REGANOMICS

Fidele Sebahizi is an immigrant from the Congo, survived a UN refugee camp massacre, immigrated to the US, and became an American citizen and an officer in the Abilene Police Department. While an officer he earned his bachelors, Masters, and PhD and wrote a book on his journey from a small village in Eastern Congo in Africa to Abilene, Texas. He tells of the brutal violence he experienced and the fight for an education. In our interview we talk about the difference in the education system there versus in America; the difference between police accountability there versus America; the difference between racial tensions there versus America; and if he were made President of the Congo what he would do. We talk a little about his journey but really you should buy his book: Creating a Life from the Ashes.

Courtney Horton - On Homelessness, Not all Panhandlers are Homeless, On Giving to Panhandlers, What Causes Homelessness In The First Place, and More.Courtney Horton is the Executive Director of Hope Haven Abilene, a non-profit that helps the homeless. She talks on how panhandlers are not homeless normally, on the effects of giving to panhandlers, what we can do in our community, where the break down is the system is currently, and much more. 

Linda Goolsbee - Democrat Candidate for Texas State Representative District 71Linda Goolsbee discusses the hot topics of immigration and Texas border security, school vouchers, and expanding healthcare in the form of Medicaid in Texas. If you're a Republican this is a great episode to listen to so that you understand the arguments of the other side. If you're a Democrat, this is a great discussion on the pros and cons on each issue. 

Scott Kirk - President & Founder of Abilene Flying Bison BaseballScott Kirk was a co-founder of the Abilene Flying Bison minor league baseball team in Abilene and helped found the Mid America League. They had their first season this past summer and are heading into their second season this coming May. He talks about what it takes to start a brand new baseball team from scratch AND a new league at the same time; creating a new team with no experience owning a baseball team or forming a business; the marketing and pitching of a new business to advertisers before the first pitch has been thrown; how to sift through the good advice and the bad; and much more.

Dillon Clark - Owner of Clark Nissan DealershipDillon moved to Abilene a few years ago and at the age of 29 owns the Clark Nissan Dealership on I-20. He has held every position in the car dealership world, from sales, to carwashing and tires, to General Manager. He talks about the system needed to run a large business like a dealership; How he turned around a failing dealership in Manhattan, Kansas; How you find a business mentor; How to negotiate on car prices; How he starts off his day on the right foot; His business weakness and what he does to compensate; Best things about Abilene from a new resident perspective; Best Tips for entrepreneurs and more!Listen and learn.

Lindsay Flores just opened Matera Bar & Grill in South of Downtown Abilene District and she's a great speaker on the show; she's full of passion and insight and honest answers.She knows every level of the restaurant world... She has a background as a waiter, manager, and general manager of a very successful restaurant and now as a fresh restaurant owner so her insight into the inner workings of a restaurant are great to hear!We talk about the difference between being a GM to becoming an owner of a restaurant; Why people still open restaurants despite the high failure and slim profit margins; The line between being a boss and being a friend to employees; Her favorite hiring interview questions; How useful a business plan is; Biggest mistakes she's made and what she wishes new business owners knew; The nitty gritty process of opening a business; What she'd love to see in Abilene; Her best tips for new business owners out there; and much more!Listen and Learn!

Alejandro Elias and his wife are both chiropractors that founded and run Victory Spinal Care in Abilene. They moved to Texas right after school, fell in love with Abilene because it reminded them of the move Cars, and the people here were so welcoming. Alejandro talks about taking advantage of the 7 month delay in their build out by knocking on doors to let people know they were opening instead of wasting those months; How important their mentorship program is for their business; How they set aside time every Tuesday and Friday to go over with their staff every details; How he sets aside an hour to blue sky think; and so much more. A very practical conversation, full of actionable and useful content for any and every business owner. This one is definitely in the top five for practical nitty gritty tips. Enjoy!

 Carl Price opened Primal Brewery in Baird in 2019. He then moved to Brownwood, and now just recently moved back to Abilene, where he had the grand opening of Primal Brewery at north 8th and Hickory two weeks ago. His most popular beer is his pickle beer, and has a beer that tastes like Skittles, Almond Joy, and Reeses and so he has a Candy Beer flight where you can taste them all. We discuss the process of opening a brewery, how he gets feedback, how he handles distribution, bartending, and brewing, and running a business. Hopefully you learn at least little in this episode and enjoy it a lot. 

