Madeworthy Jan/Feb 2022

DO SOMETHING TODAY THAT YOUR FUTURE SELF WILL THANK YOU FOR. Our actions and decisions today will shape the way we will be living in the future.

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Q

Contributors Questions What do you hope to accomplish in 10 years, either personally or professionally?

Issue 27 | Building a Brighter Future January/February 2022 Publisher Editor Associate Publisher

Victoria Wise Lee Virden Geurkink Jennifer Kieta

Contributing Writers Emile Blaine

Caroline Pierce

Edward Brown

Linda Simmons

Buck Elliott

Eric Zukoski

Lee

Edward

Caroline

Personally, I hope to be more present. I tend to get caught up in the dark recesses of my brain and miss out on things.

Professionally, I hope to be working on Madeworthy with Victoria.

If my two kids still think I'm a good dad in 10 years then it's been a good decade.

In 10 years I hope to have graduated college with a major in journalism and be working for a news agency.

Trish

Angie

Linda

I hope to be present to my children and grandchildren should they need me. And I want to do at least one more triathlon and several bike trips.

I hope to continue creating a portfolio that tells a story. Being present in it and capturing it to show what a gift this world is would be 10 years well spent.

I hope to spend a good portion of each year in the most magical city I’ve ever known – old Savannah – while concentrating my writing more on the stories of people. We learn from others.

Contributing Photographer Angie Garcia

Illustrator Trish Wise

Lead Design

Cover Design

Conor Dardis

Victoria Wise

Madeworthy Magazine is an extension of Tanglewood Moms, LLC., and serves to tell community stories for a family audience. For website and magazine advertising opportunities, please contact: Victoria@MadeworthyMedia.com Looking for more copies Madeworthy Magazine? You can subscribe at TanglewoodMoms.com for free or pick up copies at Central Market in Fort Worth or Whole Foods in the Waterside shopping center.

Once January rolls around, Fort Worth is draped in red. Love seems to be just a little more possible, and hearts are on everyone’s mind.

Buck

Emile

Eric

In 10 years I hope to still be fulfilling my daily goal, which is to be more - a more supportive partner, patient father, compassionate human. My goal is to just be a little bit more than I was the day before.

In 10 years I want to inspire teen and college students who have faced adversity in their communities to go into not-for-profit careers by establishing an intern program in our office.

I just want to be at a point in my life where I can make a living doing the things that I enjoy doing, like making music, writing, or shooting videos. If I could monetize those skills enough while being around my family and friends, I would be very happy.

Building a Future with Heart

While most people are thinking about Valentine’s Day and how to make their loved ones’ hearts flutter with gestures and gifts, my colleagues and I at the American Heart Association are thinking about how to keep women’s hearts healthy. We are striving to build a future without cardiovascular disease.

I joined the American Heart Association last year as the executive director of the Tarrant County Division because the mission of the American Heart Association hits close to home. My mother suffered from four small strokes and two heart attacks. She eventually had a stent placed in an artery. I have seen the impact heart disease and stroke have on our community.

simply isn’t true. Heart disease is equal opportunity; it doesn’t discriminate because of a person’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or tax bracket.

Here in Tarrant County, we can build a heart-healthy future. National Wear Red Day is Friday, February 4, and I encourage you to ‘wear red and give’ in support of women’s heart health. On Thursday, February 10, join us for the 2022 Tarrant County Go Red for Women® Luncheon to learn how to take action and take control of your heart health.

During the luncheon, attendees will learn healthy living strategies to reduce their personal risk for cardiovascular disease, hear inspiring stories of the impact that Go Red for Women® has in our communities, bid on auction items, and help support the mission of the American Heart Association. Go Red for Women® is nationally sponsored by CVS Health, and the Tarrant County luncheon is locally sponsored by Texas Health Resources.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, claiming more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. While the majority of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular disease continues to be a woman’s greatest health threat, taking the life of one in every three women.

We can change that. Take small steps toward bettering your health. Become aware. Know your key personal health numbers and family history.

Lower your risk of developing heart disease by moving more, eating more wisely, and controlling your blood pressure. And encourage your family and friends to do the same.

passionate, and relevant force to eradicate heart disease and stroke through the Go Red for Women® movement, the American Heart Association remains steadfast and committed to meeting the comprehensive health needs of women — at every life stage.

2022 marks the 18th anniversary of the American Heart Association’s launch of the Go Red for Women® movement nationwide. Go Red for Women® has had a profound impact on women’s health in the United States. As the trusted,

The Go Red for Women® campaign is rooted in raising awareness among women that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women around the world. For centuries, heart disease was thought to affect only older men; this

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We have some amazing changemakers joining us at this year’s luncheon as a part of our Woman of Impact campaign. This select group of individuals is nominated for the program because of their passion to drive local change in our communities. Together, these women are advancing the American Heart Association's mission to be a relentless force to help us live longer, healthier lives.

This February, prioritize your heart health to build a healthier future. It’s not just about wearing red. It’s not just about sharing heart-health facts. It’s about all women standing together with Go Red for Women® to change our future.

One in three women die from cardiovascular diseases and losing even one woman is too many.

by Emile Blaine

Dancing Through Life...

My mother is a force of nature and the most positive person I know.

Norman Buckley The 1920s were the flapper years – short skirts, the Charleston, and bootleggers. In 1925, a baby girl was born in a small town in Oklahoma.

Betty Bob Diltz moved to Big Spring, Texas, as the Jazz Age ended, growing up as a child of the Depression.

The 1930s and 1940s were difficult for the United States as a whole and for Betty Bob’s family in particular.

When she was 10, Betty Bob was in a car accident with her paternal grandparents that took her grandmother’s life. Her mother’s health declined, and her maternal grandmother stepped in to help care for the family. When Betty Bob was 13, her father died. She lost her brother in World War II. Despite these adversities, Betty Bob grew up a happy child. She has fond memories of her youth in West Texas, which is where she fell in love with show business.

“As a child, I loved to sing and

dance and perform in front of audiences.”

Betty Bob’s older sister, Mary Ruth, danced at Casa Mañana in the late 1930s and taught dance in several towns around Texas. Mary Ruth, as well as their mother, encouraged Betty Bob to take the stage whenever an opportunity arose.

While she became a journalist, her love of performing never waned.

Journalism in the first half of the 20th century was a male-dominated world. However, Betty Bob’s career in that demanding field lasted for over 40 years and through numerous moves. “When I moved to a new town, the first thing I would do is contact the newspaper staff. They were always the nicest people.”

