You’ve always wanted to get to know your favorite local business owners. But with everyone’s busy schedules, it can be hard to actually sit down and chat with each other and learn about the dreams, setbacks, successes, failures, and everything in between! All of which help shape us into the humans we are today.The Sincerely, Your Small Business podcast is your window into the lives and identities of small business owners that you support year-round. What inspires them, what makes them tick, and what has helped them grow as business owners, parents, community members, and friends.It’s a way to get to know them, so that when you DO run into one another at the grocery store, park, or place of business, you’ll know that at the end of the day, we can all build relationships and connect with one another through shared experiences.
Christina Martin (Chris) is the baker and owner of Florosa, a commissary bakery & flower farm based in Charlottesville, VA. A third-generation Nicaraguan American, she draws on her heritage to create Latine and Hispanic–inspired pastries, pan dulce, and desserts that honor traditional foodways while reflecting the landscapes and seasons of Virginia. She bakes with locally milled flour, eggs from her backyard flock, and herbs, flowers, and produce grown on her certified urban farm and sourced from nearby farmers. Florosa pastries and edible flowers can be found daily at JBird Supply, as well as through catering and cakes for events, meetings, and weddings.
While working in the industry, Chris earned an AS in Baking & Pastry and a BS in Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship from Johnson & Wales University. As a queer community member, she volunteers with Charlottesville Pride and serves as an ambassador for CHOW, supporting wellness and mental health in the hospitality industry.
In our conversation, Chris reflects on her journey as a small business owner, discussing the evolution of the bakery and emotional challenges of entrepreneurship. We touch on the impact of relationships on business success and the balance between ambition and realism in entrepreneurship (something not talked about enough, maybe!).
Big takeaways:
"I am nothing without the women who came before me"
Asking for help is not a shortcoming but a strength
Simple living outside of work can bring joy, fulfillment, and presence
Connect with Chris:
Instagram: @byflorosa
Website: byflorosa.com
Listen to the first time Chris was on the show HERE.
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Christian is the founder of More Than A Cup, a premium mobile coffee bar serving the Charlotte Metro area. Starting in high school and throughout college, Christian worked in private clubs serving weddings, baby showers, and more. In college he studied civil engineering.
After two years with a civil engineering firm, Christian realized the moments that moved him weren't behind a desk. They were in front of people. More Than A Cup was born from that realization: that coffee, done right, is never just a drink. It's a connection point, a celebration, a reason to gather.
Today, Christian brings a white-glove café experience directly to weddings, corporate events, and special occasions across Charlotte. One intentional cup at a time.
Website: morethanacup.com
Instagram: instagram.com/_morethanacup
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/morethanacup
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Caroline Addington is the founder of Blue Ridge Barbell, a community-driven gym in Charlottesville, Virginia. After years as a personal trainer, she opened the gym local lifters had been asking for: one full of focused training, genuine community, and good vibes.
Caroline's work sits at the intersection of strength training, business, and community building. She's passionate about entrepreneurship, leadership, and creating environments that help people become more capable, resilient versions of themselves. She openly shares the realities of building a brick-and-mortar business—from raising capital and navigating setbacks to developing culture and leading a team with intention.
Her mission is simple: build stronger people, stronger communities, and spaces where people can do meaningful work together.
Get the Blue Ridge App: 12-Week Get Strong Program in the Blue Ridge App
Learn more here: Blue Ridge Barbell Website and Instagram
Membership info:
24/7/365 Access for members
Day Passes are $15 and Monthly Memberships are $85
Blue Ridge Barbell has lots of strength training classes available, including several that are super beginner friendly!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
This episode originally aired in September of 2025. Enjoy!
On this episode, discover how Ryan opened a vegan eatery, Botanical, amidst the challenges of the pandemic. You'll hear about the importance of community, the power of confidence, and the joy of creating a supportive environment for both staff and customers.
Ryan Becklund is the owner of Botanical in Charlottesville and Bar Botanical in Crozet, VA. Both restaurants are 100% vegan and serve a variety of vegan fare, pastries, craft cocktails, coffees, and uncommonly found vegan products.
Ryan lives in Crozet with her partner, dog, and cats (and usually a foster cat or two). She loves the challenging pace of the food service industry, becoming part of the rare community here in Cville, and spending her tiny amounts of free time with her friends and animals.
Follow Botanical and Bar Botanical on Instagram!
Learn more about Botanical here: https://www.botanicalfare.com/
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
In this episode, Allie shows her dedication to community support, quality, and how those have also coincided with her personal growth. Listen to this chat to hear wisdom about resilience, adaptation, intentionality in business, and the importance of community (in both life and business).
From Allie:
4 phrases or words to best describe me because I’ll choose an even number (4) over an odd (3) any day:
-family woman
-adventurer
-technology averse
-Loves God & animals
I am a mom to two beautiful daughters, Sawyer & Willow! Together with my culinary school sweetheart, I live in Free Union, VA with our Hen, Wise One, our Great Pyrenees puppy, Como, & our old hound. Peachy. With two chefs in the family, we eat well, adventure big, and always love coming home to our fur and feathered friends. When I am not in the kitchen making bone broth, I am a mountaineer, a rock climber, and an inclusion advocate! I love yoga as a personal practice but also as a career at Hot Yoga Charlottesville and the Contemplative Sciences Center of UVA :)
Learn more about C'est Bon Bone Broth here, and follow Allie on Instagram here!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Linda Livernois is an award-winning makeup artist and beauty expert specializing in makeup for film and photography with a special focus on luxury bridal makeup.
With a love of high fashion, luxury beauty, and art, Linda brings her trained eye to create beauty that is timeless and elegant. Her work has been published in Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Carats and Cake, and many other publications.
Linda prides herself on her relationship-driven approach to find the most beautiful version of her clients with lots of laughter along the way.
Big takeways to listen for in this episode:
Learn more about Rouge 9 Makeup Studio here, and follow Linda on Instagram!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
A local to the Charlotte Metro area for 13+ years, Eden Estabrook has had a passion for writing for as long as she can remember -- even making a career out of it as a communications specialist!
With Arnie the Armadillo Goes to Antarctica and Arnie the Armadillo Goes Backpacking in Brazil, Eden has been sharing her love of learning and literacy with the next generation since 2023.
Listen to hear these 3 big takeaways from Eden's chat:
Learn more: https://www.meetarnie.com/
Follow Eden on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arniethearmadillo
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Dr. Rachael Carreon is a pediatric physical therapist, Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, and infant development expert with over 12 years of experience. She specializes in supporting babies with oral ties and feeding challenges, torticollis, plagiocephaly, body tension, and gross motor delays.
As a mom of two, Rachael understands the worry that can come with early feeding and milestone concerns and is passionate about empowering parents with the knowledge and confidence to support their baby’s development during the critical early years.
Listen as Rachael shares topics that you can relate to, like:
Establishing more work-life balance as her practice grows
Handling falling into the comparison trap, especially on social media
How she views "business growth", and if she wants "an empire"
Learn more here: https://www.foundationspediatricpt.com/
Follow Rachael on Instagram here.
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Jennifer Iskat Frankoski is a Doctor of Physical Therapy. She is a Board Certified Physical Therapist with clinical experience in an Orthopedic Residency Program and advanced pelvic floor training. Jennifer is a certified Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist (PCES). She is also Certified in Dry Needling.
She is currently in the process of studying for additional certifications in orthopedics, pelvic health, and strength and conditioning to expand her expertise on sports rehab, orthopedic rehab, women’s health and pelvic floor health.
Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and specialized in Exercise Science at Liberty University and became certified as a personal trainer with ACSM before going on to Lynchburg College to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. For the past 13 +years she has been treating athletes and active individuals from various fitness and sport facilities with rehab and prevention of injuries.
Dr. Frankoski started the PT practice, Be the Change Physiotherapy, in April 2018 to be able to create the change she wishes to see in the therapy and medical world by empowering patients with knowledge, individualized and one-on-one care without insurance limitations.
She believes in conservative treatment including manual therapy, exercise prescription, strength training, tool assisted soft tissue work, dry needling, motor control training and educating the patient are the most effective approaches to treat various musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, pelvic floor and other painful conditions.
Jennifer has a history of 8 years of gymnastics experience with 7 years of gymnastics coaching experience, Crossfit coaching experience, 4 years of track and field as a hurdler and pole vaulter. She has also run 2 ultra-marathons and currently is active in fitness including Crossfit, HIIT training, & some running. She has been active in the fitness and Crossfit communities in Charlotte for the past 12 years. She is also a coach at Vitality Fitness. In her free time, you’ll find Jenn spending time with her husband, Jeremy, son, and daughter, enjoying the outdoors, working out, running, or writing.
Learn more:
https://bethechangephysiotherapy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechangephysiotherapy#
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechangephysiotherapy/
Jenn’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/physio.rx/
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
In this episode, Rebecca shares her journey of building a private therapy practice in Charlottesville, focusing on her specialty, EFT, and how she maintains her well-being while managing things like boundaries and the ebbs and flows of business.
Big takeaways:
Rebecca Tedford, founder of Strength & Ease Psychotherapy, brings more than 20 years of experience in the therapy world. Before creating Strength & Ease, she worked with individuals and families in public agencies and has experienced therapy from both sides of the couch.
Rebecca is passionate about giving Charlottesville couples access to the gold standard in couple therapy—Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)—and about supporting other therapists as they learn this model. She also provides consultation to supervisors of other therapy practices and leads trainings for therapists who want to deepen their understanding of what they bring into the therapy room.
