Podcasts about Central Texas

What do the numbers really tell us about the Texas real estate market heading into fall? Welcome back to the latest edition of the Texas Foreclosure Update!In this episode, real estate investor Scott Carson returns from his trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin to break down the complete September 2026 Texas foreclosure numbers. Total filings held steady across the state with just a slight 12-filing increase from August, bringing the total to 4,227 foreclosure filings across Texas for September's Super Tuesday auction. Behind those high-level numbers lie key regional shifts, county-by-county spikes, and emerging inventory trends that note investors, private lenders, and distressed property buyers need to know. Whether you are looking to source pre-foreclosures, target non-performing mortgage paper, or uncover commercial real estate deals, Scott delivers the exact metrics and insights you need to find high-upside opportunities before the auction block. Key Topics Covered:Statewide Macro Breakdown: Analyzing 4,227 total foreclosure filings across Texas for September 2026, comparing month-over-month performance to August's 4,215 total. Residential vs. Commercial Inventory: Unpacking 3,768 residential foreclosure filings alongside 447 commercial filings across the state. Regional Commercial Trends: Examining commercial shifts—South Texas jumping by 36 filings to 81 total, while Central Texas dropped by 16 to 118, East Texas dipped to 104, North Texas fell by 19, and West Texas fell to 18. County-by-County Deep Dive: Breaking down filing counts in major markets including Harris (672), Bexar (417), Dallas (337), Tarrant (264), Travis (123), Fort Bend (137), Hidalgo (170), El Paso (96), Williamson (74), and Collin (135). Notable Spikes & Drops: Highlighting Hidalgo County's major spike of 57 filings, Harris County's 21-filing increase, and notable drops in Bell (-36) and Williamson (-34) counties. Sourcing Distressed Paper: How to leverage tools like Roddy's Foreclosure Listing Service (foreclosure.info) to track self-directed IRA lenders, locate bank-owned debt, and uncover pre-foreclosure opportunities. Upcoming Virtual Masterclasses: Details on the live Wholesaling Notes 101 Masterclass scheduled for September 26, 2026, and the 2-Day Virtual Note Buying Workshop on September 19–20, 2026. Understanding the numbers is the first step to finding profitable real estate and note deals in Texas! Take these insights, apply them to your deal sourcing, and stay ahead of the curve. Got questions about evaluating Texas real estate or sourcing non-performing paper? Book a call directly with Scott at talkwithscottcarson.com or email him at scott@weclosenotes.com! To get $20 off your monthly foreclosure list, head over to foreclosure.info and use the promo code weclosenotes. For details on upcoming live training, visit wholesalingnotes.com and notebuyingfordummies.com! Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this update! Watch the Original Video of this Episode HERE!Book a Call With Scott HERE!Sign up for the next FREE One-Day Note Class HERE!Sign up for the WCN Membership HERE!Sign up for the next Note Buying For Dummies Workshop HERE!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here's How »Join the Note Closers Show community today:WeCloseNotes.comThe Note Closers Show FacebookThe Note Closers Show TwitterScott Carson LinkedInThe Note Closers Show YouTubeThe Note Closers Show VimeoThe Note Closers Show InstagramWe Close Notes Pinterest

Stijn Schmitz welcomes Ted Oakley to the show. Ted Oakley is Founder and Managing Partner | Oxbow Advisors. The discussion explores investment strategy, focusing on long-term holdings, hard assets, and contrarian opportunities. Oakley emphasizes the importance of a longer investment horizon, typically holding stocks for three to ten years, while acknowledging that most traders focus on short-term moves, often using leverage and options—which he views as risky. He notes that his firm recently bought back gold, silver, and mining stocks after significant corrections, considering them cheap on a cash flow basis, and continues to hold energy positions. Oakley expresses caution regarding certain AI-driven tech companies, citing concerns about debt levels, earnings quality, and the sustainability of current growth. He sees parallels to the late 1990s and the potential for revaluation if commercial viability falters. He advocates maintaining liquidity to seize opportunities during market dislocations, often holding substantial short-term treasuries alongside gold as a currency hedge against dollar depreciation and long-term inflationary pressures from rising government debt and deficits. The conversation turns to gold, with Oakley viewing the recent pullback to around $4,000 as a buying opportunity for those with a multi-year outlook, expecting much higher prices driven by central bank purchases and de-dollarization trends. He sees gold miners and royalty companies as undervalued, noting strong balance sheets and wide profit margins relative to extraction costs. Silver is also considered attractive, though more volatile. On energy, Oakley highlights the sector's profitability even at moderate oil prices and the structural supply constraints from underinvestment. He recommends a diversified approach across producers, pipelines, and service companies, focusing on quality names bought at a discount to intrinsic value. He also discusses critical minerals and iron ore as part of a broader hard asset strategy to protect against currency debasement. Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:01:00 – Current Investment Opportunities 00:02:23 – Long-term Investment Horizon 00:05:05 – Microsoft and AI Concerns 00:09:37 – Liquidity and Market Risks 00:11:29 – Debasement and Hard Assets 00:14:36 – Gold Market Opportunity 00:18:19 – Silver vs Gold Thesis 00:28:34 – Gold Miners Landscape 00:31:30 – Royalty Companies Value 00:34:01 – Energy Sector Fundamentals 00:39:13 – Critical Minerals Exposure 00:46:35 – Wrap Up Guest Links: X: https://x.com/Oxbow_Advisors Website: https://oxbowadvisors.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OxbowAdvisors J. Ted Oakley, CFA, CFP, is Managing Director and Founder of Oxbow Advisors. With more than forty years of experience in advising high net worth clients in the investment industry, Oakley implements the firm's proprietary investment strategies and the “Oxbow Principles” to provide a unique investment perspective. He is a frequent guest on FOX Business News, Bloomberg Radio, Thoughtful Money, The David Lin Report, and many more. Mr. Oakley is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). He is a member of the Austin Society of Financial Analysts. He is also a Partner of Herndon Plant Oakley Ltd., an investment company. He is a Board Member of Texas State Aquarium, American Bank, and American Bank Holding Company. Mr. Oakley is a United States Army Veteran. Mr. Oakley began his career in Dallas, Texas, over 40 years ago. He is the author of Eleven books: You Sold Your Company, $30 Million and Broke, Rich Kids Broke Kids – The Failure of Traditional Estate Planning, Crazy Time – Surviving the First 12 Months after Selling Your Company, Wall Street Lies, Danger Time, My Story, The Psychology of Staying Rich, Your Money Mentality, Stay Rich with a Balanced Portfolio & his 2025 latest release: Second Generation Wealth. Mr. Oakley's primary philanthropic interest is helping children. He is Chairman Emeritus and Founder of the Foster Angels of South Texas, the largest foster child foundation in South Texas, as well as Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Austin, Texas-based Foster Angels of Central Texas. Also, President and Founder of Advocates for Foster Children Foundation. Mr. Oakley recently arranged for Foster Angels in South Texas to represent The Heart Gallery of Texas to further their adoption efforts.

