Episode 224: Fast Growth, Strength and Happiness

Episode 224 originally broadcast on September 19, 2009

The BusinessMakers are on the road this week at the Houston Business Journal’s Fast 100. Russ and Katie interview the winners and the sponsors. We also have an interview with Harvard professor Shawn Achor, an expert on the psychology of happiness. Then flash back to earlier interviews with BusinessMakers legends Nolan Bushnell, Steve Wozniak, Rod Canion and Billy Joe "Red" McCombs.

School of Business 09/19/2009

Russ and John present the real-world, crafty show about the entrepreneurs, the innovators who most positively affect our economy. And we do this show with an added dimension—where else you gonna get that?! Includes: BusinessMakers Quote of the Week—economical humor from visionary Steven Wright; This Week in Business History includes such big names as Benedict Arnold, the Supreme Court, Honda and media mogul Ted Turner; Navigating Business Jargon—acronyms, technospeak and trendy new stuff; and Dumbest Moments in Business History—the Feds impose a new tax on tires from China.

Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor teaches and conducts studies on positive psychology at Harvard, asking the question: why are so many students at one of the nation’s top universities happy while others are not? Research has proved that happiness and organizational success are closely linked. Achor and Russ discuss the findings of his research, and his ideas on happiness and human potential.

HBJ Houston Fast 100

Russ visits with Lee Mediamolle, vice president of Whitney Bank, Presenting Sponsor of The Houston Fast 100; Anthony Grijalva Jr., vice president of G&A Partners; Catherine Gerard, general manager of Staples; Seth Hachmeister, business sales manager of Verizon Wireless; and Philip Morabito, founder and CEO of Pierpont Communications.

Also Russ and Katie Laird interview winners in the Houston Business Journal’s Fast 100. Winners and interviewees include G.R. (Dick) Didow, president and CEO of Catch the Moment, an event entertainment and promotions company; Ken Parekh, Amsys Innovative Solutions, a computer technology consulting firm; Jerry Lasco, founder and CEO of Lasco Enterprises, a wine-centric restaurant management company; Pallavi Dinesh, COO and founder of Fommy.com, a wireless phone accessory company; and the top winner Francisco Segura, senior vice president of operations of StarTex Power

BusinessMakers Legends on Notable Entrepreneurs

Russ flashes back to earlier interviews with BusinessMakers legends when he revisits his interviews with Nolan Bushnell, inventor of the original video game, Pong; computer visionary Steve Wozniak, a former employee of Bushnell; Rod Canion, founder of Compaq Computers; and American business mogul Billy Joe “Red” McCombs. In this segment, Canion, Bushnell and “Woz” reminisce about lessons learned during the early days of computers. McCombs remembers his friend, author James Michener, and tries to define “The Mystique of Texas.”

PKF Texas: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook® - Looking for Outside Innovation

Where do you look for innovative ideas? If you’re not staying on top of what’s trendy, you could get lost in the shuffle. Greg Price provides several sources for conferences, trends and ideas to keep your company competitive.

Advantage Point - LegalZoom

So you’re ready to take the big step of starting your own company? LegalZoom can help you get started. Katie Laird gives ideas for getting free stuff online.