The McKinney Podcast

Heath Nivens - McKinney Christian Academy

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 [https://www.mckinneychristian.org]  Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com [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 [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 [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.

Ron and Verandah McKinney - BAK'D by McKinney Makes

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 Ron and Verandah McKinney, owners of BAK'D by McKinney Makes. 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: * Ron's military upbringing and life of constant relocation * Verandah growing up in Brooklyn as the oldest of four * Ron's journey from culinary school to the Air Force to computer science * Verandah's teaching career and move from Brooklyn to Texas * Teaching kindergartners through COVID and the toll on young learners * Moving to McKinney in 2023 and sharing the city's name * Founding BAK'D by McKinney Makes after betting against herself * Faith, communication, and servant leadership in marriage and business * BAK'D's mission as a cookie philanthropy brand serving communities in need Resources Mentioned: * https://www.mckinneymakes.com [https://www.mckinneymakes.com]  Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com [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 [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 [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.

Jason Burress - Burress Injury Law

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 Jason Burress, Founder of Burress Injury Law. 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: * Paris, Texas roots and the influence of family and grandparents * Choosing law as a path to financial stability and helping others * Earning a law degree at SMU and the drive to prove himself * Learning the trial lawyer mindset under legendary attorney Kyle Dryer * Building Burres Law in McKinney as Collin County's personal injury firm * Creating The Rook, a members community with live music and curated networking * Serving on the McKinney EDC, including three terms as chair * Nearly running for McKinney mayor and encouraging Bill Cox to step forward * The Burres Community Foundation's pass-through model and dollar-for-dollar matching * Supporting first responder initiatives, scholarships, and local McKinney schools Resources Mentioned: * https://www.mytexasfirm.com [https://www.mytexasfirm.com]  * https://burresscommunityfoundation.org [https://burresscommunityfoundation.org]  Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com [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 [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 [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.

Mike Danielson - Keller Williams McKinney

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 Mike Danielson, Realtor at Keller Williams 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 Southwest Houston and finding an outlet through rap music * Performing as "Payday" and building a career in Houston's hip hop scene * Founding The Message Bag, a Christian rap magazine spotlighting artists like Lecrae * Running a commercial printing company in the Dallas area for 21 years * Entering real estate and developing a bold personal branding and marketing approach * Using AI as a creative tool to amplify original content and real estate marketing * Writing the autobiography "My Whole Childhood Was a Side Quest" over ten years * Overcoming childhood abuse and adversity to become a self-made entrepreneur * Drawing lifelong inspiration from his grandfather's journey from janitor to business owner * Moving to McKinney 25 years ago and embracing the city's growing cultural diversity Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com [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 [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 [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.

Michael Tritthart - Consultant

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 Tritthart, Consultant. 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 Oklahoma with Cherokee heritage and moving to Texas to coach football * Six years teaching history and coaching at Plano and Allen ISD * World-class Texas high school facilities and why they draw families to Collin County * Transitioning from education to real estate technology training and CE certification * Nine years as Keller Williams master faculty, training across 48 states and Canada * Practical ways beginners can start using AI tools for everyday efficiency * AI privacy risks, data security, and protecting children from predatory systems * Workshops through the McKinney Chamber of Commerce open to all business owners * The future of AI, robotics, data centers, and energy innovation * Drawing parallels between Nikola Tesla's legacy and today's emerging technologies Resources Mentioned: * https://michaeltritthart.com/events [https://michaeltritthart.com/events]  * https://michaeltritthart.com/our-services/business-online-success-review [https://michaeltritthart.com/our-services/business-online-success-review]  * https://michaeltritthart.com [https://michaeltritthart.com/]  Visit https://www.mckinneypodcast.com [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 [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 [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.