Now article. But today we're joined by Matt Morris, the Chief Executive Officer of Stewart Information Services Corporation, which is a customer-driven, technology-enabled, strategically competitive real estate information, title insurance, and transaction management company. And this company has quite a history. It goes all the way back. It was founded in Houston, Texas back in 1893. And uh today it's one of the largest uh title companies in the industry. Matt graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Organizational Behavior and Business Policy and received his MBA from the University of Texas. So we got a longhorn in the house. Welcome to the Christianity and Business Podcast, Matt.
SPEAKER_01Thanks, Darren. I appreciate you asking me to be here.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Well, tell us a bit more about yourself and how God called you into business.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, uh, there's probably a longer story there, but uh grew up here in Houston and uh fortunate to have uh ended back up here. Um been married 20 years and have four boys uh that uh span everywhere from a couple in high school and one that just started kindergarten this week. So pretty pretty busy uh a home and um you know enjoy being here in Houston, enjoy being involved with uh you know HBU and and several organizations um and obviously spend spend a lot of time on the on the business side here at uh at Stuart Title and we um you know made lots of of progress uh going forward with the company and uh you know uh look forward to sharing more about it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So so tell us a bit more about kind of your your spiritual background and and kind of how you came to faith and then how that began to kind of drive your uh your how you operate in the business world. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01You know, my story is one that's uh you know somewhat familiar, but um I I feel very blessed to have it. Uh I have a heritage um, you know, for generations of people that have modeled um a godly life and um painted a clear picture of what it meant to rely on God, uh what it meant to have our identity in Christ. And so grew up um you know in the church with uh God-fearing uh parents and grandparents, and that uh I I you know count count uh myself very blessed for having um been kind of nurtured in the faith uh you know and and throughout my childhood. Um, I will say like probably um you know many people once we uh we we get to college and potentially are challenged in our in our faith and ideas, um, you know, while I I consider my um conversion um experience uh back when I was uh you know 10 and uh you know walked the aisle and got baptized and I think uh you know gave my you know heart and life to Christ and that's what I count as salvation. I think there was a um secondary conversion of uh you know um of spirit and mind um kind of in that you know collegiate time frame of really you know ensuring that this faith is my own and understanding um you know is it worth it, right? And uh understanding who God is and uh the grace that he has provided and um you know the commitment of you know what it meant to look like um to be you know in the world but not of the world and uh to make sure that we are uh you know the arms and and feet of Christ and uh the commission that he has called us to. And so, you know, from that time I honestly have been involved in some some nonprofit and uh and for-profit um uh you know entities and but always in somewhat of a of a business context. And um I've been able to be a part of of uh several ministries and and starting those, uh kind of had uh some entrepreneurial vent and um you know been an in and out of ministry and um you know also in and out of in and out of business. And uh those have really intersected for me. And I think part of um you know my faith journey is really understanding that that God cares much more about um uh you know us and whether we're using our skill sets um and what we're doing where we are rather than simply where we are. Uh I I think I have had the struggle as probably many people have of you know, should I be in full-time ministry and and you know, am I doing exactly what God wants me to do? And I think um, you know, routinely through uh various jobs and various organizations I've been involved with, you know, I kind of rest on this idea that that you know I I I would not have painted the picture necessarily that uh you know God has had me on to put me where he has me right now. Um I'm I'm not that smart. Um yeah, I couldn't paint that that picture, but I think uh being loyal and um allowing um uh you know God to use my gifts and um you know being willing to be his ambassador wherever I am has uh you know kind of led me to this point and you know somewhat of a circuitous route. And uh so yeah, I feel um you know blessed to be in a you know uh business position right now, um, but I also feel blessed to know that my identity is not in my position as CEO of Stuart. Um my identity is in Christ and um in his renown. And so um yeah, that kind of uh emulates uh throughout what what I do as a you know leader here, um, you know, what organizations and ministries we're involved with, and um you know how you know I see my family in their their purpose and their intentionality. Um, we know it's this is a uh this is a job that requires the family to um you know to engage. It it has uh you know a lot of requirements and uh and stress and time commitments, and uh so I I think it's important um for all of us and especially with my wife, be even with the kids, to know that you know God's allowed me to be here and uh we want to make the most of it and uh use the gifts God has given us um to uh glorify his name.
