CODIE SANCHEZ:
On making her millionsand how you can too
The Investing Issue
Welcome to our second annual Investing Issue! While we won’t be dishing out stock tips, we are diving into the many ways you can invest to build lasting wealth—both financially and in yourself.
We explore how to invest in your health through a conversation with the founder of Everguide Health on the benefits of concierge medicine and a share all the details of the Field Guide Festival, where you’ll discover how easy it is to source your food locally. We also included the complete lineup of participating chefs and farmers. We spoke to world-renowned artist Hunt Slonem, whose whimsical, timeless pieces are on display at West Chelsea Contemporary through late May—an investment in art we’d love to make ourselves. We’re sharing a preview of the Moontower Comedy Festival, our favorite annual investment in mental health, promising a week of nonstop laughter.
On the business/finance side, we caught up with Austin’s LoneStartup podcast host Pat Killoren, who shared valuable lessons he’s gleaned from interviews with dozens of successful entrepreneurs. And, of course, we’re thrilled to feature our cover star, Codie Sanchez. A Wall Street veteran and self-made millionaire with a confident investment strategy, Codie is now dedicated to teaching others how to create their own paths to financial freedom. She embodies both hustle and heart and we think you’ll love her insights – so much so we foresee you’ll be signing up for her weekly newsletter and tuning into her BigDeal podcast.
We hope you find something in these pages that sparks inspiration and growth. See you next month for our Women’s Issue! Cheers,
JENNIFER BIRN, EDITOR
April 2025
PUBLISHER
Joe Kerby | joe.kerby@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Jennifer Birn | jennifer.birn@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Douglas Still
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
CTO Ajay Krishnan
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
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AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
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photo credit: Megan Bucknall
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1: Vietnam War medic James Kearney sharing a 10-minute presentation at Tiny Talks 2: Nick Hayden, creator of Explore ATX, was one of with locals chosen to share his story. 3: Knuckle Sandwich food truck owner Ryan Fox was a speaker at Tiny Talks Vol. 6 Photography by Jacob Weber
at the Paddington-themed party at Tiger Lilly 5: There was a sneaker decorating station and floral bar - with blooms from Trader Joe's 6: Caila Quinn, Remi Pontious, Jules Acree and Anna Victoria shower Amber and with support 7:
1: Melissa Reidhead, Christy Carlson Romano, Amber Nelson, Jen Birn and Monica Mott celebrated Amber & Baby J Diamond 2: Cupprimo provided the decadent cake and cupcakes that followed pancakes and parfaits by Tiger Lilly 3: Alpha Lit Austin's marquee lights and Austin Moments Balloons complimented Tiger Lilly's already gorgeous decor 4: Iskra Lawrence and baby Prima were all smiles
Amber Lee Diamond was joined by her daughters at her shower for baby number three
Photography by Elizabeth Rey Photo
1: Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima co-hosted The Texas Medal of Arts Awards at the Long Center 2: Billy Gibbons, honoree Gary Clark Jr. and Jimmie Vaughan performed at the 12th biennial awards 3: Dennis Quaid was honored and performed songs including 'Great Balls of Fire.' 4: Filmmaker Richard Linklater was one of 2025's ten Texas Medal Arts award winners 5: World-renouned Michael Shih and 150-plus marching band musicians honoring the Texas Music Educators Association. 6: Austin author Elizabeth Crook was given her honor by Texas Young Masters dancer Adeline Dunlop 7: Supporters of the arts Chris Bosh, Heidi Marquez Smith and Adrienne Bosh
TYLER SCHMITT
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estilo Boutique Celebrates Expansion
STEPHANIE COULTRESS O’NEILL & HER TEAM CHEERS TO 20 YEARS IN EXPANDED 4200 SQUARE FOOT SPACE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF HEYER/DEEPER STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Odette and Charlie Annable
Todd, Lillian, Madison and Stephanie O'Neill
Stephanie and the estilo team
Stephanie Coultress O'Neill, Todd O'Neill and their family
Sean Conway and Anna Elendt
Austin Lifestyle Editor Jen Birn and Vogue Vignette owner and artist Stephanie J. Schiller
Lindsey Morgan, Shaun Sipos and Odette Annable
Madison O'Neill
Melissa Baker
Stephanie's and Chef Tyson Cole
Ethan, Serena and Amber Lee Diamond
Hunt Slonem’s Birds, Bunnies & Joy
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN
Step inside Hunt Slonem’s world and you’ll find yourself surrounded by an explosion of color, swirling pattern and an array of exotic birds chirping in the background. The neo-expressionist artist, internationally renowned for his vibrant depictions of bunnies, butterflies and tropical birds, will be in Austin for a show April 27-May 26.
Art and nature have long been intertwined in Hunt’s world, a relationship that can be traced back to his childhood. His love for birds, in particular, has been a defining theme in his life and work, and he shares a studio with several. “I have mostly parrots,” he says. “A blue Lutino Indian ringneck, a king parrot named Tut Tut, a double yellow head named Airy that I’ve had for about 45 years and a green-wing macaw named Arcol. And then there’s Tommy Hawk, my hawk-head parrot—he’s very rare and absolutely stunning.”
