In this episode of the Small Business Origins podcast, host John The Marketer welcomes Teresa and Bryan from The Hutson Group, a prominent development and property management company based in Tomball, Texas. Another feature of the Tomball Economic Development Corporation, they share their family's journey into real estate, the importance of preserving the town's historical charm, and their commitment to supporting local businesses. The conversation dives into family legacy, community impact, and the entrepreneurial spirit that drives their work in Old Town Tomball.

Topics:

• The origin story of The Hutson Group and their path into real estate (0:00 - 10:00)
• Balancing commercial development with preservation of local history (10:00 - 30:00)
• Building community through strategic business partnerships and grant opportunities with local economic development corporations (30:00 - 45:00)
• Focus on local businesses and the importance of a well-planned and cohesive commercial environment (45:00 - 1:05:00)
• Personal anecdotes and stories about transforming historic buildings (1:05:00 - 1:20:00)
• The role of family and collaboration in business success (1:20:00 - 1:35:00)

Key Insights:

• The Hutson family's focus is not just on profit but on building a vibrant community and supporting small local businesses (0:00 - 10:00).
• A strong partnership with the Tomball Economic Development Corporation plays a crucial role in facilitating local development and helping businesses thrive (30:00 - 45:00).
• The intention behind leasing spaces is to foster businesses that contribute positively to the community, rather than just filling vacancies (45:00 - 1:05:00).
• Personal stories shared by Teresa and Bryan highlight the importance of legacy, creativity in business, and preserving history within Tomball (1:05:00 - 1:20:00).

Notable Quotes:

• "We're going to keep doing this as long as we're still having fun." – Bryan on maintaining passion in business (1:37:51).
• "We want to choose a business for a particular building or area that will gel with the businesses around it." – Teresa discussing tenant selection and community cohesion (1:27:48).

Timestamps:

• Intro and Icebreaker: 0:00 - 5:00
• Hudson Group Overview: 5:00 - 10:00
• Impact of EDC on Community Development: 30:00 - 45:00
• Personal Anecdotes about Property Transformations: 1:05:00 - 1:20:00
• Importance of Family in Business: 1:20:00 - 1:35:00
• Final Thoughts and Takeaways: 1:35:00 - 1:40:00

Relevant Resources:

• For more information about The Hutson Group, visit The Hutson Group Website
• Explore local businesses in Tomball: Visit Tomball
• Economic Development Corporation: Tomball EDC
• Sponsor: "Every business needs a Wingman"

P.S.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the Small Business Origins podcast, leave us a review, and share it with your friends! Follow us

In this engaging episode of Small Business Origins, host John The Marketer sits down with Matt Lawrence, founder of Lone Star Development, to explore the journey of building a family-owned real estate development company deeply rooted in community values. From growing up in a small Texas town surrounded by entrepreneurship to managing multi-million-dollar development projects in Tomball, Matt shares insights on balancing work, family, and business growth. Discover how Lone Star Development transforms properties with a people-first approach and works hand-in-hand with the Tomball Economic Development Corporation to foster local business success.

Key Topics Discussed:

- The evolution of their definition of success: from flashy dreams to focusing on integrity, family, and community respect (00:02:14)

- Matt's entrepreneurial roots growing up in a family car wash business, including his international experience managing a major car wash in Germany (00:17:12)

- Transitioning from family legacy to founding Lone Star Development, rebranding from a “mom and pop” model to a full-service development company (00:22:27)

- Challenges and rewards of managing construction, leasing, and property management within development (00:24:59)

- Importance of community engagement and creating developments that reflect neighborhood needs—not just quick profit (00:48:44)

- The vital partnership with the Tomball Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to secure grants, support, and tenant connections (01:10:05)

- Overview of Lone Star’s projects including the Hufsmith-Kohrville Business Park in Tomball and the upcoming Theis/Cherry development (01:02:27 and 01:31:40)

- How Lone Star Development supports small business tenants—from fledgling startups to expanding operations—offering flexible leasing and hands-on support (00:56:19)

- The future direction of development in Tomball, balancing city infrastructure, community growth, and thoughtful planning (01:17:35)

Notable Quotes & Moments:

- “Success, to me, is holding true to your promise—being a man of integrity and being respected by your community.” (00:02:35) - Matt Lawrence

- “We really see all of our tenants as partners. If they're successful, we’re successful.” (01:01:00) - Matt Lawrence

- “If you build something and the community doesn’t like it, it’s pretty much not going to be successful.” (00:49:50) - Matt Lawrence

- “The Tomball EDC has been 10 out of 10 to work with. They’re really there to help local businesses grow.” (01:10:05) - Matt Lawrence

- “We’re focused on building a brand and a community, not just structures.” (00:22:41) - Matt Lawrence

Episode Timestamps:

- 00:00 – Introduction & Icebreaker on defining success

- 00:17 – Matt’s origin story and family background in business

- 00:22 – Founding

This episode of the Small Business Origins podcast features guest Alexis Haselberger, a time management and productivity coach from San Francisco. She shares her personal journey into entrepreneurship and coaching, as well as advice for improving efficiency, prioritization, planning, focus, and more. You'll hear all about how she got started, and how she can help you.

Main discussion points:

- Alexis' transition from working at startups to starting her own business

- Common time management myths and mistakes

- Strategies for productivity, planning, prioritization

- Building sustainable habits

- Managing distractions and notifications

Guest Bio:

Alexis Haselberger is a time management and productivity coach who helps people do more and stress less through coaching, workshops and online courses. Her pragmatic, yet fun, approach helps people easily integrate practical, realistic strategies into their lives so that they can do more of what they want and less of what they don't. Alexis has taught thousands of individuals to take control of their time and her clients include Google, Lyft, Workday, Capital One, Upwork and more.

Key Quotes:

"I had worked in startups and I was familiar with entrepreneurship...I just didn't think about it for me." (00:05:47)

"There are a number of different traits, tendencies, scales where they have something to do with how we get things done. And knowing about ourselves helps us to build sustainable strategies." (00:20:39)

"I teach science backed habit strategies that help us with that...we also talk about strategies and teach people strategies so that they can sort of create focus out of thin air when you need to because sometimes you need to." (00:28:32, 00:29:47)

Links Mentioned:

Guest Website

Guest Instagram

Guest Facebook

Guest YouTube

Guest LinkedIn

Beefy Marketing

Trust Your Wingman (Sponsor)

John Kelley's Links