The Jason Wright Show

Honorable John T. Montford is currently President & Chief Executive Officer of JTM Consulting, LLC. He has served as an independent director of Southwest Airlines since 2002 and currently serves as Chairman of its Audit Committee. He is also Chancellor Emeritus of the Texas Tech University System.

Prior to establishing his own consulting firm, John served as Senior Advisor for Global Public Policy for General Motors Company from January 1, 2010 to January 2012. At GM, he was responsible for GM public policy for federal, state, and international, as well as the GM Foundation. John was a member of the GM Executive Committee from January 1, 2010 to May 1, 2011.

Prior to joining GM, John served as the Senior Vice President of State Legislative Affairs for AT&T. Following the 2005 merger of SBC and AT&T, he served as president of the Western Region for AT&T, responsible for 23 states west of the Mississippi. From 2002 to 2005, John was president of External Affairs for Southwestern Bell. He joined SBC, now AT&T, in September 2001.

John was the 2005 Chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, a catalyst for economic development in San Antonio with over 2,000 members. From 2007-2010, John was President of the Board of the National Western Art Foundation, for which he personally secured the lead gift to create the Dolph and Janey Briscoe National Western Art Museum in San Antonio. John was also Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He served as Chairman of the Development Board of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and President of the San Antonio Independent School District Foundation from 2008-2010.

Before joining SBC, John was Texas Tech University’s first Chancellor, the chief executive officer of the university system. He was named Chancellor Emeritus in 2001.

John served as a member of the Texas Senate for 14 years. During his tenure in the Senate, he served as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee. Texas Monthly named Senator Montford among the Top 10 Best Legislators for five legislative sessions.

John was an active duty officer in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1971. After his military service, he served as an elected district attorney. John received his bachelor’s degree in political science and a Juris Doctor degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

John and his wife Debbie are the proud parents of three children and five grandchildren.

Moolah Marketing Founder Rachel Miller

Rachel Miller is the creator of Moolah, a system helping thousands of small businesses grow on Facebook. She has personally grown engaged fan pages – some to over 500,000 and over 2.2M – fueling massive businesses!  Digital Marketer has called her a “Facebook Guru” after she helped them grow one of their pages to over a million fans.  Rachel has helped 34 of her students grow engagement and reach over 10,000,000 people with single posts on Facebook.  She is the author of multiple books, one of them being a best seller with over 100,000 copies sold and her content has been featured on Good Morning America in addition to other national publications and syndicated shows.  As a mom of six kids, Rachel lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

This was such a fun interview. I highly recommend checking out Rachel’s services at Moolah. Rachel is a truly gifted entrepreneur, and I’m so happy to introduce you, the Texas Titan audience, to her.

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Salmeron arrived from South Africa on American soil in 1990 with two suitcases, less than $600 in her pocket, a fine bottle of 1966 Portuguese Port, a work visa, and the American Dream.

Since, Henda has become a United States citizen, a mother, an Award Winning Real-Estate Broker, an accomplished investor, serial entrepreneur, a published author of “Grit Under My Nails”, an ultra endurance race global competitor, a breast cancer survivor who served on the Board of Susan G. Komen – Dallas, and an accidental power lobbyist who passed one of the most important and influential healthcare bills in the nation in 2011, known as Henda’s Law Texas HB-2102.

Henda is truly a remarkable human. I loved this conversation, and I know you will. There’s always something special bout sitting down and hearing the story of a successful entrepreneur. However, when you add being a first generation American to the mix, there’s just something that makes it almost have a fairytale quality. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Henda as much as I did. To learn more about Henda and all her ventures, please click HERE.

Wade Myers

Wade Myers is a serial entrepreneur, investor, advisor, author, and speaker that has founded, invested in, and been a director of scores of companies and has completed over 100 financing and M&A transactions.

Wade has been a featured speaker at top business schools as well as investment banking, venture capital, private equity, technology, and entrepreneurship conferences worldwide.

He is the founder and CEO of Capital Works, an award-winning digital investment banking firm, and is also a founder and general partner of Eagle Venture Fund, a global seed capital firm that focuses on impact investments. Wade’s previous ventures include a global SaaS-based big data company and an Inc. 5000 nationwide SaaS-based property management firm that has grown to be the fourth-largest firm in an industry of 6,500 competitors since he founded the company in 2004.