AUSTIN LIFESTYLE HAS A CHAT WITH THE ARTIST IN ADVANCE OF HIS SHOW AT WEST CHELSEA CONTEMPORARY
Photo by Charlie Rubin
“THAT’S MY GOAL, TO BRING PEOPLE JOY - TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE BANAL STATE WE’RE IN AND GO DEEPER INTO THE BEAUTIFUL TRANSITIONS OF MANKIND.”
Slonem’s fascination with birds took flight in 1968 when he was an exchange student in Nicaragua. His first pet was a toucan, a fitting introduction to the creatures that would later become central to his work. While birds may have been his first muse, Hunt’s also widely recognized for his whimsical bunnies that came later. “I actually started with painting saints,” he explains. “There’s a big painting of mine in St. Patrick’s Cathedral of St. Martin de Porres, surrounded by cats, dogs, and rabbits. Those were the first bunnies I ever painted, and I just kept going.” Butterflies are another of Hunt’s regular motifs. “For me, they represent metamorphosis and transition,” he says. “A butterfly starts as a ‘caterpillar’, enters a cocoon, and emerges as something completely different, beautiful, and free.”
Much like a spiritual mantra, Slonem’s practice of painting similar images over and over is an act of devotion. The repetition, he says, reflects the patterns found in nature, where nothing is ever exactly the same, yet everything comes together in perfect balance. Beyond his canvases, Slonem’s artistic vision extends to historic homes. For more than two decades, he has been acquiring and restoring grand, forgotten estates, turning them into immersive art experiences. His first purchase was the Cordts Mansion, a Second Empire home in Kingston, New York. “That was how it all began,” he recalls. “I owned it for 22 years.” Today, his collection includes multiple sprawling estates, each curated with his artwork, antique furnishings and bursts color.
Hunt’s work has been exhibited worldwide, with pieces housed in prestigious collections including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney, and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Though his influence spans the globe, he says he’s been to Austin ‘tons’ of times. When in town, he enjoys antiquing, a fitting pastime for an artist who treasures the beauty of the past.
But, he shares the accomplishment he’s most proud of is “the fact that I have the materials to do what I want to do and that I’m able to paint every day.” And, his biggest joy comes from “working, painting, and going to church,” where you can find him most days that he’s at home in New York at 5:30pm Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Asked what he’d like his legacy to be he says, “ To bring joy to the world - to take them out of the banal state we’re in and go deeper into the beautiful transitions of mankind.”
Follow Hunt Slonem at @huntslonem
Photo by John Neitzel
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CODIE’S CONTRARIAN THINKING
The intrepid entrepreneur is working to help humans achieve financial freedom through ownership
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOUGLAS STILL
Codie Sanchez has more than a dozen years experience at Wall Street firms, owns a portfolio of businesses, is a self-made millionaire, a podcast host and recently became a New York Times bestselling author with Main Street Millionaire, a book explaining how people can create their own wealth through ownership.
“I learned there are so many ways to make money. You can make money doing anything, so why not do it by doing something you're proud of?”
But, her initial inspiration wasn’t to ‘get rich,’ and rather than a boardroom, her journey and ‘why’ began in the dusty border towns of Juarez, Mexico.
While at Arizona State University earning a journalism degree, Codie ventured into conflict reporting, unearthing harrowing stories that earned her the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award. It was here, amid human suffering and stark inequality, that she first recognized a hard truth: financial empowerment is the key to changing lives.
That revelation spurred a hard pivot. Witnessing firsthand the devastating impact of financial illiteracy, she swapped telling stories from the trenches as a reporter to the often cold, male-heavy world of finance. In 2008, after attending several finance-focused conventions, Codie networked her way into her first finance job at Vanguard. She’d spend the next 15 years hopscotching companies and ascending through the ranks at renowned institutions like Goldman Sachs, State Street and First Trust,
searching for a place where she felt was a fit. All the while, she had side hustles, investing in small companies. From laundromats to other companies, Codie began building a diverse portfolio that would later underpin her mission: to create one million financially free humans through business ownership.
In 2020, as the world grappled with a global pandemic, Codie brought her insights to a larger stage launching Contrarian Thinking—a free-thinking finance and media company. Today, with nearly a million readers across her newsletters, millions following her on social media and her podcast The BigDeal, Codie is empowering everyday people to rewrite their own financial futures. We spent a day at her office in Austin to learn more.
YOU WENT TO ASU AND GRADUATED WITH A JOURNALISM DEGREE. WHAT DID YOU ORIGINALLY WANT TO DO WITH THAT?
I wanted to be a conflict journalist. I wanted to go to war zones.
WHAT MADE YOU JUMP TO FINANCE?
