The Front Porch

Season 3, Episode 26: The 601 Boutique is leaving its mark on Melissa, Texas. It has turned into the go-to place for Cardinals gear, and it has grown into a unique store-front. All of this is fueled by one family's love - for each other and the community. On this episode of The Front Porch , we sat down with Brittany Dyden and her mom, Michelle. They are the co-owners of The 601 Boutique. They sha...

Season 3, Episode 25: Mark Stover is starting to become an expert in retirement. Over the years, this recent retiree has accumulated quotes, tips and tricks to create his own blueprint for life after the 9-to-5. Now, he wants to share his findings with other people and help them retire with grace and intentionality too. On this episode of The Front Porch , Mark tells his story, shares some of his...

Season 3, Episode 24: Jerry Song has seen other North Texas communities grow up around him. He's spent time in Richardson and he currently lives in Frisco. But now, as the market president for Texas Republic Bank in Melissa, he's getting a front-row seat as this community starts to grow. On this episode of The Front Porch , Jerry discusses talks about his excitement for the growth, but he also dis...

Season 3, Episode 23: Rob Zschau is strengthening Melissa, Texas - literally and figuratively. He is the owner of Redigo Coaching, which is located in Downtown Melissa. His No. 1 goal is empower individuals navigating changes in their lives. He definitely has a heart for this community, which he has called home for almost 19 years. On this episode of The Front Porch , Rob shares his story of reloc...

Season 3, Episode 22: This is an engaging conversation with Katie and Rendell Hendrickson - two people who have a heart for Melissa, Texas, and feel inclined to serve in the community they love. Rendell is on Melissa's City Council, while Katie is heavily involved with the organization Feed the Need. One of the most powerful parts of our conversation revolved around why they do what they do in reg...

Season 3, Episode 21: Emeka Eluka is living and loving "the process." That's how he describes his time in Melissa, Texas. Driven by "grit, global roots and a whole lot of heart," Emeka has wrapped both of his arms around this community. He has fallen in love with Melissa, and he's paying to forward by getting involved and giving back. Early on in the conversation, he said that he'll be in Melissa...

Season 3, Episode 20: You won't meet many 16 year olds like Zeke Vest . This Melissa native is driven. He's smart and mature. He has an amazing work ethic. All of that has helped this young man build a successful lawn care service in this community. On this episode of The Front Porch , Zeke shares the story of how Kid with a Cart Lawn Care got started ... he talks about all the people who have sup...

Season 3, Episode 19: This is a powerful and impactful episode of The Front Porch . We'll get the opportunity to meet Brooke Carreker , co-founder and executive director of Rustic Way Ranch. Her "rollercoaster" story is rooted in faith, and it led her to a local couple that changed her life. Now, Brooke's organization, which she started with her husband, is creating profound ripple effects in the...

Season 3, Episode 18: Gail Dansby has left it all on the field for the City of Melissa. She has worked for the city for 21 years, starting out in finance and moving into the role as Executive Administrative Services Director. Over the last two decades, her intense loyalty has been driven by her heart for this community. On this episode of  The Front Porch , Gail shares her passion for Melissa and...

Season 3, Episode 17: Joey Mitnic k is cutting to the heart of Melissa, Texas - literally. He is the owner of Buffalo Joe's Barber Lounge in Melissa, and he's excited for his small business to be a cornerstone of this community. Joey firmly believes that a barber shop has the potential to positvely impact the community it serves. He'll be quick to tell you ... it's more than just a place to get yo...

Season 3, Episode 16: Published author Tammy Osburn Oveross does not live in Melissa, Texas. She doesn't work in Melissa either. But she is the perfect guest for this episode of The Front Porch , because her roots run deep in this community, and Tammy Oveross loves family, history and legacy. During our conversation, Tammy shares stories of her family in Melissa, and she discusses her first publis...

Season 3, Episode 15: Published author Jake Evans now calls Melissa, Texas, home. He loves this community, but it's his communities within the community that are starting to create impactful ripple effects - whether that's at his church, in his neighborhood or in his book club. On this episode of The Front Porch , we'll discuss Rise of the Oceanborn , Jake's book ... we'll talk about how he ended...

