Podcasts about pearland

In Episode 491, Ryan and Jose are joined by Joe and Catalina of Little Spark Films to do an audio commentary for the newly released Barker inspired movie, Night of the Zoopocalypse.  This is the Clive Barker Podcast, where long-time fans Ryan and Jose interview guests, bring you the news, and take deep dives into Barker-related stuff.  Sponsor : Don Bertram's Celebrate Imagination | Pinterest | ETSY Store Check out his recent paintings Homage to Pearland and Homage to Pearland II on Facebook Texas Friends:   April 26th will be the Pearland Arts Festival Help our former guest, Hans Rueffert Sponsor : Ed Martinez YouTube Channel Yasushi Nirasawa at Mad Model Party 1996 Patreon Members Shout-Out (Become a Patron) David Anderson Erik Van T' Holt Daniel Elven Amanda Stewart Bradley Gartz Markus Returning Sponsor: Don Bertram's Celebrate Imagination  New Sponsor, Ed Martinez YouTube Channel What's New for our Patreon Subscribers  Coming Soon: The BarkerCast Studio beginning to first recording Coming Soon: Don Bertram and Hans Rueffert talk about the the days of the Luna 7 Gallery and the first Clive Barker Prints.   Commentary: Night of the Zoopocalypse 1h 31m 2025 – Ricardo Curtis / Rodrigo Perez-Castro Written by Clive Barker / Steven Hoban / James Kee Feedback / Comments Show Notes The movie on Amazon Prime Rent $6.99 | Buy $14.99 The Movie on Apple TV (Same prices) On Fandango (Same Prices) Night of the Zoopocalypse Web Site Night of the Zoopocalypse Blu-Ray (Legit?) LSF Tik Tok Post Coming Next The Cilicium Quadra I Am Monsters Episode 500 Jericho Squad 77 Returns Book Club of Blood : Hell's Event And this podcast, having no beginning will have no end.  web www.clivebarkercast.com Apple Podcasts,  Android,  Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, Libsyn, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Pocket Casts, Radio.com, and YouTube and Facebook: | BarkerCast Listeners Group | Occupy Midian  BlueSky | Reddit | Discord Community Support the show Buy Our Book: The BarkerCast Interviews Occupy Midian  Hardcover | Kindle | Apple Become a Patreon Patron | Buy a T-Shirt Music is by Ray Norrish All Links and show notes in their Entirety can be found at https://www.clivebarkercast.com

In Episode 490, Ryan and Jose are joined by David Blair for our Book Club of Blood series, and the story “Dread” as well as its two adaptations.  This is the Clive Barker Podcast, where long-time fans Ryan and Jose interview guests, bring you the news, and take deep dives into Barker-related stuff.  Sponsor : Don Bertram's Celebrate Imagination | Pinterest | ETSY Store Check out his recent paintings Homage to Pearland and Homage to Pearland II on Facebook Help our former guest, Hans Rueffert Sponsor : Ed Martinez YouTube Channel Yasushi Nirasawa at Mad Model Party 1996 Patreon Members Shout-Out (Become a Patron) David Anderson Erik Van T' Holt Daniel Elven Amanda Stewart Bradley Gartz Markus Returning Sponsor: Don Bertram's Celebrate Imagination  Brand New Sponsor, Ed Martinez YouTube Channel What's New for our Patreon Subscribers  Coming Soon: The BarkerCast Studio beginning to first recording Jose, Ryan, David Blair Book Club of Blood Discussion:  Dread: Books of Blood Vol 2 Feedback / Comments From Reddit Show Notes Dread on Plex Dread on Amazon Dread on Apple Dread Student Trailer Masters of Horror: Anthony DiBlasi Interview JoBlo: Anthony DiBlasi Interview 2 Episode 383 : Hans Rueffert Help our former guest, Hans Rueffert Coming Next The Cilicium Quadra Night of the Zoopocalypse Episode 500 Jericho Squad 77 Returns Book Club of Blood : Hell's Event And this podcast, having no beginning will have no end.  web www.clivebarkercast.com Apple Podcasts,  Android,  Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, Libsyn, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Pocket Casts, Radio.com, and YouTube and Facebook: | BarkerCast Listeners Group | Occupy Midian  BlueSky | Reddit | Discord Community Support the show Buy Our Book: The BarkerCast Interviews Occupy Midian  Hardcover | Kindle | Apple Become a Patreon Patron | Buy a T-Shirt Music is by Ray Norrish All Links and show notes in their Entirety can be found at https://www.clivebarkercast.com

Dana In The Morning Highlights 4/4A couple of UH Cougars players could be featured in next years NBA GamesRodeo announces dates for next year including a CONCERT ONLY dayA Mom out in Pearland finds her calling helping assist elderly patients who struggle

In Episode 489, Ryan and Jose catch up on Lord of Illusions release and Night of the Zoopocalypse news. Plus we have a listener question.   This is the Clive Barker Podcast, where long-time fans Ryan and Jose interview guests, bring you the news, and take deep dives into Barker-related stuff.  Sponsor : Don Bertram's Celebrate Imagination | Pinterest | ETSY Store Check out his recent paintings Homage to Pearland and Homage to Pearland II on Facebook Sponsor : Ed Martinez YouTube Channel Yasushi Nirasawa at Mad Model Party 1996 Patreon Members Shout-Out (Become a Patron) David Anderson Erik Van T' Holt Daniel Elven Amanda Stewart Bradley Gartz Markus Returning Sponsor: Don Bertram's Celebrate Imagination  Brand New Sponsor, Ed Martinez YouTube Channel What's New for our Patreon Subscribers  Ed Martinez   News From The Reef Update on the Studio Ed Martinez New Video: Yasushi Nirasawa at Mad Model Party 1996 Lord of Illusions 4K Release from Scream Factory Butterball Delivering Doordash Peter Atkins Women In Horror Month Post Night of the Zoopocalypse – Available on-demand April 4 Listener Feedback / Question BlueSky – Lucas Ferrero : Hi there. Did you make an episode of the Clive Barker mangas? The Hellraiser adaptation done by Naruho Amino and also his adaptation of The Yattering and the Jack. I love your podcast. Saludos from Argentina. Show Notes Nirasawa Devilman Nirasawa Skull-Bite Nirasawa on Ebay Salt and Pepper Diner Yattering and Jack manga by Naruho Amino Dark Dreamers Coming Next The Cilicium Quadra Night of the Zoopocalypse Episode 500 Jericho Squad 77 Returns Book Club of Blood : Dread And this podcast, having no beginning will have no end.  web www.clivebarkercast.com Apple Podcasts,  Android,  Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, Libsyn, Tunein, iHeart Radio, Pocket Casts, Radio.com, and YouTube and Facebook: | BarkerCast Listeners Group | Occupy Midian  BlueSky | Reddit | Discord Community Support the show Buy Our Book: The BarkerCast Interviews Occupy Midian  Hardcover | Kindle | Apple Become a Patreon Patron | Buy a T-Shirt Music is by Ray Norrish All Links and show notes in their Entirety can be found at https://www.clivebarkercast.com

Dana In The Morning Highlights 3/27Governor Greg Abbott has activated state resources ahead of all the rain we're expectingFoodie TikToker Keith Lee donates $50,000 to Pearland's 'The Puddery'Astros Opening Day today - what are you looking forward to most?

