Tireless Pursuit

I had a career highlight in the making of this issue when I had the privilege of interviewing Johnny Morris for our Person of the Year feature.

Arguably we could name Johnny as our Person of the Year any year. He is tireless in his pursuit of developing beautiful properties that help connect us to nature here in 417-land. And those properties draw visitors from all over the world who get to experience what we often take for granted. This year seemed especially fitting with the official grand opening of Thunder Ridge Nature Arena and bringing in acts like The Rolling Stones, Imagine Dragons and Pitbull with the beautiful Ozark mountains and Table Rock Lake as the backdrop.

He took time out of his elk hunting trip in Colorado to take my call and after the opening pleasantries I asked him my first question. Before he would answer my question he first wanted me to know how much he enjoys 417 Magazine and how proud he is of the work we do. I was almost speechless from his kindness. I was able to pass those compliments along to our team and I know it meant a lot to them as well.

In a follow-up call later he asked if I was enjoying the beautiful weather that day. I told him I was at a conference in Chicago and yes, the weather there was beautiful and actually felt like fall (it had been in the 90s here when I flew out). He chuckled and said, “Well I promise, there’s no way it’s as pretty there as it is here. There’s just no way.”

Here at 417, we pride ourselves on loving the Ozarks, but I can tell you, no one loves this place more than Johnny.

About That Sign

If you’re a true 417-lander, then you’ve likely been a bit curious about the hand-painted signs that greet you as you drive the Top of the Rock property on your way down to Big Cedar Lodge. Did you know Johnny paints those himself? We learned that when he arrived at our photoshoot with one in hand.

Getting Johnny to agree to a cover photoshoot was one of the toughest, and honestly most fun, negotiations I’ve been a part of in my career. We went toe to toe in multiple conversations and his ultimate request was to have his team photographed with him because he really did not feel comfortable having the spotlight on him. While this was a noble ask, I had to keep reminding him, Person of the Year really is just about him! When I thought I had convinced him, he outsmarted me by arriving with his hand-painted sign and insisted on holding it for the photo. I got a good chuckle out of it and conceded. I know in negotiations they say to never split the difference but here, I think it was a three way tie: one point for Johnny, one for Biz 417 and one for that sign honoring Johnny’s incredible team that means so much to him.