The Tomasz Show

Philip Farmer is a dear family friend of many years. I love his energy and light-hearted spirit. He played Division 1 tennis at Oklahoma University and after graduation, quickly identified his gift for coaching. Under his leadership, former #1 World Ranked Bryan Brothers (2003-2005, 2017) won 4 Grand Slam titles and advanced to 4 Grand Slam Finals. In addition, he trained former #1 Corina Morariu (2002) to reach 2 Grand Slam Titles. Today, he is a public speaker promoting mental toughness and strategy. Connect with Phil HERE.

Ineyes Wright got her BFA education from the Art Institute of Dallas. 2 years after she landed her 1st corporate job as a Junior CAD artist, she was laid off along with many others wondering what to do next. Soon after, was introduced to a Steve Harvey's challenge to write down 500 things that she would like to accomplish in life. In addition to crossing things off her list, she decided to create her own fashion line, become a photographer & write a book - Take It Off: An Artistic Look Into Self-Care!   Connect with Ineyes HERE.

Bryan Griffin is originally from Columbus, OH and graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2011. Yes, he is yet another fellow Mustang! Bryan is an expert in digital content creation, personal branding, fashion, and lifestyle content production. Featured in multiple leading US and British fashion publications, he has been commissioned by brands such as GQ, Mr. Porter, Christian Louboutin, Macy’s, Samsung, Swatch, Pernod Ricard Spirits, and VF Corporation. I am excited to share his story with you all! Connect with Bryan HERE.

Robert and I go back to 2007. We were basketball teammates at SMU in Dallas, TX. He is like a brother from another mother to me. He has been to my home country of Poland, we traveled to Africa together. We were fortunate to create countless memories and have stories to share for a lifetime. In this episode, Robert provides a lot of insights from his basketball career in Europe and his goal to become a licensed physical therapist in the nearest future. I am super pumped to share this with you. Cheers.

Kelvin Beachum, a Mexia Texas native, graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in 2010 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Sports Management. In 2012, he completed a Master of Liberal Studies in Organizational Dynamics and delivered the commencement address for the Simmons School of Education and Human Development. Beachum was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012 where he served as the starting left tackle until suffering a torn ACL during the 2016 season. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in March 2016 and started at left tackle during the 2016 season. Beachum signed with the New York Jets in 2017 and just completed his third season as the starting left tackle for the team. In addition to his commitments with the NFL, Beachum is known for his dedication to ending hunger by working directly with hunger advocacy groups like Bread for the World and World Vision, and supporting community food banks across America. He also sits on the Entertainment Council for Feeding America. Beachum sits on the Executive Board for the Simmons School of Education and Human Development and the Lyle School of Engineering at SMU. He is an alternate union rep for the NFLPA and a member of the NFLPA Brand Ambassador Program. In December 2016, it was announced that Beachum was a member of the advisory board for the OneTeam Collective, a groundbreaking, athlete-driven business accelerator for innovative companies seeking to incorporate sports strategies to drive growth. He is also a founding member of the NFL Players Coalition. Beachum sits on the Brookings Council and joined the Donors Choose Advisory Board in December 2019. Beachum is committed to helping young people, especially minority and disadvantaged youth, develop the habits and skills for success. He has a special focus on encouraging minority youth to engage in STEM-centric disciplines and STEM careers, especially in robotics, computer programming, and coding. In addition, Beachum is a professional speaker in both the university and corporate markets. With outstanding interactive programs in Effective Leadership and Diversity/Inclusion, Beachum does both training programs and keynotes that powerfully engage audiences. Beachum is an active investor, focusing mainly on the technology ecosystem.   A man of strong faith, Beachum is devoted to glorifying God in everything he does and uses his time and influence to encourage others, especially young people, by advocating education, faithful devotion, and being of service to others. Beachum resides in Arizona with his wife, Jessica, and their three children. Connect with Kelvin HERE.

