Fort Worth Inc. - March-April 2020

Chef Tim Love sees his food enterprise doubling in size by next year

BOSS LADIES

Six Fort Worth leaders who traverse industries ranging from oil and gas to biotech and executive search

BEST PLACES FOR WORKING PARENTS

Four Fort Worth companies that invest heavily in work-life balance

SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

What’s your value-add? Here’s how to develop it

Tracie Palmer President, Bounty Minerals

Empower.

Whitley Penn is committed to the development and advancement of women. For many years, Whitley Penn has led these efforts through ENGAGE, the firm’s women’s initiative. ENGAGE stands for Empowering a New Generation to Advance Grow and Excel. It is our goal to create an environment that attracts, retains, develops, and encourages the leadership of talented women within the firm and the community.

We understand the importance of female leadership and see the value in providing meaningful resources. It is through mentorship, thought provoking discussion and networking, that we Empower our women to excel both personally and professional.

Contents / Features

March / April 2020

32 Boss Ladies For these six executives, reaching the top was anything but the endgame. These women have work to do, each with a vision to grow not just their companies — but themselves. Here, they share the stories of how they built their careers in industries ranging from biotech to oil and gas and what the future holds next.

38 Love’s Style Arguably one of the most iconic — and controversial — chefs in

talks candidly about his newest ventures, personal setbacks and lessons learned.

Fort Worth, Tim Love

Faith Geiger and MaryAnn Means-Dufrene of Collective Growth

4 Publisher’s Note

7 Bizz Buzz: Work-life balance is a big deal at these four companies, and the mayor noticed.

10 Stay Informed: TCU’s Values and Ventures Competition is going big for its 10th anniversary.

11 Face Time: Before the Wicked Butcher, Wild Salsa and Chop House Burger, there was Waffle House.

Executive Life & Style

14 Tech: How companies are using mobile phone data to learn more about customer demographics.

16 Distinctive Style: The founder of Novak Hair Studios blends style with sustainability.

18 Off the Clock: Sweeping landscapes and a consciousness for the environment mark this Colorado homestead.

20 Wine and Dine: High-end meat is having a moment in Fort Worth as entrepreneurs look to bring back the butcher shop in an upscale way.

22 Office Space: Inside the first office open in the Stockyards’ renovated horse and mule barns.

Columns/Departments

54 EO Spotlight: A back-burner idea comes back around for MineralWare CEO Ryan Vinson — the launch of his online marketplace for buying, selling and leasing minerals.

56 Running Toward the Roar: Winter Moore took the hard road and learned the grass was greener.

58 Analyze This/Wealth What CPAs and doctors have in common.

60 Analyze This/Legal and Tax: “Come and Take It” won’t cut it when it comes to eminent domain. Here’s what’ll happen if the government wants your property — and you say no.

62 Business Leadership/Successful Entrepreneurship: Looking for the next big break in your career? Consider these three ways to develop and demonstrate your worth.

64 Day in the Life: On to the next act for the executive artistic director of Amphibian Stage Productions.

Special Advertising Section

25. Faces of Fort Worth Business

45. The Registry: Women Business Leaders

Ms. Killjoy

Last week, a female reader of our February issue of Fort Worth Inc.’s sister publication Fort Worth Magazine, we’ll call her Ms. Killjoy, posted a negative comment on Facebook about the Fort Worth Magazine’s lack of racial diversity.

In her post, she said, “… as I look through the ‘Faces of Fort Worth’ section, I am appalled at the blatant whiteness I mean, I’m happy to see small business being highlighted, BUT none of this represents or reflects business owners that look like me, my spouse or my community. Texas is made up of ALL TYPES PEOPLE, and Fort Worth claims to be progressive and inclusive if ‘Y’all means All’ then SHOW IT.” My editor responded to her, informing her that the Faces of Fort Worth was an advertising section. Ms. Killjoy replied by complaining that the section’s name had a “problematic and misleading title.”

It is clear that Ms. Killjoy is not satisfied with our coverage of people of color. As the founder and editor-in-chief of all our publications, I determined our reader target market before launching the titles, and I learned a long time ago that you can’t be all things to all people. Many publications over the years have gone out of business because their target market was too broad.

Our Fort Worth Magazine target market is affluent readers with average household incomes of $273,000, college-educated, 35- to 54-year-old, married Fort Worth homeowners. Fort Worth Inc.’s target readers are affluent, college-educated, 44- to 65-year-old, business owners/ entrepreneurs and C-level executives whose companies are located in Greater Fort Worth. Professionally, people in this

demographic are doctors, lawyers, business owners, corporate executives, tech professionals, successful salespeople, and the likes. The above target demographic does not address race.

The racial composition of Fort Worth is 64% white and 36% black, AfricanAmerican, other. There are many nonwhite readers who fit our above-affluent target market. And, to the degree that they do, we will cover them. Understanding and owning, unapologetically, our affluent target gives us a clear road map of what we need to do to improve our brand and maintain our readers’ loyalty.

A few months ago, I received a letter from Devoyd Jennings, the president and CEO of the Fort Worth Black Chamber of Commerce. In his letter, Mr. Jennings commended five stories by name in Fort Worth Inc. that included people of color. He specifically stated that he was “exceptionally pleased because you did not have wait for Black History Month or a special Hispanic holiday to recognize business excellence. You integrated their stories into the fabric of the magazine in the ordinary flow of good business reporting.” I am proud of our coverage of Fort Worthians, regardless of race, in the ordinary flow of good business reporting and appreciate Mr. Jennings recognition of this.

While our mission is to celebrate Fort Worth and make it better, the only way we can celebrate, applaud and promote our city is if we can make a profit and stay in business.

If you’re reading this and you do not fall into our target market, while I appreciate your being a reader, I can't change our focus to satisfy your interests.

Hal A. Brown owner/publisher

Bizz Buzz

News / Stay Informed / Face Time

Best Places for Working Parents

Here are four Fort Worth companies that invest heavily in work-life balance. BY

SCOTT NISHIMURA

Generous leave for new parents, flexible schedules, kid-friendly workplaces, and ample opportunity for employee feedback are among factors that make for great places for working parents in Fort Worth, according to Mayor Betsy Price’s inaugural Best Place for Working Parents 2020 awards.

The awards initiative is part of a community-wide campaign, which includes developing a best-in-class child care model; mapping child care deserts in the

city; repurposing buildings for child care or upgrading existing facilities; inspiring family-friendly business practices; using summer school spaces as early education hubs; and publicly recognizing great spaces and places for kids. Price announced the awards Feb. 28 during her annual State of the City address. Applicants were judged on family-friendly policies.

Small Business Innovator

SigmaPro Engineering Size: Small

HQ: Fort Worth

Business: Fiber optic connectors for a major telecom client

Policies cited by mayor: Flexible schedules; emergency leave; financial assistance; training for families on relationships, financial management, emotional health; big Bring Your Kids to Work days.

David Underwood, founder of the 20-year-old SigmaPro, began focusing on culture as a business coach advised him to define it. “His advice was be active in defining the culture. Negative cultures can grow

and define the business.”

Ten years ago, the company had 50 employees; today, it has about 180. SigmaPro’s culture began with the word “fast.” “If you’ve got something to do, jump on it, and do it. That was the beginning of the culture.”

“We work with peace and understanding and concern,” he continues. “There’s never a need for fighting or anger or jealousy. It just doesn’t have a place.”

Underwood wants to ensure the company has a good relationship with its employees. Managers conduct a sit-down meeting every week for 15-30 minutes, just to check in. The company also has a support specialist for employees to bring up personal matters confidentially.

SigmaPro offers financial assistance to employees who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and need the help, such as damage to their home, a death in the family, or major medical bills. The company also donates a percentage of profits to charity, and Underwood is founding a nonprofit organization to manage gifts. SigmaPro pays its assembly workers by the piece, finding they’re more productive, and allows employees to choose their eight-hour workday within an offered 10-hour window. The company offers one week’s paid “bonding” leave for new parents, plus an additional five weeks at 80% pay to a female employee who gives birth, both on top of regular vacation.

Policy Innovator

PMG

Size: Medium

HQ: Fort Worth

Business: Digital marketing

Policies cited by mayor: Part-time work schedules allow employees to ease back in after parental leave; email and Slack messaging turned off during parental leave; kid-friendly office; $250 gift card for new parents.

Employees of the fast-growing agency who have babies receive generous leave: 12 weeks paid for moms, six weeks for new dads, and four weeks for foster parents. The company turns off email and Slack messaging while employees are on leave. “We want them to focus on what’s important to them at that stage,” Chris Sinclair,

vice president of people and culture, says. Employees can work flexible schedules to ease back in from parental leave.

For kids who are in the office, PMG’s West Seventh Street office has a Lego wall and screens children’s movies, and the full-time barista can make kid-friendly drinks. “People don’t bat an eye if you hear a kid laughing,” Sinclair says.

About half of the company’s 240 employees are in the Fort Worth office. PMG has several remote offices in Austin, Dallas, and New York, offering the potential for employees to move. Some employees are virtual, living and working remotely in cities where PMG doesn’t have an office. PMG adjusts compensation for employees who move to higher-cost markets. The company also shuts its offices down for two weeks during Christmas. In the digital age, “we’re able to set up alerts, so if a client needs to reach us, they can,” Sinclair says.

Event Innovator

Fidelity Investments

Size: Large

Regional HQ: Westlake

Business: Financial advising

Events cited by mayor: Annual 3,000-person, day-long intersection of work and family at HQ that includes fun runs, food trucks, cookie decorating, meet and greet with popular children’s characters; career days for middle and high school girls.

Fidelity views its offering to employees through three lenses: workplace environment, workplace “integration,” and benefits. The company’s sprawling Westlake campus has about 5,700 employees and includes collaborative spaces, amenities like pingpong tables in the cafeteria, and career center. Employees who have to leave early for doctors’ appointments can finish their workday at home through use of Fidelity technology. Through the integration lens, the company sponsors an annual family day in which employees can fish, catch and release, with their kids in the ponds on the campus. The campus also features hiking trails and an on-site gym with showers. The company’s Boundless career days for girls (pictured, page 7) include a business pitch competition.

The company’s parental leave policy includes 16 weeks paid for new moms

and six weeks paid for new dads. Other benefits in the company’s portfolio of 50 include a student loan repayment program that pays up to $10,000 of an employee’s loan balance over five years.

The company also recently, at the request of employees, launched two pilot programs in which it’s seeking a longterm solution to help employees who have adult children with special needs or aging parents. “Our associates are really excited to see what the long-term solution can be,” says Kirsten Kuykendoll, head of associate experience and Texas regional leader.

Resource Innovator Bell

Size: Large

HQ: Fort Worth Business: Transportation Policies cited by mayor: Unique employee resource groups; on-site health clinic; mobile pharmacy for remote locations

Bell has 10 employee resource groups covering interests ranging from Asian employees to LGBTQ+, Latin Americans, women, Gen-Yers, veterans, and another three in formation. The committees follow bylaws and have executive leadership sponsors and budgets proposed by ERG members and approved by management. The groups promote a sense of belonging, volunteerism, mentorship, and Bell levers them, among other things, to help recruit and represent the company at conferences. They often serve as partners for Bell’s charitable partners. “We’re leveraging their passions,” says Allison Mullis, Bell’s executive vice president of human resources.

Bell also recently launched an on-site health clinic for employees and their children at its Hurst Boulevard headquarters in partnership with Premise Health. It’s staffed by primary care, acute care, occupational health, and sports medicine providers. “The employee experience all starts with people’s health,” Mullis says.

The company also started a mobile pharmacy that visits Bell’s Grand Prairie site, and it will soon begin serving Bell’s facility in Arlington. The company’s nonunion-represented employees get every other Friday off.

What a Difference a Decade Makes

As Values and Ventures turns 10, TCU gives contestants the opportunity to explore the business community beyond campus.

