365 Days of Possibility: Chris Boleman and Wesley Sinor

Danielle Grossman 0:00
Coming up today on Mission Rodeo, we have CEO and President Chris Boleman and our Chairman of the Board Wesley Sinor to talk about the future of our agricultural complex at Highway 288 and what it means for our organization on a year-round basis. That’s coming up on Mission Rodeo. All right, welcome back, guys. My favorite guests.

Chris Boleman 0:22
Love it.

Wesley Sinor 0:23
Thank you.

Danielle Grossman 0:23
Howdy.

Chris Boleman 0:24
Howdy. How’s how are you?

Danielle Grossman 0:26
I’m great. Thank you for asking. CEO and President Chris Bowman. Welcome to the show.

Chris Boleman 0:31
Good to be back.

Danielle Grossman 0:32
Yes.

Chris Boleman 0:33
Nice to be invited back.

Danielle Grossman 0:34
Always. You’re always invited. And Wesley Sinor, our chairman of the board.

Wesley Sinor 0:38
Good morning. How are you?

Danielle Grossman 0:39
I’m so excited to talk to you guys this morning,

Wesley Sinor 0:40
love it.

Danielle Grossman 0:41
Yeah. All right. So today we have a lot of fun things to talk about, but of course we have to ask you some fun things first. How do you feel about that?

Chris Boleman 0:47
Yes.

Danielle Grossman 0:48
Yes.

Wesley Sinor 0:48
Are you going to tell a joke?

Danielle Grossman 0:50
I’m not going to tell a joke. I really should learn some more jokes. Yeah, the lactose one. Let’s ask the folks listening and watching if they should submit some great jokes for me to say it.

Chris Boleman 0:58
That’s right. Put it down in the messages and how you say it

Danielle Grossman 1:02
in the comments.

Chris Boleman 1:02
Put it in the comments. Like, spread the word. Share with your friends. Isn’t that how you do it?

Danielle Grossman 1:07
That’s exactly how you do it.

Chris Boleman 1:08
Boom!

Danielle Grossman 1:08
Great work! Yes. Let’s get the jokes because clearly my cow joke didn’t resonate. But

Chris Boleman 1:13
lactose. Lactose. Got it.

Danielle Grossman 1:15
Like lacks toes.

Chris Boleman 1:17
I got it.

Danielle Grossman 1:17
Okay. All right. If you could learn any language, what would it be?

Chris Boleman 1:21
Italian.

Danielle Grossman 1:22
Really?

Chris Boleman 1:23
It just sounds cool. Cool.

Wesley Sinor 1:26
Spanish. I’d use it every day.

Danielle Grossman 1:28
I think we all feel like that.

Chris Boleman 1:30
Yeah, that one’s like too obvious, and I do know a little Spanish, so that’s why I pick something different.

Danielle Grossman 1:34
Okay, cool.

Chris Boleman 1:35
So,

Wesley Sinor 1:35
or I could say German because I have German heritage.

Chris Boleman 1:38
There you go.

Danielle Grossman 1:38
*Speaking German* …that’s all I know.

Wesley Sinor 1:41
Wow, how do you know that?

Danielle Grossman 1:43
I just, I know I count to 10 in random language. I don’t know why. I think I learned when I was a child. You know, it like sticks with you.

Wesley Sinor 1:49
Yeah!

Danielle Grossman 1:49
Really random. Okay, next question. Speaking of traveling and learning things, let’s talk about your bucket list. Do you have one first of all? Second of all, can you share one or two things on your bucket list, Chris.

Chris Boleman 2:01
We’re travelers. We like to travel. We have not been to Asia at all, so we definitely are considering like Tokyo, Japan. You know, just something that direction. And so we did an Amazon cruise a couple years ago that was amazing. So anyway, I would just say probably traveling places that we we haven’t been before would be it.

Danielle Grossman 2:21
Awesome, love it.

Wesley Sinor 2:23
Yeah, I’d say the same thing. We travel a lot, but I still like to go back. We talked about history before, and you never can learn all about history. So you can always go find something else.

