Deconstructing Dallas

In this episode, hosts Ryan Trimble and Shawn Williams sit down with Jake Allyn, the versatile actor, producer and writer making waves in Hollywood. As the son of Allyn Media’s founder Rob Allyn, Jake offers a unique perspective on creativity, reflecting his dynamic journey from football fields to film sets. He gives us an inside look at his latest movie project, Ride , where authenticity is more...

This week Ryan and Shawn turn their attention to the world of finance with guest Chris Gannett. Chris is an investor, executive and former CMO of American Idol, now at the helm of Gannett Partners. He’ll shares insights into his fascinating career journey, from Wall Street banking to the music industry. Deconstructing Dallas dives into the transformative potential of the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE...

On January 1, 1863—known as "Freedom's Eve"—the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, marking the end of slavery in most American states. However, the news wouldn't reach Confederate-controlled Texas until June 19, 1865, a day now commemorated as "Juneteenth."  In today’s episode, Ryan and Shawn are joined by Jarred Howard, CEO of the National Juneteenth Museum in Ft. Worth Texas. As a Fort...

In this episode your favorite podcasters interview Rick Loessberg, author of Two Societies . Two Societies discusses how a presidential commission of eleven individuals with differing opinions studied the horrendous rioting of 1967, unanimously concluded it was not the result of radicals but was instead a response to decades of pervasive discrimination, and produced a boldly-worded 600-page report...

The latest episode brings Shawn and Ryan to the Exchange Club of Lake Highlands' June meeting where your hosts were the featured speakers. They took the time to record a podcast and what do you know...they interviewed one another. The guys covered a lot of ground, including their backgrounds, life at Allyn Media, the Deconstructing Dallas podcast origin story and how they both married up. The Exch...

In this episode of Deconstructing Dallas, Shawn and Ryan are joined by Heather McGhee, an expert in economic policy research and the author of the book "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together." Heather discusses her journey exploring the intersection of racism and economics in America, highlighting the impact of racism on public goods, wages, and inequality. Heat...

In this episode of Deconstructing Dallas, Shawn and Ryan sit down with Sam Thompson, CEO of the Circle Ten Council Boy Scouts of America. Sam shares his insights into scouting and its impact on character development and citizenship training. He discusses the transition of scouting to include girls and the importance of inclusivity in scouting programs. The conversation then shifts to the rich hist...

Ryan and Shawn catch up with Nicole Brewer and Ross Mulford of Classic Whimsy, the nation's leading e-commerce provider of classic children's clothing. Nicole shares about the history of the company, and the recent rebranding and Ross dives into the growing e-commerce landscape in North Texas. To learn more about Classic Whimsy visit www.classicwhimsy.com .

Tens and tens of listeners rejoice! Deconstructing Dallas has made it to 100 episodes. From politicians to artists, activists to educators, Shawn and Ryan have interviewed a diverse slate of guests who have impacted Dallas, Texas, the U.S., and the world. This show marks the official kickoff of the podcast’s 7th season and the first recording of 2024. The guys look back at some of their most memor...

Shawn and Ryan catch up with SMU's Director of Athletics Rick Hart. Rick shares about SMU's investment in facilities, winning seasons for SMU football and other sports, as well as the exciting news of SMU's move to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

This week on Deconstructing Dallas, Shawn and Ryan are joined by Jennifer Scripps, President and CEO of Downtown Dallas, Inc., the principal advocate, champion and steward of Downtown Dallas. DDI is a nonprofit that also manages the Public Improvement District for Downtown, providing added security, cleanup, homeless outreach, and general customer service. Jennifer discusses some of the transforma...

As Season 6 draws to a close, and they guys prepare to celebrate a podcasting milestone, Mark Lamster joins the show. Mark Lamster is the architecture critic for The Dallas Morning News and Loeb Fellow of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. His 2018 biography, The Man in the Glass House, about the late architect Philip Johnson, whose memorial to President Kennedy is located in downtown Dallas,...

