The Jeff Crilley Show

I think about confidence and showing up to the world with your best self, and so much of that depends on how you show up in the mirror. Are you proud of the person that you're looking at? That's why I invited my next guest in the studio, Dr. Jordi Bostock. She's the author of the bestselling book Change Your Hair, Change Your Life.

There's an old saying in networking that you've got to circulate to percolate. We have a lot of Gen Zs who have 5,000 to 10,000 acquaintances on LinkedIn, and they don't know any of them very well. There's an art to networking, and the queen of networking in America is in the studio right now: the great Shelli Howlett.

It's unique on this planet that mankind has had relationships with horses for thousands of years. There's a special relationship there, and I'm interviewing two of the driving forces behind Equest because the relationship that people of all walks of life have with horses is so therapeutic. Eric Lindh is the CEO of Equest, and Melinda Knowles is the co-chair of their Blue Ribbon Gala.

We're already into September, which means we're just a couple of months away from the holiday season, and that's when all CEOs of all companies start thinking about corporate gifting. That's why I have my next guest back on the show. Melanie Jones is the host of the Beyond the Boardroom podcast, and she's the CEO of MelanCole.

When you think about the fashion capitals on this planet, you think about Paris, London, and New York. Well, Dallas is making a lot of noise in the fashion scene, and it has for 100 years since Stanley Marcus first brought Neiman Marcus to Dallas. Hazel Hartfield is in the studio. She's with FWD Fashion Group.

I have a confession. I know nothing about fashion. My beautiful bride, Victoria Snee, is the head of marketing for Highland Park Village. She gets to hang out around all these luxury brands, and she dresses me up like a little Ken doll. If I look good, it's all because of my beautiful bride. I confess, I know nothing about fashion, but somebody who knows a lot about fashion is in the studio right now. Annia Louisa is the queen of resort wear.

I love people who are making a difference on this planet, and that perfectly describes my next guest. Namitha Nayak is in the studio. She's the founder of People's Impact Network.

I like to think that I'm a unicorn in my world of podcasting and obviously public relations. I'm attracted to other unicorns, and I met these guys just recently. Alex and David Goldfarb are in the studio right now. They're unicorns in the space of benefits.

This happens every day in America: you're a brilliant entrepreneur, you start a company, and you start hiring people. You might be brilliant at one area of your company. Maybe you're a visionary. Maybe you're an engineer or an operations person, but suddenly the company takes on a life of its own. Many people who run companies in this country have not read a management or leadership book, and so their company is struggling because they lack the knowledge to take it to the next level. That's why I have my next guest on the show, Dr. Alison Schmidt. She is the founder and CEO of Unconvention.

Some 20-plus years ago, I was a proud board member of the DFW Press Club, and it's an iconic organization. They went on hiatus for a few years, but now they're back and have renamed themselves the DFW Press and Media Club. I have an all-star panel talking about that today: Chonnie Richey, JoAnne Asenime, Johnathan Brownlee, and Tommy Cummings.

It's no secret that the restaurant industry is tough. There are a lot of people who think they're going to make a fortune in restaurants, but the margins are razor-thin. There are restaurants so crowded you can't get in for a year, and then the next year they're closed. It takes a certain kind of individual to lead a restaurant concept so that it can stand the test of time. James Gee is in the studio and he is known for amazing concepts, including Al Biernat's and Truluck's.

I think we all have a calling. If you think about what I'm doing right now, I first accomplished 25 years of TV news, and now my calling is helping other people tell their own stories. Jana O’Guin is in the studio. She's the president of Building Families For Tomorrow.

I don't know when no-fault divorce started in Texas, but on its surface it sounds fine. No fault. Right? "Let's make it easy. Let's get through this together." But Jeff Morgan is going through it himself, and he is suing to stop no-fault divorce in Texas.

This show is all about food insecurity, and there are so many hungry people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Although we come from a very affluent community, there are a lot of people who are really living lunch to lunch here in North Texas. Chonnie Richey is in the studio. She's a good friend, and she's with Independence Garden.

I love people who are leading a movement, and my next two guests are the hosts of the Hidden Money Podcast. They've been around for three years. They just joined our network, and they are on a mission to change the way you look at your own tax situation. We have a great CPA firm, but many CPAs are not really trained to think about taxes, which is so important because you're leaving money on the table. Joining us now are Kevin Schneider and Mike Pine with the Hidden Money Podcast.

I think you'll agree with me that we have a leadership crisis in America. It's not because we don't have strong leaders but because we don't have enough people who care enough to invest in themselves to learn how to be a strong leader. If you talk to any sales department, it's typically led by somebody who is a hotshot salesperson. They got elevated to head up a team, but they've never read a management book. To talk about that today is Charles Heasley. He's the head of the Blue Lion Leadership Group.

I was in TV news for 25 years, and unfortunately, so many of the stories that I was telling were negative. They were sad and depressing, and so somebody has to tell the good news stories out there. That person is Pat Good, and she's in the studio with me today.