Danielle Grossman 2:35
There’s so many places to visit. It’s like overwhelming. And how do you choose? How do you choose where you’re going to go?

Chris Boleman 2:40
This is this is another complicated conversation with my wife and I trying to you find the date and then you got to find the place and you got to see if the place where date okay yeah you know and then it’s like okay is this a good time to go there or not is it winter you know that kind of thing.

Danielle Grossman 2:54
Yeah it’s a big puzzle

Chris Boleman 2:55
it is

Danielle Grossman 2:56
and then flights and then making sure there’s availability – it’s a tough decision. What’s next on your list to travel? Where are you going next? Do you already have something booked?

Chris Boleman 3:06
We do not have anything booked at the moment. We are contemplating a couple of different things.

Danielle Grossman 3:12
Ooh

Chris Boleman 3:12
Oneof them is actually Japan. So we’ll see.

Danielle Grossman 3:14
Oh, I love it. Yeah. I always like looking forward to something, having something on the calendar. You know what I mean?

Wesley Sinor 3:18
Yeah.

Danielle Grossman 3:19
Definitely.

Chris Boleman 3:20
How about the 2027 show, our 95th anniversary? I’m looking forward to that.

Danielle Grossman 3:23
We’re looking forward to that.

Wesley Sinor 3:24
Absolutely.

Chris Boleman 3:24
Boom.

Wesley Sinor 3:25
Five years.

Danielle Grossman 3:26
Who’s performing? Tell us.

Chris Boleman 3:28
I know that’s not on this episode.

Wesley Sinor 3:30
At the end. At the end of the episode.

Chris Boleman 3:31
You got to. You got to watch all the way to the end, and then

Danielle Grossman 3:34
you’re going to tell us one artist?

Chris Boleman 3:35
then I will not tell you.

Danielle Grossman 3:36
Okay.

Chris Boleman 3:36
But we want you to watch all the way to the end.

Danielle Grossman 3:38
Okay. Great. Yeah. Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Chris Boleman 3:40
Oh,

Danielle Grossman 3:40
I know what you were.

Chris Boleman 3:41
Early bird, big time.

Wesley Sinor 3:42
I would love to be an early bird, but I’m a night owl.

Chris Boleman 3:45
Yeah, it’s night owl. According to emails.

Danielle Grossman 3:47
Sometimes you, sometimes life.

Chris Boleman 3:49
I know, I know, I know, I know. But I, I, I know. Yeah, yeah. But I, I definitely prefer the more. I go to. I, I try to go to bed every night at 9o’clock.

Danielle Grossman 3:56
9o’clock.

Chris Boleman 3:57
That’s my goal. I have the book. I usually fall asleep. I’m out.

Danielle Grossman 4:01
That’s great. I thought I’m up early, but 9o’clock. Wow. Well, yeah. When you get up at five in the morning, you have to.

Chris Boleman 4:07
Yeah, that’s correct.

Danielle Grossman 4:08
Good Z’s.

Chris Boleman 4:08
5 a.m. is right.

Danielle Grossman 4:09
How many hours do you sleep during show?

Chris Boleman 4:11
Not enough.

Danielle Grossman 4:12
Okay.

Chris Boleman 4:13
So.

Danielle Grossman 4:14
Well, that was fun, guys. All right, we’re gonna pivot now to the real stuff, the business. Okay, so our agricultural complex we have been talking about now for a few months. We’re very excited about it. 1 million square feet. It is going to be ours. No taxpayer burden. We are excited about the community is excited about it. Of course, ag and livestock community thrilled about it. But it’s not just for our 20 day show in March, right? Let’s dive into what we see, what we envision for this property in the off season, Chris.

