The Jeff Crilley Show

Dallas-Fort Worth is the home of all networking groups, but so many of them will be hot for a second, and then the next thing you know, they're out of business. There's one group I want to put a spotlight on. They've been around for 13 years, and I'm very fond of them. Two of the driving forces of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen join us today, Kevin Dahlberg and Ashley Watt.

One day, they will make a movie out of my next guest. You remember Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith. I love that movie because of his grit, tenacity, and overcoming obstacles. And that perfectly defines my next guest, Tawanna Fields, the mega entrepreneur.

If you're an advertiser, it gets very confusing. Where do you spend your money? Billboards. Bus boards. Radio. Television. Print. Facebook. It can be very confusing. Unless you know exactly who you're trying to target, and that's where community magazines come into play. I'm so proud to have Elizabeth V. Allen on the show. She's the publisher of Castle Hills Neighbors.

This is a fascinating subject for me because when you look around and see iconic names like Steadman, Carruth, and Carpenter, you wonder, who are these people? Well, I'll tell you what. They're all in this book. It's called the book. Today, we are talking to one of the organizers, Darrell Hurmis. He is the Executive Vice President and Principal of Henry S. Miller.

I'm a baby boomer, so I'm going to confess that I don't do my own social media. I have people on my team who do that. So, if you see me posting, it's not me. I don't know how to figure it all out. Every time you turn around, there is a new platform to know and understand. That's why you bring in an expert to do things you're not good at. Someone like my next guest, Breeana Renee, the founder of The Social B Agency.

I am so honored to have Alberto Lombardi back in my studio. This might be the most recurring guest I've ever had. I think this is his fourth appearance on my show. He is near and dear to our hearts because, as a company, Real News, we always hold our holiday party at one of his many concepts. The great Alberto Lombardi of Lombardi Family Concepts joins us today.

If you look at all the great fortunes in society, most of them have real estate in their portfolio. We all think of Jerry Jones as the owner of the Cowboys, but if you look at his portfolio, he owns a lot of land. And that's how you get rich, folks. Joe Pizzurro, founder and CEO of Breakchain Capital Investments, is here to discuss real estate investing.

We all fear failure. But if you remember when you were learning to walk as a child, you stumbled. That's how you learn. My next guest is Heath Oakes, a bestselling author and good friend who wrote Ignorance on Fire.

I love to spotlight local nonprofits making a profound difference in people's lives, especially young people. And if you think about the challenges all first-generation students face getting into college, they need a helping hand. That's why I invited the folks from Scholarshot back to the show. Lana Marker and Dalia Trejo join us in the studio today.

I hate that the word immigration has become so polarizing. You can say immigration and people instantly take sides, and it doesn't need to be that way. We are a country of immigrants, and we all agree that we want legal migration. That's why I invited this next couple to my show. They are a true legal power couple, Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez and George Rodriguez with Saenz-Rodriguez and Associates.

This is a familiar tale: You're a small business owner who starts growing your company. You may have five, ten, or perhaps even 50 employees, but there comes a point when what got you here will not take you to the next level. That's when you bring in a high-performance coach, Rob Zweerman, who joins us from our Austin Studios.

I remember when I was going to college all those years ago. They didn't offer a single class for entrepreneurship. These days, you go to any campus in America, and the spotlight is on entrepreneurship. Everybody likes to think they can be the next Mark Zuckerberg or Mark Cuban. But of course, any great start-up needs funding. To talk about that today is Edward Sigmond, the president of American Business Network.

I've had several experts on my show talking about commercial real estate. When you talk about commercial real estate, that describes a lot of territory, everything from office buildings to warehouses to multifamily and apartments. And everything I'm hearing is that the best place to be is in apartments because people always need a place to live. It's relatively recession-proof, and to discuss that today is Eric Leyendecker, Director of Land Acquisition at Anthem Development.

The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but many people feel sad. Depression and anxiety go crazy in December because of so many painful memories. That's why we brought in the holistic therapist, Dr. Ashley Nazon

When you look at professional models on TV or in magazines, it's easy to assign a narrative to them. Oh, they were born beautiful. They were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. They've never had adversity. My next guest will share a very painful moment in her life with us because she's turning her pain into purpose. Amber Griffin is the founder of Model Prep.

I love how life works. We all have a plan, and then God throws an audible at us. That describes my next guest, Lorie Burch, with Burch Law.

I think I'm speaking on behalf of all entrepreneurs at this point. You're building a machine, you're on the hamster wheel, you're rolling. You might be growing that organization, but you're still as busy as you were when you turned the lights on. So, sometimes you have to get off the hamster wheel, and that's when you hire my next guest. Scott Levy is in the studio. He's the CEO of Resultmaps.

I like to think that all of us have some ministry. My ministry and mission is to help people tell their stories. But I come to an air-conditioned office every day. It's pretty comfortable doing my mission. My next guest has an incredible mission, and I can't even imagine what it's been like to walk in her shoes for the past 22 years. Carole Ward is with Favor International.

