Hey everyone!
In this week’s Monday Motivation, I’ll reflect how last weekend’s festivities put family, mental health, and well-being in perspective.
Thanks for watching!
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Tag Archives: family
Monday Motivation: Knowing The History & Legacy of the State Fair of Texas
Hey everyone!
In this week’s Monday Motivation, I’ll be sharing my perspective on the history and legacy of the State Fair of Texas.
Thanks for watching!
Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmatthouston/
Happy Birthday Tommy!!!
Just dropping a note to wish you a Happy Birthday big bro! Though you are greatly missed (your friends, family, and acquaintances continually praise your personality, intelligence, and spirit) you are living through your daughters Kenedi and Triniti. I’ve had the pleasure to interact w/ your oldest this year and I see so much of you in her.
I don’t want this to go long, just want to say I love you, I miss you, and you are forever in my heart.
Women ROCK! Seriously… Y’all Do!
Though March 8th is touted as International Women’s Day, I want to make it clear that I won’t use this day only to celebrate women, or verbally praise or acknowledge, or even go above and beyond my education to “learn” of the contributions women have done in my culture, society, or the world. I will not trivialize this day like many do Black History Month (yes, I took a jab at all of the ignorant people who don’t care about black people outside of February…), because I somewhat understand the importance of this day; it’s not to force-feed people into feminism, nor is it a mandate that today people have to consider everything woman says is true out of guilt from the past transgressions men (and other women) have put on talented women who approached a glass ceiling, preventing them to achieve their personal, professional, or aspirational goals. No, that’s not the reason of the declaration of International Women’s Day.
We acknowledge International Women’s Day because you ROCK, and having a designated day to reflect on how women impact our lives provides food for the soul (pun was intended) as we (myself included) in all of daily lives can improve how we interact, consider, or treat women throughout the rest of the year. That’s the spirit of this day (similar to Black History Month, or Small Business Week that was last week, or National Hispanic Heritage Month that we will celebrate in the fall). It’s a day to say “thank you” and ensure we remain conscious, as human beings, that we shall move forward, and not fall backward…
There were (and are) numerous women who’ve impacted my life… First, my mother, who without her I will not exist, is a remarkably strong women with a kind heart; the real backbone of the Houston family. My sister, Natalie, whose spirit, strength, and intellect is so contagious that I can’t help but smile and do the right thing because she laid the appropriate blueprint for success out. My girlfriend, who is so smart and cares for her students so much, that she will directly be the cause of a better society, not only through her work, but her influence in college students. I’ve grown up with friends, peers, and mentors who have motivated me to be a man; physically so I can protect them, intellectually, so I can teach them (I KNOW they don’t want to hear that, lol) , and spiritually, so I can lead them, and vice versa.
Without saying too much more, and for me to spread out this appreciation throughout days outside of March 8th, I just want to say “Thank You” to all the women in my life (and abroad) for your presence, your contributions, and being awesome teammates. You all ROCK!
Should Dallas Pass The Torch, or Turn Up The Heat?
Dallas has come a long way in our history; from a settlement that sits on a prairie in the middle of the country with no major natural resource or natural means of transportation, to a metropolis that has become one of the major logistical hubs in North America. Our city does not only transport precious materials/cargo across the world and throughout the globe, but also catch the attention of major multi-national corporations, attracting global talent that will not only improve their company, but can impact our city through innovative and diverse problem-solving techniques. Consequently, we are on track to being an international city, where we will serve as a destination place for all, similar to Paris, Hong Kong, London, etc. These feats were attributed to the intellect, talent, and planning of our city’s forefathers, which then attracted young, ambitious, motivated individuals to pass the torch.
However, with all of our successes and ingenuity in the 20th century, we were still handicapped by a myopic cultural view; where societal prejudices of minorities, women, and sexual preferences caused not only Dallas, but many American cities, to not maximize on their potential in terms of inclusion in education, economic development, social interaction, and cultural formation. In essence, though we were progressing at a rate that was better than the “norm”, we still were underachieving based on our capabilities.
Dallas is standing at a crossroads; should we “Pass the Torch” to the next chosen ones, providing a blueprint of how Dallas became successful and consulting the groomed establishment not to deviate from the existing plan, or should we “Turn Up the Heat”, creating an analysis of our where we are, understanding how we got here, challenging one another to optimize our performance, and providing a new strategy that incorporates relevant factors that were not included in the original plan: culture, people, analytics, etc. I argue the latter will maximize our talent pool to catapult Dallas to a realm where we are solving our challenges more effectively using all the talent that’s available.
I’m not that naive to think I can provide a solution to this question on one blog; my hope is that people read this, analyze where they are in the situation (age, status, professional, influence), and create an inclusive conversation so we can utilize the experiences and talents we’ve attracted to our great region. Let’s move Dallas Forward, remembering (both the good and bad) of our past, creating a plan in the present, and providing a gift for our future by inclusive leadership.
The Mis-Education of the Millennial
This is a like to my IgniteDFW talk on the 4 ways both millennials, Baby Boomers, etc. can work together to build better relationships…
- Contemplate
- Communicate
- Cooperate
- Complete
Even at SMU, Black Lives Matter!
This message serves as a reflection from an event I attended at my alma mater, Southern Methodist University (SMU), where they hosted Alicia Garza, the architect of #BlackLivesMatter…. I know, I was shocked!!!! I’ll reserve my state for another post… this post is to share some of the takeaways I received from her from her VERY INTERESTING, WELL ATTENDED talk in the student center ballrooms:
You need a strategy, not just an emotion
Her plans for “Black Lives Matter” weren’t a knee-jerk reaction to some discrimination she encountered, there was a deliberate plan that was well thought out and executed to ensure sustainability.
