THNX: A Feelgood Podcast

Krystal LaPorte is a criminal defense attorney and voice actor from Chicago, Illinois. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Psycology, and Philosophy from the University of Illinois, then a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. She has been practicing criminal defense for about 5 years and has voiced over 60 bodies of work in animation and video games. Krystal lives in...

Coltrane Curtis is the Founder and Managing Partner of Team Epiphany, an experiential marketing company in NYC. After growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the VP of Marketing for Marc Ecko Enterprises for 8 years, the editor of Complex Magazine, a founding member of G-Unit apparel, and an MTV/Viacom VJ and TV personality. Coltrane and hi...

Coltrane Curtis is the Founder and Managing Partner of Team Epiphany, an experiential marketing company in NYC. After growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the VP of Marketing for Marc Ecko Enterprises for 8 years, the editor of Complex Magazine, a founding member of G-Unit apparel, and an MTV/Viacom VJ and TV personality. Coltrane and hi...

Murray Newman was born and raised in Bryan, Texas. He earned his BA in History from Texas A&M University and his law degree from the University of Houston. Following law school, Murray was a prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney's Office for 9 years. After leaving the DA's office, he began practicing criminal defense. He is a legal consultant on the television show Cold Justice and th...

Carol Crittenden is a native Houstonian. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Baylor University and a Master of Arts in Music from Louisiana State University in addition to completing graduate courses in Education. Carole taught elementary music in Houston and Virginia before teaching at the American International School in Budapest, Hungary for 9 years. Upon her return to the United States...

Timothy Tays, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist. He grew up in New Mexico and graduated from Kansas University, where he ran under the direction of Bob Timmons, the legendary running coach. He went on to get a Master's Degree from The University of New Mexico and his PhD from Palo Alto University. After working as a teacher, he pivoted towards psychotherapy, working as a student, intern, res...

Rabbi Stuart Federow has been the spiritual leader of Shaar Hashalom, a Synagogue, in Houston, Texas since 1995. He was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, then earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University before completing his rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College. Prior to moving to Houston, he led congregations in Mississippi and Southern California. He has taught college cl...

Gene Wu has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2013 representing District 137. Shortly after he was born in China, he and his family moved to the United States and settled in Texas. He earned his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M, Master's degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and J.D. from South Texas College of Law. Prior to being el...

THNX: A Feelgood Podcast wishes all our guests, listeners, and their families the happiest of holidays and the most wonderful New Year. We hope you get to relax, spend time with family and friends, eat good food, and pay kindness forward. Please enjoy old episodes of THNX until we're back with brand new interviews in January.

Jeff Crosby was born in Idaho and began playing guitar at 15. Two years later, he dropped out of high school and began touring full time, supporting himself by permanently staying on the road. Jeff has released 5 albums and numerous singles and EPs, as well as having two songs featured on Sons of Anarchy. His sound is unique and can best be described as Americana; however, his entire body of work...

Alexandra Cortez is in the current generation of hatters working at Paris Hatters, a business that was founded and has been in her family since 1917. It has been recognized as the oldest surviving business in San Antonio, Texas and recognized as a legacy business by the San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation. Alexandra began working at Paris Hatters as a child and continued after working in t...

Brigadier General Richard W. Mills earned a BS degree in Law Enforcement and Police Science from Sam Houston State University and a MS degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College. For 27 years he served in the United States Army Special Forces, holding many different positions and serving in many areas domestically and internationally. He attained the...

THNX: A Feelgood Podcast wishes everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. To our listeners domestically and internationally - we will be back with a brand new episode next week! Enjoy time off with family, food, and old episodes of THNX.

Gary Mustiful founded Fastbreak USA in 2001. After moving around a lot growing up, he went to high school in San Antonio, Texas, graduated from Texas State University, and earned a Master's degree in Management. He worked in sales for 15 years before becoming a Court Coordinator in Harris County, Texas. His non-profit organization, Fastbreak USA, is in its 20th year of helping basketball players d...

Little Jewford became known for playing piano with Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys, a band that formed in 1973 and played thousands of shows in many iconic venues worldwide. Jewford appears on 12 records with Kinky Friedman. Having released 2 solo recordings, Little Jewford is also a celebrated solo artist, drawing heavily from the Great American Songbook. His shows are a combination of music...

Judge Raul Rodriguez is a dual citizen, as he was born in Mexico and moved to the US at age 2. He earned a business degree from the University of Houston and worked in the corporate world before earning his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 1992. After dedicating his practice to criminal law for over 26 years, he was appointed Associate Judge for 13 years. He then decided to run for a positi...

Alisa White, Ph. D. is a Texas native who's lived in 9 states. She is currently the President of Sam Houston State University as well as a teaching professor. Following her MSLS and Bachelor's degree in Business, she earned her Ph. D. in Mass Communications. She has been in higher education for over 30 years, including holding faculty and leadership positions in Texas, Tennessee, Alaska, and Georg...

THNX: A Feelgood Podcast will be taking a short break due to a devastating loss in the family. JoAnn Vogrin was not only one of the first friends of the pod, she was a funny, compassionate soul who made a positive impact in the lives of every person who was lucky enough to know her. While we go dark, please consider doing something nice for someone else, donating to the American Heart Association...

Commissioner Jack Cagle attended Rice University and graduated with a triple major in 1983. Three years later, he graduated Baylor School of Law. He practiced law, serves as a County Court at Law Judge, and began serving as Commissioner for Precinct 4 in 2011. As Commissioner, he represents 1.3 million residents, manages a staff of 445, and has a budget exceeding $290 million. Jack and his wife of...

Kim Brown, born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, earned a BBA from Baylor. After graduating from South Texas College of Law in 1994, she practiced plaintiff's personal injury law. She and her husband Jay met at Baylor and went on to have three daughters. When they realized opportunities post-high school were limited for their child with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), Kim sta...

Dwight Love was born and raised in DeWitt, Arkansas and earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Arkansas State University. After working for Touché Ross as a CPA for almost 4 years, he decided to continue his education at Harvard Business School. He spent the next 35 years working for Ford Motor Company, and even got to travel to places like Mexico and Brazil. Dwight is presently enjoying...

Chris Tritico, a native Houstonian, has dedicated his life to defending the accused. After graduating from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Political Science, he went to law school at South Texas College of Law. He's been a lawyer about 40 years, has represented many high profile clients, and is a frequent legal commentator. Chris and his wife Debbie live in Houston, Texas.

Teresa Sharp, a native Houstonian, is an assistant principal in Pasadena, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston in 1990. She went on to work in the corporate world for a few years before going back to the University of Houston for a Master of Science in Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship. She taught 5th grade for 5 years,...

Stephanie DeMartini, a first generation American on her father's side, grew up in Elmont, New York. She lived in Chile for a year during her teenage years, then graduated from high school in Garden City, New York. After attending Binghamton for an undergraduate degree in Art History, she earned her Masters of Science in Teaching from Fordham University. She taught in Rye, New York for 13 years bef...

Emily Parsons, who grew up on the East Coast, became a winemaker 12 years ago. She began working as an assistant to one of the founders at Eagle Harbor Wine Co. in 2009 while continuing her education at the University of California Davis. After getting married, she and her husband invested in Eagle Harbor Wine Co. in 2012; then, in 2014, she purchased it. Emily is now the owner and operator of the...