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
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