The Jeff Crilley Show

We have probably all known somebody, or maybe you yourself have gone through physical rehab. You had an accident and then had surgery where you needed rehab afterwards. Well, there's a game-changing technology company that has just been honored by our media partner the Dallas Business Journal, and you're going to meet the founder. She's the CEO of Neuro Rehab VR, Veena Somareddy.

Imagine having a blank sheet of paper and the freedom to design your dream school from scratch—taking the best parts of education and leaving out the rest. Today, I’m joined by Caroline Harrison Loehr, co-founder of the Compass School of Texas, who’s done exactly that.

I get around a lot and do a lot of networking. I was invited to an upscale event last week at the old Parkland Hospital that they completely redid. The campus is beautiful! I'm sitting next to my next guest, and we started talking, and he's been a corporate attorney for many years. I said, "You need to come on my television show!' So welcome to The Jeff Crilley Show, Bill Kummerer. He is the managing shareholder and heads up the Dallas office for VedderPrice.

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the homeless issue because my father was a minister in downtown Detroit and fed the homeless there. I remember we would spend every Christmas Eve feeding homeless people, and so this is a tip of my hat to my father because I have a guy who is on the front line of the homeless issue and affordable housing here in Dallas. Traswell C. Livingston III is in the studio. He's the CEO of ASD.

I love living in DFW because I think we're one of the most philanthropic communities in the entire country. There are galas going on all the time, and almost all of them support a very worthy cause. That's why I have the folks behind the Yellow Rose Gala in the studio right now. To my right is Larry Lott, in the middle is Andrea Reich, and on my far right is Adam Lewis.

Starting a business is tough. Ask any entrepreneur. It's 24/7, but as you grow your company, sometimes the systems that worked when you were very small no longer work when you have 20, 50, or 100,000 employees. So, that's when you bring in a professional like my next guest. Keith Davidson is in the studio. He's the Dallas market leader for CLA.

I'm kind of a history buff, and so I love all the wonderful history around Dallas-Fort Worth. I didn't know about this project until our media partners at the DGA featured it on the front page of their publication, a new project that is being developed in Denton: Historic Downtown Denton. I am bringing on two of the driving forces behind it: Jason Reimer, with the Texas Fine Arts Theater, and Brad Andrus, with Axis Realty Group.

I think this is true for all of us. We fear change. We get comfortable whether we have a good habit or a bad habit. It's more comfortable to stay in whatever habit you're in than to create new habits. That's why I invited my next guest onto the show, Meridith Elliott Powell. She's a business strategist, a keynote speaker, and the author of Mentally Fit.

So, I'm at the tail end of the Baby Boomers. I'm 61 years old, and when I was growing up, the boss was pretty much like, 'It's my way or the highway.' His reason for ordering you to do something was simply, 'Because I said so.' Well, that doesn't really sit well with Gen Z and Millennials, and that's why companies bring in executive coaches—like my next guest. Julian Sado is in the studio.

I've heard about Mahjong my whole life, but right now I'm hearing about it all the time! It's on the news, it's been on Good Morning America, and my good friend Suzanne Gentry, who's a great publicist here in town, says, "I have two friends that you have to put on your show because this is really one of the fastest growing games on the planet," so joining us in studio are Linda Casey and Ashley Gomez with the Dallas Mahj Club. Visit dallasmahjclub.com to learn more!

When we think about Parkinson's, we think about celebrities like Muhammad Ali or Michael J. Fox because they became so publicly linked to it. I did not realize that it's the fastest-growing neurological disease on the planet. That's why I invited my next guest, Leisha S. Phipps, into the studio. She is the executive director of the Dallas Area Parkinson Society.

I am 61 years old, and I'm blessed. My parents are still alive and well and living in Waco, Texas, but I've got to be honest with you. Every time my phone rings, and it says Mom and Dad during the day, I'm like, "Oh gosh, is something wrong?" Fortunately, they're both in good health, but the reason I'm telling you that story is that I think most of us wait until the very last minute until something happens or somebody fails to make a decision about what's the best for Mom and Dad. That's why I invited in two good friends, Nell Taylor and Joyce Logan. They're both with Ruby Care.

As you see in my opening video, I spent 25 years in TV news, and I have so much respect for the people who are on the front lines still doing that: the job of journalism with a capital J. That includes my next guest. Del Irani is in the studio. She's an award-winning journalist, TV anchor, and my friend.

When I got to Dallas in 1992, the news director picked me up at the airport and he says, "Two things you need to know about Dallas-Fort Worth: eating and shopping." It's been 30-plus years since that happened, and that's very true. Eating and shopping are what we love to do here. It's an experience. It's not just going out to get a burger; it's "Are you having an experience?" I can't think of a better couple to have in the studio than Derek and Sheree Simms. They're with The Simms Hospitality Group.

I think my next guest is my brother from another mother. We're both into marketing, and we're both into creating a unique customer experience. That's why I have Giovanni Sanguily in the studio today. He is the owner of GlassHive and TRIdigital Marketing.