BY SCOTLYN OGLE

What began as a pitch competition with just a handful of teams has, 10 years later, grown to reach over 300 students across 38 states and 10 countries. That growth is what TCU’s Neeley School of Business gets to celebrate at its 2020 Values and Ventures, a competition made specifically for undergraduate students to share and actualize business plans that do good for the community. Values and Ventures runs April 24 – 25, and this year, the grand prize has been raised to $100,000, with the overall total prize money doubled to over $200,000, thanks to endowments, sponsors and fundraising through TCU. Also, for the first time this year, the

Neeley School will be providing teams with learning journeys throughout the city. Through these field trips, contestants can explore Fort Worth while getting an inside look at industries that interest them.

“While they are here in Fort Worth, we want to give them as many experiences and opportunities as we possibly can,” says Matt Smilor, director of the Values and Ventures program. “While they are exploring and seeing how great the city is, we can also provide an inside look on these businesses, what the upcoming generation is doing, and of course, the competition.”

Local businesses will also be paired with a team to guide them through the process of presenting their business plan, as well as act as judges, reviewing and

providing feedback on the different plans. The lineup of finalist judges includes Scott Schenkel, CEO of eBay, and Suzy Batiz, CEO and founder of Poo-Pourri.

This year’s contest is also launching a high school innovation challenge to recognize students of all ages who are eager to make a difference. Students from over 65 districts will be able to pitch their ideas to potentially earn college scholarships, as well as build connections with TCU and the Neeley School.

Values and Ventures is the brainchild of Dallas entrepreneurs Nancy T. Richards and Lisa Barrentine, who wanted to encourage their children to create opportunities for themselves instead of waiting for a role to open for them. With high unemployment rates for college graduates, Richards and Barrentine also wanted to teach other students these same lessons, so they partnered with TCU’s Neeley School of Business to launch the competition.

“We hope to see this competition and other programs that have been started across the U.S. like this one foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and ultimately small businesses that will become successful, creating jobs and adding value to a dynamic economy,” says Richards. “We had a vision, and TCU’s progressive leadership helped make this vision a reality.”

Carrington Hill and Robert Hatcher, TCU Values and Ventures Honorable Mention 2018

Franky Bernstein, TCU Values and Ventures First Place 2016

Nafees Alam

The CEO of DRG Concepts, which has opened Wicked Butcher, Wild Salsa and Chop House Burger in downtown Fort Worth, followed a path from Waffle House to white tablecloth dining.

BY SCOTT NISHIMURA | PHOTO BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

Nafees Alam, CEO of the Dallas restaurateur DRG Concepts, spends a good portion of his week commuting to downtown Fort Worth these days. DRG, after months of delays, opened its Wicked Butcher steakhouse this winter in the basement of the renovated and newly launched Sinclair Fort Worth hotel.

The steakhouse has quickly caught favor, with Wicked Butcher capping reservations early on to ensure service quality. But Alam has had to deal with the parking-related headaches of getting his patrons into the restaurant. The Sinclair has its own valet, but some customers are confusing it with the popular valet at the adjacent Sundance Square that doesn’t serve The Sinclair.

DRG likes to let its restaurants grow slowly so such issues aren’t compounded. It opened Wild Salsa and Chop House Burger in downtown’s City Place three years ago.

“Every year, the sales have grown,” Alam says. “We have been happy with that progress. We feel we are building a brand. It takes time to build that relationship.”

At The Sinclair, DRG took on room service, breakfast and bar service in midNovember. In late January, it launched Wicked Butcher’s dinner service in the basement and, in February, lunch. Later this year, it will start serving a rooftop bar The Sinclair will open. “They are punching out as we speak,” Alam said in an interview before Valentine’s.

DRG also plans to launch the first of its Oven and Cellar Italian concept downtown but isn’t promising when. “We’re hands-on business owners,” Alam says. “I want to get

things taken care of here before we move to the next project.”

Like DRG founder Mike Hoque, whose entrepreneurial journey began as a limo driver in Dallas, Alam, 40, has an unusual story. He earned his bachelor's in information science from the University of Texas at Arlington, went to work for a tech company, and was visiting a friend in Atlanta, where he sat next to a chain restaurant executive at a baseball game. The executive suggested Alam look into the company. “I laughed it off. I didn’t go to college to be in restaurants.”

Back home, he checked out the company, Waffle House, and called the executive, who invited Alam to Atlanta and then offered him a job. There, Alam worked his way up to portfolio of restaurants he ran in Dallas. “It was an amazing experience,” he says. “They’re their own suppliers. They own the real estate. They own a piece of everything.”

Hoque recruited Alam 15 years ago, and the two opened DRG, Alam as head of operations and a partner. The company has numerous other key people it’s cultivated in areas such operations, wine, accounting, marketing and graphic design. “We’ve gotten lucky with a few key people who’ve been with us for 14-15 years.”

Fort Worth Inc. has landed at DFW Airport.

Fort Worth Inc. magazine is thrilled to announce the opening of our new retail space located at Terminal C36 in DFW Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.

Travelers will be able to stop in and experience the best of Fort Worth through our local merchandise offerings including reading materials, gifts, travel accessories, and food and beverage novelties by local tastemakers.

Our companies share a mission to increase the visibility of local brands and celebrate the tradition and heritage of Fort Worth. Be sure to visit us next time you are traveling!

Executive Life & Style

Tech / Distinctive Style / Off the Clock / Wine & Dine / Office Space

Lost in the Woods. Find home in the middle of Colorado's natural wonders. Wilder on the Taylor awaits on page 18.

What Your Phone Says About You

How a Fort Worth analytics company uses mobile data to understand customer demographics.

BY SCOTLYN OGLE

Every time someone downloads an app on their phone, there is usually a Terms of Service. Most people click Accept without a second thought, but in doing so, they can opt themselves in to have their information collected by the app and released to companies that purchase the data to study — companies like Fort Worth-based analytics group Buxton.

The concept may be slightly unnerving for some users, but for businesses, the information gathered can be a useful tool in understanding customer demographics. Using detailed information through phone and credit card data, companies now can pinpoint where their guests are traveling from, how long they stay, what else they do while in town and more.

These demographics go beyond just age, gender and location, however. They also include individual lifestyles and behaviors, allowing companies to better understand not just where they shop at, but why they do. With this data, businesses don’t have to shoot in the dark when it comes to marketing — they know exactly what kinds of people they are

looking for.

Local companies are taking full advantage of Buxton’s platform, like the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, which has been working with Buxton since 2012. The Stock Show has been able to focus on demographics for off-peak times, like midweek activities and matinee shows. By finding out more about the groups of people coming during these events, the Stock Show can better market to similar individuals to boost activity.

“There are always questions about how guests are enjoying their time at the Stock Show/Rodeo, so historically, data

available has been limited to ticket purchasers,” says Jeff Davis, a vice president at Buxton. “We now have the ability to understand the real guest experience — to be able to fill in the blanks we really didn’t have the visibility to previously without the paper trail.”

Using this form of data analysis, Buxton was also able to figure out that between 23% and 40% of people visiting the American Airlines Center in Dallas came from the Fort Worth area. Now that Fort Worth has its own Dickies Arena, the operators have a better understanding of what types of events the city should attract. For example, Buxton pinpointed that Fort Worth’s audience typically prefers country and rock music over genres such as pop or hip-hop.

As helpful as this could be for business, Davis says Buxton understands the concerns of the general public when it comes to gathering their personal information. Jodi Philbrick, a senior lecturer in the Department of Information Science for the University of North Texas, says the main issue is that people are not more conscious of what they are agreeing to when accepting a Terms of Service agreement.

“If more people were aware that this data is being shared, they would be more cautious,” Philbrick says. “The fundamental issue is how do we educate people to be more aware of the privacy issues surrounding the sharing of mobile data and have them be more cognizant of their terms of conditions of apps.”

Still, the data that Buxton provides is granular and considered very accurate, meant to help companies best serve their client base using important behavioral patterns and biases. Other local groups that use Buxton for their customer analytics include Cook Children’s Health Care System and TCU’s Neeley School of Business.

“We call it the decoder ring of being able to view and unlock the keys to the map of mobile data,” Davis says. “We use all of the experience to actually be able to apply that data in a way that is extremely accurate.”

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Benjamin Novak Hudgins takes sustainability and makes it fashion.

BY

Slim Fit Blazer, $69.99, H&M, hm.com

The Pique Polo Shirt, $18, Everlane, everlane.com *Part of Everlane’s brand mission is working with factories that follow ethical practices.

Dusty denim jeans, price varies by color, Outland Denim, outlanddenim.com

*Made with organic cotton

Rectangle glasses, $9.95, Zenni, zennioptical.com

Simply Tech backpack, $115.50, Ecoalf, ecoalf.com

*Made with 50% recycled polyester from plastic bottles and 50% cotton

SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRUITT ROGERS

For someone who’s passionate about conservation, Benjamin Novak Hudgins certainly chose to work in one of the most infamous industries — hairdressing. Salons are responsible for about 150 million pounds of trash each year, according to salon product company Simply Organic Beauty. Hudgins, however, looked to buck the trend when he opened Novak Hair Studios on West Lancaster Avenue in 2018. His salon intentionally focuses on ecofriendly practices: LED bulbs. Recycling stations. An air-conditioning system that filters toxins.

But sustainability extends beyond business for Hudgins, who also makes conscious efforts to incorporate recycled pieces and ethical brands in his own personal style.

“At the end of the day, there’s no Planet B,” Hudgins says. “There’s only the planet we have right now. If we don’t choose to take care of that, then we’re going to have nothing for our grandkids and our grandkids’ grandkids. It’s important for us as business owners to take the initiative now.”

The Air Oxford Shirt, $29, Everlane, everlane.com

Bow tie, $8 at Lula B’s Oak Cliff

The Midweight Chino 9” Slim Short, $28, Everlane, everlane.com

Perry Ellis reversible belt, $20 at Marshalls Square Glasses, $19, Zenni, zennioptical.com

Hudgins’ Tips for a More Sustainable Workplace

1. Beautiful lighting doesn’t have to be bad. Switch out your office bulbs with LEDs (which use 90% less energy and last approximately 100,000 hours) or compact fluorescent bulbs (less heat and a lot less mercury) to save on your monthly electric bill and also save the planet.

Bee T-shirt, Morgan Mercantile, $20 at Novak Hair Salon *100% of proceeds go to The Honeybee Conservancy Pants, $28 at Lula B’s Oak Cliff Tennis-style sneakers in burnished leather, $398, HUGO BOSS, hugoboss.com Aviator Glasses, $6.95, Zenni, zennioptical.com

2. Install recycling stations next to every trash can. The City of Fort Worth has a program that is easy to contact, helps get you set up and takes all the guessing out of how to be a more sustainable business. Check out fortworthtexas. gov/solidwaste/ commercial.

3. Freshen the air for a healthier office environment. The aloe vera plant helps to remove harmful pollutants known as volatile organic compounds from the air, takes up carbon dioxide and provides abundant oxygen back into the air around it.

4. Nix the Keurig (or at least the single-use cartridge). Singleuse plastics (especially those that are nonrecyclable) are a massive worldwide problem. Use a shared coffee pot — it’s less expensive and provides lots of cups with one brew. You can also buy reusable coffee filter cups for your machine. Just add a few scoops of your favorite coffee into the pod, brew and clean it after you are done for the next colleague.

5. Switch your cleaning products and hand soaps. Truman’s is a subscriptionbased, nontoxic cleaning supply company that removes the bottles and makes it easy to stay stocked. Once you receive your first order of bottles and products, every subsequent month, you get refills without the bottle. Simple and effective for CEOs with a busy schedule.

Wildlife Wonderland

This Colorado homestead and ranching community — operated by a Fort Worth-born developer — makes preservation a priority. BY TAYLOR BRUMBAUGH

Surrounded by towering mountains, a rushing river, babbling streams and majestic wildlife, Wilder on the Taylor touts being not only a woodland paradise but also a champion for environmental protection.