Karson is one of the most interesting guests we had on the first season of the show so we wanted to catch up with her again in season, and this was just as good! We talk about the disaster when Shopify, without warning, shut down her business account for 7 days, which was all her inventory, her point of sale system, website, everything; The pep talk that got her from crying in her shop to working 48 hours straight to beat this shutdown; How she manages so many irons in the fire; How she functions without coffee, and goes from 7 am to 12 midnight; How she keeps her store on the fashionable trend  and keeping up with her changing customer demographic; The toll of inflation and her pricing strategy on items; What kept her in Abilene; and her best tips for business owners. A great episode and very entertaining! Enjoy.

Mark Perkins Owner of Perkins Insurance AgencyMark owns Perkins Insurance Agency with locations in Abilene, Eastland, and in Franklin, Tennessee. We talk about running a business that doesn't sell something sexy (aka insurance); How you bring enthusiasm to your business team; How you identify what you as a leader are weak at and how you fill the gap; Two things a professor taught him that still guide him in his work today; How you balance a natural drive to expand with tempered advice and steady growth; How Franklin differs from Abilene and what they're doing well that Abilene can learn and improve upon. Enjoy!

Josh has an immediate hook in the first two minutes of our podcast that will keep you hooked! It caught me off guard and those who love truecrime podcasts, you'll love this episode. Josh Rader is the owner of Firehouse Fitness, The Dive Spot (for swim lesson and SCUBA diving  lessons), the new Bodega in downtown Abilene that will sell necessaries like milk, eggs, gum, toilet paper, etc, and founded Urban Strength Coaching. We talk nitty gritty on how he bought the Firehouse Fitness, How his new venture Bodega downtown Abilene came about (while elk hunting) and why he chose now to do it. We cover a lot of ground in this episode and Josh is a natural when it comes to talking (BSing as he calls it). Enjoy!

This is a rare double double treat! Nikki Hill and Brittney Martinez are the owners of When Pigs Fly, a wine bar in Tuscola, Texas, and they're also Abilene Police Officers (Technically, Nikki is a Patrol Sergeant and Brittney is the instructor at the Police Academy now). So not only do you get to hear from two owners on the same episode, you get to hear how two police officers manage their work life and their business life. We talk about owning a wine bar, why they took the plunge in owning a business, their weaknesses as an owner and how they compensate for that specific weakness, how they manage their time, their growth plans, their favorite apps on managing their calendar, how we address the meth issues in our community, what they would love the public to know about being a police officer, the biggest surprises they had as a business owner, and much more! Enjoy!

Carlie Cooper is the owner of Espressoak, a mobile coffee truck/trailer. She's in her early twenties and bought Espressoak ten months ago so her insights are fresh and insightful and full of passion of someone going through the throes of running a business early in its stages. We talk about how she pitched her parents the idea of buying the business, how that didn't go well but that it led to another conversation that helped in the negotiations and eventual purchase, How she has changed the business to have better flow and added products while still being efficient, How she manages social media and the backend operations, Her favorite apps for business and life, What kind of coffee you should order if you want to impress your coffee afficionado friends, Biggest surprises and shocks as a new business owner, Realizing that her actual customer is not the person drinking the coffee and much more!A fun conversation filled with practical tips and insights an entrepreneur of every age can use. Enjoy!

Jessica Quintanilla Jackson - Owner of Betty & June in Abilene and Corpus Christi.Jessica was the perfect guest on the show, very funny and relaxed, while answering honestly and with actionable nitty gritty answers. Her insights into running not just a business in Abilene but a second store in Corpus Christi, six hours away, highlights her drive and ability to manage from a distance. She speaks on how often she posts on social media, how the work ethics of the next generation have changed and how a small business adapts to that; The Do's and Don'ts of fashion for men; Her biggest mistake as a new business owner; How business has changed over the last 12 years due to social media; Advice she gives to new business owners, and much more. This is an episode I'll recommend to every new business owner! Enjoy!

