Stories with Soul

With a deep passion for creating good content and telling good stories, Richard Connor tells his journalism journey. From writing the police beat one summer to being the editor of the Star Telegram for eleven years to owning the Fort Worth Business Press, Richard Connor shares the highlights and lowlights of his time in the industry thus far. Plus, he explains the positive impact newspapers have on their community. Continually striving to be a good corporate citizen, Richard Connor values fairness not objectivity as a journalist because no one can truly let go of biases. Give this week's episode a listen and decide whether or not Richard Connor was one of the first to start a podcast!

Abraham Alexander is known for his authentic lyrics, soulful charm, and of course, his one-of-a-kind sense of fashion. Before embarking on a solo career as a musician, Abraham Alexander's future was up in the air. Coming off a career ending injury playing soccer and working as a bank teller, Alexander found himself back at the start: lost. Since then, Alexander has found his path and solidified himself as a musician. Alexander has embarked on a journey of self-discovery and expression and has resonated with fans through the lived experiences expressed in his music. From growing up in Athens Greece, to a chance encounter while working as a bank teller, Abraham Alexander joins Jamey and Jimmy in the studio and shares with us his story and how he became that man he is today: Abraham Alexander.

In this episode, Grace Mitchell shares how her love for creating beautiful things started at a young age, how she handled intense setbacks and losses, fought for happiness, pursued her passions, and continues to make her family her main focus. She tells how she attempts to embrace the imbalance of life and enjoy it's seasonality. Knowing that she could be consumed by her work, she always wants her family to be her number one priority. So Grace refuses to set goals but never stops dreaming. For a season after Grace would put her kids to bed, she would brew herself a pot of coffee, stay up for hours writing her blog, and teach herself interior design. From her home computer, her blog was quickly recognized and launched her design career. Through many twists and turns, Grace Mitchell now hosts her own show on HGTV, One of a Kind. Listen in to hear about the time her TV producer reached out to Grace Mitchell and she thought it was a prank, how a quadruple stroller gave her the ability to leave the house, and how for nine whole months, her family washed dishes in the bathtub.

From the age of six, Nancy Lamb was creating art and by fourteen, she was teaching six year olds how to make pottery. All of her life, she's focused on capturing the world around her. Known as the patron saint of the arts in Fort Worth, Nancy Lamb also beautifully supported her fellow Fort Worth artists during 2020 by highlighting 490 artists on her social media. In this episode, she shares with Jamey and Jimmy her method of “prepaving”, how life isn't what happens to you but how you respond to it, and how knowing your worth is brave. With a five decade career, Nancy Lamb is the queen of Fort Worth art and can be seen all around town in her statement eyewear. Don't miss hearing why she refuses to hang any of her own art in her home.

In this episode, Marc Istook shares how he chased his dreams to LA and back. He shares his journey of risking it all, putting positivity into the world, making sacrifices, leapfrogging from gig to gig, and how he'll never get over where his career has taken him. Today, he's back in Texas waking up DFW every morning and it's a combination of everything he loves. Don't miss Marc Istook sharing how he gives us the goods every morning with one cup of coffee and a bunch of Diet Cokes.

Originally, Chef Jon Bonnell started out as a Math and Science teacher for middle and high schoolers. He quickly discovered that he didn't appreciate being bored. Having grown up with parents who loved good food and were fine chefs in their home, Jon Bonnell noticed that he spent all his time cooking, and so this fourth generation Fort Worthian pursued the idea of becoming a chef. Since then, he's published three cookbooks, released a fourth book, made over 100 television cooking appearances, finished 71 triathlons, been on 16 charitable boards, and started multiple restaurants. Chef Jon Bonnell has gone above and beyond in the world of fine dining and is a beloved leader in Fort Worth. Give it a listen and look out for Chef Jon Bonnell's upcoming restaurant with a massive focus on farm to table.

Since middle school, Betsy Price has been volunteering in her community and making a difference. Having run a successful business for seventeen years, she became a pro at juggling her work, family, and community. Before running for tax assessor and eventually mayor, she was a Cub Scout leader, Junior League Member, and Sunday school teacher, just to name a few. Listen to this episode and learn how this fearless leader leads from the bottom, “shakes things up,” overcomes failure, and faces the doubts of others head-on. Plus, you might just learn how far a bit of shoe leather can take you.

Katey McFarlan grew up reading European blogs in middle school as she pursued help for an autoimmune disorder. The connection she felt and the help she received were a huge relief during an especially hard season. Now as a wife and mother of two and a blogger herself, Katey's primary focus is on offering other women the same comfort she found years ago. Jamey and Jimmy get to hear her whole story and she gives a ton of great advice for marketers and aspiring bloggers.