Just a 20-minute drive from GunnisonCrested Butte Regional Airport, Wilder on the Taylor is a riverfront and mountainside homestead and ranching community located in Gunnison County, Colorado. The 2,100-acre community is nestled among 2 million acres of undisturbed national forest and runs along two miles of the Taylor River.

After purchasing the land in 2007, JacksonShaw, a real estate development company known for the new AC Hotel coming to Sundance Square in fall 2020, made the preservation and protection of the land a primary priority. With help from the Gunnison County Wildlife Conservation Office and Gunnison County’s Parks and Recreation Department, the community is now safeguarded by permanent conservation easement protections.

Ron Welborn, a Fort Worth native and operating manager of Wilder on the Taylor, hopes that the homestead and ranching community will serve as a picturesque second home or retirement destination for those who share a like-minded interest in the admiration and preservation of nature.

Each homestead deed consists of 35 acres for the starting rate of approximately $2 million. Within the 35 acres, a buyer can only build upon or alter 1 acre of the land to ensure minimal damage to the forest and the wildlife it houses. Along with the 1-acre architectural restriction, there is no hunting allowed on the grounds.

The Taylor River and fishing streams that trickle through meadows are teaming with a plethora of fish, from rainbow trout to salmon. To keep the river’s ecosystem healthy and to prevent overfishing, all fishing is catch and release.

Still, the protections in place are beyond worth it when one considers the unique wildlife that roam the grounds, according to Welborn. Majestic birds fill the air with intricate melodies, the black-billed magpie being the most outspoken. Every year in the winter, endangered bighorn sheep can be seen on their trek across the land as they migrate. Black bears and elk are gentle giants in the distance. And sometimes, very rarely, you might just get a glimpse of the elusive moose that occasionally wander into the area.

The Ute Indians,

In addition, Wilder on the Taylor has a fully operational 50-head cattle ranch on the grounds. Residents are welcome to participate as much as they would like to, or not at all, in the duties of cattle ranching. If you opt to work alongside the ranch hands, there are a variety of duties you and your family can partake in, including ranch penning.

the only Native Americans indigenous to the state of Colorado, were huntergatherers that traveled with the migration patterns of the game they hunted. From spring to fall, the tribe would travel the mountainside. The men hunted big game such as antelope, deer and elk; then women caught smaller game and gathered berries and other fruits. In the late fall and early winter, the tribe would migrate away from the mountains and into sheltered areas, such as valleys. The Tabeguache Ute band traversed through a migration trail that ran along the upper Gunnison and Taylor rivers. Wilder on the Taylor has two miles of the Taylor River that wind through property, making it probable that the Ute Indians spent time on the land.

Plentiful wildlife isn’t the only enticing feature that Wilder on the Taylor has to offer. There are many activities located within the property or within just a short 20-minute drive away to Crested Butte.

Hidden in a valley and totally encompassed by nature, Wilder is an immersive experience, seemingly separate from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. However, being conveniently settled between the city of Gunnison and the town of Crested Butte, Wilder is not completely cut off from the world. Wilder on the Taylor is “immersive without being isolating,” Welborn says.

Many Fort Worthians and Dallasites alike visit Crested Butte, a Victorian-esque village known for skiing and fine dining. “It’s kind of a running joke there because so many DFW folks travel to Crested Butte,” Welborn says.

For the more daring and adventurous, there is skiing, rock climbing and mountain biking. Or, for those looking for calmer and more leisurely activities, there are picturesque hiking trails, golfing, fishing, horseback riding and boating.

“An inspiration for Wilder on the Taylor was to create a generational place for people and families to gather,” Welborn says.

“People are always looking for an excuse to get their kids, grandkids or their friends together, and this is the ideal place to get generations together.”

Home designs take inspiration from the outdoors.

Homes at Wilder on the Taylor are nestled within the Gunnison National Forest.

Chop, Chop

Fort Worth’s three newest butcher shops talk about the business of high-end meat.

BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN

The traditional butcher shop has become a figment of the olden days, with the supermarket’s seeming takeover of the modern family’s grocery routine. In Fort Worth, however, the past two years have given rise to at least three new butcher shops — all catering to more discerning palates with a focus on high-end meats like Wagyu and Kobe.

It’s a good time to be in beef, too. According to Grand View Research Inc., the global beef market size is expected to reach $383.5 billion by 2025.

Still, while Fort Worth’s three newest butcher shops are in the same business (and essentially the same neighborhood on the west side), no shop has a beef with the other (at least none blatantly disclosed to the magazine). Instead, each has its

own niche and business model that they say makes them, well, a cut above the rest.

FORT SUPPLY CO.

Where to Find Them: Roy Pope Grocery (2300 Merrick St.)

Top Sellers: Bison burgers, elk burgers, steaks Fort Supply Co. got an unconventional start when co-founder Don Canada Jr. “got mad at jerky” he bought from the store and decided to make his own using Wagyu beef. After some success selling his product at WeWork, he decided to delve deeper into the meat business. He soon partnered with local chef Andrew Dilda and, along with Canada’s fiancée, Stacey Sargent Cooper, the trio created Fort Supply Co.

The company’s focus is buying direct from ranches in the Upper Midwest, eliminating the middle men. Initially, the

Inside the meat locker at B&B Butchers and Restaurant. Photo by Kirsten Kilpatrick.

company would take preorders and host a “meat drop” at a local distillery to deliver their goods. They’ve temporarily discontinued the meat drops, instead selling at Roy Pope Grocery under the name “Fort Butcher,” Fort Supply Co.’s retail arm.

Fort Supply Co. specializes in Wagyu as well as game meats like bison, elk, venison, wild hog, pheasant and rabbit. The plan is to keep business in Fort Worth for the time being and build a clientele of executive chefs and fine-dining restaurants.

“Texas was about oil gushers; right now, it’s cows. It’s beef. Beef is climaxing,” Canada says. “People are paying a lot more for it; they want to know where it came from, what’s in it, how it was raised.”

B&B BUTCHERS AND RESTAURANT

Where to Find Them: The Shops at Clearfork (5212 Marathon Ave.)

Top Sellers: Texas Wagyu filet, Prime dryaged rib-eye

According to B&B proprietor Benjamin Berg, a city generally needs a population of about 800,000 to 1 million in order to handle a major steakhouse.

Fort Worth’s population is just over 895,000. But from “what we’ve seen, the demand in Fort Worth is higher than the population dictates,” Berg says.

Two years after opening at The Shops at Clearfork, B&B maintains a steady following for both its steakhouse and its butcher shop, which Berg says caters more toward home grillers and foodies. In stock are the

likes of Japanese A5 Wagyu and Kobe beef, American Wagyu from Snake River farms, and Prime beef from Grand Island, Nebraska.

“Right now, the demand for Prime is extremely high,” Berg says. “I think people’s tastes are moving toward higher quality meats … The customers really seem to gravitate toward Prime as opposed to what we call ‘supermarket steaks’ or ‘ungraded.’ Select or Choice are not as popular as they used to be.”

on Camp Bowie,” Rea says. “The clientele around here, that’s what they’re after.”

Still, Berg says a butcher shop needs more than a good product in order to survive in the industry.

“The truth is, we can go and buy from the same people, right?” he says. “So that’s when a lot of the other part comes in — the service and the experience.”

THE MEAT BOARD

Where to Find Them: Lincoln Village (6314 Camp Bowie Blvd.)

Top Sellers: Prime rib-eyes, Prime strip steaks, Prime filets

It’s still early to make concrete observations on customer demographics at The Meat Board (the shop opened Dec. 31, 2019). But, according to partner Don Rea, the draw of the Camp Bowie/Ridglea neighborhood is its mix of high-end buyers, from established residents to millennials.

“Good service and good quality works

And while The Meat Board is in proximity with competitors B&B, Roy Pope and major grocery stores like Central Market, partner Nick Nickelson says each shop carries distinct differences. Part of what sets The Meat Board apart, for example, is its deli, which carries side dishes, cheeses, breads and desserts. The shop also looks to draw a lunch crowd with signature items like a grilled steak sandwich and BLT made with Klein hardwood smoked bacon.

“We have a nice little deli; we’re not a restaurant like B&B. They’re a restaurant first and butcher shop second; we’re a butcher shop first and a deli second,” he says. “Roy Pope is an old standard but is more of a grocery store than an old-fashioned local butcher shop.”

Nonetheless, when it comes to meat, Fort Worth is a good place to do business, Rea says.

“Fort Worth is Cowtown … they like ranching, they like oil and gas, and they like good steaks,” Rea says. “It’s the perfect place to start.”

Don Canada Jr. of Fort Supply Co.

The Meat Board

Unbridled Inspiration

With the American Paint Horse Association’s new office now open at Mule Alley, the building’s past life as a horse barn isn’t hard to see.

BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

Toward the back of the office of the American Paint Horse Association, beneath a winding staircase that leads to an upstairs loft, a single metal tile cut with the letters “PH” rests on the concrete floor — an X marks the spot for a time capsule buried below.

APHA placed the time capsule under the ground before opening its new office in the Fort Worth Stockyards in January. Inside are various items. Registration papers. A rulebook. A lock of horsehair.

APHA executive director Billy Smith hopes that, perhaps when time goes by and APHA is long gone from the space, its future tenant will uncover the capsule and its contents — a small piece of the building’s storied history that began over a

hundred years ago.

Long before it became APHA’s office or the development known today as Mule Alley, the buildings served as horse and mule barns, its heyday being the first half of the 20th century, when the Stockyards served as the Southwest’s largest trading center for livestock. Fast forward to the 21st century, and Stockyards stakeholders and developers would find themselves deliberating about redevelopment of the old buildings. The biggest concern — a loss of historic integrity once renovations began.

APHA, however, saw the project as an opportunity to preserve the area’s Western heritage, so the breed registry picked up from its headquarters at Meacham Boulevard and moved to the Stockyards.

APHA became the first tenant to open in Mule Alley, a 180,000-square-foot development that also has restaurants, shops and a hotel currently under construction. APHA takes up about 13,000 square feet in Barn G, its interior designed by Fort Worth-based VLK Architects.

“We felt like we could supply a little part of the need there of reclaiming and holding onto some Western heritage,” Smith says. “I never had any apprehensions; I understand the apprehensions. But I was a true believer from day one. I’ve always thought this was a perfect place for us to be and a perfect place for our business and our future.”

The office’s layout is meant to mimic that of a barn. Stalls are replaced by single offices that run in a parallel line along both sides of the space, each outfitted

The Patrick L. Newman Family Gallery features photographs from APHA's history.

with a sliding glass door reminiscent of those found in a modern horse barn. The hayloft is now the Rebecca Baker Paint Horse Legacy Loft (named in memory of a former APHA member), an event and conference space overlooking the rest of the office.

Much of the building’s original elements still remain, from the original brick to the reclaimed wood accenting various walls. But even more notable are the concrete pillars that are still standing, and no two are the same. Some have partially crumbled, exposing the steel underneath. Others still have markings like “Cow 4” painted upon them. And, in the loft, tin-clad fire doors remain in place, rust and all.

But APHA also has the elements of a more traditional office. Filling the center

are open workspaces and a separate box that employees informally refer to as the “tack room” — that is, the copy and printing room — whose exterior sports much of that reclaimed gray wood. The break room also has a Western flair with wooden tables and barstool seating. Much of the furniture was a gift from Brumbaugh’s in Aledo.

The office also functions as a minimuseum, with art and artifacts on display throughout the space. Western photographs by Darrell Dodds and David R. Stoecklein hang near horse paintings by Orren Mixer and Chuck DeHaan, and the saddle of champion horse Delta Flyer sits by the open workspace. The entrance also features a retail space with a grain silo that will be used as a theater, which Smith says

will incorporate VR technology so visitors can experience a virtual horse ride.

The pièce de résistance, however, is outside the office — a sculpture by Marrita McMillan, titled “Legacy of Color,” depicting four life-size galloping paint horses.

Though the horse and mule barns are no longer being used for their original purpose, Smith says having APHA’s office in the Stockyards is one way to keep the area’s history alive and, hopefully, like the time capsule buried beneath the concrete, leave a legacy that generations will continue to honor in the future.

