True Grit with Craig Kautsch

My next guest is John Askew, one of my hero’s!

He’s built over 600 custom homes and knows what it’s like to take some punches along the way.  I’ve never seen such fortitude in a businessman...He’s battled cancer (his wife had it at the same time), going broke, heart attacks, and more.  He’s in the arena like no other.  Tune in to this episode. This man will inspire you!

John was voted the Best Builder in Tarrant County by the Fort Worth Star Telegram Reader’s Choice in 2013, 17 and was voted Best Builder in Fort Worth by the Fort Worth Magazine readers in 2015.  He was also a finalist for the Entrepreneur of Excellence.   He was also awarded First Place in 9 of the 13 categories in the 2008 Kaleidoscope of Homes in Fort Worth. 

He presently employs 19 people and builds between 25 & 30 custom homes a year ranging in price from $500,000 to $3,000,000. Besides building custom homes, the company has also built several commercial buildings in the Parker County area for medical and general office use. 

John built my house back in early 2001 (when I was 29yrs old) and has been a friend of mine ever since….I hope you enjoy the show!

John Askew Custom Homes

We are all aging...want to stay a supple leopard?  My next guest is Dr. Brian Mulhall. Owner and founder of Active Spine and Sport Therapy.  A clinic centered on the rapid treatment of musculoskeletal aches/pains while teaching patients about their condition and how to treat themselves to reduce their need for future care. 

Pretty much every local elite athlete uses his clinic to get “fixed.”  Dr. Mullhall has more letters behind his name than any other doc I know.  Listen in while we talk about the body and his unusual philosophy about how to keep people healthy.  He will likely change your mind on a few things along the way.

Enjoy!

Useful Links:
Active Spine & Sport Therapy

My next guest is a local entrepreneurial enigma...no one is quite sure what he does and he kinda likes it that way. 

I’ve been friends with Walt Lawrence for 20 years and have always been amazed and slightly mystified by his approach to business.  He graduated from the University of Texas in 92 with an English Literature Degree.  He spent seven years dedicated to the Retail Commercial Real Estate business, culminating in becoming President of Woodmont's Brokerage Division by age 27...he cold-called The Mills Corporation in the mid-90s and convinced them to come to Texas, which resulted in exclusively representing them for both Grapevine Mills here and Katy Mills Mall in Houston, as well as representing Bass Pro Shops adjacent to each location.

He’s had over $1B in real estate transactions to date.

Resigned from Woodmont in December of 1999 to pursue his self described "A-D-D" Business Plan of numerous other ventures, which has resulted in ~20 Different entrepreneurial endeavors over the past 21 tears in a wide range of industries.

Walt’s most recent venture, Clear Sky Partners, is a small business accelerator that forms close partnerships with uniquely differentiated organizations and atypically talented people striving to solve big business problems so they can more rapidly and efficiently expand into their target markets with proper execution.

Walt has been married to Stephanie for 24yrs and has 3 kids...the oldest just turned 21…

I honestly haven’t been this excited about a podcast interview in a while!

Useful Links and Book Mentions:
Medium
Antifragile Wikipedia
Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Ever wonder what the meaning of emotional intelligence really is?  My next guest is Dr. John Townsend has written over 30 books on the topic.  He has sold over 10 million copies, including the New York Times bestselling Boundaries series.  John is a nationally-known leadership consultant, author, and psychologist.  John founded and operates the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling, and the Townsend Leadership Program. Both of which I’ve been deeply involved in. 

Dr. Townsend travels extensively for corporate consulting, speaking events, and to help develop leaders, their teams, and their families. 

John has a weekly video call-in program, Dr. Townsend Live.

“If you don’t work on your insides...I promise it will sabotage you!” - John Townsend

Listen in while we unpack some really cool ideas that will help you connect your head with your heart!

Useful Links and Book Mentions:
Dr. Townsend
Books by Dr. Townsend
Authors Chip and Dan Heath

Imagine being newly married, strapped with school debt in a new town where you know less than 5 people. This week’s guest is Dr. John Kelley. Owner and founder of Kelley Orthodontics.  Dr. Kelley attended Baylor University and received his Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS) from the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston.  He and his wife Allision moved to FW in 1999 and founded Live Thankfully which is a not for profit that’s had a huge impact on our local community.

Hop in and listen to his out-of-the-box approach to business!

P.S. John and I have spent 100s of hours training together in the dark on bicycles…(he’s an athletic beast!)

Useful Links and Book Mentions:
Kelley Orthodontics
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Thank you so much for listening to the True Grit Podcast and reading these posts this year!  The feedback has been great and it’s been a neat way to keep in touch in 2020.  Please keep the emails/texts/calls coming! I love hearing from each of you :)

If you’re like me, you are super relieved 2020 is over.  It has launched some businesses into the stratosphere and has crippled others (strangely binary). I’ve been writing down some of my takeaways from the last 12 months to make sure I’m metabolizing what I’ve learned.  What a freaking rollercoaster!

