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Ricks also offers a variety of empowerment presentations and her website posts accolades from participants from her many events. Her charismatic personality makes training sessions memorable and educational.
about the joy aspect. More people need to experience this joy that flowers have given me.” Brandon’s Flowers breaks rules — wedding floral package budget minimums are lower, arrangements are customized and bouquets include “wow factor” special touches, Dixon said. She got away from Teleflora and other floral wire services. “I am not a cookie cutter florist,” Dixon said. “So, if you’re looking for a cookie cutter, it’s probably not here.”
Ricks is a servant at heart and spends her spare time serving as executive director of the Prince William County Community Foundation.
Brandon’s Flowers 703-491-5200, 13314 Occoquan Road, Woodbridge brandonsflowers.net
“I’m honestly just focused on everyone,” she said. “I’m happy to serve and I just want to help people.”
Changing the Workplace Culture When Sabrina Brandon Ricks experienced workplace bullying in three different jobs over 10 years, she asked herself, “Why me?” Ricks went back to school to earn her doctorate in organization and management with a leadership specialization, writing her dissertation about workplace bullying, leadership and organizational culture.
Upon graduation Ricks launched her own small business in which she serves as president. Her mission is to prevent workplace bullying, one company at a time. As the primary consultant for SBR Workplace Leadership Services in Woodbridge, she coaches clients on team building, ensuring a strong organizational culture, and improving management or leadership teams.
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February 2022 prince william living
SBR Workplace Leadership Services 571-492-4239, 2196 Mayflower Drive, Woodbridge dr.ricks@sbrleadership.com
Empowering Travel Shondra Cheris was busy planning culturally diverse weddings when someone asked if she could help with their honeymoon as well. Since she grew up as a welltraveled military dependent, she relished the thought of planning trips for others. Not everyone gets to visit Korea as a youth or the Swiss Alps for their first time skiing, as she had. “I need to do this seriously,” she said, but found it a tough Shondra Cheris business to break into, since internships were not available. Cheris officially started working in the travel business in 2009, and eventually transitioned her business to be called Black Will Travel in Woodbridge. Now, this travel concierge company, as she calls it, caters to every demographic, but endeavors to reach different ethnicities and those who have no travel experience at all. Some clients have never left the country or even flown on an airplane. “I have to hand hold more than you usually do,” Cheris said, “and I love it.”
Photo courtesy of Shondra Cheris
Photo courtesy of Lauren Hatcher Photography
Dr. Sabrina Brandon Ricks
“I wanted to try to be impactful and help people by creating better workplaces,” she said.
“She has been an enormous help to me with my professional growth,” business development manager Mina Alexander posted on Ricks’ website after attending her events. “Whether at our company, at our partners or anywhere in between, I can highly recommend her services in facilitation, leadership development and executive coaching."