Rebecca maintains firm boundaries around her work hours so she can be fully present with clients. Outside the office, you’ll find her walking her two dogs, hiking local trails, sampling new restaurants, strength training, or planning a vacation with her family.
To learn more, visit:
www.strengthandease.com
Follow on Instagram: strengthandease
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
In this episode, Patsy Lupton shares her journey of balancing the demands of running a small business, raising two kids, and nurturing herself in the middle of it all. Listen as she shares her honest experience around resilience, support systems, and more.
Big takeaway moments:
Timestamps:
A little bit more about Patsy:
When my passion for beauty collided with my genuine love for people, I knew I’d found my purpose. I started my esthetics journey back in 2014 after graduating from Ogle Hair, Skin, and Nails, and I’ve been perfecting my craft ever since.
In 2018, while earning my Master Educator license at Gaston College, I discovered a new obsession, waxing, and that’s when everything truly clicked for me.
Since then, I’ve had the joy of serving clients from all walks of life, each one reminding me why I love what I do. Their stories, confidence, and vulnerability inspired me to take a leap of faith and open Publicity Wax Studio, a space rooted in inclusivity, body positivity, and a whole lot of community.
I strive to make sure every client at Publicity receives a tailor-made service that leaves them walking out feeling celebrated, empowered, and like the celebrity they already are.
Outside the studio, I’m a proud wife and mom! A role that keeps me grounded, motivated, and full of heart. Balancing mom life and business life has shaped me into the woman I am today: determined, compassionate, and always ready with a little extra warmth and humor.
Learn more here, and follow Publicity Wax Studio on Instagram!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Jennifer Bryerton, MaEd is the founder and publisher of CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine and VirginiaSummerCamp.com. For 25+ years, she's built award-winning niche media brands and helped small local businesses increase visibility through strategic marketing, SEO, content, and creative community partnerships. Jennifer specializes in helping local businesses leverage their stories to attract long-term clients for sustained growth.
Listen to this episode as Jennifer shares her journey of:
balancing the demands of running a successful small business while raising four children
building a community through CharlottesvilleFamily, and the enduring value of print media in a digital age
how her approach to business is all about flexibility and adaptation, which has helped her thrive both in business and community
To read and learn more:
https://www.charlottesvillefamily.com/
https://virginiasummercamp.com/
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlottesvillefamily/
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Freddy is an inspirational speaker, social-emotional learning (SEL) mentor, health and wellness trainer, educator, author, and founder of The Love No Ego Foundation.
For schools, universities, and the corporate world, Freddy's Love...No Ego philosophy serves as the foundation for success, strengthening the motivation needed for change, igniting intuitions, identifying and removing egotistical behaviors, minimizing stress and conflict, and facilitating valuable, purposeful, and practical action steps that enable people to grow and perform better than their everyday pressures.
Listen to this episode as Freddy shares his journey of embracing the present, finding fulfillment in human connections, and the power of curiosity and introspection.
Learn more about The Love No Ego Foundation: https://www.lovenoego.org/
Follow along on Instagram: @thelovenoegofoundation
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Garrett Tichy is a Charlotte-based entrepreneur who co-founded Seemingly Overzealous Ice Cream, an inclusive, allergy-friendly brand that takes fun very seriously. He previously founded Hygge Coworking (acquired in 2023) and co-founded SMPL, a software company acquired in 2020. His work centers on building businesses that bring people together and doing it the honest, behind-the-scenes way.
Jessica Berresse is a co-founder and operator of Seemingly Overzealous Ice Cream, where she turns big ideas into systems that actually work. She’s the behind-the-scenes magic making sure the ice cream is inclusive, the operations are tight, and the experience feels effortless (even when it’s not).
On this episode, we chat about what it's like to accept that the to-do list never ends, and still making time for rest and connection; what it's like to navigate reviews and feedback in the age of social media and being online; and on finding a competitive edge by adding a personal touch to everything.
Follow along and learn more:
Seemingly Overzealous on Instagram
Garrett Tichy on Instagram
...and check out their website here!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Brittany was born and raised on a farm in Crozet, Virginia, founded by her great-grandfather, J.T. Henley. She spent her childhood days outdoors in the orchards, riding horses through the fields, and learning from Henley’s avid passion and instruction around wildlife conservation.
His influence inspired Brittany to pursue degrees in both Wildlife Biology and Agriculture. After university, she continued her education for 10 years in Colorado, backpacking through the National Parks of the West.
Brittany’s floral career was introduced first as an unplanned opportunity, and grew to a love for creating artwork utilizing natural elements. Since then, she has been in the industry for 20 years, designing floral decor for events varying from weddings to corporate parties, celebrations, and memorials.
Brittany maintains her environmental awareness and eco-friendly lifestyle in the workplace. She consistently makes a conscious effort to compost, recycle, and avoid plastic products and packaging. With every purchase, a portion of the profits are donated to wildlife rehabilitation efforts through Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary in Schuyler, Virginia. Horse & Hen combines the gift of natural artistry with eco-conscious methodologies.
Website: https://www.horseandhencrozet.com/
Follow Brittany on Instagram here!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Patrick, a native son of Albemarle County, first found his inspiration where most cooks do—at home. Patrick grew up in a farmhouse in North Garden, where family meals and fresh ingredients from the garden shaped his childhood.
He moved to New York City to work in the art world, but a business trip to the Galicia region of Spain and a small Michellin-starred restaurant there named Casa Marcelo inspired him to take a different path and bring his art to the world of food.
After culinary school, he worked at Blue Hill and 81 Restaurant under Dan Barber and Juan Cuevas, respectively. An interest in bread making brought him to the New York artisan bakery Amy’s Bread. From there, he became Executive Baker for a successful start-up bakery called Choc O Pain, where he helped open two locations in NJ.
Patrick and his husband, Jason Becton, opened MarieBette Cafe and Bakery in 2014. It is named after their daughters, Marian and Betty. In 2019, they partnered with William Darsie to open Petite MarieBette, and in 2024, they opened Sbrocco's Donuts and Espresso with Melissa Portera.
Listen to this episode as we explore:
Balancing business and family life
The importance of dividing responsibilities and respecting each other's space, especially when you run a business with your spouse
The supportive local community, which has been instrumental in the small business journey
Websites:
https://www.mariebette.com/
https://www.sbroccos.com/
Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mariebettecafe/
https://www.instagram.com/petitemariebette/
https://www.instagram.com/sbroccosdonuts
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Rob Wooten is a multidisciplinary designer and artist who is currently the creative director and partner at Convoy, a Charlottesville/Richmond-based design and development studio, and a curator and collaborator with Trailhead Creative at Home Fire Gallery. This gallery focuses on local artists and designers. Illustrator and writer at Hanging Moon Comics (an upcoming comic book) and founder of Design Friends, a group focused on graphic design-focused events and community initiatives.
In this episode, Rob talks about how:
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Senlin Means is a trans woman and anti-fascist activist, co-owner of The Beautiful Idea and owner of F12 Infoshop. In her spare time she runs Charlottesville Harm Reduction and reads lots of books. She lives with a dog, a cat, and a snake in her hometown of Charlottesville VA.
In this interview, hear Senlin's thoughts and experiences on:
learning what it means--and how--to be happy in the chapter of activism you're in
running a business with multiple people and how communication plays a huge role--as well as a foundation of love and understanding
feeling like you're a part of something greater than its parts
what it's like to practice believing that what you're doing is making a difference, and that it's worthy of positive feedback
Follow along on Instagram @the.beautiful.idea and learn more about The Beautiful Idea by visiting www.thebeautifulidea.gay
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Alexandra de Guzman, a Charlottesville-based coach, brings over 20 years of competitive tennis experience. Originally from New Jersey, she was a top-five sectional junior and a USTA national doubles champion. She went on to play NCAA Division I tennis at William & Mary, where her team ranked as high as #8 nationally. After earning a B.S. in Kinesiology with a minor in Art and Art History, she served as the Women’s Assistant Coach at William & Mary and later coached at the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in South Carolina.
Certified by the USPTA, PTR, and as a Tennis Performance Specialist, Alex has worked with nationally ranked juniors and supported a touring pro at the Madrid and French Opens. She’s coached in elite environments and formerly held a coaching role at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville. Alex spent two years in Spain teaching tennis and English, shaping a coaching philosophy rooted in self-awareness and empathy. She later managed international university programs for a company before founding Second Serve Tennis in 2018.
In May 2025, she rebranded to APEX Performance Center, expanding to offer performance training for young athletes in Charlottesville. Passionate about community, she leads Girls Rule the Court (a free USTA program) and serves on the USTA Mid-Atlantic Coaches Commission Task Force.
Learn more about APEX here, and follow them on Instagram!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Jenn Baellow founded Kindred Cville to create a supportive space where new parents can prepare for birth and navigate postpartum and early parenthood with confidence.
Her journey began with fear and anxiety during her first pregnancy, but through prenatal yoga, breathwork, and the guidance of her doula, Kelly Cox, she discovered the power of movement and mindfulness in birth. Now a DONA-trained doula, certified childbirth educator, and prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher, Jenn is dedicated to building community and collective wisdom, ensuring parents feel empowered and supported in this transformative season.
Learn more about Kindred Cville here:https://www.kindredcville.com
Follow Kindred Cville on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kindredcville/
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
In today's episode, we explore what it's like to: have a variety of interests and skills, take a mindful approach to social media (in a way that's more conducive to real-world connections), and remember that you can't be everything to everyone.