Lindsay Clancy's murder trial enters its 13th day as jurors hear digital evidence from the weeks and hours before she killed her three young children and weigh her insanity defense - MK True Crime Show co-host Dave Aronberg weighs in. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announces she will leave the administration at the end of August to spend more time with her young family. New reporting raises questions about the Israeli intelligence behind the Iranian threat that led President Trump's security team to secretly switch him off Air Force One. Two soldiers are killed when an Army Apache helicopter crashes in Central Texas, sparking a 155-acre grass fire and forcing nearby evacuations.     Subscribe now to Emily's "After Party": Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/after-party-with-emily-jashinsky/id1821493726 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0szVa30NjGYsyIzzBoBCtJ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AfterPartyEmily?sub_confirmation=1     Lean: Discover why LEAN is becoming the choice for real weight‑loss results—shop now at https://TAKELEAN.com use code MK.   Birch Gold: Text MK to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join the Millionaire University AI Mastermind at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/AI⁠ #1036 Want a business that turns fresh asphalt into a “blank canvas” — and pays well for satisfying, repeatable work? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel talks with Cinco Winston, founder of Trueline Striping in Central Texas, about how he left a stable construction career, skipped the franchise route, and bootstrapped his own parking lot striping company to cash flow within two months. He shares how he trained with an out-of-state pro, bought only the essentials to get started, and strategically targeted customers who actually value curb appeal and recurring maintenance. Cinco breaks down startup costs, pricing, profit margins, seasonality, and why he's still running lean while planning for future growth. If you've ever wondered how “unsexy” service businesses quietly generate great income and freedom, this conversation will open your eyes! (Original Air Date - 12/8/25) What we discuss with Cinco: + Leaving construction to start striping + Choosing independent over franchise + Training with an out-of-state striping company + Bootstrapping equipment and startup costs + Hitting cash flow within two months + Discounting early jobs to gain clients + Targeting customers who value curb appeal + Door knocking and in-person sales + Managing seasonality and recurring clients + Profit margins, salary, and plans to scale Thank you, Cinco! Check out Trueline Striping at ⁠TruelineStripingTX.com⁠. Follow Cinco on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠video podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode! Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a conversation about the gap between checking the box and being genuinely competent and confident when it counts. Bryan Williams, Chancey Pogue, Matt Pranka, and Dustin Mowery walk through the real roadmap: why the stigma against competition shooting is rooted in ego and not evidence, why the qualification score is one of the most useless metrics in law enforcement, and what training in isolation actually means when you strip away the buzzwords and get honest about the work.Dry fire is the thread running through the whole episode, and not in the vague, post-it-on-Instagram way. You'll hear what to focus on, how long to go, when to stop, how to marry it to live fire when you only have 50 rounds to your name, and why grip and vision are the only two things that matter until you have truly mastered them. The principles are simple. The work isn't. But if you understand why you are doing it, the framework and roadmap becomes clear.If you've ever said, "I can't do that at my agency" or "I'm not trying to be a GM," this episode is specifically for you. The guys lay out exactly what it looks like to start wherever you are, eliminate the excuses, and build the kind of skill that holds up when everything is moving fast and the stakes are real.In this episode:• Law enforcement qualifications are a box to check, not a measure of skill: shooting at seven yards on a line with no time pressure is not a test of your ability to run a gun under stress, and anchoring your identity to that score is actively holding you back• The stigma against competition shooting comes from ego, not evidence: the best shooters in the world are practical shooting competitors, and the 'targets don't shoot back' argument falls apart the moment you realize no targets on any LE range shoot back either• Peer pressure inside a ranked department is a more powerful culture driver than any mandate: when officers can see exactly where they rank in ability, the bottom of the stack starts climbing, and culturally the whole group shifts upward over time• Grip and vision are the foundation that everything else is built on: if those two things are not dialed in, every rep of dry fire and every round of live fire is reinforcing a flawed pattern, not building a better one• Dry fire sessions should be short, focused, and honest: when your grip pressure, visual discipline, or mechanical consistency starts to degrade, that session is over for that task, point of diminishing returns is real and ignoring it means taking steps backward• A 10 to 1 dry fire to live fire ratio maximizes limited ammo: settle grip and vision in dry fire first, then test it live, do not use your 50 rounds to figure out things that cost you nothing to figure out in your living room• Chancey's recruit class averaged 98.6 out of 100 on their qualification after eight weeks of structured dry fire with zero live rounds fired beforehand, two 30 minute sessions per week, no fancy facility required• Visual discipline and visual control are the two principles that govern the vision side: use the right aiming scheme for the distance and difficulty at hand, connect to the exact spot on the target you need to hit, and do not over confirm or under confirm, no more and no lessChapters:0:56 Welcome to TTPOA 2026 in Round Rock2:17 Guest introductions around the table3:57 Setting the stage: what is wrong with LE firearms training11:05 Breaking the stigma against practical/competition shooting14:22 Why the qualification score is a broken measuring stick20:55 How practical shooting culture spreads inside departments28:36 The ego reset: your first match is supposed to hurt40:19 Training in isolation: what it actually means47:57 Building the dry fire habit: capturing time wherever you can1:05:40 Chancey's recruit dry fire protocol and the 98.6 average1:28:46 Making the most of limited ammo: the 10 to 1 rule1:37:34 Wrapping up: grip, vision, and the two principles that never changeMentioned:Bryan Williams — Nearly 39-year law enforcement veteran, former police chief in Central Texas, one of the first five USPSA Grand Masters in the nation and the first in Texas, joins the roundtable at TTPOA 2026.Chancey Pogue — Lieutenant over the weapons range and all reality-based training at a large North Texas agency with approximately 2,000 officers, credited with implementing practical shooting and a structured recruit dry fire program.Matt Pranka — Owner of X-Ray Alpha, retired Army Special Operations background, USPSA competitor for about 13 years and GM, has spent six years working to bring practical shooting and competition-style training to law enforcement and military.Dustin Mowery — Retired Ohio police officer with 27 years of service, helped introduce practical shooting to his department's firearms unit around 2019 after connecting with Matt Pranka, now teaches classes independently and with Matt.Kim Pastore — Described as a runaway train working tirelessly through the Jorge Pastore Foundation to get the right coaches in front of law enforcement and raise money to send officers to training for free.Ben Stoeger — Referenced as having done more for the practical shooting training world than anyone, praised for his ability to reverse-engineer classifiers, self-teach to a GM level, and present foundational concepts in the simplest and most effective way.Jerry Barnhart — Legendary practical shooter Bryan Williams saw run stages at the nationals in Reno in the nineties, described as a beast whose performance was a formative, eye-opening demonstration of what is possible with a handgun.Sean Griffith — Described as a world-class shooter who teaches more cops on a day-to-day basis than almost anyone through the entity he works with, called out as a heavy lifter at the TTPOA match.Gabe Rivera — High-level shooter whose dramatic skill improvement since 2019 is highlighted as an example of the hockey-stick trajectory possible with focused training; was about to appear in the booth after the roundtable.Adrian Yun — High-level shooter praised alongside Gabe Rivera and Clay for the rapid skill development they achieved, also noted during the match for his grip awareness and in-stage self-correction.Clay B — High-level shooter nicknamed 'speed demon,' noted for shooting with the wrong hand and called out as one of the heavy lifters whose improvement since 2019 is remarkable.Jay — Person Chancey met who was highly skilled at shooting without ever having competed, described as someone whose natural drive and desire to improve explained everything about how he got that good.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION - Ready to publishAustin still has a pulse, and this episode proves it. From a roadside peach seller with a full drum kit to a listener who became a record-breaker at 48, Sandy, JB, and Trisha turn everyday Texas into can't-miss radio.The show kicks off with the most delightfully Austin sight imaginable on 360 - a man selling peaches while playing live drums in the heat. That sparks a bigger conversation about what makes Central Texas weird in the best possible way, from grocery-store bands to the roadside juice stands and truck-stop culture that only Texans can debate with this much passion.You'll hear the crew break down:Why Buc-ee's in San Marcos opening with 128 gas pumps and more than 75,000 square feet is a major travel-game changerThe ongoing etiquette war over whether people should move their cars after pumping gasThe legendary roadside stops between Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, including kolache runs, Carl's Corner, and old-school pit stopsA listener call that turns into a jaw-dropping “Book of Records” moment when Cynthia shares she had her last baby at 48Then Cynthia raises the bar again - still teaching 13 fitness classes a week, earning a personal training license, and somehow making the hosts question their own life choices. It's the kind of call-in moment that is funny, surprising, and weirdly inspiring all at once.If you love Austin culture, Texas road-trip lore, listener call-ins, and stories that remind you the weirdest things are often the most charming, this one is worth your time. Come for the peaches and drums, stay for the Buc-ee's debate and the record-book worthy fitness queen.

Concert season is almost here at Baylor and across Waco, with nationally known artists and rising stars taking the stage at venues like Foster Pavilion. Go inside the concert scene with Jason Cook, Baylor Vice President for Marketing and Communications, in a conversation at the historic Texas Music Cafe. Cook examines how the community has become a destination for artists and fans alike, the partnerships helping grow Waco's music ecosystem, and the work that goes into creating memorable experiences both on stage and behind the scenes. From family-friendly concerts and football weekend performances to major touring acts and emerging artists, discover how live music is helping shape the cultural life on campus and in Central Texas.

In this episode, we sit down with Travis Taylor from Caldwell County BBQ to talk about the craft, tradition, and growth behind one of Arizona's standout barbecue brands. Travis shares what goes into cooking Central Texas-style barbecue over nothing but wood fire, why brisket is still king, and how the team stays focused on quality as they continue to expand. We also get into the story behind the original Gilbert location, house-made sausage, mesquite smoke, and the creative ways Caldwell County uses everything from brisket trimmings to beef tallow. Whether you're a barbecue fanatic or just curious about what separates good barbecue from great barbecue, this episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the patience, detail, and passion that go into doing it right.

Join financial advisors Suzette Porter and Julia Hummel as they bring clarity and confidence to your retirement journey. Broadcasting from Central Texas, Financial Wise goes beyond the numbers to unpack practical strategies for protecting and growing your hard-earned savings. Each episode provides thoughtful insights into retirement planning, tax-efficient strategies, smart investing, estate planning, and more—so you can make informed decisions and live your best retirement life. Brought to you by Capstar Financial Services, LLC.To receive your Financial Wise Toolkit, go to financialwisepodcast.com.

A Central Texas cattle producer says it's been one of the best summers ever.A group of House Republicans is urging EPA to reconsider its limit on chlorpyrifos use.Corn in parts of the Panhandle is feeling the heat.Drought and heat have made things challenging for Texas High Plains ranchers.The deadline to approve additional base acres is Aug. 31.A new report from USDA looks at land values and cash rents.There's still a lack of quality control, safety and efficacy data for the majority of equine supplements.

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief sits down with Heather and Derek Latzel of Porchlight Distillery in Mason, Texas, one of the newest members of the Texas Whiskey Trail.   This episode isn't about finding a finished product. It's about remembering that everyone starts somewhere.   As the group shares pours of Porchlight's 95-proof Wheated Bourbon, they talk honestly about the challenges of building a craft distillery from the ground up. The whiskey is still young, but it already shows promising qualities and offers a glimpse of what's to come as the distillery continues to mature its craft.   For Big Chief, the visit comes full circle. As a teenager growing up in Central Texas, he made regular trips to Mason to sell Angora goat mohair before stopping at the old feed store to buy livestock feed for the ranch. Decades later, that same historic building has been transformed into Porchlight Distillery—a reminder that while buildings can change, the stories they hold never fade.   Heather and Derek share their journey of restoring a piece of Mason's history while pursuing their dream of creating Texas whiskey. It's a story of faith, hard work, and investing in a community they now proudly call home.   Every legendary distillery was once the new kid on the block. This conversation is about supporting those willing to take that first step and celebrating the beginning of what could become another great Texas whiskey story.   On this week's ride you'll hear:       ●    Heather and Derek's journey to opening Porchlight Distillery.     ●    Why they chose Mason, Texas, to chase their dream.     ●    The story behind the historic feed store that now houses the distillery.     ●    Big Chief's memories of hauling Angora goat mohair to Mason and buying feed in that very building.     ●    A discussion of Porchlight's young 95-proof Wheated Bourbon and the promise it holds for the future.     ●    What it means to be one of the newest members of the Texas Whiskey Trail.     ●    Why supporting new craft distilleries helps strengthen the entire Texas whiskey community.   Every great whiskey story has a beginning. This week, you'll hear one that's just getting started.   Take the Ride. Cheers!  

