Épisodes

  • Ruth Thompson - Hugs Cafe

    Ruth Thompson - Hugs Cafe
    Oct 19 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." Our guest for this episode is Ruth Thompson, Founder of Hugs Cafe. The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay. Key Topics: Teaching adults with disabilities to cook at the Market Street cooking school A recurring dream that led to a restaurant employing people with disabilities Opening Hugs Cafe in 2015 after two years of securing nonprofit status Team members who never wanted to leave, and the resulting change of model Launching the greenhouse and training academies to reach more lives Running a social enterprise with higher labor costs and no subminimum wages Why no tips are taken, to protect team members' Social Security benefits Mentoring affiliates nationwide and serving on the Texas Restaurant Association board The new McKinney building, requests to expand, and pacing future growth Leadership succession and using her remaining decade with purpose Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    49 min
  • Michael Reeves - The Andy App

    Michael Reeves - The Andy App
    Oct 12 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." Our guest for this episode is Michael Reeves, Founder of The Andy App. The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay. Key Topics: Growing up in Richardson and Plano and early entrepreneurial instincts Selling Cutco knives and credit card machines door to door Growing a merchant services company to 200 employees before its sale Entering property taxes and building a property tax lending business Selling the lending company to private equity and launching The Andy App Using AI to file exemptions and protest property taxes every year Winning the McKinney Economic Development Innovation Award and North Texas Demo Days Why protesting every year matters, even with exemptions, and documenting property imperfections Ethics, hardship savings, and counties adopting their own AI Expanding beyond Texas and adding property tax protests to tax filing Resources Mentioned: www.theandyapp.com Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    50 min
  • Joy Booth & Shannon White - Grace To Change

    Joy Booth & Shannon White - Grace To Change
    Oct 5 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." Our guests for this episode are Joy Booth, Development Consultant, and Shannon White, Founder and Executive Director of Grace To Change. The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay. Key Topics: Joy's 25 years of federal auditing and move into nonprofit work Outpatient substance abuse treatment for adults and adolescents in Collin County Shannon's path from teacher to founder, shaped by her own recovery An Allen diversion program keeping first offender students out of the justice system Why addiction touches every neighborhood and how treatment targets root causes Social media, screen time, and their overlap with youth substance abuse Easy access to THC products and kratom in McKinney Why recovery-friendly workplaces matter to the business community Advice for parents, including free drug testing and open conversations Fiesta for Our Future, the October 15 fundraiser celebrating 15 years Resources Mentioned: https://gracetochange.org Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    1 h et 9 min
  • Nick Good - The Good Home Team

    Nick Good - The Good Home Team
    Sep 28 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." Our guest for this episode is Nick Good, Owner & Broker Associate of The Good Home Team. The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay. Key Topics: Growing up in Plano, leaving high school early, and starting college at 17 College path through Texas Tech, UNT, and UT Dallas Early ventures with his brother and chasing financial freedom through real estate Starting in real estate in 2007 and surviving the 2008 crash Turning down a salaried job to commit fully to his own business Building The Good Home Team and a real estate portfolio Solving problems as the foundation of business and mastering the people business Moving to McKinney in 2014 and watching the city transform Choosing McKinney Christian Academy and finding a chosen family community Building a men's circle and championing mental health awareness Resources Mentioned: https://nickgood.com https://www.livinginmckinney.com Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    51 min
  • Greatest Hit: Chief Joe Ellenburg & Darryl Saffold - McKinney Police Department

    Greatest Hit: Chief Joe Ellenburg & Darryl Saffold - McKinney Police Department
    Sep 21 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." This is a "Greatest Hits" episode, spotlighting our conversation with Chief Joe Ellenburg, Chief of Police at the McKinney Police Department, and Darryl Saffold, Public Information Officer at the McKinney Police Department. The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay Key Topics: Chief Ellenburg’s journey from corrections officer to Chief of Police The role of a Public Information Officer in law enforcement McKinney’s unprecedented growth and its impact on policing Community policing and engagement efforts to build trust The evolution of crime-solving with modern technology Recruiting and retaining officers in today’s law enforcement climate The importance of mental health and officer wellness How McKinney remains one of the safest cities despite rapid expansion Resources Mentioned: https://www.mckinneytexas.org/166/Police Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    58 min
  • Greatest Hit: Allison Monroe - Volunteer McKinney

    Greatest Hit: Allison Monroe - Volunteer McKinney
    Sep 14 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." This is a "Greatest Hits" episode, spotlighting our conversation with Allison Monroe, Executive Director at Volunteer McKinney. The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay Key Topics: Allison shares her journey from Peace Corps volunteer to nonprofit leader. Experiences in the Middle East and lessons on community service. Scaling global education platforms to empower creators. Rebuilding after a devastating cyberattack. The mission of Volunteer McKinney to connect nonprofits with community resources. The upcoming Volunteer Spirit of Volunteerism event and its community impact. Measuring volunteer hours to showcase community value. Resources Mentioned: https://volunteermckinney.org https://www.facebook.com/VolunteerMcKinney https://www.linkedin.com/company/volunteer-mckinney Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    38 min
  • Greatest Hit: Roy Ponder - POW Ponder On Weather

    Greatest Hit: Roy Ponder - POW Ponder On Weather
    Sep 7 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." This is a "Greatest Hits" episode, spotlighting our conversation with Roy Ponder, Owner of POW Ponder On Weather. The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay Key Topics: Roy Ponder's early fascination with weather and the evolution of his career The significant role of social media in Roy's professional growth Transitioning from a hobby to a full-time weather forecasting career Insights into weather patterns and the challenges of forecasting The development and launch of My Storm Hero Roy's approach to entrepreneurship and diversifying income streams Future plans and the impact of weather forecasting on personal and community safety Resources Mentioned: www.ponderonweather.com www.mystormhero.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-ponder-a40440b7 https://www.instagram.com/pow_ponder_on_weather https://www.youtube.com/@POWPonderonWeather Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    41 min
  • Josh Stone & Erik Woodward - North Texas AI

    Josh Stone & Erik Woodward - North Texas AI
    Aug 31 2026
    Welcome to The McKinney Podcast, where we celebrate the people and happenings that make our city "Unique By Nature." Our guests for this episode are Josh Stone and Erik Woodward, Co-Founders of North Texas AI (NTX AI) The MCKPOD is presented by RiskWell and FredShots Photography and recorded at the RiskWell studio in McKinney. Your hosts are James Jenkins and Fred Mahusay. Key Topics: Josh's early tech immersion, from a childhood Tandy computer to a multimedia degree Josh's dot-com career, including early work on Fandango and leadership at AT&T and Hotels.com Josh's shift into startups, launching multiple ventures starting in 2007 Josh and Erik co-founding North Texas AI to drive applied AI adoption How NTX AI meetups build community and hands-on learning for attendees Using blockchain and Web3 to verify authentic content in an AI-driven world Josh tracing the path from vibe coding to AI agents and digital workforces Helping enterprise clients build AI policies and move past initial fear Josh on copyright complications from co-creating a book with AI Erik on past tech disruptions and confidence in society's ability to adapt Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com to subscribe to the email list and never miss an episode. Join the #MCKPOD community at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mckinneypodcast and engage with your neighbors and fellow fans of the show. Check out the #MCKPOD YouTube Channel to watch the video versions of our episode and see lots of additional content: https://youtube.com/@mckinneypodcast James and Fred would love to hear from you with any comments, questions, or ideas! Email the show at mail@mckinneypodcast.com and you may be featured on a future mailbag segment.
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    58 min