Betty Bob recalled her first byline, a story of the D-Day invasion, written when she was only 18.

“The D-Day story was my first byline feature on the front page of Big Spring Herald. The editor sent me downtown to talk to the citizens – such a somber time. People were gathered around car radios listening intently.

I was excited to express feelings for our brave young soldiers so far away attacking the shores of a foreign country.”

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Continue to visit us at our Hulen location through 2021. We’ll will make sure you know when to head to the new location.

WE’RE REBRANDING On January 1, 2022, Hulen Dental will become Fort Dental. This name better represents you — our family of patients from all over Fort Worth.

During World War II, Big Spring was home to the Big Spring Army Airfield, a training field for bombardiers. Betty Bob and her girlfriends would go to the base for dances with the air cadets. It was at one of these dances that she met Ernest Buckley, whom she would marry. Ernest’s military career took them far from West Texas. Betty Bob, Ernest, and their growing family moved from Maine to Morocco, finally settling for a time in South Dakota, where Ernest served as the Dean of Engineering at South Dakota State University. Ernest passed away at the age of 65 in 1989.

After moving to Fort Worth, Betty Bob served as director of public relations for Casa Mañana, establishing friendships that last to this day.

Through her journalism fraternity, Women in Journalism, she founded the Celebrity Breakfast in Fort Worth – a group that raised funds for journalism scholarships, at times raising more money than any other chapter in the United States.

Betty Bob can’t talk about her life without frequent mentions of her four children, her greatest accomplishments. Two of her children inherited their mother’s love of performing and carved out successful careers in show business. Her

youngest, Norman, is a director whose credits include such shows as Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, and most recently the highly-rated Netflix program Sweet Magnolias. Her oldest is Betty Lynn, known to the world as Betty Buckley, star of stage and screen. Her twins, Michael and Patrick, became successful engineers. Sadly, Michael passed away in 2020.

Today, Betty Bob is 96 and lives in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in Fort Worth. She has assistants to help her, but she lives alone with her Yorkie, Taz. “My mom is a very social person, and she enjoys reminiscing,” Norman said. “It’s sad that no one is left from the first half of her life to share memories of those long-ago days.”

Her best friend, Bobbie Wygant, a reporter for NBC5 for over 70 years, still visits frequently. And Betty Bob loves going to lunch at local tearooms where anyone who is fortunate enough to accompany her will feel like a celebrity.

The little girl from West Texas dreamed big and achieved great things.

Betty Bob Buckley danced through life, both literally and metaphorically, and although the tune is slower now, she still sways to the melody.

by Linda Simmons Photos courtesy of Betty Bob Buckley

Fresh Family Recipes

Greens ‘n Beans This recipe comes from local chef Scotty Scott’s brand new cookbook, Fix Me a Plate: Traditional and New School Soul Food Recipes from Scotty Scott of CookDrankEat, available on January 25 from Page Street Publishing.

“This dish is part Tuscan bean soup and part down home collard greens.

by Lee Virden Geurkink

Although there’s usually a fair bit of meat in collard greens from the smoked turkey or ham hocks I always felt like collards were one ingredient away from being a complete meal. Enter some delicious cannellini beans. A bit more stock or water than usual and voila, a delicious collard green meal.”

Texas-Style Barbecue Spareribs Chicago-born Trevor Sales is quickly becoming the darling of the burgeoning Fort Worth barbecue scene. After serving his delicious brisket, barbacoa, and ribs from a food truck, Sales’ Brix Barbecue is moving to a brick-and-mortar location this spring.

His sparerib recipe is perfect for any backyard barbecue!

Ingredients 1 tablespoon (20 ml) olive oil 1 large onion chopped 1 large carrot chopped 2 celery ribs chopped 3 garlic cloves minced 3 garlic cloves smashed ½ teaspoon Red pepper flakes 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh thyme ½ teaspoon fresh oregano 1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder 6 cups (1.5 l) vegetable or chicken broth Parmesan rind (optional) 2 bunches collard greens, stems trimmed and chopped 1 pound (500 g) dried cannellini beans Fresh parsley for serving Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Ingredients The most beautiful rack of pork spareribs you can afford Seasoning rub of your choice – Trevor recommends salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika Apple cider vinegar Your favorite barbecue sauce – Trevor says if the sauce is thick, thin it down with some apple cider vinegar

Directions Preheat your smoker to 250°. Rub the seasoning into the rack of spareribs and smoke for 3 hours.

Halfway through, spray or lightly baste with the apple cider vinegar.

After three hours, wrap the ribs in foil, either spray or lightly baste with more vinegar, and brush on a light glaze of the barbecue sauce.

Directions “In a large, heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and cook another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Add the garlic, red pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic powder and stir to combine. Add the stock, beans and the parmesan rind. Bring the soup to boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add in the collard greens and stir to combine.

Place the wrapped ribs, meat side down, back in the smoker and cook for another 2 hours.

Unwrap the ribs and smoke for a final 20 to 30 minutes to let the glaze caramelize before serving.

Cook for an additional 45 minutes until the greens start to become tender.

We want them tender but not falling apart.

The Ghost of Green Lantern Smoothie

Serve and enjoy.”

Chef Lanny Lancarte shares this healthy and delicious smoothie from Righteous Foods. It’s the new year, after all, and building a brighter future needs healthy nutrition.

Ingredients 6 chunks of frozen mango 1 banana 1 ounce kale ¼ avocado 2 ounces coconut milk 1 tablespoon almond butter 6 cubes ice

Illustrations by Trish Wise

Directions Blend all ingredients in a blender. Adjust the consistency with coconut milk to taste, as needed.

Serve 1.

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Building a

Flexible Future

It’s said that success is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. While preparation is important, opportunity makes the difference. The most important life skill is the ability to spot an opportunity and summon the courage to follow the unplanned and uncertain path that it presents.

Farmer Isaac Newton, printers Orville and Wilbur Wright, and college student Mark Zuckerberg all seized opportunities – and ended up changing the world.

of my strengths and weaknesses.

VW: I wish I had known that I would be an entrepreneur.

It would have served me well to take some business courses.

I started my first business in 1999. I had already been making jewelry and selling it to stores in high school and college. I went all in and

Consider Madeworthy. What started out as a community group on Facebook grew into a magazine that is an important resource for Fort Worth. I spoke with the magazine’s publisher, Victoria Wise, and editor, Lee Virden Geurkink, to ask them about the relationship between preparation, adaptability, and success.

