John Good
CEO | NexPoint Storage Partners
CEO | VineBrook Homes Trust, Inc.
We are thrilled to feature John Good as our Alumni Spotlight. John’s interview celebrates his time as one of the founding members of the Memphis office. John describes how that experience fueled his entrepreneurial spirit and gave him the tools to build a career path that led him to roles as a C-Suite executive.
What is the best and/or most rewarding part of your role?
Every day I am able to work with incredibly smart people who work hard and are 100% committed to excellence and serving shareholders. In addition, I am able to meet and make friendships with people whom I otherwise never would have been likely to meet.
What advice do you have for attorneys interested in having a career like yours?
Attorneys have the unique privilege of having every day be in some respects different than the day before and of accumulating a variety of experiences that qualifies them to push themselves beyond the boundaries of simply practicing law day-to-day. Inventory those experiences and do not be afraid to accept the challenge of moving beyond the comforts of a law firm and a defined daily law practice. Fear often freezes us and keeps us from doing what we want to do and being all we can be. Don’t let that fear of the unknown deter you from taking the risk of doing something different.
How did your time at Bass, Berry & Sims prepare you for your role?
I had the honor of founding the Memphis office of Bass, Berry & Sims, building that office from the ground up, participating in the overall management of the firm, and building a nationally-recognized REIT practice. Those opportunities taught me how to develop a vision and implement a strategic plan, how to manage people, and how to calculate and take risks. The firm was always incredibly supportive of all of this, allowing me to develop the skills that could translate into a CEO role in a business outside the legal profession. The firm’s entrepreneurial attitude promoted the same in me, and I could not have done what I have done without possessing that entrepreneurial spirit.
What’s on your music playlist?
Springsteen, Coldplay, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Jackson Browne, Ruston Kelly and Wilson Good (have to rep and support my son).
What is the last non-fiction book you read?
Churchill, Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts. Churchill was an incredibly flawed individual whose combination of self-confidence, willingness to take a risk, and passion for his nation arguably saved the world between 1940 and 1944.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
The greatest inspiration in my professional life was Jim Cheek. He took an interest in me when I was a young securities lawyer even before I joined Bass, Berry & Sims, he strongly promoted me as the person to launch the firm’s Memphis office, he pushed me to look outside my own geography to build a practice, and he always supported me in every way possible. I am only one of many Bass, Berry & Sims lawyers on whom Jim had this impact.