I had a moment where I was covering a bunch of stories and I realized I didn’t want to become jaded. I saw things that I’ll never forget. We got really close with some people for a story called Generation Abandoned and won the Robert F. Kennedy Award for print journalism for that. When we went back I was really excited, thinking I’m going to go be Katie Couric or Walter Cronkite or whoever…But, I didn’t know that journalism, where we’re just covering things, was making change. I pretty quickly realized it was socioeconomics. It was just money, and that the people who have money have power and the people who don’t have money get pushed around. That didn’t sit well with me and I realized I needed to learn more about money. So that’s what I did. I changed my major.”
HOW DID YOU END UP ON WALL STREET?
I got lucky. I think if you want to win a game, you go where the game is played. I didn’t know anything about money. I didn’t really know a lot of rich people. I didn’t know anybody in finance. So, I went to a ton of conferences, every summit, meetup and conference I could think of about finance. At a Latinas in Finance event I ended up sitting next to a recruiter for Vanguard and I asked her a lot of questions. At the end, she said I should apply. She said, ‘We sell securities,’ so I thought she was a security company. I had no idea. I did some research on them and ended up applying for their Accelerated Development Program, where you rotate around the company in an 18-month program. Somehow, I got in, and that kicked off my career in finance.
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT WORKING AT BIG WALL STREET FINANCE FIRMS?
There’s something really incredible about being able to understand the only international language
we all speak, which is money. If you don’t speak a language, how do you go to the country and expect to interact there? I think that’s how most of us are with money, we don’t actually speak the language of money. We don’t understand it and yet we expect it to come to us. What I liked about Wall Street is that’s all they do, money is the ultimate God to Wall Street. It’s not my God, but I was curious to see how other people worship it. It was interesting for me to see so many people who had all the abundance in the world when it came to money. They didn’t think that it was ridiculous to make millions or hundreds of millions of dollars.
And give finance its due, there are a lot of really intelligent people in finance and it’s one of the few industries in which there’s a scoreboard - you’re winning or you’re losing. It’s often a zerosum game. If I buy a stock and it goes up, great, but somebody else sold the stock, not great. Technically I won, they lost. Zero-sum games are not my favorite games to play, but they’re really useful for learning.
WHAT DID YOU DISLIKE ABOUT IT MOST?
I think it sucks a little piece of your soul out when you’re so obsessed with money. It’s the ultimate game. There’s a quote in the Bible about money being the root of all evil. But, what the quote actually says is that the desire or the love of money is the root of all evil. I don’t think money is inherently bad, but if you love money alone, I think it’s bad for you. So, I really didn’t like the humans very much and I wasn’t a good enough human to not become that. I think I
would have become that. I would have played the game as hard as possible and I would have been harsh and hard on the world and not trying to help people.
I learned there are so many ways to make money. You can make money doing anything, so why not do it by doing something you’re proud of? I wasn’t proud of that work, so I went through multiple companies, thinking it was the company, and then I thought it was the sector I was in. I was only at Goldman for about two years, Vanguard for two years, First Trust for five, State Street for two or three. I moved a lot searching for something. I finally realized it was that I didn’t feel like there was a real value creation in the world. I think that it’s really hard in this society today to be free unless you have some sort of wealth, you have to have some sort of baseline wealth to be free. However, you don’t learn about finances in school, you don’t actually learn how to create money in the world. I went to Georgetown for an MBA and I didn’t even learn it there. Unless you go into finance and become a professional, you’re likely not going to learn it in the real world, except if you run a business.
HOW DID YOU JUMP FROM WORKING ON WALL
STREET TO GOING OUT ON YOUR OWN?
I worked in Wall Street for over 15 years. I didn’t want to leave. I was making a lot of money, I was scared and I never had a great startup idea. I didn’t know how to replace my income, so I did it really quietly on the side. During almost all of my career in finance I was dabbling at something. I started buying small businesses on the side early.
WHY DID YOU START BUYING BUSINESSES WITH LAUNDROMATS?
I had a real estate guy who had commercial real estate with laundromats on them. He didn’t have a ton of cash and I had some extra cash, so I said, ‘Why don’t I buy this and you run it. If it works let’s add a few more.’ So, we did that and then added car washes and then home services business. That was the first one where I could buy it for low six figures and theoretically make all our money back in two or three years.
HOW MANY BUSINESSES DO YOU OWN NOW?
I think we have more than 20 in Main Street Holding Company, which is our holding company. That’s where we own more businesses outright, bigger chunks of the business, companies like Pinks and BizScout and That 1 Painter. In our venture capital company I think we have 31 companies. We own a small piece of those, maybe less than 10 percent. My husband runs Main Street Holding Company and we have another person who runs the capital fund. I run Contrarian Thinking.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN YOU BUY A COMPANY?
It’s kind of like buying your first house, your first deal is not going to be like your last deal. You baby step your way from studio to townhouse to large house to multi-family. In the beginning, I wanted something so simple Grandma could understand it and that couldn’t bankrupt me; no matter how bad it got. So, in the beginning, I said if I can understand it, if I can explain it to grandma and if it can make me five figures a year, let’s just buy it. Then I needed somebody that could operate it because I was working 60-70 hour weeks in finance.