What was your college major and whatdrew you to it?

Lee Virden Geurkink: I was a history major. Specifically, early medieval British history.

Victoria Wise: I was a failed pre-med major who quickly shifted to studying film and photography. They were my hobbies in high school and somehow made sense for what I may want to do with my future.

What did you plan on doing after graduation?

LVG: I thought I would be a history professor.

LVG: Once I was in graduate school, I realized I could never be a professor. Professors have homework, and I never did homework. The realization came… from an understanding

organizations do you join, what sports do you play, what jobs do you take while getting your education? I plan on helping my son launch his first business in ninth grade so that when he graduates high school, he can either continue it or experience his first exit.

VW: I followed my passion, worked really hard at anything I wanted to achieve, and believed it would work out…

Malcolm Gladwell wrote that entrepreneurs are delusional about their goal-setting and risk-taking. Ask any of us, we just charge ahead without consideration of failure.

Do you think it’s better to specialize and commit to a path early or to generalize and leave as many paths open as possible?

How important is your choice of major to success after college?

What factors determine success besides major?

VW: After graduation, I quickly realized I did not want a career in film. I worked hourly jobs until I found my passion.

How did your plans change after graduation?

What do you think caused these changes?

LVG: Honestly, I had no idea that answering a call for blog writers would lead to a job writing for and editing a magazine. But that’s what happens when you work with Victoria – she makes you realize you can do more than you ever thought possible!

bought supplies, created line sheets, and sold my jewelry at the Dallas World Trade Center.

How did you know that the path that led to what you’re doing today was worth following? Was it a certainty or more a leap of faith?

LVG: Most people think my major was frivolous. However, I learned to read critically, write coherently, research, and think. While I don’t use my knowledge of early West Anglo Saxon saint cults of the 11th century, I use the skills I acquired in college every day.

VW: I am less concerned about what [my children] major in and more concerned about the extras you layer on. Which

LVG: I’m a firm believer in the liberal arts model of college.

Take a lot of different courses.

Follow your interests. You’ll figure out what your strengths are. Let’s face it, you have the rest of your life to be an adult.

Use your time in college to grow up.

VW: If you have it in your heart to commit, commit. If you are wavering between many things, you think you’d like to pursue, keep those paths open. My dad knew from a very young age he wanted to be a doctor... [but] he switched from pediatrics to radiology, so I think even if you do commit, you can still make changes based on new opportunities.

There is no guarantee of success. Prepare as best you can but be flexible and take chances. Learning to recognize and seize new opportunities makes all the difference.

by Eric Zukoski

T H E OA K R I D G E S C H O O L . O RG

Help them discover who they are meant to be.

The Promise of a College Education Your child has been accepted and is going to college! Congratulations!

If you’re like most parents, you’re probably excited but also worried. You’re thrilled that your child is off to the next step in their life but are worried about whether or not they will make friends, choose a major, and succeed in their studies. More importantly, how will they make it to class when they cannot even make their bed in the morning?

Underlying all this understandable anxiety is the big question: How are you going to pay for college? The costs of a college education continue, and the news media feeds into this by dramatically highlighting the rising costs. Despite this, thousands of families manage to put their kids through college each year.

There are a variety of strategies to pay for college. One of the most popular for Texans is the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. The Texas Tuition Promise Fund is our state’s Section 529 prepaid tuition fund. It is a taxadvantaged savings plan that allows individuals to prepay for their children's education by locking in current undergraduate tuition rates and fees at public colleges and universities in Texas. Individuals can enroll in the plan anytime between September 1 and February 28 (or 29 in leap years). If your child is younger than one, the enrollment is extended until July 31.

The Texas Match the Promise program is a related program that provides scholarships to selected students in fifth through ninth grades who are enrolled in the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. The Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan and the Texas Tomorrow Plan were previous versions of the Texas Tuition Promise Fund, but these plans closed to new enrollment in 2003. They are, however, still honored by the state of Texas for students who enrolled before they closed.

But is the program worth it?

I asked a local lawyer who has two children currently enrolled at the University of Texas in Austin with one more headed to college next year if these plans help. He said, “It is not easy, but you learn to save where you can.” He enrolled his two older children in the Texas Tomorrow fund as soon as they were born. When his youngest was born, the plan was closed but reopened when his son was five. However, the monthly costs had increased dramatically from when his daughters were enrolled. “When it was started, the Texas Tomorrow Fund was the best deal going. In fact, it was too good. The fund did not anticipate how quickly college tuition would rise, so it had to change, but it is still very good. It was worth the money.” He also used a separate 529 Plan to pay for his two oldest children’s college living expenses, which he says also worked well.

However, what if you enroll your children in the Texas Tuition Promise fund and they go to a private college or university instead of a state school? I spoke with a local business owner who used the Texas Tomorrow Fund to send his two daughters to Baylor. He started paying into the Texas Tomorrow Fund when they were born.

While they did not attend a Texas state university, he still said it was a good investment since the fund paid Baylor the equivalent of the tuition rate at a Texas public university at the time. He said, “I would do it again. For me, it was about having peace of mind. If I had been hit by a bus, I would know that college for my daughters was still paid for.”

The consensus seems to be that the Texas Tuition Promise Fund is a good option for paying for your child’s college education. It provides a way to not only fund college, but it locks in tuition rates and costs to combat future increases. (Just remember that the funds often close so enrolling early is important.) You do not have to worry about whether your child will ultimately enroll in a Texas public college or university. The fund provides a mechanism to accommodate if that happens.

Paying for college is stressful. There are a lot of issues involved in sending your beloved child to college that you cannot control. Preparing for how to pay for it is one stress that you can control.

by Caroline Pierce

by Edward Brown

PUTTING PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT Elyse Dickerson vividly remembers the day she parted ways with her long-term employer, Alcon. It was early January of 2015 when she noticed a FedEx envelope on her front doorstep. The unexpected termination letter turned her world upside down. She had spent the last 13 years as a global director at the Fort Worth eyecare company. While employees knew that the 2011 acquisition of Alcon by Novartis had transformed the beloved local company into a profit-driven machine that saw employees as numbers, Dickerson said the news left her emotionally battered.

“It was devastating,” Dickerson recalled. “I was the first female global director in the organization. I had so many friends there and a love for the company. It was devastating. Things went through my head like, ‘I’m a failure. What are people going to think of me?’”

