Show Summary

Born in Peru, Sandra’s unexpected life journey led her to open a construction business in Frederick, Maryland. As one of Frederick’s only Hispanic and female construction business owners and only bilingual female licensed General Contractor, Sandra’s determination to thrive in challenging circumstances got her to where she is today. In this episode, she shares what she’s learned along the way and why she loves living and working in Frederick, Maryland.

Show Notes / Highlights from the Show:

• Why Sandra always says, “life is an unexpected journey,” and the twists and turns that led to her opening A&S Construction in Frederick, Maryland
• How losing her job during COVID-19 ultimately led her to become an entrepreneur
• How she’s turned her experiences as an underrepresented business owner into an opportunity to embrace who she is
• Ways that the Frederick community has become supportive of underrepresented business owners since COVID-19
• How the small-town feel of Frederick compares to the big Peruvian city where Sandra grew up
• Sandra’s Frederick Factor

Show Links:

• A&S Construction: https://ansconstruction.net/
• Frederick City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board: https://www.cityoffrederickmd.gov/1589/Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion-Advisory-

Learn more about Platinum PR, the sponsors of Season Two of the Frederick Factor here: www.platinumpr.com

Interested in sponsoring a season of the Frederick Factor? Contact us at [email protected] 

About the Frederick Factor: 

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. 

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Guest Bio

Although she is not a native, Shana Knight has lived in Frederick County most of her life and is proudly rooted in this community.  She is a Frostburg State University graduate with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Her career path took many twists and turns as she went from working at a local news station behind a camera to working in the nonprofit field for seven years. Working in nonprofits allowed Shana to form many new skills, meaningful connections, and a new love and appreciation for Frederick County. 

In the midst of the pandemic and after the death of George Floyd in 2020, Shana and a group of community members came together to advocate for the Black Community by promoting and uplifting black-owned businesses in Frederick County and surrounding areas through pop-up markets. As a result, the organization SOUL Street was formed. SOUL Street is a local collective of Black business owners and community members in Frederick County who have come together to empower the Black business community through events, outreach, advocacy, and education. Inspired by Black Wall Street, “SOUL” is an acronym for Sustaining Our Unique Legacy. 

Shana’s advocacy and work through SOUL Street led her to a new career path, working in the government sector while supporting Frederick County’s underrepresented businesses.


Show Summary

In this episode, Shana Knight shares the story behind creating SOUL Street and how racial injustices spurred a group of inspired people in Frederick to take action and make a lasting impact. Shana is taking her service for the community to a new level by supporting underrepresented business owners in Frederick County. Listen and learn more about the historical challenges Black business owners have faced and why supporting Black-owned businesses is crucial. Stay tuned for Part 2 — our 2nd interview with Shana — coming later this season!

Show Notes:

• The story behind the creation of SOUL Street in June 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd
• How SOUL Street went from an idea in a Facebook Group to a hugely popular pop-up market just two weeks later
• The importance of connecting underrepresented businesses to the right resources so they can be sustainable
• Shana’s background in nonprofits supporting ALICE families and how that influences her work now
• How Frederick has improved its resources and support for underrepresented businesses 
• Shana’s Frederick Factor

Show Links:

SOUL Street: 

• Website: https://mysoulstreet.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysoulstreet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MySOULStreet/
• Email: [email protected]

Learn more about Platinum PR, the sponsors of Season Two of the Frederick Factor here: www.platinumpr.com

Interested in sponsoring a season of the Frederick Factor? Contact us at [email protected] 

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary

Meet the host of Season 2 of the Frederick Factor, Ashleigh Kiggans! Ashleigh is the Vice President of MacRo, Frederick County and Frederick City’s go-to brokerage for commercial real estate and land transactions, and an active member of local nonprofits. In this episode, our previous host, Sandy Dubay, “passes the torch” to Ashleigh! Ashleigh interviews Sandy, and we learn more about the origin of the Frederick Factor, future visions for the podcast, and the story behind getting Ashleigh to guest host this season of the Frederick Factor. 

