FXBG Neighbors Podcast
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
FXBG Neighbors Podcast
EP #114 From Managing To Leading: Why Growth Mindset Wins
What if the most powerful leadership event of your year didn’t require a flight or a week away—just a short drive across Fredericksburg? We sit down with Integrity Solutions Group’s James Kingman to unpack why Live2Lead FXBG on February 10 is more than a calendar invite. It’s a local catalyst for real growth, grounded in the simple but demanding idea that leaders learn first, then lift others as they climb.
James draws a clear line between managing and leading: management controls process, leadership expands people. He shares how a growth mindset—humble, curious, and community-driven—turns inspiration into practice. You’ll hear why arriving with a learner’s posture matters, the kind of ideas that stick long after the auditorium empties, and how previous talks from organizer Mike McClanahan delivered tools worth using months later. We also explore why this lineup matters for our region: high-impact voices, zero travel friction, and a room full of neighbors who are serious about leveling up.
Fredericksburg shows up in this conversation as a “hidden gem” with deep capability and a thriving small business backbone. We talk about the power of proximity: handshakes that lead to partnerships, hallway conversations that spark collaboration, and real accountability that only forms when people meet face to face. Expect practical takeaways—arrive with one skill to sharpen and one relationship to start; leave with three commitments you’ll act on in 30, 60, and 90 days. If you’re tired of hype and hungry for momentum, this is your moment to learn, connect, and lead with purpose right here at home.
If this episode resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more local leadership stories, and leave a review so more neighbors can find us. Ready to join us live? Grab your ticket at live2leadfxbg.com.
James Kingman
Integrity Solutions Group, LLC
jkingman@integritysolutionsva.com
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker:Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brands. I have a special guest joining me today. We've got James Kingman, and he is with Integrity Solutions Group. James, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me, Dori. I'm very excited to be here.
Speaker:Well, I'm excited to have you as my guest. We are doing things a little bit different today, and today we're talking about the upcoming Live2Lead FXBG event. So you are speaking at that event coming up on February 10th. What are you most fired up to share with our Fredericksburg business community?
Speaker 2:Uh fired up's a great way to describe it. I think everybody involved is really excited to kick off this what is hopefully the first annual Live 2Lead here in Fredericksburg. But the thing that I'm most excited about portraying to others is that there's a huge difference between leading and managing. I think a lot of times we get that wrong today, myself included. And uh true leaders just have to have that growth mindset, um, not limited just to their own pursuits, but but the willingness to to take others with them, um, the willingness to turn around and pull somebody else up the ladder behind you to help them grow just the same. And I think that's what people are um can expect for for the Live 2Lead event.
Speaker:Amazing, amazing. I'm excited to learn from you and learn from the others. And yeah, I hope that this is something that turns into an annual event. And it's such great timing for this, right? We're at the beginning of 2026. So I here's my next question. What's possible for someone who shows up and is ready to learn on February 10th?
Speaker 2:Well, a lot, uh, but in a single word, growth. Growth in a lot of different areas. And I love the name of this event from the start, Live 2Lead. But before we can all Live 2Lead, I think it's imperative that we live to learn. And there's gonna be a lot of learning that goes on on February 10th. And I think I already spoke to that growth mindset uh that people have. Um, but the Live 2Lead event is gonna help you develop that. If you can walk into that event on February 10th humble and willing to learn, listen to others, have a willingness to connect, I promise you you're gonna leave better than when you came in.
Speaker:Yeah, that's great advice. And and if someone is on the fence, they're they're thinking about it, they're thinking, oh, I'm not quite sure, I want to attend, what would you tell them?
Speaker 2:Uh I get it. Uh I get that time for a lot of people is their most valuable asset. And I I can speak to that also. Everybody would love to have more time in the day and have the ability to attend events like this on a more regular basis. But the lineup of speakers that's coming to this event right here in Fredericksburg on February 10th is I've been I've been in Fredericksburg since the late 90s, and I can't remember uh anything with this level of potential coming to our area. And and I'll I will remove myself from that equation when I when I think about the speakers, because I don't I'm still kind of pinching myself how I got lumped into this group of highly capable human beings that are gonna be there that uh are just gonna drive growth and and motivation. And uh I promise you, like I said, you're gonna lead better than when you came in. But the fact that it's here in Fredericksburg to find something like this, a lot of times you got to get in the car and go all the way to Richmond or all the way to DC if you're lucky. A lot of times to get this type of lineup, you you're going farther than that. You're going to conventions where you have to get on a plane, and that's not the case this time. It's gonna be right here in Fredericksburg.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah, it's really cool. And it's it's been really cool to see the entire community rally around this event and the support that it's receiving is just I agree. Um yeah, I didn't expect that when this all first started. And every day there's a new um, you know, business or a community organization supporting the event. So it's it's really exciting.
Speaker 2:I think that speaks to the level of professionalism that we have here in Fredericksburg. I tell people all the time when I go to different conferences, when I when I teach um for my business in different localities, uh Fredericksburg's a hidden gem. It it not only is it a uh has great proximity to a lot of things on the East Coast, but the the level of professionalism and capability here in our region, um, I would put it up against anywhere in the country. There are we have some great uh growing capabilities in this area, but uh it this type of event is long overdue here. So the fact that we have so many great organizations getting behind it, I I think it's uh fabulous. It makes me even more excited, like you said.
Speaker:Yeah, yeah. So beyond your session, what are some of the other things that you're looking forward to?
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, I didn't hear you.
Speaker:Beyond your session, what are some of the other things that you're looking forward to?
Speaker 2:Um, you know, I a lot of times, like other people out here in this industry, I find it tough to stay on track and stay motivated in the midst of being so busy and and having life come at you from every different direction. But I know I've followed some of these speakers, I've seen some of them in action. Uh, the last time I saw um Mike, who's one of our organizers, um, speak Mike McClanahan, he was fabulous. I think I went up to him after the event and handed him my card and said, I want to be you when I grow up. Uh, because he had that much to offer in such a uh succinct time frame. I couldn't take notes fast enough. And I came out of there and and still, that was six, eight months ago. I'm still using some of the stuff Mike put on display for people to learn. Uh, on top of that, some of the other people coming into the mix, and you gotta forgive me. I didn't know as much about Dori Stewart until they brought you into the fold here. And I've learned so much, and some of the things that you're doing for Fredericksburg, you've become such a uh a champion for this area and for small business. And I think it really kind of relates back to small business. The the success that I've had with my small business has come as a result of connections. And this is the kind of event where you're going to be able to meet people face to face and shake a hand and figure out how your industries align because there's so much overlap that none of us are even aware of until we get in the same room. And that's something that this event is going to bring to Fredericksburg is some great connections, um, some face-to-face contact. And it's right in our backyard. It's right here.
Speaker:Yes, yes. I I agree with you completely, and I love that you said that because that is also one of the things that I'm most looking forward to is the connections in the you know, in the community. And so I am very much looking forward to it. I'm very much looking forward to hearing you speak and hearing all the others speak. And uh for the listeners, if you want to join us, I hope you do, you can get your tickets at live 2leadfxbg.com, and that is the number two. So live 2leadfxbg.com. And James, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing your thoughts on on Live 2Lead with us.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me, Dori. I had a blast.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXVG Neighbors Podcast.com.