SCORE Houston's Podcast

SCORE Houston

Our podcast features three series: Mentor Conversations — In-depth interviews with experienced SCORE mentors, including former CEOs, industry leaders, and successful entrepreneurs sharing their decades of business expertise. Small Business Success Stories — Real journeys from Houston small business owners who have built thriving companies, often with SCORE mentoring support. Lessons from the Greats — Insights from renowned business leaders and successful global companies, distilled into practical guidance for small business owners. Topics include: starting a business, business planning, financing and SBA loans, marketing and digital strategy, leadership, scaling and growth, financial management, resilience, adaptability, AI for small business, and Houston's evolving business landscape. Whether you are launching a startup, navigating challenges, or scaling your business, this podcast delivers actionable insights to help you succeed. Connect with a free SCORE Houston mentor at scorehouston.org Join the conversation at scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com New episodes weekly. Subscribe and follow on your favorite platform.

  1. 1d ago

    Veteran Entrepreneur Builds America's Largest Scuba Park After Losing Everything. Ep 40

    Veteran entrepreneur Jason Burleson bought an abandoned lake in rural Texas that no bank would touch and no investor would fund. Today, Mammoth Lake Dive Academy in Clute, Texas is the largest dedicated scuba park in the United States. He launched during COVID with no outside capital. Hurricane Beryl destroyed his home and much of what he'd built. He kept going — bootstrapped, debt-free, and now certifying thousands of divers annually including police, firefighters, and military veterans. In this episode of Small Business Success Stories from SCORE Houston, Dr. Jeffrey Ricken sits down with Jason Burleson — 2026 SBA Houston District Rural Small Business Owner of the Year — to walk through the decisions, setbacks, and mentorship that turned a part-time dive instructor into the founder of a Gulf Coast institution. Topics covered: - Buying the lake: what due diligence looked like when there was no playbook - Launching a business during COVID with zero outside funding - Rebuilding after Hurricane Beryl — the mindset shift that made it possible - SBA loan strategy, bootstrapping, and reaching debt-free status - Building a student pipeline from open-water certification to NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab - What the U.S. Air Force taught him about running a small business - AI tools, mentorship, and the gaps his formal education left behind If you run a small business, are considering a career pivot, or want to understand how veteran-owned businesses scale without traditional funding — this episode delivers a clear, practical picture of how it's done.  Chapters 0:00 – Welcome 0:45 – The Lake Nobody Wanted 3:00 – Launching During COVID 6:30 – Building Partnerships That Matter 10:00 – From Air Force to the Ocean Floor 14:00 – Hurricane Beryl: Losing Everything, Starting Over 19:00 – Bootstrapping, SBA, and the Road to Debt-Free 22:00 – Mentorship, AI Tools & What School Doesn't Teach You 26:00 – What the Military Taught Him About Business 28:00 – Final Words Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    Veteran Entrepreneur Builds America's Largest Scuba Park After Losing Everything. Ep 40
  2. Aug 4