This week on This Week in Barbecue, Rasheed Philips and James Welch are back with barbecue news, hot takes, and listener questions that cover everything from streaming deals to event red flags.The episode starts with National Watermelon Day before moving into Netflix picking up barbecue content from Tastemade, including Backyard Barbecue Hero and Barbecue Smokeout. James recaps his trip to Bark Barbecue in Brooklyn, where pitmaster Ruben Santana is serving Central Texas-style barbecue through a Dominican lens with brisket, beef ribs, sausage, rice, cornbread, mac and cheese, and a smooth restaurant operation.Rasheed and James also break down the Black Smoke Invitational situation, what pitmasters should ask before joining an event, a 12,000-pound Canadian bacon recall, Travel and Leisure's barbecue capital rankings, Austin vs. Lockhart vs. Kansas City, and why barbecue legacy matters more than a title. The episode wraps with listener questions about AI-generated food content, whether food creators need certification, safe Cambro temperatures at pop-ups, and catering pricing basics, including contracts, retainers, and portion control.Listen now for barbecue news, restaurant insight, creator culture, event lessons, food safety, and honest conversation from the world behind the smoke.

Join Alisa as she sits down with Eric and Levi to talk about the upcoming Cabaret at the Lyric, a special evening celebrating the legacy of Nancy Jo Humpfeld. They discuss what inspired the event, what audiences can expect from the night's performances, and how this fundraiser will help support the Lyric while honoring someone who made a lasting impact on the theater. Whether you're coming for the music, the memories, or simply a great night out, this episode gives you a preview of an evening filled with entertainment, community, and purpose.   watch on youtube - https://youtu.be/6HsP3_IWTHQ    Audition Workshop: Little Shop of Horrors Tuesday, August 4, 2026 - 6:30 PM CDT In this audition workshop, participants will gain insight into the creative vision behind the upcoming production and what the director looks for in auditions. Through guided exercises, practical instruction, and performance-focused coaching, students will strengthen their audition technique, storytelling skills, and confidence in the audition room. Each workshop is tailored to the style and demands of the specific show, offering actors valuable tools they can carry into future auditions—both at the Lyric and beyond. https://lyricperformingartscompany.thundertix.com/events/258273    AccelHealth Celebration of Rural Health Care & MOVIE: Awakenings Saturday, August 8, 2026 - 6:00 PM CDT Experience AccelHealth's America's 250th Celebration – A Tribute to Rural Healthcare with an exclusive VIP evening option. VIP reception begins at 5:00 PM with a Center Stage, at the Lyric's Off Center venue, reception featuring gourmet hors d'oeuvres and adult beverages by The Turtle Restaurant and Enoteca, along with a special presentation on the history of healthcare in Central Texas. Continue at the Lyric Theatre for the inspiring film Awakenings, based on the remarkable true story of patients awakened through groundbreaking treatment. Enjoy complimentary intermission concessions, special recognition of healthcare heroes and community partners, entertainment by the Lyric Players, and the exciting "Drive for Health Golf Cart Raffle" drawing. The evening's presenting sponsor is Hendrick Health Brownwood. https://lyricperformingartscompany.thundertix.com/events/268118 

It's that time of the month again, note investors! Scott Carson is back with the official Texas Foreclosure Update for August 2026. Following July's massive 12% to 16% surge across Texas counties, are we seeing a continued wave of distressed properties—or is the market taking a breather? In this episode, Scott pulls back the curtain on the raw numbers, tracking over 4,200 scheduled residential and commercial foreclosure filings across North, South, East, West, and Central Texas. Whether you're targeting single-family homes in Harris County, commercial assets in DFW, or looking at rising trends in Williamson and Bell counties, this episode gives you the local intelligence you need to find true distressed real estate deals before everyone else! Detailed Episode HighlightsOverall Market Breakdown: Statewide foreclosure filings decreased from 4,754 in July to 4,215 total filings in August 2026—a temporary dip following a major quarterly spike. Residential vs. Commercial Totals: Out of the 4,215 filings, 3,765 are residential, while 450 are commercial assets across the state. Commercial Foreclosure Trends: Commercial filings fell 10% statewide (down 46 deals). Central Texas: Down to 134 filings (down 25). East Texas (Greater Houston): Up to 105 filings (up 14). North Texas (DFW): Down to 145 filings (down 11). South Texas: Down to 45 filings (down 25). West Texas: Steady at 21 filings (up 1). Top Texas Residential Counties Breakdown:Harris County (Houston): Leads the state with 651 filings (down ~25% from last month). Bexar County (San Antonio): 439 filings. Dallas County: 334 filings (down 63). Tarrant County (Fort Worth): 278 filings (down 34). Travis County (Austin): 135 filings (down 24). Bucking the Trend: Williamson County (up 13 to 108) and Bell County (up 12 to 99) both showed increases north of Austin. Data Tools & Discount: How to use the Roddy Foreclosure Listing Service (4closure.info) to track residential and commercial filings. Use promo code WECLOSENOTES to save $20 on your residential subscription. Next StepsTracking market trends is the key to finding off-market distressed debt, bank-owned properties, and high-profit wholesale deals! Want to learn how to capitalize on these Texas foreclosure filings without putting up big capital or dealing with tenants?

Episode 270 of The BG Podcast features A.J. Bingham's conversation with A.J. Rodriguez, CEO of the newly formed Central Texas Alliance, about turning the vision of an Austin–San Antonio megaregion into coordinated regional action. Following Episode 269's conversation with former San Antonio Mayor and HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, this episode examines why the moment calls for greater collaboration across the 13-county region and its more than 120 municipalities. Bingham and Rodriguez discuss how the Alliance plans to convene business, government, civic, academic and community leaders; work alongside local governments, chambers and economic development organizations; and develop a unified regional voice at the state and federal levels. They also explore the Alliance's seven priority areas: transportation, water resources, housing, workforce development, energy resilience, health care, and land stewardship and planning. Listen to Episode 269: https://soundcloud.com/the-bingham-group-llc/bg-podcast-ep-269 Learn more about the Central Texas Alliance here: https://centraltexasalliance.com/ // The BG Podcast is produced by BG Media Group, LLC for The Bingham Group, LLC, a leading municipal lobbying and government affairs firm serving corporate, real estate and nonprofit clients across Central Texas. Learn more here: https://www.binghamgp.com/services

The Question Everyone Asks, a 9/11 Hero's Powerful Story, and the Tallest Listener Challenge You Won't Believe!What's the first question people always ask when they find out what you do for a living? That simple question sparked one of the most fascinating conversations yet on The JB and Sandy Show. Listeners called in to share the assumptions, curiosities, and downright funny questions they hear every day, leading to stories from heavy equipment operators, firefighters, and more. One of the most unforgettable moments came when retired firefighter Don shared his personal experience responding to the World Trade Center attacks. His emotional recollection and honest discussion about how those events continue to affect his health created a powerful and heartfelt moment that stopped everyone in their tracks.The laughs kept coming as JB uncovered a surprising secret about Sandy and Tricia's streaming habits, sparking a hilarious conversation about shared passwords, subscription overload, and the lengths families go to save a few bucks. As JB joked, “Are times that tough at the McIlree house?”The crew also launched a new Book of Records challenge, searching for the tallest and shortest listeners in Central Texas. The calls delivered plenty of laughs, unexpected contenders, and one listener who proudly claimed a spot thanks to her 4'11" frame. Plus:A winner is crowned in JB & Sandy's Minute to Win ItListener shoutouts from near and farWhy one caller ditched Wi-Fi, streaming services, and social media altogetherAustin barbecue talk, including a surprising annual shutdown at Franklin BarbecueA heartfelt listener call about the joy of hearing JB and Sandy back on the radioMemorable Moment:"I'm just so happy to have you back." A listener's emotional call reminded the team how deeply radio connections can last across generations.Whether you're here for the laughs, the stories, or the unexpected moments of real life, this episode delivers all three. Enjoyed the show?Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who always gets asked the same question about their job!