“Hashtags does not make movements, people do”
This was a quote she stated that’s stuck with me. Recently, I did a talk for Ignite DFW (post of the presentation coming soon) where I give advice to millennials on how to survive in leadership roles; the main point is to not stop once you state something on Facebook or twitter; go beyond that and act!
You NEED to have a broad reach/network
Her network did not just include her friends; but people she interacted with all over the country before the incident… Which means she’s not only known but have positive relationships with individuals of all backgrounds, allowing her to be an influencer.
“Black Lives Matter” was a love letter to black people
This was beautifully said… I know this seems weird or exclusive to non-blacks in the audience, but let me explain; Unlike MOST ethnicities, blacks are the most exploited type of people in current media, for better or worse. Therefore, we are bombarded with information about “us” from everyone- the media, papers, strangers, aliens, etc. So it’s endearing to me when someone from our own culture actually expels energy to positively communicate to us. Thanks Alicia…
Both sexes need to work together in the strategy process
We’re facing an on-going battle of the sexes, where men and women are establishing footing for newly formed gender roles in our society. This is a good thing, as we are going through “growing pains” as a society; dispelling our past misogynistic ways and working toward a more, equal partnership in leadership. Consequently, there needs to be more black women at the planning table to dictate future strategy.
Black lives matter is not Anti-Police, it’s anti-violence movement
For people that say the line above either ignorant or purposely wants to be polarizing… The solution for a systemic problem isn’t inflicting pain to the oppressors, it’s creating an environment where all can be pain-free. #BlackLivesMatter is so popular because it resonates with SO MANY people’s feeling that Black Lives DONT Matter in our society…
“Pay attention to the culture we create”
This is applicable in so many facets of life. You are what you eat, you are the company you keep, all of these sayings I’ve heard from my influencers come to life as I breathe each breath. The same goes with the macro-systems we create/operate/exists in. By creating a sociologic environment of discrimination and prejudice, we assist in poisoning our future generations… The culture we create isn’t so important to us, but to the ones that follow; but if we don’t care about anyone now, how could we have the capacity to nurture an environment for people that don’t exist yet????
These are just some of the great things said by this influential sista. I appreciate you sharing your words, experiences, and thoughts so we can analyze, ponder, and take action!
MLH Discusses Mentoring
Matt Houston speaks about the importance of mentoring and community responsibility. The video was produced by Dallas Business Journal, who named Matt as one of the 2013 Minority Business Leader Award honorees.
MLH Workout Chronicles, Day 22: Cheat Days
Lessons From the State of Black Business Event Last Week
The Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce (www.dallasblackchamber.org) had our 2nd annual State Of Black Business (SOBB) Forum last week. A lot of people are confused, or apathetic to the mission of the organization I love, both inside and out. There are a lot of misperceptions and ill-truths that have evolved during the 89 year history of this organization.I would like to show the Chambers “true mission” in this blog; it’s about education, support, and advocacy.
Most people ask me, “What does the Dallas Black Chamber offer to me?” or “Why do y’all exist?” or “Why does it have to be called the ‘Black’ Chamber?” or event still, “Why do you isolate yourselves and only accept black members?”. This can easily frustrate any human being that exerts their personal and professional time to do volunteer work for an advocacy group, but I gladly entertain the questions. Why? Because, where there are questions, there’s curiosity, and where there’s curiosity, there’s an opportunity for me to share the lessons I’ve learned from my father and his colleagues, and contribute to the improvement of the American Economy (no, not Black economy solely, but American economy).
Some clarification, the Dallas Black Chamber is not just an organization where we can provide free marketing to your organization. Our mission is to advocate and support entrepreneurs, business owners, and corporations that want to support the African-American community, therefore, you don’t have to be black in order to be a part of this organization, you just need to be a cheerleader or stakeholder for improving the situation (with blacks contributing $1 Trillion to the US Economy, there needs to be an organization(s) that can assist with the education and distribution of black wealth).
I can go on and on about this… This is not the purpose of this post (for more info, go to our website or reach out to me). I’m posting this to show how the Black Chamber helps a community; by being an objective organization that helps all businesses tread the waters of capitalism.
In this clip (that’s difficult to hear) I am interviewing Hiawatha Williams, Founder and CEO of Williams Chicken. Though inaudible, he thanks the Dallas Black Chamber for providing:
- Events like SOBB to provide entrepreneurs/professionals the opportunity to network and build relationships with larger businesses.
- To provide advice and strategy for building and growing your business, and
- To defend the smaller businesses, encouraging big entities to use smaller businesses to stimulate our micro-economies.
After talking to Mr. Williams, my spirit was renewed about the aims of the organization; as Chair, it’s easy to get bogged down in the politics of the organization, or the status you receive once you participate in outside programs, representing the organization. Hearing him thank my father (who was ED of the Chamber in the 1980’s) for giving him sound advice when he was an employee at Church’s Chicken illuminated the importance in having a third-party advocate strategize to assist all people to build wealth; someone whose intent is to help all who ask for help.
This was a wake-up call; we, as an organization, need to do a better job at marketing to the masses what we do at the chamber. I know A NUMBER of businesses who benefited from advice from our organization or ones like it (other ethnic/cultural/geographic chambers), so those business owners need to speak up as well. Without an advocate organization, we will not be able to defend the small business, killing what we know as the American Dream.
Mr. Matt Houston 