If you remember a few years ago, the real estate market was so hot, anybody who could fog a mirror would become a successful realtor, but I think the strong survive. Any time you have a market like we have right now, which is kind of sluggish, that's when the strong survive. That's why I have Haleema Rahim in my studio. She's one of the top real estate agents in North Texas.

I worked in TV news for 25 years, and I think TV news likes to glamorize the sensational. When you hear about the real estate market, you're always hearing about a national number, but I can't think of a better place to call home than DFW. Something like 100,000 people move to DFW every single year, and when they're looking for a new home, they turn to people like my next guest: Will Koberg. He's with the Koberg Real Estate Group.

As an entrepreneur myself, I get to hang around a lot of very successful entrepreneurs. I've known several who have exited their business here in the last couple of years, but that process of selling your company is very difficult. You, as the owner, are too close to it, and so you actually need to bring in some experts, like my next guests. Eli Goldaris and Tim Abbracciamento are with Isagani Yorke Capital Partners.

I think sometimes the most dangerous person you can talk to is yourself, especially if you're telling yourself the wrong story. So many of us beat up on ourselves. When we look in the mirror, we see imperfections, and start beating ourselves up, or you have a bad habit, amplify that, and tell yourself the wrong story. So Val Vidal is back in the studio. We had her on the show about a year ago. She is a meditation and spiritual teacher.

I think anybody of my generation is worried about that phone call from mom or dad that they've fallen, and most people don't make any plans for parenting their parents until after that accident. Because of this, Godwin Dixon is in the studio right now. He's the co-owner of Teresa's House.

We've always heard the expression, "You're a born leader." Well, yes, there are born leaders, but there are also people who need to learn to lead a team. There are so many engineers out there who are great at engineering, but suddenly they're running a company and need to know how to manage and motivate a team. That's why I have this next show scheduled. Please welcome Brandy Schade and Justin McCullough. They are both leadership experts.

I can't think of a time in my adult life when becoming an entrepreneur has been more trendy. Many young people look at the most successful people on the planet and they say, "I'm going to start my own business," but often they need a little bit of help. That's why I invited my next guest into the studio. Once again, please welcome Tracy Irby. She's the director of TWU's Center for Women Entrepreneurs.

It's 2025, so everybody needs to tell their own story, whether it's a personal brand or a corporate brand. You have to learn the special skills of communication, and that's why I invited my next guest on the show. Trudy Hankins is in the studio. She's an entrepreneur, communications coach, and speaker.

If we had a Mount Rushmore of Christmas songs, "Santa Baby" would be on it. I mean, I think about the most iconic Christmas songs of all time. Of course, there's "White Christmas," "All I Want for Christmas," and then "Santa Baby" are all on that Mount Rushmore. Tamar Springer's in the studio. Her father wrote "Santa Baby" in the 50s.

I think you would agree with me that over the last 20 or 30 years, the culture has changed. When I was growing up, you couldn't name a CEO, and now we can all name ten Fortune 500 CEOs. If you're a CEO or an emerging thought leader, you have to learn to be able to present, and you have to work on your personal brand. That's why we have my next guest in studio. Conner Krizancic is in the studio. He's the founder and CEO of SpeakrBrand.

There are a billion business books, and let's be honest, a lot of them are boring. It's a lot of Harvard jargon, and they seem to drag on. I love my next author because she has come up with this amazing book, Carrots Are For Closers, and she was inspired by her dog. Vicki Cravens is in the studio.

When I wrote my book 20 plus years ago, I started thinking about PR people in Dallas-Fort Worth who impressed me, and I included a press release in my book, Free Publicity. It was a perfect public relations campaign, and I have the people behind it in the studio right now: David & Carolyn Alvey. They are with Aardvark Communications.

As long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with excellence. I remember in my TV news days, even though the camera person would be in charge of editing my story, I would edit it myself because I wanted it just right. Now I started this public relations firm and a podcast network, and I'm still obsessed with excellence. That's why I have my next guest on the show. Mike Garabedian is in the studio. He's with Garabedian Properties.

I'll tell you one of the reasons I came to Dallas in the early '90s was because of the television show Dallas. I was watching it up in Michigan, and Dallas just seemed so glamorous. The towers, J.R. Ewing, we all remember this. Well, the Dallas film & television community has never gone away. In fact, it's getting stronger than ever. That's why I have my next guest in the studio - Katie Schuck. She is the film commissioner with the Dallas Film Commission.

We hear a lot about PTSD on the news. What we don't hear a lot about is PTSI. That's post-traumatic stress injury, and there's a big difference. Joining us in the studio is an amazing filmmaker and good friend, Dr. Charlie Powell.

If you've watched the show for any length of time, you know I love to profile entrepreneurs. I love to profile people who are doing something with a purpose, and that perfectly describes my next guest. Bob Gallup is in the studio. He's the Chief Revenue Officer for Smart Start.

