THE WJA OPEN is the chief annual fundraiser for the WASHINGTON JESUIT ACADEMY!  Ned Welbourn and I sat down on a lovely March evening to talk about the love of the WJA and the love in action which is the WJA OPEN. 

Thank you, Ned, for being such a wonderful spokesman for the Academy, and a big shout out and thank you to UNITED BANK -- the community bank of the Nation's Capital  -- for being the Title Sponsor for the Open!

The Washington Jesuit Academy is an 11-hour/day , 11-months/year school for inner-city DC boys -- grades 4 - 8.  The academic, athletic, character, faith that the WJA imparts so well is solely supported by the donations of us -- the money of the masses, the believers in the mission of quality education for all.  This is our duty, responsibility, honor to help and be moral stewards of the next generation of DC and our planet.  Let's go and please consider chipping in for this supremely noble cause -- perhaps the most noble.

I hear babies crying -- I watch them grow -- they'll learn much more than I'll ever know.  And I think to myself -- what a wonderful world.

With Love,

Billy

I know no larger fan of Elvis than Brendan Martin!  And then there was Austin Butler and Baz Lerhman’s masterpiece movie, ELVIS — as Brendan aptly and affectionately calls it — a love letter to Elvis, the once and future and forever king.  

Elvis was the first true global superstar of otherworldly talent and he was adored accordingly.  Like Alexander the Great, before Elvis the masses were lost and because of Elvis, all became one.

“When you don’t know what to say, sing.”

BE OUR GUEST . . . . last night our guests were Cogsworth, The Beast, Lumiere, & the beautiful Belle . . . also known as: Teddy Kavanagh, Croix Harris, Michael Rose & Jameson Ackers -- just a few of the many stars of Georgetown Prep's production of the Disney classic, Beauty & The Beast!  The treat was mine to sit down with these thespians to talk about their weekend musical masterpiece. 

Opening show's curtain call is tomorrow at 7:30 with a B&B encore the following night, Saturday, again at 7:30, and a grand finale as Sunday's matinee at 2:00 -- all at Prep's famous and storied Figge Theatre.  I am super stoked for what we all well know will be a show-stopping production of such an all-time favorite. . . . . please join so we can . . . . . BE THEIR GUESTS!

TICKETS PLEASE!

With a name like HannaH 🍌 Cherry 🍒 — come on, ya gotta eat lots of fruit, and what is more Hannah made the lifestyle choice 7 years ago to not only love all the fruit, but to love all the animals too — by not eating them.  Since then, Hannah’s diet has been plant-based and Hannah’s health and conscience has never felt better! 

Hannah also has a plethora of side-hustles, and among them — she teaches yoga at Carol Maloney’s Well & Wonder Studio in Tenleytown — where we met, and Hannah is a wonderful teacher (as well as human)!

I hope you enjoyed our plant-based conversation — I sure did and truthfully see less meat in my future -- because our conversation and the documentary: Game Changers!

And check out Hannah on Instagram — she has quite the informative and inspiration presence @looks_the_kale! 

Cheers!

🍌 🥃 🍒

#Hannahcherry #looksthatkale #plantbased #vegan #veganism #gamechangersmovie #wellandwonderstudio #veggies #veganiseasy #vegandinner #plantbasedrecipes #vegans #veganrecipes #vegansofinstagram #veganlife #vegancommunity #billygerrishexperiment #thegerrishexperiment #localpodcast #localpodcaster #tellyourstory #speakyourpassion #theworldkneelsbeforelove #itisinawe #liveyourpurpose #tge #love #bge #bg3

Formally known as Joe LaPietra, COACH LALA recently gave birth to Mastery Of The Mind (MOM) -- an educational model to teach student athletes life skills and educational tolls to use beyond athletics. 

I have known Coach for a long time -- going back to my early teaching days at Mater Dei School and his son Joey -- who now is employed by dad to help with the digital/social media infrastructure of MOM Universe!

After a robustly successful career in finance -- including leading New York Life's DC branch (the second largest of NYL in the country), Joe was traded for Coach when he decided to start MOM at the beginning of this year.  Since, MOM has taken off like wildfire -- with over-night success at St. John's and DeMatha -- and the horizon could not look any brighter.  Coach might have to get in the cloning business to keep up with all the biz!

Who is teaching our young men and women communication skills, interview training, public speaking , financial literacy, business principles, leadership, coping skills, student-athlete balance -- COACH LALA IS!

mic-drop!

Courtney Chase graduated from the same program that I am currently enrolled — Catholic University’s Masters in Social work! Courtney has lived a life of service from politics to education to helping abuse victims — and is currently employed by the Archdiocese of Washington, helping victims of abuse -- and has her own private practice.  Most off, Courtney has been a long-time friend!

Check out Courtney's Instagram:  EVERYBODYHASSTRENGTHS -- and website: https://mindfulstrategies-llc.com/

I hope that you enjoy this important conversation about mental health and our calling to help!

With love,
Billy G!

Andy has been my therapist for over a decade.   Andy has worked in the DC area for over 48 years with over 55,000 therapy sessions with his clients.  Once upon a time, Andy wanted to help people and he got a masters in social work.  Once upon this past December,  I had a conversation with Andy about his experience -- and now I am traveling that very same path down the road of social work!  Where it will take me, God only knows -- but I have Andy to thank for his steadfast guidance and as a role model along this crazy journey of life.  You are never too old to learn, change, grow -- never forget that -- if you are open to it!

With much love this has to be one of my all-time favorite conversations -- thank you Andy for everything!


Billy

*** To get his AWESOME book, TOGETHERNESS, please reach out to Andy directly -- and if you are nice you may even get a signed copy! ***

[email protected]

Brent is kinda like my hero and we are little bit of doppelgangers!

Brent manifests his media and film background to feature cool, different, inspiring people who may live next door to let folks know that inspiration literally lies a doorstep away -- especially here in Washington -- where things are never boring. 

I hope you enjoy our conversation and please check out Brent and WICKLYOFFICIAL On Instagram and follow and engage for the best of life here and local!

With love,

BGE!

Cole and Nikhil cole-lapsed and nik-illed it last night talking about there efforts in the Student Visionaries Of The Year campaign to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!  Cole and Nikhil are the captains of the Hoyas For A Cure team who is competing against hundreds of other teams throughout the greater Washington DC area.  We are midway through the 7-week campaign and are happy with the start, but know that the Hoyas are more of a 2nd half kinda team!  Cole and Nikhil are current actively looking for people to be on their winning team (no cuts!) — so you too can help crush the ultimate enemy — cancer!  Please talk to your two captains about joining such a worthy fight — you don’t have to go to Prep and you can be any age — think big and get out there and make a difference! 

To donate to Hoyas For A Cure go Cole Remington or Nikhil Kambeyanda’s  instagram or the instagram of Hoyas For A Cure 2.0 — do it now and make a real difference!

CAROL! has been a friend of mine for years -- and as you can probably tell from the listen -- we are kinda kindred spirits!  One year ago abouts, Carol had the temerity to start an in-person studio for yoga, hemp, wellness.  On the heals of a pandemic -- rather still in the storm of the pandemic -- I'd call that bold.  And Virgil (the poet - not the wrestler) would agree -- "Fortune favors the bold!"  That was Carol and still is!  One year later W&W has gone from fledgling to thriving!  The future is bright for Carol (as it's always been) and what will come for . . . .

Well & Wonder Studio of Tennlytown!