FXBG Neighbors Podcast

A big move can feel like hitting reset on your whole identity and that includes your work, your community, and the people you serve. We’re joined by Ann Osborne from Bella Hair Salon in Fredericksburg, VA, who shares what it’s like to relocate from Pennsylvania, start fresh in a new city, and rebuild as a hairstylist after 28 years in the industry. If you’ve ever reinvented yourself, you’ll recogn...

You can hear it in Melanie’s voice: she’s not trying to tweak school around the edges. She’s trying to rebuild it around kids. Melanie from All Thingz Connect joins us to share why she left the safety of a long public education career to launch All Thingz Academy, a Fredericksburg private school designed around identity, gifts, and a culture of love that students can feel the moment they walk in t...

The best portraits are not about perfect smiles, matching outfits, or getting a dog to sit still on command. They are about connection and today’s guest, Fredericksburg portrait photographer Karen Presecan, has built her business around capturing it, especially when pets are part of the family story. Karen joins me to share how Karen Presecan Photography grew from a love of biology, animals, and t...

You can do everything yourself until the first 10 p.m. emergency call reminds you that “simple” rentals rarely stay simple. We’re joined by Stephanie Michael from GEM Realty to talk about what it takes to make property management in Fredericksburg actually feel calm, transparent, and predictable for owners and residents alike. Stephanie shares how GEM Realty was built to improve the experience for...

Boudoir can be a gift, a confidence boost, a milestone, or a quiet reset but it’s rarely “just photos.” I’m joined by Ramilyn Thompson, the owner of Black Lace Studios in Fredericksburg, VA, to unpack what a luxury boudoir experience actually looks like when it’s built around your story instead of a cookie-cutter pose list. We talk through the full-day process: professional hair and makeup, outfit...

Twenty minutes can sound like a throwaway block of time, until you hear what fit20 USA is doing with it. I’m joined by Rebecca Church, COO of fit20 USA, to break down a strength training method that flips the usual fitness script: slow motion resistance training in a private studio, guided by a certified personal trainer, for 20 minutes once per week. If you’re busy, tired of complicated workout p...

Waiting until a parent falls, wanders, or hits a breaking point is the fastest way to make caregiving feel like panic instead of love. We talk with Karen Koudelka from Virginia Home Care Partners about how non-medical in-home care can become a true lifeline for families who want their loved one to age in place while staying safe, connected, and respected. Karen shares what companion care and perso...

The most frustrating breakdowns at work often have the same root cause: the middle layer of leadership is carrying the weight of execution without the training and support to match. We sit down with Dr. Julie Armstrong from 3H Leadership Consulting to talk about the leadership challenges that swirl or stall in the middle of an organization and why “middle managers become middle leaders” is not a s...

A gently used bra can feel like clutter in a drawer, but for someone facing homelessness, poverty, or a sudden crisis, it can be the difference between getting through the day with confidence or shrinking into the background. I’m joined by Tracy Lloyd, affiliate director of I Support the Girls Fredericksburg, to talk about the essentials we rarely discuss out loud and why they matter more than mos...

A new school is opening in Stafford, and the leaders behind it are making some bold, parent-friendly choices: small class sizes, back-to-basics learning, and a Christ-centered foundation that shows up in everyday instruction. We’re joined by Angel Mora, head of school and elder at Freedom Church, and Brenda Collins, Director of Teaching and Learning, to share the real story of how Freedom Christia...

Great media can look like magic, which is exactly why so many business owners underestimate what it takes to create it. We’re joined by Dalton Okolo, founder of 1108 Media, a Fredericksburg, Virginia media production boutique offering video production, photography, audio production, headshots, podcast production, and event coverage for both corporate teams and local mom-and-pop businesses. Dalton...

World class tattoo artists are coming to Fredericksburg, and the story behind it starts with one bold idea. We’re joined by Emiliano from Black Horse Tattoo Studio, a tattooer with roughly 35 years of experience who went from growing up around shop culture to building a career that took him around the world, no uniform required. He shares how his roots in Las Vegas and the unique atmosphere of cas...

Your website might look great and still be impossible for someone to use. On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we sit down with Renee Dunn from Elevage Digital to unpack what website accessibility actually means for real people and real local businesses. Renee helps small businesses, nonprofits, and local governments reduce legal liability and grow their customer base by making websites more usa...