“We wanted to create a space that could be both a functional office and a picture of our heritage,” Smith says. “It’s almost like an office and a museum mashed up into one space.”

The former hayloft was transformed into the Rebecca Baker Paint Horse Legacy Loft, with displays honoring past presidents and Hall of Fame members.

FACES of Fort Worth Business

Leaders in their respective industries, the following pages feature some of Fort Worth’s finest. Those spotlighted in “Faces of Fort Worth Business” want to share their expertise in various industries from medicine and retail to professional accomplishments, personal pastimes, and so much more.

The Face of Home Automation H Customs Audio Video

Since 2004, we’ve worked diligently to be the go-to audiovideo company. If you’re going to invest in what it takes for automation or a media room, you want to make sure the entire process is explained completely. Our job is to make sure customers know they will be taken care of throughout their project from planning phase to final construction. We’ve set a foundation of trust with our customers and builders. They know our level of expertise in the field and that we will make something as truly complex as smart home technology work as seamlessly as possible. It takes true experts to accomplish the projects we work on. We’re tenacious in what we do. We never stop learning of new ways to create amazing projects for our customers. Our customers know that and won’t settle for less.

5059 Martin Luther King Jr Freeway Fort Worth, Texas 76119

817.300.1518 | hcustoms.com

The Face of Residential Real Estate

Martha Williams Group

What sets the Martha Williams Group apart is their dominance in the Fort Worth real estate market and their dedication to customer service and customer relationships. “We know and understand the intricacies of Fort Worth, and we have more than 60 years of combined experience.” Martha Williams, Amanda Massingill, and Susanna Bartolomei were born and raised in Fort Worth. They are actively engaged in and connected with the Fort Worth community and truly appreciate the rich culture and arts that our great city has to offer. Clients return to the Martha Williams Group because of their history of success. Attentive to their clients’ needs, they are committed to providing extraordinary service. Fort Worth is Home.

The Martha Williams Group | 3707 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 300 | Fort Worth, Texas 76107 | williamstrew.com

Susanna Bartolomei | 817.862.4428 | susanna@williamstrew.com

Martha Williams | 817.570.9401 | martha@williamstrew.com

Amanda Massingill | 817.570.9451 | amanda@williamstrew.com

FACES of Fort Worth Business

The Face of Urban and Residential

Real Estate

Mary Margaret Davis Real Estate Team

Mary Margaret Davis, Owner/Broker, has been making “IT” happen for over three decades! Married to Grant Davis, she is half of the parenting team of doggies, Coco and Spunky, and kitties, Adan and Miner, who happily call them “our people parents.” Along with being an advocate for all animals, Mary Margaret has a gift for interacting with people. She creates a comfortable exchange of ideas, goals and desires. She listens for the hidden attributes that help properties sell and discovers forgotten wishes that inspire a buyer to say, “Yes, this is IT.” Exceptional service and knowledge have won Mary Margaret many awards and hundreds of clients who are happy in their homes. PICTURED: Mary Margaret, Coco and Spunky.

817.925.1740 | mmdavis.com marymargaret@mmdavis.com

The Face of Home Appliance Sales and Service

Oliver Dyer

Growing up in a family business performing service in customers’ homes, I always considered my customers to be my best source of new customers. Whether it’s service or delivering new appliances into thousands of homes, I’ve seen how my customers react when a worker respects their home. Everyone at Oliver Dyer Appliance knows his or her customer will refer friends, neighbors and family members, so they go out of their way to create a satisfied customer. We only sell appliance brands where the manufacturer backs our efforts to do whatever necessary to satisfy every customer. If it’s not good enough to be in our homes, it isn’t good enough to be in yours. My name, email address and personal cell phone number are on every invoice. In 16 years, I’ve only had a handful of calls with a problem, but I’ve received thousands of calls complimenting my employees.

8320 Camp Bowie W. | Fort Worth, Texas 76116 | 817.312.1856

The Face of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine

Michael H. Boothby, M.D.

Dr. Michael Boothby embodies the face of today’s modern orthopedic surgeon. He is a skilled surgeon who truly values what his patients have to say. It is not uncommon to hear his patients say, “He really listened to me.” Couple his excellent bedside manner with his Ivy League education and more than 15 years of surgical experience performing knee and shoulder surgeries, patients know they are in the right hands. “One of the things I love most is getting to know my patients,” said Dr. Boothby. “I like being able to make a positive impact on their lives.” The recommendations by patients to their own family and friends are a testament to his care. In 2011, Dr. Boothby founded The Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, which includes a state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation center, Orthopedics Today, walk-in urgent care clinic, and cutting-edge sports medicine and orthopedic care.

The Face of Labor and Employment Law

Tanner and Associates, PC

Tanner and Associates, PC has a national law practice focused on labor and employment law and civil trials in federal and state courts. Rod Tanner, the firm’s founding shareholder, is a Fellow in the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and he is widely recognized as one of the state’s preeminent labor and employment lawyers. He’s a co-editor and contributing author of Texas Employment Law. Jamie J. Gilmore, Of Counsel, is an accomplished trial lawyer who has extensive experience in employment cases. She is highly regarded for her innovative legal strategies from the boardroom to the courtroom. Recognizing the noble purpose of our labor laws to establish justice in the workplace, the firm’s mission is to provide legal services of the highest quality to labor organizations, executives, professionals, and employees. PICTURED: Rod Tanner and Jamie J. Gilmore. 6300 Ridglea Place, Ste. 407 | Fort Worth, Texas 76116-5706 | 817.377.8833 | Fax 817.377.1136 rodtannerlaw.com | rtanner@rodtannerlaw.com | jgilmore@rodtannerlaw.com

Faith Geiger and MaryAnn Means-Dufrene

BOSS LADIES

These Fort Worth business and civic leaders traverse a range of industries from oil and gas to nonprofits, executive search, coaching and biotech.

BY TERESA MCUSIC / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

FORT WORTH WOMEN CONTINUE TO MAKE THEIR MARK ON THE AREA. Whether in traditional oil and gas and established nonprofits or in cutting-edge manufacturing or workplace and lifestyle culture, these Fort Worth natives, or near-natives, are forging new paths for the city’s future — and their own.

Faith Geiger and MaryAnn Means-Dufrene

Faith Geiger and MaryAnn Means-Dufrene have lofty goals: to change the workplace as a platform for human potential for a

better world. But for now, they are focusing on the new $175 million development at the Stockyards.

Their company, Collective Growth, has been tasked to find the executive team and build a company culture for Majestic Realty and Hickman Companies for Stockyards development. One of their latest finds has been Kristin Assad for the position of vice president and general manager of the new four-star Hotel Drover, slated to open this October in the Stockyards. They were able to steal her away from the trendy Joule Hotel in

Dallas. Sensitive to their task, Majestic has focused on hiring Fort Worth companies to rebuild the old horse and mule barns into appropriate retailers (think Stetson and Wrangler), restaurants, and office tenants on Mule Alley — even using all of the old bricks to preserve the rich history, Geiger says. “It’s seamless in walking down Exchange to Mule Alley,” says Means-Dufrene. “There is no abruptness. Everything is in character.” The Stockyards draws more than 3.5 million visitors annually, making it the largest attraction in Fort Worth. The new devel-

opment is designed to increase attendance by upwards of 1 million people and keep people in the area longer, Geiger says.

Finding the right fit for personnel and creating an environment where employees can thrive is what Geiger and Means-Dufrene, trained in social work and psychology, respectively, are all about.

Geiger, 36, and Means-Dufrene, 40, came to Fort Worth as teenagers with their families. From there, Geiger attended UTA with a bachelor’s in social work and is now working on her research for a master’s degree in social work and business administration. She has worked for retailers like Neiman Marcus and lululemon, as well as Satori Capital. Means-Dufrene, an Arlington Heights graduate, has degrees in psychology and business from Texas A&M and UTA and has worked as executive director for Susan B. Komen Fort Worth

and deputy chief of staff for Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.

Collective Growth began in 2017 with Geiger. Means-Dufrene joined as a partner in 2018. Their focus: “We’ve seen incredible cultures and thriving people, and we’ve also seen the opposite,” Geiger says. “How do we support the strategic initiatives for the company, support their financial goals and support the wellbeing, growth and development of the people? We take a therapeutic approach to business.” Means-Dufrene adds: “We partner with the leadership team to create a space for the development and the flourishing that people really desire and that benefits the business.”

Clients so far include Channel 5/ Telemundo, where the team helped turn around the sales department culture as the channels merge and reorganized; and

M2G Ventures, a real estate firm, identifying talent for their growth and establish systems of performance and their strategic vision.

Peyton Salavarria

Most people fall into nonprofit employment from other careers. Peyton Salavarria walked in purposefully. Salavarria was a business major at the University of Oklahoma searching for a career focus when her father, Jeff, suggested she take a hard look at nonprofits. Jeff Salavarria is a senior vice president of public finance at Frost Bank in charge of account management for local nonprofits.

“He said I had the personality and skill set that makes for a good match in the nonprofit world,” she says. After a summer internship at Lena Pope, a Fort Worth institution serving at-risk youth since the

Peyton Salavarria

Salavarria realized her dad was right. “I found that’s where my passion is,” she says.

After adding a unique minor in nonprofit management, Salavarria returned home to Fort Worth and quickly landed a job in events and marketing at Tarrant County’s chapter of Communities in Schools, a national nonprofit that puts social workers in underserved schools to eliminate barriers to graduation. In 2014, at just 24 years old, she took over as executive director of Gill Children’s Services, another Fort Worth institution, started by Martine Ginsburg and Virginia Richards in 1979 as a last resort safety net for children in Tarrant County. The organization began with a $1 million donation from A. Smith Gill, an unassuming geologist in town who bequeathed in his will that his entire estate go to children in need in Tarrant County.

Now at 30, Salavarria is steering her 41-year-old organization through different water. Over the past two years, Gill has seen a substantial increase in need among Tarrant County children. “We need to raise more funds to be able to say yes to every child coming in,” Salavarria says. “It’s the first time to my knowledge that such an increase is needed.” As much as $300,000 needs to be raised to stay on budget this year, she says. With Salavarria’s input, Gill’s board is now developing a strategic plan to build on its donor base of 300, which includes such established Fort Worth names as Robert Bass, John Kleinheinz; foundations like the Sid Richardson Foundation and Morris Foundation; and community groups like the First Grandmothers’ Club.

Salavarria remains optimistic. “It’s an exciting time at Gill,” she says. “We are serving more children than ever.” Last year, Gill served 1,457 children with everything from shoes to costly dental care. The organization works tightly with local health care providers, able to receive on average a 42 percent discount from dentists, medical doctors and hospitals for their clients. “We saved $1 million in 2019,” Salavarria says. “Every $1 donated had a $2.50 impact. We get good bang for the buck.”

Yolanda

Harper

Yolanda Harper is a one-woman band for empowerment.

The 50-year-old Fort Worth native tells companies and government entities how to save money by making healthier employees through the Blue Zone Project. She speaks, writes books and organizes seminars to inspire and motivate around some thoughtful insights she calls Yolanda’s Nuggets. She life coaches and leads a weekly outdoor boot camp workout for women. Her goals are strung up in big letters on a space in her office she calls her “vision wall.” What does she want for 2020? “To make six figures,” she says.

It all started with a track career at O.D Wyatt High School, she says. Third in state in the 100-meter hurdle gave Harper a full athletic scholarship to the University of Houston, where she was named team captain and the most valuable female athlete. But Harper’s life had its ups and downs. A verbally abusive marriage ended up with her back in Fort Worth 15 years later as a single mom and pretty broke. A woman at her church, Ambassadors of Christ Christian Center in Fort Worth, asked her

Yolanda Harper

Clearing the Ear

Elyse Dickerson and partner Joe Griffin continue to build on early successes in their Fort Worth biotech startup.

