The Jeff Crilley Show

When I think about youth sports, I think about the discipline, the stick-to-it-iveness, and the overcoming adversity that a child learns. Of course, they're getting in shape and exercising, but it's the off the field stuff that matters because many of them will not go on to an athletic career. They have to learn the discipline that it takes to be a champion in life, and two people are in the studio right now who share that belief: Tony Machi and Jermichael Finley.

I love how one artist can totally transform an event—whether it’s a convention, conference, or wedding. Sometimes all it takes is one incredible DJ or performer to lift the energy of the entire crowd. That’s exactly who my next guest is. Radu Jon, The Violin Guy, is back in the studio!

I’ve always admired people in the field of chiropractic medicine because it’s different from traditional medicine. It’s not like the MDs you typically see—they focus more on the mind, body, and spirit. I know far too many physicians who are quick to write a prescription. But my next guest got into this field because he truly cares about people. Dr. Gavin Wolff is in the studio. He’s a chiropractor with Diamond Health.

I think most of us are like this: we’re climbing some little hill or mountain. We get to the very top, look around, and say, 'Is this all there is?' That perfectly describes my next guest. She’s been wildly successful in financial services—Erin Botsford is in the studio. She’s the founder of The Advisor Authority™.

If you talk to a jazz aficionado, jazz never goes out of style. You think about the golden age of the Frank Sinatra's. Then there are groups like the two people who are in my studio right now, the Texas Jazz Cats. They are keeping jazz alive and well right here in DFW - Sally Savino and Mark Hess.

I would submit to you that we have a leadership crisis in this country, in corporate America. Study after study shows that people don't quit companies - they quit bad bosses. To talk about that today is Heather Lisle, founder of The Leadership Lab.

Sometimes when I'm out with friends at a dinner party, I'll play a game. I'll say, "If God whispered in your ear and said, 'You've got one last meal on this planet, and then I'm taking you home,' where would you go? What would you eat?"My answer has always been barbecue. And I have a feeling my next guest might just convince me that his location is where I'd want to have that final meal. Trey Sanchez is in the studio—he's the owner and pitmaster of Vaqueros Texas BBQ.

I remember in the late 90's at Fox Four, I did a very popular recurring segment called Drives Me Crazy. It was all about things that made you lose your mind. For example, waiting too long in a Starbucks or the cop that pulls you over for going just three miles over the speed limit. We would ask viewers to submit things that drive them crazy. Then, we'd follow up. It was a wildly popular segment. So, my next guest will explore all of that in a brand new podcast, launching soon on this network. Alan Topchik is in the studio; he's the host of The Angry Alan Show.

If you truly wanna ride in style, have you considered upgrading from a golf cart to a golf car? Luxury golf cars aren’t just for the course anymore—they are taking over neighborhoods everywhere. Today I’m joined by my good friend Eric Topchik, owner of Galaxy Golf Cars, to discuss how luxury golf cars are changing the way people cruise neighborhoods and enjoy local transportation. Don’t miss their grand opening celebration on April 26th in Plano, featuring family-friendly fun, giveaways, test drives, and more! To learn more, visit GalaxyGolfCars.com.

I've always been fascinated with people who have the excellence gene, and I think the late, great Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "If you are a street sweeper, be the best street sweeper on the planet so that all the angels in heaven bow down and say, 'There goes a great street sweeper.'" My next guest is a rock star in the world of interior design. Susan Semmelmann is in the studio.

If you've watched the show for any length of time, you know I love to put a spotlight on entrepreneurs, especially entrepreneurs who are making a difference on this planet. That perfectly describes my next guest. Jared Lilje is in the studio. He's the founder of J.Christoph.

Very early on in my PR career, I got asked to do public relations for the Spectacular Follies, and I didn't know what to expect. However, I was blown away at the talent of these amazing people, and that's why when a couple of friends came to me and said, "You absolutely have to have the artistic director for the Spectacular Follies on your show", I said, "I can't wait!" DeeAnne Meece joins me in studio right now.

I think DFW is home to all kinds of galas. It seems like every single weekend there is another spectacular gala, but one that I'm particularly passionate about is Côtes du Coeur. They've been doing this for decades, and three of the driving forces behind this year's event are in the studio. Chris and Jennifer Clark are co-chairs this year, and then we have the great Richard Chamberlain, who is a legendary restaurateur. All three of them have a personal reason for getting behind this.