You can be successful, capable, and still feel like something is off. That quiet tension, the burnout you keep downplaying, the confidence that dips when no one is watching, is exactly what we explore with Dorrette Stephenson of Village Gate Life Coaching LLC in Fredericksburg, VA. We talk about what life coaching really is, who it’s for, and why you do not need a mental health diagnosis to want s...

A drumbeat can be more than background noise. Sometimes it’s a shortcut to feeling safe, steady, and connected again. We’re joined by Stephanie Spreeman, a certified drum therapy practitioner, neurodiversity coach, and the founder of Drum Party, a Fredericksburg-based nonprofit that brings rhythm therapy into the community in a big, hands-on way. We talk about what Drum Party actually looks like o...

A lot of people talk about “local,” but Tammy Reid lives it. From a purple door on William Street in downtown Fredericksburg, Tammy and the Union Home Mortgage team help neighbors navigate some of the biggest decisions they’ll ever make, from first-time homebuyer loans to renovation financing, home equity loans, and construction-to-perm mortgages. And behind that work is a story that starts with a...

Most of us show up downtown, enjoy the lights, the music, the buzz, and assume “the city must be behind this.” That assumption misses a big part of the story. We sit down with Chris Allen, executive director of Fredericksburg Main Street, to explain how this local nonprofit helps shape a thriving downtown Fredericksburg inside the historic district, from signature events to the small details that...

You’ve seen “Scottish gifts” before, but you probably haven’t seen Scotland like this. We’re joined by Louise Jolley, founder of Flykup Scottish Fancy Pieces, a Fredericksburg, VA gift shop built around one simple promise: no souvenir shortcuts, just modern Scottish craftsmanship and the stories that prove it. Louise grew up in Aberdeen and brings a tradition from home into her brand name “a fly c...

A great looking website can still fail if no one can find it or if it attracts the wrong clicks. We’re joined by Debby Girvan from Flair Communication, a Fredericksburg digital marketing agency built around one clear promise: help small businesses feel big with strategy that drives real visibility and real leads. We talk through the full stack that supports modern local business marketing, from we...

Summer fun in Fredericksburg can turn risky fast when kids are around pools, rivers, or the beach without strong water safety skills. We talk with Damaris Diaz and LaTasha Madison from Mu Omega Sigma, Fredericksburg Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, about a community based solution that is simple, practical, and overdue: making swim instruction accessible. They share the s...

You can feel it when a town is buzzing, but most of us still struggle to answer one simple question: what’s happening near me right now? We’re joined by Keith Anderson, the founder of Pinvero, a Fredericksburg-based real time event platform that lets businesses, charities, and organizers drop a pin on a live map so locals can instantly see what’s going on around them. We talk through how Pinvero w...

Supply chain shows up in your life every day, yet most people still think it’s just trucks and warehouses. We’re changing that perspective with Phoebe Kenney, founder and board president of KENCO Technical Assistance and Training Solutions (KENCO TATS), a Stafford, Virginia nonprofit serving the DC metro area with a mission to educate, empower, and encourage the next generation of supply chain man...

Mouth breathing can look harmless until you connect it to snoring, restless sleep, orthodontic relapse, and the daily grind of never feeling fully rested. We sit down with Angela Richwine from Renew Myo (formerly Central Virginia OMT) in Fredericksburg, VA to talk about orofacial myofunctional therapy and why the tongue, lips, and facial muscles can shape far more than a smile. If you’ve ever wond...

Most of us protect our car, our home, and our phone without thinking twice, but we hesitate when it comes to protecting the people who depend on us. That disconnect is exactly what we unpack with Britt Valentine from Valentine Financial Group, a Fredericksburg-based life insurance brokerage built around education and long-term relationships, not pressure and quick sales. We talk through the bigges...

A barbershop can be more than a place to get cleaned up. It can be a pipeline to a career, a hub for mentorship, and a real engine for community change. We’re joined by Antoine Carey, owner of Faded and Company Barbershop and Faded and Company Academy in Fredericksburg, Virginia, to talk about how precision cuts and professionalism connect to something bigger: access, licensure, and second chances...