Texas officially adopted “Friendship” as its motto in 1930. Yet many people outside its borders equate the state with deceptively hostile messages like “Don’t mess with Texas” – which is, ironically, the slogan for its litter prevention campaign launched in 1986. 

In this episode of the Forging the Future of Business Education podcast, presented by SMU Cox School of Business in partnership with the Dallas Business Journal, four Dallas-area experts dispel the myths that Texas lacks warmth and hospitality, and that business schools like SMU Cox are rooted in a culture of competition rather than collaboration.

Our guests are:

• Liz Brailsford, president and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
• Lynn McBee, CEO, Young Women’s Preparatory Network
• Julie Maass, assistant dean, SMU Cox Graduate Student Enrollment and Engagement
• Debbie Macedonia, assistant dean, SMU Cox Full-Time MBA and Master’s graduate admissions 

Texas, says Liz Brailsford, is now a beacon for transplants across the country and abroad. 

“Last year we had 418 people move here every single day,” Brailsford says. “That is testament to the friendly culture, the inviting culture that we have in this region.”

That growth also applies to the diverse, supportive community at SMU Cox which, says Debbie Macedonia, “has been very intentional with the structure of our business school and allowing students to each succeed within their own goals, both academic and professional. Sometimes people think, ‘Oh, academics, we’re fighting for the good grades, or we’re fighting for the great jobs,’ but here at SMU Cox, collaboration exists.”

Listen for more insights from:

• Lynn McBee, on the entrepreneurial spirit in Dallas (9:36)
• Julie Maass, on SMU Cox’s “unbridled venture project” (15:53)

What can you expect at SMU Cox School of Business? Find out here.