Banking on Integrity

About Banking on Integrity

Explore the heart of Houston's business community with Banking on Integrity, brought to you by Integrity Bank. Join founders Hazem Ahmad and Mack Neff as they interview local entrepreneurs, sharing their journeys of success, overcoming challenges, and driving Houston forward.

Publisher

Hazem Ahmed

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Apr 2025

Latest episode

20 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

61 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   20 Oct 2026

   She Made 75 Cold Calls a Day. Now She Serves 450 Businesses.

   A great office does more than look good. It makes people feel cared for. Hazem and Mack sit down with Shelli Lambert, founder of Interior Green International, to hear how she turned creativity, cold calls, and a willingness to learn the hard parts of business into a 30-year Houston company serving roughly 450 corporate clients. Shelli shares what plants can do for an office, why her technicians are the heart of the company, and how a business that began with one tree grew into a major interior, exterior, and holiday-design operation. Learn more about Interior Green International (https://igiplants.com/). To learn more about Integrity Bank, go to itx.bank (https://www.itx.bank/). Subscribe to Banking on Integrity on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banking-on-integrity/id1809270239), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6hUwt34fVZynVGwtnt2aos), or wherever you get your podcasts (https://omny.fm/shows/banking-on-integrity/playlists/podcast)! Key Takeaways 1. Shelli always knew she wanted to own a business, but she found her path after leaving an unfulfilling sales job, working for another plant company, and starting Interior Green International. 2. The company grew through persistence. Shelli recalls setting aside full days to make as many as 75 cold calls, learning how to earn appointments and build long-term client relationships. 3. Interior Green serves roughly 450 corporate accounts through weekly plant care, design, maintenance, and replacement, taking the burden of plant care off office teams. 4. Holiday design became a major extension of the business. The company begins production in July, installs interior and exterior décor in the fall, and continues removals well into the new year. 5. Shelli credits much of her longevity to taking care of employees. Some team members have been with her for nearly 20 years, and their relationships with clients are central to the company’s success. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

2. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Two Years of Integrity: Hazem and Mack on Building a Bank From Scratch

   You can measure a bank in assets. Or you can measure it in the people who trust you with their next step. Hazem and Mack mark Integrity Bank’s two-year anniversary with a candid conversation about building a community bank from the ground up, approaching $400 million in assets, and earning the trust of customers through referrals and relationships. They discuss interest rates, bank consolidation, hiring experienced bankers, supporting Houston nonprofits, future branches, and why the best measure of growth is not a balance-sheet number but the businesses, families, and employees behind it. To learn more about Integrity Bank, go to itx.bank (https://www.itx.bank/). Subscribe to Banking on Integrity on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banking-on-integrity/id1809270239), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6hUwt34fVZynVGwtnt2aos), or wherever you get your podcasts (https://omny.fm/shows/banking-on-integrity/playlists/podcast)! Key Takeaways 1. Integrity Bank approaches its two-year anniversary with nearly $400 million in assets, surpassing the original projections Hazem and Mack made during the chartering process. 2. The bank has grown through relationships and referrals, not simply by chasing deposits or loans. Hazem and Mack emphasize learning each customer’s story, needs, and goals. 3. Integrity Bank’s roughly 27 employees bring an average of 22 to 23 years of experience, combining seasoned bankers with younger talent who may become the next generation of community bankers. 4. Community involvement is part of the model, not an afterthought. The bank supports efforts including turkey drives, schools, and other Houston nonprofit organizations. 5. Hazem and Mack believe community banks remain essential because customers need decision-makers who know them personally, understand their businesses, and can help them navigate both opportunity and risk. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

3. 

   6 Oct 2026

   They’re Building a Business Around the Injury No One Can See

   A normal scan does not always mean a brain is okay. Hazem and Mack sit down with Bishoi Attia and Michael Darrow of Brain Injury Blood Test, also known as Head Got Hurt, to explore how blood biomarkers may help identify traumatic brain injury after car accidents, concussions, and other impacts that do not always show up on traditional imaging. Bishoi shares the personal experience that drew him toward brain health, while Michael, a biomedical engineer and neuroscience researcher, explains the science behind biomarkers, recovery, and earlier intervention. To learn more about Integrity Bank, go to itx.bank (https://www.itx.bank/). Subscribe to Banking on Integrity on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banking-on-integrity/id1809270239), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6hUwt34fVZynVGwtnt2aos), or wherever you get your podcasts (https://omny.fm/shows/banking-on-integrity/playlists/podcast)! Learn more about Head Got Hurt (https://braininjurybloodtest.com/ (https://braininjurybloodtest.com/)). Key Takeaways 1. Traditional imaging looks for structural damage, but a concussion or traumatic brain injury may not show an obvious lesion even when a patient has real symptoms. 2. Head Got Hurt uses a blood test and proprietary scoring approach to examine biomarkers, symptoms, timing, and injury factors that may help clarify brain injury risk and recovery needs. 3. The company focuses largely on personal injury cases, helping people and attorneys document potential brain injury after car wrecks and find appropriate rehabilitation resources. 4. Michael explains that biomarkers have always existed in the body. Advances in research and testing now make it possible to identify and interpret them more effectively. 5. Bishoi and Michael see future applications beyond car accidents, including proactive brain-health monitoring, military care, and eventually youth and collegiate sports. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Who has been a guest on Banking on Integrity

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Phyllis Mandola
• Domenic Laurenzo
• Judy Budnik
• Betsy Reese
• Wade Comeaux

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

14 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Banking on Integrity

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Banking on Integrity