SPEAKER_00So kind of when you really started to get serious about the Lord back in in college, uh what I found is a lot of people, when that happens, they often one of the first places they turn is they begin to think that, okay, I'm called to go become a pastor, I'm called to go be a missionary overseas or something like that. But for you, uh it it and it sounded like you did do some nonprofit work and continue to work with nonprofits, but uh but was it a fairly e it was fairly easy for you to understand that you know what, God wants people to be involved in business.
SPEAKER_01You know, it uh you know, it it is a um a struggle, um, but it wasn't a huge stretch for me, one, because I had seen you know family members walk their faith uh you know out in the business community. So it wasn't a you know a far stretch for me. You know, one thing I I point back to, and just you know, given the connection with HBU here, um, you know, one summer during college, I was able to go on a summer project with Campus Crusade. And uh, you know, during that summer project, everyone had a full-time job. Um, and mine happened to be pretty business oriented, and so uh, you know, I would kind of work all day, and then in the evenings we would do you know various outreach you know activities, uh continue to be discipled. But what I think what that clarified in my mind is just this kind of uh, you know, um, you know, Christ is not a part of my life, he is he is my life, right? And so the this notion that it does all interconnect and uh you know was was was clarified, I think, in that summer. You know, how how how how are you involved in ministry at the same time where you're you know earning a paycheck, right? How are you involved in discipleship um at the same time? So I think you know that summer was was somewhat um uh you know just a great reminder for me that I didn't have to go into full-time ministry to be effective in ministry and uh that I I could you know do business and use the skills and um you know that God had given me and at the same time um you know continue to do ministry and and um you know influence people you know wherever wherever I was. Um and I'm I'm actually uh also involved uh you know Campus Outreach, which is a similar organization and actually uh has uh quite a few people on staff at HBU and they're doing a summer project in Galveston after this last summer and had 60 college students down there, and I was able to speak to them and uh you know was reminded uh very clearly, just seeing this time in life, which is so critical in my mind, of you know, understanding you know kind of our calling and um what we're excited about, uh what we're passionate about, and you know how faith just um enables and really provides a foundation um for that confidence that we have um you know in Christ to use our gifts and you know to place our identity in Him and to not be scared about uh you know various outcomes and just knowing that God wins and God wants us working in all types of places because He wants to infiltrate all types of places. Uh He needs people um you know across the globe and He needs people you know uh domestically. I I'd say even more and more so. Um right I I I found it always you know much more difficult uh you know in in the States um and in a business setting to um you know be that ambassador. Um, you know, and I found it you know a lot easier when we go overseas and and that is our job. Um it does come natural. Um but I think it's a great challenge for for everyone to consider ourselves missionaries wherever we are, and um, you know, whether we are you know doing it full-time or you know, whether we're employed, but that's you know, that's that true identity and purpose that we have.
SPEAKER_00Beautiful. It sounded like that that experience you have with Campus Crusade for Christ was really pivotal. And you know, thank God for Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ, which now known as Crew for anyone who's wasn't familiar with the previous name, uh, for just a constant reminder that God doesn't just want us to kind of box in our spiritual activity, spiritual life into uh Sunday morning service, but that it really should uh shine through in everything that we do in our lives, whether that's in business or in the nonprofit world or wherever that that happens to be. So kind of fast forward to the present now. Um back in 2014, uh Forbes uh named uh your company, Stuart, one of the 50 most trustworthy financial companies in America. That's a that's an incredible accolade. So tell us just real briefly kind of what uh Stuart is uh and and what Stewart does, and then um a little bit about kind of how like what what was it that set Stuart apart that really got the attention of that that auditing uh group that was looking for the top 50 trust most trustworthy financial companies in America?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, um yeah, it it's a great accolade. And if I you know would you know look at the various accolades from uh you know the business context, uh, you know, there's there's not one that I think is would be more favorable in how we look at the business and how we look at the value we provide um to the you know economy rather than being trustworthy. You know, we you know as an organization, and I know people don't have a great understanding of title insurance, but uh you know, in the US and and even abroad, um we are the um you know cog in the middle of a wheel um that makes real estate transactions happen. So we coordinate the the buyers and the sellers and the attorneys and the builders and uh everyone that are uh is involved, and uh we secure um real estate transactions. And whether that's commercial or residential, um you know we talk about uh our mission being to enable and protect real estate ownership. And so not only do we conduct the transaction, but we ensure that that title for that individual is free and clear, and the person owns the property and there's no uh you know further liens or other claims to that property. And so, you know, as you know, real estate is a um you know kind of pivotal foundation of our uh of our economy, and we tell our people routinely, you know, what they do is we secure people's largest investment uh routinely. Um we secure you know even companies oftentimes largest investment of uh of what they own. And um allowing that uh structure to happen. Um you know, we have uh lower financing rates here in the U.S. because of title insurance than you know other places in the world. Uh we have uh you know faster time to close than you know anywhere else in the world because of this service and uh this product we provide. And as Stewart, we're fortunate to be able to uh offer this service either through we have um about 600 you know direct offices uh around the country and uh overseas primarily in Canada. We also have about 2,500 independent agents uh that we work with to uh issue our policies. Um but as a company, um you know our vision is to be the most admired real estate services company. And you know, to do that, uh you we have to be trusted in the transaction. Um everybody gives us their money and we distribute everybody's money, right? Everybody trusts us to conduct the transaction well. And uh so being that, that trusted third party um is key to us. Uh you know, we you know kind of always talk about ourselves as being um you know the the protector of the consumer. And you know, we're in a political environment, but we now have the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and um you know it's they've they've made changes on our industry. Um but but we go back to this concept that you know if if people don't trust us, um we really don't have anything to offer. And so being that independent third party that secures transactions has always been um kind of core to doing what we do and doing what we do well.