When you grow up in a family that's been ranching West Texas for seven generations, family expectations are inevitable. For Lou Lambert, that meant at least one semester at his father's and grandfather's alma mater, TCU, and a commitment to working hard wherever he ended up. While attending TCU, he discovered that a love of cooking paired well with his willingness to work hard, and those two ingredients opened the doors to fine dining restaurants in New York and San Francisco. Eventually Lou felt pulled back to Texas, where his distinctive style and high quality menus set his restaurants apart. From his thoughts on style to his West Texas family values, you'll want to take notes during Lou's conversation with Jimmy and Jamey. He is the mastermind behind so many Fort Worth favorites like Dutches Hamburgers and the new Roy Pope. Listen till the end to hear his vision for bringing The Paris Coffee shop back to life next!

For Fritz Rahr, staying in Fort Worth after graduating from TCU meant he was opting out of the family business. After trying his hand at home brewing while climbing the corporate ladder, Fritz realized it was time to change the course of his own life. That meant instead of being an employee at his family's malt production company, he would be a customer instead. Since its founding in 2004 as the first craft brewery in Fort Worth, Rahr & Sons has grown and won both national and international awards. Fritz not only shares insight on scaling a business but also on how to help employees find their niche. Listen along, and grab a beer at Rahr & Sons next!

Even in high school, Frank Moss was standing out with his style in the Distinguished Gentlemen group, wearing a suit or button down every Tuesday. In college, he “rode the wave” into a new focus — rapping — which changed his wardrobe but not his passion: fashion was one of several subjects he rapped about. Later, Frank continued to ride the wave as his custom suit side hustle became his full-time job. Now, he's not the only entrepreneur in the family — his wife, Mia, opened Black Coffee in 2020. Being half of a power duo is exciting — but brings unique challenges, too. Frank is also an active part of Community Frontline, an organization dedicated to addressing causes of suffering in his neighborhood. Frank shares so many fun details of his journey and some can't-miss advice with Jamey in the studio on this episode of Stories with Soul.

Taylor not only shares her story — from an accident that confirmed her passion for helping others to her journey back to health — she also provides a great definition for success. As a board-certified family nurse practitioner and family medicine practitioner, Taylor offers clients both a traditional and integrative approach to wellness. She shares her journey from marketing novice to expert with Jamey and Jimmy on this episode of Stories with Soul.

To go from a bartender at a chain restaurant to an executive chef and part owner of several creative concepts is no small feat. On this episode of Stories with Soul, Jamey and Jimmy sit down with Chef Stefon Rishel of Wishbone & Flynt to hear his journey. While Stefon is known now for his fun personality, it was his wife who helped him see that his bartending alter ego was actually his true self. Now he's on a mission to have the best restaurant in Fort Worth! Even if you're not in the restaurant industry, Stefon has the ​​scoop on what it takes to create the right culture in any company. Listen along to hear him share some of his most successful secrets!

Josh Weathers is a local musician and co-founder of the nonprofit, Love Like You Mean It. He joins Jamey and Jimmy in the studio to talk about how his father's blessing gave him the freedom he needed to leave school and what led him to press pause at the height of his career. Josh shares the story how adopting their first daughter internationally led to starting an orphanage with his wife, Kady. To date, they've raised and given away over $1,000,000 and the sound of Josh's voice has been the source of so much of it. Listen to the end to hear Josh perform his song “One” for Jamey and Jimmy!

Kari is the founder of MELT Ice Creams and an ultrarunner who has run The Grand Canyon and Leadville. Kari joins her neighbors, Jamey and Jimmy, to share how traveling helped her realize Fort Worth was missing good local ice cream and her decision to fill that void. Kari shares about how both starting a business and getting to the next level sometimes means going all in. Listen along to hear how Kari sold her photography equipment to fund Melt's first location and her husband, Mark, left his corporate job to help Melt grow, both scary, but rewarding decisions. Don't miss the correlation Kari shares between entrepreneurship and ultrarunning.

Jamey Ice and Jimmy Williams are best friends, entrepreneurs, and now the co-hosts of Stories with Soul. On each episode you'll listen in on their conversations with Fort Worth leaders, artists, and business owners. In this prequel, Jamey and Jimmy interview each other, discussing their vision for the show, the origin of their friendship, and their transition from neighbors flipping one house as a side hustle to co-owners of 6th Ave Homes and 6th Ave Storytelling. They're both excited to support small businesses because they believe when a small business thrives in a city, the whole city prospers.