I've always had hustle. I grew up in Detroit, and that was a tough place to grow up as a kid. I had a paper route, and I was always hustling to make a little bit of money so any time I run into an entrepreneur, I like to ask the question, "How did this begin?" Often it's a similar story: they started in their childhood. That describes my next guest, Nancy Galvan. She's with Unica Enterprises.

At one point I was out on the circuit giving 300 speeches a year in addition to my TV job at Fox Four, so I got to meet some top-notch speakers. I include my next guest as one of those people that I kept bumping into at different events. Elizabeth McCormick is in the studio. She's a keynote speaker. She's a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot, and she's my friend.

Right now, the unemployment rate is hovering around 4%, but we've all driven around and seen people just hanging out. I mean able-bodied people who should be at work, and there's a myriad of reasons why they aren't at work. To explore that is the executive director of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, Phedra Redifer.

If you are an NBA scout, I want you to remember this name: Breckin Riess. He is going to be the next superstar of the NBA. He's eight years old, and he's in my Studio.

I feel so blessed. My two children, Dallas and Sarah, both work for me. I see them every day, and I'm so proud. I've never experienced a tremendous loss in my life, and I'm incredibly blessed. My next guest lost her daughter. Kristen Utter is in the studio. She's the author of Shatterproof.

The film industry has been around for 100 years, but it keeps changing. They keep coming up with new techniques and new ways to make films, and my next guest has created a very affordable way to make very high-quality films. The folks from Aeon Imagery are in the studio.

I think we're living in a very exciting time when it comes to films. All the truly great movies these days are not being made by those big production companies in Hollywood. They're being made by independent film companies, and that's why I invited my next guest into the studio. The great Nick Rice is in studio. He is a producer, actor, and writer, and he's got a new project that is about to come out.

Fashions come and go, but I think the thing that never goes out of style is looking your best. My next guest knows that, and he preaches it. He's been preaching it for more than three decades. Bob Baumann is on the show. He's the House of Baumann.

My favorite liquor of all time is tequila, so why would I not invite on Tequila Sheela? Sheela Marshall is actually a dear friend. We've known each other for 20 plus years.

I can't think of too many cities in North Texas that have such a great reputation. When you say the town of Addison, what do you think about? You think about Kaboom Town. You think about Oktoberfest. You think about all the great meals for weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays that you've celebrated in Addison, and that's why I had to have the mayor of Addison come on the show. It's Mayor Bruce Arfsten!

As you see in the show open, I've reinvented myself. In 2008, I walked away from a very successful journalism career of 25 years to start this in my home, and I've never been happier. My next guest knows a little something about reinventing himself. Dr. Greg Echt is in the studio. He's the founder and managing member of Echt Capital.

As of the last couple of years, when you say diversity and inclusion, it becomes very polarizing. People instantly make up their mind what that means, and so to sort out fact from fiction, I brought in a nationally known expert. His name is Kelvin Goss. He's the creator of the card game "You Played The Race Card".

Remember when travel was fun? Before September 11th, you remember you could just roll up at the airport, breeze on by, and be on the plane in a matter of minutes. I get nervous when I fly, not because of the flight itself, but just the crowds, the people, the noises, and the congestion. And your flight is always delayed. Well, somebody who wrote a book about it is in the studio right now: Brandon C. Blewett. He's the author of How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes.

The energy drink business is a multi-billion dollar business. I remember when I was at Fox Four I needed energy drinks to stay awake, but I remember there was kind of a high and then a crash, and I was worried about the sugar. I was worried about some of those ingredients in there. Well, that's why I invited my next guest into the studio: Bert Vergez. He's the CEO of IDRINQ USA.

As a small business owner myself, I see this story quite a bit. I hang out around other business owners, and they all think that they're running this very successful company that one day they can sell for tens of millions of dollars. Then they get the bad news that they haven't structured their books the correct way, and they're not achieving enough of a profit to get what they hoped they were going to get when they sold. And that's why they bring in guys like my next guest: Robert Gardner, a founding partner of Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions, and Jack Kearney, with Dumas Capital Partners.

I remember when I was growing up, I don't think I could name a single CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Today they have become household brands. Who doesn't know Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk? And because their personal brand is so important, it's intricately tied into their corporate brand. That's why everybody needs a brand strategist. Serah D'Laine is in the studio. She's a personal brand strategist, a business coach, and an international speaker.

If you're dehydrated, the first thing doctors do when you go to the hospital is put an IV drip in you and get that hydration going. Well, now it's become a hot healthcare trend where they will actually come to your home with an IV drip, and it's filled with all kinds of vitamins you might be lacking. I know this because my wife and I are customers of my next guest, Devon Powe. He's with Atelier Infusion.

I know that every parent wants the best for their son or daughter. If I was a young parent and I had a young teenage boy or girl, I would be telling them "Technology! There's a never-ending sea of possibilities. You can go as far as you want in technology." Someone who knows that very much is my next guest, Marvin Harris Jr. He's the chairman of the board of Tech Titans.

As you know, Dallas keeps growing and growing all the way up to the Oklahoma state line. But there are pockets around Dallas-Fort Worth that are not being developed and they should be. And a guy who is a true genius is in my studio right now - Artemio De La Vega. He is the mastermind behind what will be one of the hottest entertainment districts in Dallas - The Central.