Then you get to the problem of scale, which is why there will always be opportunity in the lower end of the market for the little guys, because you get to a certain point where it doesn’t make a lot of sense for me to buy an individual laundromat, it has to have national scale for it to meet the size of our brand. So we bought Resibrands and That 1 Painter and Pinks, a large chunk of them, because they’re across the country. We can grow them and can help scale that business. We’re interested in need, not want companies, but we also believe that they should be branded. If I asked you to name a painting or landscaping or widow company, you probably can’t, home services and trade services businesses are completely unbranded. We believe that they should have a name and soul and brand recognition. That will happen in the next ten years.
IF SOMEONE WANTED TO GET INTO OWNERSHIP, WHERE SHOULD THEY START?
You want to start with stuff where you have an unfair advantage over anybody else because you have domain expertise.
What are your skills? Are you marketing? Are you sales? And are you in real estate? Then, what are you really into? What’s your favorite part? You don’t want to buy a business if it’s something that you hate. Then there’s your network. I think the best transactions happen with people you already know.
WHAT LED YOU TO PICK AUSTIN WHEN YOU MOVED HERE?
I think the city’s got something special. My husband Chris and I have lived all over the world and we wanted to come back to Texas. Chris was born in Houston and I had lived here for a period with First Trust. I lived in Dallas too, but Austin has my heart. I like that it’s not that pretentious. I don’t want wear stilettos to the grocery store, I want to be able to dress a little weird. I want to meet weird people and I want to be in a place where humans are building something.
ARE YOU AS DISCIPLINED IN ALL AREAS OF YOUR LIFE AS YOU ARE AT WORK?
Definitely not. I’m incredibly work-disciplined. I work a lot. I love working. I feel no shame for it and I prefer doing it above a lot of things, so I have to push myself to go enjoy life. I try to be pretty disciplined working out, eating healthy, etc., but if I’m an A+ in work, I’m like a B- in other areas. Chris and I always say so you get three things to focus on. Right now, for us, it’s business, our family and very close friends.
WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST JOY FROM WHAT YOU DO?
When we meet people out in the world and they say, ‘I love your stuff’ - that’s cool to me because it means it’s not just about me, I’m just a conduit to somebody else learning something that allows them to change their life. That’s very egotistically rewarding for me. Getting to shake a hand of a human who says, ‘I did this because you said this, and here’s what happened.’ The second is getting to battle-test ideas on the global stage. It’s so fascinating to me. I’m very curious and I want to learn constantly. I have a big platform where I get to say things, and sometimes they’re wrong, and then people give me feedback and I get to go ask the smartest people the things that I want to know. That feels like getting paid to think for a living, which I find very lucky.
YOUR HUSBAND WORKS WITH YOU. WHAT ARE SOME PROS AND CONS?
Yes, he runs the VC part of the company. He recently left the Department of Defense’s Innovation Unit where he was heading their commercial AI portfolio. He’s a smarty. Now he’s with us and there’s nothing better than seeing your spouse in their area of genius. Competence is sexy, and it’s rare. I feel privileged to get to see that. But, when two bodies are up against each other more often, that means there’s going to
“I love working. I feel no shame for it and I prefer doing it above a lot of things, so I have to push myself to go enjoy life.”
be more points for potential friction, so I actually think it’s harder working with your spouse, but just like anything in life, the hard things are usually the worthy things. I think we were sold a lie about nepotism and that working with your family doesn’t work and don’t hire your friends because it’ll ruin relationships. Who are you supposed to work with?
I was on a call with a group in our community last week and about 60 percent of them are husbands and wives who work together. I think that’s coming back into society again, or we attract them.
CAN YOU BRIEFLY EXPLAIN YOUR COMPANY CONTRARIAN THINKING?
Our mission is to create 1 million financially free humans. But, contrarian thinking itself is the idea that the highest thing you can do is question everything to find the truth. That’s how the company started. It was 2020 and things were weird.
People weren’t allowed to question things and I think that’s really bad for society. A healthy level of skepticism is really important.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR TWO NEWSLETTERS?
Contrarian Thinking is to break this idea that finances are limited, it’s like that smart, rich friend of yours who tells you all of the secrets that nobody usually does. Main Street Minute is very tactical. It’s if you want to buy a business or you want to scale your business.
QUICK FIRE
Dream Podcast guest I have a lot. Chuck Palahniuk. He wrote a book called Consider This. I’d also like to have Laura Bush on. I think she’d be really interesting. And an Austin local I’m a big fan of is Kill Tony.
If you can have a superpower I’m increasingly attracted to some of the tenets of Zen Buddhism, so it would be to just enjoy the journey. Having real peace as you progress through life seems to be the highest form of enlightenment. I don’t want laser eyes or the ability to predict the future, I want to enjoy every single moment and find bliss in it.
Favorite book Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, an incredible book about Zen Buddhism told through a lens of a motorcycle tripm and Atlas Shrugged , not for the political tones that people talk about, but for the idea that there is such beauty in labor if you do the thing that you love to do.
What podcasts do you listen to? I actually listen to my own because I found it’s almost not enough to listen to the things you want to learn once. I listen to Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom , Jay Shetty’s podcast and Joe Rogan.
