The Jeff Crilley Show

Tell me if this story sounds familiar: A student graduates from college with a degree in 18th-century literature, and what will they do with that degree? If I had a young person in my life right now, I would say Stem. It's got to be computers, graphics, AI, and robotics because that's the future. Somebody who knows a lot about that and believes the same way I do is my next guest, Allison Tremblay, the owner of Stemtree of North Dallas.

Dallas Fort Worth is one of the most affluent communities in the whole nation. People don't think about food deserts here, about the lack of fresh produce and available food. One person who certainly does is my next guest, Chonnie Richey, the founder of Independence Gardens.

It's sad that so many Americans work their whole lives. They get to be 65 or 70, and they simply don't have enough money to retire. In fact, some will retire, but then two or three years later, they are back in the workforce because they've got to pay bills. Daniel Paschke, with Victory Financial Group, knows something about that.

There's an old saying in the book world called the one-day novel. I will write a novel one day, and that day never comes. Then, you wake up, you're retired, and you're saying, why did I never get around to writing that book? Someone who will change your thoughts on that is my next guest, Darren Palmer, with Self Publish -N- 30 Days.

As you saw in that intro, I spent a lifetime in TV news, 25 years. I got to the top of the little mountain I was climbing at TV news, looked around, and wondered if that was all there was. So, I had the nerve to quit TV news, walk away from the only thing I knew in 2008, and start this company. My legacy is helping other people tell their stories. One story we will tell right now is Tante Williams, a legacy planning expert.

I learned just a few minutes before the show that only 8% of people who are having a cardiac event survive. That is just incredible to me. Joining us right now are Greg and Julie Coon with Cardiac Crusade.

There's an old saying that says you have to circulate to percolate, and I know so many people who do their networking on their computers. They like to brag that they have 10,000 followers and connections on LinkedIn. But if you ask them, how many of them do you actually know? How many do you have a relationship with? They give you a very confused look. Julie Brown is a networking coach, keynote speaker, and my friend.

We all live in a Ken and Barbie world. When you're a little girl, you're playing with these perfect dolls, beginning self-discovery, and having a conversation with yourself. Sometimes, even starting at age three or four, you're already telling yourself a negative story. Somebody who's trying to change the conversation around beauty inside and out is my next guest, Neetu Rishi, the CEO & Founder of The Success Door.

For many years, our small backyard was regular grass. Then, a couple of years ago, my wife convinced us to go with artificial turf, and we saved thousands of dollars instead of paying a guy to mow. I'm a big fan; it's the future. A guy who knows that very well is Nick Ogilvie with Luxe Blades.

I'm sure you've seen the flooding on the news in Brazil—the worst in recorded history. But for many of us, we don't know people from Brazil. We see that as somebody else's problem. Alda Boiani is in the studio right now, and that subject is extremely close to home for her. She owns 12 Cuts Brazilian Steakhouse, and they are holding an event to help those in need in Brazil.

You would all agree that Big Pharma is so powerful right now in the US that so much of Western medicine is training doctors to pull out a prescription pad and write a prescription for a pill. And not every ailment can be cured with a pill. My next guest knows that very well because he was a patient and then took on a practice. Kalpesh Patel with On Point Acupuncture & Wellness is in the studio.

When most people think about TV, video production, or film, they think about Hollywood. But more and more companies are doing film and video work in Dallas. Why is that the case? My next guest is going to explain. Ian Loomer is the President of the Dallas Producers Association.

I can't think of a more crowded market in North Texas than financial services. I don't know if there are more financial services firms or Starbucks. There's one on every street corner. It takes some courageous people and people of faith to stand out in a crowded market. That describes my next guests, Guy Charles and Taylor Manning, with Teleios Financial.

I wrote my book in 2002, and shortly after that, I met my next guest. He is a digital marketing genius. We've maintained our friendship for some two decades now. Mark Crowson, with Protueri, is in the studio today.

A couple of months ago, I had the honor of serving on a panel at UTD. I was just so struck with the programming and how they were making outreaches into the community that I had to have the Director of the institute on my show. Carol Marcus-Rehtmeyer is in the studio, and she is with the UT Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

I don't know about you, but it's unbelievable that some of these amazing international superstars like Aretha Franklin can pass, but their affairs are not in order. Then, the family begins a court fight that can last for years. Somebody who knows a lot about that is my next guest, Ryan Peabody, with the Peabody Law Firm.

I often say they don't make Hollywood movies about people born rich, had no adversity, and died rich. Nobody would watch that movie. They make movies like Rocky and Million Dollar Baby, and it's all about overcoming adversity. For many of us, when we get a setback, we have to ask ourselves, why did this happen to us, and what am I supposed to learn from this? Somebody who knows a lot about that is my next guest, Eron Zehavi, a good friend and a personal and professional coach.

