Shows
True Grit with Craig KautschBill KraftsonMy next guest is Bill Kraftson. Bill is a well-known apologist and has spent the past several decades helping people discover the meaning of life. He uses the open forum platform to give room for the questioners of God’s existence. For over 45 years Bill has enjoyed the privilege of facilitating hundreds of large and small group discussions as well as interacting with countless individuals on the ‘life and God’ issues that matter most to all of us – questions like if there’s a loving God, why would He let bad things happen to good people? ...
2021-09-131h 05True Grit with Craig KautschJeff CrawfordHow did the car business get whacked by Covid? My next guest is Jeff Crawford. He cut his teeth in the car business with Hilliard Ford back in 1990 and went from a salesman to the training director, used car manager, new car sales manager for Ford, Buick, and Mazda for a 7yr period. Then he was the sales manager for 5 Star Ford a year before opening the Camp Bowie Location for RLB in ‘98. He’s sold over 5,000 cars over the past 3 decades and I can only imagine what kind of scar tissue that can cause...
2021-07-071h 09True Grit with Craig KautschDr. Phillip SheroEver make a deal with God? Listen to this wide ranging conversation with Dr. Philip Shero. He’s the president of Mastermind Leadership, a cutting-edge executive coaching, team development, and strategic planning consultancy.Dr. Shero holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University, as well as a Masters from TCUHelping others grow as leaders is Dr. Shero’s driving force. He brings two decades of leadership development and strategic planning expertise to some of the most well-known medium-sized finance, non-profit, and construction companies in Texas.
2021-06-071h 05True Grit with Craig KautschTodd TarverEver wonder how to turn your hobby into a passion? My next guest is Todd Tarver. A motorcycle racer slash mechanic turned entrepreneur. Todd owns Straight Line Motorsports which he founded almost 20 years ago. Over the years he has grown his company into one of the top 3 largest KTM dealers in the country. He was a professional racer in the 90s and won the famed enduro race from Vegas to Reno in 1998.His friends describe him as a teenager caught in a 40yr old body. En...
2021-05-0359 minTrue Grit with Craig KautschDarrell BevelhymerWant to hear what the founder of a 9 billion dollar company thinks about?ScalingCultureMarketingBuying and selling companies (he’s lost count)C.S. LewisMy next guest is Darrell Bevelhymer who is a private investor and considered a Founder of Tenaska, Inc., one of the top 25 largest privately-held companies in the United States at over 9 Billion dollars in revenue; and one of the largest private, independent, energy companies in the United States. Tune in while we have a really cool discussion about faith, business, and giving. Darrell oozes wisdom and...
2021-03-151h 12True Grit with Craig KautschBrian ByrdMy next guest is Dr. Brian Byrd a true entrepreneur who has decided to run for Mayor! He comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and earned a degree at UT in Marketing and International Business. His life changed forever because of a knee injury in college. He was introduced to the medical field through having surgery. The lightbulb went off and he immediately started shadowing physicians while he was still in college.He followed through and opened Texas Family Medicine right out of medical school. Then he launched Tex...
2021-03-081h 09True Grit with Craig KautschJeff SandersEver wonder what your real purpose is? Do you struggle with getting off track and at times move away from what really matters?My next guest is Jeff Sanders. Described as a leader of leaders. He has the unique combination of business acumen and the ability to impact the trajectory of careers of those he leads. Jeff Sanders is the President of Leader Xchange: a nonprofit right here in Fort Worth, that gathers and trains faith-based business leaders to use their profession as a conduit for ministry. Jeff also ser...
2021-03-011h 11True Grit with Craig KautschEmily StroudEver wonder how people write and publish a book?My next guest is Emily Stroud who wears a lot of hats as a mom of two kids, businesswoman, and entrepreneur. She graduated from Texas A&M University and got her MBA from TCU. She’s Fully licensed with FINRA, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) a Member of the Association of Investment Management and Cambridge Investment Research.Emily is a published author and wrote a book called “Faithful Finance” and followed that up with a TV show on Pure Flix Streamin...
2021-02-221h 09True Grit with Craig KautschLee HargraveWant to know how to build a tribe?My next guest is Lee Hargrave. A Former Rocket Scientist and founder and owner of Fort Worth's premier health and fitness facility, EnduraLAB. Through experience, multiple degrees, and certifications, Lee has taken an analytical approach to take the guesswork out of better health and fitness. Lee created EnduraLAB in 2011 and has taken it from a community running group to a world-class 7,000 square-foot training facility. Lee’s unwavering commitment to growth and development has led to an exte...