Wade’s other work experience includes the Boston Consulting Group and several years at Mobil Corporation where he rose to a national-level executive position. He also served as an Airborne Ranger in the US Army where he commanded a special weapons unit, developed new doctrine regarding atomic, liquid, and slurry demolitions, was awarded a Bronze Star when he was recalled to active duty to fight in the Gulf War.

Wade has a BS from North Dakota State University, an MS from Texas A&M University, and an MBA from Harvard University where he graduated as a Baker Scholar (top 5% of his class). He also helped develop an executive education course for Harvard Business School and is a Harvard case study author. Wade is also a published author with articles in Inc. Magazine, Forbes, Huffington Post, and Apple News. He was also featured in Episode 4 of Season 1 of the Curious Entrepreneur series on Amazon Prime.

Wade and his wife Andreanna live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and have five children.

John English, M.D.

CEO, Medical Director

Dr. John English is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has been practicing medicine since 1993. Prior to becoming the Medical Director of Bethesda Health Clinic, he practiced medicine at Trinity Clinic in Tyler, Texas. John holds a M.D. degree from U.T. Southwestern Medical School. He completed his residency at John Peter Smith Hospital.

John is one of the humblest and most servant hearted individuals I have ever had the opportunity to know. The work he and his team at Bethesda are doing is truly remarkable. I firmly think you will enjoy this conversation as we discuss leadership, entrepreneurship, COVID and the path forward.

Thanks for listening.

Jason

Matt Wagner

Matt Wagner has been there, and there and there. Name just about any corner of the world, and Matt has visited. He’s also a very accomplished software executive. From humble means that began in New Jersey to being raised in the Houston suburbs Matt has spent the past 11 years as an expatriate in Europe. He currently serves as SVP and General Manager – EMEA at SimplifyVMS.

This was a great conversation with an old friend about leadership, the changing workplace, COVID in the UK and a view of America from afar. It was a great time, and I think you will enjoy listening in.

It’s not often you get the chance to meet someone who can say they are:

Former professional baseball player

A member of a Division 1 National Champion football team

Former NFL Player

Currently a successful business executive

However, Quan Johnson can speak in the affirmative of all of these things. I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with Quan, and it was an absolute treat. We discussed how this one time black kid from a small Texas town known for Friday Night lights escaped an abusive environment and what looked like a bleak future only to turn himself into a success at every turn.

Quan is a Titan of a man in every way. He’s a father and husband, loves the Lord, and truly lives out Gandhi’s famous quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Listen to this episode. If you ever wanted to hear from a stellar example of what a human should be, here you go. Enjoy.

SEAY, CFA is the Founder & Chairman of Annandale Capital.  Mr. Seay earned his BA in history summa cum laude, and his MBA, with a Dean’s Award for academic excellence, from the University of Texas at Austin, and his JD, cum laude, from SMU, where he was President of the SMU Law Review Association and a member of the Order of Barristers. He founded Seay Stewardship & Investment Company, the predecessor company to Annandale, in 1998 and founded Annandale in 2005. Mr. Seay is Chairman of the Clements Center for National Security, the Texas-Israel Alliance, and former Chairman of ART, the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, Legacy, and the Founder of Sky Ranch Ute Trail. His prior professional experience includes working for the Governor of Texas and the Deputy Secretary of State for the United States.

When I started this podcast I had a list of people I wanted on the show. On that list was George Seay. It’s very appropriate that the grandson of former Governor of Texas and larger than life figure Bill Clements is the subject of Episode 50. While George will readily admit he has benefited from his bloodline, there can be no doubt George Seay has been a worthy steward of the responsibility entrusted to him.

From our first electronic exchange through the course of our podcast interview George Seay exhibits nothing but humility, intelligence and a sense of responsibility. This was such a great conversation, and it was an honor to spend time with George. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed preparing it for you.

George’s Reading List:

“A Grief Observed” C.S. Lewis

“Room of Marvels” James Bryan Smith

Theodore Roosevelt Trilogy Edmund Morris

Lyndon Johnson Series Robert Caro

“Mere Christianity” C.S. Lewis

“Counterfeit Gods” Tim Keller

“Prodigal God” Tim Keller

SMU Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Founder of Churchill Terry John Terry

Thirty plus years of experience in technology, sales and finance in companies of all sizes and phases. John pairs more than twenty years as a successful entrepreneur with seventeen years as an adjunct professor at one of the top ranked business schools in America where he teaches entrepreneurship, private equity, and venture capital.