    Charlie Munger's Mental Models for Small Business: A Practical Framework Ep 39

    Charlie Munger's 14 mental models, applied specifically to small business owners navigating real-world entrepreneurial chaos. Most businesses don't fail from bad products or lack of funding — they fail because founders are running the wrong cognitive operating system. In this episode of the SCORE Houston Podcast's Lessons from the Greats series, we unpack Munger's mental model framework — built around what he called a "cognitive lattice” and translate each model into concrete, actionable strategy for entrepreneurs in Houston and across the USA. The models covered include: The Foundation Layer — Your deepest passion reshapes your perception through the reticular activating system. Taking a simple idea seriously beats adding complexity. Moving too fast accrues "friction debt" that costs exponentially more time and capital downstream. The Human Element — Truth operates on a logarithmic scale: moving from 90% to 99% honesty generates a disproportionate trust advantage. Surrounding yourself with high-caliber people, and aligning incentives to your actual values, determines whether your culture scales or collapses. The Strategy Layer — Shameless cloning caps downside risk by letting large competitors pay the "pioneer tax" before you enter. Segment and dominate a hyper-narrow niche for outsized pricing power. Ruthlessly value your own time and delegate everything below your strategic hourly rate. The Customer Core — Business exists to remove friction from a customer's life; revenue is the output, not the goal. Let customers redesign your business through relentless listening. Extreme quality compounds into self-sustaining word-of-mouth. The Lollapalooza Effect — When multiple mental models align simultaneously, business growth becomes nonlinear. This is the difference between a business that adds incrementally and one that multiplies exponentially. Subscribe & Listen: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/score-houstons-podcast/id1845697492Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DTCZlNpp4FWgp1xdgrhQbAmazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4ac4d74-acb2-43cc-b5f0-433ad259fccb/score-houstons-podcast00:00 Introduction: The Wrong Cognitive Operating System 02:04 Your Deepest Desire Is Your Destiny 03:35 Take a Simple Idea Seriously & Fast Is Slow 05:18 Truth and Trust Are Not Binary 06:44 Surround Yourself with Better People & Incentives 08:16 Be a Shameless Cloner 09:37 Segment and Dominate Your Niche 10:48 Value Your Own Time Ruthlessly 11:48 The Purpose of Business Is to Serve 12:54 Your Customers Will Tell You the Business 14:28 The Lollapalooza Effect & Cascading Models 17:19 Applying the Models: Take Action Photo by Nick - Charlie Munger, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75743370 Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    Charlie Munger's Mental Models for Small Business: A Practical Framework Ep 39
  3. Jul 28

    Aging in Place: How Home Modifications Became a Healthcare Strategy | Rosarium Health Ep 38

    Aging in place is becoming a healthcare strategy, not a home improvement project. Cameron Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Rosarium Health, explains why health plans and hospitals are now paying to modify homes, and how that fits into value-based care. Cameron spent nearly a decade inside major healthcare organizations — including DaVita and Bright Health — before founding Rosarium Health, a company that partners with health plans and hospitals to fund in-home assessments and modifications so older adults and people with disabilities can safely age in place. Rosarium Health is now in-network for over one million Medicaid lives across 30+ states. In this episode of the SCORE Houston Podcast — Small Business Success Stories — host PV Bala covers: ✅ What value-based care means and how it differs from fee-for-service healthcare ✅ Why the home is a critical, overlooked social determinant of health ✅ How Cameron pivoted from a direct-to-consumer model to health plan partnerships ✅ Lessons on raising venture capital for a healthcare startup ✅ How SCORE mentorship — including guidance from mentor Art O'Connor — shaped his path as a founder ✅ Scaling a mission-driven business to serve underserved communities 0:00 — Intro to SCORE Houston1:02 — Guest introduction: Cameron Carter2:15 — What is value-based care?3:18 — Origin story: home modifications and healthcare5:19 — Spotting the business opportunity7:09 — Pivoting from direct-to-consumer to B2B13:46 — Market maturity and industry landscape25:57 — Vision for Rosarium's next five years27:57 — Closing / subscribe reminder28:15 — Outro and contact info🔗 Learn more about Rosarium Health: https://www.rosariumhealth.com/ 🔗 Connect with Cameron Carter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-carter-62117175/ 🔗 Request free SCORE Houston mentoring: https://www.score.org/houston Subscribe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DTCZlN... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4a.  Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@SCOREHouston/shorts Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    Aging in Place: How Home Modifications Became a Healthcare Strategy | Rosarium Health Ep 38
  4. Jul 21

    How to Start a Mental Health Practice With No Business Background | Clearhope Counseling EP: 37