Bishop Arts Theatre Center (BATC) is kicking off their 30th Anniversary season with the world premiere performance of Franky D. Gonzalez’s new play, The Tragedy of Othello . This entertaining and thought-provoking production is a 120-minute show which will begin October 19th and run for three consecutive weekends through November 5th, 2023. Franky Gonzalez stops by to talk about how his adaptation...

Chef Samir Dhurandhar, Founding Chef at Nick & Sam's and author of the book Raising the Steaks is this weeks's guest. Chef Samir talks about the inspiration he drew from eating his mom's cooking and what it was like meeting Julia Child. Chef Samir also gave details on his time at Sfuzzi and explains why Nick & Sam's has been at the top of the game for so long. The guys also talk Cowboys/49ers (boy...

Vice President and City Leader of the All Stars Project (ASP) of Dallas, Antoine Joyce joins the show, continuing what has been a stellar 6th Season. Antoine has led the creation of cutting-edge youth and community development programs throughout Dallas and nationally. He is also a dynamic and passionate bridge-builder who has introduced Afterschool Development to a diverse array of public and pri...

Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde shares great news about student achievement in the district as Ryan and Shawn come back from summer break.

Shawn and Ryan catch up with Rebecca Acuna, the Director of Government Affairs for PepsiCo. Rebecca shares some inspiring stories from growing up in South Texas, and talks about all her work in politics, including leading the charge for President Biden's 2020 campaign in Texas. Rebecca also discusses her passion for helping children and families as incoming board chair of ChildCare Group. You won'...

Shawn and Ryan chat with Texas State Director of Trust for Public Land, Robert Kent. Robert announces big developments for a great space in Shawn's neighborhood (Big Cedar Wilderness) while giving an update on the progress of Five Mile Creek. And Ryan asks Robert directly: Are you a chocolatier? https://www.tpl.org/

This week, Shawn and Ryan talk about the newly branded Shops at Red Bird with local developer Terrence Maiden of Russell Glen . Terrence highlights the opportunities and challenges of working in under invested communities and discusses how the rebirth of Red Bird is coming along. Terrence also informs Deconstructing Dallas about his work with the Maiden Foundation, started with his brother Tim. Du...

Joli Angel Robinson, CEO of Housing Forward, walks Shawn and Ryan through a fascinating career that lead her to leave the private sector to become a public servant. Joli talks about her work at the Dallas Police Department as well as her personal connection to affordable housing, homelessness, and housing instability. Shawn and Ryan also discuss the shootings in Allen and their desire to be part o...

We're back for Season 6 after an abreviated Season 5. Katrice Hardy, Executive Editor of the Dallas Morning News is kicking off 2023. Katrice was most recently Executive Editor of the Indianapolis Star , which won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Katrice shares her vision for The News and talks about her beloved LSU Tigers and their recent National Championship in Women's Basketball.

In the 2nd part of this joint episode, Ryan and Shawn talk with Tom Foley, Founder of T2D Concepts. After actively practicing law for 15+ years, Tom directed his efforts to designing innovative, social entrepreneurially models to drive social justice. In 2016, Tom partnered with celebrity chef Tiffany Derry to launch Roots Chicken Shak. The Shak, along with the Shef Tiffany spice line and the Root...

This week is a double episode, with the first from Chef Tiffany Derry. Chef Derry's restaurant Roots Southern Table pays homage to the way she grew up eating in the South. Roots founders, Chef Tiffany and Tom Foley (featured in Part 2) know that we are stronger together and that we must honor our roots. At Roots Southern Table, Tom and Tiffany want to evoke the feeling that you’re coming home to t...

This week Shawn and Ryan speak with Cody Cosmic, Executive Director of Friends of WRR. Cody chats about the iconic, 100 year old cultural asset: a radio station that belongs to the City of Dallas. Cody expands on how the Friends of WRR work to ensure the station is available for generations to come. The Friends of WRR is a passionate and thriving community of classical music lovers. For over 40 ye...

Councilman Adam Bazaldua, Chair of Dallas' Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee is the guest on this episode. Chairman Bazaldua talks to Ryan and Shawn about his days as a chef and educator, as well as reflections on his first council term. Chairman Bazaldua also looks forward to some of his 2022 priorities.