Episodes

  • Brandon Averhart - Kidgenuity

    Brandon Averhart - Kidgenuity
    Jul 16 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 Brandon Averhart, Founder of Kidgenuity. 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 Dallas and overcoming a brain tumor diagnosis as a teenager Serving in the Air Force as an F-16 avionics technician in Afghanistan Earning a marketing degree from UNT after leaving the military Building a career in marketing before moving into consulting work Spotting a need for better toddler mealtime solutions while raising his own kids Founding Kidgenuity and designing the tantrum-proof Tracy plate Seeking mentors and feedback ahead of a Kickstarter launch Choosing McKinney's Lake Forest neighborhood for its community and green spaces Building future products around McKinney community feedback Resources Mentioned: https://kidgenuity.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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    40 mins
  • Blake Sellers - Honest1 Auto Care McKinney

    Blake Sellers - Honest1 Auto Care McKinney
    Jul 6 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 Blake Sellers, Owner of Honest1 Auto Care 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: Growing up in rural Pennsylvania before moving to Connecticut as a teen Studying industrial engineering and operations research at Cornell University Starting Blake's career at Texas Instruments, then earning an MBA at UT Austin Spending seventeen years at Touche Ross, later Deloitte, including a partnership Living in Milan, Italy for two years on an expat assignment Pursuing entrepreneurial ventures in renewable energy after leaving corporate life Opening Honest1 Auto Care on Virginia Parkway in McKinney in 2018 Using a red, yellow, green system to prioritize vehicle maintenance Comparing reliability and repair costs of European versus Japanese vehicles Building trust and transparency as the core of Honest1's customer service Resources Mentioned: https://www.honest1.com/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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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Shoanette Harper & Greg Harper - Sweet Licks Barkery

    Shoanette Harper & Greg Harper - Sweet Licks Barkery
    Jun 29 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 Shoanette & Greg Harper, Founders of Sweet Licks Barkery. 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 Dallas and East Texas and meeting in Denton Building careers in IT and oil and gas operations Shoanette's rise to chief operations officer and earning an executive MBA from SMU Adopting rescue dogs and the story behind Sweet Licks Barkery Human-grade, freeze-dried treats made with whole food and superfood ingredients Navigating early setbacks including a car accident, equipment issues, and COVID Sourcing local and novelty proteins for dogs with allergies and sensitive stomachs Greg pursuing canine and feline pet nutrition certification through Southern Illinois University Hand-producing heart-shaped treats and selling at farmers markets Future plans for a customizable pet meal line and dog-friendly storefront Resources Mentioned: https://www.slbarkery.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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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Rod Querry - The Arcue Group

    Rod Querry - The Arcue Group
    Jun 22 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 Rod Querry, CEO and Principal Consultant at The Arcue Group 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 a ministry household and pursuing organizational development Early career in aerospace before transitioning into full-time ministry Moving into executive roles at Wells Fargo and discovering a passion for HR Founding The RQ Group and shifting to fractional HR consulting Why most business problems are alignment issues, not people problems Connecting to McKinney through family history and planting roots in the community Navigating employee discipline, termination, and setting clear workplace boundaries Social media guidelines and the fine line of off-clock employee conduct The value of fractional HR over unqualified in-house staff or DIY solutions AI's growing role in HR and the risks of replacing human judgment with unvalidated answers Resources Mentioned: https://www.thearcuegroup.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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    59 mins
  • Anca Wetegrove & Betty Petkovsek - McKinney Rotary Club

    Anca Wetegrove & Betty Petkovsek - McKinney Rotary Club
    Jun 15 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 Anca Wetegrove and Betty Petkovsek of the McKinney Rotary Club. 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: The 27th Annual Parade of Lights as a McKinney holiday tradition Passport to the Holidays theme and multicultural global representation In-kind sponsorship opportunities for small and local businesses Volunteer roles including traffic control, float coordination, and cleanup Growing up in Romania, living in Germany, and relocating to McKinney Joining Rotary and stepping up as parade chair after one year The big wheel auction and new Parade of Lights branded merchandise McKinney Rotary Club's community grants and all-volunteer structure Betty Petkovsek's seven years in Rotary and mentorship of new leadership Anca announced as a future president of the Rotary Club of McKinney Resources Mentioned: https://www.mckinneyrotary.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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    58 mins
  • Amber Farrell - Far Beyond Marketing

    Amber Farrell - Far Beyond Marketing
    Jun 8 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 Amber Farrell, Owner of Far Beyond Marketing. 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 a multigenerational McKinney family with deep entrepreneurial roots Working in the family plumbing business and learning business fundamentals from childhood Pursuing vocal performance at Baylor and singing opera in Vienna Returning to Texas and gaining experience across family businesses and corporate roles Launching her first company in 2013 and selling it to private equity in 2018 Relaunching in 2021 to bring enterprise-level marketing systems to local businesses Building Far Beyond Marketing and helping entrepreneurs automate growth with AI Launching a marketing membership program for McKinney and Collin County businesses Navigating rapid AI and consumer behavior shifts in the marketing industry Helping clients rank in AI-generated search results through strategic content positioning Resources Mentioned: http://www.farbeyondmarketing.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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    54 mins
  • Alicia Bush - Treasured Vessels Foundation

    Alicia Bush - Treasured Vessels Foundation
    Jun 1 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 Alicia Bush, Founder of Treasured Vessels Foundation. 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 Redwater, East Texas with small-town roots and a family grocery business Studying psychology and biology at UNT with aspirations toward medical school Fourteen years in medical device sales working across operating rooms and specialties Leaving her career at its peak after a faith-driven calling to serve trafficking survivors Founding Treasured Vessels Foundation and learning the nonprofit landscape from scratch Opening the Collin County safe house in January 2020 and navigating early COVID challenges How trafficking happens through force, fraud, coercion, and the role of childhood trauma The resilience and transformation seen in survivors through the healing program Parental guidance on internet safety, device monitoring, and open communication with kids The Christ-centered mission of Treasured Vessels Foundation and ways to get involved Resources Mentioned: http://www.treasuredvesselsfoundation.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 hr
  • Heath Nivens - McKinney Christian Academy

    Heath Nivens - McKinney Christian Academy
    May 25 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 Heath Nivens, Head of School at McKinney Christian Academy. 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 South Carolina and competing as a college athlete Coaching college football and earning a master's in education administration Transitioning from athletics into Christian K-12 education Relocating to McKinney and joining MCA as head of school What drew Heath to MCA and the McKinney community Leading MCA's capital campaign for a STEM and classroom facility MCA's approach to academics, spiritual formation, and college readiness Navigating AI in the classroom through digital citizenship and tiered AI use Launching a new entrepreneurial program to build student grit and problem-solving The importance of parent-school partnership in student development Resources Mentioned: https://www.mckinneychristian.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 hr and 2 mins