It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from throughout Virginia.
Corrine Ice
My photography journey started when I was very young, with one of those fisher price cameras. But I didn’t really fall in love with photography until middle school when I participated in an afterschool photography club. At this point, I did not have an actual camera yet, just my phone. My parents gifted me my first camera when I was twelve, a used Sony a200. Read more>>
Tiffany Hines
As a young girl growing up in Washington, DC, I was always active and into sports whether it was running track, playing basketball or football, or making music with my cousin Leon. From a young age, Leon and I would record music in his room. He was a big Tupac fan, so we listened to Tupac and recorded our own songs. Read more>>
Virginia Bessette
I started photography back in 2012 as a way to help my family. It was more of a hobby before it turned into something more. I started working in the wedding industry around 2014 and started doing more weddings. My main focus being mainly family portraits. I kept busy with sessions until COVID and than it seemed like my passion may if subsided. Read more>>
Tiara Holloway
MEET INTERIOR DESIGNER, TIARA HOLLOWAY INTERIOR DESIGNER. VISIONARY. LEADER. Tiara Holloway is a Richmond-based interior designer known for creating spaces that feel deeply personal, stylish, and full of life. As the founder of Vivacious Interior by Tiara, she blends sophistication with soul designing homes that reflect her clients’ stories, passions, and purpose. Read more>>
Nicole Veliz
I truly discovered my purpose during a pivotal season in someone else’s life. I was supporting a woman very close to me as she navigated an extremely challenging divorce and major life transition. Finances had always come naturally to me, so stepping in to help felt instinctive — but what started as support quickly became something much deeper. Read more>>
Joshua Cole
My journey in education began in Detroit, where I taught in a high-need school and saw firsthand how powerful caring adults can be in shaping a child’s future. That experience grounded my belief that when people feel seen, valued, and supported, they can overcome extraordinary obstacles. Read more>>
Nicko Sabado
I moved to Los Angeles with no money — just a dream of becoming an actor. I didn’t have connections or a backup plan. I found a random roommate on Craigslist and moved to Venice, California, hoping I would figure it out. To survive, I worked whatever jobs I could. I served tables (of course), bartended, worked in retail, coordinated events, and did background acting. Read more>>
Tahanie Medina
Hi! I’m Tahanie, a creative strategist and an acrylic painter. My journey started with a deep love for animation. As a kid, I was completely fascinated by cartoons and dreamed of creating my own animated series one day. I was drawn to how movement and storytelling could build entire worlds. Read more>>
Aubrie Greene
Breezzy’s Lemonade started back in 2019 when I was just 10 years old. I decided I wanted to start making lemonade alongside my brother Jaheim, who is an inspiring chef, and my sister, and it quickly became something we were truly passionate about. Read more>>
Nicci Dowd
It wasn’t until my son was diagnosed with autism that I began to truly understand inclusive education. I remember sitting at a table surrounded by “experts”. These experts were his teachers, the assistant principal, the school psychologist. They told me, based on their observations and testing, that my son was autistic. Read more>>
Victoria Hall
Hello everyone. My journey with football began as a wee bairn on the East End of Glasgow. In a place with no teams or leagues for girls, the only way to play was to join the boys for their pickup games. They wouldn’t let me on their team—but that didn’t stop me. It lit a fire in me. Read more>>
Yolanda Rawlings
Just B U Inc. was birthed in 2019 during one of the most difficult seasons of my life. After the loss of my husband, I found myself navigating deep grief, depression, and the quiet loneliness that often comes with loss. It was a time where I was searching for healing, understanding, and purpose all at once. Read more>>
McKenzie Freeman
From a young age I was naturally drawn to creativity and self-expression. Beauty quickly became one of the ways I explored that — I loved learning techniques, watching tutorials, and experimenting whenever I could. Read more>>
LeTeisha Gordon
I started by sharing my story to individuals that were in correctional facilities. My dad was incarcerated 11 1/2 years of my life along with a host of family members and friends. Visiting different institutions sharing my story turned into an organization Called A Better Day Than Yesterday Initiative Program. A Better Day Than Yesterday was developed in 2016. Read more>>
Lemika Early
If you ask who Lemika Early is, the answer is not found in what she survived — but in what she built afterward. Lemika Early, today known as The Mobility Motivator™, I’m a living testimony of resilience, faith, and purpose in motion. At just 14 years old, a devastating car crash— which I say was no accident because this transformation saved my life. Read more>>
Dustin Blackson
