AskAlliance

What happens when a workout becomes a place to belong?

REFIT co-founder Catherine Ballas joins Todd Moore on Ask Alliance to share how a fitness class that began in Waco grew into a community with an impact far beyond the studio.

Catherine shares personal stories about the people who found connection through REFIT, the unexpected moments that revealed what the community had become, and what she has learned about building something bigger than its founders.

It’s a conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, relationships and the difference between creating something people use and creating something people care about.

Listen to the story behind REFIT — and what it can teach all of us about building a community that lasts.

Ask Alliance brings you conversations with the entrepreneurs, leaders and people shaping Central Texas.

Presented by Alliance Bank Central Texas.

Member FDIC | Fair Housing Lender

What if the interests you keep separate from work are actually part of your competitive advantage?

In this episode of Ask Alliance, Alliance Bank Central Texas Executive Chairman Todd Moore sits down with Ashton Gustafson of A.G. Real Estate & Associates for a conversation about business, creativity, curiosity and building a career that actually reflects who you are.

Ashton has spent more than two decades in real estate, but his work extends well beyond real estate. He writes. He publishes. He podcasts. He studies market data. He tells community stories. And over time, those different interests have become part of how people know, remember and trust him.

The bigger lesson is not simply “be yourself.”

It’s more useful than that:

Study what works. Learn from people ahead of you. Then figure out how to make those lessons your own.

Todd and Ashton explore why professionals often feel pressure to look and sound like everyone else in their industry, why useful content can build trust long before a transaction happens, and how hobbies, curiosity and creativity can become genuine business advantages.

They also discuss the difference between chasing business and attracting business, why great marketing often does not feel like marketing, and how showing up with something valuable can create relationships and opportunities you never could have planned.

If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, salesperson, creator or professional trying to stand out without becoming someone you’re not, this conversation is for you.

The question to leave with: What part of yourself have you been leaving out of your work?

Follow Ask Alliance for more conversations with the entrepreneurs, leaders and people shaping business and community across Central Texas.

Alliance Bank Central Texas
Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

What does it really take to bring new companies to Waco?

Most people see the announcement.

Few ever see the conversations, relationships and strategy that make those announcements possible.

In this episode of Ask Alliance, Alliance Bank Central Texas Executive Chairman Todd Moore and Greater Waco Chamber President Matt Meadors take listeners behind the scenes of an international economic development summit in Southlake, Texas, where leaders from nearly 20 countries gathered to explore opportunities across the Texas market.

Together, they discuss how communities earn investment, why relationships remain the foundation of economic development, and what makes Waco and McLennan County uniquely positioned for long-term growth.

If you've ever wondered how business leaders help shape the future of a community, this conversation offers a rare look behind the curtain.

Building the Future Starts Before Everyone Else Sees It.

What happens when entrepreneurs, investors, higher education, government, and the military begin working together to solve tomorrow's challenges?

In this episode of Ask Alliance, Todd Moore sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and developer Jon Mark Buckner for a conversation about leadership, innovation, and why Central Texas is becoming an increasingly important center for American growth.

Recorded following Baylor University's Space × Demand Signal Forum, the discussion explores how organizations like the U.S. Space Force, private industry, universities, and entrepreneurs are working together in entirely new ways—and what business leaders can learn from that shift.

They discuss:

• Why innovation increasingly depends on collaboration

• The changing relationship between government and private industry

• Firefly Aerospace and the future of commercial space

• Leadership in rapidly changing industries

• Why Central Texas is uniquely positioned for long-term growth

• The mindset required to prepare for what's next

Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, community leader, or simply curious about the future, this conversation offers practical leadership lessons far beyond the aerospace industry.

Hosted by Todd Moore

Executive Chairman of the Board

Alliance Bank Central Texas

Why do some people keep showing up for their community year after year?

In this episode of Ask Alliance, Alliance Bank Central Texas leaders Kevin Pitts (Senior Vice President, Georgetown) and Jesica Garza (Senior Vice President) sit down with Mark Garza, Founder of Flatwater Foundation, for a conversation about leadership, service, mental health, and the power of community.

What starts as a discussion about Flatwater's mission becomes something much bigger:

• Why relationships matter

• Why people choose to give back

• How communities grow stronger

• The importance of mental health conversations

• What real leadership looks like when no one is watching

• Why purpose often grows from life's most difficult moments

Mark shares the story behind Flatwater Foundation, the impact of the Dam That Cancer event, and why helping people navigate the emotional side of cancer remains at the heart of the organization's mission.

This isn't a conversation about banking.

It's a conversation about people.

About showing up.

About building something bigger than yourself.

If you care about leadership, community, service, or the future of Central Texas, this episode is for you.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Mark Garza is the Founder of Flatwater Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing access to mental health therapy for individuals and families facing the emotional impact of cancer.

ABOUT ASK ALLIANCE

Ask Alliance is a conversation series from Alliance Bank Central Texas featuring community leaders, entrepreneurs, nonprofit organizations, and changemakers helping shape the future of Central Texas.

Alliance Bank Central Texas

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

Time Codes:

00:00 — Why People Keep Showing Up

03:15 — The Origin of Flatwater Foundation

07:42 — Why Mental Health Matters

11:20 — Community and Leadership

15:45 — The Power of Service

20:10 — Dam That Cancer and Impact

24:30 — Building Stronger Communities

Opening a restaurant today isn’t just about food.
It’s a bet — on timing, market, capital, and execution.

This is Ask Alliance — a podcast from Alliance Bank Central Texas focused on real conversations with business owners, operators, and community builders across Central Texas.

Recorded in Georgetown, Texas, this conversation features:

Chef/Owner Vera Chudasma (Sovian Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge)
Todd Moore (Executive Chairman, Alliance Bank Central Texas)
Kevin Pitts (SVP, Commercial Relationship Manager - Georgetown, Alliance Bank Central Texas)

Sovian just opened in Georgetown — and like every business, it started with a decision.

We get into:
• Why now?
• What made this opportunity worth pursuing?
• What actually happens behind the scenes when you build something like this?

This conversation breaks down:
• What entrepreneurs underestimate
• Where the real pressure shows up
• How operators think about risk, capital, and growth

This isn’t just about a restaurant.
It’s about what it actually takes to build something real.

Stinson Bland talks about his path to successful self-employment.

Featuring Todd Moore, Executive Chairman (Alliance Bank Central Texas)

Stinson Bland, Owner (Waco First Home Buyers)

Derek Smith, Entrepreneurs.

IG: @stinsonbland

YouTube: @wacofirsthomebuyers.com

AskAlliance talks with Stephanie Mabry and Wendy Ellis about the impact of the United Way to Waco / McLennan County.

From international fashion model, to nationally ranked tour company, David Ridley III launches into his next entrepreneurial venture… professional bass angler!  Thanks for sharing your story with AskAlliance, David.  We look forward to some future episodes with us about your new adventures.

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