2021 Best of Business

2021 Best of Business Evaluation and Selection Committee

Rich Allen 

Business coach and investor Rich Allen has worked with hundreds of business owners during the past 15 years, assisting them in creating, building and sustaining their companies as well as to overcome their most difficult business challenges. The author of two books – Tour de Profit – a 52 Stage Race to Grow Your Business (2011) and The Ultimate Business Tune Up – a Simple Yet Powerful Business Model That Will Transform the Lives of Small Business Owners (2017) – Mr. Allen holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Arizona State University and an MBA in international business from the University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to his current career, he was a division president and a vice president of human resources with Pella Corporation, a vice president of human resources with Texas Instruments and a captain in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Steve Shalosky 

For the past five years, Steve Shalosky has been a business advisor for the Collin Small Business Development Center in Plano, assisting budding entrepreneurs with startup planning and small business owners to grow their businesses. A former entrepreneur, Mr. Shalosky has a dozen years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, having held a variety of positions in specialties ranging from finance and accounting to sales and marketing. The bulk of his corporate career was spent developing strategic business plans, creating marketing tactics and launching new products. A U.S. Army veteran who served as a commissioned officer in leadership and logistical operations positions throughout his 12-year military career, Mr. Shalosky holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Dayton (Ohio) and a master’s in business administration from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Dr. Clinton Purtell 

Dr. Clinton Purtell is a full-time faculty member of the Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas, with duties that include supporting the strategic growth of UNT at Frisco, as well as the development of external relationships with local and regional businesses as well as global industry partners. With extensive experience in the aerospace industry, Dr. Purtell has also held leadership and director-level roles at Fortune 500 and Euro 50 firms. A successful entrepreneur and a franchise owner in North Texas, he received his Ph.D in entrepreneurship from Oklahoma State University, an MBA from Belmont University, a bachelor of finance degree from Oklahoma City University and the honorable designation of executive scholar from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Business in Management Science. A graduate fellow of the American Indian Graduate Center and graduate scholar of the National Center for American Indian Economic Development, Dr. Purtell is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a member of The PhD Project. He and his family have lived in Frisco since 2006.

Stefanie E. Wagoner, AICP, EDFP

Stefanie Wagoner has more than 20 years of experience in public administration, having served as the director of business retention and expansion for the Frisco Economic Development Corporation in since January 2008. Prior to joining the Frisco team, she worked at the cities of Southlake and Carrollton, focusing on planning and retail development. She holds a bachelor’s degree of urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s in public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. Ms. Wagoner is a certified as a city planner and economic development financial professional. With a passion for giving back to the community, she is actively engaged in the Rotary Club of Frisco and various entrepreneurship-focused initiatives. In 2020, she participated in the inaugural TEDxFrisco Talk, focusing on the importance of partnerships. A native of Central Illinois, Ms. Wagoner moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 1994.  She, her husband and two teenage sons have been active Frisconians for more than a decade.

Tony Felker

Serves as president/CEO of the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, a position he has held for more than a dozen years. A Frisco resident since 1997, he has been with the chamber for upward of 17 years and previously worked in sales for Frisco Style following nearly 15 years in the real estate/finance industry. In 2019, Mr. Felker served as chair of the board of regents for the West Institute of Organization Management (IOM), a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on the boards of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives, North Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives Association and the Texas Association of Business. A member of the Frisco City Council from 2003-2009, as well as a former Frisco Planning & Zoning commissioner and Board of Adjustments member, he is currently an ex-officio board member for Visit Frisco. A graduate of Leadership Frisco Class III, Mr. Felker earned bachelor’s degrees in business marketing and journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.

There are many aspects to developing and cultivating good business practices. Providing superior customer engagement is a testament to how hard business owners and their teams work to build relationships and show customers that they are truly valued. 

Sebastian Mejias and the team at Samurai Inti Martial Arts knows that keeping clients involved in all facets of a business builds a new level of commitment to excellence for customers and employees alike. The company is the Best of Business Customer Engagement award winner.

At Samurai Inti Martial Arts, a family-owned martial arts school, Mr. Mejias and his team teach children and adults of all ages how to be protectors of their body, mind and spirit. The school was featured at last year’s inaugural TedX Frisco, during which its school spirit was explained and a martial arts demonstration was presented by students. Classes aim to teach kids courage, character and joy so they may reach their full potential. 

As instructors, Mr. Mejias and his team work closely with clients, and the relationships they foster allow them to further cultivate a strong sense of customer engagement. “We are leaders,” he says. “Sometimes people come in and we don’t know what they’re going through, so when you treat people with kindness and find their strengths, it’s really important to them. It makes them feel good and makes them better. It has everything to do with who we are. It’s that warrior attitude and willpower that we try to reflect on others.” He and his instructors often think about their own children and the type of experiences they want for them. When children join the school, they become truly a member of the family. 

