In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Levi Goode, president of Goode Company, to talk about leadership, legacy, and building a business rooted in Texas culture.

A fifth-generation Texan and three-time James Beard Award nominee, Levi grew up in the family business founded by his father, Jim Goode. From washing dishes as a kid to leading one of Houston’s most iconic hospitality groups, Levi shares what it means to carry forward a legacy while continuing to evolve.

The conversation explores the realities of running a family business, earning trust as a leader, and preserving culture as a company grows. Levi reflects on the role Texas traditions play in Goode Company’s identity, from backyard barbecue and barbecue cook-offs to Houston Rodeo season, community gatherings, and the cookout culture that brings people together year after year.

Chris and Levi also discuss leadership development, team culture, and the responsibility that comes with stewarding a brand that has been part of Houston’s food scene and rodeo tradition for decades. This episode offers thoughtful insight into entrepreneurship, hospitality, and what it takes to build a business that lasts in Texas.

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About BoyarMiller

About Goode Company

Brandon shares how Surely became a leader in non-alcoholic wine and why nearly 90 percent of its customers still drink alcohol. Rather than targeting only those who are sober, the brand connects with people who want to enjoy wine on their own terms. He also introduces Arlow, the first legally recognized low-alcohol wine brand in the United States, offering half the calories and zero sugar while maintaining the full-bodied experience wine lovers expect.

Listeners will learn how Arlow’s concept grew from Brandon’s deep understanding of consumer behavior and his curiosity about where the market was heading. He explains the technical challenges of dealcoholization, how his California-based team perfected the process, and what it takes to create a wine that meets both taste and quality standards in this emerging space.

Beyond product development, Brandon discusses how Surely and Arlow have scaled from direct-to-consumer beginnings to major retail success. Today, Surely can be found in Target, Sprouts, Total Wine & More, and Spec’s. He explains how the company’s focus on profitability and sustainable growth has allowed it to thrive in a changing industry where investors now value lean operations over rapid expansion.

As the conversation continues, Brandon shares leadership lessons from two distinct growth phases: one centered on fast-paced scaling and another built around operational discipline. He offers insights into the importance of communication, team alignment, and company culture, noting that even high-performing employees can hold a business back if they are not the right cultural fit.

Brandon also reflects on his journey as a leader, emphasizing the need for transparency and collaboration, both with his team and with his investors. His approach to management highlights how curiosity, accountability, and clear communication can drive consistent results without compromising values.

Now rooted in Austin with his family, Brandon talks about what makes Texas the perfect home for entrepreneurs like him. From the state’s unique energy to its strong business community and culinary culture, he shares why Texas has become the ideal place to grow both personally and professionally.

Whether you are interested in brand strategy, leadership, or the evolving world of consumer products, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how clarity of purpose and innovative thinking can build a business that lasts.

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In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik talks with Nubia Pérez, CEO and part-owner of Gretna Machine Shop, a Houston-based precision manufacturer serving the energy, aerospace, and defense industries.

Nubia shares the remarkable story of how her family built Gretna from a single-garage operation in 1980 into a certified lean manufacturing company, and how she later transformed it through leadership, culture, and purpose.

After her father’s passing in 2012, Nubia faced a decade of uncertainty before realizing that the company’s future depended on her stepping forward. She reveals how she rebuilt Gretna from within by creating accountability, redefining its culture, and leading with empathy and transparency.

From embracing EOS to driving diversification from oil and gas to aerospace, Nubia explains what it takes to modernize a second-generation family business while honoring its legacy. She also shares her perspective on automation, AI, and making manufacturing “mindful” again.

If you are interested in leadership, culture change, and the evolution of Texas manufacturing, this episode offers a powerful look at resilience, renewal, and what it means to lead with heart and purpose.

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In this special live 100th episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik talks with Dean Reynaldo Valencia, President and Dean of South Texas College of Law Houston, and Billy Murphy, CEO of University Lands, about the intersection of law, leadership, and innovation in shaping Texas’ future.

From higher education to resource management, both guests share how Texas institutions are adapting to a rapidly changing world while balancing tradition and transformation. Dean Valencia discusses the law school’s century-long commitment to access and opportunity, its pioneering online programs, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping legal education. Murphy offers a look inside University Lands, where a small team manages 2.1 million acres and billions in annual revenue to fund public universities, while navigating emerging challenges such as renewable energy, AI, and sustainability.

Together, they explore how legal training builds critical thinking and leadership skills that extend far beyond the courtroom, and why innovation, ethics, and stewardship remain central to Texas’ continued growth.