Season 2, Episode 10: GRAY BRIDWELL - Head of Military Affairs Committee, Farmer and Rancher, Pilot.This episode is EXACTLY why I started this show! Gray Bridwell discusses in practical nitty gritty terms: Farming and Ranching in West Texas, commercial farming versus family farming, Foreign countries/companies buying up farmland, how a farmer/rancher retires, the cost of becoming a farmer over $1 million, the future of farming, the importance of water and how most farms operate in West Texas. We don't stop there though, in his role as head of the Military Affairs Committee, we talk about who is the bigger threat, China or Russia, and why, the possible end scenarios for Ukraine and Russia War, the 30 to 50 year goal of the US/China dynamic, how we as individuals can fight the Chinese threat, drone warfare in Ukraine, how America is catching up in the Hypersonic missile race, the B1 bomber's role as platform form hypersonics, the scary difference between ICBMs and hypersonic missiles and much more! Enjoy and learn!

Season 2, Episode 9: RICHARD SIBERRY - Owner of Black Donkey Brewery in IrelandThis interview takes place at Black Donkey Brewery in Ireland with Richard Siberry. We talk How to make international sales operating out of a tiny town in the countryside (a few hundred people); The Differences of running a business in Ireland versus the US; Real Estate in Ireland; How to get a license to run a pub/taproom in Ireland (hint: costs at least $65,000 for the license); Biggest Surprises as a business owner; What it takes to build a successful business anywhere.He lived and worked in New York for decades so he has great insight into the differences between the two countries. He's got a nice Irish accent too that makes it easy to listen to the entire episode. Enjoy! 

Season 2, Episode 8: CHUCK ROACH - Juggler, Artist, Chess Player, and Recently Back From Ukraine.Chuck is a fascinating man and our conversation does not disappoint. We talk how the Soviet Union attempted to have a Chess Master at every one of their schools; How juggling helps mental acuity and hand to eye coordination; How he developed his signature look with his art and how he prices his pieces; How he just got back  a few weeks ago from Ukraine and how it is on the ground there, how hard it was to get inside the county and his concern about getting back out in the middle of a war; How to pack light for just a carry on, no check in. Ever.   Enjoy!

Season 2, Episode 7: George Levesque - Executive Director of the Paramount Theatre, Former News Director and News Anchor, Former Radio Talk Show Host.We discussed all the ways you can advertise and finding your ideal customer on each one, The hardest part about being an Executive Director, The direction of downtown Abilene, How the Process of getting a wine and beer license was as the first nonprofit to do so, Film Festivals here in Abilene and how to foster and grow new filmmakers in Abilene, tips for Executive Directors and the relationship with their Board.Enjoy!

Season 2, Episode 6: HALEY JO OATES - Owner of Haley Jo Auto, Haley Jo On The Go, and The Dam Store. This is a far-ranging  conversation on running businesses in different industries, “as a woman” running a business and receiving unsolicited sexual pictures from contractors, managing friends and family as employees, inside the car dealerships during the wild highs and lows of the pandemic, how to deal with inspections and permits, the best restaurants and chefs in Abilene and much more!  Enjoy!

Season 2, Episode 5: STACIE & BYRON STEPHENSON - Owners of the Shed Market BBQ in Abilene, Texas. Stacie and Byron have experienced every side of running a business and restaurant. We discuss how they started as a family business under his parents in in Wingate, Texas, How they focused on catering part time while working 9-5 jobs, The conversation they had to jump 100% into the BBQ business and quit their regular jobs, How they did their first business plan and they needed to sell 40 plates to break even, How they moved to Abilene and decided on their first location, How they built their much bigger second location, How they hire and run their restaurant, and most importantly, how they cook delicious brisket! Enjoy!