Elyse Dickerson is certainly no stranger to the pages of this magazine. Dickerson, CEO of Eosera, launched the Fort Worth biotech firm in April 2017 with partner and fellow Alcon Labs alumnus Joe Griffin. The firm, whose initial product was the over-thecounter Earwax MD eardrop for compacted wax, continues to post new milestones, doubling sales every year through the company’s first three years, Dickerson says. It’s added new products, signed agreements with two of the largest U.S. drug wholesalers, and rapidly expanded into the CVS and Rite-Aid chains.

sales but now bills itself as a “multimillion-dollar company.” Production is consistently full time today. “In the past, there were times when we weren’t producing at all,” Dickerson says.

Next up, the company has been talking to Walmart about a deal.

“We should know by the end of April if they are going to take some of our products,” Dickerson says. Asked what impact Walmart would have on the company, Dickerson says, “Walmart will more than double us.”

One retailer Eosera hasn’t been able to crack is Walgreens, known for protracted payment schedules. “We’re essentially financing their business for them” if Eosera put its products in Walgreens stores, Dickerson says. “It’d be great to have 5,000 more stores, but at what cost? We were profitable in 2019, and we want to continue to be profitable. With a partner like that, you can’t be.”

Last fall, the company moved out of its small headquarters and manufacturing center on Fort Worth’s West Side into an industrial center in south Fort Worth at Interstates 35W and 20. Eosera leased 12,000 square feet in the 500,000-square-foot building, with plenty of room for its offices, manufacturing and warehouse. Landlord Bruce Conti, a major Fort Worth warehouse owner, has carved out a section of the complex for entrepreneurial companies like Eosera.

Eosera’s products are now in 13,000 drugstores nationally. The firm doesn’t disclose

to help her lose weight by leading her in exercise weekly at a nearby park. The nocost boot camp grew organically in 2009 until Harper took a chance one day and asked for tips after her session. “People went back to their cars to get money, and I started stuffing it anywhere I could. I came back and threw it all on my bed. It came to $250. I cried. I just couldn’t believe it was from having fun and bringing people together.”

The Fit&40 Crew still meets at 7 a.m. every Saturday in warmer months in downtown Fort Worth, she says.

Harper expanded her program to include training athletes and others while finishing a degree in communications from Dallas Baptist University. In 2014, she linked up with the Blue Zones Project Fort Worth, an international well-being initiative based on lessons learned from communities where people live the longest.

As it’s grown, Eosera learned its customers aren’t who they thought. The initial target customer: 65 and older. But Eosera’s actual customers are younger, in the 25-44 and 45-64 age ranges, Dickerson says. That’s prompted the company to change its marketing strategy.

“We think the younger demographic is more in tune with their ears,” Dickerson says. “The younger demographic is more proactive; the older demographic is reactive.” – Scott Nishimura

As a relationship consultant for work sites, Harper reviews health care plans and workplaces of companies, schools, hospitals and government offices, making suggestions on everything from adding smoking cessation programs and relaxation spaces to making sure healthy snacks are in the vending machines. Fort Worth now is the largest certified Blue Zones community in the nation and is sponsored by Texas Health Resources, which employs Harper as part of the Blue Zones team. Nearly 350 organizations, including 142 worksites, have committed to the Blue Zones Project, including Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, Pier 1 Imports, DFW Airport, City of Fort Worth and Fort Worth ISD. With help from the Blue Zones Project, the city went from 185th out of 190 metro areas on the Gallup Well-Being Index to 31st, with smoking down and exercise increasing.

But that wasn’t enough for Harper, a serial entrepreneur. So, in 2017, she formed the Alpha Discovery Group, a platform for her speaking engagements, writing, seminars and motivational coaching. “Through Alpha Discovery, I develop people, and I do it in three ways: physically through Fit&40 Crew, personally through my workshops and conferences, and professionally through customized employee programs,” Harper says.

Elyse Dickerson

Tracie Palmer

In December, Tracie Palmer got an unusual gift for her 34th birthday: the president’s job at her company, Bounty Minerals. “It’s probably one of the best birthday gifts I’ve ever gotten,” she says with a laugh. The Fort Worth native and UTA business graduate started her oil and gas career in the file room of Encore Acquisitions as an intern — a job she got through her mother, Katherine McClurkan, who worked with long-time Fort Worth oil and gas man, Jon Brumley.

After a stint at two other oil and gas companies, Palmer returned to Brumley — a mentor — shortly after he started Bounty Minerals in 2012. Palmer worked her way up from land manager to vice president of land to vice president of operations and finally to her role as president. “Jon likes to give people opportunities,” she says, of the 80-year-old.

Since the company began, Bounty has acquired and owns mineral rights to 65,000 nonproducing acres in the Appalachia Mountains in the Marcellus Shale play using horizontal drilling. “He got in at the start of the boom,” Palmer says. “In order to buy mineral rights efficiently, you have to get in there early.” The original investment is paying off: Through leasing drilling production on those acres, Bounty saw a 60% revenue increase in 2019 over the year before, she says.

One business practice Bounty offers is cash up front for the mineral rights, different from the norm of most of the industry, which generally may provide a signing bonus, then monthly royalty checks to owners once gas is found, that could go on for 20 or 30 years. “We’re able to do that because we can aggregate enough minerals that, that monthly check is more significant to us,” she says. Brumley raised capital from private investors, mostly local, Palmer says, based on his reputation.

Palmer says Bounty avoids buying mineral rights in populated areas to avoid disputes with neighborhoods and cities. “The development issues in Appalachia are a derivative of the terrain,” she says. “It’s not the population; it’s the mountains.” The well operators are figuring that out, she says, partially by drilling larger pad sites to allow for more wells. Meanwhile, Bounty works to find common

ground between landowners, operators and the legislatures for oil and gas development of the basin, which enters into Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Being a woman has not been an issue for Palmer in this traditionally male field, she says. Recently at an oil and gas convention in Houston, she says she was

pleased to see a large number of female faces. And more by accident than intention, 11 of the 13 employees at Bounty are female, except for Brumley and another male, she says. Palmer says she plans to continue to grow Bounty and stay in oil and gas. “I loved it, stuck with it and it’s been a good ride,” she says.

Tracie Palmer

LOVE’S STYLE

Chef Tim Love, with two new places open in Fort Worth, two opening this spring in Houston, and expansions of major catering deals coming off the board, expects to double sales in the next year.

BY SCOTT NISHIMURA

/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

It’s a brisk late afternoon in mid-January, and the happy hour crowd is gathering at Ático, the new rooftop bar atop the SpringHill Suites hotel in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Word is getting out on chef Tim Love’s latest, a Barcelona-inspired bar with cocktails like Blood Orange Sangria and whose all-shareable plates are a Love-style fusion of Spanish tapas and Texas. The customers are a mélange as colorful as the sunset that’s begun pouring onto Ático’s outdoor deck, which offers expansive views of downtown to the south and the Stockyards to the east and north. A Stock Show group crowds into one of the vignettes inside the bar and eyes the full lounges outside. Three Brits living in Fort Worth move in to claim an outdoor spot as another group gets ready to leave.

It’s exactly what Love wants, and, as he typically does, he’s hanging out inconspicuously inside the bar, watching the scenes unfold. “Everybody’s picking, everybody’s sharing,” he says later during an interview. “It’s a really unique space. The vibe is really good.”

It’s been a tough year for Love, whose wife, Emilie, who helped run the couple’s restaurants, including the Lonesome Dove

Western Bistro, Love Shack, and Woodshed Smokehouse, was struck by a van outside the Nashville, Tennessee, airport last February and is still recovering from her wounds. Love kept a commitment a few weeks later to help anchor Fort Worth’s visitor “house” at the gigantic South by Southwest festival in Austin, where he mixed take-home spices with long lines of patrons and catered a taco lunch. Later in the spring, he opened Gemelle, an Italian restaurant in West Fort Worth, named after the couple’s twin daughters, to uneven reviews. “The place was a zoo,” Love says. “We were a little unprepared. There’s no other way to state that. The place is running really well now.”

Being away from the business to help care for his wife and their children exposed holes in management, Love says, which prompted him to re-examine management and the company’s values heading into a round of ag-

adding he’s always needed “checks and balances” to offset his aggressive streak. “We had people hit the ceiling. They had their hearts in the company but weren’t capable of going where we needed to go. We had GMs in the stores who weren’t acting as GMs. Now we’re making them more accountable.”

thinks the company was running according to its new core values. “But I think other people couldn’t see it.”

gressive growth he expects could double the size of the company by next year. Besides the Fort Worth openings, in March, he’s expected to open a pair of long-awaited restaurants — Woodshed and Love Shack — in Houston’s Levy Park. This year, he’s also expanding a catering deal he has with the Live Nation concert promoter and a consulting arrangement with a chain of truck stops.

To get ready, within the last year, Love installed a number of new senior executives, made his restaurant general managers more accountable for their results, and implemented a first-ever set of core values focused on drivers like humility, hospitality, love and commitment. The company, which did $25 million in 2019 sales, should be doing $40 million – $45 million by March next year, and the employee count should move to more than 500 from 300, Love says.

“I was blurring a lot of lines,” says Love,

Asked what the management flow looks like now, Love, in the interview at his headquarters on North Main Street, north of downtown, says, “I have it in my pocket.” He removes a piece of paper from his back pocket and unfolds it, showing a multitiered accountability chart that includes newly hired vice presidents of culinary, beverage and catering off-site events, an HR director, payroll director, and, most recently, a chief operating officer, a Houstonian moving from New York who started in February. He has financial background, so Love says he doesn’t have to hire a CFO now. The chart keeps the company chef-driven, its bedrock, Love says.

I was blurring a lot of lines. We had people hit the ceiling. They had their hearts in the company but weren’t capable of going where we needed to go.

“We’ve operated very, very lean for years,” he says. “I didn’t want to lose my creativity. Full disclosure, I was chasing a lot. I was also looking for quality of life. I work a lot.” He

It’s been 20 years since the 49-year-old Love — who was born in Denton, earned a degree in finance and marketing from the University of Tennessee, worked in a Knoxville restaurant kitchen to make money, and moved to Colorado where he worked as a chef in upscale restaurants — opened his Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in the Fort Worth Stockyards. It’s the platform from which Love has generated the cash to launch his other restaurants. He also has Lonesome Doves in Austin and Knoxville; White Elephant Saloon in the Stockyards; and Queenie’s Steakhouse in Denton, named after his mother. He took on investors to open the Austin restaurant and has taken on debt to open the Houston restaurants, Love says. “Everything else is built from the 50 seats at Lonesome Dove,” he says. “That’s where it started.” Love gets inquiries often about partnerships. “I think I operate better” alone, he says. “I’m a big risk taker. I don’t mind the burden of the risk. I really go from the hip a lot. I don’t want to

The rooftop bar at Tim Love's newest place, Ático

LOVE STYLE: A TIM LOVE TIMELINE

2000. Opens Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in the Fort Worth Stockyards

2002. Purchases legendary White Elephant Saloon in the Stockyards

2006. Opens Duce in Fort Worth and a Lonesome Dove in New York

2007. Closes Lonesome Dove New York after six months

2007. Opens Love Shack burger joint in Stockyards

2007. Defeats Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto in episode of “Iron Chef America”

2008. Sells Duce

2009. Opens Love Shack on West 7th in Fort Worth.

2010. Founds Burgers 4 Babies nonprofit, benefiting NICU Helping Hands

2012. Opens Woodshed Smokehouse on Trinity River off of University, becoming first restaurateur to orient itself to the waterfront. Woodshed named one of Bon Appétit’s “50 Best New Restaurants”

2012. Closes Love Shack West 7th, opens one on TCU Bluebonnet Circle

2012. Co-founds Austin Food + Wine Festival

2013. Closes Love Shack Bluebonnet Circle

2013. Opens Queenie’s Steakhouse in Denton

2014 – 16. Begins co-hosting the reality TV series “Restaurant Startup,” in which teams of potential restaurateurs vie to pitch ideas to the hosts, have 36 hours to develop a business plan, and re-pitch their idea to Love and Bastianich

2014. Love’s first attempt at catering a golf tournament, the Colonial Invitational, marked by long lines and product shortages

2015. Out as Colonial caterer

2015. Opens a Lonesome Dove in downtown Austin

2016. Opens a Lonesome Dove in alma mater city of Knoxville, Tennessee

2017. Announces deal to create new menu items for the Knoxville-based Pilot Flying J truck stops

2019. Opens Gemelle, an Italian restaurant in Fort Worth named after his twin daughters

2020. Opens Ático, a tapas bar on the rooftop of the SpringHill Suites in the Stockyards

March 2020. Expects to open a Woodshed and Love Shack in Houston’s Levy Park

Later 2020: Expanding catering deal with Live Nation concert promoter, expanding consulting arrangement with truck stop deal

frustrate people.”