Chris Boleman 4:45
The vision is we it could be what we want it to be, and I think that’s what’s so cool about it. I really think this is a chance for us to be super creative about how we share our mission, and so I know I’ve say this a lot, but the canvas is blank for us. To design what we want, we know, and Wesley can talk more about it as a horse show exhibitor. There’s plenty of different shows we could have, horse show livestock shows. But but for me, the thing that’s really I’m really passionate about is how do we tell the story of agriculture out here in the third largest city in the country, the most diverse considered the most diverse city in the country, with families that are more and more separated from being raised on a farm, and so you know I heard the speaker say once, raise your hand if your parents or grandparents lived on a farm, and everybody raised their hand. This 30 years ago, now you ask that question, and less and less people do. So you know when we think about a safe country, we think about a wholesome food supply. America is so unique, and we can never take that for granted. So, for for I just for what we can do outside of the 20 days, partnering with the right groups, working with schools, whatever the answer is, to be able to promote agriculture in a cool, creative, insightful way, I think is is going to be really exciting as we put some of those programs in motion.

Danielle Grossman 6:03
So you see kids coming out, field trips, learning, educating themselves to this property.

Chris Boleman 6:08
Sure, and maybe there’s there’s a junior master gardener program. I mean, it’s what we want it to be, and certainly as as the rodeo’s mission, how do we find the right partners that that do that? I think will be key. So 4-H clubs working with FFA chapters working with school districts to be able to tell the story in a creative way, but and then also telling our story that’s another big piece of it is you know we we have 95 years of history here and it’s it’s profound it’s really interesting and so putting those together with some activation year round that’s just the starting point for us

Danielle Grossman 6:40
it’s gonna be awesome, Wesley.

Wesley Sinor 6:41
Yeah, you know I’m passionate about showing cutting horses, showing in horse shows. So of course, we’ll be able to program that facility year round with horse shows. But we can also program it for junior horse shows, for high school, for collegiate rodeos, things that we just can’t do here. So that’s that’s one thing that we can program in the horse show, but on the complete opposite end, vocational competitions, welding competitions, our trailer build-off. These a lot of these events happen around Southeast Texas, but we can host all of those here. So we can support not only our horse programs but vocational programs year-round.

Danielle Grossman 7:19
Yeah, speaking of vocational, I mean the rodeo has really amped up efforts to supply and support those students in the vocational fields because I mean there is a growing need: blue collar people going into plumbing, people going into welding, and even if you aren’t going to a traditional four-year college, which is a lot of scholarships we provide, it’s important to support those, and it’s great that our organization is understanding that and recognizing that, and so this facility is going to do just more of that. Be able to support those folks, maybe are not the traditional students that we supported in years past.

Wesley Sinor 7:49
Absolutely, and that was my industry. I employed mechanics, welders, machinists, all of vocational trades, and we never could find enough skilled workers. And now you look, you fast forward to today. You look at these AI centers. They need HVAC people. They need plumbers. They need electricians. And so again, there’s a shortage of of skilled workers. So a facility like this, we can host events. We can promote vocational programs. So we’re very excited to do this year round.

Danielle Grossman 8:17
Okay, so let’s talk about the agricultural complex itself. Right, we have two barns and we have a middle facility, a central building per se. So, what are some other things going to happen in those buildings for the community? Maybe that are not necessarily ag or livestock related. What are some other things that we vision to happen there in the off season?

Chris Boleman 8:34
Well, I think that is where we can activate some space in order to tell some stories year round, particularly I think a museum concept, or you know, telling the history of the rodeo, but but even having different different projects that we can partner with to tell story. Maybe it’s cotton, maybe it’s farming, it’s about breeds of cattle, whatever it is. There’s a lot of those that we can bring in and out. They’re flexible, and working with our friends at Texas Farm Bureau or AgriLife and FFA to be able to bring those in, so people can come in on their own time and see. That’s what I see in terms of some of that center activation space. It’s also going to be a place for committees to get together, just to be honest. And so you know we have so much space here, but out there there’s a big opportunity to do their types of activities that we know need to happen year-round and give them a nice space in order to do that.