Ann speaks with Olive Talley (an award-winning producer & reporter for various media outlets -- including Dateline NBC, ABC Primetime Live, The Dallas Morning News & the Houston Chronicle -- during her decades-long career) about directing "The Stones Are Speaking", a new documentary which explores the remarkable discoveries at the Gault Archaeological Site in Central Texas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A veteran nonprofit CEO and minister walks away from the top job to take a year‑long “power pause” for her health, her daughters, and her sanity. In this first conversation, Emilee Whitehurst traces her path from human biology and divinity school into community organizing, parish ministry, and leadership at Interfaith Action of Central Texas, the Rothko Chapel, Planned Parenthood, and the Houston Area Women’s Center. She describes guiding shelters through COVID, running three facilities at once, and realizing that every minute of her life was organized around work. Emilee explains how a single thought — “I do not have to keep doing this” — triggered a powerful physical release, pushed her to live off retirement savings, and forced her to relearn what rest feels like, rethink her worth, and imagine a different way to lead and live. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. How did Emilee Whitehurst move from studying human biology into faith, ministry, and social justice work? 2. Why did Emilee decide to go to Harvard Divinity School and pursue ordination as a Presbyterian minister? 3. How did community organizing around youth incarceration and police violence shape Emilee's sense of calling? 4. What did Emilee learn directing Interfaith Action of Central Texas and then leading the Rothko Chapel? 5. Why did Emilee shift into reproductive health advocacy and later into the CEO role at the Houston Area Women’s Center? 6. How did the COVID pandemic, and the spike in domestic and sexual violence, change Emilee’s work and her staff’s role? 7. What did it look like for Emilee’s team to operate three shelters at once and be treated as first responders? 8. What finally made Emilee consider an “intentional pause” or “power pause,” even though she was at the peak of her career? 9. How did Emilee’s responsibilities as a single mother of two teenage daughters influence her decision to step away? 10. What did Emilee feel in her body when she realized she did not have to keep doing this work in the same way? Timestamped Overview 00:00 Dorothy welcomes Emilee Whitehurst, introduces their long friendship, and invites her to share her background in human biology, divinity school, and early community organizing.02:22 Emilee explains how working around youth incarceration and police violence led her to Harvard Divinity School, parish ministry in Kansas, and leadership roles at Interfaith Action of Central Texas, the Rothko Chapel, Planned Parenthood, and the Houston Area Women’s Center.04:55 Emilee describes leading the Women’s Center through COVID, operating three shelters during a spike in violence, and having her staff recognized as first responders.05:50 Dorothy asks about Emilee’s “power pause”; Emilee explains that as a single mom of two teenage daughters, she feared regretting lost time and began to question her nonstop pace.08:08 Emilee recalls the turning point thought, “I do not have to keep doing this,” and how it brought immediate physical relief, even as she recognized the privilege of living off retirement savings.09:40 Emilee admits she had to relearn how to rest, choosing naps over laundry and confronting fears that she would become lazy if she stopped producing.11:10 She shares how this rest raised profound questions about worth, revealing the “spell” of believing every minute must be productive and acknowledging how nonprofit culture can justify self‑sacrifice.13:20 Emilee says she does not regret her work but is grateful to have woken up in time to enjoy priceless car‑ride conversations with her daughters and to start reconnecting with herself.15:29 She describes becoming present to long‑dormant feelings like rage, sorrow, and grief, and how practices like yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong helped her trust her body’s wisdom.18:18 Emilee notes that while she once lived passionately “from the heart,” the grind of being both full‑time CEO and full‑time mom was no longer sustainable for her health.20:02 She characterizes her current season as a liminal state where headaches and chronic stress have eased, and her daughters see her treating “laundry as just laundry” instead of a crisis.22:21 Emilee explains her search for a new baseline of well‑being, saying she now better recognizes when she slips below it and will use that awareness to judge future roles.24:06 She shares a vision for a retreat center focused on love, healing, and liberation and says she cannot return to her old way of functioning now that she has proved herself.25:31 Emilee acknowledges that her “break” quickly became another full‑time, unpaid job at home, and that most working women never feel they truly rest.27:19 She recognizes women’s fear of stepping out of the workforce in midlife but hopes there is a way to live that does not require working against our own best interests.28:59 Emilee offers simple practices—stop, breathe, line up your body, relax your muscles, tune your mind into your body—as accessible starting points for rest and mindset change.30:16 She roots her perspective in spirituality, affirming that we are inherently worthy without needing to prove it and emphasizing the importance of communities that reflect that worth back.31:21 Dorothy closes by thanking Emilee for sharing a story many women need to hear; Emilee responds with gratitude and humor about how different she looks and feels now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*The corn crop in the High Plains of Texas is suffering from the summer heat.  *A budget package that includes additional economic assistance for farmers is moving forward.  *Texas livestock producers who experienced losses in the recent flooding may get help from USDA disaster programs.  *Corn harvest is underway in Central Texas.  *It's been another dry year for cotton farmers in the Texas High Plains.  *Negotiations continue on the U.S. Mexico Canada trade agreement.  *Beef prices and consumer demand were topics discussed at the recent Cattle Industry Summer conference in Denver.*Bulls with increased back fat may have lower fertility.  

Joining me on episode 317 is Central Texas native and New Mexico based artist Mariffa Da Rasta. Mariffa was sent to me by former guest @larussoworld a couple of months prior so it was great to finally have a true discussion with him. He described his sound and what it means to him to be able to inspire listeners through his lyrics while also using music as a platform to help provide for his family. Having established a good home base in New Mexico he also has been busy utilizing studio time to help craft new music. This includes his most recent EP “Chronicles Of Mariffa” as well as his forthcoming project “Depression Is Expensive” that's set to release in the coming months. When speaking about the projects theme, he revealed that it will be a much deeper dive into his personal life and overcoming hardships along with many of the lessons he's learned along the way. As someone who loves the art of story telling and honesty in music I am looking forward to the first listen. I also want to thank Mariffa for joining me and once again to Leo for getting us connected!Consider donating to the show via our Ko-Fi profile here

What Was in Tricia's Mystery Box? The Hilarious Reveal, Internet Legends, and Football Fever Is Officially Here What would you do if fighter jets suddenly appeared in front of your tiny airplane—and your only response was, “Too close for missiles, switching to guns”? On this laugh-out-loud episode of The JB and Sandy Show, the team dives into some of the funniest internet moments ever shared, from a legendary viral news interview to an unforgettable post-surgery confession that had everyone cracking up. JB, Sandy, and Tricia swap their all-time favorite clips and prove once again that sometimes the internet really does deliver comedy gold. Then comes the mystery that takes over the studio: What exactly did Tricia bring to work in a box that she desperately didn't want to discuss? What starts as a simple question quickly turns into a hilarious and brutally honest conversation that has the entire show in stitches. Football fans will love the countdown as the crew celebrates being just 40 days away from Longhorn football, talks SEC Media Days, and shares fascinating insights from Coach Sark and Arch Manning. One message stands out above all: when you stop overthinking and start having fun, everything changes. The gang also explores exciting new ways fans can experience Formula One in Austin, shares stories from around Central Texas, previews an upcoming conversation with the unforgettable Dixie, and recaps a nail-biting Minute to Win It contest that came down to the final question. Memorable Moments: “Too close for missiles, switching to guns.” The mystery box reveal that nobody saw coming. Why Arch Manning says learning to have fun changed everything. Sandy and JB remembering the only time they've ever hugged in decades of friendship. A contestant comes agonizingly close to winning it all. If you love authentic friendships, hilarious storytelling, sports talk, and the unpredictable moments that make live radio great, this episode is a must-listen. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who could use a good laugh. Don't miss out—football season is almost here, and the stories are only getting better. 

This week on Waxing Lyrically, Drex and Alisa sit down with Jill Evans and Michael Cloy to talk about an upcoming movie event at the Lyric that's doing more than entertaining—it's helping make a difference. As a fundraiser for ACCEL Health, the conversation explores how the organization serves the underinsured, the importance of accessible mental health care, and the impact these services have on the community. Along the way, they also share what audiences can expect from the special movie screening and why it's an event worth supporting. Whether you're coming for the film, the cause, or both, this episode shines a spotlight on how a night at the movies can help change lives.   Watch on youtube - https://youtu.be/L8pXtMotZRs    Finding Nemo Jul 31, 2026 - Aug 2, 2026   Dive into an underwater world of color, laughter, and love in Finding Nemo Jr.! This family-friendly musical brings Disney and Pixar's beloved characters to life as Marlin and Dory journey across the ocean to find young Nemo. With unforgettable songs and stunning visuals, it's a story of family, friendship, and adventure that will make a splash with audiences of all ages! https://lyricperformingartscompany.thundertix.com/events/255978    AccelHealth Celebration of Rural Health Care & MOVIE: Awakenings Saturday, August 8, 2026 - 6:00 PM CDT     Experience AccelHealth's America's 250th Celebration – A Tribute to Rural Healthcare with an exclusive VIP evening option. VIP reception begins at 5:00 PM with a Center Stage, at the Lyric's Off Center venue, reception featuring gourmet hors d'oeuvres and adult beverages by The Turtle Restaurant and Enoteca, along with a special presentation on the history of healthcare in Central Texas. Continue at the Lyric Theatre for the inspiring film Awakenings, based on the remarkable true story of patients awakened through groundbreaking treatment. Enjoy complimentary intermission concessions, special recognition of healthcare heroes and community partners, entertainment by the Lyric Players, and the exciting "Drive for Health Golf Cart Raffle" drawing. The evening's presenting sponsor is Hendrick Health Brownwood. https://lyricperformingartscompany.thundertix.com/events/268118   

A little more than a year after catastrophic floods devastated Central Texas, another deluge hit the area. How are residents and the state responding to this new tragedy?

The Austin–San Antonio corridor is becoming one of the nation's most consequential growth regions. The question is whether Central Texas will prepare for that growth—or allow it to overwhelm the systems that support the region's economy and quality of life. A.J. Bingham speaks with former San Antonio Mayor and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros (www.linkedin.com/in/henrycisneros) about the region's projected growth from 5.3 million residents today to roughly 8.3 million by 2050. Cisneros discusses the need for coordinated regional leadership on transportation, passenger rail, water, electric power, data centers, workforce development and open-space preservation. He also explains why Austin, San Antonio and the communities between them must begin operating as an interconnected region rather than a collection of separate jurisdictions. The conversation comes as the new Central Texas Alliance (tinyurl.com/jtdy5cvd) seeks to build consensus across the 13-county megaregion. Cisneros is the co-author of The Austin–San Antonio Megaregion: Opportunity and Challenge in the Lone Star State (tinyurl.com/2ffe25b5). // The BG Podcast is produced by BG Media Group, LLC, for The Bingham Group, LLC—a leading municipal lobbying and government affairs firm serving corporate, real estate and nonprofit clients across Central Texas.

