The Fort

Chris sits down with Riley Kiltz, friend and CEO of Craftwork Coffee Co. They discuss Riley’s transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, his passions for coffee and customer service as well as his impactful advice for living in the moment. Enjoy! For more information on Chris Powers and Fort Capital, visit www.fortcapitallp.com Follow Chris on Twitter: @Fortworthchris Make Contact with The FORT at thefortpodcast@gmail.com 01:46 — Importance of Positive Customer Interactions at Craftwork 04:21 — How did Craftwork’s culture manifest itself? 07:03 — How did you find yourself in Fort Worth between NYC and Sao Paulo? 09:47 — When did you decide to make the leap from corporate life to Craftwork? 12:22 — Why are you thankful that you made that leap? 14:38 — Are you still a fan of Conscious Capitalism? 16:23 — What do you tell people who are on the fence about starting a business? 19:06 — What have you learned about coffee? What is the future of coffee? 23:08 — Do you wholesale any of your coffee? 24:28 — The Process from Buying the Bean to Serving the Customer 25:45 — How do you split your time between roasting coffee and running coffee shops? 27:10 — What is your favorite interview question? 30:53 — Where is Craftwork in 10 years? Where are you in 10 years? 37:20 — Through being in the shop, has anything struck you about how people work? 40:02 — Are you aware of any businesses or ideas or marriages that have occurred because of Craftwork? 41:40 — If you had to give your 21-year old some advice, what would it be? 50:14 — What is the biggest mistake you have made since starting Craftwork? 57:30 — The Book Chris Gave Riley

Chris sits down with Mike Sroka, CEO and Co-Founder of Dealpath. They discuss how Dealpath has been able to help Fort Capital as well as numerous other real estate development companies. Dealpath is one of the fastest growing companies out of Silicon Valley looking to streamline work for companies across the country. Enjoy! For more information on Chris Powers and Fort Capital, visit www.fortcapitallp.com Follow Chris on Twitter: @Fortworthchris Make Contact with The FORT at thefortpodcast@gmail.com 01:00 — How did Dealpath come to be? 04:30 — Have you found that the software is better for a smaller or bigger business? 08:10 — Have you found that a company that has a higher number of assets under management uses it differently than one that has less? 09:06 — What can you do with the fact that you have everyone’s attention as Dealpath is seen by every member of the company? 12:33 — Have you had people attempt to use the platform for reasons other than real estate? Is the platform capable of this? 14:57 — When did you see a lot of people showing interest in CRE Technology? 19:16 — What was the tipping point when you decided you were going to start your own company? 21:03 — How hard is it to start a tech company if you do not have a tech background? 25:25 — How do you find a co-founder or tech talent if tech is not your world? 28:31 — What were some of the early challenges you faced starting Dealpath? What are some of the challenges that you face today? 33:59 — How are you hiring for engineering-type roles to ensure you get the best talent? 36:51 — What has the fundraising process been like? 40:16 — Is there a big difference that you see between an angel investor and a Series B investor? 42:43 — What is the best and worst advice that you have ever received? 46:28 — Who needs to be thinking about using DealPath and how can they get in touch with you?

Chris sits down with Kevin Lackey, CEO and President of Freedom Powersports and fellow YPO Fort Worth member. Kevin and Chris talk about Kevin’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming the leader of a $150 million dollar enterprise. Kevin has an amazing story and we hope you enjoy hearing how is hunger for success has helped him become who he is today. For more information on Chris Powers and Fort Capital, visit www.fortcapitallp.com Follow Chris on Twitter: @Fortworthchris Make Contact with The FORT at thefortpodcast@gmail.com 01:13 — Kevin’s Background 03:02 — What was your childhood like? 11:34 — Was there a moment when you gained the confidence to overcome insecurity? 21:53 — What has the book Traction and EOS meant to you? 33:45 — How did you get into the motorcycle business? 39:26 — When did it become apparent that there was an opportunity to buy a dealership? 41:33 — Becoming Service Manager 43:46 — New Owners and Structure at the Dealership 52:44 — First Attempt at Ownership 1:06:53 — Working as General Manager 1:08:39 — Second Attempt at Ownership 1:15:18 — The Obvious Next Choice 1:21:02 — What is the end goal for Freedom Powersports? 1:27:22 — What is your advice for people who are on the fence about doing something? 1:34:45 — Dark Side of Social Media

Chris sits down with longtime friend and former PGA Golfer John Peterson. John talks about his journey as a young professional golfer, from his time growing up in Fort Worth, setting golf balls on fire at his local club, winning a national championship at LSU and more stories from his time on the tour. Enjoy! For more information on Chris Powers and Fort Capital, visit www.fortcapitallp.com Follow Chris on Twitter: @Fortworthchris Make Contact with The FORT at thefortpodcast@gmail.com 01:33 — John’s Background 03:03 — What made family so important to you? 04:19 — What gave you the drive to work hard? 06:30 — John’s Relationship with His Grandfather 08:57 — When did you realize your talent for golf? 11:50 — John’s Story of Lighting Golf Balls on Fire 16:03 — Why did you pick LSU? 19:11 — Was there a moment in college where it started to click? 21:32 — How do you get half a shot off? 22:14 — Would you agree that messing up is an opportunity to learn and gain maturity? 27:16 — How do you deal with negative comments? 38:38 — What happened your senior year of college? 44:00 — John’s First Professional Events 50:57 — John’s Hole in One at the US Open 52:23 — How hard is the US Open? 55:08 — How do you build the mental toughness for golf? 59:31 — What is the one thing young golfers can work on to take them to the next level? 1:02:30 — How was Augusta National as a player? 1:05:16 — What is in store for you now that golf is done? 1:08:33 — Why do you love Fort Worth? What does it mean to you? 1:10:37 — What is your favorite place to eat? 1:12:01 — John’s Family 1:13:42 — Do you have any words of wisdom for young people getting into their careers?

Chris sits down with business partner and friend Jason Baxter. They discuss the city Fort Worth and it’s future, personal insights on success and growth as well as advice for people looking to pursue their passions. Jason discusses how his focus and personal discipline helped him grow Fort Capital into what it has become today. Enjoy! For more information on Chris Powers and Fort Capital, visit www.fortcapitallp.com Follow Chris on Twitter: @Fortworthchris Make Contact with The FORT at thefortpodcast@gmail.com 00:51 — Jason’s Background 01:29 — Why Real Estate? 08:11 — How did you realize that you wanted to get out of sales? 11:30 — Chris and Jason’s First Experience Working Together 13:10 — What is the narrative around urban infill in Fort Worth? 17:13 — What are the things that are currently challenging about urban development in Fort Worth? What needs to change to make it easier to develop? 24:41 — How is technology driving the future of Fort Worth and other cities? 29:00 — Why is Fort Worth the “Land of Opportunity?” Where do you see the biggest opportunities here? 34:49 — Where did you learn about culture? Why is it important? 42:00 — What is something a leader can do to start the discussion about culture? 44:39 — What are some things that are exciting to you about the future? 51:40 — Jason’s Mindset about Controlling His Choices 55:25 — What advice would you give your 21-year old self? 59:09 — What defines success? What are some of your goals over the next ten years? 1:01:47 — What is your favorite quote? 1:02:52 — Is there anyone that you enjoy learning from?