When Michael Sparks and his husband first moved to Richmond, VA, they had a hard time finding their footing. Neighbors were polite, but they seemed a little standoffish. Sparks, a design and branding expert who previously lived and worked in the high-end markets of Madrid and New York (cough, cough Louis Vuitton)—decided to play to his strengths in his efforts to increase the couple’s social standing in their new home. So, he threw a dinner party. His effort had the desired effect—and then some. Not only did Sparks attract the community he craved in Richmond, he found his calling...