Love recounts a story of a speech he gave a few years ago at the University of North Texas. Asked to focus on accomplishments, he instead gave a talk on what he views as his three biggest mistakes: opening a restaurant called Duce in west Fort Worth in 2006, opening a Lonesome Dove at the same time in New York City, and being unprepared to handle the Colonial Invitational, the PGA Tour’s annual stop in Fort Worth.

Love later sold Duce. “That was probably the worst restaurant I ever had,” he says. “That was when I wasn’t very smart.” With Lonesome Dove going in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, “I couldn’t spend enough time in Fort Worth.” Love closed Lonesome Dove after several months and a bad review by a New York Times restaurant critic, who criticized the excessive rubs and decor, referred to the kangaroo on the menu as “marsupial nachos,” and called the restaurant a “Western drifter.” Love’s one year of serving as the Colonial’s on-course concessionaire was marked by long lines and product shortages. “It was a big undertaking,” Love says. “I accept responsibility. I got caught up in how good it was going to be.”

Still, the New York restaurant elevated Love, who also counts it today as one of his best moves. Love subsequently appeared on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” in 2007, where he defeated the famed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, diving into the “secret ingredient” of chiles, pounding down shots with his sous-chefs, and wowing the judges with originality.

“There was a lot of street cred that came with that,” says Love, who met the publicist he has today through the New York restaurant, signed a deal to be a national spokesman for Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, and co-founded the Austin Food + Wine Festival in 2012. “It was tough on my ego, but it was probably the best career move I’ve ever made.”

The idea for Ático came from Love’s travels to Spain and his love of tapas. In Barcelona, he found inspiration in two bars – Cal Pep Restaurant and Bar Canete. “I’ve always wanted to have a Spanish bar,” he says. “I’ve got 250 ideas I think are really great. They’re not all really great. I just think they’re really great.”

The developer of the hotel bearing the

SpringHill Suites brand contacted Love about a rooftop establishment, and Love was on board before the developer signed on with SpringHill, a Marriott limited service nameplate with modern conference space and well-appointed lounges. “Honestly, I was a little nervous about it,” Love says when the developer closed the deal with SpringHill. “Is that really going to be on brand for me? But it’s like a Marriott Marquis.”

Love also had wondered whether a tapas bar would work in his nearby Lonesome Dove. “I don’t think it has the same chance,” he says. “There’s not enough uniqueness to get people to come in. Now, once I’ve got them in the door, I’ve got them. But we needed other things.”

Love’s deal with the developer includes being able to cater the meeting space, which can seat up to 190 for dinner and have influence over the design flourishes in the hotel’s common spaces to make them consistent with those of Ático. “Once we decided what we wanted to do with the rooftop, we kind of bled that all the way through the hotel.”

"We wanted to open a bar with really good food."

For Ático, Love knew he wanted to create an unusual experience. “We all know steak, Mexican food, and barbecue is what sells in Fort Worth, Texas,” he says. “But the space is so unique, in itself, you hate to make it burgers and beer.”

Love also knew he wanted to focus on being a bar, not a restaurant. “We didn’t want to open a restaurant,” he says. “We wanted to open a bar with really good food. If I make it a restaurant, it creates a completely different set of expectations.”

That’s even more so, given the tapas orientation, he says. Most of his patrons haven’t been to Spain, he surmises, and haven’t experienced tapas. “It doesn’t compute. That’s why I was so emphatic that it be a bar.”

Servers offer a complimentary sample daily cocktail in a shot glass. The menu ranges

from the familiar — venison salami and flatbread, charcuterie, smoked hummus, sliced steak — to dishes like sardines. “We probably won’t sell a lot of those,” Love says of the sardines, “but the people who love sardines will go, ‘Holy crap.’” And to finish the snacking off, servers bring by small vases with cotton stems and bolls. Only, the catch is the bolls are really complimentary cotton candy. “All these sensory things,” Love says.

Next up, Love expects a mid-March opening of three concepts in Houston’s Levy Park, which features a pavilion, playground, dog park, event lawn and community gardens: Woodshed, Love Shack and Side Dough, which will serve up coffee, beer, grab-and-go pastries and other items out of a doubledecker bus. The Levy Park project has been long held up, first by Hurricane Harvey and also by local design requirements that forced a redesign. “All these things held us up two years,” Love says and then jokes: “We’re finished with that. We’re only talking about positive things now.”

Love opened his first Love Shack in 2007, serving up burgers and beer in the Stockyards. He subsequently opened another

one in the city’s West 7th Street corridor, but Love closed that one in a dispute with the landlord. He moved it to TCU’s Bluebonnet Circle but ended up closing it due to an unwieldly partnership. “There were too many hands,” he says. Love has another Love Shack he opened at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport’s Terminal E. “Love Shack is a very successful concept,” he says. “We had two unfortunate incidents.”

Love expects Levy Park, in the heart of Houston’s Upper Kirby, to be a hit. “It reminds me of New York, just lots of activity all the time,” he says. “It’s just a very nice urban park, very safe.”

This spring, Love is putting in more finishing details in Gemelle, in a lush space on White Settlement Road just off the Trinity River and 500 yards from where Love and his family live. “I love that space,” he says. “I’ve always thought the White Settlement corridor should be the South Congress of Fort Worth.” He worries the burgeoning redevelopment of the property on White Settlement in the nearby River District could rob the area of some of its character. “You can’t have all-new,” he says. “It’s unique, and it’s old.”

And beyond that? Love likes naming his places after people in his life. When might we see a place named Emilie or one named after his son? “There’s a lot of stuff in the works,” he says, not elaborating. “You may see it sooner rather than later.”

The kitchen and bar inside Ático

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

We are looking for those entrepreneurs whose vision, creativity and integrity have made Fort Worth the premier place to do business. Fort Worth Inc.’s Entrepreneur of Excellence Awards showcase and honor the contributions of exceptional entrepreneurs in the following areas:

This year finalists from each category will be featured in the September/ October issue of Fort Worth Inc. Anyone can nominate an exceptional entrepreneur – you can even nominate yourself.

To nominate an outstanding entrepreneur today, go to fwtx.com/eoe-2020

Deadline is April 24.

TheRegistry

Women Business Leaders

Just a glance across the business landscape of Fort Worth and the surrounding cities reveals many women who own or run companies or other organizations that greatly influence the life of the community. On the next few pages, these successful women will tell you more about their professional endeavors and share inspiring advice. The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Inc.

Argent Trust Company

FOCUS: Wealth management services for individuals, families and organizations, including trust services, investment management, oil and gas management and other fiduciary services. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Kathy Christoffel, CTFA – Morton College, Canon Trust School; Patrice Parks – Dallas Baptist University; Buffie Campbell, JD, CPL – University of North Texas and Texas Wesleyan School of Law. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS: 2020 Private Asset Management (PAM) Award for Best Philanthropic Initiative; 2019 PAM Award for Best Trustee; 2019 Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies. LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY: Lead by example. Always listen first. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Kathy – Amphibian Productions board member; Patrice – active member of First Baptist of Burleson; Buffie – Texas Energy Council leadership. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: With almost a century of combined experience, these three women chose to join Argent to build something new and important in Fort Worth, leveraging the resources of Argent. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Be yourself. Stay genuine and display confidence that you are willing to learn from others and then be ready to contribute! Believe in your ability to do great things. Take the step. Be courageous. MOTTO: Thoughtful. Independent. Objective. PICTURED: Buffie Campbell, oil & gas property manager; Patrice Parks, trust administrative officer; Kathy Christoffel, market president.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

4200 S. Hulen St., Ste. 217 • Fort Worth, Texas 76109 817.502.2931 argenttrust.com

Christie’s International Real Estate | ULTERRE

FOCUS: Christie’s International Real Estate | ULTERRE is a residential and commercial real estate company with offices in Fort Worth and Dallas devoted to developing and delivering exceptional real estate services and bringing the timeless inspiration of Christie’s to everyone on a personal level. WHAT SETS THEM APART: ULTERRE is proud to recognize and honor the accomplishments of its women in leadership who bring the best of themselves every day to add value to the lives of our customers and inspiration to their teammates. They never forget that people and our communities are the heart of our business, and their dedication, passion and imagination help blaze the trail for continued progress. IN THE COMMUNITY: The ULTERRE team enjoys giving back to the community in many ways including serving on countless boards such as Junior League of Fort Worth,

Wings of Hope Therapeutic Riding Program, Careity Foundation, GFWAR Educational Foundation Board and many more. MISSION: We are focused on connecting the inspired with the extraordinary and helping people find places that enhance the way they live.

RECOGNITIONS: Christie’s International Real Estate | ULTERRE was voted Best Real Estate Firm in 2019 by Fort Worth Magazine readers.

PICTURED: Margaret Coulborn, Kandy Maberry, Kelly Bowen Wilson, Hollie Lancarte, Deborah Bailey, Heather Berreth, Kolby Stewart, and Gertie the Bulldog.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

4838 White Settlement Road • Fort Worth, Texas 76114

817.882.6450 • ulterre.com

KLZ Stone Supply Inc.

FOCUS: To supply America with the finest stone on the market today for homes and businesses. MEMBERSHIPS: NKBA, ASID, MIA and NTSFA. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We are the largest supplier in the state of Texas. KLZ also is one of the only suppliers in the state to do processing. MOTTO: From our hearts to your home. FREE ADVICE: Look for a supplier who does more than take orders. At KLZ we pride ourselves on service and guidance. WHAT SETS US APART: Located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, KLZ Stone Supply has become the premier distributor of natural stone, quartz, sinks, and stone fabrication tools. Our vast selection, exceptional quality, utmost integrity, and unmatched customer service have led KLZ to become the best choice for all your natural stone and tooling needs. MISSION: “With 15 years’ experience in the home improvement and the stone business, one thing I learned above all else is how much I love working with people. My customers are not only my friends, they are my family. My mission is to provide my clients (my family) the key to success. Knowledge, immediate assistance, support, provide the best value for their material and most of all be a friend.” – Maggie Addison. PICTURED: Maggie Addison.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

11129 Zodiac Lane, Ste. 300 • Dallas, Texas 75229

972.807.6187 • Fax 972.807.6179 klzstone.com maggie@klzstone.com

TheRegistry Women Business Leaders

Lost Oak Winery

Roxanne Myers, President

FOCUS: Create high-quality, hand-crafted Texas wine and experiences presented in a friendly way. EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science, Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Wisconsin - Madison. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Maintaining a fun, family-run, family-owned business that has grown from a 600 to 10,000-plus case production. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS: Entrepreneur of Excellence Finalist, 2019, Fort Worth Inc.; Top 10 Best Wineries and Vineyards in the U.S. to Host Your Wedding, Wine Enthusiast; Tall in Texas 2017 Award winner, Texas Travel Industry Association; 20-plus gold medals in international wine competitions; STAAR Small Business Shining Star Award, 2013. LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY: Find your style. Strengthsbased management. Be positive. Be a team. Try something new. Don’t be afraid to be wrong. Have fun. After all, it’s just wine! MOTTO: Build

your business around your lifestyle, not your lifestyle around your business. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Be focused. Be transparent. Be fair. Stay healthy. Stay balanced. OUTSIDE INTERESTS/ COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: President-Elect, Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association; Chair-Elect, Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce; interests include salsa (dancing), traveling, and her 9- and 3-year-old boys. PICTURED: Roxanne Myers.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

8101 County Road 802 • Burleson, Texas 76028

817.426.6625

lostoakwinery.com

roxanne@lostoakwinery.com

SciFit Center

FOCUS: Professional Weight Loss, Personalized Nutrition and Fitness Programs, Body Composition Scanning, and Food Sensitivity, Metabolism and DNA Testing. EDUCATION: Angela Calvillo – B.S. Nutrition, B.A. Psychology. Dr. Bryce Calvillo – Doctorate of Chiropractic, B.S. Health and Wellness. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS: One of the fastest-growing small businesses in Fort Worth, 2019. LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY: Angela believes that women leaders become successful by having a positive self-image. She helps women feel confident in themselves by assisting them in achieving a healthy physique and desirable body composition. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: SciFit is very involved in local boutique gyms and fitness facilities. We also collaborate with the Fort Worth Blue Zones project in helping make healthier food options available for people. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Becoming the first clinic in Fort Worth to implement body composition scanning, food sensitivity, metabolism, and DNA testing for weight loss and wellness. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: Believe in yourself and go for it. If your heart is in the right place and you’re passionate about what you do, everything will come together for you. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: To do everything within our knowledge and power to give every one of our clients the best nutrition, fitness and wellness advice possible so that they may progress into their optimal self.

