FWinc.Greater Fort Worth’s Premier Business Magazine

From the Publisher ofFort Worth, Texas magazine

POWER PLAYERChris Powers pulled off his first real estate deal at 18. Now 29, he’s banking heavily on West Fort Worth’s River District

5 M’S MEANS MONEY

Energy men strike rich ground with

software for mineral rights owners

ON-DEMAND IS IN DEMANDCompanies using the Uber model to expand markets and create new business in Fort Worth

DARLENE BOUDREAUXExecutive Director of Tech Fort Worth helping entrepreneurs reach for their dreams

8 Publisher’s Letter

( BIZZ BUZZ )11 Bootstrapping a Bootlegger: Entrepreneurs convert their retail store into a wine and beer bar on West Mag-nolia Avenue.

12 South Main Redo: A developer is changing another piece of the South Main corridor.

12 Comings and Goings: Game On gets ready to open second location in West Fort Worth.

14 Reviving Hemphill: Developers get ready to launch a restoration of a historic apartment building.

16 Face Time: Jodi Tommerdahl, en-trepreneur and UT Arlington prof who’s trying to convert her love of language into an app that helps language learners and stroke victims.

18 Staying Informed: Fort Worth’s best places to work for women.

20 Around Town: Images from around Fort Worth.

( EXECUTIVE LIFE & STYLE )24 Distinctive Style: BFFs Kacey Cargile and Alyson Johnson step out and launch Esther Penn.

26 Off the Clock: Adirondacks pro-vide the backdrop for luxurious getaways.

28 Gadgets: Toys for the desktop.

30 Wine & Dine: Local restaurants increasingly use technology to increase consumer and employee satisfaction.

34 Health & Fitness: Schedule-friendly classes in Fort Worth for perfect work-life balance.

36 Office Space: Enilon, a digital marketing agency, opted for a custom-de-signed workspace when it moved offices.

( COLUMNS / DEPARTMENTS )72 EO Spotlight: Entrepreneur and saleswoman Kim Booker moves from telecom, to insurance, restaurants, T-shirts and training.

74 Running Toward the Roar: Failing at business? Either you’re not cut out for it, or you’re due for a win.

78 Analyze This: FW Chamber report. Fort Worth Chamber of Com-merce Quarterly Report. Private invest-ment bolsters economic success.

82 Analyze This: Legal and Tax. Employers move to contain costs from government’s updated overtime rules.

84 Analyze This: Commercial real estate. Commercial Real Estate Council reaches out to millennials with mentoring and professional develop-ment.

86 Analyze This: Wealth. Twenty million more people have insurance under Obamacare, but the economic impact on individuals, companies, and the marketplace is still taking shape.

88 Analyze This: Insurance. Blue Zones gains momentum with well-being initiative.

90 Management Tips and Best Practices: How best to inspire a shared vision in your workplace?

92 Exceptional Entrepreneur-ship: Four potential solutions to the problem of getting people on board with your goals.

94 Day in the Life: There’s no way to tell what’s in store when Johnny Campbell, president of Sundance Square, shows up for work. But his day always begins with Scripture.

( SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 )

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THE DIGITAL SPACE

Claire Brunner, Justin Rives and Jeff Ireland.

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( EXECUTIVE LIFE & STYLE ) office space

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BY KENDALL LOUIS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX LEPE

The Enilon team didn’t move far when they left theiroffice space of five years last March. But they did

move smart, saying goodbye to their 4,400-square-foot

office facing Foch Street on the east end of the West 7th

development and opting for a new custom-designed one in

the building next door.

Co-founder Jeff Ireland, TCU grad, calls it an upgrade. It’s an upgrade

in the form of 7,000 square feet. Enilon, a digital marketing agency

founded in 2005, enlisted VLK Architects to configure the formerly

bland medical office space into an engaging and contemporary office.

Project designer Niki Schoessow was first tasked with granting most of

the office access to natural light, so they took down various walls and

installed a storefront to allow it to flow throughout. One of the biggest

transitions came with the ceiling. VLK, along with contractor Jensen

Commercial (now Cooper-Jensen Contractors) removed tiles to reveal an

exposed concrete ceiling that added a loft-like vibe along with height.

“The space reflects the personality of Enilon as the digital agency we

have grown to become, and I could not be happier with the way it turned

out,” says Ireland.

On the top of Enilon’s list with the expansion? “More collaborative

workspaces,“ says Claire Brunner, partner and executive vice president

Art installed on a curved wall in the entry provided inspiration for the space.

A Family Room is available when “life happens.”