A life-long musician, willing to lay down a bass groove at the drop of a beat.

Ok, so that’s John’s official bio as found on his website. Here’s where I take some editorial liberty. John is an incredible human. He is not only wicket smart he is a truly kind and decent human. In this episode we discuss leadership, the qualities every good entrepreneur must possess and more. This was far and away one of my favorite episodes.

In business school the capstone of most programs is an “entrepreneurial project.” In the case of SMU for me it was an example of saving the best for last. John’s class is one of the last ones in which everything else builds toward. John serves not only as a professor but a mentor. If you have ever wanted to start a business or if you are running an organization, this episode is worth a listen.

Thanks for listening.

Please consider signing up for the “Vitruvian Letter” at jasonwrightnow.com In this newsletter I outline all the ways I’m trying to “improve always in all ways.” Whether it’s books I’m reading, music I’m listening to, podcast I’ve discovered, you name it it’s here.

John’s recommended reading:

“Shoe Dog” (Phil Knight

In this instantand tenacious New York Times bestseller, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight “offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh” (Booklist, starred review), illuminating his company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

“Will It Fly?:” How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don’t Waste Your Money (Pat Flynn)

Stop rushing into businesses born from half-baked ideas, misguided theories, and other forms of self-delusion. A lack of proper validation kills more businesses than anything else. As Joel Barker says, ‘Speed is only useful if you re running in the right direction.’ Will It Fly? will help you make sure you are clear for takeoff.

It answers questions like:

* Does your business idea have merit?* Will it succeed in the market you re trying to serve, or will it just be a waste of time and resources?* Is it a good idea for YOU?

In other words, will it fly?

Chock-full of practical suggestions you can apply to your business idea today, Will It Fly? combines action-based exercises, small-scale ‘litmus tests’, and real-world case studies with anecdotes from the author s personal experience of making money online, hosting successful podcasts, testing niche sites, and launching several online businesses.

Will It Fly?

Dr. Chris Crow may single handily save the American healthcare system. Ok. So maybe that’s an overstatement. However, I firmly believe many of the ideas Dr. Crow espouses contain the answers for getting America to a more sustainable healthcare future.

In this episode, which started off-camera and over some quality Hutchins BBQ. We discuss how Crow, a Hillsboro, TX native inspired by the town doctors decided to adopt their profession as his own. It wasn’t about money. It wasn’t just about the science or biology. It was about being a community leader in a profession that traditionally went hand in hand with community leadership. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. The next time the BBQ is on me Chris!

Christopher Crow, M.D. CEO of StratiFi Health and President of Catalyst Health Network, is a nationally recognized healthcare innovator. Dr. Crow created StratiFi Health and launched Catalyst Health Network after founding Village Health Partners and Legacy Medical Village in Plano, Texas in 2007. He is an award-winning primary care physician and has spent the past 20+ years focused on helping communities thrive through improving the delivery of healthcare.

As President of Catalyst Health Network, Dr. Crow has connected and aligned a network of more than 650 Primary Care Providers with nearly 1 million lives across North Texas, to build a better care model for patients that improves health and lowers cost. His work with Catalyst led them to be the first North Texas physician network to hold value-based contracts with the top four major carriers: Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, BCBSTX, and Cigna.

To date (since 2016), Catalyst performed with significant savings of approximately $55 million for the communities they serve.  Additionally, Catalyst became the 5th URAC Clinically Integrated Network in the nation in December 2017. In August 2019, StratiFi Health became 2nd in the nation to earn URAC Accreditation in Case Management with the Transition of Care Designation.

As CEO of StratiFi Health, Dr. Crow has been instrumental in the company’s incredible 5 year growth and success. StratiFi Health serves over 1,300 providers between their population health and practice services offerings. These practices manage well over 1.25 million lives and over $5 billion in annual medical expenditures. In 2018, StratiFi Health was awarded #19 out of 100 fastest growing, privately held companies in North Texas.

Dr. Crow was named Healthcare Innovator of the Year by D CEO Magazine, awarded TAFP Presidential Award of Merit, and Dallas 500 Most Powerful Leaders in North Texas. Additionally, Dr. Crow was name a finalist for the 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Southwest.