Favorite Quote When I stand before God at the end of my days, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’ By Emma Bombeck. It’s how Chris and I try to live our lives. But he’s more Hunter S.Thompson’s “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow! What a ride!”
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LoneStartUp’s Learnings from Austin Entrepreneurs
Pat Killoren shares takeaways from more than 50 interviews with some of Austin’s brightest minds
Pat Killoren moved to Austin in 2013 and left for a stint working in New York City in 2016. It was there he had the idea for a hyper-local podcast interviewing entrepreneurs – who are based in Austin. He came back ‘home’ late 2021 and now he hosts the LoneStartup Podcast , where all guests are Austinites. We caught up with him to learn more, including what he’s learned from interviewing some of our city’s smartest and most successful entrepreneurs.
WHEN DID THE PODCAST START?
The first episode officially dropped in May 2024. It’s crazy to think how much has happened since then. What started as an idea in my head has turned into something much bigger—real conversations with real entrepreneurs who are shaping Austin’s future.
YOU HAD THE IDEA IN NYC. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE AUSTIN?
The goal was always to create a podcast that could bridge the gap between business owners and the people who support them. Austin just made sense for that. It’s big enough to have incredible talent, but small enough to feel like a true community.NYC is intensepeople are constantly moving, grinding, and chasing the next thing. But Austin has this “rising tide lifts all boats” mentality. People here actually want to collaborate and help each other succeed. Plus, it’s home for me. I
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN
moved here in 2013 and it’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere in my life. This city has given me so much, so telling the stories of the people building its future feels like the right way to give back.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU INTERVIEWED SO FAR?
Over 50 founders and business owners from almost every industry you can think of—tech, food, retail, fitness, you name it. The range of stories is what makes this podcast so fun.
WHAT ARE 5 OF THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM THE INTERVIEWS SO FAR?
1. Entrepreneurship feels far away for a lot of people. Surround yourself with people who make dreaming big feel normal. It changes everything.
2. The worst-case scenario isn’t as bad as you think. When you truly break it down, the fear of failure is usually worse than failure itself. Once you realize that, taking the leap gets easier.
3. Being kind is underrated. People assume you need to be this cutthroat, relentless operator to succeed. But, the most successful
“There are incredible people doing incredible things right here in Austin, and if this podcast can help shine a light on them, I feel like I’ve done my job.”
founders I’ve talked to are the ones who are genuinely good to people. It pays off in ways you can’t even measure.
4. Managing cash flow is everything. A lot of early-stage founders get caught up in the fun stuff—brand, product, growth—but if you don’t understand your numbers, you won’t last.
5. You don’t have to be born an entrepreneur to be one. Some people know from the jump, but plenty of founders I’ve interviewed realized later in life that they had a unique opportunity. So, if you have that itch, keep it alive. The right moment will come.
WHAT’S THE BIGGEST COMMONALITY AMONG THE PEOPLE YOU’VE INTERVIEWED?
Everyone I’ve talked to has had a lucky break. But more importantly, they put themselves in position to catch that lucky break. You don’t just stumble into success—you have to be in the right places, having the right conversations and taking the right risks. I always say, ‘If you never put your rod in the water, you’ll never catch a big fish.’
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR DREAM GUESTS?
Kendra Scott- she’s an absolute boss and I’m so impressed by how involved she is in things outside her business with non-profits and other local impact projects.
John Mackey - the founder of Whole Foods. He built one of the most influential businesses in Austin and I’m really curious about his new venture, Love.Life, which focuses on preventive healthcare.
Matthew McConaughey - His approach to life is fascinating, and I’d love to hear about his tequila company and how Austin has shaped him.
DO YOU DO THE PODCAST FULL-TIME?
It’s definitely where I’m putting most of my energy. I also do GTM consulting for early-stage tech companies on the side. And, of course, I’m also chasing my two incredible girls (4 years old and 2 years old) around the house, which feels like a full-time job on its own.
ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
This podcast is about inspiring people in our community— not just to start their own business, but to support the ones around them. When you hear these stories, you realize just how much heart and hustle goes into building something. There are incredible people doing incredible things right here in Austin, and if this podcast can help shine a light on them, I feel like I’ve done my job.
Pat interviewing Tavel Bristol-Joseph
Investing In Your Health
ANTS TO BE YO U R WELLNESS A
The last several years have seen many people turn to concierge medicine, preferring personalized experiences over the turnstile of a doctor’s office and barriers health insurance companies put on both patients and doctors. Today people have to listen to their bodies and be their own best advocate. Austinite Cindy Stefanko wants to make that easier and founded Everguide Health to help people on their health journeys, whether it’s prevention or care. During a time many complain they don’t feel heard by health care professionals, she says their goal is to ‘Know You Well.’ We had a chat with Cindy to learn more.
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN
“As a cancer survivor, I experienced firsthand how difficult it is to navigate the healthcare system. That journey inspired me to create something better: a membership model built around personalized, proactive care.”
WHAT LED YOU TO LAUNCH EVERGUIDE HEALTH?
