About Us

Deborah Joy Block, Founder of Back to Basics spent 8 years living overseas while her parents served as diplomats representing the international image of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Corps where protocol, etiquette and social entertaining skills are a must for diplomatic relations. She worked for the State Department as an adult as well. Mrs. Block has travelled to 18 countries and understands the importance of being able to deftly navigate as a chameleon among different cultures and personalities. Mrs. Block's extensive experience managing a staff, working with thousands of clients solidified her conviction that kindness and consideration is the "international language" that unites all people.

" My guiding and primary goal is to empower people to have strong self- confidence while also demonstrating empathy and kindness toward others at every opportunity." -- Deborah J. Block, Back to Basics Director

Mrs. Blocks experience:

• Coaching on the topics of : career and entrepreneurship, planning special events, image consulting, social skills, healthy and holistic lifestyle and relationships.
• Over the past 16 years Mrs. Block has hired and supervised a staff totaling 25 people plus mentored 12 interns.
• Trained celebrities, politicos and the Foreign Service Institute's Diplomatic Corps cadets in social graces and image consulting for the spotlight..
  
• Teaches group workshops for corporations and organizations, country clubs, community centers, summer camps churches and private and public schools.
  
• In 2000, Mrs. Block founded the first dance instruction company in the nation to specialize in wedding dance preparation. The Wedding Dance Specialists taught over 10,000 engaged couples and their families social dance skills, etiquette and special event protocol over the past 16 years. Block attracted celebrity clientele and became the most recommended in the nation. See TheWeddingDanceSpecialists.com
  
• Founded a talent agency division called Dance Dynamix which provides professional ballroom dancers, teachers and party hosts for special events. See DanceDynamix.net
• Organized and hosted an industry showcase to bring vendors and potential clients together to network.
• Founded Back to Basics: Host Charm Camps, Princess Party High Teas, Table Manners Workshops and CEO camps
• Swim coaching
• Serial entrepreneur - launched 5 businesses and made a profit in all of them.
• Director of Public Relations for Block Real Estate Group/RE/MAX Allegiance.
• Director of Public Relations / Event Planning: RUACH Fund Anti-Hate Crime Charity
• Professional Matchmaker & Dating Coach
• Author of three blogs on leadership, life skills and social graces
  
  Mrs. Block’s education:
  
  • BA in Communications minor Business/Law - James Madison University
  • Certified in Social Graces - The American School of Protocol  in Atlanta, Georgia - an etiquette academy which has been profiled by every major TV channel - ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX and BBC.
  • 5 years daily dance coaching at two academies, Dance training with several world champions, Olympic Showcase dancers, the star of the movie "The Tango Lesson" and the head choreographer from “Dancing with the Stars”
  • Wedding MBA, Las Vegas, Nevada - Entrepreneurship training for the Special Events Industry plus 20 yrs experience as an entrepreneur.
  • Fluent in Spanish, basic French.
  • Certified in special event planning by The Bridal Society.
  • Life Coaching Certification Course - The Redemption School
    
  
  Other:
• Certified in special event marketing, etiquette and event planning,
• licensed and insured
• Criminal background check and fingerprints conducted by Alexandria City Police Department
• Authorized Fairfax County vendor
• Virtus ™ certified by the Catholic Archdiocese
• 20 years of religious training at Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Studies
• Basic CPR training.
• Expired Top Secret clearance from the U.S. Department of State
  
• Received one year of training in mixed martial arts self defense.
• Hobbies include gardening, cooking classes, spiritual studies, travel and entertaining

Mrs. Block’s public spotlight performances and media coverage:

• Arlington's Tango Festival sponsored by the Argentine Embassy
  
• Fine Arts program at the U.S. Department of State
  
• Chamber of Commerce Galas and numerous large corporate galas
  
• Press Coverage: Washingtonian Magazine, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, The Mclean Times, Alexandria Gazette, Perfect Wedding Guide, Brides and Weddings Magazine, Telemundo TV, Channel 8 TV, Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network (national television wedding reality show), local radio stations HOT 99.5, MIX 107.3, WJFK - 106.7FM and WTNT - 570AM, Old Town Crier Magazine and Washington Jewish Week
  
  Brian Block Esq.
  

