Bigger Than Business

How important are a company’s values to its growth and success? What can a business owner do to ensure their team buys in to the company culture and lives those values daily? And how can you take them even further and affect a community in need? Listen as our guest, Stacey Pearson, shares with us how he perpetuates the company values his family created, and how his business relationships help provide for the unique foundation he and his sister started in honor of their older brother. Stacey Pearson joined the family business, Pearson Air Construction, in 2000 and purchased it from his uncle in 2012. In 2008, Stacey and his sister, Leslie, started The Gregg Pearson Foundation in honor of their older brother who died in 2003 after an 11-year struggle with brain cancer. The Foundation helps cancer patients with financial needs other than medical, like house, utility, and car payments, as well as provide spiritual and emotional support to impacted families and friends. Stacey’s role as the foundation’s President focuses on fundraising, event planning, and the ministry’s purpose. Stacey has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from Abilene Christian University. He and his wife, Paige, a photographer, have three children and live in Trophy Club, Texas. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com

How can being involved in organizations during your youth prepare you for unexpected events in your business future? Where do you turn for advice when you feel overwhelmed by responsibility, and you are having to learn as you go? And when personal tragedy strikes, how can the planning of one individual transform entire communities? Listen as our guest shares with us how he helped a family empire weather the storms of state and global downturns through the decades, and how a parent’s worst nightmare transformed into a legacy that fulfills the dreams of others in remote areas of the globe.   Bio: Larry Bell started out as a young CPA from New Mexico before he moved to Texas when he married Ellen, who was part of a well-known ranching family. Together, Ellen and Larry own Parks Bell Ranch and Kalpowar Quarter Horses. Larry serves as president and board member of the Amy Bell Charities, as well as the Ellen and Larry Bell Foundation. He also serves or has served on numerous boards, and he has held officer positions for other foundations and organizations, including the Beal Foundation, the National Reined Cow Horse Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Arthritis Foundation, Boys Club, First Presbyterian Church Midland, and the American Quarter Horse Association Foundation Council – just to name a few! Larry was inducted into the NRCHA Hall of Merit in 2017, and he has won several awards. Larry and Ellen just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and split their time between the ranch in Parker County and a home in Fort Worth, Texas. They have three children, Matthew, Brian, and Amy, and four grandchildren. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com

How can following your instincts when presented with the challenges of new strategy, new technology, and inequality in the workplace create an opportunity that transforms the business landscape of a city? How can collaboration take you further than sole pursuits and grow your business exponentially? And how can you take what you’ve built and do even more for others? Listen as our guest shares with us how she went from a respected teaching career to fearless entrepreneurship, fighting through decades of chauvinism and constantly evolving technology to become one of the most influential women in the state, changing attitudes and providing opportunities for women in Texas and beyond. Valerie Freeman grew up in Houston, Texas, and became a teacher at El Centro College in Dallas, Texas, where she wrote the first curriculum and taught the first classes that trained people to use word processing technology. In 1982, Valerie started a business called WordTemps to train and place people into technology jobs, which eventually became Imprimis Group. In 1985, she founded the Dallas chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Valerie and three partners started Texas Women’s Ventures in 2005, the first venture firm that invested solely in women-owned businesses, and have just completed their third fund, raising and investing $20M. Valerie also help found ANSERTEAM, a woman-owned national staffing firm. She has been honored as one of the 25 most influential women in business by the Dallas Business Journal, is a Former Girl Scout Woman of Distinction awardee, and received the Athena Award from the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce. Valerie has earned places in the Dallas Business Hall of Fame, Tech Titans Hall of Fame, and the Women’s Business Enterprise Hall of Fame.  Valerie has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business education from the University of Houston, and currently lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, her college sweetheart. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com

How can companies struggling with an employment landscape that is “opportunity long and talent short” attract future team members for the long haul? How can nurturing an emotional connection for your existing team to your company’s values position your company to attain the best, right-fit employees? What are the differences between Millennials and Generation Z, coming out of colleges today, and how can understanding those differences give you an edge in your talent management strategy? Listen as our guest shares with us how developing an intellectual and emotional connection to our organizations will help attract and retain employees at all stages of their careers, and how valuing your existing team in ways that turn them into ambassadors willing to help recruit the employees you need will build a better future for all. Bio: Daniel Pullin is dean of Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business, and former dean of the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma.  Prior to his career in higher education, Daniel worked at McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm, Hicks Muse Tate & Furst, a leading private equity fund, and served as a vice president for Home Interiors & Gifts.  Daniel, a licensed attorney, has served on multiple boards and coalitions, and has won teaching awards several years in a row. Daniel earned undergraduate degrees in accounting and finance from the University of Oklahoma, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife, Tamara, have two sons and live in Fort Worth, Texas. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com

How important is a succession plan to your company’s health? What are the challenges to putting one into place? How can business owners and founders step outside of their egos, face the idea of being replaced, and ask the hard questions on future leadership? Listen as our return guest, Phil Clemens, shares why every leader should create a succession plan long before they intend to hand over the reins, how taking time to determine the different, necessary skills to take the business to the next level in the future is crucial to the life of the business, and how the mindset of retiring TO something, not FROM something, can help leadership transition smoothly.  Bio: Phil Clemens began his career on the clean-up crew of the family business, Hatfield Quality Meats, and worked his way up to be the CEO of the company. Over the decades, he worked in all areas of the family business, with 20 of those years in Human Resources and seven as CEO and President of the legacy business, now known as The Clemens Food Group. Phil retired from The Clemens Food Group in 2015 as Chairman and now serves as an ambassador to family businesses throughout the country, as well as being a national speaker on family business issues and teaching leadership skills. Phil currently serves and has served on numerous boards such as Crown Financial Ministries, North American Meat Institute, Eden Bridge Foundation, Profit Sharing Council of America, and American Red Cross. He has received many awards in the meat industry, as well as community service awards, and has honorary doctorates from Lancaster Bible College and Elizabethtown College. Phil and his wife Linda live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and have three daughters and seven grandsons. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com