The need to support her two children, even with a working husband, left Dickerson worried about things that she had taken for granted, like being able to pay the mortgage.

“It took a week or two to work through that raw pain,” she recalled.

“It was a moment where I could either wallow or I could get up and fight another day. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fighter. I immediately took a venture finance course online to learn about raising money. I started sketching out business plans.”

Flash forward several years, and it’s evident that Dickerson has successfully used that painful event to build something with a bright future. Sitting in the conference room of Eosera, a Fort Worth-based biotechnology company with 20 employees and a growing national portfolio of products, Dickerson was joined by her business partner, Joe Griffin. A few months after Dickerson was let go, Griffin was caught in the same wave of Alcon layoffs that were intended to maximize corporate profits. The two friends and longtime colleagues began planning their next business move.

Griffin, who has a Ph.D. in toxicology, remembered those conversations starting around values and culture. Both biotechnology workers were left emotionally pummeled by their abrupt terminations from a company that they thought would reward their years of earnest labor.

“What can we do to make a better work environment?” Dickerson asked Griffin during those early conversations.

The venture that would become Eosera, they agreed, would be based on a simple principle: Treat people the way you want to be treated.

10

Our employees “feel valued and empowered every day,” Dickerson said. “In big companies, we got to the point where we felt like numbers, like we were there to deliver the bottom line to them.

You didn’t feel like you mattered as a person. It sounds so simple. That is how we lead, and that is how we treat anyone who comes in this door. When we make mistakes, we share with the group and try to teach them that there is value in authenticity.

Bringing your true self to work instead of what you think they want is often lost in corporate America.”

Dallas Entrepreneur Center and Comerica Bank after winning a pitch competition.

“We were like, ‘Oh my God, we have a company,’” Dickerson recalled thinking of the time.

That award led to phone calls from investors.

Eosera’s biggest break, though, came in 2016 when the company was picked up by CVS Pharmacy.

Dickerson had 10 minutes to sell a CVS employee on Eosera’s new product, EARWAX MD.

But even the loftiest of business missions need a useful product.

Griffin, who handles clinical design and research as Eosera’s chief scientific officer, said the early months of the company focused on listening to medical professionals.

“We took advantage of relationships we had with healthcare professions, looking for any opportunity we could to have lunch or any meetings we could have” with physicians, Griffin said. “We were basically asking them what was missing from the market or what would make their practice or a consumer’s life easier — low-hanging fruit that no one else was paying attention to.”

“I had an eight-minute pitch down,” Dickerson recalled. “I built the story around how there hasn’t been innovation in this category in decades. We are bringing innovation. I was asking to be in 2,000 stores. At the end of the eight minutes, he told me, ‘I love this. I want it in 8,000 stores, and I need it in three months.’”

The overwhelming response, the business co-owners found, was a need for a better ear wax removal product. For various reasons, busy doctors didn’t see removing ear wax as a good use of

Dickerson said she was simultaneously ecstatic and terrified by the news.

“I got to the rental car and called Joe,” she said. “I told him that I have really good news and really bad news. We had nothing at the time. We had a dream. We got on a plane and found a manufacturer. Our first production run was 80,000 units. We went from zero to 100 overnight, and that was just the start.”

With each new account, Eosera outgrew its current location. The growing business has been

“”

I built the story around how there hasn’t been innovation in this category in decades. We are bringing innovation. their time, Griffin said. Being able to recommend a quality home remedy topped the needs of the healthcare professionals Dickerson and Griffin spoke with.

The business partners worked out of UNT Health Science Center for the remainder of 2015. Griffin collected ear wax from area medical practices and got to work learning about which chemicals and solutions would best dissolve or dislodge the waxy material.

“We tried hundreds of combinations of ingredients,” Griffin recalled. “We landed on a couple of formulas that would break down wax better than anything in the market.”

As Griffin dug into the science of ear wax, he learned that the waxy compound varies from person to person but basically consists of dead skin cells and a secretion from the ear canal’s modified sweat glands. The material that coats the ear canals slowly flows outward, he said. Under ideal conditions, the slow movement of ear wax naturally cleanses the ears.

The system in the ear canal is different than anywhere else in the body, Griffin explained.

There are several ways that the system of ear wax secretion can break down and lead to buildup in the ear that can cause discomfort and temporary hearing loss. Some people overproduce skin cells, ear wax, or both, according to Griffin. Clogged ear canals may be more prevalent in our modern era, he continued. Earplugs and listening devices that have become a common feature of daily life can obstruct the ear’s natural cleaning process.

While other areas of healthcare had evolved, the ear care industry was relying on decades-old devices and formulas. Once Griffin had developed a small portfolio of washing devices and ear drops, Dickerson needed to land those products on shelves.

In 2016, Eosera won a $50,000 prize from The

housed by the nonprofit business incubator Tech Fort Worth, in an office in the West 7th area, and now in its current location in a large office and warehouse facility in Fort Worth’s Southside.

Along the way, and as Eosera has expanded its product line, many of Dickerson’s and Griffin’s former colleagues have provided advice or answered technical questions free of charge.

“We are always willing to pay” for those consulting services, Griffin said. “Many times, they give us free wisdom. The bridges that we built can pay off in numerous ways.”

Dickerson said those moments are a commentary on how the co-owners lived out their professional lives. When you pay it forward, sometimes that goodwill pays dividends.

With this issue's theme of building your future in mind, I asked Dickerson how it felt to be finally building what I thought was her lifelong goal.

Interestingly, her answer wasn’t pegged to Eosera or any one project that she has or will work on.

“You are always building your future,” she said.

“I don’t know where I’ll be 10 years from now. If you have a learner mindset, no matter what role you are in, you’re learning something and preparing for who knows what in the future. The future is unknowable, and you should always be open to possibilities and open to learning. We would not be able to do what we are doing now without that history. You are always hitting new peaks.”

As Dickerson answered, Griffin intently listened and nodded.

“Yes, keep learning,” he said. “Make sure that you continue to build your network. If you never burn a bridge, I feel like life would be successful. I can always go to [former colleagues] to ask for help.”

Dickerson occasionally speaks to young

11

entrepreneurs. At one such recent event, a student asked if it was a good idea to start up a business right out of college. Dickerson answered without hesitation.

“No,” she replied. “Go have experiences.

