Zach Davis is a lifelong martial artist and owner of Groundswell MMA in Frederick, MD. He has three black belts and specializes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and MMA training. He competed professionally in Mixed Martial Arts getting as high as the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter show before injuries pivoted his career towards coaching. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from University of Maryland and spends his spare time with his lovely wife and 4 children!
His goal is to inspire students to fulfill their greatest potential and then inspire those around them.
By day, Adeena is a Mission Architect with 25 years (and counting) in aerospace, specializing in the software and systems engineering for a variety of different kinds of satellites and human spaceflight.
Yet, her true passion is writing, evident in her Robot Galaxy Series and her upcoming book ‘Lunar Logic’. Her blog merges hard science with the allure of science fiction, and she is also a proud co-host of The BIG Sci-Fi Podcast.
Beyond the professional realm, Adeena mentors, speaks on STEM topics, and is a mom to two amazing boys. While her childhood dream of living on the moon hasn’t come true, she sure enjoys writing about it.
Follow her on all platforms by clicking on her website below:
ValorLives Interview Series #114 Fredericks Best Interviewer & Aly Breggin
Safety and Self defense specialist.
Aly Breggin is a certified firearms instructor and self defense specialist focusing on empowering people to feel safer in public through situational awareness and conflict avoidance – focusing primarily on PREVENTION and when necessary, assertive actions to avoid dangerous conflicts. Aly shares her knowledge with her clients through one on one consultations and to groups through her detailed, engaging and interactive seminars! Her calling in life is to educate and empower people – she’s also a Massage Therapist of 24 years, Personal Trainer of 9 years and Health and Transformative Life Coach!
Meet Aly Breggin: Your Safety & Self Defense Expert! ValorLives Interview Series #114 https://youtu.be/ugqNULhXblw
Ashley is a cancer survivor, entrepreneur, barre instructor, and former marine mammal trainer. She has led and exciting and enriching life traveling for work and being involved in many ventures. Currently she is invested in and works as the Site and Marketing Manager at Tree Trekkers. Tree Trekkers incorporates her love for the environment, outdoors, and exercise.
Nia Condrey embarked on her real estate journey in 2014, and she’s cherished every moment of it. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she completed her undergraduate degree at Duquesne University and furthered her education with a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from LaRoche College. Boasting over two decades of sales experience, Nia has seamlessly navigated the realms of new construction, resale, and property management, successfully overseeing assets and sales exceeding 500 million dollars.
Nia’s influence extends across five regions surrounding the DC Metro area, holding real estate licenses in Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Her commitment to continuous learning is evident through certifications as a Pricing Strategy Advisor, At Home with Diversity Champion, and community advocate, demonstrating her dedication to staying abreast of the ever-evolving real estate landscape.
As a trusted advisor, Nia takes pride in delivering superior service and professionalism while embodying the roles of both a student and teacher in the real estate realm. Her diverse certifications showcase her expertise, and she remains attuned to the dynamic changes within the industry.
Nia’s business philosophy revolves around “People, Passion, and Purpose,” emphasizing her understanding that clients’ needs are unique and can’t fit into a one-size-fits-all approach. With nearly a decade of real estate experience, Nia combines education, knowledge, and emotional intelligence to navigate any situation with integrity, honesty, and respect.
In this ValorLives interview, we chat with Stacy Allwein, a top realtor and community leader in Frederick County, MD. Learn more about her inspiring work and impact in the local community! #StacyAllwein#FrederickCounty#realtor Stacy Allwein is a top producing Realtor and Team Leader of the Allwein Team at Real Broker. She has resided in Frederick County, MD for over thirty years and has been involved in real estate buying, selling, and investing since 2002. She specializes in working with all sellers, first time home buyers, move up buyers, investors, relocations, and seniors downsizing in both Maryland and Delaware. Since she is so relationship focused, a large percentage of the people she helps are repeat clients and/or referrals. Stacy and her husband, Bob, raised their children in Frederick County and is very proud that her daughter, Emily, is a teacher with Frederick County Public Schools and her son, Michael is a Realtor on the Allwein Team. When not in Frederick, Stacy can often be be found selling houses at the beach and enjoying family, especially her granddaughters at the family beach house in Delaware. She is very is well known throughout the area for community involvement and volunteerism. #StacyAllwein#realestateexperts#FrederickCountyMD#marylandrealtor#delawarerealestate#communityleaders#homebuying#homeselling#investing#realestatetips#familylife#BeachHouseLiving#realtorlife#communityinvolvement#volunteerism
Aya Cultural Arts Studio (Aya Expressive Arts LLC) is a music and cultural arts studio located at 3504 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD. We offer various cultural arts classes for all ages and offer sound healing services.