Dana In The Morning Highlights 3/6Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner passes away at age 70Pearland teen with cancer becomes honorary secret service memberDana helping with Armed Forces Appreciation Day @ the Rodeo and discovered 'A Warrior's Table'

LaShawnda Hall's salon journey began in an unconventional way. As a retail manager in a chain clothing store, she befriended a customer -- a hair stylist from across the mall. She became a regular guest of that stylist, Summit's own Jen Culverhouse. Years later, when Jen opened her own salon company, Jen invited LaShawnda to manage a boutique. Fast forward to today, and LaShawnda has become the owner of that salon - Urban Eve in Pearland, Texas. A go-getter and multi-tasker extraordinaire,  LaShawnda is an inspiration to anyone dreaming about owning a salon.  Looking to level up your boutique, or add one to your salon company? Listen to our previous episode, Boutique experience with LaShawnda Hall. We also have a very fun episode with LaShawnda's former employer and founder of Urban Eve Salon, Jen Culverhouse, where you can get to know your enneagram type .Find LaShawnda on Instagram @lashawndahall_ssbcLearn more about LaShawnda and schedule a 30 minute discovery call for front desk or boutique coaching services.  Follow Summit Salon Business Center on Instagram @SummitSalon, and on TikTok at SummitSalon. SUMM IT UP is now on YouTube! Watch extended cuts of our interviews at www.youtube.com/@summitunlockedFind host Blake Reed Evans on Instagram @BlakeReedEvans and on TikTok at blakereedevans. His DM's are always open! You can email Blake at bevans@summitsalon.com. Visit us at SummitSalon.com to connect with others in the industry.

On Friday's show: Criminal charges against a former staffer of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will likely be dropped after Alex Triantaphyllis agreed to a pre-trial intervention deal. He is among three former staffers who were accused of steering an $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract to a preferred vendor.And we learn about the findings from HISD's audit of its special education department, which found thousands of violations of district policy and hundreds of violations of students' rights, according to reporting from Houston Landing.Also this hour: We meet Jackson Sweeney, an aerospace engineer from Pearland whose work is on board the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, which is set to land on the moon in the coming weeks.Then, from HISD students staying home from school to protest Mike Miles, to the City of Houston's budget deficit growing some more, to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour coming to Houston for two shows this summer, we discuss The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week.And ROCO, formerly the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, is in its 20th season, which includes a concert this weekend of world premieres about AI and last year's solar eclipse.

Episode 9-15 – Assistant Chief Jacob JohnsonWe are proud to have Asst. Chief Jacob Johnson from the Pearland Fire Department in Pearland TX. Jacob first joined us on “5-Alarm task Force,” when he was a Captain. And it was easy to see how dedicated he was, and still is, of course, to being the best firefighter and officer that he could be. In this episode, we discuss the “how and why” of, not only his success, but that of the department. With their seventh station already on the way, they also have plans for Station 8 and Station 9. We discuss the remarkable success of the Pearland Fire Department and how successful their recruiting efforts are. Beyond recruiting, their retention level is particularly good. As Jacob tells it, one of the most important criteria is treating their residents as well as their members as “family.”Sit back and enjoy the videocast or the audio podcast and see what you can learn from Asst. Chief Jacob Johnson.Watch the interview on YouTube at https://youtu.be/v49vDfNNv20 and the audio version on your favorite podcast platforms!We still your help to raise funds for our Brothers and Sisters who were deeply involved in the major fires. Please remember, many, many of the firefighters who fought, “tooth & nail” the major blazes, but they lost their homes, vehicles, clothes, etc. Please visit our website at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org.

