We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
There’s one book that I love so much that I read it for a second time just a few weeks ago. “The Art of Possibility” by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander. In short, the book helps rewire our brains to look for innovation and possibilities rather than focusing on measuring and scoring ourselves against others. It provides some very meaningful tricks to catching yourself in the moment and breaking through limited ways of thinking, usually resulting in magical outcomes.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When joining My Possibilities in 2010, the board and I discussed building an organization that would change the game for the disability community. The status quo in Texas IDD programming was lackluster and it needed a steroid shot to get moving.

The MP board provided me with enough flexibility to create, innovate, bend and/or break rules, and navigate towards exceptional programming. While they supported me, they acted with faith and trust, allowing for big ideas and big visions to be acceptable and welcomed on the board room table.

The journey has never gotten easier, as our goals have consistently increased alongside our programming. Since joining the organization, we have grown dramatically. From 10 HIPsters (Hugely Important People) to 600, 4 staff to nearly 100, $300k/year to 10M/year, 10,000 to 70,000 square feet… With this growth comes extreme challenges. How do you continue to lead, inspire, and develop talent? How does an organization create a culture of embracing change? I would love to say that we have the secret sauce and could share the recipe with everybody, but we continue to learn and grow to this day.

What I have learned is that big, bold visions will never be achieved if we set our goals too small. When sitting around the board room & leadership table, everybody in the room has to be unanimously excited about big, audacious, overwhelming goals. Then, they have to commit to striving for those goals. That is the only way we will solve any problems and it’s what keeps people engaged.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
North Texas is incredibly diverse and I LOVE to eat. I’d probably take my friend around an assortment of restaurants in DFW, demonstrating how delicious it is to live here.

In no particular order, a few key restaurant stops would have to be: Desperados (Dallas), The Classic (Roanoke), Hudson House (Addison), Yoshi Shabu Shabu (Richardson/Plano), Greek Isles Grille & Taverna (Dallas), Lockhart BBQ (Plano), Cowboys Club (Frisco), Spiral Diner (Denton), & Greenville Ave. Pizza Company.

A few spots that demonstrate both amazing cuisine and amazing mission would include Hugs Cafe (McKinney), Cafe Momentum (Dallas), & Lala Land (Dallas).

As for “things to do,” I would probably take them to the Dallas Arts District, the Fort Worth Zoo, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve (Plano), White Rock Lake, and of course a day of volunteering and fun at My Possibilities.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It’s very easy for the public to highlight leaders of organizations. More often than not, there are partners who make that leadership feasible. My wife Julie is an absolute rockstar and for over 10 years, she has served countless roles in supporting me. Both I and My Possibilities owe a great deal to her love, wisdom, and patience.

Website: https://www.mypossibilities.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibilities

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-possibilities/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mptxorg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mptxorg

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mptxorg

Other: If interested in working with My Possibilities in any way: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpmiket/

Image Credits
All image credits: My Possibilities Michael and Shoe photo: David Downs Photography

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