SPEAKER_00What what would you say is kind of the I guess the dark side of the industry? I mean, if if they felt the need to uh you know give these awards in the most trustworthy financial companies, I mean there there must be kind of some bad actors in your industry. What are some of the biggest temptations for companies in your industry to not be trustworthy?
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, I think there's there's a couple things which you're you're looking at, and and maybe there's uh there's some general corporate uh you know, right, um implications that I think people you know generally understand of just being a public company and you know meeting earnings and uh making sure your financials are clear. Um as well as in an industry, we obviously are you know significantly affected by various real estate cycles. And uh again, all of the money you know we um you know have you know significant amount of real estate transactions around the globe and all those funds are flowing through our company. And so you know there are definitely ways and we we spend a lot of time and attention on you know protecting um you know those funds and putting all the compliance measures in place. And so I think when we talk about trustworthy, I mean it really comes down um to doing what you say you're gonna do, right? To make sure your financials are as clear as they can be, um, and uh to provide uh transparency uh in the information, to provide transparency to the consumer in the process, uh what's going on when. Um you know, we have you know online portals where customers can understand where they are in the transaction and read all the documents in advance. Um you know, but everything we we do is to try to build transparency in the process so that people trust us with again what's what's the most important transaction. So I think if you look at our auditing standards and how we talk about those independent agents that issue our policies, um and again, everything from uh how we conduct a transaction at the end of the day to how we report our earnings hopefully you know lends itself to this idea that you know Stuart's trustworthy is going to say what they're gonna do and you're not gonna see you know surprises pop up due to uh you know unexpected circumstances and a downturn in the industry or you know uh you know uh a rush to uh make sure we we hit earnings.
SPEAKER_00I love that. You know, and I noticed that was one of the things that struck me when I went to your website, Stuart.com, that you really just feature right there front and center this this uh this software that you use and and it makes sense now kind of what that's all about is that it really helps the uh the customer to understand, to see the whole process, to see kind of where things are uh in in the process, because that transparency is huge. I mean, it it can be so overwhelming for people when they're buying a house. Um, I know that's something that my wife and I are are uh involved in right now, and to just be able to have a a user-friendly dashboard to be able to see. I mean, um you know, whenever m we order pizza, we like to get dominoes. And uh there's on the uh when you order the pizza, they have this little uh P uh Pizza Pizza Pete is his name. And they show him kind of going through the process of making the pizza so you know it's gonna be done in 15 minutes and you can go pick it up or have it delivered in in 30 minutes. But that that transparency in just the small ways, I think that's a great uh lesson for any business owners out there is you know what what can we do to add more transparency to show people um not you know to to an extent, I mean, you how the sausage is made, but um but in a in a way that's really going to help them and not overwhelm them.