Byron Sanders is a committed advocate for education, economic development, and creating equitable communities throughout Dallas, Texas. As the President and CEO of Big Thought, he works each day to explore innovative ways to narrow the opportunity gap for children. Big Thought connects people and organizations to prepare youth and children in under-resourced communities for tomorrow’s creative economy through quality in-school, after- school and community-partnership experiences. Byron has worked with Big Thought in various capacities since 2008, as a supporter, volunteer, advisor, partner, and most recently, board member. Byron is a recipient of 2014 Dallas Business Journal’s Minority Business Leaders and it's 2012 40 Under 40 awards. He has also been recognized as a Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau BIG Influencer, in Who’s Who in Black Dallas, Dallas Foundation Good Works Under 40, and as a TEDx speaker. In 2017, he was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar by the program led by the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Most recently he received the Parkland Foundation's Community First Award. Byron’s professional expertise spans the fields of banking, education, philanthropy, and entrepreneurism. Prior to Big Thought, Byron served as Vice President for U.S. Trust, the private bank of Bank of America, where he connected high net worth individuals and institutions to solutions that accomplish their financial goals. He is the former Executive Director of the Dallas Education Foundation, where he built and cultivated philanthropic, corporate, and community relationships to support initiatives benefitting the students of Dallas Independent School District. He also served as Vice President of Group Excellence, a mentoring and tutoring organization serving at-risk K-12 public school  students. During his tenure, Group Excellence was named the country’s fifth fastest growing education company in Inc. Magazine's 2011 Inc. 500 list. Byron believes that one’s purpose and mission cannot be fulfilled without being actively engaged in the community. He is a member of many high-impact boards, such as United Way’s Community Impact Council, Social Venture Partners Dallas, CitySquare, ChildCareGroup, KIPP DFW, and the Mayor’s Star Council. He is also a member of Dallas Assembly, Leadership Dallas ’13, Leadership ISD ‘12, Latino Center for Leadership Development Fellows, and several other service engagements. A graduate of the University of Tulsa with a BSBA in Marketing, Byron’s first love is spending time with his wife Celeste and his two young children.

Sadaf Haq is a Public Health professional by trade who currently works for Pain Management of North Dallas. She’s an avid business developer and marketer for the practice and in her spare time, manages 3 determined daughters 13 and under. However, her true passion is community service, building bridges and fashion! She and her friend debuted a clothing line last year called Arzu. She is heavily involved in the social services of her city if Frisco, TX and has aspirations to serve in a bigger capacity!   Connect with Sadaf HERE.

In this episode, I visited with a good friend, April Melton, Staffing Sales professional at Peyton Resource Group. We touch on many challenges associated with her being a single mom of a 5-year old daughter. What does April do on a daily basis to get it all done? How does she manage her busy schedule? Plus the latest on coronavirus, April's impressive fitness journey since she played Football in Duncanville, TX, her podcasting gig with Kimberly Shapiro and more - you do not want to miss this conversation!   Connect with April HERE.

Hersh Gosar is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas. He is a software developer by day. By night, he creates content online to help thousands of students to apply and get admitted to universities, how to network and get their jobs. Hersh loves to help other people. His level of energy and passion make him a joy to be around. In this episode, we jump into many topics and some of them include his meeting with Gary Vee, his YouTube channel, the importance of LinkedIn and what's next for Hersh! Connect with Hersh HERE.

Arianna Akinwunmi joined the Frisco Boys & Girls Club when she was 5 years old. The journey helped her instill a mindset to dream big. She was selected as the 2018 BGCCC Youth of the Year & Charles Schwab National Brand Ambassador - an example of the life-changing effect of BGCCC programs. She is now studying Finance at the University of Texas in San Antonio. After graduation, she wants to start her business with a focus on community service and help young people reach financial freedom. Connect with Arianna HERE. More about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County HERE.

I had a big pleasure to visit Zahra Jahanyfard's studio in Frisco, TX to record this episode of the podcast. She was born in Iran and moved to the U.S. in 2007, when her husband got a job in Lexington, Mo. She could not speak English however, she was able to connect to the local community through painting and her art work. Her goal is to establish an art residency program between Iran and the U.S., allowing artists from both countries to travel and make connections with people, countries, culture and art. Connect with Zahra HERE. More about Zahra's studio and work HERE.

Mark Metry is originally from Egypt. He is a Forbes featured speaker and host of Humans 2.0 Top 100 podcast, interviewing entrepreneurs, NY Times bestselling authors and world-class human beings. Once upon a time, he couldn't make direct eye contact with anyone and suffered from social anxiety from health issues & not living life he was strategically designed to live. Outside of his podcast, he speaks and consults start-ups, individuals, and businesses to help them scale in the competitive marketing world. Connect with Mark HERE. More about Mark HERE.

