Author: Hillary Coley

Business SPOTLIGHT – “From Florida to Virginia and from the 1800s to Now.”
Mortgage Hall Estate
By: Robin Cunningham (Reston Limousine )

Moving from Florida to Virginia seems a bit backward (at least to me – I dream of escaping the cold and living in eternal sunshine!) as you often hear of people moving from the cold to the sun’s warmth. But for Sabrina Sutton, leaving the sunshine in Florida for Virginia’s seasons made sense.

Sabrina grew up in upstate NY Saratoga Springs, and after she finished high school, she moved to Florida. With a business management degree and extensive hospitality industry experience, she left FL after 12 years and moved to VA. She knew she’d land on her hospitality feet here – not only did Sabrina land on her feet, but she also jumped all the way in!

In 2013 Sabrina was looking for a sizeable farm-like property to purchase so she and her family could enjoy all that living on a farm had to offer. It didn’t take long before a property dating back to the mid-1800s caught her eye – Mortgage Hall Estate.

Mortgage Hall Estate is nestled in Middleburg’s horse and wine country and sits on 121 acres of pure beauty and majesty. It had been zoned for development at one time, but that ultimately fell through so the property was foreclosed and sold “as-is” through Middleburg Bank. Also, the estate sat empty for over ten years. In case you’re wondering what could happen when a house sits vacant for that long and is sold “as-is,” here are just a few things Sabrina had to deal with after she bought the estate: radiators that had froze and busted, snakes in the house and in the walls, no heat or air conditioning, and there was plumbing but no toilets – in short, the house had to be gutted to make it livable.

But Sabrina could see past all of that. Instead, the estate reminded her of a hotel – big, roomy, touristy, and full of potential and memory making.

Sabrina and her two daughters lived on-site and she spent one year working with a crew and renovation experts to bring life back to the Mortgage Hall. She transformed the shell of Mortgage Hall into a glorious and romantic estate that sleeps 20, can accommodate up to 200 for a company retreat, and hosts weddings throughout the year. The estate is beautifully furnished with furniture bought at auctions and sales. In addition, there is a fire pit to gather around, walking trails, a gas grill for cookouts, and a pond for fishing and picnics.

Once Mortgage Hall was transformed, furnished, and ready for the next chapter, Sabrina would sell it. However, fate stepped in and had another plan. So, instead of selling, Sabrina took the Airbnb route, and for the last eight years, Mortgage Hall has seen success as an Airbnb.

It is rented for corporate retreats, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Many repeat visitors return each year – booking for the next year before departing from the current visit.

The transformation didn’t stop at the estate. Sabrina has recently transformed their 30-stable barn into an event space that hosts weddings and special events. With more than 5000 square feet of flexible event space, decorative lighting, and other special touches, the sky is the limit to how guests can transform this space.

In October 2019, Sabrina became the estate’s sole owner; in February 2022, she sold it but continues to manage and lease it from the new owners.

When I asked Sabrina what she was most proud of (there is certainly plenty to boast about!), it wasn’t the impressive transformation of an empty building with snakes and no electricity or toilets into a warm, welcoming, beautifully decorated home. Instead, Sabrina is proud that she has made something special where families gather, enjoy themselves, and make memories that will last a lifetime – just as you’d expect from an estate that has been here since the 1800s.

Business SPOTLIGHT – “A Star is Born”
StageCoach Theatre Company
By: Robin Cunningham (Reston Limousine)

The first thing to know about the StageCoach Theatre Company is that their name has meaning; scratch that, make it meanings.

When I asked co-owner Jerri Wiseman about the name, she assured me it was selected intentionally and with much thought. First is ‘Stage’ – which has obvious significance for a theatre company, as it is the primary platform for their services. Then you have ‘Coach.’ In this case, ‘Coach’ refers to the teaching and mentoring they offer to their students. And, when you put Stage and Coach together, you get StageCoach, a mobile way to “take the show on the road.” So, there you have it…one word with three significant and essential meanings.