SPEAKER_01Right, right. And we understand, I mean, a lot of uh, you know, what we tell our you know associates is that we we we make the complex simple. I mean, at the end of the day, you know, we want people to come in and have a good closing experience, and they don't necessarily need to know how you know the sausage is made or the pizza is made, you know, for for your analogy, right? But um there's a lot involved. Um it's a very complex process uh when you're when you're buying a home and you know how much you know here in the States can attach to that property and that property record and um with with various loans and tax liens and homeowners associations and everything else that can attach to this property, right? Um you know, there's a lot of forms to be signed. Everybody has to uh you know have involvement in the process. But if we can you know make the complex simple uh for that customer, that's that's the win for us. And hopefully, you know, for our you know associates that are on those front lines and that are closing those transactions. I mean, that that's what they enjoy, right? Seeing that uh, especially those first-time homeowners um you know get the keys uh you know to their new home and uh you know, understanding you know how much went into actually making that happen. I mean, all the way from you know that person you know investing their first dollar for the down payment. Um, you know, we want to enable that. We want to, you know, enable and and foster um a better home buyer experience.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I love it. So trustworthiness is is really comes down to the decisions that you make in your company that will either uh uh uphold that trustworthiness or I mean you could lose it in just one one bad decision. And and so this decision making is so critical. What is what is kind of your model for decision making?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Darren. I think you know one of the things I've been talking about this year is um well, it's kind of gets into three words, but I'll just start on that decision making is really understanding your purpose. Um and I think that's I mean, there there's different facets of um you know that word and and the the word purpose, but um I mean it goes back to where your identity is. Um, and understanding kind of long term. I mean, are you able to think, you know, four steps down the process, right? And are you fulfilling your purpose? Um, you know, I you know, reflect on an old, you know, the old childhood story, um, Alice in Wonderland, where, you know, Alice asked the Cheshire cat, you know, sitting in the tree, you know, which road do I take? And the cat asks, you know, well, where do you want to go? And Alice said, I don't know. And the cat said, you know, well, then it really doesn't matter, does it? Um I think so often, right? And I talk to people so often, and that's um that they don't really know where they want to go, right? And so whether it's your personal life or whether it's your business, you've got to know the end result that you're trying to achieve. And um you have to know what that consists of. And I see, you know, so often people seem to be short-sighted and they're just looking at the next decision, but they're not sure how it affects that end goal. And so, you know, I'm assuming a lot of people that are uh, you know, listening or believers, but even you know, uh non-believers, I think there's uh you know, I would have this you know significant encouragement to really wrestle with this idea of you know what the purpose is, what's what's your personal purpose? And um, you know, what do you want to be known for at the end of the day? The what do you want on your tombstone question? And then how does that tie into your business? Uh, which you know may have um you know more material implications and um you know their their uh earthly perspective. But again, what what at the end of the day, what do you want people writing about you? What do you want on the front page of the paper that that's coming forward about your your company? And I think that's really the purpose. And and I think is if we can um you know tie into that in our daily decision making and constantly remind ourselves of where we want to end up, um, that makes those decisions uh much more clear. Um, you know, when I talk about purpose, I often uh you know this this year talked about purpose, prayer, and then patience. Um because I think you know when we identify that purpose, sticking with that purpose is easier said than done. I mean, it's it's nice for me to sit here on a podcast and say, you know, let's let's live out our purpose. Um but at the end of the day, holding true to that um becomes difficult. I mean, that's that's challenged um, you know, daily. And so I think, you know, understanding um that you have to know, you know, where you stand, um, stick with what you know to be true. And again, that's your spiritual life and that's your work life, right? Stick with what you know to be true. Make sure your purpose is aligned, that it's not about yourself, right? That it is about the end goal. Um, and then you know, in order to stick with that, I think it takes prayer and patience. Um you gotta pray through it. And um probably the hardest one for me is patience. Um, because there's been several times in life uh where there, you know, the the easy thing to do did not align with the purpose. Um, but uh, you know, I was I was struggling with, do I have patience to hold on? Right? Uh, you know, how how do we win this fight? Um yeah, I think that's you know so often what God calls us to is just to say, hey, you you know, you you know what needs to be done. Go ahead and stick with that. And when things aren't lining up, right? I mean, God just I I think blesses us, not through, you know, even more so, just through being patient and understanding God's timing and you know, pointing to places in life, whether that's uh, you know, college, whether that's uh you know, grad school, whether that's work, uh just you know, you know, feeling at times that what I'm doing, you know, didn't matter or wasn't lining up and things uh weren't working out like I thought, um, but I knew you know God wanted me here and and didn't feel the freedom to pursue something else, which you know seemed to be like a very logical um solution, but being able to rest um and I know where the purpose is, um, I'm gonna pray about it, I'm gonna be a patient. And when you know God says he's gonna do something, he's gonna do it. And I I think that's that's where the the rewards come in, and we're able to see um and blessed to see, right? That that that's heaven on earth, right? Where we get to see God work, where we're using God's plan, um, you know, that he would use us and uh that he would uh allow us um you know to be used by him is is is is the blessing that we're able to see here.