I'm a huge Rocky fan. I remember watching that movie when I was a young teen, and I was always a Rocky fan because Rocky represented the common man. The guy who got a shot at the title went the distance and later became the champ. My next guest is somebody who also agrees that sometimes the little guy needs representation. Joining us now from New York is Ron Berutti with Murray-Nolan Berutti LLC.

Raising a family is complicated enough, but add in the stress of the holidays and the pressures on families, and sometimes, it can rip families apart. That's why we invited Dr. Brad Schwall with The Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology back to the show.

One of the scariest things I ever did in my life was leave TV news. I was a TV reporter since I was 19 years old in college, and so when I left the business at the age of 45, I was scared out of my mind. I suddenly became an entrepreneur, and you have to sink or swim. Somebody who can relate to that is my next guest, Sonia Azad, formerly of Channel 8. And before then, Houston and many other markets before that. Now, she hosts corporate wellness and yoga retreats.

When it comes to skincare, it's dizzying. You go to any grocery store or pharmacy, and there is just aisle after aisle of skincare and healing balms, and you don't know what to believe. Well, sometimes you just make one of your own. That's the story behind Dr. Doug's Miracle Balm Brands. The brainchild behind this incredible brand is in the studio, Dr. Doug himself and Natalie Gardner.

The holidays can bring on a lot of stress and family dynamics, and it's not a coincidence that January and February are the busiest times for divorce attorneys. Couples limp through the holidays and then file in January and February, which is sad. My next guest, MarQui McGill, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who wants to change that dynamic.

I've always gotten compliments on my smile. If I showed you my driver's license picture, it's ridiculous. I have this huge smile. But when I was in high school, my teeth were messed up. I remember not smiling deliberately because I was so embarrassed with my smile. And so, in college, I scraped together enough money to get some cosmetic dentistry. And I've had a couple more procedures since then, and now I smile like a fool. Somebody who is out to change the world one smile at a time is in the studio right now, Dr. Shaggy. She's with Modern Bite Dentistry and Veneer Lounge.

My entire life has been spent telling people's stories. I first did it through the news media, and now I do it through podcasting and public relations. And when one storyteller meets another, he has to invite them to his show. Matthew Osborne with 19 Production House is in the studio today.

I'm so proud to be in North Texas, and we have so many amazing communities. I like to spotlight communities when I can, and so I ran into the mayor of Richardson, Texas, about three weeks ago. I invited him on my television show to talk about all the wonderful things they're doing. Mayor Bob Dubey is in the studio.

I think I'm cursed with a gene. In the gene is excellence. Everything that I touch has to be excellent. And when I run into somebody who shares that same disease, if you will, I have to have them on my show. Eddie Lucky Campbell is on the show, and he is with Standard Pour and Parliament.

I love this time when everything seems to be disrupted. Uber disrupted the taxi cab industry, Airbnb disrupted the hotel industry, and the media is changing every single day. Who thought a guy named Joe Rogan could have 100 million followers and beat 60 Minutes? My next guest knows the changing landscape of the media very well because he's at the forefront. Chris Putnam is the CEO of Dallas Express.

I think I speak for a lot of Americans, we like to make excuses. We say if we were only born into a different family, born in a different town, or even if there was someone different as president. It's all excuses because when you meet someone like my next guest, it reframes your thoughts. Von Truong is a very successful realtor with RE/MAX DFW Associates.

Well, it doesn't get a lot of publicity, but one of the most promising areas of law is in the patent area. You know, think about patents, trademarks, copyrights. There's a reason why you can't go out and recreate the Nike swoosh or the McDonald's "M". It's because it's already copyrighted and trademarked. Somebody who knows it very well is my next guest, Wei Wei Jeang, she is with Fulton Jeang.

Well, I think all of us have the same journey. We like to think that we're in the driver's seat of life. And the truth is, God's in the driver's seat, where we're always in the passenger seat. We can suggest God. We probably want to go right or left or speed up or slow down. Ultimately, God's driving the car, and somebody who knows it very well is my next guest, James Halverson, he's the author of Awakened.

If you've watched this show for any length of time, you know I have a passion for non-profits, and I love to put a spotlight on people who are doing amazing things right here in our backyard. Today, Shannon Summers is on the show; she's the head of marketing for Women With Promise.

So I'm a creative. I think I've always been good with words, pictures and images, but I cannot hold a candle to my next guest when it comes to creativity. Melissa Ellis is in the studio. She's with Melissa Ellis Art, and she is a sculptural oil painter.

Well, there are countless nonprofits out there, but one has certainly become a household name. I'm talking about the Salvation Army. And many of us think we know something about the Salvation Army. Maybe you associate it with the Cowboys game on Thanksgiving Day and the big presentation. Some people might associate it with bell ringers or angel donations, but it's a vast organization. It's in 133 countries around the planet. I had no idea. To talk about that today are two of the leaders of the North Texas operation, Major Paul McFarland and Captain Maxie DeBlanc.

