PRAX is a company that exists to improve the personal and professional lives of leaders. Pulse 2.0 interviewed PRAX founder Alex Geesbreght to learn more.
Alex Geesbreght’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Geesbreght said:
“I am a native Texan. I met my wife of 23 years in law school while serving as her law clerk at the Public Defender’s office during my final year. We are now both recovering attorneys and have three kids (21, 19, and 18) and five dogs.”
“After graduation, I spent several years practicing law at a firm, later as an Assistant District Attorney, and thereafter as General Counsel (GC) of a healthcare company that I would become part owner in, help grow, and ultimately sell in 2018.”
“In 2005, while also working as GC at the aforementioned healthcare company, my brother and I started the nation’s first medical scribe company, which provided scribes to Emergency Department physicians. This company improved patient and physician satisfaction, enhanced through-put, and ensured greater accuracy of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), medico-legal documentation. We sold that company in 2014, but I stayed on as CEO until 2016.”
“After the sale of our last company in 2018, my brother, Andrew, and I focused on building our Family Office and taking the early steps toward developing all aspects of what is now our exclusive focus, the PRAX Leadership Institute.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Geesbreght shared:
“It was an honest to goodness ah-ha moment, brought on by an epiphany Andrew had while working for the company that bought our former business. A little context is necessary. After I left in 2016, Andrew took over as CEO until the company that bought us sold it to our long-time competitor. They always admired how we cultivated relationships, how we took care of our nearly 4,000 employees nationwide, and how we developed the culture that was an obvious result of the previous two. So, they made Andrew their Chief Leadership Officer (CLO). However, Andrew quickly learned that when it came to actually caring about their ‘people’ – not just their ‘employees’ – they were, as we say in Texas, ‘All hat and no cattle.’ Classic lip service to go along with aspirational “Mission, Vision, and Values” posters on the wall.”
“Andrew and I have never done ‘theoretical.’ He wanted to build something real – for humans, not employees. With his background and education in psychology, along with our collective decades of running companies and knowing what moves the needle in and for people, we formed PRAX Leadership – myopically focused on Self-Leadership, not leadership, and intended to improve the lives of humans, not employees, through practice, not emotion.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Geesbreght reflected:
“Without question, it is working with my brother, Andrew, again. We have a unique relationship in that we approach nearly everything from a different point of view and our thinking processes are nearly opposite from one another. Despite this, we share a common ethos, as it relates to purpose and people. While the journey is often circuitous, we eventually end up creating something better than either of us could achieve alone. I would also say that we resolve conflict with each other rather quickly, never letting anything fester. We have tremendous love and respect for each other, which makes trust a natural and ever-present byproduct.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Geesbreght explained:
“While there are some courses that are available only to existing partners of PRAX, such as Practitioner and Pioneer, the core products are called Leader and Pathfinder.”
“Leader centers around the concept that life is about Choice, not Chance. It is a 90-minute, live-virtual event that provokes attention and promotes growth in an individual. Course sizes are limited to 20 and led by a PRAX professional guide. In Leader, participants will be introduced to Praxian thought and language, revealing the science and research behind improving our well-being through the development of skills, habits, and the ever-important commitment to practice.”
“Pathfinder is a 10-week course that allows participants to practice the science of well-being. It consists of a half-day live session, either in-person or virtual, followed by nine consecutive weeks of guide-led, 45-minute Trailheads, where small groups discuss their progress and learn to apply new skills to their daily lives.”
“Pathfinder’s tagline, ‘Allow Pathfinder to introduce you…to yourself,’ is predicated on the notion that, as humans, we all have needs – not just wants – needs; and that we can never truly know ourselves, or hope to reach our personal or professional potential, until those needs are met. The course is centered around the four well-studied pillars of needs (Mental, Physical, Behavioral, and Values) and allows participants to discover, select, and pursue focused practices to improve their well-being, by meeting, knowing, and improving themselves. Pathfinder’s habit-building curriculum serves as a vital prerequisite for any professional skills an organization wishes its people to actually utilize.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Geesbreght and the team faced in building the company? Geesbreght acknowledged:
“As a Self-Leadership institute, because PRAX occupies such a unique segment of an otherwise crowded ‘Leadership’ space, our biggest challenge is simply finding partners with whom we wish to do business. We truly believe that PRAX must be bought, not sold. When we tell companies that we are not primarily interested in their business or their employees – only their people, as people – it can be off-putting to a certain segment of our would-be client base. We wish to work with companies who know that each individual in an organization matters, and only by reaching those individuals can they build the culture and the organizational performance they dream of. While we understand that not all companies share our purpose, for those that do, PRAX has proven to be a mutually beneficial partnership.”
“Recently, in discussing PRAX with a potential client, we were disappointed to hear him say, “I want to improve my employees professionally, but to be honest, I’m not that interested in paying for their own personal growth. They can pursue that on their own dime.” Our response was, “Name one thing that improves an individual personally that doesn’t improve them professionally.” We talked through a few examples of skills that PRAX addresses: emotional regulation, communication, prioritization, positive habit formation, trust-building, self-efficacy. The list goes on. Every one of these skills amplifies a person’s effectiveness in the workplace, as well as in life.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since its launch? Geesbreght noted:
“The fast progress to an AI-assisted world is simultaneously exhilarating and disquieting. It’s no accident that PRAX has chosen to focus on the only thing that will remain constant through every technological revolution – the importance of the human experience. As technology evolves through and around us, we hold a steadfast commitment to enriching humanity, which must happen by connecting with one human at a time. As a result, our business is somewhat insulated from technological evolution, and we are already becoming a safe haven for humans to work on their own enrichment while technology both helps and hinders the scaling of their own effectiveness in different areas of their lives.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Geesbreght cited:
“As a relatively new company that does things a bit differently than most, we have had a number of ‘firsts’ that we would consider significant. However, the one I am most proud of is perhaps a bit unexpected. I think for every business, there comes a time when you think you understand your business, only to learn that it is something a bit different than you had originally envisioned.”