Take different jobs. Nothing is forever. Use those experiences to learn. One of my jobs was literally taking price tags on and off garments in college.

You have to stick with it. It taught me how I wanted to be treated. You learn so much in those less-thanideal jobs.”

Eosera, once known as an earwax removal company, is expanding to include nasal products like Baby Nose Well, a nasal aspirator for babies and toddlers. Nose Well for adults is an improvement of the Neti pot — one that can be used without having to tilt your head. In the coming months, Eosera will be on shelves in Krogers across the country. As the product line expands to treat other areas of the body, Dickerson said customers will be introduced to a growing line of premium products.

“Our overall mission is to bring healthcare products to underserved categories,” Dickerson said. “If you had told us that we would be where we are today, I would have said no way. The volume that we thought was crazy a year ago is super simple now. Right now, it is one bite at a time.”

Dickerson and Griffin are in the process of hiring two leadership positions. At the forefront of their minds, Dickerson said, is ensuring that Eosera’s company culture does not falter. The co-owners said that much of Eosera’s mission and culture was shaped by how they were treated toward the end of their years at Alcon.

Company culture is set by example. At the end of a long day, if an overflowing trash bin needs to be taken out, either co-owner does it without ordering menial tasks to workers. Treating visitors with equal levels of respect is another hallmark of Eosera work culture. The practice of putting people before profits is a model that Dickerson and Griffin said is part of the company’s success.

The co-owners acknowledged that, one day, the company that they founded may be guided by a large corporate board and a team of executives.

If the company grows the way that Dickerson and Griffin intend it to, then future Eosera employees will never be dismissed with something as cold as a FedEx letter.

“We think Eosera will outgrow us, but we have to leave it in good hands,” Griffin said. “The internal culture is non-negotiable.

Photos by Angie Garcia

Made in Fort Worth

Morgan Mercantile In this issue’s edition of Made in Fort Worth, we sat down with Chance Morgan of Morgan Mercantile. Chance and his wife Kala produce some of Fort Worth’s most creative custom-printed goods and merchandise.

Started in 2015, the Morgans opened their brick-and-mortar retail location in the Near Southside in 2019. Their in-house label, Panther City Provisions, is now seen on some of Fort Worth’s most influential influencers. Chance and Kala’s eye for design have elevated Morgan Mercantile from a simple print and promo company to a company that reflects the creative vibe of Funkytown.

How did you get started with Morgan Mercantile?

Previous to Morgan Mercantile, I was in a band called Burning Hotels and had graduated from UTA with a BFA in Photography.

As the band was winding down, I was introduced to the apparel industry and took a job as a sales rep while bartending. I was always more interested in production and design, so I tried to learn everything I could about screen printing, embroidery, and niche custom manufacturing capabilities… which is what we do for our clients at Morgan Mercantile.

Tell us about Panther City Provisions.

Panther City Provisions is our inhouse label for our retail division of Morgan Mercantile. When we opened our brick and mortar, my wife Kala, came on as director of retail operations and runs our

South Main shop. We focus on everyday goods including apparel, headwear, accessories, and home goods. We got our retail start from doing pop-ups at Arts Goggle in the Near Southside and releasing an annual Fort Worth-based collection of goods, like our “Panther City” tee.

Your design eye is spot on. how do you get your inspiration for design and products?

I have always been obsessed with hand lettering, sign painting, and packaging, so we use the nostalgia of classic design to guide us. We lived in Arlington Heights for a couple of years, and I would see this older gentleman with incredible style painting all the signs up Camp Bowie, so I just pulled over one day and introduced myself. Donald Clark, better known as “The Sign Man,” as his business card states, is also one of my biggest inspirations.

He cuts lines, tells stories, and

enriches our community with his work and love for making old things new.

The theme of this issue is "Build a Future", how does MM help build futures for the companies and brands you work with?

We really try to just help guide all the positive things the client is currently doing and produce them into goods that you want to actually live in. Designing and developing the art is the hardest part but dialing in those special characteristics that make people truly love a brand goes beyond cool assets. At the end of the day, we are also pretty good at just making stuff cool.

For business owners reading this, what is the most important item you would recommend that they have as part of their branded swag?

I think more importantly than an item, know who you want to be. If you know who you are as a brand, you’ll know who you are making goods for. If I had to choose one item, I think a cost-effective tote with a one-color logo is a core piece. It’s utilitarian, accessible to most, and a noncommittal item that you can rep without having to wear it across your chest.

by Madeworthy Editorial Staff Photos by Nate Goins

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Playing It Smart: The Future of Fort Worth Real Estate For the past year and a half, the real estate market in DFW (especially the FW part) has been red hot.

The median sale price of a singlefamily home in Fort Worth is more than $300,000, up more than 20% over 2020. Someone who bought a home for less than $200,000 five or more years ago is likely sitting on 50% more equity (home value if sold) than what they originally paid.

The raw prices appear intimidating, but that shouldn’t keep you from looking at an upgrade. Trends show that investing in your home, especially in Fort Worth, is a good bet. When the American real estate market crashed in 2008, the Metroplex was the last major metro area to be affected and the first to rise from the ashes of the subprime mortgage crisis.

Investing in real estate favors the patient and the prepared. Despite the popularity of buying distressed properties to remodel and sell at a profit (known as “flipping”), the recent debacle involving Zillow, who recently disbanded their home buying division after overpaying for thousands of homes, stands as a cautionary tale.

The sharp increase in local values coupled with expansive population growth (Fort Worth was the second fastest-growing large city in the United

States in 2020) equals tremendous stability for residents who can weather short-term fluctuations and commit to staying put.

The key to that stability is preparation, and we’re not talking about repainting your bathroom.

Finding a well-connected agent is the first step for anyone intending to compete in such a hot market.

Most Fort Worth real estate sales now are "off-market,” meaning desirable listings rarely reach the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) database before they’ve been sold.

Realtor Walker Turney, of The Turney Group for Williams Trew, said, “Fort Worth’s prices are lower than the four other large cities in Texas (Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio), despite being the 12th largest city in America and second-fastest growing.

Considering that, the affordable luxury prices won’t last forever.”

Historically low interest rates have kept consumers in the hunt despite price increases. Mike McCoy, a mortgage banker with Susser Bank, noted an uptick in new mortgages over the last year. He suggested vetting your lender ahead of time for their standards regarding employment status, debt-to-income ratios, and

13

credit scores to make the buying process smooth. There are concerns that interest rates might rise to combat inflation, but thus far, rates have stayed in their lowest range since the Emergency Home Finance Act was established in 1970.

