3 Hours. 2 Speakers. 1 Cow.
Three hours. Two incredible speakers. One cow. Nearly 350 people. And far too many leadership takeaways to count.
The 2026 RED Conference brought together close to 350 members of our business community for a morning focused on something every organization needs: strong, intentional leadership.
And yes, there really was a cow.
From the moment attendees arrived, the energy was high. We gathered inside the incredible Frisco ISD Visual and Performing Arts Center, and we could not have asked for a better setting. The facility itself is impressive, but what made the experience even better was the Frisco ISD team behind it. Their staff worked incredibly hard alongside our Frisco Chamber team to make sure every detail was taken care of, and our guests felt welcome.
It was especially fitting that our first speaker, Pete Hazzard, helped envision the very facility where we were gathered.
Leadership Lessons from the Conductor's Podium
Pete, Frisco ISD’s Director of Fine Arts, educator, conductor, composer, and author, challenged us to think differently about leadership by looking at it through the lens of music.
One of the themes that resonated throughout his presentation was that leadership isn’t simply about a title or position. It is about influence. If someone is counting on you, you have the opportunity to lead.
Pete compared great teams to great musical ensembles. The best are in tone, in tune, in time, and in touch. Each person brings an individual contribution, but the real magic happens when everyone understands the purpose, listens to one another and works together toward the same outcome.
He also gave us a simple but powerful way to think about trust:
Competence + consistency + confidence = trust.
Trust isn’t built in one big moment. It grows through knowing your work, showing up consistently, and giving others confidence that they can count on you.
Trust isn’t built in one big moment. It grows through knowing your work, showing up consistently and giving others confidence that they can count on you.
Details Matter
Then we welcomed Dan T. Cathy, Chairman of Chick-fil-A, to the RED couch.
Dan’s conversation was filled with stories from Chick-fil-A’s 80-year history, lessons passed down from his father, Truett Cathy, and observations from a lifetime of leadership.
One message came through again and again: details matter.
Dan shared the story behind Chick-fil-A’s now-famous response, “my pleasure.” What started as one seemingly small expectation became part of the company’s culture because leadership remained both insistent and persistent about it year after year.
Excellence, he reminded us, isn’t just a big idea. It shows up in the details and in the consistency with which an organization delivers them.
He also talked about creating a culture where people are cared for, mistakes can be acknowledged and leaders balance expectations with grace. Great leadership isn’t just about performance. It is also about being close enough to your people to understand what they are experiencing and what they need.
Another recurring theme was curiosity.
At 73, Dan described himself as still “in training,” continually reading, traveling, learning, and asking questions. In a world changing as quickly as ours, he challenged leaders to stay curious, keep learning and remain open to what comes next.
His advice extended beyond business growth. He talked about the importance of doing meaningful work, taking care of ourselves, and doing good together. Leadership, at its best, creates opportunities for people and communities to flourish.
Unexpected Opportunities
Dan also shared the story of Trilith, the Georgia-based film and creative community that grew from an unexpected opportunity. While he believes strongly in planning, he reminded us of the importance of leaving enough “white space” in our calendars and resources to recognize and act on opportunities we never saw coming. That philosophy, passed down from his father, helped turn an unexpected introduction to Pinewood Studios into a thriving creative community built around filmmaking, innovation and human flourishing.
Then Came the Cow
Of course, it wouldn't be a conversation with Chick-fil-A without a visit from one of its most recognizable brand ambassadors. The Chick-fil-A Cow made its way onto the stage, giving us a pretty memorable photo opportunity and proving that when the Frisco ISD Visual and Performing Arts Center was being designed, someone probably forgot to ask, "But can we get a cow on the stage?" The answer, thankfully, is yes.
Taking the Conversation Beyond the Stage
The learning didn’t end when our speakers finished.
Attendees moved into Mentor Moments, where local leaders volunteered their time for quick, one-on-one conversations. It gave attendees an opportunity to ask questions, make new connections and continue processing what they had heard throughout the morning.
That is exactly what RED is intended to do.
Our hope is that attendees leave reignited in their passion for what they do, empowered to step up and lead, and ready to deliver their best.
Nearly 350 people chose to step away from their offices, their inboxes, and their very long to-do lists to invest a few hours in themselves and in the people they lead.
Three hours. Two speakers. One cow.
But the impact of those conversations can extend far beyond one morning.
And that is what RED is all about.
Thank You to the Businesses Who Stepped Up to Invest in their Employees.
