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    Texas Ingenuity

    Sam and Andrew Wyly discuss why Texas is better than everywhere else

    Jonathan Rienstra
    Nov 27, 2012 | 11:12 am
    • Sam Wyly began his career as an IBM salesman in the late '50s. Over the last 50plus years he has grown successful businesses in multiple fields including cleanenergy and computer software.
      Photo by Karen Sanders
    • Sam's son Andrew has worked as a film producer, entrepreneur and investor sincegraduating from Denison University in Ohio. He has been in Texas since 2004.
      Photo by Karen Sanders
    • Texas Got It Right! explores the historical and more modern reasons that Texashas succeeded while other states have grown weaker.
      Photo courtesy of Lisa Endicott

    The Wyly family knows a thing or two about maintaining success. Headed by brothers Sam and Charles, the Wylys have long been a part of the business scene in Dallas and beyond.

    So Sam has good reason to be proud of how Texas has weathered the recession and where it is headed. In fact, he’s so proud that he and his son, Andrew, wrote a book called “Texas Got It Right!” that details all the ways in which Texas got it … um, right.

    A sampling: In five years, the Lone Star State added more jobs than any other state and maintains a lower cost of living than most; Texas is continually ranked as one of, if not the best, state to do business in, and Texas is on the front-end of new energy sources such as wind and natural gas.

    On the other end of the spectrum is California, mired in taxes and regulation as people leave the state.

    The Wylys examine how deregulation, entrepreneurial drive and prudent decision making have allowed Texas to thrive as other states falter. It's a quick read that is as lively as it is informative.

    Sam and Andrew recently took a break from besting the rest of the nation to discuss Texas pride and what others can learn from us.

    CultureMap: This book seems to really take aim at California as the antithesis of Texas in pretty much every way. Is California doomed in your opinion?

    Andrew Wyly: California is not doomed, yet. We give them, and other states, 10 ways to help turn things around and create good jobs. Some 200,000 Californians left the state to move to Texas over the past decade. This trend will continue if they don’t change their policies.

    Sam Wyly: The book also takes aim at Illinois and New York. California has self-destructed, most often by voter propositions. A Greek philosopher said, "Choose between a republic and a democracy.” California is a failed democracy. And Texas is a republic that works. If someone sees a rattlesnake in California, they’ll call a meeting to talk about the rattlesnake problem. A Texan just kills the rattlesnake.

    "If someone sees a rattlesnake in California, they’ll call a meeting to talk about the rattlesnake problem. A Texan just kills the rattlesnake," Sam Wyly says.

    CM: Is your book meant as a lesson for Texans to keep doing what they’re doing, or an instruction manual for the rest of the country?

    AW: Both.

    CM: There's a saying, "Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you. If he isn't, don't embarrass him." Why do you think that Texans are generally so prideful and how has this played into the state's successes?

    SW: Having a positive attitude is usually better than a “doom and gloom” mindset in most everything. It helps us survive disasters.

    CM: Your book champions Texas a lot, obviously, but what are the things that the state could be improving upon?

    AW: Sure, education needs to be improved. Also, it’s illegal to play Texas Hold 'em in Texas. That just seems wrong.

    SW: Texas, along with most other states, needs to do a better job of educating our children. But we are trying to get it right. Maybe we should just give the state money to the parents to take to their choice of the best school for their child.

    CM: One of your biggest points in the book is how Texas has really gotten deregulation right while utilizing natural resources. But Texas is a big state with lots of resources. Can other states afford what Texas has done without the same amount of land, energy opportunities, shipping lanes, etc.?

    SW: Who dug the shipping lanes? Who farms the land from sun-up to sunset? “Can other states afford it” is a wimpy question. Texas was founded by poor dirt farmers — migrants from Tennessee and European immigrants exiled from the revolutions against the princes and bishops who owned all the land and decreed state religions. Aggie farmers and college researchers have enabled hundreds of millions in Mexico and India to escape hunger and poverty with more productive corn and wheat seeds.

    AW: Lots of states have large shale deposits that they are not utilizing, especially in the Midwest. But you don’t need a lot of land and resources to have a thriving economy, just look at Hong Kong and Singapore.

    CM: Texas carries a swagger that non-Texans tend to either admire or hate. Does a state need a unifying pride or braggadocio to succeed?

    AW: Every state has their own heroes and landmarks — Abe Lincoln in Illinois, the Freedom Trail in Massachusetts, and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. A unifying pride can’t hurt, but what California and Illinois and New York really need is a change of policy.

    SW: As the rodeo bull rider says, “It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.”

    Texas Got It Right! is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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    Women Rule

    Carrollton CEO makes list of fastest growing women businesses in U.S.

    Raven Jordan
    May 8, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Buzzballs
    Buzzballs
    Buzzballs' Merrilee Kick

    A CEO based in Carrollton was recently named one of the fastest-growing women-led businesses in the United States: Merrilee Kick, founder of spherical cocktail brand BuzzBallz, made the top five on nonprofit Women President Organization's 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies list.

    BuzzBallz, which is in the fourth spot on the list, was founded by Kick in 2009 and acquired by spirits company Sazerac in 2024. Following a career as a high school teacher, Kick decided to create ready-to-drink cocktails, such as martinis and margaritas, served in a plastic can rather than a glass.

    To be considered for this list, businesses must operate under the leadership of a woman, and have a minimum of $500,000 in annual revenue for each of the previous five years. Plus, they must have sustained substantial year-over-year growth, demonstrating post-pandemic recovery in industries like travel and hospitality, health and wellness, manufacturing, and food and beverage.

    The top five include:

    1. Collette led by President and CEO Jaclyn Leibl-Cote, based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
    2. Unite Digital led by President and CEO Stacey Coopes, based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
    3. Embark Beyond led by Co-founder and Managing Partner Julie Danziger, based in New York City, New York
    4. BuzzBallz (Southern Champion) led by CEO and Founder Merrilee Kick, based in Carrollton, Texas
    5. Cymbiotika led by CEO Durana Elmi, based in San Diego, California

    Kick joins two other Texas business owners on the list — both in Houston — including Pamela Chambers O'Rourke, founder and CEO of Icon Information Consultants, and Tara Harmon-Kramer, owner of Meltar Supply, at sixth and 23rd place on the list respectively.

    According to a release, businesses on this year’s list collectively generated more than $7 billion in gross revenue, and employed more than 15,000 people, in 2024.

    Most of the selected companies offer remote work arrangements and parental leave, and company milestones included major contracts secured and national retailer launches.

    “With a strong commitment to innovation, purpose, and people, these companies exemplify the essential role women-owned and led businesses play in building a more sustainable and inclusive economy," says CEO of the Women Presidents Organization Camille Burns in a statement. "This recognition is more than a milestone — it’s a powerful affirmation of the transformative influence women have in shaping modern business."

    The 50 Fastest list is sponsored by J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking, and participation was open to all qualifying businesses.

    A comprehensive evaluation process then ranked all eligible companies using a proprietary sales growth formula that factored in both percentage and absolute growth, finalizing the WPO’s selection of the top 50 performers for recognition.

    Honorees will be recognized during a ceremony at the WPO Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum at The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort in San Antonio on May 8.

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