FXBG Neighbors Podcast

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 support. Dorrette share...

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 usable for everyone, including visitor...

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 on the ground: el...

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 hard pivot: walk...

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 make a place feel welco...

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 ...

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 story behind SWIM 1922, Sigma...

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 website design and SEO t...

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 works in pl...

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 KENCOTechnical 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 management professionals. I...

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 wondered why braces “don&rs...

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 biggest misconception Britt sees a...

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.

Antoine breaks down ...

A paint and sip night sounds like pure fun until you remember the two biggest fears most of us carry: “I can’t paint” and “I’m going to mess it up.” We talk with Michelle Flynn from Wine and Design Fredericksburg about why those fears are exactly what her studio is built for, and how a guided class can take you from blank canvas to something you actually want to hang up.

Michelle breaks do...

Leadership advice gets weirdly abstract the moment you actually need it. So I brought on Becky Hamm, founder of Women Lead Well, to talk about what leadership growth looks like when your calendar is packed, your responsibilities are real, and you’re trying to stay true to yourself. Becky shares how she supports women through executive coaching that focuses on the moments that matter: executive presence, clear communication, s...

Most networking feels like a fast trade of names and job titles, then everyone disappears. We wanted something better, so we brought on Shari Courtney from Be The Bean to talk about how she’s building a Fredericksburg community where faith and business don’t compete, they strengthen each other. If you’ve been looking for genuine connection, leadership encouragement, and a place to belong, Shari lays out a simple, ...

Chronic pain has a way of shrinking your world, especially when you feel like no one is really listening. We’re joined by Stefani Sellers, founder of Sage: Healing and Guidance, a Fredericksburg, VA healing practice built for people who feel unseen, misunderstood, or simply worn out from trying to explain what’s going on in their bodies. Her first principle is disarmingly simple and surprisingly rare: we listen to every...

Fredericksburg has an arts engine that’s been running for 37 years, and it’s bigger than most people realize. We’re joined by Debbie Tripp, vice president of ArtsLIVE!, to tell the story of how a nonprofit founded in 1988 by world-renowned harpist Heidi Lehwalder keeps bringing world-class performing artists to Fredericksburg, VA while still making room for local musicians, students, and community programs.

CrossFit gets labeled as intimidating fast, but the truth is a lot more practical and a lot more welcoming. We’re joined by Jessica Sullivan, owner of CrossFit Forward in Fredericksburg, VA, to unpack what CrossFit actually is: functional fitness coached in a group setting, scaled to the person in front of you, and built to help you move better in everyday life.

We talk through the structure of a typical class from the...