Special Advertising Section: Thrive & Inspire '23

Q&A with JACLYN & DONNIE BOUTWELL OF MEDIA SYSTEMS

Media Systems delivers the best user experience by far. They support a full spectrum of home automation products and solutions to ensure unparalleled performance and reliability for you and your family. All of the technology they recommend for your home is built to work together. They provide a completely custom and personalized worry-free system that is easy to use.

You thrived through Covid. Times remain uncertain for many. How do you navigate the ups and downs?

We serve. We believe that serving well keeps families connected to our team. Then their parents, kids and neighbors also invite us into their homes. Our forward-thinking approach to the supply chain crisis allowed us to have parts when many others were waiting weeks and months. In 2020, we began purchasing 6-12 months ahead without knowing when we’d need the parts. It was a leap of faith and has been the solution to keep projects moving forward.

Q A

Successful people usually have many choices in what to do professionally. Why did you choose this?

Donnie’s uncle started the company in 1980, and it’s evolved from HiFi and home theaters to lighting control, music, WiFi networks, thermostats and motorized shades and drapes. Our company is always evolving. Donnie and I have both worked in a lot of creative careers, which all just gave us more experience to do what we do now. We love getting to work together, but also, creating something special for each homeowner.

At Media Systems, you pride yourselves on providing the best service in the industry.

A Q A

We have a service hotline that homeowners can call or text to get a fast response. But more than that, it’s the follow-up. We say among our team, “The job isn’t done until the homeowner agrees that it’s done.” We’re a small business (typically 10-15 employees), but we’re big enough to have a service manager and dedicated service technicians. Following up and finishing the job is what makes the difference.

You’ve said before that “job satisfaction is more tied to the people you work with than the work that you do.” Tell us about your people.

We have a great team! Many of them have a long history together. We’ve worked hard to build trust and relationships. In the mornings, you can find our whole staff in the stock room, catching up about their recent hunting trip or their daughter’s volleyball tournament. We usually crack up — and beg everyone to let us have a TV show! It would be a hit!

Q A

Late educator Stephen Covey said that successful people “begin with the end in the mind.” At your business, what’s the end?

Technology in the home should be easy to use, beautifully designed and unbelievably reliable. That’s the end goal. Easy, so I’m not fumbling through several remotes to turn on the TV. I can walk in the door and press “Home” for lights, shades and thermostats to all move to the perfect setting. Beautiful is about the treatments. How are we framing this TV? Where are we hiding the receiver? We work with designers, builders,and architects to weave technology into the design of the space.

Covey also spoke of having a “win-win strategy,” in which both the business owner and the customer win in the transaction. Can you describe your win-win strategy?

I once had a homeowner come to our showroom in a sports car in the quarter-million-dollar price range. When I said, “The speakers in this room are about $750 a pair,” he was shocked. Speakers can range from $200 to $200,000 a pair. Just because someone can afford something, doesn’t mean they value it. We never try to talk someone into something they’re not interested in. We want to educate and help you decide what you deem important for your own home. To us, win-win means we get you exactly what you need at a price that you’re comfortable with.

A Q A

QQWhat was the highlight of 2022 at your business?

AAWe hired a master electrician. The AV and electrical industries have been converging for many years as new lighting technology for the home is developed. We are seeing major development in “human-centric lighting.” This is akin to the concept of circadian rhythm that wellness experts want you to incorporate into your life. In the morning the outdoor light comes up in a dim amber. By mid-day, lighting is bright and very white. Then by evening it’s back to the warm dim tones. We can turnkey lighting installations including full-spectrum color fixtures as well as tunable white. Light effects wellness, and we’re more equipped than ever to master this in new construction and retrofit installations.

What’s new for 2023 that you’re excited about?

