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.
My daughter introduced me to the world of podcasting about five years ago. She said, Daddy, we need to get into podcasting, and now it's half of the company! Somebody who realized before the rest of the world realized that podcasting was something you needed to get into is my next guest, Trevor Houston, Host of the wildly popular Who Ya Know Show.
I must confess that I am a baby boomer, so technology isn't my friend. Sometimes, I go to the airport and try to do the self-check-in, and I get frustrated because the screens are not as intuitive as I want them to be. Two people who know a lot about the customer experience are in the studio right now. Adrienne Guillory and Peter Welpton are with Usability Sciences.
The late, great Zig Zigler had a famous quote: You've got to eliminate stinking thinking. Doesn't that apply to all of us? We wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and see imperfections. So much of life is the story we tell ourselves. Someone who knows that very well is Rudi Riekstins, an author, speaker, and business mentor.
We are about to experience the largest transfer of wealth in the history of the planet. You've got all these baby boomers with businesses, and they will sell them in the next two years because often their kids don't want their business. To talk about that today, one of my favorite clients, Michael D. Rubin, Owner of MDR & Associates.
I grew up in Detroit, seven mile, and Eminem famously grew up in 8 mile. Nine mile was the suburbs. I remember when he came out with eight mile, I said, Dude, that's not tough. Tough is seven mile and nobody's ever seen six mile. I'm being facetious. But another guy who shares that journey is my next guest, Kelly Siegel, owner of NTM National Technology Management.
I was born in America, and I've run into so many people who blame the government or Wall Street for their problems. Sometimes, it takes a true entrepreneur to come into your life. Somebody who was not born here, who is running circles around everybody else to remind you that this is the greatest country on the planet. Someone who knows that very well is JP Piccinini, CEO of Vesuvius Holdings.
I have met so many moms who get immersed in their children's lives, and sometimes they forget self-care. They forget that they're a person and they've got needs and wants. It can't all be about the kids all the time. Somebody who knows that very well is Camille Thompson, founder of the mom group, Mind Over Matter.
As you look around the great state of Texas, you see different logos and signs that say circa 2010. Our company was founded in 2008, so one of our logos says circa 2008. Imagine heading up a business organization that can brag that it was formed in 1919. That's what Karen Gray is here to talk about. She is the president of Texas Business Women.
I grew up camping, and my wife once told me that her idea of camping is a three-star hotel. Something tells me she wouldn't go on a camping experience with me, but she might go on a glamping experience. Especially after she sees the story that we're telling you right now. Ron Anderson is the owner and founder of 7744 Ranch.
I've always been fascinated by auctioneers just for the way that they can talk fast, but that would be just a broad brush approach to this industry. It's much more than being able to talk fast. You're an entertainer, a fundraiser, and you really have to study the client to succeed. A man who knows a lot about that is Dean McCurry with DM Auction Services.