As a cancer survivor, I experienced firsthand how difficult it is to navigate the healthcare system. That journey inspired me to create something better: a membership model built around personalized, proactive care. Everguide is a relationship-led experience dedicated to Knowing You Well—because healthcare should be about your voice, your choice, and your goals.
IS EVERGUIDE A PRIMARY DOCTOR AVAILABLE 24/7?
Not exactly—Everguide is more. It’s a relationship-guided health experience built around you. We have three pillars to tailor your care to your life and goals:
• Convenience: Unlimited access to in-person, virtual, and mobile care.
• Prevention: Proactive screenings and diagnostics to anticipate your needs.
• Performance: Personalized coaching to enhance vitality and longevity.
IS EVERGUIDE A REPLACEMENT FOR A PRIMARY DOCTOR?
Yes—and more. Everguide is your entire foundational care team, serving as the quarterback of your health. We don’t just respond to health issues—we anticipate and prevent them. Our relationship-based approach ensures that your care fits your life and evolves with your goals.
HOW MUCH IS A MEMBERSHIP?
WHAT ARE SOME PERKS OF MEMBERSHIP?
It includes curated wellness experiences. Currently we’re offering nutritional consultations with
continuous glucose monitoring, precision fitness programs for optimized workouts and biomarker-driven cancer screenings for proactive health management.
WHAT’S ONE OF THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WITH THEIR HEALTH?
The most common mistake is neglecting the basics— sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress management. These pillars are essential, yet many people overlook them for quick fixes. Over 90 percent of Americans are deficient in essential nutrients, 80 percent fall short of the recommended physical activity, a third of adults don’t get enough sleep. Good health starts with solid habits— there’s no shortcut around the fundamentals. You can’t out-supplement bad habits. Without a solid foundation, it’s tough to make real, lasting improvements. That’s why focusing on these basics is so important.
WHAT’S YOUR GOAL WITH EVERGUIDE HEALTH?
Our goal is simple but ambitious: we want to change the way people engage with their health. Instead of being passive patients, we want them to feel like an active partner in their care. Knowing You Well means blending human connection with cutting-edge technology to create deeply personalized experiences driven by our three pillars of care. We leverage technology to deliver personalized insights without losing the essential human connection that defines Everguide. We guide your health journey with clarity and purpose—empowering you to live your most extraordinary life.
And how much is a membership?
Learn more at https://www.everguidehealth.com/
65 LOCAL CHEFS & FARMERS, FARM-TO-TABLE BITES, COMMUNITY, PHILANTHROPY & MORE
Field Guide Festival April 24-27, 2025
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RANDI REDING
Festival founders Lindsey Sokol and Trisha Bates
Photo by Randi Reding
Photo by Randi Reding
Field Guide Festival is back for its fourth consecutive year and it keeps getting better.
Unlike a traditional food festival, Field Guide takes attendees on a journey from farm to table where they have the opportunity to meet local farmers, learn about sustainable sourcing and watch chefs craft visually stunning dishes with seasonal ingredients from those very farms. Field Guide’s mission is to foster personal connections to food by allowing guests to interact with the farmers and chefs behind their meals while showcasing ingredients sourced directly from Central Texas.
Founded by Lindsey Sokol, founder of Blue Norther Live, and Trisha Bates, founder of Urban American Farmer, Field Guide Festival is a curated tribute to the Central Texas food system and the people who sustain it. The 2025 events will bring together 65 local chefs and farmers to highlight the incredible talent that defines Austin’s culinary scene – and the event benefits the Texas Central Food Bank! We had a chat with Lindsey and Trisha to learn more.
WHAT WAS YOUR GOAL WHEN YOU STARTED THE FESTIVAL?
When we created Field Guide Festival our goal was to create a food event that truly celebrates chefs as artists and puts their culinary talents front and center. In addition to the chefs, it’s about the food itself. At Field Guide, every dish tells a story of Central Texas, showcasing the best seasonal ingredients from local farms. We believe the best meals start with the best ingredients, so we built the Festival around thoughtful cooking that reflects the land around us.
WHAT MAKES FIELD GUIDE UNIQUE?
It’s the connection it fosters between guests, chefs, and the farmers. Rather than just listing farm names on a menu, we invite farmers to be part of the experience—to share their stories, spark conversations, and help guests see food in a whole new light. There’s something powerful about meeting the people who grow what’s on your plate, and we’ve seen firsthand how this changes the way people think about their food.
HOW HAS THE FESTIVAL EVOLVED?
In ways we could only dream. One of the biggest evolutions has been the incredible expansion of farmer and chef participation. In our first year, we brought together 24 chefs and farmers—this year that number has grown to 65! It was challenging to get farmers on board year one because participating in food festivals was new to most of them. This year we continue to see new farmers reaching out who want to join Field Guide, which is incredible progress! It really feels like a Field Guide has grown into more than just an event;
it’s a gathering of friends, a celebration of the people who grow and cook our food, and a place where meaningful connections happen. We’ve also continued to elevate the experiences onsite year over year. From our taco omakase experience to closing out the festival with a high-energy pizza happy hour, every moment at Field Guide is designed to be immersive, delicious, and fun. We want guests to leave with full stomachs and a deeper appreciation for the vibrant food and beverage culture of Central Texas.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR?