Season 2, Ep. 4 - Elise Grazzine - Renowned Craft Brew Bar "Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa" in Rome, Italy that puts on Eurhop Roma Beer Festival and Franken Bier Fest - We Discuss Bringing Passion to Your Brewery or Bar; The Touristification of Rome; Differences Between Opening a Business in Italy versus America; What Italians Do Right; What Americans Could Learn from the Italian Way of Life; How Italians View Americans; The Pandemic Effect on Business in Rome; Beers Beers Beers.This is a short one hour episode but it's one of my favorite not just because I got to record it in Rome, Italy! Elise is soft spoken but passionate and has a beautiful accent, born in Rome with a Dutch parent. She has that Roman vitality in her speech, and speaks of Roman glory and soul lost. She caught me off guard with her love of Lord of the Rings books. We recorded it in the taproom, you could feel the age of the building in its walls and in its wooden rafters. There are some background sounds as the entire room watched us record, which was intimidating at first but after a few minutes we forgot they were there. The entire place was probably less that 600 square feet but was constantly packed with regulars and newbies discovering it from reviews, they are known as the best craft beer place in Rome and are known throughout the entire Continent. Their passion for beer and conversation come through immediately. My favorite part may be the front entrance...it's not decorated, it's even a little trashy with graffiti in the typical Rome way and you feel the authenticity and neighborhood love here. It's set in the fairytale setting of Trastevere, a vine covered section of Rome next to the River and the City Center. Put this place on your list to visit for a few beers when you're in Rome next.

Season 2, Episode 3: KIRK HOUSE - Country Music Star/Country Soul - Break-out Country Musician on How He Broke Into the Next Level; Practical Tips on How to go from Free Gigs to Paid Full Time Musician; How Playing Every Day Oversaturates the Market; Stories of Jameson Whiskey, No Shyness in his Posts, and LA gigs; Using Google Insights and Hashtags to Market Your Brand; How a Musician/Artist should Operate as a One Person Business; How Important Written Contracts are in the Music World and asking Other Musicians for Copies of Their Contracts; Saying No to Opportunities that Don't Line Up with Your Goal; For the Ladies, His time as an Underwear Model; What Country Soul is; How you Market Yourself.Follow Kirk House on Instagram at @KirkkhouseOn Facebook at Kirk House Bandand their website kirkhousemusic.com

S2-E2: Jay Patterson and Cory Enderson - Co-owners of the Leaf on How to Manage a Business with a Business Partner, How to Take Over an Existing Business and Not Run Off Customers, Lessons Learned from Doing a Build-Out, How to Advertise in a Restricted Field, How to Drink Barley Wine, Favorite Cigars for $10.Jay Patterson and Cory Enderson bought the Leaf, a Premier Cigar, Pipe and Tobacco shop in downtown Abilene three years ago. Their timing could not have been better, the Pandemic hit right after they closed, and the lease was not renewed by their Landlord forcing them within the first year to find a new location and do a complete buildout, all while not losing customers. Now three years in and they're stronger than ever, helping stock other businesses with cigars, and being nationally ranked as one of the top cigar places. We talk about how they met and how they decided to purchase the Leaf, how long it took to actually close on the deal, and how having an understanding of each other's roles and expectations is key to a good business partner. They've dealt with building permits, contractors not getting it right on the buildout, advertising in a restricted tobacco field, maintaining their customer base and building an even better ambiance and experience at the Leaf. Follow them on social media at:Instagram: theleaf.abilenetxFacebook: The LeafAnd visit their shop at 1166 N. 2nd Street, Abilene, Texas

Season 2, Episode 1: Calina Mishay - Self Made International Mural Artist on How to Actually Make Great Money as an Artist, Quitting Her High Paying Job to Pursue Murals, Using Martial Arts to Establish a Baseline in Your Life, and What's Wrong with the Art World Today. And Wine.Calina Mishay has painted murals all over Texas, from the Gulf Coast to the Panhandle, and now Canada and Mexico. Her paintings are larger than life and vibrant in color, just like her, but they also portray regular small town life in its beautiful simplicity. Her freestyle painting is a sight to behold. She gives great insight into how she made the decision to quit her "regular" good paying job to pursue her passion of outdoor mural painting. We talk about the goals she set for herself, including charging $100,000 for a mural (which she has done), and she goes into the value of the personality and story of the artist in marketing their artwork, along with confidence. Her current project is a mural in Albany, Texas for the Fandangle, a famous show put on by locals telling the history of the area with cows and horses right in the mix. Her next mural in June is in Canada. Follow her work on Instagram at @calinamishay and in the show we talk about her creating an Only Fans account , which she created right after the show so go subscribe to her OnlyFans account at @calinamishay.

