As a Military Spouse who owns her own business, I understand the unique challenges that come with living the military life as well as those that come with running the show and having all of that responsibility resting on my shoulders. Naturally, I’m a huge advocate for veteran and milspouse owned businesses, and Alexandria has some amazing examples of both. Welcome to the biggest issue of VIP Alexandria yet! Join us in celebrating and getting to know these amazing businesses and their exceptional owners, their stories, their struggles—and all the things that make them so unique. A goal, since day one of this magazine, has been to bridge the gap between the local military community and Old Town, bringing them together to make them both shine.

While you get to know some of our local heroes and their businesses, read about Greg Gadson, a real-life badass who plays an inspiring character on the big screen and never let the physical challenges he faced get in the way of duty or his dreams. The Battleship actor is someone I particularly admire—especially since the movie is one of my favorites. Lucky for us, Gadson lives right here in Alexandria, and he gave us the honor of sitting down for an interview.

Welcome to the issue—we hope you enjoy getting to know all of these incredible people as much as we have. Go out and support them and their businesses and tell them how much you admire their perseverance and sacrifice. Kellie Gunderman, Publisher,