Brittany Fan is a graduate of the University of Virginia and a visual artist based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Having a love of all things creative, her practices include painting, photography, illustration, ceramics, floral design, and last but certainly not least, her pursuit of graphic design as a full-time designer at Journey Group, a design agency based in downtown Charlottesville.
Brittany finds inspiration in the natural world and in the themes of hope, renewal, and human connection. When she's not creating art, she's often found exploring places near and far, trekking up a mountain or through the woods, gathering people over a home-cooked meal, or tackling some house or garden project. She has served on the board of New City Arts Initiative, and is involved with several other arts and faith-based non-profits in the Charlottesville area.
Learn more about Brittany here, and follow her on Instagram @brittanyfan_art!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
Carrington is a lover & an artist devoted to sharing wisdom on harmonious living in the countryside. She earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and African-American & African Studies in 2018 from the University of Virginia. Her current work focuses on motherhood, mycology and metaphysics. Other than writing, you can find her foraging in the mountains with her family or baking a vegan cake. She is the owner of the vegan micro-bakery Chanterelle Cafe, located in Central Virginia.
Listen in as we explore what it means to take the blessings and challenges that come with life, be okay with others' opinions, and make work WORK for your life.
Learn more about Carrington here, and follow along on Instagram!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Betsy Kraft grew up in Texas and moved to Virginia ten years ago by way of Colorado. After years in the hospitality industry, she pursued her passion for interior design and launched her own firm four years ago. Known for her personalized, client-focused approach, Betsy creates spaces that seamlessly blend style, function, and comfort.
This episode isn’t just about running a design business. It’s about learning to trust your gut, advocating for your worth, and giving yourself permission to not have it all figured out. Betsy opens up about her path to entrepreneurship, the challenges of balancing ambition with sustainability, and the importance of being honest... with ourselves and with those around us.
Learn more: www.betsykraftdesign.com
@betsykraftdesign on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
We’re told that running a small business is “hard,” but no one really explains how messy, humbling, and human those first few years can be.
In this conversation, I talk with Dannah Boston about the real behind-the-scenes of business ownership: the ugly first five years, the pressure of providing for a team, and the identity shift that comes with juggling life as a provider, parent, and entrepreneur.
Dannah Boston, the founder of The Esthetic Co, brings over 15 years of experience in the esthetics industry and a drive for results for all skin. With the support of her husband, they have a full house: three little humans, three dogs, a cat, 10 hens, and a rooster. When Dannah isn't working on the business, you can find her with her family on a mountain snowboarding in the winter, on a lake with the kids in the summer, or at one of the local wineries with friends.
Learn more about The Esthetic Co here.
Follow The Esthetic Co on Instagram!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
On this episode, discover how Ryan opened a vegan eatery, Botanical, amidst the challenges of the pandemic. You'll hear about the importance of community, the power of confidence, and the joy of creating a supportive environment for both staff and customers.
Ryan Becklund is the owner of Botanical in Charlottesville and Bar Botanical in Crozet, Va. Both restaurants are 100% vegan and serve a variety of vegan fare, pastries, craft cocktails, coffees, and uncommonly found vegan products.
Ryan lives in Crozet with her partner, dog, and cats (and usually a foster cat or two). She loves the challenging pace of the food service industry, becoming part of the rare community here in Cville, and spending her tiny amounts of free time with her friends and animals.
Follow Botanical and Bar Botanical on Instagram!
Learn more about Botanical here: https://www.botanicalfare.com/
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
This episode originally aired on Feb. 5, 2024. The show notes have been updated to reflect Yolonda's current offerings. Enjoy!
Yolonda Coles Jones is a visionary coach, healing-centered facilitator, homeschooling mama, and community-rooted leader based in Charlottesville, VA. She leads two distinct yet deeply aligned entities—each with its own purpose, structure, and offerings.
Through her LLC, Empowered People® Coaching & Consulting
(→ www.YolondaJonesCreative.com), Yolonda supports high-impact individuals, families, and teams in reclaiming calm, clarity, and confidence. Her offerings include:
• Calm Coaching™
• 1:1 Private Custom Coaching
• Parenting Support & Consultation
• In-Person Grounding & Clarity Sessions
• Workshops + Public Speaking for Conscious Leaders & Organizations
Empowered People® is built for those ready to lead and live with presence, purpose, and unapologetic self-trust.
She is also the Founder and Executive Director of The RESTORE Project, a fully independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit
(→ www.TheRESTOREProject.org), which offers trauma-informed, community-based care—particularly centering Black women and mothers in Charlottesville–Albemarle. RESTORE is a home for:
• Culturally responsive, mindfulness-based programming
• Restorative coaching and wellness pathways
• Community partnerships for healing, parenting, and collective care
Engage with Empowered People® (LLC)
→ Book a coaching package, clarity session, or workshop https://ycjcreative.as.me/
→ Invite Yolonda to speak at your event or facilitate for your group https://forms.gle/PV8n9t5mMXNLg4wW8
Engage with The RESTORE Project (501c3)
→ Donate to sustain participant care and community-rooted leadership https://therestoreproject.org/
→ Partner to co-create or fund healing experiences email: admin@theRESTOREproject.org
→ Participate if you’re local and aligned with the mission email: yolonda@theRESTOREproject.org
Follow Yolonda’s journey and leadership at @Yolonda_J on Instagram.
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Snail Mail is a brand specializing in hand painted stationery and products featuring Carrie's original artwork. The products she creates are rooted in the joys of our every day and bring a smile to many of the little moments throughout our lives.
Snail Mail's stationery line is painted by hand on 100% recycled paper, making each one unique to the customer while also being good for the earth!
Additionally, a portion of each card purchase is donated back to local organizations across Virginia helping to welcome our refugee neighbor, aiming to create more inclusive communities. Really and truly, Snail Mail's whole business is rooted in loving our neighbors without conditions.
Complementing the cards, Carrie offers recycled beer can ornaments, stickers, bandanas, art prints, and paint palette originals. She also has a wide portfolio of freelance work with folks like Dukes Mayo, James River Association, Independence Golf Club, and more.
https://cheathamsnailmail.com
https://instagram.com/cheathamsnail_mail
https://facebook.com/cheathamsnailmail
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Lauren is a UVA graduate and former elementary educator who spent 13 years teaching (in room 13) in Charlottesville before transitioning into roles as a private educator and a family assistant.
She now runs Curated Concierge, a thriving personal concierge business that supports busy professionals and families by managing the details of life. Her goal? To help her clients feel supported, reduce their mental load, and give them the freedom to focus on what they love.
From organizing homes to coordinating seasonal tasks, her services are designed to reduce stress and maximize joy. An advocate for asking for help and delegating tasks, Lauren combines practical expertise with a personal touch, always prioritizing connection and care.
Her newsletter, Curated Connections, provides a mix of relatable stories and actionable advice, making it a favorite among clients and followers alike. Whether it’s hosting friends and family at her home or sharing ideas on Instagram, Lauren believes in fostering relationships and building supportive networks. She's excited to share her journey as an entrepreneur and what it means to run a business built on helping others.
Website: www.ccbylaurensantana.com
Instagram: @ccbylaurensantana
Facebook: Curated Concierge by Lauren Santana
Newsletter: Curated Connections
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Lune Wynyard had already been cutting what they call "unwashed hair" for over a decade before founding 'Intuitive Dry Cutting' in 2016. Their teaching career began when they opened a dedicated salon in New York in 2017, and in 2018 Lune traveled to LA to teach their first workshop.
With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Lune's focus shifted to becoming a certified life coach and developing an online program for hair stylists, interrupted by the birth of their daughter and subsequent relocation to Charlottesville as a single parent.
Now, Lune has been cutting independently at The Strand, a salon in the heart of Belmont, and establishing a clientele, some of whom travel from an hour or more away to experience an Intuitive Dry Cut.
Lune enjoys promoting 'radical self acceptance' through the belief that all hair is beautiful in its natural expression, and that a haircut that allows it to do what it wants can transform someone's relationship with themself. They never stop learning from each head they encounter, and even though they resisted the idea of becoming a professional hair stylist for years, they find deep satisfaction in their work and can't imagine a life without it.
Lune dreams of revolutionizing the way our culture relates to beauty and hair, one head and one student at a time.
www.intuitivedrycutting.com
IG @intuitive.dry.cutting
tiktok @intuitive.dry.cutting
youtube @intuitivedrycutting
facebook @Intuitive Dry Cutting
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Kelly Cox is a 500 RYT, registered prenatal yoga instructor, birth doula, and licensed clinical social worker. For the last 15 years, she has supported expectant and new mothers and it is through this work she became aware of the stress and depression that surround feeding infants. As a breast cancer survivor, she is committed to making sure all survivors have access to human milk for their babies.
Listen in as Kelly shares more about this revolutionary app, her journey from being a pre- and post-natal yoga studio owner to app developer, and how she takes care of herself through the boundaries she sets and the people she shares her energy with.
Learn more about Share the Drop here, and follow on Instagram here!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please take a moment to share a rating or review. THANK YOU!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Molly Braswell runs Sidecar: a team of folks interested in some work, but not full time work, who support small businesses and non-profits who need some help, but not full time help. It's a win-win!
Molly lives in Lexington, Virginia with her husband and three small children where she is learning that a "normal week" is a hoax and she's committed to finding folks interesting and dynamic work that fits in with their real, actual, "never-normal" lives.