StageCoach Theatre Company was founded in 2011, about two years after Jerri and Terry Smith first met. In 2009 Jerri moved back to VA after living overseas (where she belonged to a local, non-profit theatre group) and knew that an excellent way to meet people and do something she loved would be to join a theatre group. So Jerri auditioned for and got a role in a murder mystery. Then, about two years in, she realized she wanted to produce more, and Terry realized he wanted to write more. So as the saying goes, “a star was born,” and the StageCoach Theatre Company opened its doors.

StageCoach began as a traveling troupe of performers doing murder mysteries at local wineries and restaurants, and they continue to do so. However, StageCoach has grown and blossomed into so much more. In addition to offering summer camps for teens and pre-teens, after-school classes, theatre workshops, and private coaching sessions are available.

As if teaching and coaching the stars of tomorrow isn’t enough, they also have a myriad of events and shows scheduled throughout the year. StageCoach has magic shows up their sleeves, Drag Cabaret performances to appeal to all the senses, and interactive ghost story mysteries perfect for this time of year.

While owning a theater can have its challenges (yes, we’re talking to you, Covid), it also has its shining moments. One particular shining example is a high school student who came to StageCoach a few years ago as a meek and mild, not quite booming with confidence or self-assuredness, young actor. However, this teenager embraced all that StageCoach had to offer and teach, and throughout the last couple of years, has blossomed into a confident and incredibly talented actor. He currently performs on stage along with professional actors in Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe. Imagine knowing the impact you had on a person can change their future trajectory – that’s what StageCoach Theatre Company is all about.

But don’t think that Covid left them unaffected…one nice thing about dinner theatre and murder mysteries is the closeness and quaintness these shows provide. Both were taboo during Covid. Closing their doors wasn’t an option, and as they say, the show must go on, but how and where? Oatlands Historic Home and Gardens came to the rescue!

Talk about a win-win. Oatlands had the space for the performers and guests to spread out and on-site catering by Pure Perfection for the dinner part of the ‘dinner’ theatre. It’s a match made in heaven that continues today, showing that not everything that came from Covid is terrible.

Jerri says that surviving Covid was one of their most significant accomplishments. While other businesses were closing their doors, StageCoach survived the pandemic. Jerri and Terry, along with their new business partner April Bridgeman, knew for sure that the support of the community/friends/fans made it possible for them to stay in business. Knowing that others had their backs encouraged them to keep their doors open and look for new ways to deliver their products and experience. As Jerri said, “We knew we couldn’t do it alone. It takes a village, sponsors, acting and directing troupes, and venues to help run a theatre. There are many challenges; the key is knowing who to call.”

For anyone interested, it is worth noting that StageCoach brings the show to you (remember why they picked the name StageCoach?). So if you have guests looking for live entertainment, team building, or maybe some creative workshops, Jerri and the crew are happy to oblige and bring it to you. Or, if you are looking for something offsite, don’t forget the dinner theatre at Oatlands, and live performances at the theater in Ashburn are always an option.

So, there you have it. StageCoach is much more than a theatre company – it is a community where you can perform, learn, and shine like the stars.

Business SPOT LIGHT
“Four Friends and an Idea”

Old 690 Brewing Company
By: Robin Cunningham (Reston Limousine)

For anyone that has kids, you know that is where many adult friendships begin. You know how it starts: class field trips, school activities, sports, youth groups, proms, homecomings, carpools, etc., and before you know it, you have lifelong friends and maybe even a brewing company.

The year is 2012, and four friends are getting together as friends often do. The next thing you know, some brainstorming takes place, and it is decided that they should open a brewery! Since Mark and Rhonda Powell had the more considerable lot, they agreed the brewery would be on their property and began construction at the end of 2012.

In early 2013, Old 690 Brewing Company was established and officially opened in August 2014. Old 690 was the first “legal” brewery in Loudoun County. But unfortunately, they couldn’t open until the law that allows limited breweries to operate in the state of VA passed. This law limits the amount of beer a brewery can make and sell, and mandates that breweries grow and plant on their property. So, when you go to Old 690, some of the things you’ll see and hear are hops, herbs, blueberries, and rows and rows of cut flowers such as zinnias, cosmos, asters, and marigolds – all visited by an abundance of butterflies!