Owner and instructor Ayanna Gallant is a certified music educator with over 20 years of experience teaching children 6 months to 4 years in Music Together®, music programs for all ages, as well as 16 years as a public school music teacher. She is also a certified sound therapist using Biofield Tuning (tuning fork therapy) and sound bath meditation.
Our name, Aya Cultural Arts, is a play on both Ayanna’s name and the Ghanaian Adinkra symbol “Aya” representing endurance, perseverance and resourcefulness. AyaArts.com can also be seen as aYAArts.com, YAA being Ayanna’s Ghanaian name, meaning “born on Thursday.”
Owner Ayanna Gallant is a musician, poet, voiceover talent, and educator with a passion for creativity. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of New Hampshire in Music Education with a focus in low brass and jazz voice (2005), and a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Arts Integration (2010). Ayanna has studied mindfulness science, theory, and practice at Lesley University and is a certified sound therapist for Biofield Tuning. In her 16 years as a public school music teacher, Ayanna taught general music, band, chorus, musical theater, and world percussion ensemble. She has performed as a freelance musician on low brass, voice, guitar, and African drums in venues all around the country.
Ayanna performs regularly with the Bele Bele Rhythm Collective, an intergenerational sisterhood of the drum, and Marsha and the Positrons, performing socially conscious and fun kindie (Kid’s indie) music about science and how the world works.
Ashley VanCleef is the founding attorney of the law firm, Law For Parents, and the Founder of The Parent Resource Center. Ashley’s driven by helping parents of children with disabilities through her legal advocacy and through the connections and supports from the resource center. Ashley stays current on instructional practices and has completed 60 hours of Orton Gillingham training through the Orton Gillingham Plus intervention. She works with multiple groups to provide professional learning on federal and state education requirements. Ashley is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, International Dyslexia Association, and Learning Disabilities Association. In her spare time, Ms. VanCleef enjoys spending time with her family, playing tennis, and running.
Natalie and Devin Mackey met in 2012 and have been happily married for 7 years. They are proud parents to three energetic boys and a loyal German shepherd.
Devin has been in the car industry, specializing in wholesale since 2014. In 2020, Natalie and Devin made the bold decision to open Car Buying Outlet.
Unlike traditional dealerships, Car Buying Outlet exclusively focuses on purchasing vehicles. Yes, you read that right — NO retail sales, so you can skip the pressure of a new purchase and sell your car for top dollar within 20 minutes. They offer instant payment and a promise to beat any legitimate, written offer from CarMax or another dealer.
As small business owners, Natalie and Devin primarily rely on word-of-mouth referrals and cherish their repeat clientele. In appreciation of their customers’ trust in them, they operate a referral program. For every previous customer who refers a new client that successfully sells a vehicle, Natalie and Devin express their gratitude with a $100 check sent by mail.
Julia Swanson Ferguson has over 30 years of business experience. After earning a B.B.A. in Accounting and an M.S. in Management Information Systems, she began a fast-growth career that ultimately led to running a global consultancy division for a Fortune 500 software company. Along the way, she launched several small businesses of her own. In 2012, she and her husband Glen opened a coworking space in Frederick, Maryland. In 2016 she left “corporate America” to focus on that business. She’s also a real estate investor and property manager. When not working, she loves to travel, hike, and write songs.
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