Like most businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Mr, Mejias and his team to adapt while remaining creative, flexible, passionate and resilient in their work, which allowed them to serve customers in new ways while ultimately engaging entire families.  

“We knew that people were scared and bored, and we understand the importance of (martial arts) training in their life. Within one day of the shutdown, we transitioned to online training and we were able to teach and encourage people in the comfort of their own homes. We saw families training together. … Pajamas became karate uniforms. Even the family dogs got involved in the training. We facilitated ways for the parents to learn with their kids outside of the classroom.” Although they did lose 40 percent of their client base during the pandemic, he says that since reopening the school has doubled in size. 

Mr, Mejias appreciates the success-driven mentality that many Frisco residents have, which allows him and the Samurai Inti Martial Arts team to model perseverance and persistence and set examples for youths. “I believe the secret to success is overcoming obstacles and staying clear and focused, which to me is very valuable and evident in our community.” 

Company Culture – Text-em-all

Developing and fostering a corporate culture within a company is crucial to its success as it allows employees and team members to be part of something bigger than themselves and work toward a common goal. The team at Text-Em-All does that and has earned the Best of Business Company Culture award. 

Text-Em-All provides mass communication and automated calling services to keep people informed when it matters most. Not only does it deliver personalized, informational, emergency mass text messages and phone calls, the company also prides itself on never sending promotional, political, or spam messages through its platform.

Text-Em-All’s extensive, non-traditional hiring process allows it to further cultivate its winning culture. The company places emphasis on evaluating employees based on how they fit the organization’s values. Interview questions are meant to identify emotional intelligence and how individuals may interact with existing team members. Together with employees, company leaders develop personal plans for career growth that outline expectations and areas of focus that are reviewed monthly. 

The team at Text-Em-All works together to develop a shared purpose, values, manifesto and formula for how employees work best. The company believes in not only paying employees well, but also in providing full transparency of its financials in weekly meetings so that employees may remain passionate about the work they do. 

Ron Kinkade, head of marketing for Text-Em-All, says, “We like to think of ourselves as a people-first company, which applies to employees, customers, vendors and our community. You have to treat people with respect, and you have to have an environment that’s full of trust and transparency and at our company, employees are really empowered to make decisions.”

Much of the company’s culture lies in a core desire to make a positive impact. As part of its company-wide manifesto, Text-Em-All defines itself as a purpose-driven organization that strives to be a joy to do business with, prioritizes greatness above growth and puts people above profit. Other key ideas include the belief that everyone has something important to say, measuring success by more than just profits, working hard and laughing until it hurts, and doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

“Regardless of someone’s roll in the company, they’re able to have a sense that what they’re doing is contributing to the bigger picture and because of that, people work hard and they’re passionate about their job,” Mr. Kinkade says. The company also prides itself on fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that enables employees to bring their most authentic self to work. 

Organization & Structure – HireEffect

Structure and organization are fundamental aspects of any business, as both allow business owners and employees to run successful, efficient operations while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. HireEffect Founder and CEO Jennifer Scott and her team have done just that and, as a result, earned the company the Best of Business award in the Organization & Structure category. 

HireEffect helps business owners find freedom by combining financial, human resources and business services with cloud-based technology to get them out of the back office and in front of customers. HireEffect’s services are designed to support clients in reaching their goals. Its team creates custom solutions that can include bookkeeping, recruiting, strategic financial advisory and talent management – tasks people may not give much thought to while deciding to open a business.  

Organization and structure are often the backbone to most business models, and Ms. Scott understands that they are vital aspects of business operations. “Without process, organization and structure, we wouldn’t be able to be consistent. Being consistent in excellence, consistent in quality and consistent in process is why 95 percent of our business comes from referrals. How we meet with teams, how we meet each client, how we go through sales process – there’s structure and process to everything we do.” 

After having started small, the company now boasts nearly 20 employees across small, functional teams. Ms. Scott and her team implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) two years ago, which allowed them to define a way to operate their business. Following the principles of both Scaling Up and EOS, each functional team has one individual accountable to the leadership team. The company’s accountabilities are well-documented, quarterly priorities are clearly defined and teams follow a strict meeting cadence to ensure constant communication. 

“We do team huddles for each team daily so that everyone is on the same page and knows what’s going on,” she explains. “We do a quarterly leadership team strategic-planning day so that we can be clear on what our vision is … and what we’ll do to achieve those goals. Our organization and structure are all-encompassing.”