In this episode of the Building Texas Business Podcast, I speak with Amyn Bandali, CEO of Ivy Kids Systems. Amyn shares the story behind Ivy Kids, a premier childcare and education provider founded by his parents. He reflects on how their move to Pearland, Texas, and the challenges they faced finding quality childcare led to the establishment of their first school. Since then, the family business has grown to 20 locations, with 16 more under development. We discuss the decision to franchise the business, the importance of building a culture of empowerment within teams, and Amyn's philosophy on leadership. He explains how empowering employees with autonomy, transparency, and responsibility has been key to Ivy Kids' success. Amyn also talks about navigating challenges, including the impact of the pandemic, which required the business to pivot toward virtual programs and innovative approaches to childcare. The conversation highlights the critical role of early childhood education in shaping lifelong success, the importance of continuous innovation, and how technology like coding and robotics is being integrated into Ivy Kids' curriculum. Amyn also shares insights into managing a franchise system and the value of fostering strategic relationships and learning from setbacks. This episode is filled with practical lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders who aspire to create sustainable growth and a strong company culture. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Amyn Bandali is the CEO of Ivy Kids Systems, a premier childcare brand founded by his parents in Pearland, Texas, offering education from infants to pre-K and afterschool programs. The company was inspired by the founders' personal experience of struggling to find high-quality childcare when they first moved to the United States from Canada. Amyn joined the business in 2015 and initiated the franchising strategy, growing from 5 corporate locations to 20 total locations with 16 more under development. The company emphasizes a culture of empowerment, focusing on giving employees autonomy, transparency, and timely feedback while understanding the "why" behind strategic initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivy Kids pivoted to online learning and alternative programs, generating a million dollars in revenue for franchisees despite significant enrollment drops. The company is innovating its curriculum by incorporating coding, robotics, digital parent assessments, and classroom camera access to enhance early childhood education. Amyn's leadership style prioritizes empowering team members, setting clear visions, and allowing individuals to develop their own key performance indicators (KPIs). The company values continuous learning, participating in franchise associations, mastermind groups, and local business networks to share best practices. Amyn learned a critical leadership lesson during the pandemic about truly empowering his team by trusting them during challenging times. The company's educational philosophy is grounded in research showing the critical importance of early childhood learning in a child's development. LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Ivy Kids Systems GUESTS Amyn BandaliAbout Amyn TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: Amyn, I want to welcome you to Building Texas Business. Thanks for agreeing to come on the show. Amyn: Yeah, thank you for having me, Chris. Happy to be here. Chris: So you're the CEO of Ivy Kids Systems. Tell the listeners what Ivy Kids is. What do you do? What are you known for? Amyn: Yeah. So Ivy Kids, we are a premier childcare brand, not just a daycare where parents just come in to pick up and drop off. You know, we provide education and that's from the infant level, so as young as two months old, all the way to our pre-K program, which is five and six year olds. And then we also have an afterschool program as well, where parents pick up and drop off from elementary school. The kids come in for homework help. And we're next year celebrating our 20th anniversary. Chris: Congratulations. That is amazing. Amyn: Yes. So what was the inspiration to get into this primary childcare, education, afterschool learning? Where did that emanate from? Amyn: Yeah. So, you know, a little bit about our history. So Ivy Kids was actually founded by my parents, Allen and Layla. You know, we had moved from Canada to the States or to Houston in 1995, and we lived in Pearland. So, as you're probably aware with Pearland, it experienced massive growth during that time. You know, 518 had one stoplight. Now it's a six-lane highway, it feels like. But you know, my parents, you know, with my brother and I being young children, they found out very hard time finding high quality care for us. You know, we would be in the daycare system, mom and pop childcare, quote unquote, you know, prestigious childcare program, and it was, you know, observation, where there was no learning going on, or my brother and I would, you know, be picked up and we'd have a bump or a bruise, and nobody would be able to point out why. Amyn: My parents being engineers and also having a history of entrepreneurship from their parents and their grandparents, you know, they thought about this industry and they thought, hey, we can do a better job of running high quality schools. So I like to say they reversed engineered the childcare. You know, they put a lot of thought, time and thinking, and over that course of 10 years from when we moved to Pearland, to 2005, we opened our first school, and that was in the Pearland area, and it did really well. So from that, we grew from that one corporate location to then five corporate locations. And then when I joined the business in 2015, and I can talk about the reasons why, but that was when we decided to franchise our brand. And, you know, today we are at 20 locations. We actually just opened our 20th location about a month ago and we have 16 under development right now throughout Texas and the Southeast United States. Chris: And, just curious, I mean, the 20 that exists in the 16 under development, how many of those are franchise versus corporate owned? Amyn: Yeah. So we still own all of the corporate locations today. We are at five corporate locations and we are at 15 franchise locations. You know, I think one of the things that shows maybe a strong brand and, you know, happy franchisees is folks opening their second or third locations. And even though we opened our first school in 2017, you know, that's been one of the great things to see. As a franchisor, you know, seeing folks open their second or third location, looking for sites for that. And that's kind of where we are right now in the evolution of the business, which is really exciting to see. Chris: That sounds exciting. So you're going back to the beginning in listening to the story you were telling about your parents. Yeah. It sounds like a very common entrepreneurial inspirational moment where they see a gap and figure out a way to fill that gap or need, right? And in this case, you know, quality childcare. Amyn: Yeah, absolutely. You know, they saw a lot of great things about this business, which really stand today. And it's, you know, if you do right by that family, you do right by that child, you know, you're having that parent for 10 years from when they're infant to that afterschool program. You know, they saw that childcare is a need, not a want. You know, if you have a dual income family, you have to put your child somewhere where, you know, they'll feel safe where they're learning. And from that they saw a need in building their first Ivy Kids to, well, there's so much research out there about the importance of education at an early age that then, you know, catapults a child into future learning, future success, as opposed to not getting that in the early ages. Chris: And the kind of the downward trajectory of the backing cause. Amyn: Yeah. I mean, there's some amazing studies. There was one that was done about eight years ago by Harvard University that basically said 95 percent of who you are is from the first five years that you were born. You know, everything from what your passions are to your ability to learn. So much of that comes from those first five years. And then if you think about, hey, what is the best return on investment then for my education? It's not necessarily those prestigious universities that does have a high rate of return, but the best ROI actually that a family can spend, that a government could spend is that first five years and getting that part right. Chris: Right. You know, if you're doing that, then you are truly building that foundation. And I think that's one of the drivers for why, you know, why families make a decision. You know, they're looking for, they're seeing the benefits, they're understanding more and more of, you know, the link between high quality learning and how their child is going to do. And they're making a smarter decision now with where they're choosing to enroll their child. Chris: So let's go a little bit, so we understand your parents' inspiration. You alluded to this, but I don't understand what drew you into the business. What were you doing before and what was it that caused you to leave that to step in and kind of take over? Amyn: Yeah. So by the time we had opened our first school, I was in, you know, college or close to college and seeing the business up front, you know, seeing the ability to build your own path, create your own destiny, working in the business from everything, from us assembling the furniture when we were opening our first school, actually laying the grass and the sod down in order for us to get our CEO inspection passed, you know, I was just so enthralled by it. I was so excited about it. The ability of owning something and really charting your destiny. And that really didn't leave me. You know, in college, I also took a job. It was with Student Agencies, which is a business run by undergrads and I did sales there. And that also really excited me too. Amyn: And then, you know, I kind of went the route that a lot of students at Cornell did for undergraduate business, which was pursue finance, look at the business consulting route or the investment banking route. And, you know, I learned a lot going down that path, but I missed being in that small business, you know, really building something that was my own working with a dynamic team and a small team. And, you know, I think building some of that foundation, this amazing opportunity came that was presented by my dad to say, hey, let's franchise the business. You know, we've got something great going. This would be an amazing opportunity for other like-minded people to open their own locations and thrive. Amyn: And I just thought, man, this marries what I did earlier. I've got a bit of foundation for working at larger organizations. You know, maybe there's something there and it turned out to be a good decision. Chris: Very good. That's a great, I love the story and how you were able to, I think it's important. You got an education and you got real world experience outside of that, right? To then bring that into and maybe help professionalize a little bit the company, especially as it was launching into being a franchisor. Amyn: Yeah. So you mentioned, you know, working with the team, let's talk a little bit about, you know, some of the ups and downs that you've experienced and maybe you saw your parents early on experience and building the team around you so that the company can achieve that success. Because if I know anything about hiring, it's an imperfect thing, right? Is that part science, part art? But you do your best to get it right. So tell me, let's talk a little bit about those experiences, you know, what you've learned from that. Amyn: Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, going into small business entrepreneurship, there's very much a feeling of working in the business, you know, being so kind of head down and focusing on, hey, how do we survive today? And, you know, I think when you're joining or launching a new business, which really was the franchising part of our business was a brand new business, you are really thinking in that lens and that mindset. And I