Aaron Zack's has built his professional career in marketing and sales. He became the youngest NFL agent in the business in 2015 and soon after, launched a Marketing and PR firm, Revolving Mind Media. His business focuses on helping brands scale in addition to representing a wide range of NFL athletes such as Jaylon Smith from Dallas Cowboys from the marketing perspective. "What better way to market your clients’ needs than in a world aimed at spreading information at an exceedingly high rate?" - He says. Connect with Aaron HERE. More about Revolving Mind Media HERE.

In this episode, I had a pleasure to visit with Bashar Alhuneidi, Founder and Creative Director of Adam Aleksander, a luxury men’s fashion brand that recently opened at The Star in Frisco, TX. Bashar is a 20-year veteran of the fashion industry. He has worked for some of the biggest brands in the world such as Louis Vuitton or Bloomingdale's. He played basketball in college and came to the U.S. as a 1st generation immigrant. We dive into his humbling story and what has inspired him to launch his own brand. Connect with Bashar HERE. More about Adam Aleksander HERE.

In this episode, I had a privilege to interview Mike Simpson, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Collin County (BGCCC). He served on the Frisco City Council from 2000-2008 and is a former Mayor of Frisco, TX from 2002-2008. Mike and his wife Sandy moved to this area in 1997 and both have been actively involved in the community ever since. Under his leadership, BGCCC currently serves over 10,100 children each year through its after-school, summer and outreach programs with branches in Frisco, McKinney, and Plano. Connect with Mike HERE. More about BGCCC HERE.

Dr. Ger Graus OBE is a renowned figure in the field of education, where, since March 2017, he holds the position of the first Global Director of Education at KidZania. The organization, where children aged 4 to 14 can experience the world of work through role-play, is designed to inspire and empower: “from inspiration to aspiration”. Since its inception in 1999 in Mexico City, KidZania now has a presence in 27 cities in 21 countries on 5 continents, with 1st U.S. location coming to Frisco, TX in Fall 2019.

Chelsea Cunningham of The Title Girl entered the auto world at the age of 21. She jumped in with both feet and began buying cars from auctions then retailing and wholesaling them. Once she relocated to Texas, the dream of The Title Girl began to form. The business provides vehicle title concierge services and prides itself in reducing time dealers spend on managing cars already sold and enabling them to focus on new sales. In this episode, Chelsea shares many valuable insights into her inspiring journey! Connect with Chelsea HERE.

"A Regular Guy Trying to Make Good Things Happen in the World". - Jake Melton, Owner at The JB Melton Group. While maintaining a huge level of humility, Jake helps organizations create sought-after workplace environments. He possesses a very diversified set of skills and experiences in the areas of consulting, coaching, speaking, minimalism. In this interview, we dive in-depth to his journey with Tourette Syndrome, LinkedIn and how he built a large following of over 30K, overcoming adversity, and more! Connect with Jake HERE.

I had a blast interviewing Divy Shrivastava, CEO & Co-Founder of Paladin Drones. Divy is a 1st generation immigrant, originally from India. After almost 2 years studying engineering at UC Berkeley, he dropped out and launched the firm with his friend Trevor Pennypacker. They use autonomous drones to give first responders a live overhead view of an emergency before they arrive, allowing them to respond to emergencies quickly and safely. After raising $1,3MM in the seed round, they are off to the races! Connect with Divy HERE.

I had a privilege to interview Peter Burns, PMP Certified Executive at Nokia. Peter was born and raised in Jamaica. At the age of 12, he and his family moved to New York to begin the second chapter of their lives. 6 years later, he joined the US Army and after two decades of service all over the world, he moved to Frisco, TX in 1999. Through his selfless actions, he quickly became a well-respected local leader, mentoring and advising many students, and children. "I am just paying it forward", he says.  Connect with Peter HERE.

I had a tremendous amount of joy interviewing Brittany Colberg, Vice President at Republic Title in Frisco, TX. She is an experienced Escrow Officer with a demonstrated history of excellence in the title insurance industry. She is dedicated to community service and work on the Frisco's Planning & Zoning Commission as an only woman. We get insights into her life as a mom of two beautiful daughters and wife to her husband Erich as well as talk about why title insurance is so critical in the real estate space. Connect with Brittany HERE.