“The humility, introspection, vulnerability, and open-mindedness that it takes to be receptive to this change is important for any business, especially in the first few years of existence. This very thing happened with our leadership team. We very literally locked ourselves in a room for days to answer the question, ‘Who are we?’ We were obviously not searching for the surface answer, but rather the genuine essence of who we were, as an organization, our deeper purpose, and the collective commitment we have for delivering it to others, one human at a time.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Geesbreght highlighted:
“I could, but if you don’t mind, please allow me to give a broader answer because I believe it speaks to the breadth of impact that PRAX can have on individuals, from all walks of life and at all stages. Responses to a completed course have ranged from, ‘I wish I had taken this when I was younger; it probably would have changed the course of my life,’ to ‘It saved my marriage,’ to “I no longer scan the world for problems, but rather areas for which to be grateful,’ to the one that frankly floored us by one graduate of Pioneer when he said, ‘It changed my soul.’ Andrew and I have been part of many businesses, but to build something together that is so impactful on humanity is a sincere blessing.”
Revenue
When asking Geesbreght whether he could share revenue metrics, he replied:
“Ha. No. I did that for two decades and I’ll never be a part of a business that does again. We don’t take, nor have we ever considered taking, outside money to grow our business. As it relates to metrics – revenue or otherwise – I am not a fan, especially for PRAX. We don’t measure the human condition, and we suggest our partners stop trying to do so, as well. How do you know if you liked a movie? Do you consult your KPIs? How many times did you go to the bathroom? Did you eat all your popcorn? Or, as a human, do you just know if you liked it or not? Businesses should measure their performance – their quantifiable ‘widgets’ – not their people’s well-being and ability to activate their values. Sure, we have a balance sheet and P&Ls, but we don’t run our company by them. We know when we are doing a good job, and we know what success ‘feels’ like.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Geesbreght emphasized:
“I sincerely do not wish to come across as glib, but the very honest truth is that it is not a focus of ours. When I say we are wholeheartedly and exclusively focused on enriching one human at a time, I truly mean it. At this stage in our careers, Andrew and I know that PRAX is the natural culmination of our collective experiences in business and life, as well as an extension of who we are and the impact we wish to make. It requires a significant amount of time and resources to collect, develop, and retain the talent we have within PRAX, so don’t get me wrong, we are not a charity – we are a business – and as such, we are attentive to the health of the business and where it is headed. But we are very content to keep our heads down and to work on the next iteration of our courses in order to improve the lives of our clients and their people.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Geesbreght affirmed:
“Three things. First, we exist to improve the lives of humans, not employees. Second, we are myopically focused on Self-Leadership, not Leadership. And finally, practice is at the core of everything we teach and do.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Geesbreght concluded:
“My dad, John, who, in addition to being my hero, was an emergency room physician for nearly 40 years. He passed away in 2019. Having worked on the business side of healthcare for the majority of my own career, I am intimately acquainted with the rigors and challenges of being a frontline healthcare provider. I have seen the frustrations with the “system” and the common disillusionment that comes from following your heart into the field of medicine only to find out that you are a part-time regulatory agent, attorney, business owner, and technology expert. These American heroes – as well as all first responders – are often so focused on others, they forget to do for themselves; that is to state, take care of themselves and their well-being. While PRAX will continue to be open to all companies and individuals who are serious about personal growth and well-being, my personal goal for PRAX is to make a legitimate dent in the health of healthcare by improving the lives of the people who take care of all of us.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Geesbreght concluded:
“Well, that is a bit of a dangerous question to ask me, but I’ll just end with this: If you ask any company what its greatest strength is, each one, without fail, will respond quickly with “Our people.” I agree. But what does that actually mean? I have found that in many cases, while the answer is sincere, it appears what is meant is that its employees are its greatest strength. I encourage companies, regardless of PRAX, to look beyond what their employees do, and to spend a bit more time and attention on who their people are.”
“Running a business is very difficult. They are not charities and the pressures to perform and compete are immense. Most, if not all, very genuinely seek to ‘take care of their people.’ They believe they are doing so by paying their employees a fair wage, making accommodations for life events, offering health and 401(k) plans, and giving them an opportunity to grow in their jobs. These are all positive actions. But I think the very best companies – and they do exist – look beyond what might be considered part of ‘total compensation’; they look to the health and well-being of the human working down the hall.”
“As technology continues to advance and make our lives easier and ever more efficient, let us never forget about the two important words in that sentence – ‘our’ and ‘lives.’ No matter how technologically advanced we get, as a society, there will always be a human being as the end user or recipient of the technology. Our humanity – our humanness – has been, is, and will always be the thing that unites us. As we live in an age where connectivity is at an all-time high, we find personal connection with each at an all-time low.”
“PRAX’s purpose is, and will always be, to teach self-leadership practices that enrich humanity. And our greatest joy is working with companies that value the same thing.”
