Episode 27: Brian McDermott

Clayton Spencer, BBA '03, grew up roaming the woods around his grandparent's Texas ranch, feeding a lifelong love for the outdoors. But it would take earning a BBA from McCombs and an MBA from Stanford, plus a sojourn into the Alaskan wilderness, before he landed on the business model that would combine both his business acumen and penchant for nature. We sit down with Clayton to hear about the journey that led him to found PONCHO and what he sees as his next big adventure? 

In this episode, we sit down with Katherine Rowe, an Army veteran and McCombs MBA. She has parlayed her knowledge in sports and technology into groundbreaking work with artificial intelligence. You'll learn more about Katherine's journey from Army brat to entreprenuer and how she is making her mark. 

In this episode, we hear from Dean Bradley R. Staats, who took over leadership at McCombs in July of this year. A third-generation Longhorn, he holds a bachelor's degree from UT and an MBA from Harvard Business School.  He has spent the last 17 years at the University of North Carolina both as a professor and as Dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School.  

Join host Miranda Bradley as she talks with guests who have broken the mold and moved the mark. Like the new Dean of McCombs School of Business, Bradley Staats, Sue Gove, former CFO of Fortune 500 companies and Katherine Rowe, a U.S. Army veteran and Longhorn grad. Plus Ponchos' very own founder and CEO, Clayton Spencer joins us this season. Join us this season as we listen to and learn from some of the best in business. Right here on McCombs Made.  

After watching his brother and a friend launch Pluckers Wing Bar straight out of college, Sean Greenberg, Finance '99, decided he wanted to join the ranks himself. While attending Texas McCombs, Sean spent much of his free time handing out fliers, pushing brooms, and stocking shelves to help his brother's dream become a reality.    After earning his JD from Southern Methodist University, he decided to return to the fold, helping to cement Pluckers as the go-to spot for UT students seeking community. Hear what's in the secret sauce that makes this family run business truly legendary. 

Chad Auler has taken his McCombs MBA and reinvented the family business. Following in his father, Ed's, footsteps, Chad's love for the beverage industry grew from its beginnings at his parents Fall Creek winery into his own endeavors. After parlaying what he learned from his parents and coupling it with the business sense developed at McCombs, Chad ventured into the vodka business, co-founding Deep Eddy Vodka and eventually starting Milestone Brands, which represents a wide variety of beverage labels. He talked with McCombs Made about the journey from there to here, what he sees as his next chapter, and what it's like to continue his family's legacy.

Brian McDermott, MBA '14, president and COO of Frönen, took all he learned while studying entrepreneurship at McCombs and parlayed it into a number of business ventures. But the most daring and visionary has to be his latest – spearheading the national expansion of the non-dairy frozen dessert brand Frönen, which he and his partner, George Ho, acquired in 2024. Hear how a family medical issue inspired Brian's passion for clean ingredients and how he is using all he learned as a student on the Forty Acres to make them accessible – and delicious – for everyone.

Lisa Gagnon knows entertainment. More specifically, she understands sports entertainment. After earning her BBA degree from Texas McCombs in 1997, she went on to earn a MBA in marketing from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill before heading up the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee as vice president of marketing. Today, she is the chief marketing officer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which broke its all-time attendance record in 2025 with 2.7 million attendees. Lisa sat down with McCombs Made to reflect on her journey from student to play-maker, life as a sports entertainment marketer and what she plans to do next. 

John C. Goff graduated with his BBA from McCombs in 1977 and proves that a curious mind paired with keen instincts can change the world. Currently, John owns and operates the investment firm Goff Capital, which he founded in 2009, and is the vice chairman and CEO of Crescent Real Estate. But rewind to his young life growing up in Lake Jackson, Texas, and you'll find a kid happily running the roads on his bicycle, collecting scraps to craft his latest project, including a two-man submarine. Or you might have found him at the ripe young age of 13 managing an apartment complex, the beginnings of an entrepreneur on full display. He talks about all of that and his work with the John C. Goff Real Estate Investment program at McCombs in our latest episode of McCombs Made. He'll also reveal his hidden talent and what he has learned from his mistakes. Tune in, turn it up, and take notes. You might learn something.

 Alissa Bayer graduated with her MBA from McCombs in 2004 and quickly launched Milk and Honey Spa. After over 20 years in business and 10 locations nationwide, in this episode she reflects back on the lessons she learned at McCombs, what it's been like to navigate changing social norms and how she hopes her business sparks joy in the wider community.