Danielle Grossman 9:22
Okay, now pivoting a little to the events that we already know happen year-round. A lot of folks don’t realize that we have a lot going on in the off-season here at Reliant Center and across Reliant Park. Right, we have tons of committee meetings, we have fundraising events, we have our scholarship picnic, and we’re also having all of those move over, possibly to this new facility, like Roundup and Best Bites, right? So talk about that and what that means to be able to move over to this new facility, possibly, and I guess what we can do with those events now having more space and more flexibility.

Wesley Sinor 9:56
Yeah, you know, as the rodeo has grown over time, so has these events. Best Bites is one of our biggest events and fills up pretty much a NRG Reliance Center. So now we can put that on our own facility at our own facility, you know, at our own time. And then we have archery contests that take place here, and we’re using the whole building. We have committee galas that are have outgrown these facilities, so we’ll be able to put all of those year-round down at our own facility.

Chris Boleman 10:23
Yeah, and it’s not that we’ve just outgrown that facility. There’s not a lot of facilities in Houston that can host some of the events that we have that are our size. I mean, it it’s true, and so yeah, it’s another option provides more flexibility. I think too, you know, just like you could host a junior barbecue out there right now. That’s limited just because of size and space during showtime. So those types of activities just open up opportunities for us to do so. Although when you did say off season, I meant to ask you when that was.

Danielle Grossman 10:51
Not anymore. We were very very correct. There used to be an off season.

Chris Boleman 10:56
Yeah, it’s all on season, but it’s all it’s all a great season. So it’s great.

Danielle Grossman 11:00
It’s a great season of life, and we’re very, very grateful to work here. So let’s talk about the future, right? So this is a facility. It’s going to set us up for success. Our students up for success. Our future leaders for the next 2030, years. In your mind, what do you see happening with this facility and with the rodeo in the next 2030, years? Do you see? What do you see for growth? What do you see for activations? Is there anything that you’ve been thinking about?

Chris Boleman 11:26
I think we were talking in a meeting yesterday. I think part of it’s going to happen organically, and so it’s like everything else that’s happened here at the rodeo. Whatever we do, we do it really well, and we outgrow things. That’s that’s what’s consistent about our history, and so you’re thinking with that in mind, and so you start. Yes, I think we all have vision, but I’m not sure we all know exactly how it’s going to end. 20 to 30 years from now, man, I see it as a second campus that is equal to this campus in terms of people wanting to visit. It’s it’s going to be activation, obviously during showtime, it’s it’s going to be a hub for agriculture. That’s what I see-a hub to learn and promote our mission even more than ag about supporting kids. As as Wesley said earlier, with vocational competitions, the sky is really the limit, and we’re going to have to decide where the right partnerships and the right fits are. And man, 20 to 30 years from now, I it won’t be just that facility. If I were betting, it’ll be more than that. It’ll be more things probably built here, other properties. It’s it’s the first step in us growing into our next chapter that we’re in now. But who knows if I’m just we all have visions, but when it really comes down to it, I don’t think this is the last step. I’ll put it that way.

Wesley Sinor 12:42
No, as we approach our centennial in 2032, like Chris was saying, we’re we’re building the foundations today that will set us up for generations to come. And this this building, this facility, is exactly that. We’ve already talked about how we’re going to program, and we have a single page full of a single page list full of ideas to program it, and that’s just the start. That’s just the last month. So that’s right. You can imagine what happens over 20 to 30 years. It will be a center for agriculture. We may be able to partner with our other universities, organizations, businesses, but it will be the center for ag.

Danielle Grossman 13:18
And I know when we announced it, there were an influx of folks reaching out because they wanted to get involved. They heard about this and they were like, “We want to be a part of this.”

Chris Boleman 13:25
100% Yeah, and you just mentioned we we are talking to universities about some activations, and and again we are just getting into that space. I think so many people are focused on what happens in March, and so and clearly that’s a huge step for us as replacing the arena for activation. And so now we’re to the point. Okay, we kind of see that direction. We know what’s happening there. We know how we want to activate it. Now it’s okay. What about these other 11 months? Because we’ve never had that opportunity to think that way. So it’s it’s pretty cool.

