sponsored

Thrive + Inspire: For Media Systems’ Boutwells, ‘Relationships Are Key’

Thrive + Inspire: For Media Systems’ Boutwells, ‘Relationships Are Key’

AN INTERVIEW WITH Jaclyn & Donnie Boutwell, owners of Media Systems

What have been your biggest challenges since the Covid pandemic began? We miss the handshakes and face time with our staff and customers. We're more disconnected than we have ever been as a society. We're a very up-close-and-in-person business. It has gotten better than it was a year ago in this regard but still disappointing.

Has anything changed about the way you do business or the services you provide? We offer several technology services from Networks and WiFi, to Home Entertainment systems, to security and surveillance. This last year, we've done more network and WiFi upgrades than anything. Another expanding category is remote management hardware that makes it possible to have a service call without a site visit. People also want the convenience of touch-less voice controls in the home, but many don't like the invasion of privacy they feel from big tech. We've been offering Josh.ai that is a completely secure and private voice assistant. Privacy has become even more important to our homeowners in this last year.

What's the secret to staying hopeful and forward-looking in tough times? Relationships are the key for us. Our team is a family. We support each other and help each other to succeed. Our customers are friends. Long term, meaningful relationships keep us encouraged and hopeful. When you're helping people, they don't care about your politics, and you don't care about theirs. It's a very human connection that we have to the community. Meeting a need brings people together.

What did you learn about yourself or your business that might inspire others? When my uncle, Steve Driskell, retired a few years ago, Jaclyn and I would say to each other as we were driving in each morning, "We can do this!" It was a declaration to encourage each other to stay the course. The pandemic has caused us to make some adjustments to our business, but our model hasn't changed, and it doesn't need to. "We believe that technology in your home should be easy to use, beautifully designed, and unbelievably reliable." Our mission statement is timeless and relevant no matter what is happening in the world. It's not a business plan, it's a belief about how things should be. I would encourage other business owners to reach back to the motivation that got them here in the first place. Those beliefs are still the reason to be passionate about your life's work. Don't let a shifting world change who you are and what you set out to do.

promoted

Thrive & Inspire: Working with Seniors — ‘America’s Best’ — a Joy for Medicare Expert Justin White

Thrive & Inspire: Working with Seniors — ‘America’s Best’ — a Joy for Medicare Expert Justin White

Justin White, Founder of Senior Health Services

WHAT IS THE secret to running a successful business? First, you have to have a mission that you care about. I absolutely love helping people understand Medicare! Secondly, I have always succeeded because the agents I work with know that I care for them and truly want them to succeed. I love developing leaders and watching them soar! If I help them get where they want to be, I will never need to worry about me! We all rise together.

Keep Reading Show less
music

With New Concept Album, Jacob Hilton Processes Mental-Health Struggles

Dakota Garrett

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment
promoted

Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

Al Torres

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less