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July 15, 2020
FACES & PLACES

TCU  head football coach Gary Patterson isn't sure when, or if, his team will play during 2020, but he's excited about the prospects, especially sophomore QB Max Duggan. Coach P hopped on Zoom with  Chamber  members July 9th for the annual TCU preview event. Patterson was interviewed by Newy Scruggs,  NBC 5  Sports Director, about the current state of college football, preparations that he and the team are taking, and changes and expectations for the season ahead.

Pictured (clockwise from top left):  Brandom Gengelbach, Fort Worth Chamber, Newy Scruggs, Gary Patterson.
PRESS YOUR LUCK
Click on the links below to enter for prizes
Wine not you? Bud Kennedy, the eats beat guy for the Star-Telegram , was advertising for a drinks beats guy and Mr. B applied. His audition was the weekly Wednesday night Wine on the Skyline , the rooftop patio of Branch & Bird in the Frost Tower. The good news? When it’s 95 degrees at 7 p.m., it only feels like 89 degrees 25 stories and 368 feet above ground. The even gooder news? Wednesdays from 5-8 p.m., there are half price bottles of wine and live music. When Mr. B asked Branch & Bird GM Amy Shackelford if she served Mogen David, she hinted he might not be the right guy as Bud’s right-hand man. Better yet, she muttered, “left out.” The rooftop patio is open Wednesday through Saturdays and Branch & Bird is serving lunch Monday through Friday. Amy didn’t leave you out with this $50 gift certificate.
Summertime fun: The Alley Cats Hurst giveaway weeks back was a blowout/sellout, though there was only one and it was a giveaway. Outrageous demand, though, and lots of whining from non-winners. Bryan Weatherford heard your pleas (demands?) for more and suggested, “Why not do our Arlington location? he asked. All the attractions are open ... Putt-Putt golf, batting cages, bowling, a 2-story, 5,000-square-foot laser tag area, billiards, the arcade and more. Strict COVID sanitation, masking and distancing are in place.” There is limited capacity at some attractions, which is all the more reason to plan ahead online and reserve your times and spots. Alley Cats are great places for birthdays (more than 5,000 hosted a year) and someone out there has a birthday today... guaranteed. Bryan has a $50 gift card to get two readers started on FUN.
Picture perfect: Devan Peplow says she is the Program Manager at TechFW. There are like 30 programs, but all Devan has proof that she works is as moderator of the almost-weekly TechNest webinars. Probably because of all her side hustles, including photography; designing; a startup, Sounde, that will amplify hearing; and her high-quality, custom illustrations. (Does anyone ever boast of low-quality?) Devan takes your favorite photo – up to four people or pets -- and gives you back an incredibly personalized, high-resolution, digital illustration for download. There is no physical product; the download can be printed and framed up to size 8 x10. This minimalist portrait includes a one-color background and minimal facial features of eyebrows, mouths, glasses and facial hair, including (or excluding) the quarantine beards and mustaches. One revision, if necessary, is included. Additional customization is available, but you have to program that with Devan. She has one illustration for two readers.
Congratulations to the July 8th
Prize Winners:

  • Tim Watts, Tex-Pac Hide & Skin
  • Benita Harper, Fort Worth Employees Retirement Fund
  • Luke Jordan, Electro Acoustics
HE SAID, SHE SAID, THEY SAID
Petition drive? Today is National Ice Cream Day AND National Hot Dog Day, according to monthologist John Fletcher. Mr. B doesn’t understand why these icons have to share a day when hammocks have a day theirownselves (July 22).
Best birthday ever? Jan Riggins, the real staffing pro at Express Employment Professionals, couldn’t have drawn up a better birthday July 6th than watching herownself on the KELLY CLARKSON SHOW!!!!! Here is a condensed version of Jan’s story—“It was the craziest thing. A couple of months ago, I got a message on Instagram from a producer. He said that he saw the chalk art pieces my daughter, Olivia (13), and I had been creating for our neighborhood and asked if we would create a short 1-to-2 minute video as part of Kelly’s Good Neighbor campaign … to be shared on her social channels. Weeks later, we got a call from that producer to conduct a Zoom interview. A different group of producers asked if we would be interested in chalking out a piece for Kelly, and we did that a day before the interview. We tried to keep it all under wraps and even parked our car on top of the piece for Kelly so our neighbors wouldn’t see. It was so exciting to see it on air.”
Almost famous: Ryan Noel, Business Director at Glint Advertising, on whether you should have a personal URL: “It depends on your goals. As an influencer, it absolutely matters. For most people though, it won't matter. If you are worried about how URLs look when you post them, you can use a shorter link such as bit.ly or Google to not only make them look better, but easily tracked.”
Funster punsters: From the Chamber’s Netty Matthews, veep of verbiage – “Everyone told Sam not to sing. But Samsung anyway!” (She’s here weekly until October, folks.)
“Don't post (online) when angry, hungry or inebriated.”



--Karen Lindsey, Ph.D
TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communications
Flush with ideas: The Lunar Loo competition is looking for innovative ways to help astronauts go to the bathroom on the moon. Sound silly? There is $35K awarded for top ideas.
Plea for giveaway: Brandom Gengelbach, Chamber prez, has now mentioned 311 times that the Fort Worth Club’s shrimp buffet for the Simmons Bank Christmas Party (312) is his annual “ultimate.” If you know Simmons prez Lori Baldock or senior lender Kelly Beck, see if they can get Mr. B and two readers an invite. Mr. B promises to leave when the shrimp is gone (313…)
Time well spent: Jason Duling, exec with Johnson Controls Security Solutions, says he has honed his social distancing skills to such a fine point that he is considering offering a class post-COVID: Social Distancing, the New Norm. An Introvert’s Guide to Sheltering in Place – and Loving Every Minute of It!
Kudos: Based on criteria devised by the Lown Institute, JPS Health Network was ranked No. 1 in the nation for civic leadership, value of care and patient outcomes. No. 1 overall, too…in the whole country. “Something special is happening here,” said J.R. Labbe, a senior veep. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne finished 18th.
UPCOMING EVENTS
To comply with Tarrant County's recommendations on public gatherings, our in-person programs are currently on hold. Please see our upcoming virtual resources below.
Wednesday, July 22
Leaders Online: Sales Strategies - What's Working (Now)
Thursday, August 27
Vision FW: YP Summit 2020
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