2021-02-151h 10True Grit with Craig KautschTony Ford“I lost 4 million dollars last week” A jaw dropping answer to one of my questions! Tony Ford was an awesome interview. A true leader of leaders! He has been described as a personal Warren Buffet, Dalai Lama, Bobby Fischer and Vince Lombardi all wrapped into one guy.One of his clients said “He is the single greatest human asset we have in our corner.”Tony Ford’s passion for over 30yrs has been helping Fort Worth businesses succeed and this has inspired him to create one-of-a-kind solutions to accelerate their growth...
2021-02-081h 02True Grit with Craig KautschJohn AskewMy 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, 1...
2021-02-011h 12
The StoryFieldThe StoryField #1: The One with Craig Kautsch ... So .... you want to be an Entrepreneur?So you want to be an entrepreneur? Quit your job and enter the wild unknown... Before you do it tune in to this interview. An interview with a hopeless entrepreneur who understands the grit and fortitude it takes to pull it off. Our first guest on the Storyfield Podcast is Craig Kautsch. He’s made some 7 figure mistakes and has some gray hair to prove it. At 22 he bought an Orvis store; grew it to 3 stores and ended up burned out in retail and 2,000,000 in debt. After the crash, Craig and his partner Lee started a real estate...
2021-01-261h 12True Grit with Craig KautschBrian MulhallWe 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 ke...
2021-01-251h 11True Grit with Craig KautschWalton LawrenceMy 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 Te...
2021-01-181h 14True Grit with Craig KautschJohn TownsendEver 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 we...
2021-01-1159 minTrue Grit with Craig KautschJohn KelleyImagine 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!
2021-01-041h 11True Grit with Craig KautschBest of 2020Thank 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. ...
2020-12-281h 18True Grit with Craig KautschAndrew SageHow 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 Aviat...
2020-12-211h 12True Grit with Craig KautschKen SchaeferCurious 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 & MatherSchaefer 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 v...
2020-12-141h 16True Grit with Craig KautschTed KitchensIf 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 mor...
2020-12-071h 15True Grit with Craig KautschLori AtkinsDo 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 Southw...
2020-11-301h 07True Grit with Craig KautschMatthew McDonaldDo you ever avoid conflict? The truth is, there is a price to pay! This week’s guest is Matthew McDonald who is a conflict expert...more specifically a guy that knows how to keep the peace! Prior to founding Peacekeeper Works LLC, Matthew practiced law for 25+ years handling litigation of all kinds including employment, insurance, and business-related matters. As we all know...the costs of conflict are real–attorneys fees, litigation expenses, employee turnover, and broken relationships. Unresolved conflict is corrosive. It consumes time, energy, and resources better spent el...
2020-11-231h 05True Grit with Craig KautschRandy GideonWant to know why entrepreneurs get stuck? Get some useful pearls of wisdom from this week’s guest, Randy Gideon! Randy is the founding principal of Gideon Toal. For the past 30 years, he’s had a broad-ranging mission to provide project oversight for architecture, management, master planning, and interior design projects. His cluster of companies have employed 100s people and are involved in projects that add up to between 2-300million annually. He’s an award-winning architect and was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects...
2020-11-151h 16True Grit with Craig KautschElyse DickersonShe was fired from her job and promptly started a female-led biotech company that was launched by winning 50k in a pitch contest. My next guest is Elyse Dickerson who is CEO and Co-Founder of Eosera, a biotech company committed to developing innovative products that address underserved healthcare needs. Among Eosera’s numerous industry awards, Elyse herself has won many accolades for her leadership and service. Most recently, in 2019, Drug Store News named Elyse the Top Women in Health, Wellness, and Beauty. D CEO awarded Elyse with the honor of b...
2020-11-091h 10True Grit with Craig KautschStan DobbsEver heard of a businesstry? Me neither...Imagine creating a not-for-profit that doesn’t depend on donations! This episode will teach you some very useful ideas that will open your eyes to new ways of making a difference in the world.This week’s guest is Stan Dobbs who has a rare combination of an entrepreneurial spirit and a heart to advance the cause of Christ through what he calls the Gospel Shot Clock. Stan has founded several awesome businesstries such as Apartment Life and his more recent venture the Lionheart Children’s Academy.
2020-11-021h 01True Grit with Craig KautschPenny JohnsonAttention all Wonder Women! You’re gonna love this interview! My next guest is Penny Johnson who is the CEO of Hugeley Hospital and the SW region of Advent Health. She oversees a 500mm budget and 3,000 employees which includes over 300 doctors. WOAH! The Adventist Health System is comprised of 44 hospital campuses including the 234k/sf 6 story campus just South of town. So Penny knows a thing or two about culture and leadership. Listen in while I tease out some awesome nuggets about leadership and hospital...
2020-10-261h 08True Grit with Craig KautschJohn PergandeListen in while I tease out some useful strategies to live your best life and scale your business. This week’s guest is John Pergande. John has quite a resume starting out delivering papers in Green Bay to Graduating from Yale in 1985 where he was on the rowing team. He moved on to get his MBA from Northwestern University in ‘91 (the year I graduated from high school) He cut his teeth trading on the NYFE and the Chicago Futures Exchange then bought his first company in his mid-thirties and promptl...