Show Notes / Highlights from the Show:

• The Big Reveal: Meet Ashleigh Kiggans, Host of Season 2 of the Frederick Factor!
• How Ashleigh and Sandy first got to know each other on an “awkward first date” 
• Highlights from recording Season 1 of the Frederick Factor
• The story behind Platinum PR, the company producing the Frederick Factor
• How Ashleigh is stepping outside of her comfort zone to step into her hosting shoes
• Why Frederick, Maryland is affectionately called the “Huggy Town”
• Sandy’s Frederick Factor

Show Links:

The Mentorship Factor with Ashleigh Kiggans of MacRo Commercial Real Estate:
https://frederickfactor.com/2021/11/03/the-mentorship-factor/

The Authenticity Factor with Angel and Crystal Rivera of Puerto Rico Distillery:

https://frederickfactor.com/2021/10/14/episode-1-the-authenticity-factor/

The Uniqueness Factor with Nikki Reineck of Sisters in Style: https://frederickfactor.com/2022/01/05/the-uniqueness-factor-with-nikki-reineck/

Check out all episodes of Frederick Factor Season 1 here: https://frederickfactor.com/episodes/

Interested in sponsoring a season of the Frederick Factor? Contact us at [email protected] 

Learn more about Platinum PR, the producers of the Frederick Factor, here: 

www.platinumpr.com

Learn more about Ashleigh Kiggans, Season 2 host, here: https://frederickfactor.com/about/

About the Frederick Factor: 

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/ 

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on: 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor 

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary

For our final episode of Season One of the Frederick Factor, our guest is Nikki Reineck, the owner and CEO of the clothing boutique Sisters in Style. Nikki shares her journey as a business owner and discusses how Sisters in Style evolved from an at-home business to opening a storefront in Frederick, Maryland and a facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. Nikki is also part of the deaf community, and her employees are all deaf as well. She shares with us the unique experience people can have in her store and how communities can make events more accessible and inclusive for the deaf community. 

Show Notes

• How Nikki and her sister got the original inspiration to start selling clothing as a side business
• How they made the transition from direct sales to opening their first storefront 
• The encouragement they received from their customer base to open a boutique in Frederick
• What it was like expanding the business during the pandemic
• The ways that sisterhood supports Nikki and her sister to be successful in their business
• Some of the goals they have to support other deaf-owned business owners and suppliers in their business
• The unique and valuable experience customers can have in their store (including hearing people and those with deaf children)
• The benefits of being located in Frederick, Maryland, where there’s a deaf community of over 3,000 people 
• Nikki’s Frederick Factor

Guest Bio:

Nikki Reineck is the owner and CEO of the clothing boutique, Sisters in Style, located in Frederick, Maryland, on Shab Row at 116 N. East Street. They’re open Wednesdays through Sundays. They offer a variety of styles and sizes in their boutique so that there’s something everyone can enjoy. Everyone on their staff is in the deaf community, and they have a whiteboard in the store to communicate with hearing people. They welcome all customers to their boutique to explore the variety of clothing and those who want to learn more about deaf culture, sign language, or who are interested in supporting deaf-owned businesses. In addition to the Frederick location, there is a Sisters in Style location in Indianapolis, and they also sell their clothing online and through the Sisters in Style app. 

Show Links:

• Sisters in Style
• Follow Sisters in Style on Instagram
• Sisters in Style App on Apple
• Sisters in Style App on Google
• iYellow Interpreting

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary

Our guest for today’s episode is Elizabeth Chung, the founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Center of Frederick. The AACF brings together cultures, helps people become citizens of the US, and supports immigrants with essential skills to be independent and successful contributors to our communities. With passion and dedication, Elizabeth shares her journey creating AACF and growing the many successful programs that are powerfully impacting individuals, strengthening communities, and creating ripple effects throughout society at large. 

Show Notes

• The original inspiration behind starting Asian American Center of Frederick (AACF)
• How the AACF has evolved beyond serving only the Asian American community
• The many different services offered by the AACF to support immigrants to become independent and contributors to the community
• Elizabeth’s joy in offering AACF’s Citizen and Naturalization Program
• The power of food festivals to bring different communities together 
• What the Chinese Five Elements can teach us about community building
• The domino effect of different cultures helping one another
• Why it’s so important to see your own unconscious biases to help fight injustice
• Elizabeth’s ideas of how AACF could continue to grow and expand
• Elizabeth’s Frederick Factor

Guest Bio:

Elizabeth Chung is a native of Hong Kong, China, and immigrated to the United States in 1970. For 45 years, she has been an advocate for minority health. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Center of Frederick (AACF), an organization dedicated to supporting immigrants with essential skills to be independent and successful contributors to the community. Under her leadership, AACF is a leading entity in addressing health disparities through partnership with collective impact. Elizabeth serves and has served on various advisory committees, boards, and commissions in various capacities, including the Asian Pacific American Commission of the Governor’s Office of Community Initiative. She has received many awards and accolades throughout her career, including becoming the national recipient of the New York Life Foundation – Love Takes Action Award. 