I had the honor of speaking to the Southlake Chamber about three weeks ago, and one of the title sponsors did a video and I was just blown away. It's upscale Italian fashion in Texas, and I was so enthralled by it that I had to bring the two driving forces behind it to the studio to tell their story. Massimo Pauri and Andrea Casati are the owners of Pauri & Casati.

I have to confess I am a meat lover—a carnivore. I think I tried vegan for one meal, and it didn't take with me. But everybody I've talked to who's gone vegan swears by it. My next guest is such a person. Jeniece Paige is with Black Vegan Health and Wellness.

I remember being a huge $6 Million Man fan in the seventies, and they came up with this really cool doll where you could remove the latex and see his bionic arm. And he also had a bionic eye. It was really, really cool. I'm geeking out a little bit because the man behind that doll is sitting in my studio right now, Jacob Miles, the prince of play.

Over the course of my news career, I know I've done dozens of reports about VA medical centers, the backlogs, and the fact that many veterans who could qualify for benefits aren't even applying. It's a mess. To talk about that today is Trinidad Aguirre, CEO and Co-Founder of VetsForever.

I run into people all the time who say I'm not a salesperson. Then, I see they have a ring on, so of course, you're a salesperson. You made the ultimate sale. She said yes! So people that associate salespeople with used car salesmen have some of what Zig Zigler would call stinkin' thinkin'. Today, Jim Pancero is here to discuss that. He is a hall-of-fame speaker and a national thought leader in sales.

We all know people in their forties who look like they're in their eighties and vice versa. We live in a society where you can't even imagine getting old, and even 20-somethings are getting preventative Botox so they don't see those wrinkles. Tama Tran, the owner and CEO of Lily Med Spa, knows a lot about that.

If you've watched this show for any length of time, you know I like to bring on people who are filled with faith and the spirit. My next guest epitomizes that. Natalie Lavelock is a faith based, international speaker and serial entrepreneur who helps people in the faith based space.

I remember when I was growing up, I probably could no name a single Fortune 500 CEO. They were just these random people running these big companies, these days. They've become household names. Who doesn't know Mark Cuban? Mark Zuckerburg? Elon Musk? They've become rock stars, and so has the C-suite. Someone who knows a lot about that is my next guest, Dr. Karen Koepp, with Koepp Research Corporation.

We're all guilty of this from time to time. You're on the hamster wheel, trying to pay some bills and feed your family, and then suddenly, you wake up, and a decade has passed. I think all of us need to slow down and really take an inventory of what matters. My next guest knows that very well and is very passionate about it. Ann Ranson is a coach, consultant, and facilitator, and she joins us in the studio today.

I think I just met my brother from another mother. He started his marketing company just one year before I did, and we've experienced many of the same kinds of economies. Nick Bonanno, the Co-Founder and owner of Simple Media, is in the studio.

This happens very often in many companies. You have a great salesperson who is thriving at sales, so you make him or her the manager of the sales team, and then suddenly, they need to read a book on leadership and have no way of managing this team. This leads to toxic behavior on behalf of the manager and the employees. Somebody who knows a lot about that is my next guest, Mita Shah Bhagat, with Leadership for the Future.

You'll agree with me that Hollywood has lost its originality. They made bold films years ago, but they play it safe these days. They take a cartoon that we watched in the seventies and remake it. It's very formulaic. Somebody who's trying to change his industry, and he is a true disruptor, Andy Turner with Rubicon City Studios.

I first started networking about 20 years ago when I wrote my book, and it's changed my life. Because of networking, my circle of friends and the people who know me has grown exponentially. My next guest, Kaleb Collins, the president of Young Executives at Success North Dallas, also believes in the power of networking.

When I think about mission-driven companies, I think about companies like Chick-fil-A. There's a reason they're not open on a Sunday, and everybody knows they have delicious sandwiches. One of the reasons why so many people support them is because they stand for something. Someone who knows a lot about that is my next guest, Scott Coburn, CMO of Patriot Mobile.

In America, two of the most common dreams are fame and fortune. But often, when people achieve both, they have hollow lives. My next guest knows that very well, Ray Higdon is a Christian entrepreneur coach.

We talk a lot about healthy relationships on this show. The truth is that you have to love yourself in order to be capable of loving someone else. My next guest, Veta Newton, the author of Cracking the Love Code, knows that very well.

We all know that artificial intelligence has been around for decades. But thanks to ChatGPT, it is a very crowded space. On this show, we always look for people who are making a lot of noise in a crowded space. That describes the next company we will profile, Markets EQ. Joining us from Austin is their VP of Client Experience, Jacqueline Brauer.

