FORTitude FW Podcast

Laura Dickinson joins the FORTitude podcast. She is a licensed school and professional counselor and shares how the hecticness of life and technology have affected kids. Laura talks about the challenges that children are facing today with technology, online learning, problem-solving, and so much more. This episode takes a deep dive into mental health and will make you stop and really think about how we are living life. Be sure to head to the website and give it a listen.

Cameron Fowler is the co-founder of Digital Seat Media, a fan engagement platform™ that specializes in real-time mobile fan engagement right from the seat inside of the venue.

Don Shisler joins the guys on FORTitude this week. They talk about his mission and his work with Union Gospel mission. He has a fascinating and inspiring story to share, so be sure to listen.  Don got his start at UGM-TC as a volunteer in 1993 before becoming the President and CEO in 1995. He is currently in the second strategic plan of the 6-acre campus. Don has served on numerous boards, such as Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, consulted with many Tarrant County organizations, such as Recovery Resource Council, as well as contributed to the Downtown Rotary since 1995. He also served as an officer and helped to launch the Near Eastside Neighborhood Association.

Things get a little more serious on the FORTitude podcast today. Our guest is an undercover police officer working in the sex traffic unit. He shares a real look into what it’s like to combat sex trafficking in Fort Worth. They dig into what it really looks like and why it’s so hard to really help the victims of these crimes. This is a real-life look into what it’s like to do this work in Fort Worth. It’s a hard topic, but worth a listen.   Be sure to listen and let us know who in Fort Worth we should have on next.

Sergeant Jake White joins the guys at FORTitude. This episode is all about what it’s like to be a police officer in Fort Worth. White shares stories from his time working undercover and how he balances work and life. They also dig into some deeper topics like how and why people end up committing crimes. It’s a great episode and will leave you with a lot to think about. Not to mention he was involved in getting Jon Bonnell’s smoker returned in 2020, for those who remember that story. Be sure to listen and let us know what you think or who in Fort Worth we should have on next.

Karen Borta joins JW on the FORTitude podcast today. The two of them talk about her career and she shares the ups and downs of local journalism and how it’s changed over the years. Karen also opens up about her daughter’s struggle with Type-1 Diabetes and her passion for finding a cure.  Karen Borta is a reporter from Texas who joined CBS 11 News in 1995. Before that, she was an anchor and reporter at CBS affiliate WTVT-TV in Tampa, KRBK-TV in Sacramento, and KCEN-TV in Waco. She’s received many honors for her work, including regional Emmy Awards, Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Awards, Press Club of Dallas Katie Awards, and the Association of Women Journalists’ Vivian J. Castleberry Award. In 2019, she was further honored by the Press Club of Dallas when it named her a Legend of North Texas Journalism, the industry’s prestigious lifetime excellence award

Weston Eidson, founder and wine maker of Montagu Wines, Richard King, co-owner and GM of Ellerbe Fine Foods, and Chris Keel, wine specialist and owner of, Put a Cork in It, join Fortitude for an incredible wine roundtable discussion. These three Fort Worth oenophiles discuss their backgrounds, the wine world and wine business, and why wine is so special to us, all while sampling some excellent bottles. Wine influenced mistakes were made, mostly by the hosts, but much interesting and insightful knowledge was gained. Our apologies to Chester Cox. Drink It Up!

Mike and Angelique De Luca join the podcast today. Angelique is from Fort Worth Texas, but she left at an early age to pursue a career in Hollywood, which is where she met her 'wasband' Mike. The two of them share stories from Hollywood, adventures they've had together, and what ultimately brought them back to Fort Worth.

Jessi Sheldon is on FORTitude this week and she has a truly fascinating job. She works on movies to make the action scenes you see happen. She started on The Tooth Fairy movies and worked her way up from there. She talks about how she ended up in a job like this and the challenges and successes she’s had over the years and shares some really fun stories. Jessi is a former collegiate soccer player and film major at Texas Christian University. With over a decade of experience in sports films, she’s grateful to combine her passion for sports and entertainment into a dream job. She’s worked on many movies and shows you might have seen including, Ballers, The Dark Night Rises, and All American. Don’t miss this episode.

FORTitude had the honor of hosting the great Opal Lee today! She talks to Brinton and JW about growing up in Fort Worth, becoming a teacher and advocate for the community, and ultimately becoming the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” Opal Lee is an American retired teacher, counselor, and activist in the movement to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday. Lee campaigned for decades to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. She has promoted the idea by leading 2.5 miles (4.0 km) walks each year, representing the 2.5 years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas. At the age of 89, she conducted a symbolic walk from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., leaving in September 2016 and arriving in Washington in January 2017. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Senate Bill S. 475 making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday. Lee was born in Marshall, Texas on October 7, 1926. She was the oldest of three children of Mattie (Broadous) and Otis Flake. When she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to Fort Worth, Texas. The Flakes later moved to the 7th Ward of Fort Worth, Texas (also known as Terrell Heights). In June 1939, her parents bought a house in the 900 block of East Annie Street, then a mostly white area. On June 19, 1939, 500 white rioters vandalized and burned down her home. Lee was twelve years old at the time. Recalling it years later, she said, "The fact that it happened on the 19th day of June has spurred me to make people understand that Juneteenth is not just a festival."