Building Texas Business

BoyarMiller
  • 5.0 (31)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

BoyarMiller Chairman Chris Hanslik interviews industry thought leaders and organizational visionaries in a discussion rife with leading edge information, the latest trends, case studies, and news. Business inspiration, growth, challenges, corporate culture and mentorship will be on the agenda. Enjoy the banter and glean valuable insight as the conversation unfolds.

  1. Aug 12

    Ep115: AI Before It Was Cool: Building a Consulting Firm that Reinvents Itself with Tim Doll

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Tim Doll, founder and CEO of Precocity, a boutique technology consulting firm, for a conversation about building a company that has thrived through more than two decades of relentless technological change. Tim shares how his early frustration with corporate bureaucracy became the spark to strike out on his own and build a company where vision could translate directly into action. Tim talks about the firm’s origins in the early days of high speed internet and DSL, how the company evolved into a team of software engineers, designers, data architects, and AI engineers, and why he likes to say Precocity was doing AI before it was cool. He reflects candidly on the lessons learned along the way, from the importance of solid contracts and clearly defined expectations to the reality that success is less about a destination and more about always continuing to learn and grow. The conversation takes a thoughtful look at how artificial intelligence is reshaping professional services, including the pressure it puts on the traditional time and materials model, the likely shift toward outcome based pricing, and the deeper challenge of how the next generation gains real experience when AI can handle so many entry level tasks. Tim and Chris also explore why going deep and developing genuine expertise matters more than ever in a world where AI offers breadth but not depth. Tim also opens up about the culture he has worked to build at Precocity, hiring for character, culture, and capability in that order, embracing humility as a core value, and practicing a flat, servant leadership approach where the higher you go, the lower you go. He describes the company’s Jedi Tech Council, a biweekly forum where team members share their work, their successes, and their failures, and explains why focusing on people’s strengths rather than fixating on weaknesses has kept turnover low and tenure long. If you are a founder, technology leader, or professional service provider trying to understand how AI will reshape your business model, how to build a durable and relational company culture, and why Texas continues to be such a welcoming place for entrepreneurs, this episode offers a grounded and forward looking conversation worth your time. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Precocity

    Ep115: AI Before It Was Cool: Building a Consulting Firm that Reinvents Itself with Tim Doll

  2. Jul 29

    Ep114: Say What You Can Do: Building Trust and a Life Safety Business with Shannon Payne

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Shannon Payne, Co-Founder and CEO of Allied Fire Protection, for a conversation about building a life safety company from the ground up and the discipline it takes to grow one steadily over nearly three decades. Shannon frames his work simply, describing a business dedicated to saving lives and protecting property through the engineering, construction, service, and maintenance of fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems. Shannon shares how the company began in 1998 with three people in a Pearland garage, a lifelong friendship, and a mentor’s early advice about mastering operations as the true heart of any business. He walks through the growth that followed, from the first offices on Telephone Road to expansion across Texas and eventually into markets like Nashville and Tampa, all achieved organically. He also speaks candidly about weathering back to back black swan events, including 9/11 and the financial crisis, and how deep customer relationships allowed Allied to remain profitable even through steep downturns. The conversation covers the themes that have defined Shannon’s approach to leadership, starting with a commitment to hiring for values first and the story of how a rebranding effort surfaced the company’s real mission by asking team members and customers who Allied truly was. He and Chris discuss the challenge of keeping culture consistent across regions, the importance of learning to let go and empower others, and the value of building in a pro business state like Texas. Shannon is also honest about hard lessons, including the million dollar cost of commodity swings in steel and pipe, and the transparency he brought to his team afterward along with the strategy he adopted to protect the company going forward. Shannon also talks about innovation in an industry that struggles to find skilled people, describing how Allied built talent acquisition and training programs that reach into high schools, military bases, and colleges to introduce young people to a career path, along with a rotational development program aimed at growing the next generation of leaders. Throughout, he returns to a principle he once taught his son, to say what you can do and do what you say, as the foundation of trust and lasting customer loyalty. For business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders interested in disciplined growth, building a values driven culture, navigating economic uncertainty, and solving the talent challenges facing the trades, this episode offers a grounded and practical look at how a garage startup became a company operating across Texas and beyond. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Allied Fire Protection

    Ep114: Say What You Can Do: Building Trust and a Life Safety Business with Shannon Payne

  3. Jul 15

    Ep113: Leading with Love: Building a Family Business That Scaled with Julie Friedman