Three of the four partners have “ real jobs” so Ronda Powell oversees all things Old 690 – along with their “fantastic team that is more like family” Old 690 is closed Mondays and Tuesdays (see their hours here), allowing Ronda to volunteer and help the community. Their passion for helping others has set Old 690 apart from other Loudoun County breweries. From when they first opened their doors, Old 690 began hosting fundraisers to support non-profits such as Wounded Warriors, Rescue Dogs for Vets, local food banks, and Tree of Life Ministries. While they’re too modest to admit this, their spirit of helping others has positively impacted other LoCo breweries, and now other breweries are helping their communities too.

It is hard to talk to anyone about business or work without addressing the elephant in the room: Covid. Like every business we know and can imagine, Old 690 was significantly impacted and had to shut its doors just like everyone else. Since four heads are better than one, they brainstormed some more, and while it didn’t lead to opening a new business as their original brainstorming session did, it did lead to figuring out how to sustain their current business. Old 690 Brewing Company became a beer delivery service! They used their converted ambulance (think an adult version of an ice cream truck) and delivered beer to their customers and non-customers! Ronda said their customers “ were fabulous with their support and loyalty” until Old 690 could, once again, open its doors. Regardless of Covid, it is no surprise and certainly worth the reminder that supporting small businesses is vital to our communities.

Old 690 makes all their beer in-house and keeps 12 beers on tap, including a few favorites: Raspberry Wheat, Blonde, and Hillsboro Gap IPA. On rare occasions, they run out of these favorites, and customers have been known to give them the stink eye as they make another selection. In addition to beer, Old 690 serves seltzers and food made there on site. Food trucks are often scheduled on Saturdays as well.

In the spirit of keeping their guests entertained and trying to appeal to everyone, Old 690 hosts Open Mic night on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month – with the 3rd Friday being open mic night for kids (how cool is that?). On the 4th Friday of each month is Bingo, which is super fun and a fundraiser for community non-profits. It also offers live entertainment every Saturday.

Some people might think that mixing business and friendship is risky. However, these four partners bring their unique personalities, skillset, and talent to the table, making Old 690 flourish and succeed, which was the idea all along.

Business SPOT LIGHT
Hidden View Bed & Breakfast

By: Leslie Tharp, Stone Gables Bed & Breakfast, Leesburg, VA

You may wonder where bed & breakfast owners go for a quick getaway when they don’t have guests. When Wayne and I recently noted an open date on our calendar. I quickly checked to see if there was an available suite at Hidden View so we could take advantage of some much-needed downtime! We were in luck and booked the Haven Suite for one night! We couldn’t wait to get in that lovely lap pool and enjoy the fabulous views. As soon as our guests left the morning of our booking, we locked the doors and headed out. On our way to Hidden View, we decided to hit Harpers Ferry Brewery since we hadn’t been there yet. Yes, my Certified Tourism Ambassador persona kicked in needed to see what this place was all about so we could let our guests know what we thought. Beer, pizza, and incredible views. You can see the town of Harpers Ferry, and where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet. Great place to visit if you are out that way or enjoying all the activities that Harpers Ferry Adventure Center has to offer! After lunch, we headed to Hidden View. When we arrived, Cheri and Ray greeted and gave us the grand tour. Amazing. It is such a beautiful B&B. They have five fabulous suites and many common areas for guests to spread out.

The grounds are spectacular with a walking path through the woods and around the property, beautiful gardens, a koi pond, a gazebo area, fire pits, views all around; and, did I mention the pool? We quickly found some rafts and lazily floated around as we watched a momma bird feeding her babies in a nearby birdhouse. It was just what I needed! Our room was cozy and quiet, the bed comfy, and breakfast the following day was perfect. A must-stay!! Thanks, Cheri and Ray, for such a lovely time! While there, we learned a little about them, and Cheri sent me their story below.