Recording the podcast every week has been a no-joke endeavor.  A little more involved than I expected but the upside has been worth it.  Spreading the wisdom of these salty entrepreneurs and celebrating the grit and fortitude it took for them to succeed has helped a lot of up-and-comers.  

I’m always surprised by what I learn and love hearing about YOUR lightbulb moments (MY FAVORITE part of doing this.)

The final episode of 2020 is a few highlights from my interviews and a little update on what I’ve been up to personally. 

I can’t wait to see what YOU pull off in 2021! Go Team!

How do you weather the storm?  When things move up and down and are volatile what steps do you take to recover?  How do you pivot? How do you thrive?  

My next guest is Andrew Sage, founder of Broad Wing Aviation.  A local company that buys and sells airplane parts all over the world. Broadwing Aviation was formed in 2002 and produces around 40mm in annual revenue and employs 34 people. But recently due to the covid mess has reduced his staff to 16 which we will cover a bit later. 

Broadwing Aviation creates greater efficiencies in aftermarket parts procurement by serving as an extension of the customers’ supply chains and purchasing departments.

The founders of Broadwing Aviation have no shortage of shared experiences in the commercial and military aerospace markets. Andrew met his partners Mark Anderson and Michael Mills at a new start-up aftermarket parts company in the late 1990s. It is here they developed and refined the individual skills that would lead them to the genesis of Broadwing Aviation.

It didn’t take long for them to notice a trend: Parts supply companies operated by telling customers what they need instead of listening to customers’ needs. The result was a gradual decline in the level of customer service. This was not acceptable. They knew they could establish and grow a company providing a far superior customer experience….and so Broadwing Aviation was born!

Andrew has two kids and has been married to his wife Amy for almost 25 years!

Enjoy this broad-ranging conversation with founder Andrew Sage!

Useful Links and Book Mentions:
Broadwing Aviation
Shōgun by James Clavell

Curious about how to market to your customers? Want to know the strategies to build a great culture in your company?

My next guest is the head honcho and namesake of Schaefer Advertising, Ken leads client relationships and manages strategic planning and brand development. His over two decades of marketing experience began at Procter and Gamble, and he later moved on to the agency side at Ogilvy & Mather

Schaefer Advertising employs 40 people and just this year celebrated their 25th year in business. Ken has built the agency on an immovable foundation of core values, which are centered around the company’s mission to “Make Life Better.” 

Ken is a relentless strategist and has focused his teams on building solutions that provide real, measurable results. His company is recognized as an award-winning marketing partner within the healthcare, real estate, and destination and entertainment industries. 

Under his leadership, Schaefer Advertising has seen steady growth year over year, and nearly 150% revenue growth over the last three years. It has won the award of top places to work in Fort Worth 2x so he has a good understanding of what Culture is all about. 

Ken is a leader of leaders, a savvy business guy, a culture warrior, and a family man who has been married to his wife Lori for 26years and has twin boys who are seniors at TCU…

I’ve been looking forward to this interview and I’m excited to give you a peek behind the curtain of his business and marketing mind!

Useful Links and Book Mentions:
Schaefer Advertising
Author Malcolm Gladwell

If the faith doesn’t work on Monday morning the faith doesn’t work at all. 

My next guest, Dr. Ted Kitchens, who has been my spiritual director for over 20 years. He’s taken the complicated and mysterious Bible and given it life by distilling the useful elements and giving them handles for me to hold onto.

He led the church from a handful of members to around 12k members so he knows a thing or two about scaling an organization. Ted was the senior pastor of Christ Chapel for more than 35 years, tenaciously preaching the Bible with Monday-morning relevance

He has a master's degree from Southwestern Theological Seminary and Dallas Theological Seminary, where he later returned for his Ph.D. 

Listen in while I draw out some helpful principles that you can apply to your life and business.  You’re going to appreciate his leadership style.

Useful Links and Book Mentions:
Christ Chapel Bible Church
Good to Great in God's Eyes by Chip Ingram
The Supremacy of Christ by Ajith Fernando

Do you have a strong personality that is often misunderstood?  Do you want to understand how to be more present in your work and home life?

This week’s guest is Lori Atkins, MD an OBGYN. She was one of those little girls that always wanted to be a doctor.  She left home at 15 and went to college on a wing and a prayer.  She earned her undergraduate degree at Baylor University and her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.  She did a residency at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas.  

One of her nurses, Jen Villegas describes her as “a brilliant surgeon...far and away the best surgeon I work with.  She has unbelievable intuition. It’s almost like she knows what’s going to happen before it actually happens.”

What’s rare about Lori is she’s much more than just a doctor. She’s a business owner.  She entered private practice in 1996, and since graduating residency has built THREE successful practices and helped to nurture and promote the career of her partners as they have joined her.  

She has been a mentor to many during her busy career and knows a thing or two about growing a business.

Fitness and a healthy lifestyle have always been important to Lori and have been a priority in her life. She began teaching yoga in 2007. She is a 1200 hour certified Baptiste Yoga instructor.  She is married and a mother of 2!

Listen in while I deconstruct what it takes to make a difference in the lives of those around you.  

Useful Links:
FĒNOM Women's Care