Brian Block - Dance Performance Partner, Social Dance Workshop Coach, Leadership and Public Speaking Coach, Relationship Workshop Coach & Dining Etiquette Assistant (Butler Brian) ;), Three time Marine Corps Marathon runner, graduate of multiple Leadership programs, avid reader of 150+ books a year, studied spirituality and religion for 18 years.

I'm the Managing Broker of the RE/MAX Allegiance offices in Alexandria, VA and supervise about 70 other REALTORS. Prior to real estate, I was a Virginia attorney and worked for several years for corporate and real estate litigation law firms. Although I no longer practices law full-time, I use my in-depth knowledge of real estate law, contracts, and sharp negotiating skills to benefit my many real estate clients.

I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned my law degree at George Mason Law School in Arlington. Entering the real estate industry in 2002, I've been successfully helping buyers and sellers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. and am licensed in both jurisdictions.

As Managing Broker, I've overseen over 3,500 real estate transactions totaling over $2.0 Billion of sales volume in Northern Virginia. My personal sales production has earned me a place in the prestigious RE/MAX Hall of Fame, and I'm consistently a member of the RE/MAX 100% Club.

Currently I'm serving my third 2-year term as a Director on the NVAR Board of Directors where I help to guide the 10,000 member organization with implementing programs that help the real estate industry and real estate consumers and keep on top of market trends and forecasts.

I offer seminars to first time homebuyers on navigating the real estate process, to retirees on preparing their home for sale and getting it sold, and have also taught real estate licensing classes and mentor new real estate agents on the ins and outs of the real estate profession.

Over the last several years, I've been invited back as a featured speaker for regional, national, and international real estate conferences, sharing my real estate knowledge with hundreds of attendees in standing room only sessions. RE/MAX University has also filmed me numerous times for online teaching videos that are distributed to its worldwide network.

The Washington Post, Washington Times, and Washington Examiner regularly quote me on real estate issues and I've appeared on national and local television discussing the housing market (including CBS Early Show, and the Neil Cavuto Show on Fox News). Recently, a real estate rap video that I produced called "Houses Gettin' Sold" went viral on YouTube and numerous media outlets discussed this out-of-the-box and humorous way that I highlighted the local real estate market. Check out my Press Page!
I am a customer driven Realtor dedicated to achieving results and providing exceptional service. If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, I will put my 15+ years of real estate expertise to work for you.

PERSONAL
As a service to the community, I serve as a leader in the Freemasons and Shriners and actively support many charities, including the Shriner's Hospitals for Children, the American Red Cross, the Children's Miracle Network, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I live in Alexandria with my wife Deborah, who runs a successful ballroom dance business and children's etiquette program. I'm also an avid ballroom dancer and help my wife teach group lessons. I'm a 3-time finisher of the Marine Corps Marathon, studied Israeli martial arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, served as President of the Arlington Toastmasters Public Speaking group and attended B.O.S.S., the nations' most elite desert wilderness survival school.

I'm the Managing Broker of the RE/MAX Allegiance offices in Alexandria, VA and supervise about 70 other REALTORS. Prior to real estate, I was a Virginia attorney and worked for several years for corporate and real estate litigation law firms. Although I no longer practices law full-time, I use my in-depth knowledge of real estate law, contracts, and sharp negotiating skills to benefit my many real estate clients.
I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned my law degree at George Mason Law School in Arlington. Entering the real estate industry in 2002, I've been successfully helping buyers and sellers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. and am licensed in both jurisdictions.

As Managing Broker, I've overseen over 3,500 real estate transactions totaling over $2.0 Billion of sales volume in Northern Virginia. My personal sales production has earned me a place in the prestigious RE/MAX Hall of Fame, and I'm consistently a member of the RE/MAX 100% Club.