We’re incredibly lucky to have an amazing lineup of chefs and farmers and guests will get the opportunity to taste oneof-a-kind seasonal bites from some of Austin’s most beloved restaurants—all in one place. Beyond the food, we’re expanding the festival experience with the help of our amazing community partners. Imagine strolling through the Cassiopeia Farm flower farmstand, books handpicked by chefs and farmers at the First Light Books pop-up bookstore or even petting an adorable baby goat from Nava Farms!This year we’re also elevating our wine experience with carefully curated wine pairings. Guests will have the chance to enjoy wines specially selected to complement the dishes crafted by our chefs, making for an even more dynamic and delicious tasting experience.
Photo by Randi Reding
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
When someone begins to question where their food comes from, the first thing they ask is ‘where do I start?’ Our response is, ‘get to know your farmers!’ Go to where the farmers and their products are - farmers markets, small grocery stores, CSA deliveries. You can’t go wrong if you go towards the farmers, and they will be so grateful for your business and your interest!
SCHEDULE:
Land to Larder Dinner at Boggy Creek Farm 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 25
An intimate dining experience celebrating community and creativity. Land to Larder serves as a storytelling platform, connecting local farms rich in fresh ingredients with the talents of Central Texas chefs. Guests will enjoy a four-course dinner, with each dish thoughtfully crafted by a local chef in collaboration with a local farmer using seasonal ingredients. Chef and farmer participants include: Ana Torrealba de la Vega ( El Naranjo) and Tracy & Jack Geyer ( Boggy Creek Farm); Ian Thurwachter ( Intero) and Sean Henry ( Hi-Fi Mycology); Janie Ramirez ( Dai Due) and Robert & Stacy Nantz ( Nantz Land and Cattle); and Daniel A. Martínez Faccio & Aurora Torrado Arroyo (Mercado Sin Nombre) and James Brown ( Barton Springs Mill).
Field Guide Symposium at Fiesta Gardens
1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 26
New this year, the symposium will be a stand-alone event spotlighting Austin’s local leaders in food, beverage and agriculture. There will be conversations with farmers, chefs and community organizers on the real cost of food, the impact of farming on our communities and how we can all get involved.
Field Guide Festival at Fiesta Gardens aka the main event Noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 a
Over 55 chefs and farmers from Central Texas to create thoughtfully crafted dishes using seasonal ingredients. Programming highlights include live fire cooking, a pizza happy hour, a taco omakase experience, a pop-up farmers market by Sustainable Food Center, kid-friendly activities, live music and more.
CHEF + FARMER LINEUP:
• Amanda Turner (Olamaie) + Samuel & Carolynn Moffett (Shirttail Creek Farm)
• Chelsea Fadda (Pecan Square Cafe) + Erin Gomez (Solana Farms)
• Edgar Rico (Nixta Taqueria) + Prisilla Benitez & Hayley Wood (Hot Spell Farm)
• Fiore Tedesco (L’Oca d’Oro) + Cody Brown (Growtopia)
• Alexa Mejia (Emmer & Rye) + William Nikkel (Trosi Farm)
• Jo Chan (Chef Jo Chan) + Germaine Swenson & Ivan Matula (Munkebo Farm)
• Kevin Cannon (Barley Swine) + Phil Green (River Field Farm)
• Junior Borges (Juniper) + Benjamin McBride (Heritage Seafood)
• Rick Lopez (La Condesa) + Joe & Kasey Diffie (Joe’s Microgreens)
• Sarah Heard & Nathan Lemley (Foreign & Domestic) + Ryan Gould (Geosmin Regenerative)
• Sonya Cote (Store House Market & Eatery) + David Barrow (Eden East Farm)
• Daniela & Rosa de Lima Hernández (La Santa Barbacha) + Robert Hooper & Suzette Kelly (Central Texas Lamb)
• Nick Belloni (Comedor) + Bruce Evans (2x4 Farm)
• Susana Querejazu (Lutie’s) + Jenny Atmar & George Rojano (Urban Roots Farm)
• Sarah McIntosh (épicerie) + Cody & Natalie Scott (Green Bexar Farm)
• Evan LeRoy (LeRoy and Lewis) + Ty & Sara Burk (True Bird)
• James Robert & Jeff Brown (Hissy Fit) + Amalia Staggs & Casey Frank (Farmshare Austin)
• Je Wallerstein (Fabrik) + Alison Stone & Nia Howze (Hope Full Farm)
• Ling Qi Wu (Ling Wu Asian Restaurant at The Grove) + Perrine & Aubrey Noelke (Belle Vie Farm and Kitchen)
• Derek Zampacorta (Bar Toti) + Anamaria Gutierrez (Este Garden)
• Gregory Maze (Merry Monarch Creamery) + Sean Henry (Hi-Fi Mycology)
• Abby Love (Abby Jane Bakeshop) + Tracy & Jack Geyer (Boggy Creek Farm)
• Amanda Rockman (Rockman Coffee and Bakeshop) + Cyn Danielson (Two Hives Honey)
• Ariana Quant (Uchibā) + Terence Tagoe & Carissa Eckle (The Refugee Collective Far)
VIP Access:
• Dylan Salisbury (Teddy’s) + Cameron Molberg & Von Miller (Greener Pastures Chicken)
• Tavel Bristol-Joseph (Nicosi)
Taco Omakase:
• Joseph Gomez (Sana Sana Taqueria) + Hannah Beall (Central Texas Food Bank Garden)
Pizza Happy Hour:
• Nick Ford (Favorite Pizza)
• Tony Curet (Side Eye Pie)
• Daniel Sorg (Allday Pizza)
• Kelsey Small (Smalls Pizza)
Tickets for all three events are sold separately and are now available for purchase at fieldguidefest.com/tickets. Kids 12 and younger receive free admission.