Check out Sidecar here, and connect with Molly on Instagram.
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Katie Sale was born and raised in Virginia. Like many who attended the University of Virginia, she didn't leave after graduation, and instead, has made Charlottesville her home.
With a robust career working in high-end service retail and hospitality, she's honed a keen eye for design while also understanding her clientele's needs and expectations. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, she decided to go back to school and earned a master's degree in Design Management from Savannah College of Art and Design.
When not restoring order for her clients, or in her own life, you can find Katie walking one of her three dogs, attending one of her stepkids' countless extracurriculars, and like the rest of us, trying to create some zen through her own yoga practice.
Tap here to learn more about Katie's Professional Home & Business Organizing + Move Management and follow 139 Goodman on Instagram.
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Margaret Bolton Baudinet is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of College Solutions. Originally from Alabama, Margaret graduated from the University of Virginia with highest distinction with a degree in political and literary thought, finishing her academic tenure with research at Oxford University.
Margaret holds five years of admission experience from the University of Virginia, specializing in legacy admissions. She's worked as an IEC for 10 years. Margaret has served on the selection committee for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation as well as UVA's Jefferson Scholarship Foundation.
Margaret is the proud mother of seven-year-old quintuplets and a new baby girl. As a mother and a college advisor, she strives to see the whole person — motivations, fears, blind spots, and goals.
Links:
www.collegesolutions.com
https://www.facebook.com/CollegeSolutions/
https://baudinetquints.blogspot.com/
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
This episode originally aired in May of 2023.What does "resiliency" mean to you? Listen in as Daniel shares about what that word means to him, and what it can look like to forge your unique path of small business ownership.
Daniel Perry was introduced to jam-making 20 years ago and never looked back. 15 years ago, a year out of college, he started a jam business. He bought a tent at K-Mart, borrowed a table, and set up a booth at the Farmers Market behind his Grandmother's Oldsmobile. He sold a handful of jars and his life was forever changed.
Now, 100,000 jars later, he's married with two energetic toddlers, surrounded by friends & hungry customers every weekend at the City Market.
When he's not busy making jam or being a husband and pop, he loves to make connections in the food community, between bakers and caterers, cheese makers and gelato makers, winemakers and mead makers. He counts himself fortunate to be among a growing number of chefs who've used entrepreneurship to escape from restaurant kitchens in search of stability, independence, and mental health.
When fruit is in season, from May to September, he's a whirlwind of fruit, processing 500 pounds and making 250 jars in a series of wild 80-100 hour weeks. Every Saturday morning from April to Christmas you'll find him giving out free samples and selling jam at the City Market in downtown Charlottesville.
Follow Daniel on Instagram and purchase jams here!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Rachel Pennington is a great baker, a shitty capitalist, and a memoir/food writer. She owned The Pie Chest in Charlottesville, VA, a sanctuary of comfort, delicious food, and rest for the weary soul.
Her culinary work has been featured in or mentioned on The Travel Channel, USA Today, the Boston Globe, Edible Blue Ridge, Southern Living, Our Local Commons, the Southern Foodways Alliance, the Edacious Podcast, and various local publications. Her buttermilk biscuit was featured at Flavored Nation as the state dish of Virginia.
Rachel’s writing has been featured in Passages Literary Magazine (Ashland University Press), Forty Voices, The Porch, and she was longlisted for Craft’s Hybrid Writing Contest in 2023.
Rachel graduated with a Doctorate in the Creative Writing and Public Theology Program at Pittsburgh Seminary this past Spring.
She resides in Crozet, Virginia.
Learn more about Rachel and subscribe to her Substack here.
Click here for booking and events
Learn about classes here
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
This episode originally aired on October 16, 2023.What do you do when you meet a friend who shares your same dreams, energy level, and passions? Why you start a business of course!
Chelsea and Flannery met through the small business network of Crozet and immediately started hosting pop-up markets together to encourage and support a variety of female entrepreneurs in and around Crozet. What started as a small side hustle quickly became a dream for a shared retail space to house their two businesses, Bluebird Bookstop and Fancy & Nell. They agreed it would have to be the Just.Right.Place. When the little blue house became available, they knew they had to take a leap of faith. Together.
Flannery and Chelsea's vision from the start has been a place to house their businesses, for Bluebird to ship out of the back AND a place where they can bring in novelty products by all of the awesome female-owned businesses they continue to come across. Bluebird & Company's mission remains constant which is to encourage, empower, and support female entrepreneurs in whatever stage of their business journey.
Learn more: https://www.bluebirdcrozet.com/ and follow them on Instagram @bluebirdandco
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
What did you think of this episode? Click to text me feedback!
Rachael Kesler Palm is a queer woman, author, activist, creator, communications professional, and mother. Her passion lies in creating: creating change through her activism as a volunteer with Moms Demand Action; creating beautiful content through marketing communications work; and co-creating a fulfilling life with her 8-year-old daughter and fiancé Carolyn by her side.
Rachael is a trainer with The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, and she teaches yoga at ACAC and Salute the Sun Yoga. She's spent most of my career supporting communications for mission-driven organizations and is currently doing that with RKP Marketing Communications, her freelance consulting business.
Links:
Website
Insta
Substack
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!
This episode originally aired in January of 2023.Born in Manila, the tiniest bit strange and a lot dramatic, PK Ross was probably meant for a life of crime boss’ mistress. Just kidding. Not about the Manila part; she was definitely born there.
Hers is a typical tale of an Asian immigrant child whose only proper destiny was doctor or lawyer. But as luck would have it, after completing a degree in Biology, with a focus on genetics, at UVA, she lost herself in the culinary world.
One of her part-time jobs was at the gelato shop she would eventually own. And now she finds herself a reluctant cog in the machine of capitalism, making weird food along the way.
Listen in as PK shares how she came to own her gelato shop, Splendora's Gelato, what it's like to figure out how running a business fits into a community, backing intentions with action, and the myth of being "self-made".
Follow Splendora’s Gelato on Instagram and Facebook!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review, and tag us on Instagram when you listen!
Tina Page is the founder of Palm + Petal Creative, based out of Maui, Hawaii. Her line is inspired by the islands. Palm + Petal Creative creates sustainable apparel and coastal-themed home decor. You can find her products in boutiques and resorts throughout Hawaii or through her online shop. Tina and her husband are originally Virginia natives, but now Maui is a place they feel grateful to call home and raise their two children.
Listen to this episode as Tina shares her experiences with: letting your creativity take you to new places in your business, hearing "no" a lot, and how that's an essential part of business, and how being out in nature helps fuel creativity.
For listeners of this podcast, you can use code: SYSB20 at checkout for 20% off your order!
Learn more: www.palmandpetalcreative.com
Follow Palm + Petal Creative on social media: @palmandpetalcreative
Do you know anyone who gives off ALL the high energy and joy? How do you connect more with those joyful parts of yourself, and set boundaries around the things that don’t fill your cup? On this episode, I got to chat with Sarah about lessons that Covid has taught us, what it means to tap into what truly makes you happy as a parent and business owner, and how family values play a role in the amount of work we take on.
About Sarah:
"For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for understanding people and making beautiful images. Earning dual degrees in fine art photography and anthropology was a natural extension of this passion — a path that led me to launch Cramer Photo in 2005. In the years since, I’ve been fortunate to share glimpses of my clients’ lives and capture many important moments along the way.
I focus my photography on the art of documentation. I love to capture the in-between moments, when a bit of your inner self is revealed. Your images will be a perfectly honest reflection of you, the people you love, and the moment you’re in. I am a visual storyteller, documenting the personal and professional stories of my clients.
I am thrilled to be a partner at The Bradbury. What a great team of humans! As a visionary and skilled facilitator, I shepherd very big ideas on the complex path to implementation.
A few companies I have had the pleasure of founding: Cramer Photo, Shields Lab, Our Local Commons, and This Is Charlottesville. I have also published 5 cookbooks.
My superpower? Seeing the beauty in all things and helping businesses and individuals tell their authentic story through imagery.
Charlottesville is my home and truly I adore this community. Let me tell your story!"
Follow Cramer Photo on Instagram and visit Sarah's website here.
Learn about The Bradbury here.
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review so that others may learn about your listening experience. Thank you!
Follow us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness.
Tiffany Nguyen loves throwing parties and, more importantly, bringing people together. And now? She’s taken the plunge and launched her own business, doing what I absolutely love – creating memorable gatherings.
As a mother of four wonderful kids and the wife of an entrepreneur, Tiffany is well acquainted with the demands of juggling multiple moving parts, multitasking, and (by the grace of God) managing to get dinner on the table… most nights. One of her favorite activities—apart from engaging in stimulating conversations over a good glass of wine and delicious food—is championing individuals in pursuit of their dreams. Thus, in a small way, Tiffany hopes to translate the dream of your event into a reality. She possesses an eye for those distinctive details that illuminate an event, all the while maintaining a clear focus on the bigger picture.
Listen in as Tiffany shares about acknowledging that your identity as an Asian-American can be a part of you, not just define who you are; celebrating moments, even if they’re fleeting; and the intersection of hard work, privilege, opportunity, and leveraging that for others.
Learn more about Events by Phoenix Collective here:
Website: www.phoenixcollective.co
Instagram: @_phoenix_collective
This encore episode was originally launched in October of 2022. Enjoy!
