True Grit with Craig Kautsch

How did the car business get whacked by Covid?  

My next guest is Jeff Crawford. He cut his teeth in the car business with Hilliard Ford back in 1990 and went from a salesman to the training director, used car manager, new car sales manager for Ford, Buick, and Mazda for a 7yr period.  Then he was the sales manager for 5 Star Ford a year before opening the Camp Bowie Location for RLB in ‘98. He’s sold over 5,000 cars over the p...

Ever make a deal with God? Listen to this wide ranging conversation with Dr. Philip Shero.  He’s the president of Mastermind Leadership, a cutting-edge executive coaching, team development, and strategic planning consultancy.

Dr. Shero holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University, as well as a Masters from TCU

Helping others grow as leaders is Dr. Shero’s driving force. He brings two decades of leadersh...

Ever wonder how to turn your hobby into a passion? 

My next guest is Todd Tarver.  A motorcycle racer slash mechanic turned entrepreneur.  Todd owns Straight Line Motorsports which he founded almost 20 years ago. Over the years he has grown his company into one of the top 3 largest KTM dealers in the country. He was a professional racer in the 90s and won the famed enduro race from Vegas to Reno in 1998.

His friends describ...

Want to hear what the founder of a 9 billion dollar company thinks about?

• Scaling
• Culture
• Marketing
• Buying and selling companies (he’s lost count)
• C.S. Lewis

My next guest is Darrell Bevelhymer who is a private investor and considered a Founder of Tenaska, Inc., one of the top 25 largest privately-held companies in the United States at over 9 Billion dollars in revenue; and one of the largest private, independent, energy co...

My next guest is Dr. Brian Byrd a true entrepreneur who has decided to run for Mayor!  He comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and earned a degree at UT in Marketing and International Business.  

His life changed forever because of a knee injury in college. He was introduced to the medical field through having surgery. The lightbulb went off and he immediately started shadowing physicians while he was still in college.

H...

Ever wonder what your real purpose is? Do you struggle with getting off track and at times move away from what really matters?

My next guest is Jeff Sanders. Described as a leader of leaders.  He has the unique combination of business acumen and the ability to impact the trajectory of careers of those he leads.  

Jeff Sanders is the President of Leader Xchange: a nonprofit right here in Fort Worth, that gathers and trains f...

Ever wonder how people write and publish a book?

My next guest is Emily Stroud who wears a lot of hats as a mom of two kids, businesswoman, and entrepreneur. She graduated from Texas A&M University and got her MBA from TCU.   She’s Fully licensed with FINRA, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)  a Member of the Association of Investment Management and Cambridge Investment Research.

Emily is a published author and wrote a...

Want to know how to build a tribe?

My next guest is Lee Hargrave. A Former Rocket Scientist and founder and owner of Fort Worth's premier health and fitness facility, EnduraLAB. Through experience, multiple degrees, and certifications, Lee has taken an analytical approach to take the guesswork out of better health and fitness. 

Lee created EnduraLAB in 2011 and has taken it from a community running group to a world-cla...

“I lost 4 million dollars last week” A jaw dropping answer to one of my questions!  Tony Ford was an awesome interview.  A true leader of leaders! He has been described as a personal Warren Buffet, Dalai Lama, Bobby Fischer and Vince Lombardi all wrapped into one guy.

One of his clients said “He is the single greatest human asset we have in our corner.”

Tony Ford’s passion for over 30yrs has been helping Fort Worth business...

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

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

John was voted the Best Builder in Tarrant County by the Fo...

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

Pretty much every local elite athlete uses his clinic to get “fixed.”  Dr. Mullhall has more letters behi...

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

I’ve been friends with Walt Lawrence for 20 years and have always been amazed and slightly mystified by his approach to business.  He graduated from the University of Texas in 92 with an English Literature Degree.  He spent seven years dedicated to the Retail Commercial Real Estate business, culminating in becomi...

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

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

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

If you’re like me, you are super relieved 2020 is over.  It has launched some businesses into the stratosphere and has crippled others (strangely binary). I’ve been writing down so...

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

My next guest is Andrew Sage, founder of Broad Wing Aviation.  A local company that buys and sells airplane parts all over the world. Broadwing Aviation was formed in 2002 and produces around 40mm in annual revenue and employs 34 people. But recently due to the covid mess has re...

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

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

Schaefer Advertising empl...

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

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

He led the church from a handful of members to around 12k members so he knows a thing or two about scaling an organizat...

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

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