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Julie Friedman, founder of Young + Wild and Friedman and known to many as the Play Dough Lady, for a conversation about turning a personal challenge into a thriving product company. Julie shares how her search for a way to help her young daughter, who struggled with a speech disorder and anxiety, led her to homemade sensory play and, almost by accident, to building a nationally recognized brand. Julie walks through the early days of mixing Play Dough in her kitchen, packing hundreds of kits across every room of her house, and hauling pallets of bins and fifty pound bags of flour with three small kids in tow. She talks candidly about the moment she realized this was a real business, the viral growth that took off on Instagram, and the tenacity and passion that kept her from giving up even when it would have been easier to walk away. The conversation covers the practical lessons of scaling a company that grew faster than anyone expected, including learning to let go of control one finger at a time, hiring the right people, and building a supply chain with backup plans after being burned by a single source. Julie also opens up about the family that runs her Play Dough factory today, the culture of love and loyalty she has built with her team and customers, and the leadership style that favors trusting her gut and moving quickly over overanalyzing every decision. Along the way, Julie reflects on balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, the importance of asking for help and leaning on a supportive spouse and business partner, and the surreal milestone of launching her line into eighteen hundred Target stores. She shares why authenticity has been at the heart of her brand from the beginning and how she recharges each summer by unplugging in Montana. For entrepreneurs, mompreneurs, and anyone who has ever turned a personal passion into something bigger than they imagined, this episode offers an honest and inspiring look at resilience, growth, and staying true to yourself while building a business from scratch. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Young + Wild and Friedman

    Ep113: Leading with Love: Building a Family Business That Scaled with Julie Friedman

  4. Jun 24

    Ep112: Five Years In: What's Changed and What Still Matters with Bethany Andell

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik welcomes back Bethany Andell, President and CEO of Savage Brands, for a conversation marking five years of the podcast. Bethany was one of the first guests on the show, and her return offers a timely opportunity to reflect on how much the business landscape has shifted and what it now takes to lead, grow, and build a meaningful brand in an era defined by relentless change. Bethany shares how the fundamental challenge for leaders has moved from planning for change to planning through it, and what that shift means for decision making, team communication, and company culture. She explains why the velocity of today’s business environment creates new pressures around trust, both within organizations and in the marketplace, and why the leaders who thrive are the ones who can project confidence and direction even when the answers are not fully clear. The conversation covers the intersection of brand building and artificial intelligence in depth. Bethany makes a compelling case for why AI makes brand more important, not less, because trust and authenticity become the differentiating factors in a world where execution is increasingly commoditized. She also introduces the idea of thinking about AI not as a tool but as a teammate, and what it looks like when companies begin designing their organizations around how work gets done rather than around traditional roles and titles. Bethany and Chris also get into the importance of investing in personal brands and individual thought leadership, the power of internal influencer research to drive organizational change, and the discipline required to let go of what no longer fits in order to double down on core strengths. Throughout the episode, Bethany brings a perspective shaped by years of helping companies find and amplify what makes them genuinely distinct in competitive markets. For entrepreneurs, executives, marketers, and anyone thinking seriously about culture, brand, and leadership in a fast moving world, this episode offers a candid and grounded look at what it means to build something real when everything around you keeps shifting. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Savage Brands

    Ep112: Five Years In: What's Changed and What Still Matters with Bethany Andell

  5. Jun 3

    Ep111: Hire Slowly & Build Boldly: Core Values, Cash Flow and Growing Up as a CEO with Bonnie Moss

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Bonnie Moss, President and CEO of MBCO, a civil engineering, surveying, and subsurface utility engineering firm she founded nearly 11 years ago. Drawing on close to three decades of industry experience across Texas, Bonnie shares what ultimately pushed her from regional manager to business owner, and how sometimes the best entrepreneurial decisions are the ones you make before you have time to overthink them. Bonnie walks through the real lessons of transitioning from engineer to business owner, including learning the hard way about accounts receivable, reading profit and loss statements, and the critical difference between being able to do a project and actually making money on it. She also reflects on the growth pains that come with scaling too quickly, what happens when business development takes a back seat to delivering work, and why hiring slowly and controlling costs are two disciplines she wishes she had internalized sooner. The conversation covers how MBCO built its culture around core values, autonomy, and a willingness to embrace failure without shame. Bonnie talks about adapting the organizational chart to fit the people on the team, surrounding herself with those who are stronger in areas she is not, and learning to lead by listening more than speaking. She also addresses the emerging pressures facing the engineering industry, from artificial intelligence automating design alternatives to autonomous grading equipment changing jobsite operations, as well as the importance of client diversification when government agency budgets slow down. Bonnie also touches on leadership fatigue as a real and underappreciated risk for founders, the value of programs like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses for early stage entrepreneurs, and why growing fast is not the same as growing well. Her advice to anyone thinking about starting their own company is grounded and direct: control your cash, seek counsel from people who have been through it, and trust your gut. If you are a business owner, entrepreneur, or aspiring founder in the engineering or professional services space, this episode offers a candid and practical look at what it actually takes to build a firm from the ground up, sustain it through setbacks, and position it for long term growth in the Texas market. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About MBCO Engineering

    Ep111: Hire Slowly & Build Boldly: Core Values, Cash Flow and Growing Up as a CEO with Bonnie Moss