She Was 500 Years Off! The Hilarious Minute-to-Win-It Moment You Have to Hear How far off can one answer be and still have everyone laughing? On this entertaining episode of The JB and Sandy Show, the crew tackles the realities of getting older with a hilarious conversation about unexpected hair growth, eyebrow battles, and Tricia's ongoing “whisker war.” What starts as a relatable discussion about aging quickly turns into one of the funniest exchanges of the morning. The show also dives into the aftermath of Central Texas flooding, with updates on lake restrictions, dam operations, and the remarkable power of moving water. Sandy shares stories about people gathering to watch water rush through Mansfield Dam, while the team reflects on the lasting impact these weather events can have across the region. Plus, in Care Don't Care, the gang uncovers some of the delightfully eccentric requests reportedly associated with William Shatner. From unusual transportation preferences to dressing room demands, the conversation proves that some personalities only get more interesting with age. You'll also hear a fascinating story about Austin firefighters using real-world flood conditions to sharpen their swift-water rescue skills, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the training and dedication that keeps communities safe. And then comes the unforgettable edition of JB and Sandy's Minute to Win It. Contestant Gracie is cruising through the questions until one history question creates an instant classic radio moment. When she confidently misses the year Columbus sailed by about five centuries, the laughter that follows is pure JB and Sandy gold. Memorable Moments: “We're fighting the ear, nose, and eyebrow hair.” Tricia's declaration: “I'm winning the whisker war.” The contestant who was “about 500 years off” on a history question. A hilarious deep dive into William Shatner's larger-than-life personality. Enjoyed the show? Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your friends so they can join the fun and catch every unforgettable moment from The JB and Sandy Show. 

https://youtu.be/RI_6ZvdjVuE Matt Andersen, CEO of Westlake Securities, LLC, is driven by a mission to create value that changes lives by helping business owners follow the 4 Steps to Creating Equity Value, intentionally grow their companies, maximize enterprise value, and achieve successful liquidity events. Through strategic planning, disciplined execution, and a purpose-driven approach, Matt has helped companies achieve significant growth while empowering entrepreneurs to build businesses that create lasting financial and personal impact. We explore Matt Andersen’s Reverse Engineer Your Outcomes Framework — Define Your Financial Goal and Timeframe, Design a First 100-Day Plan, Build an Annual Plan, and Adjust and Reset Quarterly. Matt explains why business owners should reverse-engineer their desired financial outcome before creating a growth strategy, how a focused 100-day plan builds early momentum and accountability, and why quarterly adjustments keep organizations on track toward long-term goals. He also discusses how thought leadership, educational content, internship programs, and AI-powered client experiences have fueled Westlake Securities’ growth while helping entrepreneurs achieve private equity-like results without giving up ownership of their businesses. — 4 Steps to Creating Equity Value with Matt Andersen  Good day. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and my guest today is Matt Andersen, the CEO of Westlake Securities, LLC, the number one lower middle-market investment bank in Central Texas, focused on advising companies seeking to intentionally grow or obtain liquidity. He’s also the author of Intentional Growth, as you can see behind him on the screen. Matt, welcome to the show.  Hey, Steve. Thanks so much for having me. I’m super excited to be joining you on today’s show.  Yeah. I love the title of the book and the cover. This is exactly what you want to do with companies, right? You intentionally want to grow them, and then you want to grow their value and create great exits, which I’m sure you have a lot to tell us about. Yeah, that’s exactly right. Our business model… Taking a quick step back, I’m CEO of Westlake Securities, as you mentioned, a lower middle-market investment bank. A lot of the companies we work with, we’re really helping them grow. That’s about half our business. The other half of our business is folks who, once they’ve grown and achieved a certain position or value in the organization and have gotten to a certain point in their career, might want to start thinking about liquidity, or maybe an ultimate exit plan for liquidity—not just for their financial tie-up in the business, but also for their time. So that’s the other half of what we do. We help people think through that next step.  Yeah, because you need both, right? If you have a lot of money but no time to enjoy it, that’s not really good. If you have a lot of time but no money, that’s not good either. So you need both.  That’s right. So yeah, the business fits really, really well. For a lot of our folks, we’re with them on very long-term journeys. In some instances, it’s been six, seven, eight, nine, even 10 years for them to grow the organization to a value that’s truly exciting for them, and then help them think about how best to monetize that once the organization has hit a goal based on size and time. Okay. That’s fascinating. So let me take a step back and ask you: what is your personal why, and how are you manifesting it in this business?  Yeah, that’s a great question. I think about it this way. A lot of companies have mission and vision statements. We actually do something a little different. We have a purpose statement. That purpose statement is: We create value that changes lives.Share on X At this point in my career, if you define careers as you would maybe a sporting event, I’m probably in the third quarter of my career.  One of the things that gets me excited every day is a transaction, for instance, that we had about two weeks ago. There were about eight people who had a truly life-changing experience in a positive way. That’s really neat. In addition to those eight people, there was a group of four people who became shareholders for the first time in this organization. It was really neat. Those sorts of conversations are really fun to have. So creating value that changes lives is really important. We tend to think about that holistically too. For our team, we've been fairly blessed with growth.Share on X  Then, if you think about the full cycle back to the community, we typically pick one charitable organization each year, and we try to make an impactful donation to that one charitable organization. So I think, from client to team to community, that holistic vision is what gets me skipping into work every day.  Yeah. I mean, if you can change your clients’ lives and you change your team members’ lives for the better, that’s very powerful. That’s very empowering. Yeah. And then to see that roll through the community is even… Yeah, it’s pretty neat. It’s pretty neat to see.  So that’s the third leg of the stool: the clients, the team, and your community.  That’s right. You’re really embedded in there. My question is, how do you do that? Do you have a framework for changing these lives? Obviously, you wrote a book, so maybe it’s the spine of the book that you might share with us, or maybe another framework. This podcast is all about frameworks.  So what is a three- to five-step process, or maybe three or four ways to look at something, that informs you or your clients? Or it can be anything that helps you streamline things in your business and make things simpler, which our listeners might benefit from and interpret in their own way.  Yeah. I’m a big framework fan, which is part of the reason I was excited to join the podcast, because I think about things that way. Especially if you figure out what works over time, the goal is to replicate that. Just like a manufacturing facility figures out how to make everything from a microchip to a pair of shoes, and they keep doing the same thing repetitively, I think frameworks in business, if they’re given enough flexibility, can be hugely powerful.  I’ve written two books. Completing the Deal is my first book. “Intentional Growth” is my second book. Intentional Growth is really about organizational growth, and the book is full of great frameworks.Share on X But if I were to share the one I believe is the most impactful—and it’s also fairly simple—it would be this: Reverse-engineer your desired outcome upfront.  So often, businesses we come into contact with know they want to grow. They know they want to achieve certain things. But oftentimes, they haven’t done a great job of defining two things: The timeframe they want to do it in, and the level of achievement they want to get to. One of the things we tend to see in business is that people will make a budget, for instance. They’re going to pull in a sales backlog and a CRM report. A customer did X last year, so we’ll just add 4%, and they’ll do Y this year.  We’ll hire a couple of people. That can be a way to budget. But I think the better way to approach budgeting is, once you’ve reverse-engineered the course, to say, “Over the next five years, we’re going to get from here to here.” Then really think about that as a stair-step process, almost like the path behind me. If we need to go from here to here, year over year, how do we actually grab that growth out of the marketplace? How do we make sure that we’re on the right path?  One of the things we spend a lot of time on with companies we're helping grow is this reverse engineering.Share on X It’s a great framework. There’s a lot about it in the book. A couple of really important takeaways, probably the most important one I can share is the timeframe. What we’ve found is that three to seven years is the best timeframe. Anything less than three years starts to feel like there’s not enough time to actually see the seeds you’ve planted bear fruit. Anything longer than seven years…  Well, Steve, seven years is just a long time. It’s hard to predict cycles and things of that nature. By default, absent another driving force, we tend to think in five-year increments. Kind of split the difference. Five years. The other framework we really focus on is picking a financial destination that’s truly impactful. A lot of times, when people think about the stress of business growth, part of the reason it’s stressful instead of exciting is because they’re worried about growing 8% to 10%, or maybe 12%. That’s good growth. It’s nice.  But it’s not exciting. To me, that feels more like a burden than excitement. If you went into your business planning thinking, “Over the next five years, we’re really going to 3X the size of the business, 4X the size of the business, maybe even 5X the size of the business…” Then, in order to achieve that, we need to hit Y growth over the next 12 months.  That really reshapes what might otherwise be a stressful scenario based on anecdotes into something much more exciting and engaging. Those are the two main frameworks: Time and a financial outcome that would truly be exciting. That’s the premise the book starts with, and it’s something we use all the time, every day.  So that’s interesting. If I were to translate it into a three- to five-step framework or process, what’s step number one? Is it defining the financial destination, or is it the timeframe?  So, number one, those two things are probably going to go together. Timeframe and financial outcome. From a framework perspective, first we’re going to set that destination. Then we’re going to move into the other pieces. Step two is likely going to be creating a 100-day plan. Why do we want a 100-day plan?  Because we want to make sure tomorrow is going to be different from today. Again, it’s one of those things where a 30-day plan is too short, and a six-month plan is too long. A 100-day plan is a way to jump-start a growth plan, and we really want to see a few things from it. One is some early wins, because we’re all wired that way. The more we win, the more we want to play the game, right? Yeah. So you do want to have some early wins.  You want to have some visibility. Organizationally, we plan to communicate the goals and objectives of our destination and outcome, what our 100-day plan is, and then accountability. Accountability to outcomes. Those are the three main things we want to see from that 100-day plan, even though there are a lot of details. Step three would be a one-year plan because we really want to say, “Okay, we’ve got this timeframe. We’ve got this destination we want to get to. We’ve got a 100-day plan to jump-start it.  Now we have a one-year check-in.” From that one-year point, in addition to things like KPIs or Rocks—or whatever an organization uses to manage accountability to outcomes—we want to reset the sails every quarter to six months going forward. But the 100-day and one-year plans are really important to making sure we’re off to a good start on our journey to get where we want to be in five years.  Love it. So that’s interesting. It’s more of a bottom-up approach. Some people preach a top-down approach. You do have a top as well because you have a financial destination three to seven years out. That’s fascinating. You also follow the private equity idea of a 100-day plan, so it aligns with that approach too. One of the things I like to talk about with clients is, how can we create private equity without private equity? How can we get private equity results without having to give up a chunk of the pie? So that is fascinating.  Yeah. And that’s a big part of it. Anyone who’s looking for that message is really going to gravitate to this book. What I do tell people is, you don’t have to sell to grow, but you do have to plan. This is a great framework for doing that, based on 27 years of personal experience and 23 years of firm experience. I’ve personally helped 40 companies achieve seven-, eight-, and nine-figure growth in enterprise value, and we’ve closed $5.7 billion in transactions. All of that feeds into this book, which I think people can use to find a better path—and a proven guide—toward growth without having to give up control.  Yeah. I love it. So tell me, Matt, what drives growth in your business at Westlake Securities?  I think there’s a few things that have been helpful to our growth. Number one, we’ve been fortunate to be in markets that are robust. So we do have a bit of a perfect storm going on right now. There’s a lot of capital available. There are a lot of tools available. And we’ve got an aging demographic of business owners. All of those things are creating this perfect storm of either growth or liquidity.  These conversations are happening more now than they ever have in the last 27 years of my career. It’s unbelievable. These conversations went from things people talked about maybe once a year to, for some organizations, getting outreach every week from somebody who wants to talk to them about a growth investment or buying their business. These topics are coming up more and more, and I think in a much more impactful way.  So number one, there are a lot of favorable market dynamics. Number two, we have the history and track record that’s helpful when a business owner is asking, “Can this company really help me grow?” or “Can this company really help me sell?” We’ve got a great track record for that. That track record is built on, number three, our team.  A lot of our people have spent time with Fortune 1000 companies. They’ve worked for major banking organizations, run brands for Fortune 1000 companies, worked in private equity, or worked for other investment banks. So they bring tremendous experience. And then, last, is our process. Part of the reason for creating the two books is to be very transparent about what our processes are and to lead our advisory work by example.Share on X  We want to be transparent in how we think about helping companies either grow or obtain liquidity. I think those four legs of the stool are the reason we’ve been able to grow so much over the last few years.  You say the market is good because of the Silver Tsunami, as some people call it. Yeah. It’s kind of a cliché. And also the abundance of capital. Private equity has a lot of money to spend, as do strategic buyers. So I get that part. I also understand that you have great assets inside the company—your track record, your team, your processes, all of that. Then what happens? Do those people just find you, or do you actually have to intentionally do something to drive the growth?  Well, that’s well said. Just like we preach, we have to practice. Some of the ways we’ve been able to attract companies to our organization are through our digital presence. If you check us out on LinkedIn, we post a lot of great content there. We provide a lot of data. We do a quarterly deep dive by industry on where transactions have been. We share growth tips very openly. We provide downloadable resources.  The books have been helpful. The books have led to speaking opportunities. I speak internationally on the topics of capital raising, growth, and M&A. Lastly, joining awesome podcasts like yours has become one of our 2026 initiatives, and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been amazing to see the response. Inevitably, somebody emails and says, “Hey, I saw your conversation with Steve. I thought it was pretty cool. Here’s something about my business.  How can you help, or what do you think?” For everyone, we’ve got something. For our ideal client, we obviously have our core services. For folks who are a little smaller, we’ve got a whole suite of workshops that range in cost and time commitment. Then, all the way down to a $17 or $25 book, which we feel is within everyone’s reach.  Part of this—and I’m sure you’re wired the same way—is just a pure passion for helping others find their own form of success. Whether it’s a $17 book, a multimillion-dollar capital raise, or a $300 million sale of a business, everywhere in between, we can provide someone with some element of value if they’re interested in engaging with us in a conversation. So that’s been helpful too.  Yeah, I love it. It’s very smart. You basically have a long-term view and a long funnel. You can connect with people at any stage of where they are and then support them through increasingly intensive ways.  Can I share with you the funniest one that I ever saw coming? Of course. We’ve always been big believers in giving back through university talks and internship programs. That’s been going on for some time, and it really took the next step in 2020 when all the internships were shut down. We were one of the early firms to launch a virtual internship program.  Now we’ve had over 1,000 interns go through our various internship programs, completing them from five different continents. Now those people have graduated. Several of them have been out of school for many years and are building their own careers. It’s been amazing to see that an experience they had when they were 19, 20, or 21 is now paying dividends five to ten years later. That’s one I never saw coming. We always did it as a way to give back. But it's been interesting to see it become a long-term brand-building exercise and a positive way of giving back to the community that has honestly created more opportunities than I ever would have thought.Share on X That’s amazing. So you created all these ambassadors, then, that I think will bring you clients.  You know, that wasn’t probably the intention when we started. But we’ve had people come back and tell us, “Hey, that internship changed the course of my career.” We’ve had parents whose kids got their first job out of school after doing an internship with us say, “Hey, I can’t guarantee you’re going to get the project, but I at least want to offer you the opportunity to participate because I appreciate what you did for my son or daughter during that internship.” So that’s been really cool. Again, it’s this kind of karma, give-back mindset.  Yeah, I love it. That is very valuable. These days, internships are really challenging to come by, so they can be a really valuable building block for young people. So let me switch gears here and ask you another question. What’s one thing that you’re trying to figure out in your business right now?  That’s a great question. We’re laser-focused on a couple of things. I would say one that a lot of businesses are going to share in common is AI and implementing what I’m calling the light side of AI. I feel like there are really three views of AI in the marketplace. One is a group of people who are still asking, “What does AI stand for?” We’ll put them off to the side for a second. Then there’s the light side and the dark side conversation going on.  The dark side is more about automation leading to job elimination. The light side is really about how we elevate the customer experience or the client experience. How do we elevate what our people are doing and delivering every day? That’s really the area we’re focused on. We have a strategy inside our company as it relates to AI, but the simplest way I can describe it is that we're going to be customer-centric—client-centric—in what we do with AI.Share on X  We want to create the best experience for those who engage with us by using better technology to do it. That’s really a major focus for us in 2026. The other focus is making sure that Intentional Growth gets off to a great start. It’s available for pre-order right now. It’s debut week for pre-orders. It hit number one in four categories. It officially launches in October. The book, speaking, workshops—the whole growth initiative—is really important for our firm, but also for the people we come into contact with.  Who wouldn’t want to grow their business and increase its value by $5 million, $10 million, or $50 million over a reasonable period of time? I think most people who decided to go down the entrepreneurial path did so with the hope of creating abundance. The only way to create that abundance for themselves, their customers, their employees, their vendors, and all their key stakeholders is to grow the organization. So AI and Intentional Growth are our two main business challenges and opportunities for the year.  Yeah. That’s great. And hitting number one in four Amazon categories on pre-order, that is actually very rare. So you must be doing something right there. Either you have an amazing PR machine, or the book is just very, very good. Well, I’m hoping it’s the latter—that the book is going to be that good. I do think the first book created a nice foundation. There are thousands of copies in print. It got a lot of great feedback on Amazon. It’s been used by universities, industry groups, and others. So I think there’s a nice nucleus of potential readers for book number two.  I’m really excited because Intentional Growth is going to be much more interactive than the first book. It’s going to include downloadable forms and AI-powered interactive tools at the end of each chapter, so readers can take what they’ve learned in that chapter and immediately translate it into practical tools for their business.  My hope is that it gets into the hands of any business owner or organizational leader—from someone at an early-stage company to someone running part of a large publicly traded company. If they have a real desire to grow and are looking for a better path to do it, my hope is this book ultimately finds its way into their hands. Yeah, definitely. So if people would like to connect with you, obviously they can go to Amazon and buy Intentional Growth by Matt Andersen.  Yeah.  Definitely do that. And where else can they find you?  There are a few places. Book-wise, Amazon first, then all the major retailers—Barnes & Noble, Porchlight, and others. Both books are available now, and Intentional Growth will ship in October. I would encourage people to find us first and foremost on LinkedIn. I do a lot of personal posts there. We also host events. Westlake Securities has a strong presence on LinkedIn as well. Again, we share a lot of events, free content, and free data.  We spend six figures a year purchasing proprietary data and organizing it in a way that’s useful for business owners to understand trends, valuations, what’s happening in the capital markets, the cost of debt, how much equity was invested in private companies last quarter and last year. There’s a lot of great free information available through those two resources. I also do quite a bit of speaking. If you’d like to attend a talk, I speak internationally on capital raising, growth, and M&A.  That’s amazing. So definitely check it out. Check out Matt’s LinkedIn, especially the quarterly market reports. Those are going to be very interesting. I’m sure you’re using your six-figure database to produce some great charts. So check that out. Buy Intentional Growth, and see how it can help your business. I love your framework—the reverse-engineering idea. You really have to know where you want to get to, how much time you have, and then figure out what it takes to get there.  What’s going to be that above-10% exciting growth rate that’s going to 3X or 5X your business? So thank you, Matt, for coming and sharing your wisdom. And if you’re listening out there, make sure you follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe on YouTube and Apple Podcasts, and leave us a review, because every week I bring you an exciting entrepreneur who’s growing their business. So thanks for coming, Matt, and thanks for listening. Thank you, Steve. I appreciate you having me. To everyone listening out there, best of luck until we interact next. Let’s grow. Important Links: Matt's LinkedIn Matt's  website