#26: Chris Carnohan - Chair of the Taylor County Republican Party debates with Blaise  Forgiving Student Debt, Vaccinations, Men Competing in Women Sports, a New Tax on the Ultra Rich, on a Republican led Investigation into January 6th, and much more.Chris Carnohan is the Chair of the Taylor County Republican Party and is an attorney focused on civil litigation in Abilene and the surrounding area.Blaise Regan is an attorney that focuses on Business Law and Estate Law, he handles startups, mergers, buyouts, business advising, real estate, probate, and guardianships. In addition to his law firm and this show, Blaise has a brewery with his brothers Six Brothers Brewery, is a co-founder of Work Again West Texas, and is the founder of Abilene, It's Getting Better.

#25: Elizabeth Smyser - Chair of the Taylor County Democratic Party; On  the Democratic Party's Stance Against Requiring a Photo ID/ Voter ID Laws; on Why the Democrats are Opposed to Building the Wall; On Democrats Wanting to Tax the Ultra Rich; On if another Stimulus Check Should be Sent out; On The Democrats Push to Defund the Police; On Forgiving Student Debt

#24: Blaise Regan - No Such Thing As Work Life Balance; NDAs and People Stealing Your Great Idea; Taking a Set Salary as the Owner; Check Your Non Competes Before Quitting; Using Social Media to Learn and Grow Your Business, Not Waste Time; Plea for Reasonableness and Seeing Both Sides of Issue or Problem.Blaise Regan is an attorney that focuses on Business Law and Estate Law, he handles startups, mergers, buyouts, business advising, real estate, probate, and guardianships. In addition to his law firm and this show, Blaise has a brewery with his brothers Six Brothers Brewery, is a co-founder of Work Again West Texas, and is the founder of Abilene, It's Getting Better.

#23: Matt Smith - Owner of Fat Matt Roofing Talks the Marketing Strategy Behind "Fat" In His Company Name as Skinny Guy; How He Picked His First Employee Hire; Different Advertising Mediums; Scaling Up; How Yard Signs are Great Advertising Even in the Digital Age; Books He's Read to Expand; and Most Importantly, We Drink Craft Beers During this Episode!

#22: Jennifer Elliott and Katie Parnell - Accountants (CPA and Enrolled Agent) Talk Best Practices and Tips for Small Businesses for Taxes, Strategy, Crypto Taxes and the Future, Biggest Accounting Mistakes Clients Make, S Corp Pros and Cons, Value of a CPA versus Turbotax, Red Flags that Will raise your Risk of being Audited by IRS.Jennifer Elliott is an Accountant - Enrolled Agent in Abilene. She is considered by the IRS to be an expert in tax and represents client with the IRS when the tax issues, and she advises clients with small and large estates.Katie Parnell is a CPA and founder of Key City Tax and Business Solutions. She is a one stop shop for small business owners and explains she is an outsourced CFO for them. 

#21: Blaise Regan - Gun Control and Charging Parents for Gun Violence; Abortion Debate; Check Your Sources; Great Points from Last Two Interviews: Personal Guarantees, Business Plans and How to Overcome Being an Introvert as  Business Owner.Blaise Regan is a Texas business and estate law attorney focusing on startups, mergers, buyouts, and business growth, and he is the Founder of Six Brothers Brewery, co-founder of Work Again West Texas, Managing Partner at the Regan Law Firm, and a member of the Military Affairs Committee.

#20: Jason Valdez - Senior VP of First Bank Texas - We Discuss How Business Owners Should Approach Getting a Loan; The Value of A Business Plan; Where to Get Financials For Projected Revenue for a New Business; Biggest Mistakes Business Owners Make on Business Plans; Importance of Knowing your Business Books; Line of Credit versus Credit Cards versus Loans; Crypto in the Banking World

#19: Jonathan Spencer - On Changing the Name of Your Business Midstream; How He Overcame his Introverted Self to Network for His Business; When Facebook Doesn't Like Your Business Name;  The Fear of 9-5 Job Being Motivation; How He Markets and Advertises; When He Felt His Business Had Finally Reached a Level of Success to Breathe; Importance of Vacation; How a Minor League Hockey Team Could Be Brought to Abilene (and the principles that apply to bringing any large business).Jonathan Spencer is the Founder and Owner of Germ Killer (previously Armament Shield) celebrating ten years in business and he is the Founder of Abilene Hockey and a major force in the push to bring a minor league hockey team and stadium to Abilene.