Chris is a baker based in the Charlottesville area, doing pop-ups all over central Virginia. She’s inspired by Americana and diversity, using local ingredients and her knowledge from fine dining to execute menus that change weekly. She’s originally from The San Francisco Bay Area, and attended Johnson & Wales University for an AA in baking and pastry, and a BS in Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship.
Listen in as Chris shares about her journey to Charlottesville, how community and collaborating with other local folks is a part of her business model, and lessons learned transitioning to entrepreneurship.
Follow Chris on Instagram @bakernobakery and visit her website here.
Did you enjoy this episode? Share a rating or review and help others take part in these real, raw conversations.
Follow us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness.
\
Yolonda Coles Jones, also known as The Calm and Thrive Coach, is an international
conscious relationship expert and empowered living coach. She helps reactive, drained,
distracted and anxious people learn to be more at home, at peace and in unconditional Love with themselves and others so they can be more present in more of the moments that make up this one precious and beautiful life.
Learn more about and connect with Yolonda Coles Jones below:
Website: www.YolondaJonesCreative.com
Instagram: @yolonda_j
FB: The Calm and Thrive Coach
Free resource: The Family Leaders Who Love Well Facebook Group: where tenacious, heart-centered, critically-thinking and wholeness-seeking Family Leaders who want to smooth out their nervous systems gather to connect with each other while they learn to
be more present and build an authentic, intentional and supportive home and family culture.
Emily Wool is a printmaker and surface designer, working out of her home studio in Crozet, VA. Her business Emily Ruth Prints strives to create beautiful and functional items inspired by nature and to honor Emily's core values of sustainability, transparency, and curiosity.
Hear Emily share lessons she's learned as a small business owner, including embracing her identity as an artist, balancing between her passions and running a business, and staying genuine to who she is as a business owner.
Follow Emily on Instagram @emilyruthprints and shop here.
Follow us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness and tag us when you listen to this episode!
Critter Butts is the dream of queer, neurodivergent sweethearts Dylan & Joan. Since 2021, their work has been an ever-evolving representation of their spicy brains, their identity as transgender queers, the creatures they turn to for joy, and the humor that keeps them afloat in the midst of a crumbling culture.
Listen to this episode as Joan and Dylan share their thoughts and experiences around:
- being aware that you're neurodivergent and how that plays a role in the way you run your business
- the surprise of having a community impact that stems from your business
- developing the awareness and self-esteem that your business is not for everyone, and that's OK
- being seen in your time of need and using that experience to help others
Follow Critter Butts on Instagram: instagram.com/critterbutts
Follow The Beautiful Idea on Instagram: instagram.com/the.beautiful.idea
Visit and learn more: www.critterbutts.com, www.beautifulideacville.com
Listen to this episode as Elisabeth shares her thoughts on: deciding NOT to grow a business as fast as possible, and instead be stable (while still pushing the envelope); and our capacity to take larger risks when we take into account our "track records".
Elisabeth’s boutique PR firm Golden Word specializes in its own special brand of PR, which they trademarked as: “talk like a human.” Pitching new business and editors with their signature mix of insightful strategy and real empathy, the all-woman Golden Word team is able to help small businesses secure big national press. Eschewing press releases and impression reports, Golden Word executes a deeply thoughtful, pinpoint strategy geared toward results, whether national broadcast segments live on Cyber Monday, viral TikToks that increase reservations 500% overnight or sprawling features that book a client’s next quarter of business.
The Richmond-based firm offers PR, social media and communications consulting for a variety of brands in the food and beverage, hospitality, design, fashion and accessories spaces. Golden Word’s style and culture was inspired by this Conan O'Brien quote: “If you work really hard and are kind, amazing things will happen.”
Elisabeth founded Golden Word in 2016 with a vision for creating a powerhouse little agency that chases doing good work with good people. She wanted working with Golden Word to be impactful and fun for both client and team.
Before Golden Word, Elisabeth handled PR, events and partnerships in-house at luxury menswear brand Ledbury, where she literally shed blood, sweat and tears to help build the company.
Before that, she worked in consumer, luxury and celebrity public relations and events in NYC for five years, She has played bouncer at Virgin Mobile's MTV VMA afterparty, awkwardly coached Katie Couric on her lines as charity event emcee, worked on eight seasons of New York Fashion Week and fibbed to clients about her age when she started her first PR firm at the age of 24. She graduated from the University of Richmond in 2005 with a triple major in journalism, French and Spanish (nerd alert).
Learn more here: https://www.goldenword.co/
Follow Golden Word on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenwordco/
Allison Egidi is a certified pediatric sleep coach and founder of Sleep and Wellness Coach. Her primary area of focus is sleep for newborns through early elementary-age children. She offers 1:1 virtual consultations and online courses and workshops. She also provides parents with weekly educational content on her podcast, How Long 'Til Bedtime.
Listen in as Allison talks about the humbling experience of parenting, what it's like to grow a team, and learn a series of questions to ask yourself each week that can help you feel more accomplished and better prepared for the following week. We also talk about how taking care of yourself can actually help your business thrive...despite feelings of parental guilt.
Follow Allison on Instagram here and learn more about her business: https://sleepandwellnesscoach.com/
Helping others is what sparks joy in Susan. Her experience as a Birth Doula in Honduras and Ireland led her to train in massage in 2017. After giving birth to her daughter in 2020, she holds a deep connection working with women in the prenatal and postpartum periods. Her favorite sessions are Thai massage and she’s beginning to incorporate more herbs into her practice!
In 2021, she quit her full-time spa job and opened her business, Latitude Massage. What she thought would be a solo-preneur endeavor quickly turned into something much bigger than herself. She now works with a fabulous team of seven and is excited to see how the massage studio continues to grow and reach even more folks in the Charlottesville community.
Instagram: @latitudemassage
Website: getlatitudemassage.com
Carolyn Leasure is who you turn to when you want to fill your business with ideal clients – and still have a life offline.
With SmallBiz Sidekick, she provides web design, messaging, & integrations for solopreneurs, service providers, & coaches who think “tech” is a scary word.
Carolyn lays the groundwork for the smoothest online experience ever for you and your clients, helping your biz grow with ease. She believes that your brand, design + tech should work for you—not drain the time you’d rather spend doing what you love.
Carolyn calls the mountain town of Charlottesville, VA home. When not constructing seamless automations or copy-driven web design for clients, she can be found playing Himalayan Sound Bowls for a meditation shortcut, or splashing and whooping down the Rivanna River in an inner tube with her husband and two sons.
Launch-Your-Site Game Plan - Should you DIY, hire a pro - or something in between? Take our 8-question quiz to learn how to leverage your interests, budget, stage of business, and existing skillset in launching (or re-launching) your perfect-fit website. www.smallbizsidekick.com/quiz
Learn more about SmallBiz Sidekick: www.smallbizsidekick.com and follow on Instagram @smallbizsidekick
What do you do when you meet a friend who shares your same dreams, energy level, and passions? Why you start a business of course!
Chelsea and Flannery met through the small business network of Crozet and immediately started hosting pop-up markets together to encourage and support a variety of female entrepreneurs in and around Crozet. What started as a small side hustle quickly became a dream for a shared retail space to house their two businesses, Bluebird Bookstop and Fancy & Nell. They agreed it would have to be the Just.Right.Place. When the little blue house became available, they knew they had to take a leap of faith. Together.
Flannery and Chelsea's vision from the start has been a place to house their businesses, for Bluebird to ship out of the back AND a place where they can bring in novelty products by all of the awesome female-owned businesses they continue to come across. Bluebird & Company's mission remains constant which is to encourage, empower, and support female entrepreneurs in whatever stage of their business journey.
Learn more: https://www.bluebirdcrozet.com/ and follow them on Instagram @bluebirdandco
Katie was born and raised in Orange County, California and in 2008, she moved to Sonoma County to pursue her bachelor's degree in Biology and found a passion for the health and wellness industry. By 2011, Katie became both an ACE certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor and was managing both the Group Ex and Training Department at Sonoma State University.
After moving to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2016, she decided to make her dream of creating her own studio a reality! Katie's training philosophy is centered around the idea of seeking progress, not perfection. "Little actions every day can create large change" is her strategy in helping people with behavior and physique change. She also believes in looking holistically at someone's life in order to seek improvements.
Learn more at: www.progressyourfitness.com
Follow Progress on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progresscvl
Dr. Tamara Wilkerson Dias is an instructional designer, curriculum developer, and organizational leader with a background in learning and development across corporate, nonprofit, and K-12 educational spaces. She began her career in education, shifting into leadership development, professional coaching and consulting. Dr. Dias then transitioned to a grassroots nonprofit as CEO, focusing on the retention of educators.
Her expertise and leadership garnered national recognition, and she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017. Each of these experiences required knowledge around shifting company culture, managing human capital, and harnessing talents to move teams forward. Dr. Dias is certified in DiSC Assessment and DEI in the Workplace Certificate. She’s also a Certified Learning Specialist.
Dr. Dias holds a Bachelor’s in Spanish Linguistics and Philology, a Master’s in Foreign Language Education, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. She is an active member of the Association of Junior Leagues International Inc., Women United in Philanthropy, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Instagram/Twitter: @drtamarawdias
Website: www.tamaradias.com
How often do you compare your old with your new self, and how are you showing up as your "whole self", whether it's for work or family? Listen to this episode as Holly and Ellen share about those things, as well as vulnerability with clients, what it's been like to give and receive support with your business partner, and journeying through money-mindset as female entrepreneurs.