Tunable lighting, blazing fast WiFi6, and TEN GIG NETWORKS! We’re also offering Cinematech Theater Design/Build program, Josh.ai Voice controls, Leon-Speakers bespoke designs, and of course Italian made speakers from Sonus Faber. On the personal side, we have been offering training for parents on internet safety and parental controls. We’ve spoken to a handful of churches and private schools. It’s a passion of ours to be able to help others and shed some light on something that can be so overwhelming!

“We would not have existed in this industry for as long as we have without being a bright light for the people of Houston when they need us.”

GERARD O’BRIEN

President/CEO & Founder, ORION EMS

SUMI PATEL

Vice President, ORION EMS

Describe your highlight of 2022. A continuation of our values, our leadership within the industry and the commitment to quality that our customers have come to expect. We remain on a growth trajectory within Houston and are happy to continue to expand our customer base by providing quality care.

How did you lead through Covid and adapt for success? As an EMS company, any public health emergency places us squarely in the spotlight. While this may seem daunting, being ready and able to handle any medical needs for our community is a pillar of ORION. Our friends and neighbors were hurting, and we made a commitment to be there for them, just as we have for the last 15 years. During these last two years, ORION’s leadership team ensured that our medical personnel were fully trained on the latest guidelines in patient care, and we frequently consulted with the leading medical and government authorities. The core mission of ORION did not change: to provide professional, compassionate medical care to every patient.

How did your career journey lead you to EMS? Throughout my life, I have challenged the status quo of various industries. To me, the most insidious thought for any organization is, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” In my career, I’ve consistently rejected the concept that an organization has reached its ceiling of potential impact. Having owned several businesses, my primary strategy has been to identify new efficient and customer-friendly ways to function. My decision to enter EMS was no different; I saw an industry that was too crowded (from a competition standpoint) and barely acknowledging the needs of the people it was supposed to be serving. I founded ORION to be the premier EMS company in Houston by returning the focus of our work to where it should always be — the families that we transport every day.

What’s “the end game” for ORION? The “end” is also our “beginning”: our staff and our patients. Every decision I make with our leadership team is focused on providing the best medical care possible in every transport. We are providing the Houston region with safe, reliable care for their loved ones while showing the public, and the EMS industry, what an ambulance service should be.

Describe ORION’s “win-win strategy” in the community. Our strategy centers on people — our staff, our hospital clients, and our patients. The EMS industry is so unique because, by definition, people come to us at difficult moments. ORION has a reputation for not only the quality of care we provide, but in the kindness and empathy shown by each employee. We would not have existed in this industry for as long as we have without being a bright light for the people of Houston when they need us.

What are your favorite aspects of your team? Without question, my favorite aspect is that ORION’s leadership team is entirely “homegrown.” Beginning with Vice President Sumi Patel, every senior leader started their career with ORION at a different level and has earned promotion to their current role. Those shared experiences create exceptionally strong bonds between us, and it ensures that we come to work focused on the same goals each day. Sumi has been standing with me since the beginning of ORION 15 years ago, and her commitment to excellence is, truly, unparalleled.

What makes you excited for 2023? The year 2023 is shaping up to have the same dynamic aspects that impact all EMS companies across the industry. We are excited that our stability in the marketplace, the leadership that guides our company and our continued quality of service will carry us through any challenges that may arise.

photo by al torres photography

ARQUELLA HARGROVE

Chief Culture Officer and Owner of the Alchemy Consulting Group

What is the secret to running a successful business? The secret to a successful business is a rockstar team. With a rockstar team, clients experience the transformation within their culture. This also is connected to other success factors — a commitment to relentless change, communicating courageously, and collaborating to win. The ultimate goal is to be the change for our clients and to create a culture where team members thrive and grow exponentially.

What’s unique about your approach or your mission? We call ourselves a “partner” for our clients. We work to transform one culture — one organization at a time. In doing this, we meet clients in their culturalshift journey, however long it may take to accomplish the end goal or implementation. We use a team of collaborative partners to dive deep into the company’s culture and provide expertise in each area we serve — from diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, learning and development, strategic HR development,

executive leadership coaching and more. Bottom line: Our client’s success is our success.

