Texas Business Minds

Born & raised in Houston's East End/Magnolia neighborhood, Dr. Laura Murillo's involvement in the Houston business community began as a 10-year-old working in her family's restaurant. There, her parents taught her lessons about business and life, which Murillo combined with her keen communications skills to grow and lead Houston's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In this episo...

What are the ingredients for success at P. Terry's? Quality food is certainly important, but investing in people is the key. Personalized birthday cakes, interest-free employee loans, constant feedback and continuous improvement keep the team happy, and they in turn deliver excellent customer service. In this episode, CEO Todd Coerver joins ABJ Managing Editor Will Anderson to share his insig...

Among the most dynamic and creative business leaders in North Texas, Sophia Johnson is the Founder & President of Alpha Business Images. Johnson has led the growth of ABI, expanding the advertising agency footprint with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth and Atlanta. ABI represents high profile clients in four categories:  travel/transportation, healthcare, education and the non-profit sector.  In...

With state-of-the-art flexible design and its one-of-a-kind adjustable floor, San Antonio's Tobin Center for the Performing Arts can transform from a flat, ballroom floor to theater seating in minutes. And while that's impressive, the performance President & CEO Michael Fresher and his team have pulled of in the midst of a global pandemic is even more spectacular. In this episode, Fr...

Good luck finding reliable, dedicated people these days- it's almost impossible, unless you call My Possibilities. They have a talented team of HIPsters ready to assist if your business if you'll provide the opportunity. Hipsters are Hugely Important People, adults with cognitive disabilities seeking a stable, long-term work environment where they can contribute and be part of a team. In...

Among America's most influential landscape design firms, TBG's motto is transforming "earth into art". With offices in all four major Texas markets and projects across the state, country and around the world, this Houston-based firm wields major design influence in mixed use, hospitality, office, community and public projects. In this episode, TBG President Bill Odle joins HBJ...

Is there a proven formula for entrepreneurial success? The answer is yes, and in this episode, successful, serial entrepreneur and visionary Dean Drako shares the simple, yet often ignored ingredients of all the successful companies he's created and built- from the days of Barracuda Networks, to his Permanent Legacy Foundation. Drako also talks cloud surveillance security, and reveals to ABJ...

Success in the non-profit sector requires a unique skillset, creativity, passion and determination. And when it comes to kids, it also requires patience, understanding and lots of love. For almost 20 years, Asia Ciaravino has made a difference in leadership roles across the country. In San Antonio, she's leading SA Youth, empowering the city's high risk youth to  achieve their full poten...

What do Hollywood and Houston have in common? As it turns out, quite a few things that attract filmmakers, commercial productions and reality TV shows. In this episode, HBJ Managing Editor Jonathan Adams goes backstage to reveal why Houston is attracting an audience. Houston Film Commission Executive Director Alfred Cervantes, a 26-year veteran of the city's film & commercial scene, share...

Growth in San Antonio and Austin means more business for the Port of Corpus Christi, the fourth largest port in the nation by tonnage behind only Houston, South Louisiana and New York/New Jersey. Thanks to continued expansion  and an eye on the federal infrastructure package, the Port of CC is well positioned to grow its wide-ranging operations. In this episode, CEO Sean Strawbridge joins SABJ Man...

What began with the simple goal of boiling water while backpacking, minus fossil fuels, has ignited a passion for fire worldwide that is driving exponential growth for a Dallas-based company. In this episode, DBJ Managing Editor Rob Schneider welcomes John Merris, Solo Stove CEO and 40 Under 40 Honoree. Merris shares the story of the little stove that became a big winner thanks in to an unintended...

Rising health insurance and healthcare costs impact every single American. So in our tech-driven, Amazon-influenced world, why are we still handcuffed by high costs and few choices in this critical area of our lives? For answers, Austin Business Journal Managing Editor Will Anderson invites Point Health CEO Matt Dale to explain the primary issues, and what he and his team are doing to solve them--...