Holly Kennedy, LPC, PMH-C and Ellen Jones, M.Ed., PMH-C, are co-founders of Mother Tree Wellness - a coaching practice for every season of motherhood. Through MTW, Holly and Ellen focus on your well-being so you can find more confidence, empowerment, and joy in the daily ups and downs of motherhood. Holly and Ellen combine their professional backgrounds in mental health counseling with their personal experience as moms and their extensive training in perinatal well-being to bring information and connection to moms through private coaching and groups. Through insight, action, and connection with other women who get it, MTW strives to set the stage for you to create space to feel more like you in motherhood.
Holly and Ellen met when they were in the weeds of early motherhood in Charlottesville, VA, where they each live with their families. In their free time - which they're always striving to prioritize - they both head into the Blue Ridge Mountains every chance they get. Holly loves spending time with her two boys, ages 8 and 10, traveling with friends, and keeping her cats out of mischief. Ellen loves spending time with her children, also 8 and 10, watching any reality show that involves people blindly jumping into relationships with strangers, and chatting with her dog all day long.
Follow them on Instagram @mothertreemoms and learn more about their services here!
Tag us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness when you listen, and please share a rating or review if this episode resonated with you. Thank you!
What does "resiliency" mean to you? Listen in as Daniel shares about what that word means to him, and what it can look like to forge your unique path of small business ownership.
Daniel Perry was introduced to jam-making 20 years ago and never looked back. 15 years ago, a year out of college, he started a jam business. He bought a tent at K-Mart, borrowed a table, and set up a booth at the Farmers Market behind his Grandmother's Oldsmobile. He sold a handful of jars and his life was forever changed.
Now, 100,000 jars later, he's married with two energetic toddlers, surrounded by friends & hungry customers every weekend at the City Market.
When he's not busy making jam or being a husband and pop, he loves to make connections in the food community, between bakers and caterers, cheese makers and gelato makers, winemakers and mead makers. He counts himself fortunate to be among a growing number of chefs who've used entrepreneurship to escape from restaurant kitchens in search of stability, independence, and mental health.
When fruit is in season, from May to September, he's a whirlwind of fruit, processing 500 pounds and making 250 jars in a series of wild 80-100 hour weeks. Every Saturday morning from April to Christmas you'll find him giving out free samples and selling jam at the City Market in downtown Charlottesville.
Follow Daniel on Instagram and purchase jams here!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review on your podcast player!
Marc Boston is a children’s book author, and ordained minister. His stories emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion and reflect on topics surrounding definitions of family values, and self-empowerment.
Marc has published several picture books and was awarded grants from The Virginia Humanities, Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, and the Memory Project of the University of Virginia to author books for children and adults which increase diversity and inclusion to community processes and decision-making.
He is published in several periodicals, is a member of SCBWI, sits on two local community boards, and serves as Youth Director at Unity of Charlottesville.
Listen in as Marc shares an abundance of wisdom nuggets and personal experiences around: transitioning from working outside the home in corporate, to inside the home as a stay-at-home-parent; what it was like to write and publish a number of children's books; and what it means to nurture our hobbies and skills to build a life that is the truest reflection of our full selves.
Follow Marc on Instagram and visit his website here!
Did you enjoy this episode? Be a podcast rater and reviewer so that others may discover the Sincerely, Your Small Business podcast, too.
Alex Theriault, owner of Dogwood Refillery, a “Conscious Market”, followed her passion for sustainability to shift her career from corporate finance to small business ownership. Alex’s approach to Dogwood Refillery is based on the triple bottom line: people, and planet before profit; her priority is to educate the community about sustainable habits and curate an eco-conscious product offering. From non-toxic home cleaning and personal care refills to easy swaps for every day, you can find most things you need at Dogwood Refillery which is in Charlottesville near Whole Foods.
Listen in as Alex talks about the unspoken challenges of retail, the idea of "80/20" instead of striving for perfection, and her goals for the store this year (2023).
Local to central Virginia and Charlottesville? Check out Earth Month Festival, Sunday, April 30th from 11 - 4. More information here!
Shop online and read the blog at: https://dogwoodrefillery.com/
Stay connected with Dogwood Refillery and their community at: https://www.instagram.com/dogwood.refillery/
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review!
Jen Siomacco (they/them) has been working in digital marketing, tech and user experience for more than 10 years. In 2020, Jen founded a small digital marketing agency in Charlottesville, VVITCH Digital, and since then they and their team of skilled creatives have helped more than 40 small businesses achieve their marketing goals. As a queer and disabled business owner themselves, Jen loves any opportunity to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity in their work.
Listen in as Jen shares their experiences starting and growing a business--and one that is structured to work with their lifestyle. We talk about people pleasing, making choices to take care of our health and well-being, boundary-setting so that not only our businesses can grow, but we can thrive, and what it's like to grow with a team.
Learn more about VVITCH Digitial and follow them on Instagram.
Did you resonate with this episode? Please share a rating or review!
New episodes launch every two weeks. Thank you for your support.
Jessica Dang Norby (also known as your podcast host, Jess Norby) is a social media strategist who helps local small business owners go from feeling overwhelmed and annoyed on social media to more confident and at ease...and maybe even like they can actually have fun.
Over the past 6 years, she has created and fine-tuned The Social to Selling Framework, a step-by-step guide to help business owners connect and build relationships in their communities, all in a simple and effective way.
Having recently moved from Charlottesville, Virginia, to Charlotte, North Carolina, you can find Jess, her husband, and their three-year-old daughter out exploring local restaurants, neighborhood parks, and nearby farmer's markets...all before toddler bedtime.
Listen in as Jess and Earl talk about having imposter syndrome as "seasoned" business owners, what it's like to create discipline around a pretty open-ended schedule, and the pros and cons of social media for business owners.
Earl was a previous podcast guest! Catch his interview here.
Connect with Jess on social media @jessicanorbyllc and learn more about her online social media course here.
Kelly Cox is a 500 RYT, registered prenatal yoga instructor, birth doula, and licensed clinical social worker. For the last 15 years, she has supported expectant and new mothers and it is through this work she became aware of the stress and depression that surround feeding infants. As a breast cancer survivor, she is committed to making sure all survivors have access to human milk for their babies.
Listen in as Kelly shares more about this revolutionary app, her journey from being a pre- and post-natal yoga studio owner to app developer, and how she takes care of herself through the boundaries she sets and the people she shares her energy with.
Learn more about Share the Drop here, and follow on Instagram here!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please take a moment to share a rating or review. THANK YOU!
Follow us on social media @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness.
What does balancing "me time" with "work time" mean to you? Can scheduling social time outside of your business help with your creativity and energy?
Listen in as Carly shares things that you might not think about when it comes to business ownership: what it's like to share space with a partner who occasionally works from home, learning how to balance alone time, socializing, and working hours, and remembering to be kinder to ourselves...because we are (and have been) more capable than we think.
Carly is the owner and lead designer of Schematic Design Co, a brand and web design studio that specializes in helping small businesses build fun brands that they love dwelling in and calling home.
As an architecture grad-turned-graphic-designer, her sweet spot is in finding the perfect balance of professional and playful for her clients’ brands, and ultimately helping them connect with and build an inspired community.
Follow Schematic Design Co. on Instagram and learn more about Carly's offerings here.
Grab your Branding Report Card here, and your Website Report Card here!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review, and tag us on Instagram when you listen.
New episodes are released every 2 weeks. Subscribe to be notified when a new episode launches.
Born in Manila, the tiniest bit strange and a lot dramatic, PK Ross was probably meant for a life of crime boss’ mistress. Just kidding. Not about the Manila part; she was definitely born there.
Hers is a typical tale of an Asian immigrant child whose only proper destiny was doctor or lawyer. But as luck would have it, after completing a degree in Biology, with a focus on genetics, at UVA, she lost herself in the culinary world.
One of her part-time jobs was at the gelato shop she would eventually own. And now she finds herself a reluctant cog in the machine of capitalism, making weird food along the way.
Listen in as PK shares how she came to own her gelato shop, Splendora's Gelato, what it's like to figure out how running a business fits into a community, backing intentions with action, and the myth of being "self-made".
Follow Splendora’s Gelato on Instagram and Facebook!
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review, and tag us on Instagram when you listen!
How important is boundary setting not just within your business, but in your household? At the end of the day, what do you wish the people around you to know about your journey as an entrepreneur?
I had a deep conversation with Bunmi Adeeko Collins about all of the above, plus other things like what it's like to be the primary caretaker of your kids while running a business, pressures as women of color to find the "right" school for your children, and finding community in the cities we live in.
Bunmi Adeeko Collins is the founder and design strategist behind StickyNote Creative, an independent design consultancy specializing in the creation of communications collateral and visual branding. Having spent most of her 15+ year career working in-house as a graphic design and marketing professional while cultivating freelance work on the side, Bunmi officially launched StickyNote Creative in 2018.
In the fall of 2019, she made the career pivot to become a full-time independent graphic designer and has never looked back. When operating in her optimal zone of genius, Bunmi strives to provide her clients with trustworthy guidance and visual solutions that merge both business and creative objectives in a strategic and thoughtful way. Specializing in the design of print communications and marketing collateral, as well as small business branding and visual identities, she seeks to help businesses and organizations amplify their marketing through quality design and grow their reach by serving as an extension of their team.
Bunmi is a graduate of Texas State University-San Marcos with a BFA in Communication Design, holds a masters degree in Strategic Design & Management from The New School Parsons School of Design and has previously earned her Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) designation through the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Bunmi relocated to the Charlottesville area in 2019 with her husband, Derrick.