If you’re interested in leadership, education, and the forces shaping the future of business in Texas, this milestone episode offers a thoughtful, forward-looking conversation about progress built on purpose.

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About South Texas College of Law

About University Lands

In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik talks with Bobby and Janice Jucker, co-owners of Three Brothers Bakery, about what it takes to build and sustain a family business through two centuries of change, challenge, and perseverance.

From their family’s remarkable story of survival and entrepreneurship to leading one of Houston’s most beloved bakeries today, Bobby and Janice share how resilience, culture, and community have guided every decision along the way. They explain how they turned hardship into strength, rebuilding again and again after floods, fires, hurricanes, and even a pandemic, while staying true to their roots and their people.

Janice discusses lessons learned from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and how they transformed a toxic workplace into a culture grounded in care, communication, and accountability. Bobby reflects on the balance between preserving tradition and embracing innovation, from hand-rolled bread to digital recipe systems and modern production technology.

Together, they offer practical insights on leadership, disaster recovery, and the power of people, proving that success is not about avoiding challenges but about how you rise after them.

If you are interested in entrepreneurship, legacy, and leading with heart, this episode is a masterclass in perseverance and purpose from one of Texas’s most enduring family businesses.

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In this episode of Building Texas Business Podcast, Chris Hanslik talks with Jeff Ludy, Founder of The Window Experts, about what it takes to build a purpose-driven, disruptive business in the home improvement industry.Jeff shares how he turned a small garage startup into one of the most trusted window companies in the country, with a national footprint and the most-watched YouTube channel in the industry. He explains how his faith, integrity, and commitment to treating people with honesty, dignity, and respect have guided every decision along the way.From early lessons in sales and leadership to creating a “no-haggle” model that broke the mold for his industry, Jeff reveals how character and culture drive lasting success. He also shares the systems behind his hiring process, his four “C’s” of talent, and how he navigated growing pains—including scaling too fast and learning to lead through crisis.If you’re interested in leadership, entrepreneurship, and building a company that stands out by doing things differently, Jeff’s story is a masterclass in vision, integrity, and resilience.

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Building a business that lasts starts with building a culture that matters.In this episode of Building Texas Business, I sit down with Andy Weiner, CEO and Founder of RockStep Capital, to talk about what it takes to create and sustain a truly fierce company culture. From his family’s early retail ventures to leading a national real estate investment firm with more than 9.7 million square feet under management, Andy has learned that success depends not just on smart deals but on shared values and disciplined behaviors.Andy reveals how his team lives by 25 guiding principles called “RockSteps,” specific behaviors that define how they respond, collaborate, and lead every day. With rituals like their weekly “RockStep of the Week” call and a focus on accountability, responsiveness, and family-first priorities, he has built an organization where integrity and energy drive performance.We also discuss how RockStep’s “Hometown America” investment strategy and vertically integrated structure have helped them thrive through changing markets, and why the company’s success begins with hiring for cultural alignment rather than skill alone.If you are passionate about leadership, culture, and the values that fuel great Texas businesses, this episode offers powerful lessons on how intentional leadership can transform an organization from the inside out.

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Building successful businesses often requires embracing opportunities that find you rather than forcing predetermined plans.In this episode of Building Texas Business, I sit down with Gregg Thompson, who runs multiple ventures with his brothers including landscape operations, nurseries, and the beloved Tiny Boxwoods and Milk & Cookies restaurants. We talk about how their family business evolved from a high school lawn mowing operation into a diversified enterprise spanning Houston and Austin.Gregg shares how their restaurant concept emerged accidentally when customers kept lingering at their West Alabama nursery, leading to an "accidental" expansion into hospitality. He explains their approach to hiring entrepreneurial people and giving them autonomy, plus how they've built robust back-office systems that support everything from landscape project management to baking croissants. The conversation reveals how measuring margins and sharing financial data across divisions creates a culture where creative people start thinking about gross margins.His philosophy centers on being in the "yes business" rather than automatically rejecting new ideas, combined with the belief that there's no limit to what you can accomplish when you don't know what you're doing. This mindset helped them navigate from municipal bonds to nurseries to restaurants without getting paralyzed by industry expertise they didn't possess.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• Sometimes the best business opportunities come from customers eating sandwiches in your nursery at lunchtime, leading to "accidental" restaurant concepts that nobody planned.
• Giving employees autonomy to try new things without permission first creates innovation - even when it occasionally surprises leadership with what they're attempting.
• The difference between a good business and a bad business is the back office - if you can't measure it, you can't fix it.
• Being in the "yes business" means not automatically saying no to employee ideas, since people bringing suggestions are stepping outside their comfort zones.
• There's no limit to what you can do when you don't know what you're doing, because you don't see the barriers that "experts" assume exist.
• Family businesses work when siblings have completely different skill sets that complement rather than compete - finance, construction, and wholesale trading each requiring distinct talents.

