Heidi has been orchestrating the art of storytelling since childhood, when she first fell in love with mass communications. Now she spends her days amplifying Virginia's educational heroes as a communications strategist for the Commonwealth, transforming everyday classroom victories into compelling narratives that reach far beyond school walls.
The mastermind behind HWILSONPR since 2008, Heidi doesn't just teach strategic communications—she lives it. From her former role shaping future communicators as department chair at Virginia Union University to her current work coaching organizations through digital chaos and crisis management, she's built a reputation for turning complex messages into magnetic stories. Between crafting campaigns and conquering dance floors through Hip Hop Fit classes, Heidi's on a perpetual quest for the perfect pizza slice, the sparkliest vintage finds, and the next adventure with her three-year-old great niece, who's already showing signs of inheriting the family's flair for dramatic storytelling.
Take it away, Heidi …
PRSA Richmond Monthly Luncheons
Each month, PRSA Richmond brings communicators together over lunch to explore a fresh topic in PR, marketing, or media. Expect smart conversation, solid takeaways, and plenty of time to connect with colleagues across the industry.
Talk shop. Grow your network. Learn something new.
Vitals:
Monthly, Dates Vary / 12:00 – 1:30 PM / FREE - members, $15 - students/retirees, $45 - non-members / Westwood Club, 6200 W Club Lane
Little Nickel
Discovered during a birthday dinner, this Forest Hill favorite quickly earned a spot on the regular rotation. With standout service, generous portions, and a menu that blends tiki flair with coastal Mediterranean touches, Little Nickel nails the casual-meets-craveable experience every time.
Come for the vibe. Stay for the sweet potato volcano.
Vitals:
Open Monday - Saturday / 11:30 AM - 9:30 PM (Mon. - Thurs.), 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM (Fri. & Sat.) / 4702 Forest Hill Avenue
Crossroads Art Center
Whether you’re into paintings, photography, sculpture, or mixed media, Crossroads is a hub for Richmond’s visual arts scene. With rotating exhibitions, artist-led workshops, and guided tours, there's always something new to spark your curiosity. Bonus: it makes a great day date.
Local art. Fresh inspiration. A perfect creative escape.
I recently launched "TALK About Yo Stuff," a motivational campaign designed to combat the epidemic of talented people hiding their light under a bushel. Too many entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives, and changemakers are doing incredible work but staying silent about their impact—and that needs to change.
This movement is for the teacher transforming young minds who thinks sharing their classroom innovations is "bragging." It's for the author whose book is changing lives but feels awkward promoting it. It's for the stylist boosting confidence one client at a time, the entrepreneur solving real problems with their products, and the professional earning recognition but downplaying their achievements. If you're making a difference—whether in boardrooms, classrooms, or communities—it's time to own it and share it.
The campaign goes beyond motivation. When you grab merch from our collection, you're not just wearing a statement—you're funding communications scholarships for the next generation of storytellers. Every purchase helps students learn to amplify their own voices and the voices of others who are doing meaningful work.
Ready to join the movement? Follow the journey on Instagram and discover how others are talking about their stuff, then start talking about yours. Because the world needs to hear what you're bringing to the table.
vol. 275 / INNERWORKExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 275 / INNERWORK
Meet Yedda Stancil, this week’s guest editor. Yedda is a mindfulness teacher, coach, speaker, and the Executive Director of the Innerwork Center in Richmond. With over 20 years of experience in personal development, coaching, and contemplative practices, Yedda helps people reconnect with their inner wisdom and live with intention. She is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation and the author of Shut Up and Sit, a modern-day, mindfulness-based guide to changing your life from the inside out.
Yedda calls herself part shaman, part monk—a "shunk"—reflecting her deep devotion to a contemplative life rooted in silence, stillness, and spiritual practice, while also embracing the vibrancy of modern life, from fashion and art to all things fun, fierce, and fabulously full of expression. As Executive Director of the Innerwork Center, she’s leading with a fearless, joy-filled spirit and a passion for helping others awaken their inherent enoughness.
As this issue of Here Weekly launches just before July 4th, Yedda’s inspiration for her tips this week came from her reflection on the meaning of freedom. “I believe the truest and most lasting sense of freedom comes from within. Inner work—getting quiet, curious, and connected to ourselves—is how we cultivate that inner freedom,” says Yedda. “If we each took time to do this work, every day could be a celebration of freedom. I believe that kind of radical self-awareness could transform not only our individual lives but the entire community we call home here in Richmond.”
These three events are close to Yedda’s heart and offer a doorway into that inner work. Take it away, Yedda …
Mini Urban Silent Retreat
In the heart of the city, this two-hour silent retreat is a sacred pause. No guided meditation. No incense. No right or wrong way. Just stillness and space to be with yourself.
I learned early on that the most radical thing I could do was get quiet. When I finally shut up and sat still, I met the parts of myself I’d been running from—and found peace in the silence. This mini retreat is about learning the language of stillness, open to everyone, no matter your background or beliefs.
Come as you are. Leave with a little more of yourself.
I believe the most powerful spiritual practice we can cultivate is curiosity. Not certainty. Not dogma. Just the courageous act of wondering—together.
Every month at the Innerwork Center, we host the Spiritual Curiosity Circle—a free, inclusive gathering where we explore the big questions: What do you believe? What do you long for? What do you wonder about when the world gets quiet?