2020-10-191h 02True Grit with Craig KautschChris ThompsonDo you hate procrastination as much as I do? Self-hypnosis is the quickest way to get out of your own way. Thanks to Chris Thompson I’m getting amazing results by folding hypnosis techniques into my daily meditation practice. Chris is an entrepreneur, professional hypnotist, and hypnosis trainer. Although formally educated in engineering and finance, Chris left the corporate world to work alongside his best friend and hypnosis mentor, Mike Mandel, as the co-founder and co-trainer of Mike Mandel Hypnosis. Chris is widely recognized as one of the top business minds in the field of hypn...
2020-10-121h 16True Grit with Craig KautschDante WilliamsAs a well-off middle-aged white guy, I often find myself at a loss. A little stuck as it relates to the racial tension in the world. In this week’s episode, I get to ask some awkward questions to an expert on the subject. Dante Williams is the Founder of CommUnity Frontline a non-profit who serves the black community and brings awareness to many of our racial issues.As a youth growing up in Fort Worth, Dante and his family lived all over the city.Because he was the son of a singl...
2020-10-051h 09True Grit with Craig KautschLee LongWe all need a therapist... If you don’t have one you’ll probably be fine...but you will be slower. Slower to grow, slower to understand, slower to succeed. This week’s guest is Lee Long. He’s been the main catalyst to my growth in the past 5 years. I’ve spent hundreds of hours with this man and it has changed my life. We touch on a wide variety of topics including business, marriage, depression, and endurance running. You’ll get the inside scoop on why 3rd party help has expedited all things valuable in my life.
2020-09-281h 15True Grit with Craig KautschEric DanielsGSD stands for “Get Shit Done”. It’s one of my favorite aspects about my next guest. He recently ran over 400 5k’s in a row and lost 50 lbs. He’s a cyclist, real estate investor, aircraft mechanic, prior military, race car builder and overall community builder! Eric Daniels has reinvented himself before my very eyes. I’ve become great friends with him in the past few years and even spent a week with him hiking almost 100 miles on the Appalachian Trail last summer. He started his career in FW as an engineer at L...
2020-09-2143 minTrue Grit with Craig KautschHeidi SwartzEver wonder what it takes to pull off an event like the Cowtown Marathon? An event that has 25k participants, 4500 volunteers, and unpredictable weather (with only 4 full-time staff) Check out this week’s episode of the True Grit Podcast and find out how the Cowtown has become one of America’s Favorite Marathon events.I had a super enlightening interview with Heidi Swartz, the Executive Director of The Cowtown Marathon. With Heidi’s direction, the event has nearly tripled in size since 2004, with over 25,000 participants and seven races taking place the last weekend in Februa...
2020-09-1455 minTrue Grit with Craig KautschRobert PollockThis week’s guest is Robert Pollock. Robert is a personality expert and is a consultant to over 70 CEOs across the country. Robert’s client mix ranges from real estate moguls, oil tycoons, and the biggest tech brands in the world.This means he has a super unique perspective of what goes on behind the curtains in a wide variety of companies and industries. We have a really enlightening broad-ranging conversation about leadership, persona, and how to take the guesswork out of teamwork. You’re gonna love this one!Useful Links and Book...
2020-09-071h 16True Grit with Craig KautschStaci DanfordEver wonder how the brain works? It can be so confusing because it’s usually described by a brain scientist...not a teacher.This week’s guest is Staci Danford. Staci is an educational neuroscientist with a master’s degree in Mind Brain Education. She has spread her knowledge on the TEDx Talk stage and has 25 years of teaching and communication experience. She was voted as one of Fort Worth’s Top 10 Teachers by Fort Worth Magazine. Her greatest desire is to encourage people to use their BRAINS to create the CHEMICALS of happines...
2020-08-311h 09True Grit with Craig KautschJoe TaylorGet some timeless wisdom from a man who has seen behind the financial curtain of a wide variety of companies. This episode is loaded with nuggets to help you grow your business and be a better leader.Joe Taylor founded the largest privately held CPA and financial services firms in Tarrant County. Joe grew up in a household with 6 brothers and sisters and still wears hand-me-downs to this day. He married at the age of 20 and has been with Lynice for over 40 years. He has been squarely in my personal advisory board for at least a...
2020-08-241h 04True Grit with Craig KautschBruce ContiIf you think commercial real estate seems complicated you’ll enjoy learning how simple it actually is. Bruce Conti is the quintessential old school industrial real estate pro who owns over 2million sqft of warehouse space! He brought his first building in 1996. He started out at TCU thinking he wanted to be a social worker but promptly pivoted when he saw most the pretty girls were interested in higher income brackets. It’s crazy what we do to get the attention of the girls! Bruce has a heartwarming story of creativity and innovation. So Hold tight while we exp...