I run into a lot of people who like to blame other things beyond their power for their circumstances. They say, well, if only this person were in the White House, or if only this thing were happening on Wall Street, I would be successful. But it takes somebody to immigrate legally to this country and teach us about the great American dream. And that describes my next guest, Hirbod Bigvand, a serial startup founder.

I remember growing up watching The Jetsons, and everything looked so futuristic at the time. But I think if you go back through the entire series and start looking at each one of those crazy devices, half of them are in our lives right now. Who would have imagined that we'd have a cell phone that was also a camera, a video camera, and the World Wide Web? The very smart people at Texas State University know that. Mick Hawton, Ambassador for the CIEDAR Consortium, is joining me today.

I would submit that it's always been tough to be a cop, but it's more tough today because of this thing in everybody's hands. There are cameras all over the place, and officers realize they are always on camera, which creates a lot of stress. Steve Bell joins us today to discuss that. He is a retired officer of 41 years in law enforcement, including here in Dallas, and is a licensed professional counselor.

I am a confessed excellence freak. The only thing that drives me crazy as the owner of this company is if we're not being excellent. The team knows that every single day, we're going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure our clients are happy. That's why I invited these three into the studio today: Miranda Emery, Todd Reimer, and Jody Smith with Cornerstone Staffing.

If you've been paying attention to the news, the last few years have been crazy in the gun and ammo industry. Why? Supply chain issues. To talk about that today is Nathan Boos, the CEO of SouthernDefense.com.

Perhaps the most famous franchise on earth is McDonald's. If you've seen the movie The Founder, it talks about the McDonald's story. It's a way to become very wealthy and grow your business tremendously by learning from the expertise of those who came before. Ronak Patel is in the studio today with The Franchise Consulting Company.

She calls herself an accidental marketer. That happens a lot these days. You're heading down one path, and then God has another plan for you. Jamie Christensen, with Fuse Associates, is in the studio discussing her journey.

As you just saw, I spent 25 years in TV News. That takes a lot of stick-to-itiveness. I appreciate people with long careers, and my next guest knows that very well. Tim McIntosh with Carpion Private Wealth spent over 25 years in financial services.

Almost every night, when you turn on the news, you hear reports about the skyrocketing cost of health care. One of those very expensive costs is surgery. In the studio to discuss that is Dr. Nagaraj Kikkeri with Hinkapin Health.

My wife, the lovely Victoria Snee, has been getting Botox for years. She introduced me to it. I'm a fan, but I knew it was taking off 10 years ago when my 22-year-old daughter furrowed her brow and said, Daddy, do I need Botox? I thought to myself that this is going to be a hot industry. Two people who know a lot about that are Megan Mescher and Dr. Rebecca Weiss with Tox & Tonic.

A wise person once said, You have to lift as you climb. I can't think of a better organization to talk about women empowering other women than the organization and the managing director who's in our studio right now. Michelle Gooch is with Plaid for Women.

When I wrote my book twenty years ago, I had to overcome a fear of public speaking. At one point, I gave up to 300 speeches a year in addition to my TV job. They always say the number one fear in life is public speaking; the number two fear is death. And I've died on stage, so I have accomplished both. But my next guest is someone who has overcome more hurdles than I ever could dream of overcoming. Meryl Evans is a speaker and accessibility marketing consultant.

I hear people say all the time, I'm not a salesperson. Well, if you're married, you're a salesperson. You made the ultimate sale. But, we're always selling, aren't we? We're selling a cop on not giving us a ticket. We're selling a kid on doing his homework. We're all in sales. And somebody who knows that better than anybody I've ever met is my next guest. It's Mark Hunter, the Sales Hunter.

I have to confess, I'm vain. I like to look good. I want to look in the mirror and say, "Man, You look good!" In order to do that, you must be strict with your diet and exercise. We all know that. There are all these fad diets, but at the end of the day, it's really about what you put into your body and how often you move it. Someone who knows a lot about that is Heidi Soberanes with Envision Complete Fitness.

Those of you who know me know I married up. I married the lovely Victoria Snee, the head of marketing for Highland Park Village. She is the love of my life and she is absolutely gorgeous. When she came back from her dermatology appointment about a month ago, she started raving about Dr. Jill. She said she is not just a board-certified and award-winning dermatologist but an artist. Dr. Jill Feetham joins us in the studio.

Let's all admit that sometimes, we make life more complicated than it has to be. We complain about things like somebody cut me off in traffic or they messed up my latte at Starbucks. Sometimes, it takes a beautiful nonprofit, like the one I'm about to feature, to put everything into perspective. Joining me in the studio are Ronne Rock and Kathy Fielder with Orphan Outreach.