always feel like hiring, building an infrastructure, it just allows you to think more long term and that just prolongs the lifespan of your business too. So I think making those right strategic hires as soon as we have that capital, thinking ahead about, hey, where do we want to be in the next 5, 10 years and investing in those people and really giving them the freedom and empowerment, you know, to expand their careers, expand their responsibilities as you're seeing them master their role. Amyn: I think that really helped, you know. So one book that I read early on about a year or two after I joined the business was Traction by Gina Wickman. Sure. You know, the entrepreneurial operating system. I mean, that's something that we do today. And I think that was foundational in how I look at people, helping the assistant. Hey, do we have the right people in the right seats? And then are we creating a culture of empowerment? You know, I think about what attracted me to Ivy Kids and starting this franchising part of the business. And it was this idea of taking ownership, having accountability, you know, maybe having a little bit too much rope. Chris: Right. Right. Amyn: And I just think, hey, at a size that we are, those are probably the people that I'm going to be attracting to. And how can I create that where if I were in their shoes, I'd want to be a part of this business. And I think some of that where, hey, there's alignment on goals, but hey, you have the empowerment and you have the ability to achieve it and how you achieve it and how you get to that final product is up to you. You know, I always feel like that allows you to really grow people, especially when you're smaller, maybe you have that limited capital base, you know, and now you can start thinking strategically about your business and then your business can really grow. Chris: So I love that term culture of empowerment. Let's talk about culture. You know, everyone agrees culture is king, right? And every book you read and each strategy, you know, all those clichés. What have you done to kind of foster and build this culture of empowerment within Ivy Kids? Amyn: You know, I think of myself as a generalist. And I think of myself as, hey, I am not the best person in any department. And I think as you grow as a leader, that is just what naturally happens. You know, you have to build a team of people that are smarter, more experienced. I would say better than you in each of these divisions in each of these areas. Amyn: So I think just thinking, hey, if I'm growing or if the business is growing, I have to increase the skill sets of everything around me and I have to play more of that generalist mindset. And with that, it's let me bring these people on and have and let them be the experts in the subject matter experts of what they're doing now. Amyn: Alignment and vision and where we are and ensuring that, hey, prove to me that you can do this job is still very important. Sure. You know, We still need to have check-ins and make sure that, hey, are we all marching in that direction and where we want to go as a company. But at the end of the day, I do think that people are more passionate if they feel a sense of ownership, if they can look back and see, "Oh, I or my team accomplished this." I'm getting praise for those kinds of things. You know, one of the things that we do, we have quarterly town halls and we do shout outs, and it's a thing that I love. We just had ours on Friday. And, you know, the team gives each other shout outs, but I think when people are empowered and we are able to showcase, you did a great job and this is why, and this is what your team is doing, is getting the company moving forward, is amazing. And that might be harder to create that visibility as a company grows. But it is something that I like to keep on the forefront of my mind because empowering people, it's just like this flywheel of positivity, right? Chris: Right. Amyn: It just, it's like the snowball or flywheel effect. It just grows upon itself. You know, the shout outs that you mentioned, I don't think it can be overstated, the value in just simple recognition. Private recognition is great, but the public recognition amongst someone's peers, I mean, it doesn't replace cash rewards, but some people value it as much or more, right? And I think that you would take the time to do that in a thoughtful way, and I can see where that would inspire your people to do more, right? Or, well, gosh, your coworker got it. I'm going to do something so that the next quarter I get it. And it just, to your point, that flywheel effect, it just creates this atmosphere and culture of wanting to achieve and be successful. ADVERT Hello friends. This is Chris Hanslick, your Building Texas Business host. Did you know that Boyer Miller, the producer of this podcast, is a business law firm that works with entrepreneurs, corporations, and business leaders? Our team of attorneys serve as strategic partners to businesses by providing legal guidance to organizations of all sizes. Get to know the BoyerMiller.com and thanks for listening to the show. Amyn: The other thing I heard you say is there's a key piece of autonomy to create the culture of empowerment within Ivy Kids and giving your people the autonomy to go do what they do, what they've been hired to do without being micromanaged. Chris: Yeah, that's exactly right. Amyn: I mean, I always think back to when I first started out, you know, in my career, you know, as an investment banking analyst, you know, you're spending 80, a hundred hours a week, you're working on these pitch decks. You're grinding until 2 a.m. You're working on this project and now all of a sudden you have this package, you deliver it to your managing director and then they go to a meeting and you never hear back. You come up from the dungeon, right? Chris: Exactly. Amyn: And I always was like, hey, you know what, I wonder what that client thought or if that what I did had an effect. And you know, that's that part where I'm like, well, am I doing that as a leader? And am I these blockages? You know, because people want to learn and people want to be in those meetings. I think everybody wants to be in that meeting and see where their work is leading to. And I just always think, hey, if I were working for me when I was starting off, would I have liked myself as a boss? Chris: Right. Amyn: And that also means, hey, clear vision of where that person is heading. What am I doing right? And what am I not doing well? You know, I think feedback transparency, you know, I really try and instill that criticism is not a negative word, you know, problems are not bad. You know, problems are just identifications of what we can all do better. Chris: Right. Amyn: I like hearing problems to not, you know, and that could be a, you know, what we're doing and just what's going on within the organization. You know, what the way I would phrase what I just heard you say is about, it's about mindset, right? You can view someone's performance from a positive mindset or a negative mindset and say, look, okay, this didn't go well, but that's a learning moment. Let's find the learning as opposed to chastise and criticize and beat someone down. Chris: Yeah, right. And I think, you know, same situations handled, you know, one versus the other can encourage and empower someone to want to do better or discourage them to, you know, put their tail between their legs and maybe leave, even leave your organization when it's not someone you necessarily want to leave. Amyn: Yeah, and this is a thing that comes over time. It comes with empowerment. It comes with, you know, celebrating that publicly. It comes with a culture of positivity. You know, it is also something that I feel like is so important when you are owning a small business, when you're opening a business is separating yourself and your identity and ego in some ways from your business. Chris: Right. Amyn: You know, it's something that I, you know, try and share with our franchisees when they're opening a school and they're having a quality assurance visit or their first, maybe, you know, not ideal interaction with the parent. I mean, there's a real personal feeling there. It's easier said than done, right? Chris: It is. Amyn: But I, to your point, very important to do. So let's kind of dive into some of those subjects because you start the franchise part of the business, I think you said 2017. So it seems to me you're getting it off the ground. It's going well. And then a global pandemic hit. So let's talk about managing through kind of uncertainty, economic downturn, especially when your business is predicated on kids coming into a public, basically facility and gathering together when that wasn't going on. Amyn: Yeah. I mean, I remember March of 2020, I think our average school enrollment was about 200 children. And I think it went to 40 in two weeks, so very stressful period as you can imagine. You know, and one thing that I learned from the pandemic or from our team and in business is you can really pivot on a dime. You know, and I think that's something that I've taken from me too is we went to online learning, you know, for two, three hours every day we were able to orient the company in that direction. You know, it ended up generating a million dollars of revenue for our franchisees, which was a benefit. You know, we were able to do things like private kindergarten. We were able to do a virtual program for elementary school children. They were able to come in our schools and do the virtual learning from the elementary teacher at our schools, and everybody was separated apart. Chris: Wow. Amyn: So we were able to come up with revenue-generating ideas. We weren't able to make up entirely for the lost revenue due to COVID. But we were able to do some really amazing things and stay in really close communication with our franchisees. Yeah. Because as you know, each city, each state had their own requirements. Chris: Right. Amyn: I think I learned a lot from that, that, hey, if you've got a long-term goal, a long-term plan and things change within your business, that doesn't mean you don't change your goal. You know, you can orient things, you can turn things on a dime. And, you know, although things have returned to normal and in many respects, right? Or pre-COVID, I think the learnings from that have helped our innovation and just saying, hey, let's push a little bit more. Let's try a little bit more. Chris: I love it because I think the lesson there is despite what comes at you, whether it was in your control or not, there's always opportunity. Amyn: So again, it goes back to mindset. I thank you. Okay, get the team, you or your team together and go, okay, where are the opportunities out of this that we probably wouldn't have seen before? And I think, like you said, you see so many people, especially in your industry. Now that kids are back in your facilities, it doesn't take away the opportunities for online learning you can do. Chris: Right. Amyn: And it's just added revenue. Chris: Yeah, that's right. You know, I think, you know, a franchisee, they open and they think, oh man, you know, these problems are just centered around me and oh my gosh, I'm opening a business. And it's luckily now you're around 20 years of experience of us operating, but also imagine those franchisees that had that same feeling and they opened during 2020, 2021, right? Amyn: Where we had to do everything virtual. So, you know, I think, you know, a business owner, you have to be an optimist. You have to look for, hey, what are ways that either I could turn this around or generate some revenue. Growth mindset is just so important. Chris: Yeah, so true. So you mentioned innovation. What are some of the things that you have done or that you may be doing now to kind of foster innovative ideas, innovative thoughts within your team that you can then implement with your franchisees, etc.? Amyn: You know, I think so much of that comes from our goals and seeing, hey, what can we continue to do to further differentiate ourselves as being the leading provider of early childhood education? Right. I mean, you look at our curriculum, you know, we have a lot of, you know, mom and pops that are great, you know, and in varying