My story begins with my grandparents. As a child, I listened to them tell stories about their upbringing and visited the places where they grew up, which gave history a personal meaning for me. One day, while going through my grandfather’s old documents, I found a list of names with our shared surname. Read more>>
Jaime Parker
When people ask how I became a therapist, I tell them the short answer is that I’ve always known. The longer answer begins in uniform. I served on active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army for over ten-years and deployed to Afghanistan from 2004 to 2005. Military service shaped my leadership style, my sense of responsibility, and my understanding of resilience. Read more>>
Carl Joseph
In 2023 I was busy with rugby and travel because i play for an elite travel team. I kept mentioning the idea to my close friend/mentor and he kept saying it was an awesome idea. 2024 rolled around I after my tournament in Vegas around this same time actually I said this year I’ll make it happen. Read more>>
Michelle Gill
After I graduated from Roanoke College, I worked as a fundraiser and event planner. I planned events across Virginia and Florida. Building websites became an asset in marketing the nonprofits or the special events so I taught myself. I have since changed to more complex tools in web design and have narrowed my business to mainly websites. Read more>>
Myesha Collins
Thank you for taking the time to interview me today! Beginning this journey in 2015, I knew I would make an impact but I had no idea at what level. Blue Girl Turned Gold is an Anthology (2017) project and Blue Girls Turned Gold (2015) is the not for profit organization I founded and created. Read more>>
Malcolm Jones
I currently serve as the Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Richmond, a nonprofit organization that provides free home repairs for seniors, people with disabilities, and families with limited financial resources. I’ve been with the organization for over 11 years, but my journey in community service and engagement really began long before that. Read more>>
Grace Chicca
10 years ago, I left a career in software (FSU Information Systems grad) and took a leap into real estate in the DMV. The early years were pure grind; very long hours, every weekend and holiday, and learning everything from the more seasoned agents and mentors. Read more>>
Andrea Byers
If you had asked me years ago where I thought I’d end up, this probably wouldn’t have been my answer but in a lot of ways, it makes perfect sense. I’ve always been someone who cared deeply about people. I spent years working in healthcare and wellness, supporting others through difficult seasons while also coaching and mentoring athletes. Read more>>
Michael Harris
My journey began with a deep love for music at an early age. I’m known professionally as Michael (Twin) Harris, a name that comes from growing up entertaining alongside my twin brother, Mitchell Sr. When we were younger, we spent countless hours singing and dancing together, and those early moments laid the foundation for my passion for music. Read more>>
J.K. Lynch
I am a Virginian, through and through. I was born here and raised here. Read more>>
Cazzy Zahursky
I’ve always had an affinity for artistic expression. As a child, my parents’ first nickname for me was Doodle (meaning little daughter), which happened to become my very first word, “doo-dle”, which serendipitously evolved into one of several hobbies of mine: intricate and elaborate doodling. You won’t find an old notebook of mine that isn’t covered in these said doodles. Read more>>
Kathleen (Kate) Gogggin
I began my career as a writer and editor, and my later work included media spokesperson jobs for the U.S. State Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Writing was my profession, yet it was journaling that quietly became my personal anchor during periods of transition and professional uncertainty. Read more>>
Robert William Lewis Sr.
The love of music and the arts began at an early age. There was always music playing in my house from either my brother’s or sisters’ rooms. My father sang, played guitar and my mother also sang. I sang my first song, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” by the Stylistics, in front of class in 7th grade. Read more>>
Angie Anderson
Hi everyone! Thank you for having me. I am the Founder of Wellness at Serenity Springs, formerly Serenity Counseling Center and Wellness located in Virginia. In this role, I have the honor of serving as a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Collaborative Divorce Coach & Child Specialist, and Certified Yoga Instructor providing mental health therapy, coaching and yoga therapy to hundreds of clients. Read more>>
Rose Mary Bellamy
Let me introduce myself: my name is Rose Mary Bellamy, and I am the CEO and Co-Founder of Grandpa Foods, LLC. Grandpa Foods is rooted in a simple yet profound desire to create something truly exceptional. Growing up, I never developed a taste for traditional condiments—a preference that continued into adulthood. Read more>>
Tevin Majors
My story begins by being raised by two amazing army veterans in Clarksville Tennessee. My mother was an auditor for the federal government and may have given me the bug of liking accounting to this day. While my father taught me the dynamics of morals, ethics, and hard work that has shaped my career today. Read more>>