What’s special about your team/colleagues? They are magic, amazing, creative problem solvers, and I thoroughly enjoy the work they do, creating lasting impact for our clients for an organizational culture change. Each has different skill sets strategically placed with clients to provide risk assessment, strategic business development, and change solutions leaning into their curiosity, best practices, empathy, respect and authenticity.

Who or what inspires you as you seek to reach greater heights of success? I am constantly inspired by people making an impact in the world, and I love being an agent of change with, behind and beside them. Our mission is to build up corporations and individuals so that they can perform at peak levels and enjoy their work life and culture.

“I am constantly inspired by people making an impact in the world, and I love being an agent of change with, behind and beside them.”

photo by emile browne photography

LAUREN VARNADO

Houston Office Managing Partner at Michelman & Robinson, LLP and sought-after oil and gas lawyer

What was the highlight of 2022 at your business? That’s easy, launching Michelman & Robinson in Houston was, for me, the absolute high point of 2022 — and that’s in a year that included so many highlights. Without question, being named the firm’s Houston Office Managing Partner is and was a professional milestone that I’m so very proud of. That I’ve already been able to expand the office to 10 of us (and growing) and significantly move the needle in terms of the firm’s reach within the energy space is icing on the cake.

What makes all this even better are the positive results my team and I were able to obtain on behalf of our clients in 2022. This includes a very favorable settlement we negotiated on behalf of EQT Corporation, the nation’s largest natural gas producer, in what turned out to be a very controversial trial in West Virginia in which EQT faced hundreds of millions of dollars in exposure. That case involved a judge who pulled out a handgun from beneath his robe and pointed it at me in his courtroom — an episode covered by People, Vanity Fair, The Daily Beast and CBS and NBC News and which led to his resignation from the bench. Like I said, It was a year full of highlights.

Successful people usually have many choices in what to do professionally? Why did you choose this? I’m a Houstonian through and through, so it’s no surprise that I’ve always been drawn to the oil and gas industry, which in many ways defines our great city. The people and issues that I have the privilege of working with — and on — in the energy space keep me on my toes, always engaged, and excited about each and every day.

We’re fans of the late educator Stephen Covey, who used to say that successful people “begin with the end in the mind.” At your business, what’s the end? What are you striving to accomplish? I want to be known as a preeminent first-chair trial attorney — a go-to lawyer handling the most consequential cases impacting the oil and gas business in Texas and beyond. Truth be told, not many women fit this bill. I’m proud to say that I do, and I’m so grateful to the clients that entrust me with their most important pieces of litigation.

What’s new for 2023 that you’re excited about? New colleagues as my office grows, new cases that I’m handling for amazing clients, and new challenges as I continue to spread my wings here in Houston — it’s all so exciting!

photo by laurie perez photography

“I want to be known as a preeminent first-chair trial attorney — a go-to lawyer handling the most consequential cases impacting the oil and gas business.”

JUSTIN WHITE

Founder, Senior Health Services

What is the secret to running a successful business? First, you have to have a mission that you care about. I absolutely love helping people understand Medicare! Secondly, I have always succeeded because the agents I work with know that I care for them and truly want them to succeed. I love developing leaders and watching them soar! If I help them get where they want to be, I will never need to worry about me! We all rise together.

What’s unique about your approach or your mission? We are the luckiest people in the world. We get to work every day with America’s best: seniors. They need help navigating Medicare, and we are proud to help them!

I am not sure this is unique, but I am a bit of an idealist. I believe if something is good enough to go after, it is good enough to obsess about and go aggressively. I believe very strongly in what we do, and I am not afraid to let people know!

What’s special about your team? I am very honest with all who choose to work with me. This builds a level of trust. We are very much of like mind, and all our goals are aligned. We work side by side with each other, we have meals together, we know each other’s families, and get to go on trips together. Strong bonds are formed!