Danielle Grossman 13:57
It’s exciting, and I’m sure the volunteers have incredible ideas. And there’s just so much to learn about what can be over there. It’s a very exciting time.

Chris Boleman 14:06
It definitely is, for sure.

Danielle Grossman 14:08
Exciting. All right, guys, this was great. We answered a lot of questions, and of course, this is evolving, right? We we talk about this every single week, but there’s going to be more information we can share with the public, the community, and of course, our volunteers to make sure everyone’s educated and informed.

Chris Boleman 14:20
Yes, and thanks everybody that’s helping spread the word, asking questions. This is all of us working together. That’s what we do here.

Danielle Grossman 14:26
I know it’s amazing. All right, ready for some fun before we end?

Chris Boleman 14:29
Oh yes!

Danielle Grossman 14:30
I know

Chris Boleman 14:30
fun.

Danielle Grossman 14:30
I know we love it. Okay, who’s your hero?

Chris Boleman 14:36
Oh, I I’d have to say it’s it’s pretty close between my dad and grand dad, both both ag professors, they just put so much in my brain about the importance of that. So I think about them a lot. So I would say those two, and my mom. I should say my mom.

Danielle Grossman 14:49
I was going to say, don’t forget mom!

Chris Boleman 14:50
yeah, she’s she’s the biggest cheerleader of us all. So it’s always good that she has our back.

Danielle Grossman 14:54
That’s great.

Wesley Sinor 14:55
Of course, I I can’t believe you said that because that’s exactly what I was thinking. Of course, mom and dad, but. Dad and my grandfather. Yeah, they were both in our business, and so always looked up to them. Learned so much from them. Yeah, so it’s to me, it’s it’s both. Yeah.

Danielle Grossman 15:10
that’s great. All right, next one. What piece of advice would you give the next generation, Gen Alpha? What would you give?

Chris Boleman 15:19
Yeah, I’m big. I’m big on right now, like enjoying the moment because I feel like we get so caught up in trying to capture the moment that we forget to live in the moment. I think we we are so focused on what’s next that we we forget to live in the moment we’re in, and I’m telling you right now, as it relates to this organization, it’s a pretty cool moment to be in. So

Danielle Grossman 15:41
that’s a good point. I think I’ve noticed too at our concerts and our events, people are so into the show. You know, it’s an hour-long concert, right? But I have noticed that a lot less people are taking video or having their phones up at our concerts because it’s. I mean, you are in it. I feel it. You’re enjoying it. Yeah. So.

Wesley Sinor 15:59
Be passionate and be present.

Danielle Grossman 16:01
Be passionate.

Wesley Sinor 16:01
I think be present goes back to what you mean. Yeah, just enjoy the moment. Be present.

Danielle Grossman 16:06
Yeah,

Wesley Sinor 16:06
but be passionate about something.

Danielle Grossman 16:08
That’s good. I think a lot of us are trying to be more present in life in general. It’s hard with cell phones and social media and trying to do all the things at once. So

Chris Boleman 16:16
right,

Danielle Grossman 16:17
it’s a great piece of advice. All right, what are you most looking forward to the 2027 show?

Chris Boleman 16:25
I always like opening day, man, because I know I’ve said this. People have heard me say this, but here you finish one show and you go start planning the next one. That’s the way it works here, and you do it with 109 committees with 18 officers, six of them. It’ll be their first opening day. Doing it with a new chairman of the board, 36,000 volunteers that are working throughout the year for that moment. And so, there’s usually a time about mid-February where I’m I’m ready. Like, just just open the doors. Let’s just go. And so you know when you get because you know it’s not going to be perfect. You know, but but you’re just anticipating, and so you just want to go. So I always love opening day. So

Danielle Grossman 17:05
What about you?

Wesley Sinor 17:06
You know, believe it or not, even in my position, I still enjoy the entertainer announcement lineup announcement because it’s not just necessarily for me. Just to watch everyone else’s opinions, everyone else’s excitement, and to me, that’s when it really kicks off. Is when those entertainers are announced.