#18: Blaise Regan - Tips on Mental Health; Real Estate Commissions; Getting Involved in Your Community Via Boards

#17: Maegan Brest - Real Estate Agent Discusses the Real Estate Market through the Pandemic and Now; Future of Real Estate Purchases Online or in Person; Crypto in Buying Houses; Importance of House Inspections; Where She Sees Future Growth in AbileneMaegan Brest is a real estate agent with Keller Williams in Abilene in Abilene for the past ten years and has dealt with residential properties and multi-tenant complexes.

#16: Brian Poynor - Police Officer with APD, on the Community Response Team, Focused on Proactively Helping Those With Mental Illnesses before They Commit Crime or Hurt Themselves/Others; What an Emergency Detention Order is; Telling the Difference Between Meth and Mental Illness; Why the CRT is Composed of a Police Officer, Fire, and Mental Professional; How Abilene is the Lead on this Program in the State.Brian Poynor is a Police Officer with the Abilene Police Department of over ten years, he's on the CRT team, and is a veteran of the US Air Force.

#15: Blaise Regan - Talks about Trip to DC for the Military Affairs Committee, Importance of B1 Bomber and Hypersonic Missiles, Congressional Discussions on Changing the Step Up Basis and Estate Tax/Death Tax, How the Estate Tax affects Farmers and Ranchers, Business Tips

#14: Judge Downing Bolls - Discusses how the Mental Commitment Hearings Work; How the Mental Cases affect our City and Businesses; How Things Need to be Fixed for Gun Violence to Decrease; How Unfunded Mandates from The State Legislature Affect the Taxpayer

#13: Blaise Regan - Recaps the Best Tips from the Last Four Guests; On the Pitfall of Buying a Home with your Boyfriend/Girlfriend; On the Pros and Cons a Series LLC; On the Importance of Having a Will if you Own a Ranch, Farm, or Business; On Picking a Good Contractors; Keeping Track of Inventory from Day One

#12: Landon Couch - On Real Estate, Homebuilding, and Rental Properties from the perspective of a Builder and Rental Property Owner; Secrets to Picking a Good Contractor for Your Home;  Managing the Business Partner Relationship; How He Built a Custom Building Business and a Rental Properties Business.Landon Couch is the owner, along with his business partner Josh, of Crosswise Custom Homes and Justwise Properties.

#11: Phil Crowley - Assistant District Attorney Running for Taylor County Judge, On the Mental Health System Issues, On the Meth Problem and Solutions, on the Mask Mandate and Reopening, on Fire and EMS in the CountyPhil Crowley is an Assistant District Attorney handling felony cases and is running for Taylor County Judge.

#10: Karson Tutt - On Opening a Business at Age 23, How She Builds Her Business Through Social Media, Her Hiring Questions and How She Trains her Staff, If A Formal Education is Necessary to Run a Business, Her Weakness as a Business Owner.Karson Tutt owns Karson's and The Commons, both downtown Abilene. Karson's is a women's boutique store she started a year and half ago and The Commons is an upscale space next door she rents out to 9 popup shops. At 23 she is a wealth of knowledge on how new businesses are being built these days via Social Media and then expanding to a storefront. She is full of enthusiasm and has been the best guest so far on answering the nitty gritty questions...she gets into when she posts, how she posts, what software she uses, why she went with an in person CPA and not software, and what she learned and didn't learn from her undergrad degree. If you're looking for the nitty gritty of starting a business, this is the episode for you! Enjoy.