For more event information visit fieldguidefest.com or follow along on social media @fieldguidefest.
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN
Moontower Comedy Festival April 9-19
Moontower Comedy Festival returns to Austin for two weeks of comedy across multiple venues. With over 100 comedians performing, Moontower offers a mix of stand-up, musical comedy, and live podcasts. The lineup features household names like Aziz Ansari, Tiffany Haddish, Hank Azaria & The EZ Street Band , John Waters and Janeane Garofalo, the Handsome Pod Live with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin, Atsuko Okatsuka , whose HBO special “The Intruder” is out now, Janelle James from hit show “Abbott Elementary” and many more.
The 4-day comedy club binge is April 16-19 and features shows across 10 walkable downtown venues where you can find names you know and discover hilarious comics you don’t. Badges. available at moontowercomedyfest.com grant access to club shows, special events, and exclusive presales for headliner performances at venues like the Paramount and Bass Concert Hall.
From marque headliners to up-and-comers and Austin locals, the festival offers laugh potential for everyone
Top Left: Janelle James, Middle: Tiffany Haddish, Top Right: Hank Azaria & The EZ Street Bank, Bottom Left: Atsuko Okatsuka, Bottom Right: Handsome Pod Live featuring the comedy trifecta of Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster
APRIL 2025
APRIL 12TH
The Kindness Campaign's Community Day
Branch Park Pavilion in Mueller | 10:00 AM
A day of kindness, connection, and community filled with fun, engaging activities and entertainment for all ages. Emceed by Melissa Baker, it will include live music from ZACH Theatre, family yoga with ATX Yoga Girl, a dance party with Enoughie Buddy®, a petting zoo from Tiny Tails to You, face painting, LEGO building and more. Tickets are $8/person at www.tkckindness.org/
APRIL 16TH-MAY 11TH
Play: What The Constitution Means To Me
The Topfer at ZACH: 202 S. Lamar Blvd. | 7:30 PM
The Tony-nominated play What the Constitution Means To Me by Heidi Schreck and directed by Jenny Lavery is coming to The Topfer at ZACH. What the Constitution Means To Me tells the story of fifteen-year-old Heidi, who earned her college tuition by winning constitutional debates across the United States.
APRIL 27TH
Venturelab’s Ready, Set Startup
Assembly Hall, 1121 E. 7th St. Austin, TX 78702 | 5:00 PM
Mix and mingle with the startup community while raising funds to help bring entrepreneurship education to historically marginalized youth. Find tickets and more information at https://app.betterunite.com /2025readysetstartup
MY FAVORITES 5
ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BIRN
1. L’OCA D’ORO’S SUNDAY SUPPER CLUB:
Every Sunday, Chef Fiore and team invite guests to gather around large tables and enjoy a hearty, three-course meal with seatings at 5PM and 7 PM and a menu that emphasizes shared plates, plenty of pasta, and savory meats and finishes with the finest cannolis.
2. THE LONGHORN ALPHABET: TEXAS FOOTBALL
A TO Z:
RT Young, a writer for InsideTexan.com, which covers all things Longhorn sports, penned this book for little Longhorns to learn about the traditions, legends, and amazing moments that make up Texas Football while learning to love reading. Find it at Longhornalphabet.com
3. THE WESTIN RIVERWALK:
An easy walk or short uber away from the Alamodome, this riverfront hotel is a perfect place to stay when in San Antonio for a show. Disney on Ice has a run there in April and Post Malone has a show with Jelly Roll in May!
4. COLTON HOUSE HOTEL:
I actually lived at this boutique hotel (with rooms outfitted with kitchenettes) for more than a month after my house flooded in the freeze of 2021. I still love going back to enjoy the cozy common areas full of velvet-covered furniture and shelves lined with books. Check out events at the hotel under Happenings at https://www.coltonhousehotel.com
5. AVIATOR NATION’S UT GEAR
Aviator Nation may be a California-inspired brand of distressed hoodies and sweats – but did you know its founder Paige Mykoskie lives in Austin part-time? They recently launched hats and apparel supporting University of Texas sports like this hoodie with the brand’s signature stripes. https://www.aviatornation.com/