If you go to any airport in the country, large or small, the show's stars tend to be the planes. But the real stars behind the scenes are the ones that are making everything work. The folks with the hangars, the folks who supply the fuel to the airline industry. And to talk about that today is Jamie Munoz. She is the general manager of Galaxy FBO.

My dad is a pastor, and I've been going to church my entire life. But as I've gone from church to church, I've noticed that some churches do a better job than others at ministering to people and what they're going through in their average day. There is a need in the space to really be relevant to people. And that's where my next guest comes in. Brooke Ladouceur is the CEO and founder of Flourishing Faith.

We've all seen this movie before. Some of us have two Thanksgivings to go to. We just eat as much as we possibly can, and then we feel bad. So we eat more comfort food and then wake up on January 2nd with a New Year's resolution to lose all that fat. How do you break this cycle that we all do each year? We've run in a nationally known healthy living expert, Dr. Matt Chalmers.

I think we all have the same problem: we're searching for meaning. In your early days, sometimes you're working for the money, a job, a title, or the corner office. Then, in the second half of your life, you start thinking about relevance. Did you leave the planet off better than when you got here? And that describes my next guest, Steve Bender. He's heavily involved in Earth X and a very proud Rotarian.

I love the old quote that Ginger Rogers could do everything Fred Astaire could, except backwards in high heels. And I think that describes our society. We've come light years away from the 50s and 60s regarding women in power. However, we still have ways to go and must empower the next generation of female leaders. Sharla Frost is in the studio. She's a friend, bestselling author, and a keynote speaker.

If you had a health condition, you would go to a surgeon or a specialist. But many business owners and entrepreneurs in this country are trying to do it themselves. That's why I brought on Chris Wilbratte, the co-founder of Echelon Financial.

As a planet, we are spending literally trillions of dollars on cyber security. But all it takes is the bad guys to be right once, and they can get through. There are many different ways they can do that. Today, we are speaking to a cybersecurity expert, Lalit Ahluwalia, with DigitalXForce and iTrustXForce.

I respect the discipline it takes to be a champion in any sport, and my next guest is a champion in surfing. He's the number one athlete over 50 in surfing on the planet. Scotty Schindler is in the studio. He's known as the Street Smart Entrepreneur.

I've always had a soft spot for teachers. I think there's no more thankless job than being a teacher right now. And think about all the pressures that you know from parents, from the kids, and even the administration can become a hassle for the teacher herself or himself. Sometimes, they need another voice, an outsider, to come in and resolve that conflict. Sherry G. Brown is in the studio. She is an expert in conflict resolution.

As they say, it's lonely at the top. Countless CEOs in this country surround themselves with yes men and yes women. So, no one is telling the CEO the truth. Sometimes, you need somebody to do that to show you your blind spots. That describes my next guest perfectly. Rocky Garza is a leadership consultant, keynote speaker, and advisor to eight-figure CEOs.

We're here in Dallas-Fort Worth, and there's probably an attorney on every street corner in Dallas-Fort Worth. And so, how do you separate yourself from the herd? Some of it is just making sure that your compass is always pointed true North. And Michael Holmes is in the studio right now.

When life is so precious, the Bible says we're not promised tomorrow. We're not promised this afternoon. I will get in my car this afternoon, and I pray that I get home. But, you know, God may have other plans for me. Fortunately, my health is good, but so many Americans hear the C-word, cancer, and it can turn them into a downward spiral of despair. And somebody who will inspire you right now is my next guest. Piet Van Waarde is in the studio. He's a cancer warrior, a pastor, a chaplain, and my friend.

When there's a start-up, sometimes you're starting in your garage. Think about it: Google started in a garage with just two guys, and then, obviously, it grows. They have growing pains, and sometimes, they need to bring in a financial strategist to help keep them on track. My next guest knows a lot about that. Tina O'Banion is in the studio. She's an MBA and the CEO of TFO Clarity.

I think you'll agree with me. We live in a sick nation. And by that, I mean we're wired, we're tired, we're overcaffeinated. And then what happens? You go to your doctor because you're feeling fatigued, and they give you a pill. I don't believe that every solution to every medical issue is solved with a pill. In fact, I think less pills is better. Jenny Dillon agrees with that. She's the owner and founder of OhZone.

I love to read books about history and successful business owners. Almost every one of them had one of those moments where they were so close to bankruptcy that they couldn't pay their bills, and then a bank saved them. But my next guest says that if you have a traditional banking relationship, you could be leaving money on the table. Ami Kassar is in the studio. He's the founder and CEO of Multifunding.

I don't know about you, but I get my property tax assessment yearly and assume it's right. And so we go ahead and pay it. But there are a lot of people who fight it, and they win. To talk about that today Nicholas Olenec, with Texas Tax Protest.