If you're a boss, listen up because I own this company, and I am frustrated by healthcare in general. It's not a passion for me, and so when it comes in, there are all these different plans that don't make sense to me. So to demystify all of this, my good friend Dan LaBroad is in the studio. He's the president and CEO of Ovation Health and Life Services.

I love people with tenacity and stick-to-itiveness. You might call it old-fashioned grit. All of us have pain in life, but some of us wallow in the pain while others turn pain into purpose. That perfectly describes my next guest. Karen Green is in the studio. She's the founder of The Haven of Love.

There are many film festivals around the planet, but one that is making a lot of noise is the Dallas International Film Festival. They are truly on the map. Hollywood stars will fly in to appear at their big festival, and their festival comes up in just a couple of weeks. Joining us now to talk about this year's big festival are Beth Wilbins, the CEO, and James Faust, the artistic director.

This is still very much a breaking news story. There's a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth around the globe. Everybody is wondering what these new tariffs mean. To talk about how their impact and who these tariffs are affecting, Nancy Gail Daniels, the Chief Operating Officer for Hyosung Americas, joins me in studio.

If anybody's seen my wife Victoria Snee, you know I married up, and from time to time when she's going to a gala or something like that, she'll say, "I'm going to go to a blow dry bar." That's how I was introduced to the concept. It just so happens that Zach Sams is a very popular podcaster on our network, and his beautiful wife is in the studio right now because she's opening a concept that's actually been around for quite some time but is new to Argyle. Amber Sams is in the studio. She's with Blo Blow Dry Bar.

As a former news reporter, I've done countless stories on the energy drink industry and the knock on the industry is that there's a lot of bad stuff in those drinks. Not only can it tear up your stomach, but often you get this high or you get too much sugar followed by a big crash. Somebody who's out to disrupt this industry is my next guest. Bert Vergez is in the studio. He's the CEO of IDRINQ USA.

If there's a knock on medicine in America, it's that doctors are too busy to actually spend time with their patients. The average time that you have with most family physicians is approximately seven minutes. It doesn't give you enough time to really get to the bottom of a problem, and so often many doctors are so busy that they turn to the prescription pad and start writing prescriptions. I think that's a bad way to do business. You actually need to know the root cause of what's ailing your patient. To talk about that today is my new friend, Dr. Shabana Parvez. She is a CEO of Arlington Integrative Medical Center. She's also the president of the Arlington Highlands Rotary.

So, as we're doing this taping all over the news is what's happening in Washington on what was supposed to be a secure app (Signal). But now, there's fear that government secrets are being leaked. That's why I invited my next two guests into the studio: Betsy Jones, with the Critical Infrastructure Security Consortium, and Damien Fortune, who has been on our show before. He's with SENTRIQS.

There are some huge government and corporate contracts that have to be designated for women-owned businesses. So if you're a female business owner and you're watching this, be ready to take some notes. I am honored to have in the studio, Bliss Coulter. She is the president and CEO of the Women's Business Council Southwest.

I've often said on this show that we had the pandemic, and then I think we've had a mental health pandemic. I think most companies are progressive enough that an employee can raise their hand and say, "Boss, I'm having troubles." But what happens if you're a police officer or firefighter? You are a paramedic or you're working in our armed forces or even a veteran. Do you feel permission to raise your hand and tell the boss, "I think I need some help." That's why I assembled this all-star panel: Dr. Donna Ashmore, the founder of Symbiosis Integrative Health, Capt. Patrick McCully, with the wellness unit from the Garland Police Department, and Jim Blythe, the host of a very popular show on our network, the Veterans Impact Show. I like to call him the Walter Cronkite of Veterans.

One of the reasons I love DFW is that it's home to a lot of networking groups, but I've seen networking groups come and go. They die for a lack of interest, membership drifts away, and of course, during Covid, a lot of these networking groups had trouble because they couldn't meet in person. One group that has survived all of this is in the studio right now. Two of the driving forces behind IWF Dallas: Dr. Sydney Smith Hicks, the co-founder, and Dr. Cynthia Mickens Ross, the president.

We've been hearing this for generations - there aren't enough young ladies getting into STEM. That's science, technology, engineering, and math. My next guest I found through our partnership with the Dallas Business Journal. She was featured in a section called People on the Move. Terriekka Cardenas is in the studio. She's the CEO of Perceptive Engineering and Construction Services.