Traditional homes aren’t the only means to build assets. Raw land purchases are increasing in popularity.

Who hasn’t dreamed of ditching city life to homestead or ranch? Allen Crumley of Lands and Dwellings at Williams Trew, specializes in ranch and land sales. Crumley emphasized, “Find something with desirable natural assets and don’t max out your budget. Great wealth has been built through land investments, and time is your friend. The longer you can hold on to something, the more likely you will be able to sell it at the right time and see greater returns.”

Crumley said that prospective land buyers should expect to pay slightly higher interest rates and be prepared for a bigger down payment on a prospective purchase. However, “a common exit strategy in land investments that is not available on your primary residence [is one that] allows you to sell a property and purchase another one while avoiding

paying income tax on the gain from the sale of the first.”

Commercial real estate is an exciting option for those who want to participate in a sector which is extremely competitive. Chris Powers, founder and executive chairman of Fort Capital LP, said that businesses are expanding, and vacancies are low, leading to higher rents for commercial properties and better values for owners. When asked how best to enter the commercial market without buying an expensive commercial property outright, Powers suggested, “Look at finding a professional sponsor and participating in limited partnerships with them. It’s more passive and still provides great riskadjusted opportunities.” Despite an expansion in employees working from home, office leasing is back to pre-pandemic levels, and industrial warehousing has skyrocketed with vacancy at all-time lows and market rates up between 20% to 30% according to Powers.

The Fort Worth area real estate market continues to grow. If you play a smart long game, investing in our community will continue to provide for you and yours for years to come.

by Buck Elliott

Influencing with Purpose:

TaKiyah Wallace

dancers for any of the goods or services that we provide. Therefore, we rely entirely on the kindness and generosity of people like you!

of Brown Girls Do Ballet

Who have you been most star-stuck to meet?

®

Social media influencers are everywhere. However, not all influencers were made equally. Some use their platforms for more than just advertising themselves.

This issue’s Influencing with Purpose focuses on TaKiyah Wallace of Brown Girls Do Ballet®, which aims to redefine the traditionally Euro-centric world of ballet to reflect what our world really looks like.

- by Madeworthy Editorial Team What motivated you to start the Brown Girls Do Ballet Instagram?

As one Texas girl to another, I absolutely have to say Kelly Clarkson!

Kelly featured me on an episode and was the absolute sweetest!

Tell us about your photo project.

How many cities has it traveled to?

I've shot the project in 14 cities and exhibited images in four. This will grow significantly by 2023 as I finalize our first big, published book of the images shot since 2012... Several of the photos have found their way into various archives and collections, including the University of Michigan and University of Virginia's course on "Global Black Girlhood."

®

[It] began truly began as an accident.

In late 2012… I kicked off what I thought was a personal photography project… to highlight girls of color in ballet programs. I was surprised upon discovering the lack of cultural diversity in local ballet schools while searching for a program for my then three year old. Like any mom, I grew concerned about how my daughter would feel in a class where no one resembled her.

When you aren't working on BGDB or photographing, what are you doing with your spare time?

Spare time is such a foreign concept for me these days, but I love reading when I do catch some. I just started the Lightmaker Manifesto by Karen Walrond. Otherwise, I consider myself a foodie and am always trying to sneak off for some alone time eating at the many places I've saved to visit via Instagram. So if you're out and about and see me eating alone, I promise I'm not lonely, just hungry.

What's next for TaKiyah Wallace? … to continue to spend as much time with my family and friends…

I'm finishing up my first book, and…I hope to have some time to devote some attention to a couple of other projects that I started after Brown Girls that could use a little care…

[I want to] grow all of my projects into one massive one to benefit the neighborhood in Fort Worth (Southside) that raised me. But I'm keeping it a secret right now...

At what point did you know it was going to be a success?

I didn’t know it would be a success…

What I thought was just a longing for me resonated with people all over the globe and opened the floodgates for conversations about diversity in the ballet world as well as other industries.

Tell us about your Brown Girls Do non-profit.

Photo by Esther Huynh

®

{We are} a registered 501(c)3… to promote diversity in the arts by providing annual scholarships, a mentor network, and community programs to empower young girls…

Two programs under our arts division are Brown Girls Do Ballet® and Brown Girls Do Gymnastics®. We are in the process of starting other entities under our umbrella so be on the lookout soon!

What do your partners provide your organization, like Athleta and Janie & Jack?

We are honored to have incredible partnerships with companies like Athleta, Janie & Jack, and Fathead… [which] allows us to have the opportunity to reach those who are not familiar with our mission and vision. In addition to the visibility it gives us, we are also able to further our programming with partnerships like these as the proceeds from purchases help fund programs like our Pointe Shoe Program and scholarships…

How does someone become a mentor for an aspiring ballerina or gymnast?

We want dancers and gymnasts (current and former) and professionals across disciplines with a desire to make the next generation's path a little easier to step into the light...

Photos by TaKiyah Wallace

What are the biggest obstacles facing women and girls of color with ballet and gymnastics today?

One of the greatest obstacles facing women and girls of color in ballet and gymnastics today is access to resources. Lessons and training are expensive, and while there may be diverse and inviting spaces around them, parents often cannot afford what can be seen as an unnecessary luxury…

It's time for the lightning round! Give us the name of each of your Fort Worth favorites:

How can our readers contribute to your supply closet?

Coffee shop - Black Coffee Breakfast/brunch place - Snooze, an A.M. Eatery Hangout with friends - Press Cafe Place to relax and recharge - The Ashton Museum or gallery - The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth Artist or musician - Leon Bridges

Wanting to provide a sense of normalcy to young girls that were displaced as a result of flooding and hurricanes [in Louisiana and Houston], the closet was purchased and stocked to gift items to those young dancers… [we never charge]

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Yearly event - Growing up, it was always Mayfest Boutique - Prim & Proper Best bartender/cocktail - Game Theory’s Ice Breaker Sweet treat - The Queen’s Crumbs Hamburger joint - Griff’s Barbecue - Brix Barbecue Mexican restaurant - Joe T. Garcia’s

Fort Worthies

Our Community’s Movers & Shakers | by Lee Virden Geurkink

South Main Village is getting a new public space!

