Member Bio - Julie Holley - April 16th, 2012

Julie was not a fan of exercise except for the occasional brisk walk through the park. The walks allowed for time to clear the mind and to practice moving meditation. One day she borrowed a yoga tape (yes, that’s when folks still had VHS) and fell in love with the movements and the challenge and of course the feeling of relaxation and wholeness that occurred after the practice. She then re-discovered yoga at a downtown DC gym and learned the benefits that an instructor could add to her practice. That experience not only showed her how an instructor’s expertise can help her into postures and help to perfect her form in others, but how that teacher’s leadership could lead her into a deeper sense of what “yoga” could be. After a short break and an attempted home practice, Julie found herself at Blue Heron Wellness in Silver Spring, Maryland where she had the opportunity to study with Claudia Neuman, Ashley Litecky and Donna Britt. These ladies ignited a true love for yoga in Julie.

A couple of more years passed and Julie moved her esthetics practice (see the skincare page) to Blue Heron Wellness. During her first six months there, a flyer was posted announcing a yoga teacher training program there at Blue Heron Wellness. Lead teachers included Ashley Litecky and Claudia Neuman, two of the three women that stoked Julie’s yoga fire. Of course she signed up. She learned from teachers of various traditions including: Anusara, Ashtanga and Kundalini.

Julie uses this background to provide her students with an interdisciplinary approach to their yoga practice.

*RYT- Registered Yoga Teacher as designated through Yoga Alliance. For more information, please visit yogaalliance.org.

Speaker Bio - Valerie Cook - April 18, 2012

As the founder of Synergize Your Biz, Valerie “The Small Biz Partner”, helps small businesses solve problems around growth, strategy, marketing, and product/service offerings. Valerie started this business because she remembers the challenges when starting her first business 10 years ago. “I quickly help small business sort through the haze and maze of all the information about what they should be doing in their business.” Valerie is committed to helping small businesses and volunteers her time as a Small Business Mentor with SCORE, which is funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Valerie is also President of Transformation Solutions Group “TSGroupConsulting.com”, a global consultancy that provides integrated business transformation solutions to the Public and Private sectors. With over 20 years of experience, Valerie helps organizations navigate the challenges associated with managing and implementing large scale technological and organizational change initiatives. In addition, she has led and managed high performance consulting teams for Booz Allen Hamilton and IBM Global Services. Her clients have included: General Dynamics; CGI-Federal; Northrop Grumman; U.S. Treasury; U.S. Navy; U.S. Army; U.S. Postal Service; U.S. Bureau of Census; District of Columbia (Washington, DC) Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO); LT Associates; and Mowatt Inc.

Valerie loves seeking new adventures, traveling the world, boating, and live music. She holds an M.S. in Marketing Strategy and a B.A.S. in Psychology and Business Administration.