2020-08-1757 minTrue Grit with Craig KautschJohn PinkertonLearn some of the key elements and principles on how to grow a company from virtually bankrupt to 16 Billion. 16,000,000,000… That’s NINE zeros, boys and girls. John Pinkerton is one of the wealthiest guys I know and he’s actually “normal.” Get some practical Monday morning perspective on how to grow your own business on this week’s episode of True Grit.John is one of my mentors and friends. He grew up right here in FW and was a track star who held a hurdles record for over a decade! Ran track at U of H then tran...
2020-08-101h 04True Grit with Craig KautschScott DennettEverybody’s always interested in the business that grows overnight… This is a story of a long string of good decisions and fortitude. Learn how to make a difference and some money at the same time. My next guest is Scott Dennett.Scott founded Dennett Construction almost 25 years ago… He started out with $300, a pregnant wife, mortgage, and two car payments and grew both his companies to almost 80 employees with revenues deep into the 8 figure range.Some of Dennett Construction’s most notable projects include One Safe Place (Over 80,000 sqft), a 60-acre development called C...
2020-08-031h 03True Grit with Craig KautschBeau GlennIf you’ve ever wondered how to build your business and stay married you’ll thoroughly enjoy this conversation. Beau Glenn has an interesting story. A story of transition from hard-driving real estate environment to marriage counselor and then to teaching fathers and sons how to connect. Graduated from Texas Tech in 80 with a finance degree. He’s been married for 35 years and has 4 children. He was also mentored by Herb Weitzman who helped set the stage for him to become a partner with Trammel Crow in the early 90s. Beau was on a fast track to becoming...
2020-07-271h 00True Grit with Craig KautschVictoria WiseVictoria Wise is an energetic entrepreneur, and the first “Power Woman” I’ve had the opportunity to interview. She was named one of the “400 Most Influential People” in Fort Worth (2 years in a row!) and received the Legacy of Women Award by SafeHaven in 2018. She’s built and sold a multi-million dollar online jewelry auction site, and is now the founder and creator of the locally-famous “Tanglewood Moms”. She even got Zuckerberg’s attention when Facebook asked her to join the inaugural Small and Medium Business Council. Her more recent project has led her to launch one o...
2020-07-201h 12True Grit with Craig KautschIsaac ManningIsaac Manning got his masters from MIT in Architecture and joined forces with Ross Perot Jr. and Mike Berry (Hillwood.) Isaac was involved in the birth of Alliance Airport, the nation's fastest-growing industrial complex. Alliance Airport is the world’s first industrial-only airport that has produced $84 billion in total direct investment for Alliance, TX since inception….and would likely not exist if it weren’t for the visionaries of Hillwood. They also were the brains and vision behind the:Victory ProjectAA CenterUSAF Memorial in VA What you will find most fascinat...
2020-07-1359 minTrue Grit with Craig KautschTom BrownThis week’s True Grit Podcast is with Tom Brown, an avid member of Indigo Yoga and owner of Town Talk Foods. With around 100 employees, he gives some incredible insights on how to maintain a “can-do” culture. Listen as we cover all sorts of interesting facets of what makes him a successful leader, and find out why Town Talk has a cult-like following of treasure hunters from all walks of life.Book Mentions:All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthyThe Crossing by Cormac McCarthyCities of the Plain by Cormac McCart...
2020-07-061h 13True Grit with Craig KautschJon BonnellMeet Fort Worth Chef Jon Bonnell (Founder of Bonnell's Restaurant Group)... He’s had 3 invitations to cook at the James Beard house, been on the Today Show, CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, and the Food Network’s BBQ with Bobby Flay. Bonnell has also been featured on ESPN’s College Gameday, and just received the Walter Kaufman Lifetime Achievement Award for the Fort Worth Food and Wine Foundation in the fall of 2019.Learn more about how he's been leading his company through the COVID-19 pandemic, and hear his compelling backstory as a leader. Book Mentions:Bo...
2020-06-241h 08
Real Estate Time MachineCraig Kautsch on The Real Estate Time Machine Philosophy FridayCraig Kautsch never earned a paycheck. Instead he has spent his entire professional life creating and growing businesses. On this installment of Philosophy Friday, Craig Kautsch shares the beliefs that have enabled him to rapidly create and scale several businesses that synergistically work together.
2020-01-2059 minReal Estate Time MachineReal Estate Time Machine presents, Craig Kautsch of Indwell Real EstateCraig Kautsch has never received a paycheck. Instead, Craig has spend his entire professional career building businesses and blessing people in the process. Come and learn from a true serial entrepreneur as Craig talks about success, failure, and building a system of synergistic businesses that provide for an underserved population.
2020-01-1359 min