The public alley connecting South Main Street and Bryan Avenue is too narrow for car traffic, so it will be reimagined as The South Main Squeeze, a “lively public patio.” Adjacent businesses have collaborated with Near Southside, Inc. to come up with an adaptable and flexible design that will serve all. It will also provide a direct pedestrian connection to The Skinny, the public park on Crawford Street.

Fire Station Park is getting a facelift! The skatepark design experts, New Line Skateparks, have been working with landscape architect firm Pacheco Koch and the city of Fort Worth to design a new children’s bike track for the park located at 1616 Hemphill. It will be a closed-loop practice track with rolling berms and other elements, along with banked turns for wheels of all types. The construction was about to start at the time of publication, so stay tuned!

Photo courtesy of Near Southside, Inc.

Vision boards can be an incredibly powerful tool for you or your team to visualize your future and the steps needed to achieve that future. In the creation of a vision board, possibilities and desires become clear. The board creates a space for creativity, precision, and excitement. Lynette Kile is a certified life coach for overwhelmed moms who also hosts vision board workshops for teams and groups of 10 or more people, either virtually or in person throughout DFW. Photo by Amber Shumake

On January 1, Dr. Karen Duncan became the President and CEO of JPS Health Network. In doing so, she also became the only female CEO of a major health system in North Texas. Prior to becoming CEO, Dr. Duncan served as the network’s COO for five years. In that time, she transformed the community health network of medical homes and clinics and steered the implementation of the JPS Future Plan. Congratulations, Dr. Duncan!

Photo by Kevin Fujii/JPS Health Network

Born and raised in El Salvador, sustainable living was part of Erika Pitstick's life from an early age.

While helping with the garden and family farms, Erika perfected how to make the most of a budget while reducing her carbon footprint. After moving to California for college and settling down with her husband in Texas, Erika found ways to intertwine her culture, intentional upbringing, and love for the outdoors with her family's daily life. She offers insights into a sustainable lifestyle on her blog, and her book, Taking Roots at Home, will be published in March!

Photo by Kristin Phatthong

Following a series of strongly supportive community meetings and presentations to City Council, a development agreement for a major mixed-use development in Evans & Rosedale village are moving forward. A wide range of new housing options, retail storefronts, restaurants, a proposed grocery store, small business spaces, and a major expansion of public park space would be developed on property currently owned by the City of Fort Worth and affiliated entities. Upon construction, the City of Fort Worth and Hoque Global believe that the Evans & Rosedale mixeduse development will lead the way for growth and more investment in this part of town. Construction is slated to begin later in 2022.

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Creative Catalyst:

big dream dreamer.

Cortney Gumbleton and The FoundHers Club Entrepreneur [ahn-truh-pruh-noor], noun: a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. [definition courtesy of Dictionary.com].

Locavore grew from Cortney’s desire to market a line of jams and jellies. In researching commercial kitchens, she realized that there was nothing out there that would offer both kitchen space to produce her confitures while offering guidance on how to scale up production, as well as contacts with potential customers.

Cortney realized that Fort Worth was the place for this new kind of foodie co-working kitchen. She reached out to Carlo Capua, the co-founder of Z’s Café and Catering, as a partner. And thus, Locavore was born.

There are some people who are happy with the status quo. They go to work and then go home to their families, content in their lives. Then there are those who are always looking for a way to create opportunities for themselves and others. Cortney is the latter. An alumna of Leadership Fort Worth, a member of Rotary Club of Fort Worth, a board member of Amphibian Stage… these are just some of the many ways that Cortney gives back to her community.

“As far back as I remember, I’ve enjoyed championing others,” Cortney said. “It’s what fills my cup and brings me joy. Everyone can use someone in their corner who believes in them and shares that belief with the world.

If I feel passionate about something, there’s no holding me back.”

It’s that passion to help others that lead Cortney to start a podcast.

Now I know what you’re thinking. A podcast? Do we need another podcast?

The definition of “entrepreneur” is pretty boring. It doesn’t encompass the spirit of the word – the vision, the courage, and the hope that are involved in starting a business. It doesn’t tell of the blood, sweat, and tears that are shed, sometimes literally and always metaphorically, that a new business demands. Yet when we call someone an entrepreneur, we know. We know what they have endured to achieve.

Cortney Gumbleton is an entrepreneur. In 2018, she opened Locavore along with Carlo Capua.

Unlike other rentable commercial kitchens, Locavore is a culinary coworking space that offers fledgling food entrepreneurs (there’s that word) the support and guidance to grow their idea into a business.

Instead of simply renting commercial kitchen space, Locavore connects its “foodie trailblazers” with mentors.

With mentorship comes a greater opportunity for success.

Cortney may have grown up in Wisconsin, but she considers herself a

Fort Worthian through and through. “I'm originally from Wisconsin but have called Fort Worth home since 2003,” she said. “I served two honorable tours in the Navy here, met my husband and got married here, had our son here, attended college at TCU, bought a home here, and started a business here. I may not have been born in Fort Worth, but many of my personal and professional milestones were all achieved here, and I consider Fort Worth my home.”

With a bachelor’s degree in social work from Texas Christian University and a master’s degree in the same from the University of Texas at Arlington, running a commercial kitchen/food incubator and championing budding entrepreneurs was perhaps not what Cortney imagined doing upon graduation.

However, after several years working for non-profits, including a stint as the Executive Director of the Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation, Cortney has proven herself as a risk-taker and

The short answer is an enthusiastic “Yes!” The FoundHers Club celebrates women entrepreneurs. The idea, Cortney said, is to not only showcase these courageous women but to highlight their stories – the way that they faced challenges, overcame obstacles, succeeded and (even more importantly) failed while getting up the next morning to keep going and growing.

“I feel like women business owners deserve recognition for their work, and that their incredible stories need

19

to be told,” enthused Cortney.

“All around us, women are taking the entrepreneurial plunge, yet they face many challenges making their journeys difficult. I felt it was important to create a place for women founders to share their stories in an authentic and brave way, encouraging other women to start businesses knowing it won’t be a fairytale.”

When asked for a sneak peek of some of the incredible women profiled on The FoundHers Club, Cortney couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Meghan Forest Farmer recently raised $60,000 through her first Kickstarter Campaign for The Bright Factory, where she’s disrupting the fashion industry and giving a second chance through employment to previously incarcerated women.