levels of quality and large franchise organizations too. Right. And what you find is there has not been a great deal of innovation in the curriculum space and in education, you know, so really it's us thinking at things differently, like, hey, just because everybody else is doing the same thing. Chris: Right. Amyn: That grounded in the research of today? Right. Does that relate to the teachers of today? What children need to learn in order to be successful in the elementary school, middle schools in the communities that they're in today. I think just always trying to understand the why, you know, I think why is one of the most important questions that you can ask. And that's really what I do in the meetings is understand, hey, why are we doing this? How are we doing this? You know, I think that generates a lot of thought within our team. Then once we have those strategic tools in place, we have those systems in place. Okay, then what is our cadence to see how we're executing on it and seeing how we're going within that? Amyn: So I always think goal setting at the year, understanding what those rocks are each quarter, but then, hey, just because it's a status quo does not mean that's good enough. You know, so even in our curriculum, implementing coding and robotics, parent assessments that are digital. So you can see every, you know, every month, every two months, exactly what your child's doing in the classroom. Camera access. So as a parent, you can see exactly what's going on in your child's classroom. You know, those are not just tried and true things. Those are things that came from great communication with our parents, a team that is, you know, flexible, forthinking about what they would want to see as a parent and then great execution. Chris: Wow. That's great. So you mentioned robotics. I've got to ask, what are you doing or kind of what's on the horizon as it relates to your curriculum and your delivery of this, your childcare and child education, early childhood education as it relates to AI? Amyn: Yeah, I think that's a great question. You know, I think tools like AI are amazing. You know, there's so much that you can do in regards to communication, idea generation. You know, I think for us is just, hey, when it comes to technology, you know, how do we ensure that children today are well-equipped for their technological future? So when we talk about coding and robotics, it's not just sitting in a computer and coding, you know, for it. It's even from that two or three-year-old level of doing logic puzzles, if-then statements. If I take a certain input and I am bringing code puzzles to it, what do those outputs look like? So it's a great way of them to manipulate in a coding language, but not also spending time in the computer and being in front of a screen too, which also which shows you know, a negative impact due to research for that young and FNH, right? We're making steps towards that direction. We are not diving full ahead, you know, to me, it's one thing to be first in an area, but I'd rather do it best, right? And I'd rather do it where, you know, we're not just testing things on children, but we are providing something that is impactful. That's based on research that we know we can implement really well. And I think you're going to continue to see growth in that area, too. You know, other things is just back to a naturalistic component, having things like gardens in our schools, you know, teaching children, hey, the food does not just come from H-E-B. It comes from the ground, and this is why. So, you know, I think innovation is a big part of it. Chris: That's great stuff. I mean, I can imagine parents get excited about hearing about that fundamental learning that their kids are going to get to experience with you. Amyn: Yeah, absolutely. Building strategic relationships, you know, partnerships and things that you have, you know, obviously relationships with franchisees, but other key, you know, advisors or relationships you have. Let's talk in the context of the value you've seen in that, how you think that's helped grow the business and how you lean on those, you know, from time to time to get you through to the next stage, if you will. Chris: Yeah. I mean, I think you always want to be around people that are adding to your skill set and have exceptional talents in those skill sets. You know, I think about continual learning. Luckily, in franchising, it's an amazing model and way for people to share best practices. You know, the IFA International Franchise Association has amazing resources, especially for emerging franchisors. They have great conferences and that's a great way to share ideas. Amyn: You know, I'm part of a mastermind group of franchisors, 50 to 100 units. And just learning and seeing what best practices that they do. You know, they advocate a lot for transparency within a franchise system. Franchisees sharing what their P&Ls look like. What's going well, what's not going well in the business. And franchisees learning from each other and sharing best practices. You know, that's something that is important. We're implementing more in our business with benchmarking and KPIs and performance groups. Even being part of a local community, you know, I'm part of a Vistage group here in Houston. Chris: That sounds like an amazing asset. Amyn: Yeah, I think that is an amazing asset, going and meeting people in person, seeing their businesses, touring their locations. You know, I think sometimes being an entrepreneur, being a CEO can be a very isolating experience. Chris: For sure. Amyn: You know, all the fingers are pointing at you and all the hard questions come to you too. So being able to learn from others. I mean, learning from mistakes is great. Then you're not making them and they're less costly. So I'm always about trying to learn from other people. Chris: You alluded to one of my favorite questions there. So I always, I like to ask a guest, cause I do, we do learn from mistakes and it is nice if you can learn from someone else's, but has there been a setback or something you would describe, you know, a mistake or, you know, again, learning moment, like I mentioned earlier you've encountered? And let's talk about what that was, but what did you do to overcome it? What was the learning and how did it make you better? Amyn: You know, I think the learning that I encountered is not stepping into the business. And I think my idea of being a generalist came from mistakes, you know, being young and eager, wanting to jump in, hey, I can write this operations manual because I've spent time in the business or, you know, hey, use this marketing plan or this idea because it worked for me. You know, I think the big one was COVID early on. Oh my gosh, I was seeing the business totally transform. I felt the need to be in this. I need to be a wartime, you know, CEO or senior member. I need to be here. I need to be calling the franchisees. And really, our team had great ideas and approaches and they were thinking about the business and their fears around the business in a similar way that I was. Chris: Right. Amyn: Yeah. And the moment I snapped out of it was, hey, this training is great. I mean, but think about X, Y, and Z that the franchisee is going through. And I had my operations person tell me that. And I think it was a, oh my gosh, I've sucked myself into this business. Yes, there was a big change, but I talk about empowering my people. That also means not just when moments are good, but when moments are bad as well. So I think that goes both ways and people and relationships strengthen sometimes when you're giving someone the rope when the business is not going that well. Chris: Right. But I mean, that's powerful. I can certainly see how that was an aha moment for you. And again, for your people, right? That you trusted them enough in those times had to go a long way. Amyn: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, it's kind of like war stories during COVID or the up and down, but, you know, having a kind of a business history and having institutional knowledge, I mean, those are amazing tenants. You know, a franchisee joins, they have now someone on the operations team that's been with you for 20 years. But you're also incorporating, you know, newer people who are excited about the culture that we're trying to build. That's really important. Chris: Yeah. Well, I think you've talked around this, but just to kind of crystallize it, I do want to ask, how would you describe your leadership style and how do you think that's changed or evolved over time? Amyn: That's a really good question. I mean, I would say I like to empower people, you know, I like to set goals and a vision. You know, we have a vision of where we want to be as a company, and I want to understand what people think and how they see us getting there. And I want us, and I'd like to see that individual develop KPIs. What they think are the right metrics. And I want to understand the rationale behind that. And then we'll get together and figure out alignment there. But I like to see how people think. I like to see thinking. I want a demonstration of why they are getting to that problem or what their reasoning is around that problem. Chris: That makes sense. Amyn: Then we check in and I let them do it. I always think about how I, you know, if I was the low man on the totem pole, how empowered would I feel? You know, what are my responsibilities? And I think that attracts, you know, passionate people. Chris: Yeah. Amyn: And that's what I want to see. I want to see passion because I'm giving that responsibility. You know, as you were talking, it made me think. You know, we talked about learning from bad experiences or, you know, maybe learning, seeing something and going, okay, I experienced this, but I don't want to repeat that. And I can't help but think you learned so much as an early analyst and how you were treated. Chris: Yes. Amyn: You go, if I'm ever in a position of leadership, I'm not going to do these things. And it probably serves as a good reminder and a guidepost for you. Chris: Yeah. Amyn: To say, no, you know, remember what I didn't like, and let's do the opposite. Chris: Right. Amyn: Yeah, you learn a lot from great managers and you learn a lot from not so great managers. Yeah. And, you know, I think I had a lot of those on my bucket list and I think a lot of just reflection too. I mean, you know, I really try and take feedback and I really try and understand. Hey, you know, I mean, I've made a lot of mistakes and I think it's just, hey, let me try not to make that same mistake a second time. Chris: Right? Amyn: But you know, the sad truth is you're going to make some more, as will I, and the goal is trying to make the same one twice, right? Chris: That's right. I mean, this has been great. What an exciting business you have going. I want to, before we wrap up, I just always like to ask a few, you know, maybe less serious questions. What was your first job outside of Ivy schools? Amyn: My first job was a company called Student Agencies, in college. I sold ad space on the maps that you'd see around the Ithaca campus and these brochures. And I also helped with marketing promotions. A promotion I actually dressed up in a mascot outfit was a big light bulb because it was for an entrepreneurship idea competition. Chris: That's great. Amyn: So, I was a light bulb for a few weeks around campus. Talk about humility, right? Chris: That's right. And if you sold ad space for a brochure, I have to believe you got used to hearing the word no. Amyn: Oh man, yeah. No is common. No is very common. Chris: Okay, so, grew up in Pearland, you know, Texan as you can get, so do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Amyn: Oh, Tex-Mex for sure. Chris: Something you missed when you were up in Ithaca, I guess. Amyn: Oh, man, yeah. You didn't see much Tex-Mex over there. Chris: Well, I mean, this has been a great conversation. Congratulations on the success of the family business and where you've taken it, you know, since joining and the franchise side of things. Really appreciate you sharing that story with us and wish you the best success in the future. Amyn: All right. Thank you so much, Chris. I enjoyed it. Special Guest: Amyn Bandali.

