The DMV (Washington, DC | Maryland | Virginia) Business Show

In this week's episode we have Michael Martinec, CEO of Products Support Inc. with their office in Jessup, Maryland!  He is a local having grown up in Maryland, graduated from the University of Maryland and became a CPA (Certified Public Accountant).  He has always been interested in side businesses starting at a young age trading sports cards and selling candy, which eventually led to investing in real estate.  This is a must listen episode for everyone, it shows you how you can make it into the C-Suite without being the founder and continue to climb the corporate ladder if you choose to do so in an efficient and effective way.  Mike shares some valuable takeaways you can immediately start implementing especially if you lead and manage any sort of team.  You are going to learn how to develop a strong work environment that is going to make nobody want to leave!

In this week's episode we have Doug Miller!  Doug is the CEO of several companies in the nutritional supplement space Core Nutritionals, 'Merica Labz, 'Merica Snax, The Nutrition Corners, and Co-Owner of Arms Race Nutrition with headquarters in Sterling, Virginia.  He is also a Free Pro Bodybuilding 2x World Champion!  We talked about becoming the top natural body builder in the world, all of his business ventures, and growing up in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia.   He mentions how important it is to him the impact he is making in the community and how branding helped them become one of the most engaged supplement brands in social media.  He shares the importance of always learning from the right people and from your past mistakes.  Doug takes us behind the scenes on how he enjoys to spend his free time, and how commercial real estate has played a principal role in different aspects of his business!

Raquel Borras is CEO (Chief Excitement Officer) and Founder of True To You Branding out of Leesburg, Virginia!  She is also a Social Media Coach/Content Creator at SocialCoach and a Spokesperson for Imperfectly Perfect Campaign which is changing the face of mental health by dismantling the stigmas associated with it.  She is a personal branding and LinkedIn guru!  We chatted about her growing up in Southern California in the San Diego area and what brought her to the DC metro area.  She comes from a long line of artist in her family and is one herself.  She is a huge mental health advocate after a suicide attempt in her early twenties.   She shares how it is so much easier just being you and not trying to be something you are not, and how she turned her struggles into strengths.  Raquel mentions how you cannot miss out on the social media opportunity, it is free visibility!  She gives us some great advice on how to build emotional connections through the sharing of stories and experiences.  This and much more, don't miss the episode!

In this week's episode we have Mike McDermott, President of InquisIT with their office in Chantilly, Virginia!  He has had an illustrious career in the federal space helping grow Phacil from 4 employees to leaving after almost 12 years with the title of President and revenues of almost $150 Million.  In the first 12 months with InquisIT he grew the business by nearly 40% and brought in over $28 Million in new contracts.  We chatted about his start as a Marine and how that led him to one of his side passions being a competitive body builder.  He shares how it is all about the team effort, nothing is ever done alone, and what should your ideal day look like.  He also give us some insight on how you should be as close in proximity as possible to ownership and the decision makers, and how one of the biggest skills one should learn is to be inefficient!  You heard that right, be inefficient!  Catch the entire episode, you don't want to miss it!

Maria Joukov is the Co-Founder & CEO of two companies inq Tattoos and Fides Services!  inq Tattoos is located in Old Town in the heart of Alexandria, Virginia's historic district.  They are innovating and reimagining the tattoo experience with there transparency and education to the customer!  You feel like you are walking into a spa with there clean high-end design.  Maria immigrated from Armenia to the US at 10 years old and grew up in Baltimore County Maryland!  We chat about what led her to the business, how starting out in the early stages you wear all of the hats at the company, and to never forget that life is short!  This and much more, don't miss it because the future that's coming is taking off like a rocket ship!

Kelly Ennis is the Founder and Managing Principal of The Verve Partnership with headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland!  The Verve Partnership is an interior architecture firm that focuses on how space, culture, and brand impact the built environment from the inside out.  We talked with Kelly about growing up in a town south of Allentown, Pennsylvania and how at the early age of 8 years she fell in love with her first set of Lincoln Logs and hasn't looked back since!  She shares the story how the business started and the meaning behind the brand name.  We learn about the immense power of relationships and how doing what is right always works out and wins!

In this week's episode we have Marc D'Antin!  He is the Director of Fit Learning DC with their Learning Lab located in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC!  We chatted about his upbringing living in several countries and states before he was 10 years old and how that shaped him, his career journey and how he ended up in his field, and why he loves what he does and sees himself doing this forever.  You will find out the importance in positivity and the critical role it plays in learning, and how can someone accomplish one to two year's worth of growth within only 40 hours, and much more!

Graham King is the Owner and Founder of Urban Athletic Club with four gym locations in Washington, DC and there newest location at the Watergate opening soon!  He is a local having grown up in Howard County Columbia, Maryland.  We talked about his start in the fitness industry working the morning shift at a local fitness club, what he learned working there and how that has served him throughout his journey, how he has been able to build a close knit community of loyal followers, what to consider when going into a new business partnership, how thinking outside of the box has helped him and his business grow, and what the future holds!

In this week's episode we have Luke Silverman, Co-Founder and CEO of Bark Social!  Bark Social is the first "dog bar" in the Mid-Atlantic region that will be opening its first location soon in North Bethesda, Maryland in the Pike & Rose development!  We chatted about how out of college he started his own wine business and lived in Tuscany, Italy, he worked in Hollywood on several successful TV hit franchises such as The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and American Idol, and he loves to travel having visited 48 US states and 35 countries.  He shares how it is to raise capital from investors and what is needed, what he learned working at a young age in the hospitality industry, and how you need to create opportunities for your team.  Him and his team have created an amazing business concept you NEED to visit if you live in the DMV, especially if you have a four legged fury friend!

In this week's episode we have Bob Klinger!  He is the CEO and founder of Klinger Insurance Group with headquarters in Germantown, Maryland!  He went from growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania to being at the top of the insurance industry and involved in several industry boards and associations.  He served over 20 years in the military, ran the first Iraqi elections in Tikrit, was blown up in Iraq, and shares what the military taught him about marketing!  He provides great advice for all companies, how to niche down in your business, and how social media has helped him and how you should be using it, and at the end of the day it is all about the fundamentals.  This episode has so many learning nuggets and great stories, you cannot miss it!