PICTURED: Angela Calvillo, Nutritionist

CONTACT INFORMATION:

2408 Forest Park Blvd. • Fort Worth, Texas 76110 817.975.7583

scifitcenter.com • healthylife@scifitcenter.com

TheRegistry Women Business Leaders

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

FOCUS: Construction Detailing and Interior Design. EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science, Texas Christian University. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS: Best of Design in Fort Worth, 2016-19; Best of Houzz, 2019-2020; and National Philanthropist Award. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: Zig Zigler said it best: “You’re getting what you’re getting because you’re giving what you’re giving.” I believe in a positive environment, praising my team and appreciating their efforts, giving them recognition and knowing there is no “I” in teamwork. Encouraging our design team daily is what it takes to give all we have, resulting in the best for our clients. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Raquel’s Wings for Life, a Wish with Wings, and many other local charities. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: The greatest professional achievement is to look back at a 23-year career from building homes to serving hundreds of clients with design expertise and

resources. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING WOMEN: The more you can give of yourself to anyone or any project, the more you will get back in return. Finding balance with work, family and friends is critical to any successful woman and keeping your outlook positive, faith in God and continually growing in your field to learn more each day to be able to offer more knowledge and experience. MOTTO: The Spirit of Living is in the Giving. PICTURED: Susan Semmelmann.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 4372 West Vickery Blvd. • Fort Worth, Texas 76107 940.577.1000 semmelmanninteriors.com susan@semmelmanninteriors.com

Strittmatter Wealth Management Group, LLC

FOCUS: Financial Education and Literacy, Wealth Management Services. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS: Five Star Wealth Manager Award 2016, 2017, 2018. PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP: SWMG recognizes the need for financial literacy for all ages and genders. SWMG has financial offerings, college courses, workshops, and many other resources to serve this need. We are dedicated to the education of anyone seeking to learn more. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: SWMG advisers teach continuing education classes on financial topics facing today’s aging population. Many of these courses are offered at UTA, TCC South, Tarleton State University, and Weatherford College. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: The greatest professional achievements of SWMG women are collectively striving to be financial advocates while guiding people to reach goals or financial achievements that are crucial in their lives. ADVICE FOR ASPIRING CAREER WOMEN: SWMG women would tell aspiring career women that they are worthy of it all. Worthy to have successful careers, worthy to be mothers, worthy to choose their own paths, and lastly, they are worthy to have financial literacy and make decisions that are best for them. MISSION: Our mission is to enrich, educate, and advance our clients’ lives by providing quality advice, client service, and a commitment to excellence in all that we do. PICTURED: Kelly Buchfink, Tamara Fluegel, Jacklee Woods, Tyesha Carroll, and Jessica Fox.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

101 Summit Ave., Ste. 910 • Fort Worth, Texas 76102 817.210.3444 • strittmatterwealth.com info@strittmatterwealth.com

Investment advisory services offered through SWMG a registered investment adviser.

Gloria Starling Managing Partner

The Capital Grille Fort Worth

BACKGROUND/FOCUS: Falling in love with the restaurant industry at a very young age and spent my time in college pursuing that passion. For the past 27 years, I’ve been doing what I absolutely love. Perseverance and leadership have led me to a lifelong career in the industry. My favorite quote is “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin in Winnie-the-Pooh, by A. Milne. LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY: To provide a team-oriented, nurturing environment that fosters growth and positive leadership, encouragement, and guidance. The ultimate goal is to provide an exceptional distinctive guest experience. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: I have been recognized with The Capital Grille’s highest honor for delivering high-level guest and team member experiences, as well as making a difference in our community. BUSINESS RECOGNITIONS: Numerous awards including Chairman’s Award, 2018, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Minority Leaders of Fort Worth, 2018, Fort Worth Business Press; and Bold Woman Honoree, 2019, Girls Inc. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Accomplishing a balance between the joy of being a mama to my amazing son, Gabe, serving the community, and being the managing partner at The Capital Grille Fort Worth. My focus is a quality of life and the passion for my family, as well as my career. PICTURED: Gloria Starling.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

800 Main St. • Fort Worth, Texas 76102 817.348.9200 gstarling@tcgdine.com

Ryan Vinson

MineralWare’s Ryan Vinson has built a fast-growing asset management platform for mineral rights owners. Now he’s circling back to his original idea: an online marketplace for buying, selling and leasing.

BY SCOTT NISHIMURA / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

Ryan Vinson first had the vision for an online marketplace for the buying, selling and leasing of minerals in 2007 when he graduated from Texas Tech University. The idea went on the back burner as Vinson worked full time for a trust company and then launched MineralWare, an asset management platform for owners and managers of mineral interests. In 2019, with MineralWare growing quickly and establishing itself in a market with little competition, Vinson returned to his original vision and launched the web platform Energy Domain. Both companies — Vinson and Larry Brogdon, also an investor in MineralWare, are the founding partners — are based in the Fort Worth Club Tower, where MineralWare is the largest tenant.

Big potential Vinson views Energy Domain as having significantly greater potential than

MineralWare, which cracked its first month of $250,000 in recurring revenue in 2019, triggering a substantial bonus to employees. First, “there’s a finite number of organizations that need a mineral management platform,” he says.

Cousin to Zillow? Energy Domain can be compared to Zillow, Vinson says. Where Zillow has transformed real estate in the amount of information available immediately to property owners, Energy Domain has the opportunity to demystify mineral ownership, he says. “The way it’s done today is literally [mineral] owners are getting letters every day,” he says. They know little if anything of the entity that’s making the offer and have little or no context in what their holdings are worth. “There’s very little transparency in minerals and royalties.”

How it works Energy Domain’s

platform has three choices: auction (offer your holdings for sale), test the market (invite offers), or a “buy now” option. The site handles real-time transactions 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. MineralWare has aggregated numerous data sets that are incorporated into platform, and it’s worked out a business arrangement by which it and Energy Domain own the data sets. The data in Energy Domain’s platform allows mineral owners, for one, to get a view on what their holdings are worth. “We can do this more efficiently, more effectively, and all the while with more transparency, which the industry so desperately needs,” Vinson says.

VITALS

AGE: 36

$250,000 MINERALWARE CRACKED FIRST MONTH OF $250K IN RECURRING MONTHLY REVENUE IN 2019, TRIGGERING BIG EMPLOYEE BONUS.

only if the transaction is completed. “We’re in the final stages of figuring out what that is, but what I can tell you is it’s less than half of the competition,” Vinson says.

How Energy Domain gets paid Energy Domain charges a “success fee” to the buyer and seller

Competition There’s one other online competitor, which has an auction platform, he says. He feared when he put the idea on the shelf years ago that more competition would step in. But barriers to entry are immense and include requirements for knowledge, expertise, and software development. Energy Domain has a group of seven people on its team, including Vinson and some employees shared with MineralWare. “I just believe we have the tip of the iceberg in this space,” Vinson says. “Folks are just beginning to realize just how sexy the mineral space is.”

Where the Grass Is Greener

Winter Moore gives up a job to pursue his entrepreneurial dream, and he finds an undeveloped market in residential synthetic turf.

BY JASON FORREST / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

Nobody had ever been more thrilled to sit behind a desk situated in the guest bedroom of their own home than Winter Moore was in September 2014.

Today, Moore is the founder and CEO of the wildly successful WinterGreen Synthetic Grass, the Fort Worth-based company that’s created an enormous footprint in the metroplex turf scene. The company increasingly sells its unique brand of synthetic turf to other businesses, but its primary footprint is residential, which Moore says is a huge untapped segment of the sprawling metroplex housing market.

But before Moore ever created one of Fort Worth’s fastest-growing companies, he was still figuring out the direction he wanted to take in life.

For as long as he can remember, Moore had wanted to own his own business. Gifted with a natural entrepreneurial spirit, Moore’s only problem is that he was never quite sure which business he wanted to start. The longest job Moore had ever held was selling paint for Sherwin-Williams.

He opened his own Sherwin-Williams store in Burleson in 2009 and briefly considered opening his own paint company.

But Moore continually ran up against Sherwin-Williams’ corporate atmosphere. And it didn’t sit well.

During his time at the pest control company, Moore went to a job at a home in Southlake to treat a customer’s house. It was here that he first saw synthetic turf for the first time in a residential setting. It blew him away, and it was at that moment that his entrepreneurial spirit latched onto his future calling for the first time.

“I saw turf, and it kind of fits my personality,” Moore said. “To feel accomplished, I like to see visual results. The instant change in a yard is perfect. I knew when I started seeing that, that that’s what I wanted to do.”

In September 2014, Moore decided to run toward the roar, leave his pest control job, and take the leap into his entrepreneurial dreams.

Sometimes the safest place to be is the one that feels the scariest. Lions — with their intimidating teeth and deafening roars — are designed to provoke fear. But the real danger lies with the smaller, quieter lionesses. In the animal kingdom, the lion’s job is to roar and send prey scattering away from the startling noise — right into the path of the waiting lionesses, the true hunters. If gazelles knew to run toward the frightening sound, they would have a better chance of survival. The roar doesn’t represent the real danger.

“I saw turf, and it kind of fits my personality. To feel accomplished, I like to see visual results. The instant change in a yard is perfect. I knew when I started seeing that, that that’s what I wanted to do.” – Winter Moore

“You had to go through 27 strings of management to get to someone who is a decision-maker,” Moore said. “I was a college dropout, so they’re all about hiring kids with college degrees, and it definitely gave me a chip on my shoulder.”

Moore quit Sherwin-Williams and ended up working for a pest control company, crawling into attics and crawl spaces to kill bugs. In the meantime, he was also a server at Ruth’s Chris Steak House to “help get ends to meet,” he says.

Likewise, humans sometimes have an instinctive desire to shy away from pursuits that look and sound scary. But often, running toward those challenges and conflicts is the best (or only) way to grow and meet our goals. In business, those who run from the deafening noise never reach their full potential, while those who turn and face the fear thrive.

This was Moore’s run-toward-theroar moment as he sat at his desk in his home reveling in the fact that he was finally chasing a dream that he could own. Alongside his wife, Ashley, Moore

founded WinterGreen Synthetic Grass in September 2014, and the early days were lean. Both Moore and Ashley kept their jobs at Ruth’s Chris until about a year into their company’s life cycle, only then feeling secure enough to dive entirely into the business.

And dive they did.

Moore believes his business savvy is tinged with a dose of good timing. At the time his company was born, the DFW market was extremely lightly saturated with turf options. Moore is quick to point out that the perception of turf is as a solution for commercial sports fields, but for individual residences? The idea had not taken full root in the area. More common in Arizona and California, turf for homes isn’t nearly as common in the metroplex.

