There are lots of stories to share when you were an integral part of one of the fastest-growing cities in America, and Maher Maso doesn’t disappoint in this episode of The DLC Drop Podcast.

Maher, the Former Mayor of Frisco, TX, and Principal, Site Select and Business Incentives at Ryan shares what was most important to him as he led a city during a recession to one of the most booming in the nation.

He also talks about how he viewed deals, what is similar between business and politics, and what he’s excited about now, working for Ryan.

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Full Episode Breakdown:

1:00 – Maher’s history with Frisco, TX, and more importantly, what led him to government work.

3:45 – What drove Maher to run for City Council a second time after losing the first election? He shares how he learned to change the reason why he was running.

6:30 – Maher shares what then attracted him to running for Mayor, and what it was like being part of one of the fastest-growing cities during a slow period.

8:46 – How do business and politics collide, and how are they different? Maher shares his perspective.

11:52 – Is it harder for cities/government to cut expenses more than it would be a business? And how does that affect how a city can grow?

13:53 – What’s it like being on the other side of recruiting businesses to the city?

15:21 – Why ‘not mattering what things cost’ truly helped build amazing opportunities throughout the city of Frisco.

20:32 – What are cities really looking for when brining corporations into the community, and what should they be negotiating?

21:50 – What really went behind the $5 Billion Mile, Maher gives the details.

24:05 – What has Maher learned as a servant leader, and what’s important as you’re leading major cities.

29:50 – What makes Ryan so special and how they attract great talent.

34:10 – How thinking innovatively and encouraging creative thinking did so much for Frisco as a city.

35:25 – Is there a magic formula that makes community thrive?

39:04 – The importance of voting local, and what it means for the community.

42:55 – The infamous Jerry Jones helicopter story.

45:32 – The viewpoint of a pandemic from a city official, and why optimism is crucial.

47:03 – Some tips and tricks for optimizing and making things happen.