Dana In The Morning Highlights 11/6TX is keeping tabs on Tropical Storm Rafael as it looks to make landfall next WednesdayHouston Human Society brought some furry friends out to Pearland to encourage votersOver half of us say it's bad driving - but what is YOUR dating deal-breaker?

It's storm season in Texas! If Mother Nature causes damage to your roof, call the professionals at Galveston County Roofing (409-419-6108) in Pearland! Go to https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/roof-maintenance/ to find out more. Galveston County Roofing City: Kemah Address: 808 Anders Ln Website: https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/ Phone: +1 409 419 6108

If your home was affected by Hurricane Beryl, Galveston County Roofing (409-419-6108) offers affordable and reliable roof repairs in Friendswood, Dickinson, Pearland, Deer Park, and Pasadena. Go to https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/ for more information. Galveston County Roofing City: Kemah Address: 808 Anders Ln Website: https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/ Phone: +1 409 419 6108

Guests:Melissa Silerio, Librarian, James Coble Middle School, Mansfield (TX)Rachael Welsh, Librarian at Sablatura Middle School, Pearland, (TX)Guest social media: Melissa:) @MelSilerio on IG and Twitter (XRachael: @rachaelreads on instagram Future Ready Schools Website: futureready.orgTwitter: @FutureReady, @ShannonMMillerInstagram: @FutureReadySchools, @ShannonMMillerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/FutureReadySchoolsFuture Ready Schools is a registered trademark of All4Ed, located in Washington, D.C. #FutureReady #FutureReadyLibs

Dana In The Morning Highlights 9/20After nearly 4 days of burning - the fire is finally out at the Deer Park pipelineStray dog on Bolivar Penninsula finds his new familyChristina found her calling teaching Special Needs kids out in Pearland

If you're looking for a reliable and affordable asphalt shingle roofing contractor in Deer Park, Friendswood, Pearland, or another part of South Houston, look no further than Galveston County Roofing (409-419-6108). Go to https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/roof-maintenance/ for more information. Galveston County Roofing City: Kemah Address: 808 Anders Ln Website: https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/ Phone: +1 409 419 6108

Texas is experiencing the highest number of weather disasters ever recorded. If you live in Dickinson, Pearland, Seabrook, or another part of South Houston, Galveston County Roofing (409-419-6108) offers affordable and reliable roof repairs. Go tohttps://galvestoncountyroofing.com/roof-maintenance/ for more information. Galveston County Roofing City: Kemah Address: 808 Anders Ln Website: https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/ Phone: +1 409 419 6108

Dana In The Morning Highlights 9/6Houston Texans have released a new hype video featuring JJ Watt2nd Tuesday of every month is FREE ticket days at the Houston ZooFEEL GOOD FRIDAY - Pearland nurse goes the extra mile with her care

Galveston County Roofing (409-419-6108) is a trusted local contractor providing affordable and reliable roof repairs across South Houston, including Seabrook, Santa Fe, League City, Pearland, and La Porte. Go to https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/roof-maintenance/ for more information. Galveston County Roofing City: Kemah Address: 808 Anders Ln Website: https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/ Phone: +1 409 419 6108

Jessica (Pearland) takes on Camille (Seabrook) on Day 17 of The Suburb Summer Sizzler

How do we sabbath well? John Mark highlights four common words associated with the word “shabbat”: stop, rest, delight, and worship, showing us how these four words give us clues on how to best open ourselves up to the life God offers us through this practice.Key Scripture Passages: Mark 2v23-28; Mark 3v1-6This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Beverly from Pearland, Texas; Pamela from Coppell, Texas; James from Oceanside, California; Kerri from Tallahassee, Florida; and Maria from Solvang, California. Thank you all so much!If you'd like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

Pamela (Spring) takes on Jessica (Pearland) on Day 1 of The Suburb Summer Sizzler

God desires to be our Father in a relational way, not just through provision and protection. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegospelandblackhistory/support

An area known as Mark Belt became Pearland in the late 1800s.

Disney Movie Moments screens 'Inside Out 2' at children's hospitals; Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico; 'GMA' visits Pearland, Texas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney Movie Moments screens 'Inside Out 2' at children's hospitals; Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico; 'GMA' visits Pearland, Texas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Mentor of the Month podcast, brought to you by the Crown Council. In this compelling new 12-part series, we bring you exclusive interviews with some of the world's leading dental professionals. Each episode is packed with invaluable insights on finding mentors, building a practice from the ground up, working for a Dental Support Organization (DSO), and seamlessly transitioning through different stages of your career. Our goal is to create a powerful community where dentists and dental teams can come together to learn culture-building skills and connect with the best in dentistry. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your dental career to the next level, this podcast is designed to provide you with the guidance and inspiration you need to hit the ground running. Tune in and let the experts lead the way! Meet Dr. David Montz for episode 121 - the first of our new podcast series. Dr. David C. Montz is a general and cosmetic dentist in private practice for over 21 years with offices in Pearland and Friendswood, Texas. Dr. Montz grew up in Friendswood, Texas, and graduated with honors from Friendswood High School in 1987. Upon graduation from Texas A&M University with a BS in Biomedical Science in 1990, he attended the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston where he graduated with honors earning a Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree (D.D.S.) and served a class president for 3 years. He then completed a one year residency program at UT Dental Branch in Houston and received the post graduate Certificate in Advanced Education in General Dentistry. Dr. Montz is dedicated to providing his patients with the best, most advanced care and customer service that dentistry has to offer. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the Greater Houston Dental Society, the Crown Council and the Seattle Study Club. Dr. Montz has earned accolades in many peer-voted publications including H Magazine, Houstonia, and Texas Monthly consistently naming him as one of the top dentists in the Greater Houston area. He was selected and served as a dentist evaluator for Clinical Research Associates, a non-profit organization that researches, evaluates and reports on dental materials, devices and concepts. His dental practice was most recently recognized and awarded the Crown Council 2018 National Dental Team of the Year Award. Dr. Montz also serves on the Dentist Peer Review Committee with the Greater Houston Dental Society. Dr. Montz currently serves on the Friendswood ISD Board of Trustees, a position he has held for over seven years and earned Master Trustee honors from the Texas Association of School Boards. He has also served as member and Vice Chairman of the City of Friendswood Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for over 10 years. Dr. Montz also is a founding member and serves on the Texas A&M University Biomedical Science Advisory Board, and he serves as a Vice President of the Friendswood Mustang Booster Club. Dr. Montz volunteered his time for over 20 years with activities that involved his four children, mostly in youth sports, and served continuously as a volunteer coach for soccer, baseball, and basketball. In addition, Dr. Montz served as a board member and President of Friendswood Soccer Club, and he was one of five founding board members of Space City FC soccer club serving as Vice President for many years. Outside of his dental practice and community activities, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, as well as exercising, gardening, and traveling. Dr. Montz and his wife, Kim, have four adult children: Joshua, Hannah, Samantha, and Zachary.