In that sense, Moore was out ahead of the market. That’s part of the reason why, over the past three years, WinterGreen Synthetic Turf’s growth has exploded. The company has grown more than 800% over the past three years, and its plans of expansion are well underway. And, much to the surprise of some, the company has done it by selling the majority of its turf to residences, not to businesses.

Moore is proud of the leaps his company has made externally, but he’s even more proud of the internal strides it’s made to build the right way.

“I had some pretty rough bosses, and it must have been early enough in my teens and 20s that I didn’t want to be that. I’m as close to a friend as I can be for being a boss. It’s about being fair, being kind, being professional … I would say that’s the biggest thing for me, is creating an environment that’s fun, because it’s hard work.”

Jason Forrest is CEO of Forrest Performance Group in Fort Worth. With more than a decade of coaching and speaking experience, Jason is an expert at creating highperformance cultures through corporate training programs. He writes this column for each issue of

Fort Worth Inc.

that trusted advisors have exposure to current tools and innovative technologies and can make informed recommendations to you. Most CPA firms can offer an array of beneficial services ranging from basic bookkeeping and tax compliance to financial statement analysis. Many CPA firms offer back-office contracting, partial CFO services and consulting.

Know Your Numbers

How do you view financial data? The sooner you get a grip on your numbers, the sooner your business begins to heal and thrive. BY

SARA AVERETT

Have you ever researched medical symptoms online, made a diagnosis, worried yourself into a tizzy, and then discovered it wasn’t quite what you thought? The same is true for business owners. The sooner you engage with a trusted CPA advisor, the sooner your business begins to heal and even thrive.

Perspective

The biggest challenge and opportunity with budding business owners boils down to a perspective regarding the purpose of financial data. Group A sees financial records as something they have to do for compliance. Group B recognizes the value of financials to assess the health of their business in real-time and as a foundation on which to make informed decisions moving forward. Group C represents owners who would love to have good data but try to do it themselves to save cash or because they believe they have the skills and knowledge to do it well.

In which group do you fall? Are your decisions based mostly on your checking account balance? Do you have confidence in your books, or do you consider them a mess? Do you have good intentions of cleaning up your books yourself but never seem to get around to it? If you can push a button to run the three main financial statements, do you know how to

read them? Can you use the information to make meaningful, forward-thinking decisions? Do you think you should be making money but aren’t? Partnering with a trusted CPA can help you own your future if you’re willing to shift your mindset from wanting to know the final score only when tax time rolls around to having a coach in your corner during the live match.

Benefits

A

key benefit of partnering with a trusted advisor is their objectivity. They are rooting for you.

CPAs have the education, knowledge and skills to read the three main financial statements for diagnosing business health — profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows — and can also advise you on treating your issues. Most CPAs have a wealth of experience from working with many diverse clients. They can leverage that experience and give you ideas. Some issues are industry-specific, but many topics transcend industry lines. For example, the notion that “cash is king” applies to mobile dog groomers and landscape architects alike. All businesses need to generate cash to pay bills on time, and there are many components in the sales cycle that can be impacted. Another benefit of their vast client experience is

Trusted advisors can “speak the language” knowledgeably from various perspectives, ranging from the business owner’s viewpoint to the bank loan officer’s, and then to the pertinent compliance officer’s, like an IRS agent. Take the simple term “net income” as an example. It means different things to different parties. Ever mindful of cash, a business owner might wonder why he doesn’t have as much cash in the bank account as what the P&L reports as net income for the time period. He might miss that his loan payments or personal withdrawals drain cash but don’t hit the P&L. A bank officer might request accrual basis financials while the business owner only considers cash basis financials. Net income will differ between the two versions for things like the timing of expensing inventory or accounts payable. And last, the IRS’ version of net income will exclude certain expenses, like entertainment and penalties, which again differs from the business owner’s typical cash basis view.

A key benefit of partnering with a trusted advisor is their objectivity. They are rooting for you and want to see you succeed, but they aren’t emotionally tied to a business line or product that seems to be opposing your fiscal goals.

WE SPEAK FORT WORTH

For over 20 years, we’ve had our ears to the ground, our eyes on the ball, and our fingers on the pulse of Fort Worth. This gives us an edge to deliver the city’s best lifestyle, business, and home content.

Texas Takings

‘Come and Take It’ is not what you should utter when the government demands your land for a public use. BY GARY MOATES

Come and Take It” was the defiant response of Texas revolutionaries in 1835 in Gonzales (the site of the first battle of the Texas Revolution) to the Mexican government’s demand they return a bronze cannon Texans had received four years earlier from Mexican officials. The Mexican military failed in its attempt to forcefully take back the cannon from the Texans.

If you respond “Come and Take It” to a demand for your land and/or buildings for a public use from a governmental entity or a common carrier pipeline company for transport of oil, gas and other materials that can flow through a pipeline, they will take it, and not even Texas revolutionaries can protect you.

makes the required bona fide purchase offer to the property owner and discloses any appraisals of the property prepared in the 10 years prior to the date of the purchase offer.

If the owner does not accept the condemnor’s purchase offer and agreement on another price is not reached, the condemnor files a condemnation suit against the owner in the county where the property is located.

They can take it, but they will have to pay for it.

The condemnation (or “eminent domain” if you want to sound intelligent) process in Texas can be complicated. The process starts when the condemnor

After the suit is filed, the first of the two-phase condemnation process is the special commissioners’ hearing. Three commissioners are appointed by the court to hear from appraisers and arguments relating to the value of the property. The special commissioners only determine the award to compensate the owner for the taking, any damage to the owner’s remaining property and any relocation expenses, and do not consider legal issues. It is important for the owner to hire an appraiser expe-

rienced in condemnations to appraise the property, determine any remainder damages and testify at the special commissioners’ hearing.

If no objections to the award are filed on or before the first Monday following the 20th day after the award has been filed, the court will make the award the judgment of the court.

After the special commissioners’ award has been filed with the court, the condemnor may obtain possession of the property pending further litigation if the condemnor complies with certain requirements, including, inter alia (legalese for “among other things”), depositing the amount of the award with the court.

The second phase of the condemnation process begins when any party dissatisfied with the special commissioners’ award files written objections with the court on or before the first Monday following the 20th day after the award is filed.

This filing converts the condemnation proceeding from the first-phase administrative proceeding to the second-phase civil action subject to jury or nonjury trial de novo (Latinese for “starting from the beginning”), like any other lawsuit. The special commissioners’ award is nullified and is not admissible in evidence on the issue of damages. Just like in the special commissioners’ hearing, it is extremely important for the property owner to retain an appraiser experienced in condemnations to testify at the trial.

So, to sum up, they can take it, but they will have to pay for it. (And you thought this article was going to be about protecting cannons and gun rights.)

Gary Moates, a shareholder, heads up the real estate section at Decker Jones, an occasional contributor to Fort Worth Inc.

Earn It

What’s your value-add? Three ways to develop and demonstrate it.

BY CYNTHIA ST. JOHN

Ihad an interesting conversation with a long-time acquaintance today during the lunch break of an all-day meeting with our professional association. I had made an apparently insightful comment in the meeting, given his remark about my “doctoral education.” The conversation that followed was intriguing to me and gave absolutely no regard to political correctness, which I prefer, since it provides a window into what others are truly thinking and feeling. The conversation went like this: He proclaimed he also wanted a Ph.D. at one point in his career. He was in the military and had requested the opportunity to complete a doctoral degree, citing all the reasons he

deserved approval for the program. However, he wasn’t approved, and according to his story, it was due to hormone level and skin color. He lamented the “good old days” when he had at least one superior who was an advocate and would help him advance. The reasons he stated: They either drank the same spirit, listened to the same music or shared some other male-bonding experience like hunting or fishing.

My thought (which for better or for worse I clearly stated) was “Yes, those are much better reasons than gender or race.” My point: Gender, race or any other individual characteristic or interest is not what should determine the breaks we do or don’t get. Our contributions should.

With that said, what is your contribution? Stated a little differently, what’s your value? And, by the way, what you once did or contributed doesn’t still carry you today. What are you contributing now?

Below are three ways to help develop and demonstrate your worth:

1. Buck up. Don’t use excuses, even if you have one (or many) and feel completely justified. You may even be justified. But honestly, they only serve to keep you stuck where you are and make you look weaker. Focus instead on what you can do to move forward. We often think we can’t beat the system … but let’s be honest, more often we end up beating ourselves.

2. Set up. Get the necessary knowledge, skills and experience. Think about the role you ultimately want to achieve and then position yourself on the right trajectory to get there (i.e., if you want to be a CEO, make sure you’re on a path to secure roles that serve as a feeder for the top spot). Also, find mentors, male and female, who have done what you want to do.

3. Step up. Advocate for yourself. This is something women don’t do well. Our male counterparts tend to be much better at speaking up for themselves (yes, even when they are less experienced or qualified). Whether it’s to make a sale, get promoted or any other variety of scenarios that require us to step up — we often sell ourselves short. Muster your estro-mojo and act.

Know what you want and pursue it. To succeed, place yourself firmly in the value chain of your organization (not on the fringe) and show your contribution. Earn it. Every single day.

Cynthia St. John is principal of Chiefology, a Fort Worth firm created to bring research and experience with best-in-class, large-scale leadership and organizational practices to fields of all sizes.

Kathleen Culebro

Kathleen Culebro, in her 20th year as executive artistic director of Amphibian Stage Productions, keeps building on her base of innovative theater.

BY SCOTT NISHIMURA / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ

It’s been 20 years since Kathleen Culebro co-founded Amphibian Stage Productions in Fort Worth on a drive to produce innovative theater. This year, Amphibian, which moved in 2012 to the Near Southside’s South Main Village, is staging three world premieres and two developmental pieces. The developmental pieces allow directors and playwrights a low-pressure opportunity to experiment. Amphibian in early March completed a run of “Hans & Sophie,” a play about siblings

Hans and Sophie Scholl, builders of a major underground resistance in Nazi Germany. Beginning May 1, Amphibian will stage a three-week premiere of “Egress,” a psychological thriller. Amphibian continues to build its unique Comedy Series, which hosts budding comics. Culebro wears numerous hats; the organization operates on an $850,000 budget, two-thirds contributed, one-third earned due to its free programs. Hosting premieres “We’re really lean-

ing into the world premiere world and the new works. For [‘Hans & Sophie’], we’ll have eight producers flying to check it out. We’ve had really good luck getting [premieres] produced elsewhere. The one with the most success, we commissioned a play, an adaptation of ‘Cyrano.’ It’s now had five productions around the country.”

Turning point: Move to South Main “Maybe five years before we bought, Paul Paine, who was the executive director of Near Southside, Inc., took me on a tour of South Main, telling me this was the next thing. This was the recession; it looked scary. One day I got an email from [board member and title executive Jeff Davis]. It was the real estate agent’s information sheets. Through some magic of business minds, we found partners. We own half, and The Starr Conspiracy [marketing agency] owns the other half. We had Jeff help us with the real estate side. My husband [architect Greg Ibanez] designed the remodel, Fort Construction stepped in as contractor for a very friendly agreement, and then we pulled in every favor we could.”

The comedy series “The pressure on a comedian to have a perfect set is huge. What we offer is a place where a comedian can spend five nights and try new things. We encourage them to spend their day writing and then at night come out with new material. There’s nothing more fun for us to see the final product at the end of the five days or later on television or on tour.”

De-Cruit workshop for veterans “It uses actor training, breathing techniques and Shakespeare to help identify and manage the effects of PTSD. This was created by a veteran who was struggling. He went on to get his master’s. And now he has this program called De-Cruit. We started this in 2018. We go to Green Bay Prison where they have a veterans’ pod. We have a teacher who goes in and teaches them De-Cruit every week.”

Stilt dance classes “I was a shy nonathletic kid, and this is perfect for those kids. It’s coordination; it’s self-confidence. It’s learning how to interact with the public, because we will go out and, say, participate in Open Streets, and people want to come up and talk.”