HireEffect also utilizes Karbon (practice manager software) to keep track of most, if not all, of the company’s ongoing projects, which allows team members to see who is meeting goals and helps ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. In an effort to further support the company’s organization and structure and its employees, Ms. Scott and her team try to keep workloads flexible so that employees don’t feel overworked, yet also allow team members to step up and take on more responsibility if they so choose. 

Market Awareness – Refresh Frisco

Refresh Frisco is a nonprofit organization that provides personal hygiene items to economically disadvantaged students. President and Founder Elizabeth Watkins was inspired to launch the organization in 2019 after becoming aware of the community’s need by volunteering at Frisco Family Services. 

“Customers coming to our organization are looking for relief; they are looking for help; they are looking for hope. Our goal is to give them all these things and more, free of charge,” Ms. Watkins says. The Refresh Frisco team’s efforts to provide services to a market segment that can be notoriously difficult to reach earned the organization the Best of Business Market Awareness award. 

Many community food pantries are forced to limit the amount of hygiene items that can be distributed to families due to insufficient donations of such items. Oftentimes, the allowance is not enough to meet a family’s needs. As hygiene products are not always included as part of government assistance programs, many economically disadvantaged children lack access to essential items such as toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant and soap. 

“Proper hygiene has never been more important than it is right now,” Ms. Watkins says. “Good hygiene promotes self-esteem and better health overall. Lack of self-esteem, especially during the teenage years, can negatively impact a student’s performance in school as well as their ability to form meaningful relationships.”

Each “refresh pack” is customized to meet the individual needs of the student and is delivered discretely through Frisco ISD. Close collaboration with the district and other local nonprofit organizations help connect families with available services, and target those without computer or internet access. 

“A good handful of students in FISD are homeless and I had no idea that that was going on in our school district,” Ms. Watkins says. “Those students are also a little hard to reach because they slip through the cracks.” Frisco ISD employs a homelessness liaison to assist these families and parent liaisons to help parents who are unable to register due to illiteracy, language barriers or lack of computer access.

Staffed entirely by volunteers, Refresh Frisco leases two storage units rather than a warehouse to minimize costs. The COVID-19 pandemic struck just months after the organization began operating, which caused demand for its services to triple overnight. It also made hygiene products difficult to obtain through the organization’s usual suppliers. To compound the situation, prohibitions against in-person gatherings prevented the hosting of its hygiene drives as planned. 

Refresh Frisco rapidly restructured its distribution system, establishing an Amazon Wish List and a network of no-contact porch drop-off locations and drive-thru pickups of items. Additional volunteers were enlisted and, despite the setbacks, each student that applied for assistance was served. Its “Love Your Neighbor” social media campaign was widely shared and led to a partnership with retailer Ulta Beauty, which donated several gift sets for student recipients.

“When our enrollment numbers increase, we give thanks that a family in need has found us and that we get to play a small part in easing their burden,” Ms. Watkins says. 

Refresh Little Elm launched in August after market research revealed that nearly 40 percent of students in Little Elm ISD are economically disadvantaged. Between the two Refresh locations, the organization served 1,000 children last quarter and hopes to expand in the future. 

Finances & Metrics – Weir Salad Group | Chop Stop

Sable and Matthew Weir had no restaurant experience when they left their corporate positions to franchise Jimmy John’s restaurants throughout San Antonio in 2011. After successfully managing nine locations, they relocated to Frisco to be closer to family and decided to add a new brand to their portfolio, opening Chop Stop in August 2020.

“We were looking for something that was healthy and high quality, with a level of convenience to match, and it was really just missing in the market, so it seemed to make sense,” Sable Weir says.

With locations in California and Nevada, the Frisco store is the first in Texas.

Chop Stop store managers receive full access to financial statements as well as training and tools that enable them to actively control costs at each franchise location, earning Chop Stop the Best of Business award in the Finances & Metrics category.

Chop Stop’s menu focuses primarily on chopped salads (“Chops”), but also features wraps, sides and hot options including pretzel sticks and Chopurritos (a rice and bean bowl). Its salads are unique because the ingredients are chopped so finely that they can be eaten with a spoon, resulting in a more uniform flavor in each bite. Each salad comes in an extra hearty portion size, with most weighing over a pound. Chops can be ordered from a set menu or customized with a wide selection of high-quality ingredients that are locally grown whenever possible. The restaurant offers in-store dining and curbside pickup and aims to serve all customers in three minutes or less.