Prepare for one of the most entertaining, candid, irreverent and down-to-earth episodes of TBM as Chive's John Resig checks in with ABJ Managing Editor Will Anderson. From Day #1, The Chive and its offspring have followed a simple, successful formula: Give the audience what traditional media and tech giants can't, spoon feed it- often times for free, and find creative ways to monetize th...

As the job market continues to evolve and the transition back to the office is underway, executives and employees alike are re-examining the role the workplace plays in collaboration, creativity, and communication. What works for one sector may not be a fit for another, and the same is true for different roles within the same company. Redefining the workplace is a delicate, political, balancing ac...

In this moving and insightful episode, Managing Editor Rob Schneider welcomes one of the DBJ's Most Inspiring Leaders of 2021, Dr. David Woody III, President & CEO of The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center. Woody and his team were well equipped to help the vulnerable and deal with the pandemic's significant impact on homelessness. And instead of hunkering down during the worst of times,...

So how did a couple of kids from a small town in East Texas build one of the biggest financial services companies in America? Listen and learn in this episode... It's thanks to a simple, old fashioned formula: Stay humble, work hard, hire good people, and answer only to the people who matter most- your clients. When you sit down and listen to Gary Dudley and Charlie Amato, you'll realize...

Imaging growing up and either thinking, assuming, or flat out being told that you are only qualified for certain jobs, and not in leadership roles. For many minorities, that's a given. But Nicole Conley had a mentor who challenged her to challenge the status quo- and she did! Conley blazed a trail, becoming the CFO for the Austin school system, and she's now applying her expertise in the...

Houston-based Hines is one of the world's largest privately held real estate investors and managers in the world.  Senior Managing Director John Mooz has a pulse on the Texas markets with a variety of projects completed during the pandemic, and more on the way as we enter a post-COVID world. How do the Texas markets compare in commercial real estate? What does the office of the future look li...

In this timely episode, former FBI Special Agent, attorney and information security expert Mary Chaney joins DBJ Managing Editor Rob Schneider to discuss the biggest threats facing our business community. You'll be surprised to learn those threats often originate from within your company. Chaney also shares her journey as a black female in this white, male dominated field, what she's doi...

For some investors, the nature and impact of what they're investing in is no longer driven solely by  the bottom line. We've entered the era of impact investing, where the benefit to society and the environment are important factors, along with earnings. In this episode, SABJ Reporter Jeannette Garcia invites former Rackspace President Lou Moorman to give us an update on his investing ap...

The majority of HP's Texas workforce resides in Houston, but Stephanie Dismore calls all the shots for North American from her longtime home in Austin. In this episode, ABJ Managing Editor Will Anderson welcomes Dismore to share her thoughts on executive leadership, women in tech and her passion for giving back to the community as Board Chair of the Boys & Girls Club of Austin.

Texas is home to the hottest housing market in the nation. Few know the overall market and local nuances as well as Douglas Elliman Texas's CEO Jacob Sudhoff, who's succeeded in all aspects of the business- both residential and commercial sales, builder marketing and relocation during his 20+ year career.  In this episode, Sudhoff joins HBJ Managing Editor Jonathan Adams to deliver marke...

As a child growing up in Louisiana during the 1960's, Dr. Myrtle P. Bell experienced racism, and how to effectively deal with it. In this episode, you'll hear how her mother & aunt creatively broke the color barrier at a "whites only" laundromat, how the University of Notre Dame refused to allow institutional racism, and how these instances and many others shaped the life o...

After 33 years climbing the corporate ladder at USAA, Wayne Peacock took over as President & CEO on February 1, 2020. Weeks later, the pandemic forced Peacock and his leadership team to protect the safety and well being of their 33,000 employees and 13 million members around the globe. In this episode, SABJ Editor-In-Chief Tony Quesada connects with Peacock to revisit his rise to the CEO role,...

Austin is a magnet for today's tech companies largely due to the deep pool of talent developed by Dell. Chief Financial Officer Tom Sweet has seen, and done it all in almost 25 years with Dell. In this episode, Austin Business Journal Managing Editor Will Anderson invites Sweet to reflect on the past, present and future of Austin's diversified flagship tech company.