Insights from our Texans Get It: Small Business Summit

On October 7, Texas Mutual hosted the 2025 Texans Get It: Small Business Summit in El Paso, welcoming business and community leaders to explore how businesses can build strength and sustainability in the face of evolving challenges. The event featured two dynamic panels, interactive Q&A sessions and valuable networking opportunities for attendees. The morning focused on equipping leaders with practical tools for workplace wellness and business resilience.

Fostering healthier workplaces

Both panels were moderated by Kristin Marcum, owner and CEO of ECPR Texas. The first panel, Texas Tough: Wellness That Works, featured the following panelists:

• Art Gloria, director of membership community initiatives at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Rene Hurtado, chief of staff at Emergence Health Network
• Dr. Michael Kelly, vice president of programs for the Paso del Norte Health Foundation

This panel emphasized the importance of whole-person wellness—mental, physical and social—in driving business success. Dr. Kelly encouraged a systematic approach to workplace wellness, starting with the “disease state” and identifying behaviors and environments that influence employee health. He offered actionable tips like reducing sugary snacks in breakrooms and ways to promote healthier eating habits at staff meals.

Hurtado urged leaders to normalize conversations around mental health, recommending that businesses review insurance policies, promote employee assistance programs and create cultures where employees feel comfortable discussing personal challenges.

Gloria outlined SHRM’s five pillars of employee wellbeing: psychological safety, financial wellness, physical wellness, mental health and community. He reminded attendees that impactful wellness strategies do not have to be expensive. Simple practices like flexible schedules, wellness walk meetings and financial literacy seminars can boost morale and reduce turnover.

Building resilient businesses

The second panel, Built to Last: Resilient Businesses, Resilient Texas, featured:

• Scott Bain, manager of regional safety services at Texas Mutual
• Dezeree Fraga, innovation and development project specialist at Workforce Solutions Borderplex
• Audrey Marrufo, director of the El Paso Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Bain shared that resilience begins with proactive safety planning, not reactive responses. He stressed that even small steps like practicing emergency drills or improving housekeeping can prevent accidents and keep businesses operating smoothly. He also pointed to high employee turnover as a critical risk to resilience, especially in industries with frequent staff changes.

Fraga and Marrufo both emphasized the importance of adaptability, communication and investing in employee development. Marrufo highlighted characteristics of successful businesses, including grit and a willingness to problem solve. Fraga pointed to Workforce Solutions’ support for upskilling local talent and bridging employment gaps through programs like Pathways for Heroes, which connects transitioning service members to civilian careers.

The discussion wrapped with a reminder that resilience and wellness go hand in hand, and that partnerships with organizations like Texas Mutual, Workforce Solutions and the SBDC can make a difference. Marcum noted that preparing for the unexpected means having a plan, practicing it and committing to continuous improvement.

Continued commitment to small businesses

With more than 80,000 policyholders across Texas, we remain committed to helping small businesses thrive. Events like the Texans Get It Summit are just one way Texas Mutual supports employers by providing resources, sharing best practices and fostering a culture of safety and wellness across the state.

The Texans Get It: Small Business Summit is coming to San Antonio on December 2 and we hope you can join us. Learn more and register to attend!

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