Talk of Town
MIKE MORRIS "MEASURED BY CHARACTER" INTERVIEW
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Best of Denton County Nominations 20 eussI
Highland Village. STAGED&SOLD.
Talk of Town Table of contents
03 Local Hidden Treasures 04 Best of Denton 06 Meet Mike Morris
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10 Highland Village. Staged & Sold. 11 Local Business
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07 Written, Created and Published by Kelly Stark Photo credit:Â Kelly Stark Photography
www.KimLylesStaging.com
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LOCAL HIDDEN TREASURES
THE FLOUR SHOP & GYPSY CARAVAN Don't miss our new series: "Local Hidden Treasures" featurING the "HIDDEN GEMS"around #DFW! Kim meets up with business owners for an interesting look at the sites, services and SURPRISES these charming local businesses provide! You might be surprised-- or stunned-- to know THE COOL THINGS happening right down the street from you! P.3
Check out our YouTube Channel or Social Media Pages:
Kim could really use your help at this point!
Voting runs through August 25th, so we'd appreciate the votes under the "Financial/Real Estate" category. Visit: http://bit.ly/VoteKimLyles Under Question #15: Select Kim LylesThe Staging Company "Thank you isn't enough. Something like this is really career changing," explains Kim. "I owe you all.. a lot! Thanks for the nod!"
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Kim was nominated for Best of Denton County's Home Staging category for 2018. When Kim received the news that she was being nominated, a few tears were shed. Only a few.
Credit: Kelly Stark Photography
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e are all looking for validation in our professional careers, so when we get a public nod from our peers-it's like winning the lotto!
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BEST OF DENTON...
HOME STAGING THAT MOVES YOU WWW.KIMLYLESSTAGING.COM
MONTHLY FEATURE:
Meet Mike Morris Entrepreneur. Advocate. Father. This is the short list that describes all that is Mike Morris. A local resident of Denton, Mike has his hands in a lot of ventures nowadays. He has quite an interesting history, but he's working to change lives in a way that most of us only wish we could. From the National Guard, building homes, and fatherhood amidst a few of the hats he wears, you'll find Mike to be down-to-earth and motivating.
As the father of an almost 6 year-old incredible little boy, Mike's primary focus is creating a better world for the younger generation. With his role in "Measured By Character," a non-profit dedicated to the development and enrichment of character, Mike is doing the unthinkable: bringing awareness and worth to our youth.
Here's a little from our interview with Mike:
Tell us a little about yourself: "I moved to Denton when I was 14 years old, and I have been in construction & remodeling homes since I was 15. I Joined the Army National Guard when I was still in high school and spent 6 years serving as an Infantryman. I served one tour to Afghanistan in 2012-13. I have a son named Joey, he was born 1 week before I left the country for Afghanistan. I returned home when he was 9 months old and started working at Peterbilt in Denton and going to school full-time to be a helicopter pilot. By 18, I was running crews & remodeling homes full- time.
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MONTHLY FEATURE:
Meet Mike Morris, cont. You've had quite a history, can you tell me about the "turning point" in your life? In 2015, I was in a severe helicopter crash severely damaging my spine and changing the course of my life. I spent 2 years and 3 surgeries trying to recover from that crash. During this recovery, I decided to return to the construction industry.
I started flipping houses all over Denton, Gainesville and the Keller area. I also have rent houses I manage across the Metroplex. I recently started building houses, and this was really just the natural progression of the path I am on. I have the skill, knowledge and the trades to build successfully. I also have an established team around me that I have been working with for years, and building homes has become my new passion. I started from the ground up; designing & building something that is truly unique and will provide a family a home to create many memories. A home is more than a building-it’s a statement. I believe the homes we build make an excellent statement!
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MONTHLY FEATURE:
Meet Mike Morris, cont. I'm sure you don't have a lot of time off, but if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? If I could travel anywhere in the world: that’s a hard one because I can name several places. Africa is definitely high on the list. I want to go on a safari and take my son to see life outside of America.
If you weren't building homes, what would you be doing for a career? If I was not building houses I would probably start a crane company. That was an option I explored for awhile.Â
What is one lesson that has stuck with you throughout your life? To be honest & trust God. In business and life in general, I have found that honesty is always the best route. Trusting God is probably the most important, and difficult, at the same time. It does not come naturally in the world we live in and it requires exercise. However, I have found trusting God through the big and little challenges will bring peace in all things. For example, I am on my 3rd business venture, and I have learned that fear is the greatest opponent of success. As a great man once said, "Fear is a roaring fire; and when you choose to step through those flames, you will find on the other side the parts that held you back have burned away."
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I have been influenced in life by many different individuals, Pastors, Mentors, Coaches-- if I had to choose one, it would be the man who I worked for during high school. He gave me a job at 15, and from a rough childhood, taught me to work hard and how to respect others. He also played a big role in getting me to the place where I could accept Jesus into my world.
MONTHLY FEATURE:
Meet Mike Morris, cont. What do you love to do when you're not working? I relax by spending time with my family and fishing.
I think we get a good idea of who you are-- but name one thing most people might not know about you? Most people don’t know that I am a Board Member for a non-profit called, "Measured By Character." I started working with the organization shortly after my crash in 2015. I met the founder, Wade White, at a wedding one week before my crash. I ended up attending some of the school events and getting involved with volunteering. In 2017 I was asked to join the Board and take on a role as Operations Manager.
Measured by Character is a program that was birthed from tragedy: Wade's son Ryan White was killed in a car crash on Hwy 428 in 2012. I knew Ryan from high school. He was a couple years younger then me, and he was one week from his graduation. MBC is a unique 2-hour program that takes place in middle school and high school gyms. Wade talks to the kids about the night before his son’s death and the moments leading up to the tragedy. He then goes into talking about bullying, suicide and legacy.
I think it resonated with me because I came from a broken home with a lot of pain. He talks about the choices that you make choosing good vs evil, and what path your choices will put you on. During my time in the military, I saw a lot of suicide within my group of friends and all around me. The identity issues the youth face today, I believe, are very similar to the issues those men faced when they ultimately took their own lives. These kids to me are the next generation, the next veterans, the next leaders and business owners; and the least we can do is pass down some wisdom and truth.
Measured By
To learn more about Mike Morris and his charity, "
DO YOU HAVE A GREAT STORY? DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE OUR NEXT FEATURE? Contact Us: kimberly.Lyles@Gmail.com
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Character" visit www.measuredbycharacter.com
Highland Village Staging This time around, you'd find me tucked away in a home near Highland Village, Flower Mound or Dallas! With summer in full swing, I swooped up my favorite blues and greens to stage these charming homes with amazing pools & patios. This gorgeous Highland Village Home had everything a Buyer could want in a home: Stellar Chef-style kitchen, a basement Rec room, a master suite with huge wrap-around windows, and a relaxing two-story patio overlooking a luxury pool! I'm extremely proud of this home! It took a lot of time to make sure all the gorgeous features were highlighted in each room. I also wanted to make sure the color scheme enhanced all the warm, bright light through all the amazing windows around the home!
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Highland Village-- it was a pleasure!
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LocalBUSINESS Do You Have a Business We Can Feature? Email Kim:
www.theflour.shop
Peter Heise, C: (972) 743-4327
 Kimberly.Lyles@Gmail.com
KimLylesStaging.com C: (817) 751-8446
www.mjm-properties.com
https://www.facebook.com/ gypsycaravanargyletexas/
KellyStarkPhotography.com P11