This is my final episode for Past Level 50. I think I've said plenty. My transition is taking me in other directions and I want to focus on my business Mel's Pod at The Cedar Chest of Pearland. I am still on most social media platforms. Please follow me and let me know that you followed me from the podcast. I loved every second of podcasting and might make appearances on Naked Onion Mystery Tours with Edith Ivey Rosenblath if she'll have me! Hahahaha! I am on TikTok until we're not. (Iykyk) find me here: mel_on_tiktok Kitty Rebellion and I are still on our LIVE on Thursday 3:30pm CST. I am in Instagram @Mel Chavez. The place that you will easily find me is Facebook. Yes, I'm there. I have a store LIVE on Monday at 12:15 for our Mystery Monday. It's a blast. Searching for Mel's Pod or Mel Chavez will work. Thank you for everything. See you soon…byyyeeee

On this episode of The Doug Pike Show Doug talks about fishing spots in the Houston communities, stock tanks info., and Grass Carp fish. DO you know what the term slicks means? Doug explains it and you'll be surprised.  Doug shares how top water lures have evolved overtime and how the price has gone up. Crank bait, casters/reels, and night fishing.Do you remember Catfish farms? Doug goes down memory lane with a caller. Info. on fishing in bar ditches, retention ponds, jetties and dikes in Texas. Doug talks about Bass, Crapppies, Trout, Snook, Red Snapper, and more. Golf updates 

School's out for summer!!! It's time to embrace the season of adventure and fun with our families. Ashley and Tiffany dish about how they plan to thrive, not survive, the summer while creating lasting memories with their children.  And if you are looking for a great resource for fun activities to do with or set up for your kids, Hearty is an incredibly useful option! Lots of crafts, games and tools to use to keep those kids busy! Make the summer count! “Spill the Tea” Win: Ashley got to hang out at Fox 26, where got to record a segment with Chelsea Edwards! Be on the lookout for the segment to air sometime in August! “Cream & Sugar” Recommendations: If you haven't watched Bridgerton's latest season, hold off! Ashley highly recommends avoiding the anxiousness of having to wait for part two of the season to air on Netflix and just wait until closer to June 13th to sink into the world of passion and refinement! Tiffany had a time at The Red Roster Club in Pearland! Incredible music and a club scene fit for actual adults… you can't beat it! Houston Moms “House Blends”:  Check out HM site for all things summer Branching Out:  Parenting Insights Through Friendship

This show is brought to you by: Better Help: Give therapy a try and Visit www.betterhelp.com/hardfactor today to get 10% off your first month. (00:00:00) - Teasers!

What areas of your life are you always trying to control? What you try to control the most is often what you worry about the most. And, you may be surprised to find, what you try to control is most often where you are trusting God the least. Watch/listen to this message from Manne Favor, Pastor of Connect Church in Pearland, Texas, to learn that you can't control everything, but you can trust God with everything.Click here for Pastor Manne Favor's Message Notes._______________________________________________________________________Subscribe so you don't miss a thing!Christian Copyright Solutions (CCS, BMI, ASCAP, SESAC)License: #14753Find us on:YouTube: YouTube.com/TheHarborInstagram: Instagram.com/TheHarbor_lifeFacebook: Facebook.com/TheHarbordotlifeWebsite: https://www.TheHarbor.lifeWatch/listen on The Harbor AppNew episode every week!

When was the last time you had your Pearland roof inspected by an expert? With hurricane season just around the corner, now is the time to contact the specialists at Galveston County Roofing (409-419-6108). Go to https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/roofing-contractor for more information. Galveston County Roofing City: Kemah Address: 808 Anders Ln Website: https://galvestoncountyroofing.com/ Phone: +1 409 419 6108

In this episode Jeb talks with Russell Ybarra, founder of Gringos Tex-Mex and author of The Enchilada Entrepreneur.------------------------------------------The year was 1992 and Russell Ybarra was asked to take over his father's failing restaurant in Pearland, Texas. This restaurant property had previously failed under four different concepts, and friends advised Russell against it.Coming from a family of restaurateurs, and seeing the long journey of failures and successes, Russell said, “I'll do it.” …definitely not the answer anyone expected, but Russell knew his approach would be different this time.He began the remodel of the property and after months of hard work and operating on a non-existent budget, Gringo's Mexican Kitchen opened for business on January 11th, 1993. Russell opened the restaurant with one, stay-true philosophy, “To serve the highest quality Mexican food at the lowest price possible.”No matter what it takes, the company holds true to this philosophy to this day, and it is the single most attributing factor to the company's continued success. Pearland “The Original” location is still the most successful of the Gringo's Mexican Kitchen chain.https://www.gringostexmex.com/ 

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam talks with Kurt Attaway about growing up in the Vineyard, meeting his wife at 4years old, and how his involvement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes evolved into a pastoral role at a local church. Kurt also shares about his career as a Marriage and Family Therapist, the role of humility and emotional health in healthy leadership, and the role of a leader in a healthy team.  Kurt Attaway serves as the lead pastor of The Vineyard Church in Pearland, Tx. He earned a BA in Psychology from The University of Texas San Antonio, which he attended on a full athletic scholarship. Kurt's love for basketball opened doors to have a great career as a D-1 point guard. Playing in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (aka March Madness) will always be a lifelong highlight, even if they lost to Stanford in the first round. Playing hoops at UTSA paved the way for Kurt to participate in and lead Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and God used those years to redirect his heart toward vocational ministry. In 2007 Kurt and his wife Lauren moved from San Antonio to join the staff at The Vineyard Church Pearland. In 2012, he completed a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from University of Houston Clear Lake, and spent 10 years being trained and practicing as a clinician. In February 2020, he stepped into the Lead Pastor role after serving on staff as the Associate Pastor for almost 12 years. Kurt has been married to his wife Lauren since 2006, and they have four children. They love the city of Pearland and the growing community at The Vineyard. Beyond the local church, Kurt has served in some national roles with Vineyard USA: currently on the Multiply Vineyard Team.

Endress+Hauser is a global company focused on measurement and automation technology for process and laboratory applications, helping to shape the industry's digital transformation. Nicole Otte is the Director of Workforce Development at Endress+Hauser, and previously spent 11 years as a HS Engineering & Technology teacher, including using Project Lead the Way curriculum. She also served as Director of Central Nine Career Center in Greenwood, Indiana.Endress+Hauser USA has made a commitment to students and community members through its workforce development and philanthropy initiatives. In 2023, Endress+Hauser USA hosted 15 visits for more than 800 K-12 visitors from seven public and private school corporations at its Design & Innovation Studio in Greenwood, Indiana, delivering learning opportunities and resources to students and educators. The Design & Innovation Studio is equipped with Industry 4.0 technology. In partnership with the Purdue Indiana Next Generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center (IN-MaC), the Endress+Hauser USA Design & Innovation Studio also offers 3-D printing, robotics, Sphero BOLTS, littleBits, micro:bits, engineering and science modules and coding. In addition, Endress+Hauser USA's annual Community Career+Education Forum (CCEF) hosted more than 300 students in Greenwood and more than 250 students in Pearland, Texas.Connect with Nicole and Endress+Hauser:Website: endress.comLearn about the Design & Innovation StudioChris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:Website: dailystem.comTwitter/X: @dailystemInstagram: @dailystemYouTube: youtubeGet Chris's book Daily STEM on AmazonSupport the show

Good morning!  Happy peanut butter and jelly day!   Crunch or smooth???   It's going to be a smooth day for sure.  Dan Brounoff fills in on the weather today and Monday (eclipse day).  Also, Chulo has the joke of the day and we chat with Jim Luna and Quartermoon Productions about the upcoming Mafia Mania in Pearland, Texas.  All this and more on this episode of the Almost Daily Desmadre.  