SPEAKER_00It it seems like the decision to bring on this this new I and I don't know how long you've been using this software program, um the one that you're featuring on your website, what at what point did you make the decision to bring on that uh that software program?
SPEAKER_01You know, that's it it's been a while. And I think you know this idea of you know transparency and enhancing that closing process um has for a long time been you know kind of a core tenet of what we what we do.
SPEAKER_00So so I'm just it seems like that would be a great example of kind of going through this three P decision-making model where okay, our our purpose is to be a trustworthy company because we want to honor the Lord. And and you know, one of the key ways to do that is through transparency. You know, how can we be more transparent as a company? And and so to bring on a system like this, it seems like it would align with that uh beautifully. Um is that would that be an example of kind of how you would take something through these three P's?
SPEAKER_01No, I think it it absolutely would. Um Right, I mean, you know, various decisions um that that we're faced with, right? Of at the end of the day, um, you know, we know there's you know any business uh especially on a on a public company, I have lots of constituencies, right? And um in our business, it's it's it's interesting because not only do I have uh kind of owners' constituencies and the public markets um that you're answering for that have different desires potentially than our than our customers have. Um and our customers uh you know are very different. So I have you know very large lenders uh that like certain things, and I have that consumer or that realtor that likes very different things. Um so that's why I think we have to be very committed to our associates, to all our customers, to our shareholders. We talk about multiple legs of this stool, and you know, our our intent really is being able to articulate what our purpose is and how we are you know getting there and sticking with it and uh you know not be swayed on a daily basis because somebody wants this and so you you can't make everybody happy. And uh what you have to do is is know and understand the value that you provide and uh doing that well and uh you know being the best um in the market. Um you know, I I think uh you know, whether it's it's business or ministry, um, you know, it it's important to do things well. And I don't I don't think you know things have to be overt, uh and I don't think there has to be a uh a Christian fish on that that technology platform, right? Uh to say uh you know, to convince people um that this is a trustworthy company. What we need to do is we need to act out um, you know, with with integrity, um with innovation and discipline and say, you know, we're committed to being the best, right? That's you know, God, God's gifted us and we're gonna use that to the best of our ability um, you know, to be the best we can. And we're not gonna settle um for you know second rate products or services or offerings. Um you know, there's uh you know, there's a reason God has given us what we what we have, and um we're gonna pursue that with with passion and excellence.
SPEAKER_00I love it. Well, Matt, this has been uh fantastic. Uh why don't you, as we kind of finish up here, uh let us know where people can learn more about you and Stuart, and then uh leave us with a parting piece of advice.
SPEAKER_01Okay, well, um more about uh me. So at Stuart.com, it's it's pretty easy. Um so and you can you can track uh the company down there and and track um you know track uh I guess more on me on that uh you know um website. And uh, you know, I'm in around Houston and and uh in around HBU and the you know um Center for Christianity, so you know hopefully we can uh continue the discussion, I think, um, you know, in the community, like we talked about at the very beginning, you know, God needs people everywhere. And um, you know, I think uh you know it's it's important. Um, you know, often I'm asked uh you know a lot of questions on, you know, should I go here or should I go there? And uh you know, what are where does God want me to go? And my my continual feedback is you know, God doesn't care as much about where you are as what you're doing where you are. God can use you wherever you are. Um so plant where you are and um yeah, see what God has you to do. He he's got you there for a reason, and uh, he's gonna use you if you're open to him. Um, you know, in terms of uh you know parting insight, and maybe maybe that was part of it, but um, yeah, I'll I'll probably go back to those three Ps. And just an encouragement to you know myself as much as any anyone else, you know, daily ask, you know, are you on purpose? Um are you prayerful and are you committed to aligning your choices to support that purpose? And are you willing to wait for God's timing? Um I think those are those are questions which I routinely ask myself. Um, you know, uh make sure we end uh you know we know where we want to end up. Um and from my experience, everything else falls in line. Um, you know, ethics questions are no longer ethics questions. Works work-life balance is no longer a conversation about work-life balance. Uh, career decisions are no longer career decisions. You know, if you're fulfilling your purpose, um, if you're uh prayerful uh and patient, uh everything else starts to fall in line.
SPEAKER_00Beautiful. Powerful insights. Matt, thank you so much for sharing your time. No, you've got a lot going on. Uh massive company to leave, but thanks for the work you're doing, and may God continue to bless uh Stuart and your family and everything you put your hand to. Thank you, forget that.