Show Links:

• Asian American Center of Frederick
• Frederick’s EmPOWER Program

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrederickFactor1748

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary:

We’re sure this conversation with Aje Hill will leave you as inspired and as it left us. He shares his story of going from a “dope dealer” in his youth to becoming a “hope dealer” today. After going to prison at a young age, Aje had a wake-up moment where he decided that he believed in himself. Since then, he has committed himself to serving the community, helping at-risk youth through his nonprofit, I Believe In Me, Inc. He continues to serve “hope” everywhere he goes -- including this episode!

Show Notes:

• Aje’s story of going to prison at a young age and ending up lonely, hopeless, and full of pain
• The pivotal moment when Aje had to decide whether or not he believed in himself and would find a way to change
• The closed (and locked) doors in the community Aje faced after getting out of prison
• The inspiration behind starting his non-profit organization, I Believe In Me, Inc. 
• Why it is so important for communities to provide safe spaces and healthy role models for at-risk youth 
• The story behind “Hope Boxes,” the mobile food distribution program providing food to Frederick families in need
• Aje’s dedication to his mother, who was there for him through all the challenges
• The “self-inventory” practice that allows Aje to step into leadership each day
• Aje’s Frederick Factor

Guest Bio:

Aje Hill is the Executive Director and Founder of the nonprofit, I Believe in Me Inc, based in Frederick County. Their mission is to reach at-risk youth and inspire and challenge them through programs that foster self-respect and respect for the world around them.Along with other leaders, Aje started a mobile food distribution program, Hope Boxes, which has delivered 4.1 million meals into the Frederick community and provided food to over 125,000 families. Aje strives to deter today’s youth from making the mistakes he made and prevent them from facing the same situations and consequences that he once faced. 

Show Links:

• I Believe In Me, Inc.
• I Believe In Me on Instagram
• I Believe In Me on Twitter
• I Believe in Me on Facebook

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrederickFactor1748

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary

This conversation with Janece Lee was truly an inspiring one! As a recent college graduate, Janece is taking the fashion industry by storm as she fills an unmet need: plus-size young adult fashion. In this interview, Janece shares why it’s so important to create trending, stylish plus-size clothing for young adults. With determination, commitment, and a passion for her mission, Janece is building a powerful brand that’s dedicated to serving her target audience. 

Show Notes 

• How Janece got the inspiration for her plus-sized young adult fashion company
• Where the inspiration for her brand’s name, “HEISIS,” came from
• The first “bathroom selfie” moment that confirmed that her fashion line will be popular with the young adult market
• How Janece used Instagram to conduct target market research with her ideal demographic
• How growing up in a family business impacted her as an entrepreneur
• The biggest lesson she’s had to learn since starting her business
• Janece’s visions for scaling her business in Frederick
• Tips for aspiring underrepresented entrepreneurs
• Janece’s Frederick Factor

Guest Bio

Janece Lee is the CEO/Founder of HEISIS, a fashion brand soley for plus-size teens and young adults. In December of 2019, Janece graduated from Kent State University, earning her degree in fashion merchandising. While in college, she had the opportunity to live in New York City and abroad in Florence, Italy. Janece aims to combine her authenticity and leadership skills to continue to grow her brand HEISIS, and to achieve her company’s mission of boldly redefining style without compromising size. 

Show Links:

Shop HEISIS

HEISIS on Instagram

Platinum PR TikTok

WGSN

Woman to Woman Mentoring

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrederickFactor1748

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary:

Our guest Jose Bueso is well-known in the Frederick community. For over 25 years, he has been the owner of Dynamic Automotive. In this episode, Jose shares his journey from working on cars in his garage to owning five different Dynamic Automotive locations with 46 employees. While Jose has faced fears and challenges along the way, he’s stayed relentlessly committed and determined to grow the thriving business he has today. 

Show Notes:

• How Jose and his business partner went from working in Jose’s garage for 4 years to opening the doors of their brick and mortar business, Dynamic Automotive
• How Jose got the courage to take the leap and quit his job to run the business full-time
• Why their growth has been a result of not focusing on making money but on making friends
• The challenges Jose and his business partner faced when opening their second location
• How they worked through the challenges they faced to now be successfully running 5 locations today with 46 employees
• Practical ways that they support their business and staff to be on the cutting edge of car technology
• What Jose’s best mentor, his father, taught him about how to be successful
• Jose’s tips for aspiring entrepreneurs
• Jose’s Frederick Factor

Guest Bio:

Jose Bueso is the COO, past president, and co-founder of Dynamic Automotive, which has five locations in Frederick County. Jose has 49 years of experience in the automotive industry and has been an ASE Master Certified Technician since 1982. Jose is a member of the AutoCare Associations Government Affairs Committee, president of the Mechanical Trades Foundation, Chair of Career and Technology Advisory Council, a member of Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, and past president of Carroll Creek Toastmasters. Jose also serves as a mentor in the Frederick Office of Economic Development’s Empower Mentor Program.