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About BoyarMiller

About Thompson+Hanson

GUESTS

 | Gregg Thompson
About Gregg

Unity isn't just a buzzword. It's the foundation for business growth and community impact.In this episode of Building Texas Business, I sit down with Jeff Williams, president of Graham Associates, to talk about how bringing people together drives both engineering success and civic transformation. Working with his firm who design iconic Texas projects including AT&T Stadium and Southlake Town Square, and during his three terms as Arlington mayor, he demonstrats how unity principles scale from boardroom to city hall.Jeff shares his approach to bridging generational divides through Friday "High Five" meetings that transformed skeptical baby boomers and millennials into collaborative teammates. His engineering firm rebuilt their office culture post-COVID by creating collaboration spaces and displaying core values throughout their workspace, showing employees they're not just designing roads but contributing to state-of-the-art hospitals. When people understand their larger purpose, engagement naturally follows.His upcoming book "The Unity Blueprint" captures lessons from leading Arlington through the pandemic faster than any other U.S. city, according to NYU research, and emphasizes that modern leadership requires teaching over commanding, with trust and value as non-negotiables for today's workforce. Success comes from transforming "my plan" into "our plan" through genuine input and buy-in, whether you're managing engineers or running a city.This conversation reveals how Texas businesses thrive by embracing partnerships over politics, with Jeff's $8 million citywide rideshare solution versus $50 million per mile for light rail proving that innovation beats tradition when unity guides decisions.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover how weekly "High Five" meetings turned skeptical senior engineers into collaboration champions, bridging baby boomers and millennials
• Jeff details how Arlington saved millions by implementing $8 million annual autonomous rideshare instead of $50 million per mile light rail
• Learn why being the first U.S. city to run autonomous shuttles attracted Uber, Lyft, and Via to compete for Arlington's contract
• Hear how post-COVID office renovations with collaboration spaces and visible core values brought remote workers back to rebuild culture
• Jeff shares how a devastating referendum loss taught him that expertise means nothing if political consultants silence your voice
• Understand why the Medal of Honor Museum chose Arlington over Washington D.C.—Texas builds in years what takes decades elsewhere

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About BoyarMiller

About Graham Associates

GUESTS

 | Jeff Williams
About Jeff

Building a successful business often means solving problems nobody else sees coming.In this episode of Building Texas Business, I sit down with Merrilee Kick, founder of BuzzBallz, to talk about how she transformed a poolside idea into a ready-to-drink cocktail empire she sold to Sazerac in 2024. Merrilee shares her journey from high school teacher to manufacturing pioneer who bootstrapped through engineering challenges and suppliers who refused to sell her essential components. Her approach demonstrates that when traditional paths close, entrepreneurs must forge their own.We explore how Merrilee built a family-like culture with minimal turnover through practical benefits like daily cooked meals and extended holiday breaks. She discusses why fairness matters more than equality in building loyal teams. During COVID, she created an on-site school for employees' children and manufactured hand sanitizer for hospitals, showing how adaptability serves both business continuity and community needs.Merrilee reflects on mistakes that shaped her success, from coconut cream that solidified at room temperature to trusting the wrong people. She emphasizes that entrepreneurs must trust their gut instincts and move quickly when something isn't working. Her discussion about selling to Sazerac reveals the cultural shifts that come with acquisition and why selecting the right buyer matters as much as the price.The conversation reveals how a teacher's frustration with glass by the pool became a multi-million dollar business through relentless problem-solving and genuine employee care. Listen to discover why sometimes the best business education comes from cleaning your own warehouse bathrooms.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• "S#@t doesn't smell any better with age" - why firing fast is critical to maintaining culture and performance
• When suppliers demand hundreds of thousands for R&D, sometimes you have to source from Canada and figure it out yourself
• A $10 daily lunch investment eliminated production delays and built the family culture that kept turnover near zero
• Creating an on-site school during COVID kept the production lines running when competitors shut down
• People quit managers, not companies - know your employees' kids' names and eat lunch with them
• Trust your gut over resumes - the West Point MIT grad who couldn't deliver taught her that credentials don't guarantee performance

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About BoyarMiller

About BuzzBallz

GUESTS

 | Merrilee Kick
About Merrilee