#9: Jack Hurd - Discussion on Crypto Currency and how Small Business Owners Should View It, What are NFTs and their Future Applications and the Future of Art, Crypto as a Currency , as a Blockchain Technology, and as an Investment, Where to Start and What to Follow to Learn Crypto, How your Insurance Policy Protects you as a Small Business Owner in an Accident, How a Business can Better Protect Itself from Accidents.Jack Hurd is a Personal Injury Attorney for KRW in Abilene and Odessa. He has been involved in the Crypto currency world for last five years and while there are no experts on Crypto and NFTs yet, Jack is a wealth of information on the subject.

#8: Blaise Regan - 30 Minute Episode  - Recapping Tips Learned from Previous Guests: Read your Operating Agreement, How Key Membership Insurance Works, How to get Feedback, What is your Ideal Customer, Eliminate Misunderstanding, Volunteer at Charities to Learn Leadership by Persuasion.Blaise Regan is the host of the show and in the episode reviews the tips the previous six guests on the show have talked about and talks about legal tips he sees as an attorney who focuses on business law (startups, buyouts, contracts) and estate law.

#7: Katie Howe-Trevino - Starting a Shared Work Space Business, How to Find Advisors and Honest Feedback, Encouraging Negative Feedback and Steeling Yourself, What Abilene and The Chamber Can Do to Encourage New Startups.Katie Howe-Trevino is the Owner of the Domain, a shared office workspace in Abilene, where new business owners and entrepreneurs can work in daily or monthly office spaces with no long term leases. She has created a community of new entrepreneurs here in Abilene and lowered the obstacles to starting your new business by reducing the overhead for startups. She is heavily in the business community and has great insights into her own business and all the businesses she deals with on a daily basis. 

#6: Col. Michael Bob Starr - Insights as a Bomber and Base Commander into Our Afghanistan Withdrawal, Dealing with the Taliban, The Polarity of Politics, How to Transition from Military to Business/Non-Profit Leadership, How to Make the Fundraising Ask. Col. Michael Bob Starr (ret.) was the  Commander of Dyess Air Force Base, Commander of the 7th Bomb Wing, Ran for Congress 2016 for Abilene's District, and was Executive Director of Global Samaritan Resources before retiring a few months ago. He has now built the Taj Mahal of chicken coops.

#5: Alex Russell - Part 2 of 2 - How to Start and Run a Restaurant, Gun Rights, China Tariffs and Supply Chain Issues, and of course Tacos.Alex Russell is the owner of The Local, a Taco restaurant in downtown Abilene, Co-owner of JAR Land & Investments, co-owner of JAR Construction, President of the Board for the Center for Contemporary Arts, and serves on the Board for Work Again West Texas.

#5: Alex Russell - How to Start and Run a Restaurant, Gun Rights, China Tariffs and Supply Chain Issues, and of course Tacos.Alex Russell is the owner of The Local, a Taco restaurant in downtown Abilene, Co-owner of JAR Land & Investments, co-owner of JAR Construction, President of the Board for the Center for Contemporary Arts, and serves on the Board for Work Again West Texas.

#3: Kelli Watts - Practical Tips on your Elevator Pitch in Email Form, Growing a Business out of Your Kitchen into Multiple Stores, Supply Chain Issues in the Pandemic, How to Approach Marketing and Manufacturing Locally.Kelli Watts is the Founder and CEO of Savor Patisserie, a macaron company with stores in Dallas, McKinney, and Fort Worth.

#2: Tim Smith - How to Run a Venue as a Business, The Importance of a Business Plan and Persistent Pitching, Best Tips on Dealing with the City and Permits Process,  The Future of South of Downtown Abilene.Tim Smith is the owner of SoDA District Courtyard, KAO Lounge, Matera Gardens, Oak Street Arbor and is the driving force behind the Revitalization of South of Downtown Abilene (SoDA). He's also the former founder and owner of Firehouse Fitness.

Jeff Bell - Advice to new brewers, Building a business without prior business experience, How to build systems to step back, And the value of being involved in Local Politics.Jeff Bell is the brewmaster and one of the owners of Pappy Slokum Brewery, the oldest brewery in Abilene, Texas.

With his background as an attorney focusing on Business law and Estate Planning, Blaise Regan talks about the common mistakes LLC business owners make and why business owners are so involved in local politics-because their bottom line depends on it.