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Sincerely, Your Small Business

Sincerely, Your Small Business

Written by: Jess Norby
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About this listen

You’ve always wanted to get to know your favorite local business owners. But with everyone’s busy schedules, it can be hard to actually sit down and chat with each other and learn about the dreams, setbacks, successes, failures, and everything in between! All of which help shape us into the humans we are today.The Sincerely, Your Small Business podcast is your window into the lives and identities of small business owners that you support year-round. What inspires them, what makes them tick, and what has helped them grow as business owners, parents, community members, and friends.It’s a way to get to know them, so that when you DO run into one another at the grocery store, park, or place of business, you’ll know that at the end of the day, we can all build relationships and connect with one another through shared experiences.

© 2025 Sincerely, Your Small Business
Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Rob Wooten of Convoy
    Dec 22 2025

    Rob Wooten is a multidisciplinary designer and artist who is currently the creative director and partner at Convoy, a Charlottesville/Richmond-based design and development studio, and a curator and collaborator with Trailhead Creative at Home Fire Gallery. This gallery focuses on local artists and designers. Illustrator and writer at Hanging Moon Comics (an upcoming comic book) and founder of Design Friends, a group focused on graphic design-focused events and community initiatives.

    In this episode, Rob talks about how:

    - Hard work and being a good person are two main ingredients for being successful
    - Not turning down opportunities helps you build a gut and trust in yourself
    - The more you weather difficult situations, the more you grow in your confidence
    - Sometimes the highs are high, and the lows are low -- experiencing those things can help you hone your craft
    - Failing is the only way we learn!

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    52 mins
  • Senlin Means of The Beautiful Idea
    Dec 8 2025

    Senlin Means is a trans woman and anti-fascist activist, co-owner of The Beautiful Idea and owner of F12 Infoshop. In her spare time she runs Charlottesville Harm Reduction and reads lots of books. She lives with a dog, a cat, and a snake in her hometown of Charlottesville VA.

    In this interview, hear Senlin's thoughts and experiences on:

    - learning what it means--and how--to be happy in the chapter of activism you're in

    - running a business with multiple people and how communication plays a huge role--as well as a foundation of love and understanding

    - feeling like you're a part of something greater than its parts

    - what it's like to practice believing that what you're doing is making a difference, and that it's worthy of positive feedback

    Follow along on Instagram @the.beautiful.idea and learn more about The Beautiful Idea by visiting www.thebeautifulidea.gay

    Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!

    Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!

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    54 mins
  • Alexandra de Guzman of APEX Performance Center
    Nov 17 2025

    Alexandra de Guzman, a Charlottesville-based coach, brings over 20 years of competitive tennis experience. Originally from New Jersey, she was a top-five sectional junior and a USTA national doubles champion. She went on to play NCAA Division I tennis at William & Mary, where her team ranked as high as #8 nationally. After earning a B.S. in Kinesiology with a minor in Art and Art History, she served as the Women’s Assistant Coach at William & Mary and later coached at the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in South Carolina.

    Certified by the USPTA, PTR, and as a Tennis Performance Specialist, Alex has worked with nationally ranked juniors and supported a touring pro at the Madrid and French Opens. She’s coached in elite environments and formerly held a coaching role at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville. Alex spent two years in Spain teaching tennis and English, shaping a coaching philosophy rooted in self-awareness and empathy. She later managed international university programs for a company before founding Second Serve Tennis in 2018.

    In May 2025, she rebranded to APEX Performance Center, expanding to offer performance training for young athletes in Charlottesville. Passionate about community, she leads Girls Rule the Court (a free USTA program) and serves on the USTA Mid-Atlantic Coaches Commission Task Force.

    Learn more about APEX here, and follow them on Instagram!

    Follow Sincerely, Your Small Business on Instagram!

    Did you enjoy this episode? Please give us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify!

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    47 mins
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