Plus, there are now multiple independent investigations into last week's deadly ICE shooting in Houston, attorney's for Tanner Horner are asking for a new trial, Dallas police are searching for the people responsible for shooting four victims last night in the Highland Hills neighborhood of southeast Oak Cliff, and more!

President Donald Trump's is expected to discuss the security of US elections tonight, but critics worry it will sow mistrust in the 2020 elections. We'll take you to Central Texas at least one person has died in the catastrophic floods. Prosecutors are pushing back on new FBI claims about the fatal ICE shooting in Houston. The woman at the center of an International Criminal Court sexual misconduct case spoke with CNN. Plus, Trump media is coming up with an early access plan for traders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When building a custom home, it is easy to spend money on upgrades that look impressive during the design process but provide very little value once you move in.In Episode 38 of Building With Breven, Steven and Mike break down 10 custom home upgrades that are worth every penny—and 10 that may waste your budget.They discuss practical upgrades such as wider garages, functional pantries, layered lighting, better windows, improved insulation, outdoor living infrastructure, accessible storage, and future-ready electrical planning.They also explain why homeowners should think carefully before spending heavily on oversized bedrooms, enormous kitchen islands, complicated smart-home systems, trendy permanent finishes, expensive decorative fixtures, and premium cosmetic selections that come at the expense of the home's core construction systems.The biggest takeaway: Spend first on the parts of your home that are difficult, expensive, or disruptive to change later. Cosmetic upgrades can often be replaced or added after you move in.IN THIS EPISODEUpgrades worth considering:• A wider and deeper garage• A functional pantry with outlets and counter space• Thoughtful electrical planning and future-ready wiring• Layered lighting and dimmers• Better windows and intentional natural light• Improved insulation, air sealing, and HVAC design• Accessible storage in practical locations• Outdoor living infrastructure and rough-ins• A well-designed laundry room• Whole-house surge protection and backup-power preparationUpgrades that may waste your budget:• An oversized primary bedroom• A massive bathtub that rarely gets used• Too many complicated smart-home systems• An enormous kitchen island• Too many highly specialized rooms• Excessive built-in cabinetry• Trendy finishes in permanent locations• Expensive decorative fixtures throughout the home• Too much glass without considering orientation• Premium finishes purchased at the expense of windows, HVAC, insulation, drainage, or waterproofingABOUT BUILDING WITH BREVENBuilding With Breven provides an inside look at custom homebuilding, design, construction, budgeting, and the decisions homeowners face when creating a one-of-a-kind home.Breven Homes builds thoughtfully designed custom homes for busy professionals throughout the Central Texas Hill Country.Planning a custom home in Central Texas?Contact Breven Homes to discuss your property, plans, budget, and goals. www.brevenhomes.com

Plus the Rangers make a shocking move mid-season

JOB FAIR-CON is back and bigger than ever! On July 22, 2026, veterans, transitioning service members, spouses, and Central Texas job seekers join us for the third annual JOB FAIR-CON at Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock. With more than 200 employers ready to hire, on-site interviews, career counseling, and resume assistance, you may find your next career opportunity. Learn how the Texas Veterans Commission Employment Services team offers services all year round, to get you ready to take the next step toward a rewarding civilian career.

How's it going Bonsai Buds! We have a yet another North American native species episode for y'all. On this episode of Little Things, Evan chats with Michael Alford about Ashe's juniper, juniperus ashei. This species of juniper has a lot to offer to the bonsai community of the southeastern United States. It thrives in hot humid climes and doesn't mind short winters. Listen as Michael talks with Evan about collection techniques and the little surprises found with working with the species. Yamadori in Central Texas and more on this super sweet episode!Check out Michael's trees and yamadori at https://www.i-digit-bonsai.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTEhtVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhTGZncUdnWUNKdXJSaGNuc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvB8Dw4kc-V54xh5Bx-psujrLOVK8uiyU6izPyo4F6jj_vJvn9E2EvGe51c6_aem_6Dk7dsWmIhPqClFMpLhTYgThat's I-Dig-It-Bonsai ^Again thanks to our sponsors: Joshua Roth Tools, Underhill Bonsai, and Bonsai BarAlso, a massive thanks to our editor Matt O'Donnell. Thanks for editing every episode and meeting deadlines!Buy Joshua Roth tools on Underhill's online store:underhillbonsaistore.comBook classes at your favorite brewery:bonsaibar.com

KTSA News Director Christian Blood breaks down the current flooding situation, emergency response measures, and the challenges facing communities across Central Texas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Market Pulse presented by SmartTouch® Interactive, host Aaron Fichera sits down with Ben Bollman, Director of Business Development at Zonda, to explore one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, the emerging Austin–San Antonio metropolitan corridor.Drawing on Zonda's industry-leading housing data and market intelligence, Aaron and Ben examine the macroeconomic forces driving long-term growth across Central Texas, from sustained population migration and job creation to the influx of major employers reshaping the region's economy. The conversation also explores why both believe the Austin–San Antonio corridor is evolving into one of America's most significant economic hubs.The discussion moves beyond the headlines to provide actionable insights for home builders and developers navigating today's market. Ben shares key data fromZonda on buyer demand, housing supply, pricing trends, and opportunities that can help builders make more informed land acquisition, product, and marketing decisions in an evolving economic environment.Whether you're a builder, developer, marketer, or industry professional, this episode offers valuable perspective on where Central Texas is headed and how data-driven decision-making can position your business for long-term success.

In this episode of From Waterloo to the Alamo, Traci Wilson Turnquist sits down with Wes Wiggington, owner of Foursquare Builders and board secretary at BGiving, for a conversation that moves between craft, community, and the evolution of custom home building in Central Texas. From his early days building vacation homes in Orlando to more than two decades leading one of Austin's most respected custom building firms, this episode unpacks how precision, partnership, and purpose come together to shape homes that are built to last.They dig into the story behind Bluff House, what a great architect builder relationship looks like from the builder's side, the exacting details nobody else would notice but that keep Wes up at night, what most people get wrong about budgeting for a custom home, and how the green building conversation has shifted over twenty years in Texas. Wes also shares his read on where Austin's custom home market is heading, why giving back runs so deep in the Austin building community, and yes, they get into competitive racing and what's in the garage.Rooted in the perspective and global standard of Engel & Völkers, this conversation reflects the craftsmanship, integrity, and vision that define the next era of custom building and real estate across Austin and beyond. If you are building, designing, investing, or dreaming up a home of your own, this is the conversation you want in your ear!

Hello friends, and welcome back to Hidden History of Texas. This is episode 93 The Trans-Pecos: Texas Beyond the Mountains (NOTE: This is not a verbatim transcript) Last time, we visited El Paso, a city whose story began centuries before there was a Republic of Texas. It reminded us that Texas has never been just one history or one culture. Today, I'd like to take you somewhere that many Texans have heard of, but relatively few have truly explored. Where? The Trans-Pecos. Now, if you're like most people, you've probably seen the name on a map or heard it mentioned in a weather forecast. But what is the Trans-Pecos? The answer is actually quite simple. "Trans" means across or beyond. The Pecos is, of course, the Pecos River. So the Trans-Pecos is literally the land beyond the Pecos River. Simple enough. But don't let that simple definition fool you. Because once you cross the Pecos River heading west, you enter what may be the most surprising landscape in all of Texas. When most people picture Texas, they imagine rolling ranchland... fields of bluebonnets... oak trees... mesquite... perhaps oil pumps slowly nodding against the horizon. And yes, that's certainly Texas. But it isn't all of Texas. Because when you cross the Pecos River, the land begins to change. The horizon grows wider. The distances grow longer. Mountains begin rising where you least expect them. Rain becomes scarce. Water becomes precious. The vegetation changes. The sky seems larger somehow. You begin to realize that you're no longer simply driving across another part of Texas. You've entered an entirely different world. I sometimes think that if someone were dropped into the middle of the Trans-Pecos without knowing where they were, they might guess Arizona. Perhaps New Mexico. Maybe northern Mexico. Texas probably wouldn't be their first answer. Yet this landscape has been part of Texas for nearly two centuries. It simply reminds us that Texas is far more diverse than most of us imagine. The Trans-Pecos is dominated by the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest desert in North America. Now when many people hear the word "desert," they imagine endless sand dunes. That's Hollywood. The Chihuahuan Desert is something altogether different. It's a landscape of rugged mountains... rocky basins... grasslands... canyons... ocotillo... creosote bushes... yucca... prickly pear... and, after a good rain, wildflowers that can transform the desert almost overnight. It's a place that rewards patience. The longer you look, the more beauty you discover. Perhaps the biggest surprise for many Texans is this. Texas has mountains. Real mountains. Not hills. Mountains. The Guadalupe Mountains rise dramatically from the desert floor. The Davis Mountains offer cooler temperatures and forests that seem almost out of place in the desert. Farther south, the Chisos Mountains stand alone like an island rising from a sea of desert. Each mountain range tells a story written not by people, but by geology over millions of years. And yet, despite all this grandeur, the most important feature of the Trans-Pecos isn't the mountains. It's water. Or perhaps I should say... the lack of it. In East Texas, rivers and rainfall helped determine where communities would grow. In the Trans-Pecos, a single spring could mean the difference between life and death. For thousands of years, Native peoples learned where those precious water sources could be found. Spanish explorers depended on them. Stagecoaches depended on them. The Army depended on them. Ranchers depended on them. Entire towns owe their existence to a spring that still bubbles from the earth today. When we visit Fort Stockton in a future episode, we'll discover how one remarkable spring sustained travelers for centuries. Long before maps showed county lines or highways, this was home to Native peoples who understood the land in ways newcomers could scarcely imagine. They knew where water could be found. Which plants could be eaten. How to travel safely across immense distances. How to survive where others could not. For those arriving from wetter parts of North America, the Trans-Pecos could be unforgiving. For those who knew it well, it was home. When Spain pushed northward from Mexico, explorers quickly learned that crossing this region required careful planning. Distances were enormous. Water was uncertain. Supplies had to be carefully managed. The landscape itself became both obstacle and guide. Later, when Texas became part of the United States, the challenges remained much the same. The frontier wasn't simply remote. It was isolated. Mail routes stretched for hundreds of miles. Stagecoaches crossed lonely deserts. Travelers often went days without seeing another settlement. Protecting those routes became one of the Army's greatest responsibilities. That story will take us to Fort Davis, where the frontier soldiers, including the famed Buffalo Soldiers, helped keep those lifelines open. The arrival of the railroad changed much of Texas. It changed the Trans-Pecos as well. Communities that had once depended on wagon trails suddenly found themselves connected to the rest of the nation. Ranches expanded. Mining increased. Trade flourished. New towns appeared. Old settlements adapted. But even with the railroad, one thing never changed. Distance. People who have never driven across West Texas often underestimate its scale. You don't simply pass through the Trans-Pecos. You experience it. The miles encourage reflection. The silence becomes part of the journey. And somewhere along the way, you begin to understand why so many people fall in love with this remarkable country. Over the next several episodes, we're going to explore this fascinating region together. We'll visit Alpine, the community nestled high among the mountains that became the gateway to Big Bend. We'll travel to Fort Davis, where soldiers stood watch over one of the most remote frontiers in America. We'll stop at Fort Stockton, where life itself depended upon the waters of Comanche Springs. And we'll journey to Pecos, a town that proudly proclaims itself "Where the West Begins," and discover why generations of travelers believed that to be true. Each community has its own story. Each landscape has its own personality. And together, they remind us that there isn't one Texas. There are many Texases. As we close today, I'd like to leave you with one final thought. History is often shaped by people. But sometimes... history is shaped by the land itself. The forests of East Texas. The rolling plains of Central Texas. The Gulf Coast marshes. And here... the mountains and deserts of the Trans-Pecos. If we want to understand the people who lived here, we first have to understand the country that shaped them. I'm Hank Wilson, and this has been Hidden History of Texas. Until next time... keep asking questions... because history always has another story waiting just beyond the next mountain.