Season 3, Episode 14: The Melissa Farmer's Market is alive again - and it's thriving! That is thanks to the love and passion of Caitlin Trahan and Britney West . These two stay-at-home moms wanted to restart the farmer's market, and it has grown into so much more. These two sisters have built a community within a community. How did they do it? Again ... love and passion for small businesses in thi...

Season 3, Episode 13: When Rachel and Lance Buckley moved to Melissa, Texas, in 2019, they found exactly what they were looking for. But there is more to the story, because Lance Buckley - now a member of the Melissa Police Department - initially had his doubts.  But in his defense, he was napping when his wife took intentional action to find a house in this unfamiliar community and start writing...

Season 3, Episode 12: When Marcial Marichalar put on his shorty shorts, boots and cowboy hat to run through the snowy streets of Melissa in 2019, he never imagined the impact it would have on his community. He just wanted to make people smile. That's really all Marcial wants to do in every aspect of his life. During our sitdown conversation, he even said: "I want to bring the energy and make peopl...

Season 3, Episode 11: It's ironic that Jennifer Nehls has an incredible story, because for the last nine years she has worked at the Melissa Public Library. Her plan going into college was to be a marine geoscientist. Now, she's the Library Director in Melissa. After sitting down and visiting with her, it's kind of hard to imagine her doing anything else, because Jennifer has a genuine heart for l...

Season 3, Episode 10: Jennifer Clark moved to Melissa, Texas, in 2019. She instantly fell in love with her new community. It didn't take her long to become very curious, too. So, she decided to scratch that curiosity itch by getting involved. It started with a tenure on Melissa's City Council, where Jennifer embraced opportunities to connect with fellow residents and contribute to the community sh...

Season 3, Episode 9: Amy Mathews has a pretty intimidating title. She is the Development Services Director for the City of Melissa. But don’t be scared by her position with the city. This is an engaging episode that really captures how Melissa is growing - from the new grocery stores to the new downtown area. The Development Services Director plays a vital role in that process. Amy Mathews is new...

Season 3, Episode 8: Terrell Smith has only been on the job in Melissa, Texas, for a few months, but the new assistant city manager already has a heart for this community. On this episode of The Front Porch , Terrell Smith shares his story, talks about how he ended up in Melissa and he explains what an Assistant City Manager actually does. He also shares his perspective and experience in other com...

Season 3, Episode 7: Growing up in different metropolitan cities,  Katy Vendetti never planted roots. After moving to Texas and becoming a mom ... that's all she wanted to do. Spoiler Alert: She quickly made that happen in Melissa, Texas. How did she do it? It all began at McKillop Elementary. She started out volunteering as a room mom, and now she's on the board for the school's PTO, co-chairing...

Season 3, Episode 6: Meals on Wheels of Collin County is creating ripple effects in Melissa, Texas (not to mention the other 26 cities across the county.) On this episode of The Front Porch , we sat down with two Meals on Wheels rock stars - Queen Ellison and Shannon Revels . Both of these amazing women have a heart for giving back, especially giving back to the elderly across the county. Think yo...

Season 3, Episode 5: If you live in Melissa, Texas, you might not know the name Judy Lewis Smith , but I promise you know exactly who she is. You just know her as "Braum's Granny," and she has probably put a smile on your face with her heart-felt and genuine Facebook posts. Maybe she was sharing a creative recipe using Braum's jalapeno dip, or giving her two cents about orange yogurt. Regardless,...

Season 3, Episode 4: It's all about community and giving back for  Steve Zeigler, owner of Mountain Mike's Pizza in Melissa, Texas. That's why he opened his very first Jersey Mike's. That's why he opened five more locations of the popular sandwich shop in North Texas. And that's why he jumped into the world of pizza and opened a restaurant in Melissa. Along with his son, Steve is leaving a mark on...

Season 3, Episode 3: Sebastien Leitz wants to put Melissa, Texas, on the map, and he wants to do it one young athlete at a time. This former collegiate tennis player, who is co-owner of The Athlete Group, is helping turn up the knob on youth sports and training in this community. The approach at TAG is develop the athlete and then provide the best coaching in the world, based on their sport of cho...

Season 3, Episode 2: On this episode of The Front Porch , we share a conversation between Mayor Jay Northcut and community advocate Doug Zadow . Both of these gentlemen have been on the podcast before, but this particular episode will highlight their sit-down conversation about the Z-Plex . They discuss the misconceptions surrounding the state-of-the-art complex and the vision of the world-class f...