Chris Boleman 17:25
That definitely is the community. Here we go. That’s for sure.

Danielle Grossman 17:29
It is like rah rah. We’re here. Let’s go. Okay.

Wesley Sinor 17:31
We’ve been doing. We’ve been we’ve been doing it, practicing all year long. But now.

Chris Boleman 17:35
Yeah here’s the first release.

Wesley Sinor 17:37
Yeah. That’s when he’s ready to go.

Danielle Grossman 17:39
Who’s coming?

Wesley Sinor 17:40
Well, he’s going to tell you.

Chris Boleman 17:41
Wesley and I will be there every day.

Danielle Grossman 17:44
I would hope so. Well, who’s your favorite country?

Chris Boleman 17:48
I don’t know. I just work here, so I like the the. I will. I have my favorite. People know that, but I will say…

Danielle Grossman 17:56
not everyone you can share.

Chris Boleman 17:57
I like I like classic country. I like country you know, that’s from my 20s. Now that I’m in my 50s, but I’m a huge Kenny Chesney fan. George Strait. I mean, you know, the the normal ones that in in that genre. And so, but I will say, the longer I’m blessed to do this, there’s something about just being in the audience. Even if I’m, you know, I’m not familiar with every entertainer. I know one, but I don’t. But watching the audience see who they want to see and see how passionate they are. That’s what’s cool to me at this point. So,

Wesley Sinor 18:26
George Strait!

Chris Boleman 18:27
George Strait, Amarillo by Morning. Yes, yes, that’s well.

Wesley Sinor 18:30
I mean, music is a time and place, and I was hauling horses all over the state of Texas when I was in college. So, George Strait, Amarillo by Morning, and then Garth Brooks, much too young to fill this day.

Chris Boleman 18:41
Yeah, you love that song.

Wesley Sinor 18:42
Both talk about just running down the road. So

Danielle Grossman 18:46
those songs remind you of like a specific time and place.

Wesley Sinor 18:49
I can remember the cassette tape I’m putting. Yes, that’s driving. You know, where I was going. Yeah, I can remember it.

Danielle Grossman 18:57
You the same thing.

Chris Boleman 18:58
Yeah, I mean, now I’ve never heard it. I don’t know why. I’ve just never heard it connected that way that you just did, but it is very true. I I noticed the other day when we were at the ranch that Dad had the tractor out to because we we need to we need to cut some hay, but it’s too wet, right? So I immediately had flashbacks of hauling hay and him yelling, and then music coming out of the stereo, and it’s always on 98.3 in Brian Codd Station, Country Music. So yeah, that I literally had that flashback this week.

Danielle Grossman 19:27
Country Music just brings back so many memories. It just you know it just ignites something.

Chris Boleman 19:31
Well, they’re storytellers.

Wesley Sinor 19:32
Yeah, they all tell stories.

Chris Boleman 19:34
and you see it in your own mind. So

Danielle Grossman 19:35
truly.

Chris Boleman 19:36
Cool!

Danielle Grossman 19:36
Thank you, gentlemen, for being here again.

Chris Boleman 19:39
Thank you. Thanks for all you’re doing, yeah. These seems like these are being well received. We appreciate your leadership. Yeah,

Danielle Grossman 19:44
these are great.

Wesley Sinor 19:45
Great idea. Thanks for coming up with this.

Danielle Grossman 19:47
Yeah, I mean, Chris said…

Chris Boleman 19:51
It’s a team effort. If it works, it’s a team effort.

Danielle Grossman 19:54
It really is. And I just want to acknowledge the team behind it because this is a huge under taking. So round of applause for everyone. Part of this, and we’re excited to keep it going and educate the community and inform our volunteers because we have a lot of stories to tell. We do!

Chris Boleman 20:07
and we never have enough time and enough space to do it with as much going on. So thanks for this adding this platform.

Danielle Grossman 20:12
All right, sounds good. We’ll see you next week, guys. Thank you.

Wesley Sinor 20:13
Thank you.

Chris Boleman 20:14
See you.