In 2014, during one of our weekend get-a-ways to a favorite winery near the mountains, we talked about what we would do as a career if money weren’t a factor. Ray, who loves being outdoors with nature and is excellent with plants, mentioned he would love to learn how to run a vineyard; going wine-ing probably helped to form that thought. Cheri, who loves organization and decorating, thought of real estate and home staging.

When we arrived at the winery, we were still discussing our dreams and sharing them with our friends who owned the winery. Finally, they looked at us and said, “we don’t see you doing that. We see you more as B&B people; and oh, by the way, the bed & breakfast right behind us is thinking about coming on the market soon. We think you should buy it.” So when we finished our wine, we decided to drive to the property and check it out.

This B&B was beautiful, and we instantly fell in love with it! It was a large, newer Victorian home with open acreage for a vineyard and stunning sweeping mountain views. We thought that this property could give us both of our dreams. That evening, while we dined, we were still so excited about the thought of this dream that it was all we talked about; and we knew before dessert — that we had to consider this further.

The next day, we looked into website articles like: “So you want to be an Innkeeper.” We compiled a fantasy list of what would make the perfect bed and breakfast for us: a spacious home with a view, plenty of outdoor space to enjoy, a property that we could turn into a destination location where people could enjoy staying on-site, and a place that offered our guests plenty of activities in the surrounding area, 4-6 guest rooms, lots of fireplaces, pretty grounds, and good owner’s quarters. We purchased books on the subject, attended seminars, and met with other B&B owners.

Once armed with more data on the industry, the business, and the local real estate market, we reached out to the proprietors of that perfect B&B and scheduled an on-site meeting to discuss their plans to sell it. It didn’t take long for them to realize that we weren’t ready to buy and for us to realize that they weren’t prepared to sell. However, sometimes things happen for a reason, and this was one of those times. The B&B recently lost its resident innkeeper, and since we wanted to learn more about the business, we all realized that we could help each other out. Ray and I offered to become their innkeepers to meet their needs in support of their guests. We called this our “interim program,” and though some friends thought we were crazy to work for free, we saw this as a rare opportunity to live the lifestyle before doing it. We started the very next weekend.

On our first day, the owner met us on-site to help us get familiar with where everything was; to understand their processes, what needed to be done, how they like to attend to their guests and their needs; and, of course, how to flip the rooms for new guests properly. Oddly, that was the last time we saw the owners in the year and a half that we ran their business. We took care of the shopping, menu plans, and preparations. Greeted the guest, gave tours of the house, and attended to their needs many times above and beyond what the business would have had us do. We helped guests plan their weekend activities and special events and sometimes invited them to join us when they didn’t have any plans. Our guests may have started as strangers, but before they left — they were friends, and many that we keep in touch with today. Our weekend’ work’ was also our ‘weekend getaway,’ and we loved meeting and socializing with the exciting variety of people that stay at B&Bs… we loved our job!

Unfortunately, when the owners were ready to sell, we could not agree on the price. So we attended to the last guests on the books for that year, then the business closed and never reopened. We were devastated and lost. We didn’t know what to do with our weekends anymore and felt lonely with losing new friends each weekend.

Months later, while wine-ing again, we passed a property with a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of it. Because of the winding driveway up the mountain, we couldn’t see the house from the road, so we kept driving to the winery. On our way back, we decided to turn onto the driveway to look. We were instantly hooked; it was even better than the first inn! That sparkle was back in our eyes! Thinking we were leading with our hearts and not our heads, we looked seriously at all available properties in the area to be sure this would be the right one. And after months of looking. We decided it was!

Things moved fast since we placed our offer, and they accepted. So we started to box up our home of 15 years, one that we truly loved and invested in, and with great neighbors; and put it on the market. It sold the same time we were moving to Hillsboro, VA.

But our work and investment on the new property were far from done. Turning this private home on 10-acres with its’ beautiful panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the valley between the hills, and neighboring farms and vineyards into a licensed and permitted 5-guest room bed & breakfast was the next project.