    How to start a Mental health practice when you have no business background, no business plan, and no startup capital. Heather Lambert did it from a storage closet in a Pasadena, Texas church. Today Clearhope Counseling and Wellness Center employs more than 40 licensed mental health professionals. Starting a mental health business without a business degree — and growing it from a church closet to 40+ licensed professionals. That's Heather Lambert's story. In this episode of Small Business Success Stories, host Dr. Jeffrey Ricken speaks with Heather Lambert, founder of Clearhope Counseling and Wellness Center and the 2026 SBA Houston District Women-Owned Small Business of the Year. After 17 years as a school counselor, Heather left a stable career — paycheck, pension, and benefits — after she was unable to connect a student in crisis to timely mental health care. That gap in access became her mission. She opened Clearhope out of a storage closet in a Pasadena, Texas church with no formal business plan and no entrepreneurial background. Today, the organization employs more than 40 mental health professionals and serves students and families across Texas. Heather shares what it takes to build a purpose-driven small business: navigating Medicaid credentialing, surviving the pandemic, understanding the nonprofit vs. for-profit decision, and why free SCORE mentorship from mentors Art Klebba and John Harris was pivotal to her survival as a first-time entrepreneur. Topics covered in this episode: • How to start a mental health practice with no business background • Making the leap from public sector employment to entrepreneurship • Medicaid credentialing and billing for mental health providers • Nonprofit vs. for-profit: how to decide which structure fits your mission • How free SCORE mentoring helped a women-owned business survive and scale 0:00 – Intro / SCORE Houston introduction0:41 – Subscribe reminder1:02 – Guest introduction: Heather Lampert, Clear Hope Counseling1:53 – Heather reflects on humble beginnings2:13 – Her 17 years as an educator/counselor2:30 – The student crisis that changed everything4:46 – Deciding to start Clear Hope ("someone has to do something")5:30 – Resigning from her 17-year career, starting in a church storage closet7:11 – Practice growing, needing more office space8:13 – Seeking help from SCORE mentors10:13 – Incorporating as a professional corp / S-corp, signing a lease12:38 – Growth to 50 team members14:16 – Mission-driven approach vs. cash-pay industry trend17:53 – Operating through the pandemic19:16 – Planning for the future of mental healthcare21:13 – Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs25:03 – On passion vs. chasing money/influencer life27:27 – Closing thoughts on team and mission28:38 – About SCORE and how to get mentorship29:45 – Outro / subscribe reminder🔗 Clear Hope Counseling and Wellness Center: www.clearhopecounseling.com 🔗 Free SCORE Houston mentoring (no cost, no catch): https://www.score.org/houston 🔗 Subscribe to the SCORE Houston Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw 🔗 Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Amazon Music:  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DTCZlN... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4a.  Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    How to Start a Mental Health Practice With No Business Background | Clearhope Counseling EP: 37
  5. Jul 14

    Cancer Scientist to Sugar-Free Chocolate Founder | SCORE Houston Ep. 36

    Dr. Beata Lerman spent nearly 20 years as a cancer research scientist with patents in cancer immunotherapy. Then a personal cancer diagnosis led her to build a sugar-free chocolate company safe for diabetics. On this episode of the SCORE Houston Podcast, host PV Bala talks with Dr. Lerman about leaving biomedical research for small-business manufacturing, the science behind sugar-free chocolate, and how SCORE mentors Jim Davis and Jim Nordhaus helped her grow from a 200-square-foot kitchen into a full manufacturing facility and retail café. Her company, Sinless Treats (now rebranding as D'Ora Fine Chocolate), is a Houston-based maker of sugar-free, chemical-free chocolate designed to support blood sugar management and reduce inflammation, now expanding into ingredient supply for other consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands. What we cover: Leaving cancer immunotherapy research to found a food manufacturing companyThe science of sugar, insulin resistance, and metabolic healthDeveloping the product and scaling a chocolate manufacturing operationStartup capital, the breakeven timeline, and self-funded growthMarketing lessons for small-business owners: SEO, GEO, and avoiding costly agency mistakesHow SCORE Houston mentorship supported her path to SBA's Houston District Small Business Manufacturer of the Year0:00 Intro 1:01 Guest introduction 2:13 Beata's science background 3:40 Leaving research to start Sinless Treats 5:30 The sugar debate 7:41 Cancer diagnosis & the science of sugar 9:33 Learning to make healthy chocolate 11:01 Product testing & feedback 13:54 Early days in a tiny kitchen 17:07 Scaling up & compliance 19:05 Startup costs & financing 20:26 Breaking even & revenue growth 23:18 Quality control 23:38 Marketing lessons 27:19 Retail cafe launch 28:30 Vision & rebrand to D'Ora 30:08 Closing thoughts 30:27 Outro  🔗 D'Ora Fine Chocolate: https://sinlesstreatschocolate.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-3Yz_BoAs-jE5PDFLiFSlERzLQB0dshlAAPeb7p7cOnaWKI6k  🔗 Free SCORE Houston mentoring: www.score.org/houston  🔗 Subscribe FREE  for more Small Business Success Stories: [: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw]  🔗 Listen on your favorite podcast platform:  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DTCZlN... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4a.  Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    Cancer Scientist to Sugar-Free Chocolate Founder | SCORE Houston Ep. 36
  6. Jul 7