I've always been fascinated with charisma and how somebody can come into a room, and the room changes. Part of that is their charm, their grace, and their ability to shine light in. The other part of that experience is their ability to read the room, or in the case of the internet generation, read the Zoom. To talk about that today, a good friend of mine, Melinda Marcus, is a certified body language expert and author of Read the Zoom.

There's an old saying that people don't leave companies, they leave bad bosses. Unfortunately, most bosses in America haven't even read a leadership book. They don't know how to manage a team, and that's why I brought in my next guest, Sally Bryant. She's the CEO of Bryant Group.

Obviously, there are needs all over the state of Texas. The big cities tend to get all the attention because that's where the media markets are. Smaller counties and cities don't get the attention, and often they don't get the funding to meet those needs. To talk about that today is Stephanie Chandler. She is the CEO of Community Well TX.

I think you'll agree that we all have negative self-talk. We tell ourselves the wrong stories. We wake up in fear. Sometimes we can't sleep at night. Well, you need a breakthrough. That's why I invited Dr. Stan Harris back on my show. He's Dr. BreakThrough.

In the studio right now is Brandon Burden. He has run for office before, and he is currently a candidate for Texas House District 67, which covers a large area including parts of McKinney, Allen, and Plano.

We live in a crazy world. Let's be honest: there's so much stress going on. We had the pandemic, and then there's an epidemic of stress just in the average household. But imagine a first responder. Imagine somebody coming back from war. It's a really big deal right now. Dr. Veronica Sites is in the studio. She's the founder of Post-Traumatic Stress Development.

On this network, we host the Dale Hansen Show, and I just had a conversation with him a couple of days ago about the death penalty and SMU paying players. If you think about what happened some 30 years ago at SMU, the rules have all changed. We're going to be talking about gamified giving today with two experts, Chaitan Fahnestock from Sportsmo and Matt Rosen from Allata.

I'm so excited for this show because I've known Donna Arp Weitzman for a dozen years, and she's a many-times bestselling author. She took a radical departure from the stuff that she had written before when she wrote this book. It's called Twisted Retribution. She's in studio, and she called me the other day and said, "Not only am I in the top half percent on Amazon, but they're about to make this into a film." So I said, "You have to come on the show, and we have to have the award-winning filmmaker in the studio as well." Donna Arp Weitzman is a good friend and bestselling author, and Jonathan Brownlee is with Torfoot Entertainment Group.

I'm a believer. My father, brother, and uncle are all ministers. When I go to church, I don't hear a lot about fitness, and that's too bad because several times in the Bible it says your body is a temple. Dangelo Lee is in the studio. He's a speaker, author, wellness coach, and thought leader.

I was a reporter at Fox Four almost 30 years ago when we hosted our last World Cup event. I am thrilled to have Nina Vaca in the studio. She is the co-chair of the North Texas FIFA World Cup 2026 Organizing Committee.

I remember growing up in the '70s and '80s, and if I could name one CEO of a Fortune 500 company, I was lucky. Everybody could name Bill Gates from Microsoft, but beyond that, CEOs would just stay in the background. Now we live in a culture of celebrity where you can name Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Cuban, and dozens of others who are leading their company, and that causes people to need to step into the spotlight. Nikole Rose knows a lot about that. She's a good friend, and she's the COO of SpeakrBrand.

I teased off the top of the show The Seven S's To Getting Any Woman, but I'm going to suggest that the best buyer of this book is a woman to give to a man. Women need to read this to give to their future husband or boyfriend. Read this book because this will tell you a lot about how to relate to women. The great Rod Warner is in the studio. He's with Rod Warner Counseling, and he's the author of this bestselling book.

One of the fastest growing groups in America is people who are car enthusiasts, and they just don't have enough garage for all their cars. I think about Jay Leno, and I think about so many other people who collect cars. In the studio today is the co-founder of Garages of America, Jack Griffin.

There's an old saying, "There are two important days in your life. The day you were born and the day you know why you were born." My next guest realized when she was just a child that she had a gift for healing, and so, in the studio today, Dr. Madeline Johnston. She's with Addison Chiropractic.

We have some of the best doctors on the planet in the United States, and unfortunately, I think the whole health care system is built on taking care of sick people. Prevention is the key, and today we have someone who was talking about prevention and wellness before it was cool. In fact, you got some arrows in your back talking about this in the 60s. Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper is the father of aerobics, and he's the author of the new best-selling book that we're going to talk about: Grow Healthier As You Grow Older.

We have some of the best doctors on the planet right here in the United States. Unfortunately, so many of them are tied up in meetings with patients for five minutes that they don't really have time to get to the bottom of the problem, so they're writing prescriptions all the time. To talk about wellness today is the great John Shero, the founder and CEO of Visionary Wellness and Imaging.

When I got to Dallas in the early '90s, I had the privilege of working with the great Chris Yates. He's won Emmys, done amazing things with his career, and gone on to do even more amazing things post-television. The great Chris Yates is in the studio.