The Weirs’ management approach reflects a commitment to total transparency. Financial statements are openly shared with current store managers as well as employees who are interested in becoming managers. Each is trained to analyze the profit and loss statement and receives both a salary and an uncapped bonus based on their ability to control costs. The owners and managers collaborate closely to analyze accounting data and discover opportunities for improvement, instilling the team with a sense of ownership and helping employees realize the impact of their efforts. 

“We constantly study our metrics to understand what we can do better,” Sable Weir says. “This is something we keep our managers engaged in as well, so they understand how their goals directly relate to the business’ performance.”  

Working in the store daily enables the Weirs to witness inefficiencies, she explains. “Cost control as far as restaurants are concerned can be as simple as determining where food is being wasted. Simple portioning can make a huge difference.”  

Labor costs, Sable Weir explains, “are controlled by making sure we have A-plus players. One good A player can do the job of two or three B or C players.” A controlled growth strategy with an emphasis on internal promotion and team-building activities ensures the company retains a cohesive, highly motivated staff. 

“After 10 years, our approach remains the same: Grow slow so that anyone who works with us has the opportunity to grow too in hopes of promoting to the next level. … Ultimately, we will work to cede a percentage of ownership to our managers who have worked to uphold our values as a company.”  

The Weirs plan to open several Chop Stop locations throughout the Metroplex. Subsequent locations will be selected based on the level of convenience for people with 9-to-5 jobs, and diners who want the speed associated with fast food without sacrificing nutrition and quality. 

Both of the owners’ mothers were teachers and, as a result, the pair deeply values the importance of giving back to the education community. During the 2020-21 school year, Chop Stop donated teacher and staff lunches to 10 Frisco ISD schools and plans to continue making similar donations this academic year. It also provides free food and catering services to several charitable organizations and events that take place in the community. 

 Winning Customers – Frisco Creative Arts Preschool

Frisco Creative Arts Preschool (FCAP) is a private, boutique-style preschool that teaches children academics through the performing arts. Its unique curriculum, combined with efforts to cultivate a personal relationship with each family, ensures that classes are filled to capacity with new and returning students, earning FCAP the Best of Business Winning Customers award.

Located on the campus of the Frisco School of Music & Performing Arts, in 2009 the preschool opened its doors to students ages 3-5. Owner and Executive Director Chris Duncan was inspired to provide the community with an alternative to traditional daycare and create a learning environment designed to foster the early development of critical social skills while presenting academic concepts via fun and engaging activities. 

“What we’re really doing – besides having all this great fun – is teaching success, self-confidence and leadership through music and the performing arts to the next generation,” Ms. Duncan explains. Students are “going to take this wonderful experience with them to be leaders in their next school.”

Open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. to accommodate families’ schedules, Frisco Creative Arts Preschool also offers a half-day program. Students rotate through dance, theater, music and art classes where they have access to professional-grade supplies and are taught by instructors with backgrounds in their respective fields. The academic department chooses a weekly letter, shape, color and animal and teachers integrate the theme into lessons and activities. The classes are designed to help children develop soft skills that will prepare them for a successful transition to kindergarten. Theater helps students build confidence in public speaking, while sequencing and choreography in dance class improves memory skills and hand-eye coordination.  

FCAP’s popular summer camp slots, which typically fill to capacity each year, provide students up to age 11 an opportunity to rotate through science, engineering, technology and math classes. The academic components are cleverly presented to stimulate students’ curiosity. For example, no-bake cooking lessons teach math by having students measure ingredients while making snacks.

Teachers and staff strive to establish personal connections with prospective students and their families. “It is rare for preschool families to register sight unseen,” Ms. Duncan says, “so encouraging a tour is critical. We also offer a free Discovery Day for each interested child, and at drop off that day we tour our campus with the family and help the student get comfortable. This also helps us determine if the student will be a good fit for our active learning environment.” 

Maintaining small class sizes allows the school to cater to the unique needs of each family while developing a more personal understanding of the expectations of parents. “Not only are they focused on their children and their activities, they’re focused on educational activities – things that will be inspiring to their child and (will) get their child ahead. They want to start now with lots and lots of super academic and educational experiences, large experiences that can open up their mind.” 

Giving Back – Kurt Thomas Gymnastics

It is evident in Frisco that support of and for others is an important aspect in building a successful business community. The city is blessed to be home to many businesses that are philanthropic in their endeavors and pride themselves on being charitable. The team at Kurt Thomas Gymnastics is no different and has earned the Best of Business award for Giving Back.

Kurt Thomas Gymnastics specializes in training athletes age 3-18. “As we enter our 24th year in the Frisco area, we hold true to the values, integrity and coaching style that we founded our gym on: fun, positive training with an attention to detail,” Vice President Beckie Thomas says. 