Who or what inspires you as you seek to reach greater heights of success? Our clients inspire me. Their experiences and life stories and challenges are incredible! When I enjoy something, I like striving to be the best. When you love what you do and who you do it for, ascending to greater heights tends to happen more naturally; it is almost a byproduct of that love.

What have you learned about your business and your community that might inspire others? Nobody can do anything alone. It is humbling to realize how much I depend on others. This business and life is not all about me. We’ve got to take care of each other.

“Our clients inspire me. Their experiences and life stories and challenges are incredible!”

RYDE

What inspires you as you grow RYDE? The RYDE community and our team inspire us every day. The goal from the start was to create something that is bigger than ourselves — our community is just that. We want to push the limits of what a fitness experience can be. Our new Heights studio is a testament to that commitment, offering a high-energy indoor cycling experience in a stunning space. RYDE Heights opens in April, exactly eight years after our first location opened on West Gray in River Oaks.

What’s special about your team? The RYDE team is the core spirit of who we are and what we do. Our instructors, studio team and management are constantly raising the bar, and are passionate about building authentic relationships with clients inside and outside the studio. We have the best team in the city — and it is a privilege to work with such a talented and hardworking group of people.

RYDE has taught more than 20,000 spin classes since opening in 2015. To what do you attribute the success of your brand? Every aspect of RYDE is crafted with purpose, and our core principles remain steadfast as we

grow. First is quality and consistency: Our team strives to earn and retain our clients’ trust and loyalty every day.

Second, we put people first: We invest in our team through comprehensive training programs and dedicated management support to ensure that our most valuable assets are always put first.

Third, we embrace uniqueness: We invest in our product and talent to ensure it is the best in the industry, while constantly innovating. Our athletic edge appeals to men and women equally, and we’ve paid close attention to this balance from the start.

Fourth, we cherish the details: Every physical and digital detail has been carefully considered and refined by our team, and is an integral part of the RYDE identity.

And the final core principle is giving back: The RYDE team and community are deeply committed to making a difference, and are proud to have donated over $160,000 for local and national philanthropic causes.

Ashley Gooch and Andrew Pappas, Co-Founders

“We have the best team in the city — and it is a privilege to work with such a talented and hardworking group of people.”

Kathy

Anderson, Eklektik Interiors Owner and Principal Designer, & the Eklektik team

What was the highlight of 2022 at your business? Winning Best of Show at the 2022 ASID Ruby Awards was very exciting. It was an honor to be recognized and supported by amazing industry partners and friends.

Successful people usually have many choices in what to do professionally. Why did you choose this? I discovered interior design purely by accident. Growing up on a farm in East Texas, I didn’t even know this was a profession. I took a beginning interior design class with a friend in college, and I fell in love with it. I believe I’ve been successful because I work hard, and I truly love what I do.

We’re fans of late educator Stephen Covey, who used to say that successful people “begin with the end in the mind.” At your business, what are you striving to accomplish? At this point in my career, I am working more as a mentor to my team. I want to leave my team and clients better off because they worked with me. Even though I’ll probably never 100 percent retire, I am slowing down and thinking more about what I want to leave behind. I feel so blessed with the success that I’ve experienced creating and building Eklektik Interiors, and I want to focus more on giving back to my industry and community.

Covey also spoke of having a “win-win strategy,” in which both the business owner and the customer win in the transaction. Can you describe your win-win strategy? When my clients are happy, I’m happy. It’s just

that simple. I believe having a win-win strategy is being aware of the impact that you have and owning it. Every day that I get to get up and do what I love to do is a win. Figuring out different solutions, thinking outside the box, and finding inspiration in the process, is how I continue to find ways to make myself and others happier.

What’s special about your team? My team is eager to learn and tackle challenges. They love it just like I do! We all work together and individually to reflect Eklektik and our philosophy. We believe that the project isn’t about us; it is about our client and what they have asked us to do. I trust the fact that my employees know how to do just that. I love to see each designer flourish on their own and work together as a team for Eklektik’s success.