Show Links:

• Dynamic Automotive
• Frederick County Career & Technology Center

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrederickFactor1748

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary

If you live in Frederick and frequent the Curious Iguana bookstore on the weekends, chances are that you’ve gotten a book recommendation from our guest Em Perper. The Frederick Factor team got to know Em when they led a Frederick OED Empower Program workshop. In today’s episode, Em shares their journey as a transgender nonbinary person and some of the experiences they’ve had helping to educate people about the LGBTQ community. This includes both formal workshops as well as daily experiences working in downtown Frederick. 

Show Notes 

• How Em identifies
• Why being well-meaning and progressive doesn’t stop a person from needing to educate themselves about nonconforming gender identities
• Em’s Frederick journey and how they ended up being the lead bookseller at Frederick’s popular independent bookstore, Curious Iguana
• What Em loves about Frederick and what would make it better for others
• How the pandemic created an atmosphere to explore gender identity and sexual orientation (and which popular TikTok resulted from it)
• Em’s experiences around people who make derogatory statements about the use of nonconforming pronouns and how they respond
• How to know which pronouns to use if someone refers to themselves with multiple pronouns
• Em’s Frederick Factor

Guest Bio

Em Perper (they/them) is the lead bookseller at Curious Iguana, downtown Frederick’s independent bookstore. For five years, they served on the board of directors of The Frederick Center, which supports and advocates for Frederick’s LGBTQIA+ community. They’re passionate about creating queer-inclusive environments for folks who work, live, and visit Frederick.

Show Links:

Curious Iguana Bookstore

Here are some of Em’s LGBTQ book recommendations:

• The Pronoun Lowdown by Nevo Zisin
•  How to They/Them by Stuart Getty
• A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson
• Queerstory: An Infographic History of the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights by Rebecca Strickson
• A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski
• Transgender History by Susan Stryker
• Trans Like Me: Conversations for All of Us by CN Lester
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (But Were Afraid to Ask) by Brynn Tannehill

You can find or order these books at Curious Iguana (12. N. Market St. & [email protected]) or on Bookshop.org, a wonderful alternative to Amazon.

About the Frederick Factor:
The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.co

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor

Show Summary:

In this conversation with Dr. Xavier Bruce, we hear his story firsthand and what led him to become the change he wanted to see in the world. In this episode, Xavier (or Dr. X) shares his experience retiring from the military and his struggle to identify the mental health support he desired and needed. Ultimately this led to becoming a coach himself. He shares some of this journey that included encountering racism in the military, pursuing his doctorate while an active-duty officer, and building a business that supports underrepresented men and women in the military -- and building it in the midst of COVID. 

Show Notes:

• Xavier’s experience working towards his doctorate while stationed in the most dangerous part of the world in Kandahar, Afghanistan
• What many Black veterans have faced when transitioning to civilian life after being on active duty 
• How Xavier first knew that he wanted to coach Black veterans
• Why it’s so important to be able to find support that looks like you
• Why pursuing a doctorate was so important and empowering in his career
• Xavier’s advice for underrepresented entrepreneurs just getting started
• His three tips for excelling and enhancing lifestyle
• Xavier’s Frederick Factor

Guest Bio:

Dr. Xavier Bruce, CEO/Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), was an active-duty officer in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Qatar. During his time in the Air Force, he dealt with several stressful situations at once, including a rocky marriage, raising a son with autism, struggling through the doctoral dissertation process, microaggressions in the military, and experiencing rocket attacks while deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan. With no one to guide him, he turned to self-learning and created a self-development framework he calls Strategic Energetic Transition™ (SET), which serves as the basis of his unique approach to coaching and speaking. Through his businesses Uplift Energy Coaching and Uplift In-Powerment, he supports underrepresented men and women veterans experiencing stress and anxiety associated with life transitions. He also commands the Western Maryland Chapter of the National Association for Black Veterans.

Show Links:

• Visit his website: www.xaviervbruce.com
• Uplift In-Powerment 
• Western Maryland Chapter of National Association for Black Veterans 

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at  https://frederickfactor.com/. Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrederickFactor1748

About the Frederick Factor:

The Frederick Factor Podcast highlights the stories of underrepresented business owners, professionals, and community leaders making an impact in Frederick, Maryland. You can visit our website at https://frederickfactor.com/.

Or, follow the Frederick Factor on:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfactor_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrederickFactor