Season 1

Laura Dickinson joins the FORTitude podcast. She is a licensed school and professional counselor and shares how the hecticness of life and technology have affected kids. Laura talks about the challenges that children are facing today with technology, online learning, problem-solving, and so much more. This episode takes a deep dive into mental health and will make you stop and really think about how we are living life. Be sure to head to the website and give it a listen. @asesftw

Don Shisler, President of the Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth Texas joins JW & Brinton on this episode of FORTitude FW.  Don discusses homeless people and their struggles and the services available at Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth.   Don got his start at UGM-TC as a volunteer in 1993 before becoming the President and CEO in 1995. He is currently in the second strategic plan of the 6-acre campus.

Don has served on numerous boards, such as Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, consulted with many Tarrant County organizations, such as Recovery Resource Council, as well as contributed to the Downtown Rotary since 1995. He also served as an officer and helped to launch the Near Eastside Neighborhood Association.

Don has been married to his wife, Vicki, since 1989, has a blended family of 4 children and one granddaughter. He has dedicated his life to serving our Lord, Jesus Christ for his glory.

Jake joins the guys on this episode of FORTitude and discusses his career as an undercover narcotics officer.  He tells stories of dealing with drug dealers, drug addicts, how narcan is administered and what areas of Fort Worth are "hot zones" for drugs.
Jake White is a 22-year veteran police sergeant for the Fort Worth Police Department who recently retired in 2022.  As a police officer, detective, and sergeant, Jake worked patrol, undercover vice and narcotics, and internal affairs.  His last five years were spent supervising hard-working men and women of the Fort Worth Police Department in patrol and narcotics.

FORTitude Wine Roundtable episode.

Weston Eidson, founder and wine maker of Montagu Wines, Richard King, co-owner and GM of Ellerbe Fine Foods, and Chris Keel, wine specialist and owner of, Put a Cork in It, join Fortitude for an incredible wine roundtable discussion. These three Fort Worth oenophiles discuss their backgrounds, the wine world and wine business, and why wine is so special to us, all while sampling some excellent bottles. Wine influenced mistakes were made, mostly by the hosts, but much interesting and insightful knowledge was gained. Our apologies to Chester Cox. Drink It Up!

In this roundtable: They share their knowledge over a glass (or two) of wine. They talk about the process of making and buying wine, how to pick your wine, and how to get into wine if you aren’t a big fan. You’ll learn a lot about wine and have fun along the way. So pour yourself a glass and have a listen.  

Weston Eidson is the founder of Montagu Wines, a boutique winery dedicated to showcasing wine from some of the finest vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma. Dedicated to minimal intervention in the winery, Montagu allows each wine to naturally express its authentic and full potential. Eidson focuses on limited production and is committed to producing wines that are richly layered, complex and balanced.
Richard King is co-owner and general manager of Ellerbe Fine Foods. He is a wine and restaurant expert. He spearheaded Ellerbe’s wine program, White Gloves, Purple Teeth. After graduating from TCU he started working in the restaurant industry. Since his start, he’s worked in every role from busboy to manager to back-of-house sales and consulting. In June 2009, Richard and Molly opened Ellerbe Fine Foods in Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Today, Richard is on the beverage committee for the Fort Worth Food & Wine Festival, and he is a member of EO.

Chris Keel is the founder of Put a Cork in It. Their wine boutique makes wine selection and buying a personal and pleasurable experience. They offer a variety of specialty wines, gift certificates, and have a monthly wine club.

Jessi Sheldon, founder of Game Changing Films joins JW & Brinton on this episode of FORTitude FW to talk about her company's unique niche in the film industry.  We learn a little about working with The Rock, how the company got started and how well a certain mayor kicks the football.

Jessi is a former collegiate soccer player and film major at Texas Christian University. With over a decade of experience in sports films, she’s grateful to combine her passion for sports and entertainment into a dream job.

What goes into a 30 whole recipe, how did the book "The Defined Dish" come about and what's it like to be critiqued on what you wear if you're a cook?  Alex Snodgrass shares those thoughts and more 

Amanda Micallef was the Co-Founder & President at Arsenic and spent 12 years as a producer of more than 20 film, music video and commercial productions; she was responsible for all aspects of the projects, from inception through distribution. Amanda is a board member of Jamak (the largest privately owned, international silicone manufacturing company in the U.S.), Reata Restaurant Management Group and four other boards with holdings in real estate, manufacturing and automotive.

Since she was elected Tarrant County DA in 2014 Sharen Wilson has been committed to ensuring every victim and defendant has their day in court. Her targeting of intimate partner violence (domestic violence), exploitation of senior citizens, gang violence, financial fraud, while pursuing justice for crimes that threaten our rights to peace, safety, and property have earned her a reputation of being tough but fair.  She preached accountability and backed up by creating the first Conviction Integrity Unit in Tarrant County's history.  Sharen's fiscally conservative policies have resulted in saving taxpayer money while maintaining high productivity.

Being just the third coach of womens volleyball in TCU history, it's fitting Jill Kramer's career began at the university she helped bring respectability to as a national powerhouse in volleyball.  She still holds the school records in kills, kills per set and total attacks and established herself as a superstar outside hitter.  In 2007 Jill was inducted in the TCU Lettermen’s Association Hall of Fame. 

On  this episode Kirk Saarloos gave FORTitude a visit. For those who don’t know, he is the current head baseball coach of the TCU Horned Frogs. He played college baseball at Cal State Fullerton for coach George Horton from 1999 to 2001 and then played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 7 seasons before coming to TCU. He led the team to the lowest ERA in school history since 1968 and was named the head coach at TCU last June.
He shares a lot about baseball and his journey from California to Texas. The guys had a blast getting to know Kirk. You don’t want to miss this episode.

Victor Vandergriff served as the TxDOT Commissioner until 2019.  His leadership led to expansion of toll roads to help North Texas traffic woes.  He was voted Best Elected Official and his first office was a closet.  Really.

On this episode of FORTitude, LPGA Golfer Angela Stanford joins JW & Brinton and reflects on her personal life, it's relationship to golf, her golf swing and retirement.
Angela Standford has come a long way from winning the Fort Worth Girls Championship in 1993.  Today her long career has been illustrious to say the least.  From her days at TCU where she was a four-time All-American and a four-time All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) selection. Angela was named WAC Freshman of the Year in 1997 and WAC Player of the Year in 1999 and won the 2000 WAC Championship.  And that was all before her incredible LPGA career which began following the 2000 U.S. Women's Amateur in August and when she played on the Futures Tour, where she earned a victory at the season-ending event in early October. She finished fourth in the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament that year to earn exempt status on the LPGA Tour for 2001.  Not deterred Angela won her first victory on the LPGA Tour in her third season, at the 2003 ShopRite LPGA Classic. A member of six U.S. Solheim Cup teams she gave the U.S. its first Cup wind in 2015.  To top off her professional career Angela won her first major title in 2018 at the Evian Championship.

Eric McCauley Lee, Director of the Kimbell Art Museum has a storied career including his start on the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee how that led to his true passion and long term goal of being a director of an art museum, specifically the Kimbell Art Museum.  Eric guides J.W. and Brinton through a detailed slideshow of some of the Museum's most noted pieces and the history behind them.  With his spell binding narrative we learn the moment when any question of authenticity of their piece 'The Torment of Saint Anthony' was proven false and the feeling he went to bed with that evening.

Victoria Wise started a Facebook group and grew it to over 20k members but that's not all she's done.  Her entrepreneurial spirit has already netted a successful jewelry business that she sold and a relationship with Facebook most business owners dream about.  
On this episode of FORTitude Victoria speaks to the demands of being a mom and a business owner, the delight in the success she has achieved and the desire to do so much more for entrepreneurs and women.

On this episode of FORTitude the guys welcome the booming voice and made for radio face of Brian Estridge.  Brian waxes nostalgic on the beginnings of his career as a child mimicking the broadcasts he heard on tv and radio to his pantless broadcast of a Big 12 football game.  He's not shy on his love of Fort Worth, TCU, his faith and family delivering an interview in which his professionalism behind a microphone is evident while his humanity is on full display.  What's happening to the BIG 12? TCU? College NIL? Tune in.

To say Grace Collins is a talented soccer star would be accurate but woefully understated.  In her brief career to date she already has a 12 bullet point achievement list and she's only a freshman.  Her style of play, relentless motor, game intellect and just pure talent make her a feared competitor throughout the Big 12 women's soccer field.  Her dedication to excellence is evident in every question she answer and the interview allows everyone to learn more about her beginnings in club soccer as well as the highlights and the lowlights from her career to date at TCU.  

Go Frogs!!

Gibson Donald Lewis or Gib as he's known is a legend in Texas politics.  From his beginnings in Oletha to Carswell Air Force Base, TCU, and on to becoming Speaker of the House in 1983 Gib has carved his own path.  In this episode of FORTitude Gib discusses what the term working across the aisle meant back in the day. He reminisces with JW and Brinton on being civil while fighting tooth and nail to get legislation passed and the pride he still has in passing the 1984 education act.  Gib talks about his early business career and how labels were the path to success.

Cameron Fowler, Co-Founder of Digital Seat Media joins JW & Brinton on this episode of FORTitude FW.  Cameron discusses how he got started in high school and how that opportunity led to the creation of Digital Seat.  He talks about the mechanics of a QR code and how Digital Seat is utilizing that technology to make in-game experience for fans of sports a truly engaging process.

Things get a little more serious on the FORTitude podcast today. Our guest is an undercover police officer working in the sex traffic unit. He shares a real look into what it’s like to combat sex trafficking in Fort Worth. They dig into what it really looks like and why it’s so hard to really help the victims of these crimes. This is a real-life look into what it’s like to do this work in Fort Worth. It’s a hard topic, but worth a listen.

Karen Borta is a news anchor for channel 11 CBS in Dallas/Fort Worth.  She joins JW on this episode and discusses her career, her family, how diabetes has impacted her life and where social media fits into broadcasting.

MGM head Mike De Luca and actress/producer Angelique De Luca join this episode of FORTitude FW and discuss their careers, the current state of the movie industry, who really cast the lead in Fifty Shades of Grey and Delucca's pizza.

Opal Lee the Grandmother of Juneteenth joins JW & Brinton for a very special episode of FORTitude FW.  Opal discusses her early life, moving to Fort Worth, her walk to make Juneteenth a national holiday, her kids book Juneteenth for Kids, the farm she helped establish, what it means to be free and teaches us that in her own words "if you have a job to do, don't stop until it's done" , she also reminds us that although she's 95 she still has several more jobs to do.  This is a very special episode with a national treasure and one who has made an impact on the history of America.

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Chef Jon Bonnell grew up hunting, fishing and cooking with his parents and family – his childhood pastimes would soon become his culinary inspirations.
After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 1994, Jon taught science and math for two years before pursuing his love for cooking and enrolling in the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) in Montpelier, Vermont.

During his tenure at NECI, Jon completed a six-month culinary internship at Mr. B's Bistro in the historic New Orleans French Quarter. In 1997, Jon graduated from NECI and returned to Fort Worth where he honed his cooking skills at local, upscale restaurants.

Futurist, Author and Oncor Strategist David Treichler joins the FORTitude FW podcast and predicts where we are headed as a planet, people and more.  His forward thinking, backed by history, research and a whole lot of knowledge, helped Oncor Energy prepare for the 2020 Texas winter storm, and the pandemic.  David has authored 24 novels that seek to inform the discussion regarding how rapidly transforming technology is changing the nature of human relationships in an increasingly mediated world.   David talks about his process and shares some amazing insights into things like social media, climate change, and automated driving. You really don’t want to miss this episode.

David Treichler is the director of strategy and technology for Oncor Electric Delivery in Dallas where he is responsible for strategic analysis supporting the growth of the enterprise. Prior to this role, he held senior roles in classified intelligence and defense systems, public education, finance and economic development.

Jamie Dixon basketball career began as a child actor? What TV ads did Jamie appear in before he got serious about basketball? Returning to the college (TCU) that took a chance on him as a player, Jamie Dixon the head coach reflects on the transfer portal, NIL and how his coaching style, including loving his cardboard cutout twin, is a reflection of his teams and success.  Jamie talks about his sister Maggie and the basketball tournament dedicated in her honor, The Maggie Dixon Classic, as well as his time as a professional basketball player and much more. 

In this not before released audio only episode of FORTitude FW the guys talk with Coach Gary Patterson about his singing, his success, his impact on the men he has coached and what he would like his legacy to be when it comes time to take a step back.

On this episode Mattie talks to JW & Brinton about the wins and challenges she’s faced in her new position as Mayor of Ft. Worth and how she is working to strike a healthy work-life balance.  She wonders if this, her third appearance, has satisfied the quota on appearances and confirms having your name on the door is a lot different than not.

Tank Carder may now spend his days waist deep in concrete but to many TCU Horned Frogs fans, he will always be jumping in the air swatting away the game tying 2 point conversion in the 2011 Rose bowl against Wisconsin as TCU completed a perfect season.  Tank discusses what made him tick on the field and what keeps him grounded off of it.

Abraham Alexander joins JW & Brinton on this episode of FORTitude and talks about his decision to pursue music and not sports, how great table tennis is, what it meant to be asked to record at Abbey Road Studios and what's in store in his very bright future.  Abraham performs Lovers Game acoustically and FORTituders could never be happier.

TCU Professor, Dallas Cowboys beat writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mac Engel, drops in on this episode of FORTitude FW - Where the Stories Never Die.  Mac talks about the affordability of amateur sports for most families and why soccer is the biggest sport in the world.
A Fort Worth centric podcast featuring luminaries and everyday Fort Worthians sharing their story.  

Mike Miles started playing basketball as a child with the Texas Titans on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit.  When he was just in fourth grade, his highlight videos went viral prompting Yahoo Sports to label him "the elementary school Allen Iverson. His talent has since landed him at TCU while along the way he has already grabbed a gold medal for the American FIBA World Cup team.  
On this episode of FORTitude Mike tells JW & Brinton why he chose TCU and where he keeps his gold medal.  Hint: Momma and close to home.

Hall of Fame Soccer Star

Antonio Carlos Pecorari, famously known as Tatu, is a former Brazilian football player and current professional and youth coach, and one of the most accomplished indoor football players of all time.  His nickname means “armadillo” in Portuguese.  He won an MISL Championship for the Dallas Sidekicks in 1987.  Currently Tatu is Head Coach of the Mesquite Outlaws.

Scott Berkman Fort Worth restauranteur and ex-Baywatch actor joins JW & Brinton for an in-depth talk about his distinguished career serving the Fort Worth dining public at such establisments as Ellerbees, Waters, Bistro Louise (among others) and his brief albeit interesting foray into acting, Hollywood and falling off a roof?  He also dishes on worst call in sick excuses and the biggest tip he ever received.

Chris Howell joins Fortitude with his “Golden Voice” to discuss his amazing career and his passion to give back which has manifested itself as the Chris Howell Foundation.  The author, broadcast personality, and founder,  was inspired to inspire those in our community facing adversity by drawing on his own life story filled with challenges, obstacles and triumphs to empower those in need to fulfill their path to success.  

Chris’s talent has led him to multiple awards, celebrity interviews, a thriving media and communication agency, a book, advocacy for change, and most importantly his namesake Foundation, which works to create opportunities for those in need. Chris Howell is one of the good guys.