Phil Clemens began his career on the clean-up crew of the family business, Hatfield Quality Meats, and worked his way up to be the CEO of the company. Over the decades, he worked in all areas of the family business, with 20 of those years in Human Resources and seven as CEO and President of the legacy business, now known as The Clemens Food Group. Listen as Phil shares how and why his family engaged in the challenging transformation of being a Family Business to being a Business Family and restructured the company’s governance by the owners, the Board, and management to ensure the company would continue to thrive into the sixth generation of leadership, a very rare feat in today’s marketplace! Phil Clemens retired from The Clemens Food Group in 2015 as Chairman and now serves as an ambassador to family businesses throughout the country, as well as being a national speaker on family business issues and teaching leadership skills. Phil currently serves and has served on numerous boards such as Crown Financial Ministries, North American Meat Institute, Eden Bridge Foundation, Profit Sharing Council of America, and American Red Cross. He has received many awards in the meat industry, as well as community service awards, and has honorary doctorates from Lancaster Bible College and Elizabethtown College. Phil and his wife Linda live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and have three daughters and seven grandsons. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com

Ty Smith founded Exline Capital, a commercial real estate investment company, after experiencing many facets of the industry as a project manager, an analyst, a dealmaker, and even a ranch manager. Taking that experience and combining it with a desire to build something himself, Ty and Exline work with investors in what he calls the “middle market” in real estate’s four core food groups: office, industrial, multi-family, and retail. Ty initially built the company through one-off investments to build a track record, and in 2018, he pivoted to focus on fund management as the core business. Six years later, Exline has invested in projects exceeding $1.2 billion in multiple states. Listen as Ty shares how and why he started a business under strained circumstances and how finding your niche and staying the course can lead to achieving your ambitions. Ty Smith, founder and Principal of Exline Capital, has experience in multiple areas of the commercial real estate industry including new construction development, historic redevelopment, public private partnerships, value-add acquisition and stabilized acquisition projects. Ty received his Master’s degree in Real Estate and Construction Management from The University of Denver and earned his Bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University. Ty, his wife, Natalie, and their children live in Fredericksburg, Texas. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face.  www.thecapitalchartroom.com

David Q. Sargent started stocking shelves at Kmart as a junior in high school before parlaying that into a 24-year career with Kmart, Builder’s Square, and The Home Depot. Retiring at the young age of 38, David became a business owner when he and his family bought Stripe-A-Zone, Inc., a pavement marking company in 1996. Over the next 24 years, they grew it into one of the largest and most nationally recognized striping companies in the U.S. before selling majority ownership in 2020. Listen as David shares the challenges and rewards of being in business with your children and how seeing other people advance can be one of life’s greatest joys. Bio: David Q. Sargent grew up in Arlington, Texas, and married his high school sweetheart, Susie, in 1976. After an impressive 24-year career with some of the biggest retailers in the nation, David and his family purchased Stripe-A-Zone, Inc., and grew it into one of the most renowned companies in its industry. After selling majority ownership last year, David and Susie are working on the next chapter in their lives, which include spending time with their children and grandchildren and managing charitable endeavors through the family’s foundation. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face.  www.thecapitalchartroom.com

After accomplishing so much in the Navy, Clay Trantham became a well-respected national leader in heavy steel construction, eventually becoming an industrialist in his own right and a founder of nine companies in the construction, tech, logistics, and real estate industries. Listen as the inventor of the dance move "The Sprinkler" shares how being the middle child of 5 boys prepares one for the blood battles of being in business, why Navy and Marine personnel make excellent company hires, and also offers valuable advice for families dealing with cancer. Clay Trantham is the CEO/Owner/Founder of Junction Industries, a holding company with portfolio subsidiaries that focus on infrastructure, technology, and industrial services. The mission of Junction Industries is building great companies and developing extraordinary leaders that honor God through clarity of purpose, passion, people, and process. Clay also manages his real estate holding company and his investment company, and recently completed three years as an Advisor to the Board of Directors of USAA. Clay serves as a Board Director for Coaches Outreach, a nationwide ministry for high school and college coaches and their wives. Clay and his wife, Holly, are high school sweethearts and natives of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and currently live in Fort Worth, Texas. They have five children, and their family supports missionary efforts around the world and at home in Tarrant County. Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com

After starting a successful media company while in college, Rand Stagen, at the age of 23 through executive coaching, discovered his passion for personal development. Rand founded Stagen Leadership Academy in 1999, which works with leaders from all over the country on concepts of Conscious Capitalism and taking individual responsibility for moving oneself and others toward desired goals. Listen as Rand shares with us why organizations are reflections of their leaders, why sobering conversations are necessary for growth, and how to get the organization you want. Rand Stagen is founder and CEO of Stagen Leadership Academy, is a Board Member and former Chairman of Conscious Capitalism, Inc., and a former chapter president of the Young Entrepreneur’s Organization. After growing up in Connecticut, Rand wanted a warmer climate and chose to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where his business is headquartered and he lives today with his wife and two daughters. www.stagen.com Bigger Than Business is the show where you’ll discover real-world stories of business owners living their purpose. You’ll encounter men and women all over the world who draw strength from understanding why they do what they do and how they remain true to that purpose through the ups and downs every business owner will face. www.thecapitalchartroom.com