When she's not working, she spends her time sipping wine, catching up on tv shows, trying to awaken her inner bookworm from hibernation and most importantly of all, keeping up with their two young and spirited children, Addy, 5, and Ari, 3.
Follow StickyNote Creative on Instagram here, and learn more about her services here.
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review, and tag us on Instagram when you listen!
Sliced. Cake Bar offers homemade cakes, cakes by the slice, buttercream shots, and cake flights™, like a beer flight, but with cake! Co-owners Megan and Rock Watson, aka the Cake Poppa, brought Sliced. Cake Bar to life after visiting a popular Dallas cake bar. Their imaginations lead them further to create a mobile cake bar experience and join the growing Charlottesville food truck squad.
Listen to this episode to hear what it's like to work with your partner, bring family members onto your team, and what lessons we can pass on to our kids and grandkids.
Learn more about sliced. cake bar: https://www.slicedcakebar.com/ and follow them on Instagram.
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review, and tag us on Instagram when you listen!
Kitty is a hot-mess mama and virtual assistant, aiming to provide small business owners and creatives less stress by completing tedious tasks and crushing their to-do lists. If you're ready to learn how to outsource your business tasks and laugh at the occasional mom drama, follow her on Instagram.
Listen in as Kitty and Jess talk about the realities and boundaries needed to run a business and raise young kids, being fearless in your pursuits, and the emotional lessons that bridge the gap between entrepreneurship and parenthood.
Learn more about The Assisting Co. and sign up for a Discovery Call.
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review, and tag us on Instagram when you listen!
Cynthia began training in maternal child health through observing births and newborns in Rome, Italy in 1983. She then completed AMI Birth to Three, Assistance to Infancy Montessori training. After giving birth to her first child in 1986, Cynthia supported mothers from various countries in the Pacific Rim in their homes as a Child Development Specialist in Hawaii, teaching newborn care, feeding, reading baby's cues and assessing and strengthening the mother-baby bond.
Cynthia has been working with families in Charlottesville since 1995 where she began teaching parent-child classes for parents with newborns to age 3 through her program Babies by the Blue Ridge. In 2006 she started a home-based Montessori Infant/Toddler program which she directed until March 2020.
While working as a DONA certified postpartum doula with Month10 Doulas over the past 15 years she especially enjoys helping parents gain insights into their newborn from a Montessori perspective. Cynthia also helps prepare homes to encompass a newborn or infant's needs. Cynthia has been working to develop Nearby Baby for the past four years and training women interested in being postpartum doulas. She has two daughters and five grandchildren. (Fortunately for her they are all locals!)
Listen in as Cynthia shares what it's like to work with new parents and babies, Nearby Baby's mission as a non-profit organization, and the importance of connecting more deeply to all of the people in your community.
Learn more about Month10 Doulas and Nearby Baby, and follow them on social media @nearbybabydoulas
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review, and tag us on Instagram when you listen!
Ellen has a diverse background: she studied acting at Ohio University and moved to New York to pursue it, but quickly found that wasn’t the career for her.
In her fifteen years in Brooklyn she managed a bookstore, was a kitchen manager for a cafe, studied pre-med at Hunter College, and then fell into the fashion world where she worked for many years.
She’s now funneling her energy into Alakazam, which she took over in March of 2019, and feels she has found her calling!
Listen in as Ellen shares what it has been like to use her platform to raise awareness about the causes that matter to her community, how she has deepened connections and relationships with customers throughout the pandemic, and how growing a team has given more time to plan for the future.
Follow Alakazam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alakazamtoys/ and shop now on their website.
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review! Thank you for your support.
Follow us on social media @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness.
Linnea Revak believes in secondhand unicorns – the kind of magic that brings together intentional shopping and fun-loving fashion. Since 2015, Linnea has been curating secondhand and handmade at her consignment shop in Downtown Charlottesville — DarlingxDashing Boutique. She’s a University of Virginia graduate that fell in love and stayed in Cville. Growing up in a family where secondhand clothing and hand-me-downs, antiqueing and craft shows were the norm, the blend of handmade and secondhand in her business was kismet.
Linnea has always had a flair for fashion and storytelling, which she gets to lean into every day as a small business owner. She’s an advocate for faking it til you make it, less hustle more grace, personal style over fashion trends, doing sustainability imperfectly but intentionally, and dressing for the mood you want.
Linnea’s passion for community building led her to found Boss Babes Cville in 2015 – a support group for female identifying entrepreneurs and business people in the Charlottesville area.
Listen in as Linnea and Jess talk about balancing the hustle and rest waves of running a business, how trusting yourself can actually lead to more business growth, and the importance of listening to your body in order to sustainably run a business.
Shop DarlingxDashing Boutique and follow on Instagram @shopdarlingxdashing.
Follow Linnea @linnea_white
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review!
Jeffrey Gleason was born in the northeast and went to high school in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, before heading to college out in the Napa Valley and Hawaii (Manoa campus on Oahu)...all while studying photography.
Jeffrey moved from San Francisco to Charlottesville in 2009 with his now-wife. They were married here in Virginia and are now proud parents of 2 but soon to be 3 perfect children.
Their firstborn Josephine is no longer with them. You can read about her congenital heart defect story at Josephinesvillage.com. It’s not something Jeff shys away from talking about. He loves talking about “Jo” so if you run into him please don’t feel like you have to dance around any questions you might have, ask him!
Jeff has been photographing people for over twenty years now. He photographed his first wedding in 1999 and is still going.
He loves photographing people during a time in their life when they can't help but let down the walls and share all their joy and emotion of the day. He also photographs for Scarpa’s creative team in a studio setting regularly and thrives on the challenges studio lighting can offer.
Listen in as Jeffrey and Jess chat about what it's like to be parents of toddlers, the role our parents play in not just providing for us, but allowing us the space to become who we want to be, and how professionals in the same industry don't stand out from one another, but stand with each other in community.
Learn more about Jeffrey C Gleason Photography here, and follow Jeffrey on Instagram.
Did you enjoy this episode? We'd greatly appreciate a rating or review!
Chris is a baker based in the Charlottesville area, doing pop-ups all over central Virginia. She’s inspired by Americana and diversity, using local ingredients and her knowledge from fine dining to execute menus that change weekly. She’s originally from The San Francisco Bay Area, and attended Johnson & Wales University for an AA in baking and pastry, and a BS in Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship.
Listen in as Chris shares about her journey to Charlottesville, how community and collaborating with other local folks is a part of her business model, and lessons learned transitioning to entrepreneurship.
Follow Chris on Instagram @bakernobakery and visit her website here.
Did you enjoy this episode? Share a rating or review and help others take part in these real, raw conversations.
Follow us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness.
Having immigrated from Kiev, Ukraine to the greater Richmond area of Virginia, Ruslana Remennikova (she goes by Ru) is a retired research scientist for Big Pharma, studying, discovering, and writing about gene therapies, vaccine sciences, and immunology for the last decade.
Ru has diverse life experience that included her opening her own food truck and coffee shop, which was recognized by Food Network in 2019. She is a bronze all world triathlete from Ironman Australia in 2016, where she participated to honor her father's life. She also fell in love with biodynamic agriculture and gardening after working on an olive grove and vineyard in Sardinia.
Ru is a spiritual scientist, activist, psychic, and a warrior for sovereign life. Her approach in conventional science and research is dedicated to questioning the status quo, and the exploration of healing through the depths of unconsciousness coupled with metaphysical healing.
Her work includes teaching meditation and creative expression; and healing with sound, elements, dreamwork, animal medicine, and esoteric wisdom. As a ceremonialist, she has been a death and birth doula, and continues to heal in ceremony.
Listen in as Ru and Jess talk about the importance of healing in order to find our voice and connect to the world around us, and about Ru's upcoming book!
Follow Ru on Instagram and visit her website here.
Are you listening to this episode? Share it on social and tag us on Instagram!
Elizabeth Hope Derby is a business and mindset coach for high-level entrepreneurs.
She partners with women who want to make running their businesses easier and more fulfilling, so they can go from feeling like a stressed-out service provider to a joyful CEO.
Her clients become more confident leaders, build more sustainable businesses, and learn how cultivate a work/life balance that’s true to who they are.
When she’s not helping people trust their own magic and take brave leaps toward their joy, you can find Elizabeth walking all around downtown Charlottesville, binging Marvel movies, and leading kitchen dance parties with her husband, baby, and a cat named Mulder.
Listen in as Elizabeth and Jess talk about the freedom we strive for as small business owners, the real-life experiences surrounding new parenthood, and why meeting yourself where you are--and not bypassing feelings--is crucial for business growth and development.
Follow Elizabeth on Instagram and visit her website: https://elizabethhopederby.com/
Did you enjoy this episode? Share and tag us @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness!
Renee Byrd is a performance artist, photographer, and musician. She is best known as the creator of wellness blog willfrolicforfood.com, the actor behind comedic characters like Sugar Gollum, and the singer/songwriter in Blonde Chalant.
Listen in as Renee and Jess talk about rediscovering who we are, how we move through the different chapters of our careers, and what it means to let your authentic self be seen.
Find her on Instagram @_reneebyrd or TikTok @reneebyrdie
Did you enjoy this episode? Share it on social media and tag us @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness, and give us a rating or review!
What an incredible first season of Sincerely, Your Small Business. Listen to this short episode to hear what will happen to the podcast moving forward!