Cheramie Law Aho is a Black, female winemaker with a mission to support the Texas Wine Industry. Teenage Dallas sisters, Isabelle and Katherine Adams, are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their social enterprise, Paper For Water, where they have raised millions of dollars to drill hundreds of wells in third world countries. [When they were] only eight and five years old, they learned that millions of people do not have access to clean drinking water. Their solution is to create unique origami art and sell them to raise money for wells, and they’ve done an incredible job.”

No wonder Cortney is excited!

There are, quite literally, thousands upon thousands of business podcasts available. All claim to offer insight into the entrepreneurial mind. When asked what sets The FoundHers Club above the rest, Cortney said, “[The FoundHers Club] shows a vulnerable side of entrepreneurs… We aren’t interested in sharing stories of perfection. This is all about presenting the very real, human side where our listeners can build a genuine connection with the women who have come before them. Most importantly, we are showcasing women who are disrupting their markets and challenging the status quo.

Women have an incredible ability to identify creative solutions to problems… I truly believe the power is in their stories of overcoming the incredible obstacles that were once placed in their way.”

Madeworthy is proud to be a media partner for The FoundHers Club. As Cortney said, “The time for women entrepreneurs is now. There's never been a better time to start a business, and Madeworthy and The FoundHers Club are here for it!”

by Lee Virden Geurkink

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Knot Just Cookies What comes to mind when I say the words “Girl Scouts?” How about “Boy Scouts?”

“Boy Scouts” probably brings to mind images of camping, hiking, tying knots, and being prepared.

“Girl Scouts?” Let me guess. Cookies.

Thin Mints, right?

Yes, Boy Scouts camp and tie knots. Girl Scouts sell cookies. But they do so much more. Scouting teaches valuable lessons that prepare children to become business and community leaders.

The origins of the Scout movement lie in the early years of the twentieth century.

Robert Baden-Powell, a lieutenant general in the British Army, recognized the army’s need for what he termed “scoutcraft” – the knowledge and skills needed to survive in wild country. In 1899, he published a manual called Aids to Scouting, which, surprisingly, became popular among teachers and youth societies back in Great Britain.

With help from Ernest Thompson Seton, a British-born Canadian-American, BadenPowell re-wrote Aids to Scouting, removing the military aspects and including survival skills and educational principles.

‘Start this fire – yes, you!’ Or ‘Learn knife skills – yes, I trust you!’ I found when we gave children the opportunity to rise to the occasion… they constantly blew me away, and in turn, they became more confident, too!”

Bryan Jones, an assistant scoutmaster, said that while the BSA activities are structured around camping and knottying, there are a lot of life lessons that the scouts learn without realizing it. “There’s a lot of learning snuck into scouting. For example, when a patrol makes a menu for a camping trip, they learn budgeting, cooking, planning… They also learn through failure. If you fail, there’s a lesson – why did something fail and what can you do to be prepared for the next time so you succeed?”

Jones also emphasized the value of one of the “fundamental tenants called the EDGE Method.” EDGE stands for “Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, and Enable.” Older BSA scouts are teachers and mentors for younger scouts. In teaching and guiding the younger scouts, the older scouts reinforce the lessons they learned from their mentors.

“”

There’s a lot of learning snuck into scouting...when a patrol makes a menu for a camping trip, they learn budgeting, cooking, planning…

Scouting for Boys remains the fourthbestselling book of all time. Baden-Powell retired from the army and formed The Boy Scouts Association and The Girl Guides in 1910.

The Scout movement was an instant success. Combining the idea that Scouts are honorable, loyal, and dutiful with practical outdoor activities like camping, hiking, and sports, the Scout movement aimed to aid in a young person’s development, both personally and as leaders of their communities. Seton was one of the key figures in the founding of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), while Juliette Gordon Low, a widow from Savannah, Georgia, founded what eventually became the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA).

Modern parents worry about their children’s safety. They also want to “help” their children, smoothing their way by emailing teachers, hovering to make sure deadlines are met and projects are completed. While trying to help, they are unintentionally removing opportunities to learn to reason and improvise. Through various badges and programs, Scouts teaches children that they are capable. They CAN do things that their parents are scared to let them do.

Both the BSA and GSUSA emphasize youth leadership. While the adult leaders facilitate and guide, the scouts are responsible for what the troop does. They choose the activities, the badges, and the programs the troop undertakes.

“In my experience, kids are capable of so much more than we give them the opportunity to do,” said MaryEmily Pardue, a long-time Girl Scout leader. “[We say]

Because Scout troops are youth-led, this forces children to learn how to work with others. Each child in a troop comes from a different family with different values, traditions, and habits. From the very beginning, Daisy Scouts and Cub Scouts learn how to get along with their peers. They must figure out how to work together to earn badges, to finish projects, and to survive on camping trips. This early training in working as a troop is extremely valuable later in life.

“There is no doubt that Girl Scouts gives these girls confidence to become social leaders,” said Girl Scout troop leader Krista Wiehle. “The program instills leadership qualities that make these girls great social leaders… [and] helps them when they join groups in high school, college or as an adult.

They have been practicing these skills their entire Scouting career.”

The BSA continues its focus on the outdoors as a way of teaching character, citizenship, and mental and personal fitness, while the GSUSA has incorporated STEM programs to encourage girls’ interest in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. The GSUSA also has entrepreneurship programs (apart from the famous cookie sales) that inspire Scouts to start their own businesses while teaching financial literacy.

While all lessons that Scouting teaches are invaluable, perhaps the greatest lesson both organizations teach is that the Scouts are members of a community. The leaders I talked with emphasized that their Scouts learn to give back to their communities.

“That’s the biggest lesson that Girls Scouts teaches,” said Katherine Curtis, strategic communications for the Girl Scouts of Texas

22

Oklahoma Plains, Inc. “While [Scouting] teaches working together and overcoming obstacles and life skills, it teaches our girls the value of giving back to the community.”

Through projects that lead to awards in the GSUSA and advanced ranks in the BSA, Scouts learn to identify a need in their community and the ways to meet that need.

Whether it’s creating a theater camp for an underserved community for a Gold Award (the highest award given by the GSUSA) or organizing a sock drive for a homeless shelter as a Cub Scout troop, Scouts learn that they are a vital part of their community and that they can make a difference in it.

“No magic button provides the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to become a successful adult,” said Wendy Shaw, CEO/Scout Executive of the Longhorn Council of the Boy Scouts of America. “But Scouting is about as close as it gets.”

by Lee Virden Geurkink

P.O. Box 101704 Fort Worth, TX 76185

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