What’s new for 2023 that you’re excited about? We are very excited to announce our new location at 9434 Katy Freeway, Suite 200! Our studio in now dedicated 100 percent to interior design. We know that everyone is worried about inflation and being careful with their money. We are committed to working smarter as we give our clients the most bang for their buck. I’m excited to slow down and simplify my business and life and give my staff an opportunity to grow.

“I believe I’ve been successful because I work hard, and I truly love what I do.”

What’s the secret to running a successful business?

I have found that there is no real secret to running a business. I abide by a set of principles that have allowed my business to grow and flourish for the past 15 years. First, I make sure that our team is competent on the laws and the facts surrounding all my clients’ individual cases. Secondly, I am always staying abreast of the public’s temperature as it relates to hot button topics that may affect prospective jurors who will be determining the outcome of my clients’ cases. More importantly, my clients’ feelings and needs are always at the forefront of our legal representation of them. Our clients’ happiness is the most important aspect of my business. My law firm obtains excellent results for our clients and in return, they refer their friends and family to us for legal representation. Client satisfaction is not a secret.

What’s unique about your approach or your mission?

My approach to accomplishing my goal is unique because I do not operate my law firm like a traditional law office. I treat my law firm as if it was a business operating in Silicon Valley, Austin, and Seattle. Meaning, my practice functions like a tech company. I believe in having employees that are happy and work in an atmosphere without unnecessary and traditional office stress. We do not wear suits every day. We do not punch a time clock. Our offices are purposely uniquely decorated. Our office and work environment are

WILVIN J. CARTER

The Law Offices of Wilvin J. Carter P.C.

designed to mimic the atmosphere that you would find in a five-star hotel or nice day spa. By way of example, on Thursdays we have a yoga instructor to come in and guide us through stretching and meditation to relieve stress. My philosophy is simple, we cannot positively represent our clients if our minds and bodies are focused on needless stress and not our clients’ legal needs.

What’s special about your team/colleagues? My entire team truly love their jobs and work lives. They take fighting and winning our clients’ cases very seriously and personally. What’s apparent in the representation of our clients is that we see ourselves, our family members, and our friends in all of our clients’ circumstances and legal matters.

Who or what inspires you as you seek to reach greater heights of success? The life and courtroom triumphs of the late great Johnnie Cochran.

What have you learned about your business and your community that might inspire others? That’s simple. My business has survived and has been successful because of the genuine connection that we have with the community and the issues that plague the community. We treat all our clients like family and that is what matters most. In return, they treat us like family and that makes our representation of them even more meaningful.

“My philosophy is simple: We can’t positively represent our clients if our minds and bodies are focused on stress and not our clients’ legal needs.”

MICHELLE REYNA WYMES

Co-Owner, The Reyna Group

What’s the secret to running a successful business? It is so important to stay present every day. With the fastpaced patterns of today’s society and ever-evolving technologies, I stress to our agents how important it is to continue to learn. If one reaches a point at which the ego takes over or burnout sets in and progress takes a back seat, things will get stuck. Regardless of what field you are in, I believe in starting with the basics to set and strengthen your foundation. I treat everyone we work with from our contractors, clients, to our inspectors with respect, patience and care.

What’s special about your team? Our group is made up of like-minded individuals that come together just like a family would. The Reyna Group is a family-owned company, and it means everything to us to be able to say that we all wholeheartedly have each other’s back. We as a group are constantly brainstorming and bouncing new ideas around with each other. I have many friends in this business, and I know the synergy we have at The Reyna Group is something very special.

What inspires you as you seek to reach greater heights of success? Whether we are helping a long time investment client or a family buying their first home, it is truly rewarding to play such an integral part in these decisions. It is an honor to have the trust of our clients, new and old. The trust our clients instill in us is, first and foremost, what inspires every agent in our office to continue to strive to improve the hustle.

“If one reaches a point at which the ego takes over or burnout sets in and progress takes a back seat, things will get stuck.”