My wife is addicted to Evian water, and my big responsibility to keep the house at peace is to order at least two, sometimes three, cases of these two-liter bottles of Evian because she's convinced it's the best-tasting water in the world. But she has not tasted water from Watermill Express, and the CEO, Mike Gallagher, is in the studio right now.

This is a very common tale: everybody makes this New Year's resolution to get in shape, they get a gym membership, and then by February, you can't find a single person in the gym because they've all backslid on their New Year's resolution to get back on track. In studio is a nationally known health coach and a friend, Rob Zschau. He's with REDIGO Health Coaching.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself, "Where is my bank investing my money?" Because they all invest money across the platforms, and they could be investing something in an industry that you don't even believe in. Somebody who's out to do something about it is in the studio right now, Betsy Gray. She's the co-founder of ProLifeFintech.

I started this company in 2008 in my home, and one of the first people to believe in me is my next guest, Jaime Barron, a very successful immigration attorney. And I've watched his career grow from afar, and so, with immigration all over the news, I couldn't think of a better person to invite into the studio than the great Jaime Barron.

Alright CEOs, listen up! You're gonna love this show! Let's say you're the head of a large organization, and you have a salesperson who's a rockstar salesperson. They happen to have the loss of a loved one or a divorce, and now all of a sudden this rockstar salesperson is just a shell of themself. How do you deal with that? HR's not gonna deal with that. You have to turn to somebody like my next guest, Renee Getz. She's with Marketplace Chaplains.

It seems like the legacy media only cares about conservatives and liberals. They talk about the Republican Party all the time. They talk about the Democrats all the time, but they don't pay enough attention to a fast-growing movement. It's the Liberty Movement, and joining us from our Austin studios is Peyton Hornberger. She is the Marketing Director for Young Americans for Liberty.

They never make movies about people who were born rich, had no adversity, and died rich. Nobody would go see that movie. They see movies like Rocky overcoming obstacles, Million Dollar Baby, and I'm convinced that they're going to make a movie after my next guest. Natalie Nichole is in the studio today. She's an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, best-selling author, actress, and influencer.

I'm thrilled about this show! Chonnie Richey is in the studio. She's one of my dear friends and the founder of Independence Gardens. They help get food to underprivileged school kids and communities, and she has a big event coming up on February 20th. It's called The Art of Food!

When you think about our military, we go through boot camp. We put people through a lot of days and days of work to get them ready and steeled for war. But when it's time to leave the military, I think it's something like half a day of reclamation training, and it leaves a lot of veterans frustrated and unable to integrate back into society. That's why I love putting a loving spotlight on some amazing non-profits, and the the folks in the studio today are with Hooves for Heroes: Ruth Shim and Chris Alpert.

My show open is familiar to a lot of us. We were climbing some little hill or mountain, and we get to the top and look around and we say, "Is this all there is?" And then we go in another direction. We climb another mountain. That's certainly what I did in my career. And that is very true for my next guest. Aaron Antillon is in the studio. He's a dynamic speaker, he's a coach, and he's my friend.

If there's anything good that came from the pandemic (and not a lot good came from the pandemic), it's that we've gotten out in the open that mental health is a real problem across the globe. And you know, years ago, if you were in law enforcement or firefighting, you wouldn't dream of telling anybody that you had a mental health issue because they'd take you off the street. Now, even our first responders are brave enough to say, "I'm wrestling with something," and they have someone to talk to. Two people at the forefront of this fight are in studio right now, Terry Brown and Chris Wyco. They're both with Wild Hub.

I love disruptors, and I love featuring them on my show. If you think about the game of golf, it's been around for centuries, and there haven't been all that many advances when it comes to technology or somebody who is changing the game. Today, Jon Schultz, the CEO of ezLocator, is in the studio with me.

If you're a child with dyslexia, you can get bullied at school. You can certainly go into a downward spiral of self-pity and regret. But my next guest has turned it into a superpower. Now he's teaching people of all walks of life, all over the planet, that you can turn whatever you see as a possible setback into your superpower. Dylan Smith joins me today and D is for Dyslexia, is the name of his company.

I remember after doing TV news for 25 years, I think I was in something of a rut. I wasn't getting the joy I would get in the early days of TV news, and I finally had to leave TV news to start this public relations firm and podcast network. I'm so overjoyed that finally, maybe God pushed me and I took that leap. It's dangerous to take that leap, but my next two guests can talk about getting Zesty. Dr. Alex Golden and Megan Blacksmith are in the studio.

There's an old saying. It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get up. My next guest knows this story very well and now that's what she's doing with her life. She's helping entrepreneurs get up after suffering a setback. Sharontine Bottley is in the studio and she's with Portfolio Academy.

It says in the Bible to love thy neighbor, but if you look at the business world, it's more like "do unto others before they do it to you." Monday through Friday can be a difficult time in the dog-eat-dog business world. But two people who are making a profound difference here in Dallas-Fort Worth are in the studio right now: Noel Sinaga and Phil Carlson. They're both with an organization called Christian Businessmen's Connection.