    From Corporate Careers to Kitchen Gardens: How Three Houston Entrepreneurs Built Garden Girls with SCORE Mentoring. Ep 35

    SCORE Houston Podcast: Subscribe/ Follow FREE:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DTCZlN... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4a.  Houston small business success stories don't get more inspiring than this. In this episode of SCORE Houston Podcast, host Dr. Jeffrey Ricken sits down with the founders of Garden Girls — Nicole Shah, Jen McDonald, and Jill Oliver — three Houston entrepreneurs who transformed a shared passion for gardening into a thriving boutique kitchen garden design company. Coming from established corporate careers in law, pharmaceutical sales, and speech pathology, these women share how they made the leap from stable professions to small business ownership after 40, the startup challenges they navigated, and how free SCORE Houston mentorship helped them accelerate their growth. Discover how SCORE mentors Art O'Connor and Greg Helma guided Garden Girls through critical business decisions — from hiring the right accountant and photographer to shaping their expansion strategy. This conversation delivers practical small business insights on startup funding, marketing on a limited budget, building a team, and balancing entrepreneurship with family life. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, a small business owner navigating growth, or considering a mid-career pivot, this episode offers actionable guidance on mentorship, partnership dynamics, and building a small Houston business from the ground up. KEY TAKEAWAYS Passion can become a profitable small business with the right strategyFree SCORE mentorship accelerates business growth and decision-makingIdentify weaknesses early and hire experts (accountant, photographer, specialists)Word-of-mouth and community networking can replace expensive advertisingIt is never too late to start a business — these founders launched in their 40sPartnership synergy — combining legal, creative, and operational skill sets — strengthens a businessTIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Introduction & Welcome 00:40 — Meet the Garden Girls: Nicole, Jen & Jill 01:39 — Career Pivots from Law, Sales & Speech Pathology to Gardening 02:47 — Founding Garden Girls in 2022 05:14 — Building a Turnkey Garden Design Business 09:19 — Marketing, Networking & Word-of-Mouth Growth 11:22 — Overcoming Startup Challenges: Bookkeeping & Hiring 13:20 — Working with SCORE Mentors Art O'Connor & Greg Helma 15:08 — How Mentorship Exceeded Expectations 17:24 — Jill Oliver on Networking & Community Building 19:29 — Gardening Through Houston's Climate Challenges 22:01 — Balancing Business Ownership & Family Life 23:14 — Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 23:49 — Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Garden Girls 24:15 — SCORE Houston Contact Info & Free Mentoring  Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    From Corporate Careers to Kitchen Gardens: How Three Houston Entrepreneurs Built Garden Girls with SCORE Mentoring. Ep 35
  7. Jun 30

    How Do You Fund a Deep Tech Startup Without Venture Capital? Ep 34

    SCORE Houston Podcast: Subscribe/ Follow FREE:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DTCZlN... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4a. In this episode of the Go Houston Podcast, host PV Bala of SCORE Houston sits down with Dr. Bryton Praslicka, Founder & CEO of Fluxworks LLC — a Conroe, Texas deep tech startup manufacturing revolutionary magnetic gears that transmit power using magnets instead of metal teeth, with no lubrication, less noise, and far less maintenance. 🚀 What You'll Learn in This Episode: How Dr. Praslicka turned his Texas A&M PhD research into a NASA-funded startupHow Fluxworks LLC won a $1.69 million Army SBIR contract while still in graduate schoolWhy magnetic gears are critical to NASA's Artemis moon mission and the International Space StationHow to fund a deep tech startup without venture capital using SBIR grants, SBA loans, and pitch competitionsWhat it takes to land contracts with NASA, the US Army, and the Department of DefenseLessons learned from the Rice University Business Plan CompetitionWhy Dr. Praslicka turned down a $2 million investment offerHow Fluxworks LLC became profitable in 2023 and relocated to Houston, Texas🏆 Guest Highlights: ✅ Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree ✅ 2026 SBA Houston District Innovation Award recipient ✅ Rice Business Plan Competition winner ✅ Supplier to NASA, US Army & Department of Defense ✅ Technology aboard the International Space Station Subscribe for more inspiring Houston small business success stories every week! 👍 Like | 💬 Comment | 🔔 Subscribe Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    How Do You Fund a Deep Tech Startup Without Venture Capital?  Ep 34
  8. Jun 23

    Ep 33: SpaceX Business Lessons: What Small Business Owners Can Learn from Elon Musk's First Principles Thinking.