How should Texas prepare for rapid growth, extreme weather, and increasing demands on its infrastructure? On this episode of Texas Talks, host Brad Swail sits down with Texas State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt to discuss the state's response to flooding, water infrastructure, data centers, public education funding, property taxes, and redistricting. Sen. Eckhardt reflects on the aftermath of the devastating Central Texas floods, arguing that while progress has been made, key recommendations on emergency communications and floodplain regulations remain unaddressed. She also explains why long-term investments in water infrastructure and disaster preparedness are becoming increasingly important as Texas continues to grow. The conversation covers: Lessons learned from recent Texas flooding Emergency response and radio interoperability Water infrastructure, drought, and desalination Data centers, energy demand, and water consumption Public education funding and property taxes Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and school finance Texas redistricting and the state's political future The discussion also explores balancing state and local authority, managing Texas' continued population growth, and how policymakers can prepare for future infrastructure challenges while maintaining affordability for Texans. 00:00 — Intro & Sen. Sarah Eckhardt joins the show 01:51 — Texas flood preparedness one year later 09:47 — Building standards and floodplain development 16:14 — Water infrastructure and drought concerns 21:05 — Data centers and Texas growth 27:00 — Public education funding and ESAs 38:44 — Redistricting and Texas politics 43:26 — Final thoughts Watch Full-Length Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/@TexasTalks Follow us on social mediaX: @Texas_DispatchInstagram: thetexasdispatchLinkedIn: The Texas DispatchTikTok: texas_talks_podcast Find more at The Texas DispatchYour source for state news, policy, and investigative journalism.https://thetexasdispatch.com

*Another case of screwworms is confirmed in Texas.  *Texas A&M AgriLife is producing screwworm kits to help identify screwworms.  *Heavy rains are taking a toll on watermelons in South Texas.   *Drought conditions are improving in the Texas Panhandle.*The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is planning to build new facilities.  *The White House is asking for money to help U.S. farmers.*June was a wet month in Central Texas.  *Elastic therapeutic tape is being used on horses.  

The Texas Newsroom and FRONTLINE (PBS) are collaborating on a new five-part podcast series, After the Flood, an intimate and deeply reported look at the catastrophic Central Texas flooding that killed more than 130 people over the Fourth of July weekend in 2025.

*Wildfires have devastated some Texas Panhandle cattle operations.  *The cotton jassid is a highly destructive pest. *Texas Farm Bureau's Ag Mechanics grant program will award ten $2,500 grants this year. *El Nino is here.  *The South Texas Cotton and Grain Association addressed farmers in Southeast Texas.  *Representatives from the Food and Drug Administration gave Texas lawmakers an update on what they are doing to fight the screwworm. *Central Texas and the Hill Country have been blessed with rain.  *Treatment options for intestinal parasites in cattle are different now than they were several years ago.  

In today's episode, I sit down with Devon Cowan from HuntFit. Devon is a Bowhunter, Athlete, and Land Agent living in Central Texas. We discuss his home farm in Kansas - how they grow big bucks, what's changed over the years, deer management, land management, and more. We try to answer the question, "Can it still be done today?" Please subscribe if you enjoyed the episode.- Get Tactacam Cameras for 15% off use code HA152026 - https://www.tactacam.com/- Get 20% Off Pnuma Outdoors Gear here: https://pnumaoutdoors.com/?rfsn=8534842.ba528a- Use code HNTA15 for 15% off Out On A Limb MFG products! https://outonalimbmfg.com/ - Use code HA10 for 10% VPA Broadheads: vparchery.com - Check out Alberta Professional Outfitters Society for Hunting Alberta: https://www.apos.ab.ca/ -Follow our socials: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@huntersadvantage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunters_advantage Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thehuntersadvantage Gmail: thehuntersadvantage@gmail.com

He was working 80 hours every two weeks in a hospital ICU.Open heart surgery patients. Life or death. No room for error.And in the gaps between shifts, sometimes still in his scrubs, he was quietly building a short term rental business that would set him free.In this episode, E sits down with Jeremy Rosen for one of the most honest W2-escape stories this show has ever told.Jeremy joined STR Secrets with 4 properties and a full-time nursing job he loved but knew he had to leave. He went from 4 to 8 to 12 to 20 properties, all while clocking 12-hour shifts at the VA. Then he merged his company into Five Star Vacation Rentals, now running 67 properties across Central Texas, and finally walked away from nursing for good.In this episode: → The exact mindset shift that took Jeremy from sick patients to happy guests, and the nurse's instinct that makes him a better host than most operators will ever be→ How he used his days off, while everyone else scrolled, to prospect, sell, and grow→ The "who not how" decision that broke him out of doing everything himself, and the one hire that changed his entire business→ Why he refused to build in secret, and how speaking his goals out loud actually made them happen→ The honest truth about quitting your W2 that almost nobody talks about, including the strange struggle of suddenly owning all of your own time→ Why "everything is figure out able" is the only belief you need to finally make the leapIf you have a good job you're scared to leave, this is the episode you need to hear.Free 6-step course to start your day right: level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookJoin the community: STR Secrets Facebook Group

He was working 80 hours every two weeks in a hospital ICU.Open heart surgery patients. Life or death. No room for error.And in the gaps between shifts, sometimes still in his scrubs, he was quietly building a short-term rental business that would set him free.In this episode, E sits down with Jeremy Rosen for one of the most honest W2-escape stories this show has ever told.Jeremy joined STR Secrets with 4 properties and a full-time nursing job he loved but knew he had to leave. He went from 4 to 8 to 12 to 20 properties, all while clocking 12-hour shifts at the VA. Then he merged his own company into Five Star Vacation Home Rentals, where he now owns the San Antonio division, part of a portfolio of 70 properties across Central Texas. And he finally walked away from nursing for good.Today, based in San Antonio, Texas, Jeremy focuses on revenue optimization, guest experience, property operations, and scaling high performing vacation rental portfolios.In this episode:→ The exact mindset shift that took Jeremy from sick patients to happy guests, and the nurse's instinct that makes him a better host than most operators will ever be→ How he used his days off, while everyone else scrolled, to prospect, sell, and grow→ The "who not how" decision that broke him out of doing everything himself, and the one hire that changed his entire business→ Why he refused to build in secret, and how speaking his goals out loud actually made them happen→ The honest truth about quitting your W2 that almost nobody talks about, including the strange struggle of suddenly owning all of your own time→ Why "everything is figureoutable" is the only belief you need to finally make the leapIf you have a good job you're scared to leave, this is the episode you need to hear.Connect with Jeremy:Instagram and Facebook: @fivestarvhrEmail: jeremy@fivestarvacationhomerentals.comWebsite: fivestarvhr.comFree 6-step course to start your day right: level.strsecrets.com/pc-bookJoin the community: STR Secrets Facebook Group

What does it take to become a regenerative farmer with no agricultural background? Recorded live at Regenerative Revival in Salado, Texas, the Soil Sisters sit down with David Deitsch of The Moody Goat to talk about building a regenerative goat operation from the ground up. From growing up in suburban Connecticut to managing a thriving herd in Central Texas, David shares the hard-earned lessons, failures, pivots, and mindset shifts that are helping him create a resilient farm business. Whether you're interested in regenerative agriculture, livestock management, grazing systems, homesteading, ranching, or starting a farm from scratch, this episode offers an honest look at what it takes to keep moving forward. Connect with and shop The Moody Goat: Follow David's regenerative farming journey, learn about his goat herd, and discover Moody Goat meat sticks and swag through The Moody Goat website and on Instagram @themoodygoat_ and @moodygoatmeat TIME STAMPS: 00:00 Welcome to Regenerative Revival 01:14 Why regenerative agriculture came first 04:01 The Moody Goat's origin story 06:41 Finding the land in Moody 07:49 Going all in with goats 10:21 Markets and money lessons 15:00 Raising children on the ranch 20:28 Passing a love of land to the next generation 24:18 Dreaming up a rent-a-goat business 25:58 NRCS programs teaser 26:40 Free USDA assistance available to producers 27:47 Regenerative training opportunities 28:31 Learning through community 31:23 Herd-building strategy 33:10 The importance of rest and deferment 35:07 Pivoting through setbacks 36:02 Creating goat meat snack sticks 38:49 How to connect with The Moody Goat 39:57 Why now is the time to start 43:48 Red flags when purchasing your first farm 45:51 The "don't quit" mindset 49:16 The future of regenerative agriculture 51:48 Pride in producing clean food 53:18 Closing remarks

*Texas wheat harvest is 75% done.  *USDA Farm Service Agency county committee nominations are now open.  *The number of screwworm cases now stands at 12.   *There's been a slump in fed cattle prices lately.  *A beef research project from 30 years ago is paying off today.  *Representatives from the dairy industry are hoping to get more access to the Canadian market.  *More rain is falling in Central Texas.  *Difficulty giving birth is common in cows.  

From Apple News In Conversation: On July 4, 2025, catastrophic flooding tore through Central Texas, killing more than 130 people and destroying communities along the Guadalupe River. Aaron Parsley, a senior editor at Texas Monthly, was there — and though he survived, his family suffered a devastating loss. His harrowing account of what happened when floodwaters overwhelmed their house and ripped them apart won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. Now he’s out with a new essay and a podcast about what their recovery has looked like. Parsley joined Apple News In Conversation guest host David Greene to talk about grief, the evolution of his faith, and what survival really means.

In this episode, Claudia Lucchinetti, MD, VP of Medical Affairs and Dean of the UT Austin Dell Medical School, discusses building an AI-native academic medical center, expanding access to advanced care in Central Texas, and integrating research, education, and clinical care into one connected ecosystem.

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