Practical Preceptor Tips from Christina Fry at Dawson High School in Pearland, Texas. They do an amazing job with the Sports Medicine staff, their student aides, and as preceptors for the University of Houston MAT program. Discussion topics:  Advancing students in the profession Preparing students  Outfitting students Providing learning opportunities  Scheduling What to avoid Practical Preceptor Tips How long have you been a preceptor? 7 years.  Can you share some of the things you have done to help master's students be involved and advance in the profession? We treat the masters' students as an extension of our staff, we want them to be respected in our ATR just like us. We have our high school students refer to them as Mr/Ms/Mrs. We interview them to make them feel that they are in a professional setting. My assistant, Thomas, likes to ask them “What did you learn today?”. We outfit them, invite them to our pregame meals, we make sure that they feel respected. We make sure that every day they learn something new. You interview them for the position, but they're already assigned there? Correct. We ask them to submit a resume, and for a lot of them this is their first job “interview” and ask them interview-like questions and ask them to submit a cover letter. We then give them critiques so they can start working and build that resume so that when they are done with their program they can apply and be successful for their interviews for their actual job.  Do you do that just once, or every week, every 3 weeks, etc? So our level 2's are with us all year long, we make sure we give them monthly updates. Our level 2 this past year wanted an update every day, every week, so we always were helping her and growing her, anytime there was a hiccup or something she was unsure of, we gave her that reassurance and feedback. For the level 1's, it takes a while to get into that comfort zone, but we always try to give them feedback when we notice something, good or bad.  You talked about outfitting them to make them feel welcome, do we give them the ones that say athletic trainer, or the ones that the students wear, do they keep them; what does that look like for you? So it varies, level 2 vs level 1. Level 2's we'll give them the game day polo for the year, and require them to look professional when they come into the ATR. Our students will wear Nike shorts and a T-shirt. We ask that our UH students either wear something UH to differentiate them or they wear a polo with either nicer shorts or nicer slacks, with their UH ID badge. And that way it identifies them as an adult and not a student. More Practical Preceptor Tips: Include them in almost everything! So for GHATS, we made a fun t-shirt for the t-shirt contest, and we had a team-building activity of tie-dying the shirts. We invited our UH students to join in since they went with us to GHATS, and they were allowed to wear that shirt as a fun GHATS representation. For our level 1's, if there's an event going on during the time that they are with us we'll give them one of the students' shirts, but for the most part, we'll give them our practice shirt for the year that they can wear to Saturday treatments, etc. One of the things I'm trying to still work out is scheduling, how do you balance that out and hold them accountable while keeping in mind that they're college students? You and I have the luxury of working in a high school setting, so we automatically have Sundays off, that is the one day a week they have off because they are required to have at least one day off within a 7-day span. So we keep that in mind. We use something called “Homebase” which is a scheduling app, where our students, ourselves, and our UH kids can submit their days off requests, so we honor that. We always remember that they are students first, so they can communicate with us if they have a big test coming ...

Within this episode, I share three short stories in which I learnt terrific health and fitness lessons. The first is a story from when I was going through an intense phase with my training and nutrition in 2018, and then an injury occurred; the second was about my time living in Tokyo and Osaka, and the last was learnt during a 10-week trip to Texas. Inquire About Becoming a 1-2-1 Online Fitness MemberInstagramX (Twitter)FacebookYouTube ChannelArticlesFree Workout PlanFree Nutrition for Fat Loss GuideFree Meal Plan GuideFree Protein Cheat SheetSubscribe to My Email ListCalorie Calculator

Dana In The Morning Highlights 1/12ERCOT is issuing a weather alert ahead of the polar plunge on SundayTexans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. named AFC Defensive Player of the MonthLake Jackson nurse connecting with patients & Pearland teacher brining kids together

Join us on a fascinating exploration as we unravel the world of real estate with investor and broker, Scott Smith. Do you fancy owning multifamily units? We promise you'll gain valuable insights as Scott shares his aspirations and his journey in the real estate field. His brokerage may just be the key to your lucrative deals as he shares how patience and an eye for detail are the secret ingredients to making it big in this industry. Ever wondered how music and our international upbringing can shape our lives and careers? Get ready to hear all about it. We connect the dots between diverse music genres, the growth of the real estate industry in Pueblo, Colorado, and our move to Pearland, Texas. This episode is not just about work. We talk about the delicate balance between work and family, and our love for real estate that goes beyond the professional sphere. Finally, we take a detour into food, travel and surviving the 2008 financial crisis. Our guest shares his experience in the Army and how he transitioned back into real estate. Ever heard of real estate trainers like Mike Ferry and Tom Ferry? We got that covered too. We also delve into the significance of scripts in real estate. It's not just about having a set of magic words, but mastering the art of active listening and engaging potential clients. As we wrap up, we get personal with Scott, revealing his favorite band, food, and time of day. Get ready for an enlightening session packed with real estate insights and much more. Tune in! Thanks again for listening. Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a FIVE-STAR review.Head to Dwanderful right now to claim your free real estate investing kit. And follow:http://www.Dwanderful.comhttp://www.facebook.com/Dwanderfulhttp://www.Instagram.com/Dwanderful http://www.youtube.com/DwanderfulRealEstateInvestingChannelMake it a Dwanderful Day!

Epic Plumbing, located in Pearland, Texas, joined our coaching program in 2020 and have grown immensely! In this episode, CF takes a look at the top 3 things that got them to where they are now! Listen in to get great tips for your business! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theplumbingsalescoach/support

It's a Football Friday & Ron "The Show" Hughley is still struggling with a certain city name lolol

From a new expansion project that will make traffic a nightmare in downtown to a major ruling over a century later, host Raheel Ramzanali and producer Carlignon Jones catch you up on the biggest stories impacting our city. Plus, Raheel talks about his biggest gym fear that will for sure make you laugh. Featured stories: I-45 expansion project Jimbo Fisher fired  Camp Logan soldiers receive justice  Houston is a warm winter destination  Regal Princess cruising from Galveston  Joe Espada named new manager for the Astros  7 shot at Prairie View A&M celebration  Pearland flea market shooting  Looking for more Houston news? Then sign up for our morning newsletter Hey Houston  Follow us on Instagram  @CityCastHouston Don't have social media? Then leave us a voicemail or text us at +1 713-489-6972 with your thoughts! Have feedback or a show idea? Let us know!  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Let's Talk! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jaden Wincher 17 years old 6'2 250 pounds Houston, Texas Defensive End Football Pearland High School in Pearland, Texas I like to watch comedy movies and lift weights and work out on free time. My favorite players are easily Aaron Donald and Myles Garret. Somebody that motivates me everyday is my Father who pushes me to be great. I will be attending Georgetown University to play football next fall in 2024! Twitter(X): JadenWincher Instagram: _jadenwincher --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kalling-plays-with-kailey/support

Episode 224! In this episode we are joined by Pearland restaurateur Ram Aguilera of Hometown Sports Bar & Grill and Hometown Seafood. On location at his sports bar,his origin story, the restaurant business, and giving back to the community.   Hometown Sports Bar & Grill https://hometownsbg.com/       We've joined the Oddpods Media Network! https://oddpodsmedia.com/       Send your questions, bbq fails and wins to info@grabeminthebrisket.com or simply leave it as a message at 434-829-2299 Check us out on: www.grabeminthebrisket.com   TikTok - @grabeminthebrisket Facebook- @grabeminthebrisket Instagram- @grabeminthebrisket Youtube- @grabeminthebrisket Twitter- @grabthebrisket Email- info@grabeminthebrisket.com     Thanks to our partners and sponsors!   Smoker Builder (discount below) smokerplans.net/grabeminthebrisket or use the code GRABTHEBRISKET     NBBQA - National BBQ and Grilling Asssociation https://www.nbbqa.org/       Barbecue News Magazine https://www.barbecuenews.com       Sucklebusters https://www.sucklebusters.com/       Dalstrong https://dalstrong.com/?ref=S1CLUEQO6rEHh9       CoolieNation https://www.coolienation.com/brisket       Cambro Mfg https://www.cambro.com/       YETI Coolers https://www.yeti.com/en_US