Walls came down to enlarge rooms, and walls went up so each guest room had a private en-suite bathroom. We painted, repaired the pool surround, refinished the deck, and added planting beds, gardens, fountains, and walkways. Installed a second septic field, whole house humidifiers, and a tankless water heater to ensure there was plenty of hot water. We removed carpets and replaced them with hardwood floors. And we also built out the basement as the owner’s quarters so that guests could have the ability to not only rent all of the rooms for their own needs but could also rent the manor and the property to support day guests for numerous types of events.

We then purchased furniture, new mattresses, and luxury bedding. We crafted rock walls outside to give the property a more natural presence and added many plants with more to come. Finally, we added a fountain to the side patio and a fire pit to the front field with fantastic sunset views.

We know that running and managing a B&B isn’t for everyone. It isn’t a get-rich endeavor. But, it is a labor of love. We love the home, property, and views. And, we look forward to sharing this perfect place with all our guests, soon-to-be friends, and extended friends and family.

At Hidden View, we look forward to hosting your stay!

Business SPOT LIGHT: The Global Local

By: Tyra Flynn – Global Local, Leesburg, VA

“The Global Local is a buzzing, vibrant, local shopping space designed with the town square marketplace in mind. Every item is carefully curated for Loudoun County through a collection of
handpicked, local and global, socially-conscious vendors. We offer an eclectic mix of locals-only
home goods and apparel as well as specialty women’s, men’s and children’s gifts.”

I moved to DC in 1997 to work on my Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University.
I met my hubby, John in my second year, who was working for the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. We married June 19, 1999 right here in Loudoun County at Raspberry Plain Manor
and were on our way overseas October 1, 2001!

We lived overseas for 15 years moving every 2 years to new and exotic locations throughout the
Middle East and Europe; India, Tunisia, Syria, Dubai, The Netherlands and Jerusalem. It was during
this time abroad that I fell in love with the global bazaar/souk type of shopping experience, and it
was here, in these markets that the dream of The Global Local was born. You didn’t go to the market
to just grab something and go home, you went for the experience. It was a social treat to wander
through the open air markets, mingling with locals and vendors alike, taking time to absorb all the sights, sounds and flavors that surrounded you. I came back to Loudoun County with the dream of recreating this exciting shopping space for locals in my community. Along the way, we grew our family and have 4 incredible kids who each will make their mark on the world in unique ways: Meaghen 21, Liam 18, Abby 16 and Evelyn 12. They have all been incredibly supportive of this journey and are my biggest cheerleaders!

We’re proud to help local consumers shop for mindful goods. We aim to spread positivity both at home and around the world. When selecting vendors, we prioritize the artists and brands that give back and our global vendors guarantee a living wage for their artisans.

Locally, we support several Loudoun Charities and Service Organizations such as Loudoun Cares, Women Giving Back, LAWS, the Loudoun Arts Council, Mobile Hope, and the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. We are also actively involved in the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and have recently

joined the Prevention Alliance of Loudoun as a coalition partner. We are incredibly grateful to have been invited to be a resource partner for the Loudoun Bed and Breakfast Guild.

There are so many artists, entrepreneurs, makers and farmers, small businesses, and promising startups in our county! We have been so lucky to have collaborated with many of them and hope to continue adding local artists and businesses to our list of partners. First Fridays are BACK in downtown
Leesburg and we are so excited! We showcase a different artist every month, inviting them to do live demonstrations of their crafts for the duration of the evening. We also host artist workshops in our secret

garden, such as clay and metal earrings, flower bouquet making, and decoupage oyster shell dishes to name a few!

The best part about being a small business in Loudoun County, are the people. We have made meaningful relationships with fellow entrepreneurs that will last a lifetime. They inspire and encourage us, look out for and commiserate with us. And most importantly they are there to enjoy this incredible experience with us.

We are grateful everyday to the people of Loudoun County for helping to make our dream come true. We look forward to continuing to share our Global Local experience with you all!