    SCORE Houston Podcast: Subscribe/ Follow FREE:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYwZdflYjHJeI8oTA_fRJw Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DTCZlN... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b4a. What if the same engineering principles that took SpaceX to the top of the global launch industry could help your Houston salon, bakery, contracting firm, or retail shop run leaner and more profitably? In this episode of the SCORE Houston Podcast, we translate Elon Musk's exact operational frameworks — step by step — into actionable strategies for Main Street business owners. This isn't about getting to Mars. It's about the physics of building a business that actually works. 🔩 THE 10 SPACEX PRINCIPLES FOR SMALL BUSINESS: First Principles Thinking — Strip everything down to its core atoms before accepting industry assumptionsThe Idiot Index — Measure the markup between raw materials and finished cost; high ratios mean you're subsidizing someone else's inefficiencyRuthless Simplification — The best part is no part; the best process is no processThe 10% Add-Back Rule — If you weren't forced to add back at least 10% of what you cut, you didn't cut deep enoughVertical Integration — When suppliers overcharge, build the capability in-houseStandardization — Build a Model T, not a custom car; make the customer adapt to your efficient processBuild, Test, Learn — Failures are data points, not disasters; crash the rocket and gather the dataUrgency — If a timeline is long, it's wrong; launch the simplest version fastMissionaries, Not Mercenaries — Hire people who care about the mission, not just the paycheckLead from the Front — Spend 50% of your time in the operation, not behind a desk; all bad news should be given loudly and often🔄 THE FLYWHEEL: First Principles finds the waste → Vertical Integration eliminates it → Standardization makes it profitable → Repeat. 💡 Closing question to sit with: "How fast are your feedback loops?" Are you waiting months to see if a new idea works, or are you finding a way to crash the rocket, gather the data, and get back to reality today? 🤝 You don't have to build this alone. SCORE Houston offers free mentoring from experienced business professionals. Visit score.org and connect with the Houston chapter. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro & SCORE Houston Overview 0:15 – Why SpaceX & Elon Musk? 1:15 – First Principles Thinking 2:00 – The Idiot Index 3:49 – Ruthless Simplification 4:23 – The 10% Add-Back Rule 5:09 – Vertical Integration 5:31 – Real Cost Savings Examples 6:11 – The McDocker Story 6:33 – Local Business Applications 7:12 – Standardization Strategy 8:31 – Build, Test, Learn 9:46 – The Urgency Principle 10:45 – Balancing Speed & Customer Trust 11:07 – Hiring Missionaries, Not Mercenaries 11:45 – Lead from the Front 12:46 – Money as Fuel 13:08 – The SpaceX Flywheel 13:48 – How Fast Are Your Feedback Loops? 14:24 – Free Mentoring at score.org Houston Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes. Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

    Ep 33: SpaceX Business Lessons: What Small Business Owners Can Learn from Elon Musk's First Principles Thinking.

Ratings & Reviews

5
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About

Our podcast features three series: Mentor Conversations — In-depth interviews with experienced SCORE mentors, including former CEOs, industry leaders, and successful entrepreneurs sharing their decades of business expertise. Small Business Success Stories — Real journeys from Houston small business owners who have built thriving companies, often with SCORE mentoring support. Lessons from the Greats — Insights from renowned business leaders and successful global companies, distilled into practical guidance for small business owners. Topics include: starting a business, business planning, financing and SBA loans, marketing and digital strategy, leadership, scaling and growth, financial management, resilience, adaptability, AI for small business, and Houston's evolving business landscape. Whether you are launching a startup, navigating challenges, or scaling your business, this podcast delivers actionable insights to help you succeed. Connect with a free SCORE Houston mentor at scorehouston.org Join the conversation at scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com New episodes weekly. Subscribe and follow on your favorite platform.