FW Inc. / September-October 2016 37

of client services. “Our old office only had one conference room,

and it was constantly booked.” Problem solved. Enilon’s new office

has four different conference spaces: one built-in table just when

you enter, another “war room” for top-secret meetings, and a small

conference room with a wall of windows. The fourth and largest

conference room sits behind two formidable sliding barn doors

built by Mansfield artists Mary and Eddie Phillips. While the doors

are rustic, everything behind them is modern and tech savvy.

Three screens flank one wall while another larger wall is covered

by a Clarus glassboard. The local company, one of Enilon’s clients,

creates modern-style whiteboards made from tempered safety glass

that can withstand permanent markers, dry erase markers and even

spray paint. The one in the Enilon office, in a shade of black, re-

sembles a modern chalkboard with strategic planning notes written

in neon colors on a dark glass board.

“In order to deliver dynamic 360 digital programs, we must con-

stantly change the way we work, think and use the space around us,”

says Justin Rives, partner and executive vice president of delivery.

“In our new space, we wanted an environment that encouraged

multiple working styles, from rowdy brainstorms with big teams to a

room made for one – anything is possible in our new office.”

If an employee has had enough collaborating for one day and just

needs time for concentration, he or she can retire to one of three

“phone booths” with a door and some pint-sized privacy. While

cubes, collaboration and concentration fulfill the function the

The largest conference room sits behind doors created by Mansfield artists Mary and Eddie Phillips.

Above: The Enilon team gathers in the

large conference room. Right: The legs of a conference room

table are made from repurposed railroad

materials.

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( EXECUTIVE LIFE & STYLE ) office space

space was meant for, a

large-scale piece of art

as you enter anchors the

design of the office. The

industrial-looking art

wraps around a curved

wall. One might take

a glance and assume

the art was made to fit

the wall. But, instead,

the wall was created

specifically for the art.

Its curved presence directs the flow of traffic in two directions. One

leads you to a room filled with open-air workstations. The other

leads to executive offices. Both directions will lead a visitor to similar

art. It’s all designed by the husband-and-wife Mansfield team. The

fun and practical office is a nod to the kind of work that happens

inside the Enilon walls. The digital marketing agency describes itself

as “a grown-up digital agency for serious marketers.”

“Everything that we do is focused in the digital space,” says Brun-

ner. “We focus on providing 360-degree holistic digital services.

Digital is highly measurable. We take data very seriously and use

that from the very beginning to help map out our clients’ plans.”

Ireland says Enilon has more than 100 open projects at any given

time but names local players like Texas Health Resources, Flexjet,

D&M Auto Leasing and Bell Helicopter as some

of the clients that keep them the busiest.

But, the Enilon partners try not to overwork

employees, keeping a close eye to ensure staffers

don’t regularly put in more than 40 hours a

week and offering a few bonuses around the

office. Catered lunches are brought in for the

team on Fridays. Employees are welcome to

bring their pet dogs in any time they please.

The fridge is always stocked with alcoholic and

non-alcoholic beverages, and the kitchen will

soon be home to a kegerator so beer is always

available on tap.

This larger office space also made it possible

for Enilon to have a “Family Room.” The cozy

room, furnished with couches and a TV, allows

employees to bring their kids into work when

their normal caretaking situation falls through.

“Too many times people feel stress when some-

thing from their personal life bleeds over into

work,” said Rives. “Simple solution: We created a

room for ‘life to happen.’ A family room that al-

lows employees to handle life from work without

stress.” With board games and photos of the em-

ployees and their families throughout the space,

it’s a practical acknowledgement that employees

have a full life outside the office walls.

And, there is plenty to do right outside

the office walls. Since Enilon moved into

Foch Street, both in this office and its previ-

ous space, it has watched the area grow and

develop – in the form of bars and restaurants

moving in and more businesses. “There are a

lot of agencies around here so it’s kind of nice,”

says Rives. “It’s definitely an innovative area

within Fort Worth.”

The team also says it’s nice to have so many

walkable places for lunch, coffee and happy

hour. “We call Chimy’s ‘the cafeteria,’” Ireland adds. They find

themselves enjoying both work and play at nearby spots like Avoca

Coffee, Reservoir and Cork & Pig.

Ireland says he has also watched the digital space transform. “Ten

years ago ‘digital’ was all about websites,” Ireland says. “Now that’s

just one component of it,” he continues. “In order to survive, you

have to be constantly changing. We worked hard to find the place

that’s unique, that provides the value that clients are looking for and

we are good at it. Now we have a model that’s very expandable, and

we are seeing that right now.”

It’s because of this successful model that Enilon is now concen-

trated on growth. Ireland adds, “If things go as planned, we will

outgrow this space in three years.”

The modern dry erase board was created by Enilon's client, Clarus Glassboards.

FW Inc. / September-October 2016 39