  6. May 20

    Ep110: The First and Last Mile: How Short Line Rail Powers Texas with Joey Evans

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Joey Evans, head of business development, government relations, and transportation technology at TNW Corporation, for a conversation about an industry that quietly keeps Texas - and the rest of America - running. Joey introduces listeners to the world of short-line railroading and explains how TNW’s four Texas railroads, located in Gonzales, Dumas, Brownwood, and at the Port of Victoria, serve as the critical first and last mile of freight movement across the state. Joey breaks down how short-line railroads fit into the national transportation network, why one rail car effectively removes four trucks from the highway, and what makes TNW’s operation distinctive - including its flagship Dumas facility, which has grown into the largest privately owned rail car storage facility in North America. He also shares how the company built its proprietary technology platform, MyTNW, to give customers real-time visibility into their entire fleet, and how TNW has continued to push innovation in an industry that has historically lagged behind when it comes to technology adoption. The conversation covers TNW’s approach to customer relationships, strategic planning, and staying nimble in the face of shifting market conditions and geopolitical uncertainty. Joey also discusses his work as president of the Texas Shortline Railroad Association and the significance of newly passed state legislation that lays the groundwork for dedicated state funding to complement federal infrastructure grants - funding that could accelerate rail upgrades across Texas by years and help the state compete with neighboring states that already have these programs in place. Joey also speaks candidly about his own leadership journey, from starting as a railroad conductor with no college degree to growing into a strategic role, and how mentorship, faith, and a shift away from purely transactional thinking have shaped the leader he is today. He talks about the importance of building a personal brand early in a career, the value of servant leadership, and why asking for help is a sign of courage rather than weakness. For business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders interested in Texas infrastructure, economic growth, logistics, and what it takes to build a service-driven company with deep roots and long-term vision, this episode offers a compelling and eye-opening look at an industry that touches nearly everything - even if most people never think about it. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About TNW Corporation

    Ep110: The First and Last Mile: How Short Line Rail Powers Texas with Joey Evans

  7. May 6

    Ep109: Bringing the FIFA World Cup to Houston with Ryan Walsh

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Ryan Walsh, CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, for a conversation about Houston’s growing role as one of the country’s premier destinations for major sporting events. Ryan explains the mission of the Sports Authority, how the organization helps attract and support events like the Super Bowl, Final Four, World Baseball Classic, and FIFA World Cup, and why those events create meaningful economic impact across the region. He also shares how Houston’s venues, hospitality industry, public partners, and business community work together to deliver large-scale events that showcase the city on a national and global stage. The conversation takes a deep look at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Houston, including what residents and visitors can expect from Houston Stadium, the Fan Fest in EaDo, international fan culture, and the once-in-a-generation opportunity for Houston to welcome the world. Ryan also discusses why 2026 may become the biggest sports year in Houston’s history and how the city is preparing for a summer that will put its food, culture, diversity, and collaborative spirit on full display. Chris and Ryan also talk about leadership, building the right team, creating a culture of accountability, transparency, and collaboration, and preparing an organization for high-pressure moments where execution matters. If you are interested in Houston business, sports tourism, leadership, and the impact major events can have on a city’s economy and identity, this episode offers a timely and insightful look at how Houston is getting ready for the world stage. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Harris County-Houston Sports Authority

    Ep109: Bringing the FIFA World Cup to Houston with Ryan Walsh

  8. Apr 22

    Ep108: From NASCAR to CEO: A Small Business Growth Story with Brad Coleman

    In this episode of Building Texas Business, Chris Hanslik sits down with Brad Coleman, Owner and CEO of Safeway Driving, for a conversation that goes far beyond driver’s education. Brad shares his remarkable journey from racing professionally in NASCAR to leading one of Texas’s most established driving schools, and how that transition became the foundation for a purpose-driven business. Brad talks about how his passion for cars and driver safety first took shape, what he learned competing at the highest levels of motorsports, and how those lessons carried into entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth. He also explains how Safeway Driving has evolved from a traditional local driving school into a modern franchise operation with a strong reputation, innovative curriculum, and a measurable impact on driver safety across Texas. Along the way, the conversation explores topics like overcoming adversity, building the right team, protecting company culture, balancing accountability with empathy, and growing a business without compromising quality. Brad also offers candid insight into the pressure of racing, the mindset required to get back behind the wheel after a serious crash, and how confidence and preparation can make all the difference, both in business and on the road. It’s a compelling episode about resilience, reinvention, and what it looks like to build a business that is both scalable and deeply meaningful. For business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders looking for lessons in growth, culture, and long-term vision, this conversation delivers plenty to take away. LINKS Show Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Safeway Driving

    Ep108: From NASCAR to CEO: A Small Business Growth Story with Brad Coleman
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About

BoyarMiller Chairman Chris Hanslik interviews industry thought leaders and organizational visionaries in a discussion rife with leading edge information, the latest trends, case studies, and news. Business inspiration, growth, challenges, corporate culture and mentorship will be on the agenda. Enjoy the banter and glean valuable insight as the conversation unfolds.

Information

  • Creator
    BoyarMiller
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    116
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Building Texas Business
  • Show Website
    Building Texas Business