I love disruptors on this show. I mean, if you think about it, the taxi cab industry had been done the same way for generations, and then along comes Uber. The hotel industry has been disrupted by Airbnb. Well, somebody had to come along and disrupt the car insurance industry since it's been done the same way for generations. That describes my next guest. Maria Coello is in the studio. She is with MyClick Insurance.

I don't know about you, but I don't shop around. When it comes to electric or gas, I just pay the bill, and I'm probably wrong for doing that because when you talk to energy brokers, they can often get you a much better deal. I have in studio right now Jeff Shoemake, the president of Electricity Helper.

If you are a homeowner, I don't know if you've ever fought your appraisal, but these appraisals are often way too high. You can actually save a lot of money on your tax bill if you hire a tax consultant, but I bet a lot of business owners aren't aware that they can also fight the tax bill when it comes to their property or commercial property. That's why I invited on my next guest, Trey Cobb. He's the owner of Kirkwood & Darby.

I remember playing around with ChatGPT about two years ago and just being blown away at this technology, and everybody was saying that it's gonna change the world. It is changing the world. I can't think of an industry that has not been affected by AI, and when you're making phone calls these days and get those robots, you know you're talking to a computer. But many companies are not understanding how to adapt to the world of AI, and that's when they bring in someone like my next guest. Kellye Kamp is in the studio, and she's the founder of SourceKamp - A.I. For All.

I have always valued and been impressed with videographers and photographers, especially in those high-intensity moments of photography like weddings. Think about the pressure that's on you as a videographer or a photographer to catch just the right moment, but there's moments happening all over the place. That's why I invited my next guest on the show: Joshua Hillery. He's with Hillery's Photography.

I love entrepreneurs, and I love people who revolutionize companies and industries. That describes my next guest in the studio, Lance Thrailkill. He is the CEO of All Metals Fabricating, and he's the co-founder of Printed Technologies.

I'm so excited about this show because I met this gentleman one week ago. He was leaving our studios after being on another show, and I just happened to meet him. Had I been a minute late, I would have missed him, and I said, "Well, did you have a good experience?" He said, "Yes," and he showed me his book, One Scoop at a Time. He is the former CEO of Bluebell Ice Cream, and we had a little chat in the hallway and I said, "The next time you're in Dallas, you have to come on my show!" So Ricky Dickson is in the studio.

I think you'll agree with me. There was the pandemic, and then there was the stress pandemic that followed it. I think it just gets increasingly worse year after year as we get overcommitted. We're even overcommitting our children and subjecting them to stress.That's why I invited my next couple on to the show: Jason Napolitan and Daniella Giglio. They are the co-hosts of a brand new podcast on this network called Curious: A Conversation.

Every once in a while you meet that person who enters a room and the room completely changes, and that describes my next guest. I've known him for seven years. We're in a forum together in EO, the Entrepreneurs' Organization, and he's always the life of the party. He's never at a loss for words. He's my friend, and he's one of the most successful people I've ever met. The great Tim Conkle is in the studio. He's the founder and CEO of The 20.

The final frontier for medical research is the brain, and we're learning more about Alzheimer's. We're learning more about dementia. We're also learning a lot more about Parkinson's, and that's why I invited my next guest into the studio and turned the studio green for him: Doctor Bradley McDaniels. He's an assistant professor at UNT in the Department of Rehabilitation and Health Services.

I run a marketing and branding company, so I was so excited to learn that I would have a personal stylist in the studio because I think I can always up my game. Tori Kruse is in the studio. She's a red-carpet media personality. She's an entrepreneur, a stylist, a speaker, and she's my friend.

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.

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.

I remember that when I joined Fox 4 in the early '90s, I was assigned to cover the Mad Hatter's Tea & Luncheon, and I said, "Man, these Texans are living up to their reputation. Everything is bigger in Texas. Everything is flashy and more glamorous in Texas!" That's why I invited my next guests on the show. They are the leaders of the Mad Hatter's Tea & Luncheon this year. Shane Walker is a hat designer, and he's really critical to the success of the show. Therese Rourk is the president of the Women's Council of the Dallas Arboretum, and Sarah Friedman is the chair of this year's event.

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 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.

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.

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.

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!