Today, The Intelligentsia Agency is quickly becoming renown for its unrivaled speaker and consultant vetting system, tailored for any business. You can learn more about The Intelligentsia Agency here at: www.theintelligentsia.co

The big event is seemingly just around the corner. It’s now up to you to host fifty executives, or maybe you’ve just been engaged, and what was once the most exciting bit of news just became the most stressful event planning nightmare. We’ve all heard the stories of Mother Nature showing up uninvited, or a mother-in-law ruining an otherwise perfect moment. But maybe less familiar is the stress from countless hours of researching a DJ or choosing a caterer. And it seems as soon as you find one credible, they’re booked, or worse, they cancel. But this doesn’t have to happen. In fact, Laura Ritchie, Christie Yerks, and Brittany Hagaman of Grit & Grace set out to change all of that nearly ten years ago. Unlike most event planners, which excel in one specialty or “signature style,” Grit & Grace prides itself in its unique approach to crafting memorable events, by making them reflective of their clients. In this way, no two events are the same. The secret to incredible custom events? Playing to the strengths of a diverse trifecta. Laura, Christie, and Brittany learned early on that leveraging each other’s talents, although vastly different, allowed them to tackle monumental obstacles that arose as a result of disrupting their industry. Along the way, they refined their craft and vision, and take enormous pride in being their clients’ guide. The biggest mistakes soon-to-be hosts often make? Contacting a planner too late, underestimating the demands of a project, and not prioritizing a budget. “[Our work] is our profession. Much like hiring a realtor to purchase a home, you want to hire a professional to give you assurance, that says that you’re making the right decisions along the way and not wasting your time.” That said, Laura, Christie, and Brittany don’t take on every client seeking them out—sometimes it’s just not a good fit. To deliver extraordinary results requires extraordinary standards and relationships, not only with partners or vendors, but clients as well. Their advice to entrepreneurs starting out? Commit to action, but understand each day is a learning curve. Even if you think you’re an expert, stay humble and be open to criticism. Growth and value will follow. To learn more about Grit & Grace’s services, you can find them at http://gritandgraceinc.com/

Everyone wants to live an extraordinary life, yet most feel like it’s just never going to happen. Whether it be shedding some pounds or becoming the best version of yourself. It always seems out of reach. A constant struggle. But it doesn’t have to be. Elaine Gibson beat Stage 4 cancer, and she didn’t do it with any of the traditional protocols. But boy, did she do her research! She went on a journey to find how the healthiest people lived, and it wasn’t found all in one place. She discovered from Dr. Otto Warburg, who won the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1931, that there is a distinct connection between oxygen, cancer, and disease. Cancer and all of the things that don’t function well are “anaerobic.” Meaning that it can’t function in the presence of oxygen. “I have one question I ask myself everyday: How do I get oxygen and alkalinity into my body?” Elaine took a proactive approach to solve cancer. And today she is taking that same approach to help people live their most extraordinary lives. “I totally believe we must have extraordinary health in order to have an extraordinary business, in order to have an extraordinary life, and in order to increase our impact on the world.” Incredibly, this isn’t actually that difficult. Forget counting calories, getting more oxygen in your diet can be as simple picking two to three of the most alkaline plant based foods on the planet, and eating them daily. Not too complicated right? So, what are these high-alkaline foods? Spinach, Broccoli, Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Bell Pepper, and Avocado. “I believe a plant based negatively charged alkaline lifestyle is [the first step] in bringing abundance to everything we do.” Renewed Living offers coaching to help you “Claim Your Extraordinary.” You can learn more about Elaine Gibson and Renewed Living at: www.renewedlivinginc.com