We don’t try to fix or convert anyone. We simply practice being present in the mystery and learning to speak the sacred language of not knowing. Because when we get curious together, we learn not to invade or abandon ourselves—or each other.
Vitals:
Wednesday, July 9 / 6:00 PM / Innerwork Center / 213 Roseneath Road / Register Here
Deborah Silverman Keynote:
I live in the tension between fire and stillness, mysticism and mindfulness. So when I tell you I’m excited about this event, I mean it with every fiber of my being. Deborah Silverman is a world-renowned astrologer, psychotherapist, and author who bridges the gap between science and soul. In her new book, I Don’t Believe in Astrology: A Therapist’s Guide to the Life-Changing Wisdom of the Stars, she offers a grounded, humorous, and profound take on how the ancient language of the stars can align with the very modern work of therapy and transformation.
This isn’t about horoscopes or fate. It’s about asking deeper questions: Who am I? What am I here to do? And how do I live in alignment with something greater than myself?
Sunday, July 13 / 3:00 PM / Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Glen Allen / 11105 Cauthorne Road, Glen Allen / Register Here
More about Yedda.
This year marks a bold new chapter for me and the Innerwork Center. We're expanding our digital footprint with an online community, a new podcast (Begin Within: The Innerwork Journey), and a fresh sponsorship model connecting local businesses with our mission of well-being for all.
After years of growing my private coaching practice, I’ve now brought those offerings into the Innerwork Center, creating a unified space for deep, impactful inner work. Our partnership with the International Coaching Group allows us to bring coach training, leadership development, and mindfulness into organizations and communities that need it most.
The future of healing and transformation lies in bridging ancient wisdom with modern science—and I’m honored to help make that bridge possible.
vol. 274 / LOVELY DAYExploring and celebrating the place we all love to call home.
VOL. 274 / LOVELY DAY
Meet this week's guest editor, Dr. Jody Conway. Jody is the Lead Collaborator of FreeHorse Arts nature-based programming and owner of Dandelion Springs Apiary and Uptown Girls Honey Gift Shop. With a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, her career has spanned twenty years and evolved from teaching to working as a pharmacist in Richmond's Carytown district to managing a 30-acre regenerative farm and business in Chesterfield, Virginia. Her transition to beekeeping began when she noticed the absence of bees on flowering plants during her walks to work, leading her to combine her pharmaceutical compounding expertise with apiary management to create natural healing products from honey, beeswax, propolis, and pollen.
At Dandelion Springs Apiary, Dr. Conway manages over 20 teaching hives while operating a retail operation that includes product development, educational tours, workshops, and speaking engagements. Her farm houses 60+ animals including horses, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, rabbits, cats, dogs, and bees, all maintained using pesticide-free, regenerative farming practices. Through her work with FreeHorse Arts, she focuses on cultivating present connections to the natural world, creating conscious community, and fostering understanding beyond self. Dr. Conway's approach emphasizes that every choice has environmental impact, and her mission extends from helping bees to building sustainable ecosystems and educational communities that demonstrate the interconnectedness of all living systems.
Take it away, Jody ...
Songs & Stories: A Tribute to Bill Withers
Celebrate the legacy of Bill Withers with an evening of music, movement, and memory. Singer-songwriter Kori Withers honors her father’s iconic life and work through personal storytelling and live performance, joined by the inclusive FreeHorse Arts herd and an all-star lineup from Richmond’s creative community—including City Dance, Weekend Plans, and the First African Baptist Church Choir. Songs & Stories is a soulful tribute and a powerful reminder of the ties that bind us through art, legacy, and love.
Community Garden Art & Nature – Pond Life @ Dandelion Springs Apiary
Cool off, get your hands in the dirt, and reconnect with the rhythms of nature at Pond Life—a hands-on art and ecology experience at Dandelion Springs Apiary, hosted by The Healthy Herd in collaboration with FreeHorse Arts. Together, you’ll explore pond ecosystems, build water gardens, and learn how to support native habitats through creative stewardship. A perfect summertime escape for nature lovers of all ages.
Tap into nature, presence, and powerful connection with Horse Sense—an immersive experience guided by The Healthy Herd at Dandelion Springs Apiary, in collaboration with FreeHorse Arts. Through a hands-on encounter with horses Lukka and Glaumur, participants will explore equine wisdom, communication, safety, holistic care, and even water play. This is more than horse time—it’s a re-wilding of the nervous system and a return to grounded insight. No horse experience needed.
What I have learned is that we cannot do everything ourselves. Managing a teaching apiary with over 20 hives, making products from the hive, managing the retail store, organizing tours, workshops, seminars, in-hive sessions and speaking engagements, tending to 60+ animals to include horses, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, rabbits, cats, dogs, and bees and attempting to rebuild a healthy balance on traditionally farmed land, requires community. There are never enough hours in the day, and it often seems like two steps forward and three steps back in this process, but the things we have gained are priceless. The connections, the knowledge, the peace, the doors that continue to open, the simple and subtle signs that yes -- this process is working… are ALL priceless.
My initial goal was to help the bees, but sharing the FreeHorse Arts’ underlying values of cultivating a present connection to the natural world, creating conscious community, and understanding beyond self, has been an expansive and evolutionary process. Every single choice we make has an impact, positive or negative, and I have learned that any effort made, any person reached, any balance restored…it is ALL significant!
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