Bill Pasha has made a career in media production and programming working for organizations such as CBS before transitioning to entrepreneurship and business advisory full-time. Today, he leads a diverse U.S. holding company consisting of four subsidiaries that provide unique products and services to the Hospitality, Entertainment, and Media sectors. After helping open several restaurant concepts in Frisco, TX, he and his wife Debbie are bringing Nusr-Et aka Salt Bae Steakhouse to Dallas' Arts District. Connect with Bill HERE.

Erik Treutlein, President & CEO at LegalInc in Frisco, TX is one of the most down to earth people that you can ever meet. He is an Air Force veteran and a very charismatic, fun to be around guy. When it comes to business, he keeps himself and others accountable to the highest standards while leading with passion, authenticity and exceptional business acumen. His team at LegalInc strives to change the way legal services are executed & delivered by automating mundane tasks that hold legal teams back.  You can connect with Erik HERE.

When I first met Vontoba Terry, I had a feeling his story must be very unique. A former executive in the financial services industry that decided to pursue the entrepreneurial dream full-time after learning from retail experts and distributors such as Daymond John. Today, Vontoba and his wife Psyche own UI GlobalBrands, a supplier for over a dozen Fortune 500 retailers. Its core brand, Urban Hydration is sold in more than 7000 stores across the nation and they make a donation for every product they sell! Connect with Vontoba HERE.

I am very pumped to share with you all the story of Hirbod Bigvand, CEO at Surfboard. He came to the U.S. with $300 in his pocket from Iran at the age of 16. He hustled his way through high school and college learning about entrepreneurship and developing two mobile applications. They became valuable learning experiences and over time, he launched the third app. Today, he and his staff are helping its users to capture their adventures freely within their respective communities utilizing geofence feature. Connect with Hirbod HERE.

Lila Smith' story is one of a kind. She moved to Texas from the home state of New York, because of the LinkedIn community support and encouragement to find a new job. She found her calling through engagement on LinkedIn with people in posts and comments section. Utilizing her background in theatre and Intentional Communication methodology, she lights up entrepreneurs and business leaders to identify and express their true brand value. She helps people Say Things Better. You can connect with Lila HERE.

NéAndré Broussard, Founder of Black Menswear, started his career in financial services before transitioning to the insurance field. As a hobby, he developed a passion for fashion. His mission is to encourage positivity behind the African American male image which often is showcased negatively in media. NéAndré contributes it to his ability to make connections with people of all backgrounds. We sit down and discuss how Black Menswear became a thriving community from extensive efforts on social media. Connect with NéAndré HERE.

Ali Mirza, Founder of i Social You, came to the U.S. from Pakistan 9 days before the 9/11 attacks. As an entrepreneur and a business owner, he utilizes data analytics to help businesses grow their social media presence and generate sales. Beyond, he focuses on creating an engaging social presence for his clients. We highlight his unique background in engineering and how that degree has helped him to transition to the marketing field over time and go over why small steps lead to achieving big goals.  Connect with Ali HERE.  

Amine Bentahar came to the U.S. from Morocco. He is the Chief Digital Officer at Advantix Digital, one of the premier digital agencies in Dallas, TX serving many domestic and international brands. He speaks 4 languages and travels extensively to develop new business partnerships and to speak at various digital events worldwide. We discuss his humble beginnings in marketing and e-commerce, highlight his book: "Voice Search: The New Search Engine" and touch on the significance of this technology in our lives. Connect with Amine HERE.

There isn’t a soul in Frisco, TX that doesn't know Ashley Miller, Director of Community Relations at the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Her humble Louisiana beginnings lead her to Texas just a few days after graduating college. Since then, her impact on the local community has been huge. We discuss how she developed her work ethic and what it meant to her growth as a professional over time, her skills as a connector and community influencer and why she took an inbound vendor call that nobody else would. Connect with Ashley HERE.

Jason Croft is the Owner of Croft Media and the Host of The Jason Croft Show. He has spent almost 30 years in video and media production. He wanted to produce film and movies full-time so badly, that he was ready to drop out of college his freshman year. We dive into many aspects of his life: practicality and getting your hands dirty early on, passion for social media, how he became a great networker as an introvert, the importance of publishing video content and his journey as an entrepreneur! Connect with Jason HERE.  