Link to vote for Sincerely, Your Small Business as "Best Podcast" in Best of Cville 2022: https://vote.c-ville.com/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sincerelyyoursmallbusiness/ and send us a DM with your requests for podcast guests for Season 2!
Did you enjoy season 1? Write a review or share a rating to show your support.
Michelle Streeter is a former Higher Ed professional and calligrapher turned infertility and IVF support coach.
While she’s worn many hats through the years, the common thread through them has been helping people find joy in all seasons.
As a three-time IVF warrior who has experienced grief, heartbreak, and loss on her infertility journey, she’s learned a thing or two about navigating the emotional roller coaster of life and finding joy through hard seasons.
She is so honored to walk alongside women in their infertility and IVF journeys and loves empowering her clients to thrive through infertility, IVF, and beyond.
When Michelle isn’t coaching women through their infertility journeys she can be found catching up with friends at coffee shops, snuggling her rescue pups (she loves a good nap), or spending time with her family of three (soon to be four) whom she feels eternally grateful for.
Listen in as Michelle and Jess talk about trusting the journey of your small business, what it means to give yourself permission to ask for support, and how the inner-work makes us better humans in all aspects of life: parenting, adulting, and business ownership.
Follow thrIVF on Instagram and learn more about how to work with Michelle here.
Follow @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness on Instagram, and tag us when you listen to this episode!
Do you know anyone who gives off ALL the high energy and joy? How do you connect more with those joyful parts of yourself, and set boundaries around the things that don’t fill your cup? On this episode, I got to chat with Sarah about lessons that Covid has taught us, what it means to tap into what truly makes you happy as a parent and business owner, and how family values play a role in the amount of work we take on.
About Sarah:
"For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for understanding people and making beautiful images. Earning dual degrees in fine art photography and anthropology was a natural extension of this passion — a path that led me to launch Cramer Photo in 2005. In the years since, I’ve been fortunate to share glimpses of my clients’ lives and capture many important moments along the way.
I focus my photography on the art of documentation. I love to capture the in-between moments, when a bit of your inner self is revealed. Your images will be a perfectly honest reflection of you, the people you love, and the moment you’re in. I am a visual storyteller, documenting the personal and professional stories of my clients.
I am thrilled to be a partner at The Bradbury. What a great team of humans! As a visionary and skilled facilitator, I shepherd very big ideas on the complex path to implementation.
A few companies I have had the pleasure of founding: Cramer Photo, Shields Lab, Our Local Commons, and This Is Charlottesville. I have also published 5 cookbooks.
My superpower? Seeing the beauty in all things and helping businesses and individuals tell their authentic story through imagery.
Charlottesville is my home and truly I adore this community. Let me tell your story!"
Follow Cramer Photo on Instagram and visit Sarah's website here.
Learn about The Bradbury here.
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review so that others may learn about your listening experience. Thank you!
Follow us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness.
Dr. Sanders is a holistic psychiatrist, currently residing in Charlottesville, VA with her husband and 3 children. She aims to bring expertise and curiosity into her clinical interactions, and serve as a guide to help people make informed decisions about their mental health and wellbeing.
She has a particular focus in trauma work, working with people of color, and offering interventions that include mindfulness, yoga, nutrition recommendations, psychotherapy and medications when indicated.
When not at work, you can find Dr. Sanders cooking new recipes, painting, exploring with her kiddos, and practicing yoga.
Tune in as we talk about what it means to build a life and business around your authentic self. the importance of acknowledging family origin in your journey, and how forming a team of support can guide you towards success.
Follow Dr. Sanders on Instagram and learn more about her services: https://www.reimaginementalhealth.com/
Did you enjoy this episode? Please share a rating or review so that others may learn about your listening experience. Thank you!
Follow us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness.
A Charlottesville native who returned to the area in 2003 after graduating from Berklee College of Music (B.M. in Professional Music) in Boston, Jay Pun regularly performs in a duo with violinist Morwenna Lasko. The 2 have shared shows with musicians including Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Vusi Mahlasela, Dave Matthews Band, The Avett Brothers, as well as toured extensively throughout the U.S. and in Europe. He is also the director of both the music program and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) at Renaissance School.
Jay is an owner of 3 Southeast Asian restaurants in Charlottesville; Thai Cuisine & Noodle House, CHIMM, and CHIMM St. in Dairy Market. He also serves on the board of the Eko Ise Music Program Advisory Board at The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center.
Listen in as Jay talks about growing as a restaurant owner, teacher, and parent…and how being an Asian-American is shaping the way he approaches those roles.
Follow Thai Cuisine & Noodle House, CHIMM, and CHIMM St. on Instagram.
Order from and learn more about Thai Cuisine & Noodle House, CHIMM, and CHIMM St. in Dairy Market.
What did you think of this episode? Rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts and tag us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness to spread the word.
Price Thomas is a washed-up professional soccer player and proud girl dad. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of Gradum, a youth soccer consulting organization, and the Executive Director of the Ireland Street Foundation, a non-profit targeting opportunity disparities in youth sports.
Listen in as Price shares his experiences as a small business owner, co-founder, marketing director, husband, and parent...and how learning to practice two things, controlling what you can and letting go of what you can't, allows you to be the person that you're striving to be.
Follow Gradum on Instagram and learn more about the Ireland Street Foundation.
If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a rating or review wherever you're currently listening. This will help others discover the pod. Thank you!
Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram and tag us when you listen to this episode!
Over the last 15 years, founder and creative director Darcey Lacy has grown Watermark Design into an award-winning branding and package design studio, serving businesses nationally, and gathering accolades from The Dieline, HOW and PRINT Magazines, Harper’s Spirits in the UK, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others.
Watermark’s specialization in the alcoholic beverage category was born from Darcey’s personal love of wine, and has since expanded into the craft beer & spirits industries. Her background in marketing shapes Watermark’s approach to design, considering not only the aesthetics, but also the sales and strategy needs important to the long-term success of the brand.
Tune in as Darcey shares her experience with growing into her leadership role, how having a Worry List helps her get things done, and how remembering that you can get through anything has helped her over the past 15 years running her company.
Follow Watermark Design on Instagram and visit their website.
Follow the podcast on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness and leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts, so that others may discover the pod. Thank you!
Earl Vallery hails from and was shaped by the restless food-loving culture of New Orleans, Louisiana. Having a BFA in Studio Art from LSU, he's done a turn in a number of roles, including photographer and artist, organic CSA farmer, pastry chef instructor, musician, legislative proofreader, cellarman in a brewery, and has hiked all 2189.2 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
He is the owner and pastry chef at Bowerbird Bakeshop, a culmination of his 15 years of pastry experience and know-how. Earl has been a Charlottesville native since 2017 and currently lives in the county with his incredible wife, Lee, and their fresh baby, Fernanda.
Tune in as Earl shares what it's been like to become a parent while owning a business, how setting and upholding boundaries is important when it comes to making seasonal products, and what being sincere means as a human and business owner.
Follow Bowerbird Bakeshop on Instagram and visit their website here.
Like what you're listening to? We'd greatly appreciate a rating or review so that others may also discover Sincerely, Your Small Business. Thank you!
On a mission to spread more tangible encouragement to all and to give more thoughtful gifts, Laurel has been creating meaningful jewelry since 2005 when Laurel Denise launched in Virginia.
Her recent addition of a functional planning and paper line expands Laurel’s mission to include encouraging the multi-tasking, slightly overwhelmed, highly efficient superheroes of the world.
Hear Laurel share about how being open to change can help you grow as a business owner and leader, and what it means to practice and live out authenticity.
Follow Laurel Denise on Instagram and shop the jewelry and paper line here.
Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please share a rating or review wherever you're currently listening so that others may discover the Sincerely, Your Small Business podcast. Thank you!
Michael Atunrase, or Coach Mike, as his clients call him, is a former professional football player, now the founder, owner, and head coach at Resilience Fitness & Sports Performance Training, an online health and fitness service providing personalized health programming, virtual fitness coaching, and the fitness community you need to achieve your health and fitness goals.
Listen in as we chat about misconceptions in the fitness industry, how habits and mindset are an important piece of the puzzle, and why failure is a crucial part of growth.
Follow Coach Mike on Instagram and learn more about Resilience Fitness & Sports Performance Training here.
Like this episode? Share it on social media and tag us @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness!
Andrea is a Charlottesville-based Massage Therapist and Esthetician specializing in neck and shoulder dysfunctions. She provides pain management and postural retraining, utilizing stretching and decompression techniques. She also utilizes the HydraFacial system to achieve hydrated and glowing skin.
Hear us chat about how protecting your energy is important as a small business owner, and why failure is essential for growth.
Follow @dreatchal on Instagram and book your appointment here.
Follow us on Instagram, and please rate or review this podcast so other small business supporters can discover Sincerely, Your Small Business!
Emily Wool is a printmaker and surface designer, working out of her home studio in Crozet, VA. Her business Emily Ruth Prints strives to create beautiful and functional items inspired by nature and to honor Emily's core values of sustainability, transparency, and curiosity.
Hear Emily share lessons she's learned as a small business owner, including embracing her identity as an artist, balancing between her passions and running a business, and staying genuine to who she is as a business owner.
Follow Emily on Instagram @emilyruthprints and shop here.
Follow us on Instagram @sincerelyyoursmallbusiness and tag us when you listen to this episode!
A brief introduction and what you can expect from the Sincerely, Your Small Business podcast, hosted by Jess Norby.