Collectively, the athletes at Kurt Thomas Gymnastics have earned more than 1,800 state, regional and national titles as team and staff members have continued to carry on the legacy of three-time world champion and two-time Olympian Kurt Thomas following his 2020 death. 

The Kurt Thomas Gymnastics team works to inspire and to give back to its customers and the community in a variety of ways, such as providing discounts for teachers, military and low-income families. “We often present scholarships to athletes that otherwise could not afford to train. When families are struggling and need to pull their child from gymnastics, we jump in and help through donations from partners and we scholarship kids out as much as we can,” Ms. Thomas explains. 

The view that the athlete – not the finances – comes first has enabled staff members and coaches to build relationships with clients, “We are often found at these athletes’ graduations, weddings and even train their children one day. These are lifetime relationships that go way beyond gymnastics. This is only built from the time and the compassion that we have in training on a daily basis.” 

Within the community, Kurt Thomas Gymnastics prides itself on being part of various fundraisers for foundations and athletes in need. “We love being able to get the kids involved and we do a lot with the Special Olympics where the kids volunteer for those programs. Doing so gives the kids a sense of giving back and helps them stay inspired and active in the community. It’s just really cool to see them excited about it,” Ms. Thomas says. 

Additionally, the team started a special needs program called KT Achievers and is working with USA Gymnastics programs to create a new autism program that will begin this fall. “I don’t know that I realized how few, if any, special needs gymnastics programs there are in our area, so that’s the one thing I’m the most excited about right now.” 

Ms. Thomas says she is grateful both to and for Frisco parents, the community and its leaders. “Everybody supports everybody. Our city leadership has set the standard for small businesses, and I know that I have a support system in Frisco that I wouldn’t have anywhere else, which is invaluable.”

Leadership & Vision – Tumbleweed TexStyles

Tumbleweed TexStyles designs and sells apparel, drinkware, décor and gifts for iconic Texas brands including Dr Pepper and Whataburger. The firm started as a side hobby before the popularity of the designs encouraged co-owners Brian Wysong and Jeb Matulich to leave their jobs and focus on growing the business.  

The pair’s entrepreneurial determination ultimately transformed the brand into a design firm with 14 employees and more than 500 accounts nationwide, earning Tumbleweed TexStyles the Best of Business award for Leadership & Vision.

Mr. Wysong, a former marketing executive, met self-taught artist Mr. Matulich while the two were attending Texas Tech University. Both went on to become Frisco ISD teachers before Mr. Wysong encouraged Mr. Matulich to send his sketches to a local T-shirt screen printer and offer to help market and sell the designs. The shirts quickly sold out, motivating the duo to devote their efforts full time to building the Tumbleweed TexStyles brand.  

“Our values reflect those of a side hustle-turned-business started by two educators and coaches with a faith-based heart, a southern-hospitality mindset and a passion for the arts,” Mr. Wysong says. “Our leadership style is to be authentic, honest and transparent.”  

Tumbleweed TexStyles acquired customers by cold calling retailers throughout Texas, hand-delivering each order and offering to accept any unsold merchandise free of charge. The firm began securing larger accounts after several influential artists tagged its designs on Instagram. “We work really hard to do a good job with those that we serve,” Mr. Wysong says. “Then other people start wanting to be a part of that journey and adventure to utilize our skillset of design, connecting people, social media and building a brand that has become synonymous with Texas culture.” 

Mr. Matulich and Mr. Wysong’s wife, Hillary (also a former Frisco ISD teacher), design each item at their flagship store in Frisco’s Rail District. The designs celebrate the rich blend of music, cuisine, sports and outdoor destinations that make Texas special. “In those designs is not only hand-drawn, skilled work but authenticity,” Mr. Wysong says. 

The firm’s hiring and training practices are designed to ensure that each employee exhibits a service-leadership mentality. “We believe that our priority is to serve people through our products and services,” Mr. Wysong says. “It’s important that the people we bring on our team are extremely skilled at what they do and embody our core values in their daily lives, not just at work. We care about that mindset and those values long before we care about the ability to sell a T-shirt.”  

This diligence has resulted in a team that is devoted to excellent customer service with a strong emphasis on accountability. “We believe in communicating the mission and vision of the company and our core values and principles. We want a team that take risks, have authority to make decisions and are bought into who we are, what we do, why we do it and how it serves people.”

Mr. Wysong continues to mentor students interested in marketing and entrepreneurship, and Tumbleweed TexStyles donates a portion of each sale to the Frisco Education Foundation to provide scholarships for graduating seniors. “We, by nature, are teachers so we really spend a lot of time teaching our team and making sure people understand something before we send them out to go do it.”