Super pumped about this episode with Ana Rodriguez, Managing Director, Business Development & Latino Leadership Initiative at Southern Methodist University. We dive into Ana's passion - diversity & inclusion and what type of incredible value she provides to students and Fortune 1000 companies on a daily basis. We touch on her journey as a mom of 3, her mission to get her family out of poverty and why failure isn't an option! Connect with Ana HERE.

Jake Thompson started his professional career as a freelancer during the recession doing marketing and branding consulting. As an athlete and a former football player, his competitive mindset led him to entrepreneurship and launching Compete Every Day brand where he helps active people stay motivated to reach their career, fitness, and life goals. We sat down to talk about his journey from corporate to launching his own business, growing organic social media presence and having a Cleaner's mindset! Connect with Jake HERE.

Chris Sprague truly breathes and bleeds entrepreneurship. He made a name for himself early on in his career as an auto/collision and repair technician. Over time, he realized he hit a ceiling and decided to move to Texas with his family to become an entrepreneur. He bought a book on Amazon for $11 that lead him to become a pharmacy tech and a co-founder of a pharmaceutical wholesaler. Today, he owns multiple businesses and thinks about launching a few others. More importantly, without college education! Connect with Chris HERE.

Sam Roach's family has been in the City of Frisco area since the late 1800s. He is a long-time resident and started his career as an engineer. Tables turned in the 1970s when he got a call from someone to rent a small part of his property. He then proceeded to get his broker license and the rest was history. I sat down with Sam to talk about his perspective on the City of Frisco today vs. his humble beginnings. We touch on 30+ years of his service to the local community and why giving back is critical to everybody's lives. Connect with Sam HERE.

I was fortunate to interview Michael Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College (PQC) and Fortune 50 World's Greatest Leader. He took a job that nobody wanted and took a college from the brink of being shut down to a thriving Higher Education institution. Michael is implementing the new urban college model with plans to open Paul Quinn campuses nationwide. We touch on finding your fulfillment, overcoming challenges, the meaning of transparency and discuss the art of an ask. As a huge fan for the game of basketball, Michael also shares his remarks on Duke Men's Basketball program. Lastly, he provides insight on the attempt to acquire the Memphis Grizzlies franchise prior to taking over as a President of PQC. Connect with Michael HERE.

This episode with Judy Hoberman, an expert in promoting and retaining women in leadership positions, will help you extract a lot of value. We take a deeper dive into her journey from college to a successful career in selling insurance. We critique 7th place awards for kids and put emphasis on getting out of our comfort zones. Lastly, Judy shares an amazing example where she earned to work from home after a week of employment. Connect with Judy HERE.  

Pastor Richie Butler, Sr. Managing Director at Prescott Advisors is one of my dear friends and mentors. He channels his genuine spirit through everyone he encounters. I appreciated the opportunity to visit with him and discuss his football days at Southern Methodist University (SMU), the journey of being a pastor and a real estate investor, Project Unity, service on the Board of Trustees for SMU and the value of education.  Connect with Richie HERE.

This conversation with Dr. Stephanie Knight, Dean of Simmons School of Education and Human Development at Southern Methodist University (SMU) brought me a lot of great memories. Dr. Knight discusses experiences as a teacher in U.S. and Middle East, highlights the SMU's partnership with Toyota and Dallas School District. Lastly, we talk about the value of the Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management graduate program. Connect with Stephanie HERE.

Pumped for this episode with Chris Bhatti, Assistant Dean for the Jonsson School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Chris provides a ton of value as he walks through his journey as a scholar at Southern Methodist University and UTD. We discuss the impact of higher education on youth and highlight him as a teacher at all female school. Lastly, we touch on the importance of mentorship and having your "why" when connecting with people. Connect with Chris HERE.  

Loved this interview with Julian Placino, Sr. Recruiting Lead at Bottle Rocket & Founder of the Pathways to Success Training Co. We have met 7-8 years ago and the recording with him, as one of my mentors, brought me a lot of joy. We talk about his journey from the University of North Texas to the corporate world, Social Venture Partners, his amazing podcast, the importance of Branding, Mentorship, Building a Network and Humility. Connect with Julian HERE.