This is Oklahoma

On this episode of @thisisoklahomagolf I sat with Head Pro of Gaillardia Country Club, Garrett Diel. I used to work for Garrett at OKC Golf and Country Club a few years ago while he was an assistant. Garrett grew up in Enid, really small school class. He played every sport as a kid and came to golf relatively late at the age of 12. With no golfers in the family he'd go play with his friend and friends Dad out in Enid. Most pros you talk to love the game and want to work in golf because of that. Garrett loved the business aspect to golf. He put the clubs down for two years while studying at OSU but when UCO's PGM program became an option to go to university and learn all you needed to learn about being a pro and running a business he jumped at it. Garrett worked in the cart barn at OKCG&CC during his time at UCO, he'd go on internships every summer at courses around the country. When he graduated Tim took him on at OKC. Garrett took a Job at Belmar GC in Norman owned by Toby Keith where he worked for 3 years as his first Head Pro position before getting the job at Gaillardia where he's been for just over a year. Thanks for listening and follow us @thisisoklahomagolf for more news, reviews and stories on Oklahoma Golf. Stay safe.

On this episode I sat with friend Matt Holder. Matt and I first met when I started real estate back in 2015. He was my first business coach when I started at Keller Williams Elite. Matt is from SW OKC, grew up in Moore, graduated from South Moore High School. He worked in real estate his junior year at a new construction development owned by his best friends family. Matt didn’t want to be in real estate, he wanted to be a doctor. Matt’s whole family had ties to real estate, his mom sold homes, his dad sold building materials and his grandfather built homes. So it was written on the wall that real estate was in his future. As soon as he turned 18 he took his real estate test and became a realtor. Since 2013 Matt has worked in the industry, coaching clients, learning from leaders and building his business and others. Matt has failed more times than most will ever fail in their lifetimes but that's one of the keys to his success. He's recently left a great job to chase his own dreams of being a small business coach and helping others win in their fields. Every time I sit with Matt I learn something and this was no different. Enjoy the gems in this episode, if you're a small business owner and need guidance. Matt is your man. Follow him here @mattholderr Thanks for listening, watching on youtube and supporting @thisisoklahoma

On this episode I interviewed Amy Downs. Amy survived the OKC Bombing on April 19, 1995. "Amy shouldn’t even be here. Seven years into her job at what we now know as Allegiance Credit Union, a bomb exploded in her building, killing 168 people, including 18 of her 33 co-workers. Amy fell three stories and was buried alive for over six hours. Today, Amy is now President and an award-winning CEO. Rather than being taken down by that catastrophe, Allegiance Credit Union grew by 400% and is consistently voted a Best Place to Work in Oklahoma. This year, Amy was recognized by the Oklahoma Journal Record as a “Most Admired CEO.” Drawing on her new book about these experiences, called “Hope Is A Verb,” Amy is excited to share with you what she has learned about how you can respond to this crisis we find ourselves in — and how to actually have your organization come out of it even stronger." Presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them on social media @oklahomahof and online for more information at www.oklahomahof.com BUY AMY'S BOOK HERE https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Verb-Journey-Impossible-Transformation-ebook/dp/B085N234DW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3M4Q2J34S2RWS&dchild=1&keywords=hope+is+a+verb&qid=1587386609&sprefix=HOPE+IS+A+VER%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-1 #THISISOKLAHOMA

This episode was recorded in February of this year before any of the covid19 complications. Thank you for understanding that some of the events we talk about in this episode have been rescheduled or postponed. On this episode I sat with college friend Nick Chafey to share his testimony in memory of his mother Rona Linn Kuehner-Chafey who passed in the OKC Bombing. Nick grew up in the Bethany area. His whole family lives in Bethany so naturally he wanted to attend SNU, which is where we met. Ever since I’ve known Nick he’s always wanted to play soccer. He played for SNU and then after changing his major he was ineligible to play. However, he still got his soccer fix when we played some intramural indoor soccer. Nick reached out to me a few months back and asked if he could share his testimony and his mom’s memory to our listeners. He was four in 1995 when his mom passed. His recollection of that day is as any four year old would be. He doesn’t have many memories of his mom; all his memories are learned memories, stories from others about his mom, what she was like and who she was. His older sister was 14 at the time. Her memory of the experience is completely different as well as his Dad or friends who knew his mom. So Nick remembers his mom and the whole experience differently to those of his family. With the 25-year anniversary this was a very special moment and I am extremely grateful to have a platform like This is Oklahoma to share Nicks story to you today. In loving memory of his mother Rona Linn Kuehner-Chafey and those who lost their lives on April 19,1995. Presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them on social media @oklahomahof and online www.oklahomahof.com

On this episode I sat with Simas Gumuliauskas. Myself and Simas both graduated from Southern Nazarene University. Simas is from Lithuania, he came to the states in 2002 as a foreign exchange student to a small town near Houston called Willis, Texas. His father found a company that helped place foreign exchange students so Simas flew to New York for a few days and then was places in Willis Texas. As a junior in high school, can you imagine flying halfway around the world? Not being able to speak much English and not being able to go home until the year was over. Simas had his eyes set on graduating high school and going to university in the states. Simas continued his basketball for the high school winning the district championship for that high school. Simas injured his knee at the end of this junior year so he didn’t play much his senior year. I’m no basketball nerd but Simas explains that his European basketball style is no match for the up paced physicality of basketball in the states. Simas finished high school in Willis and wanted to go to Texas A&M, he studied at bling college with the hope to transfer his credits into Texas A&M. After his one year at Bling College he didn’t go to A&M because of the added expenses for an out of country students he couldn’t afford to go. So he went back to his friends from Willis who had ties to SNU and made the transfer up to Bethany Oklahoma. Simas first love is basketball; it’s the most popular sport in Lithuania. Sadly some injury left him on the sideline his senior year so there was no chance of him playing for SNU. However, he could still run. So he was offered a track scholarship and ran track for SNU. Simas worked hard at SNU, got his degree and his MBA and during the financial crisis of 2008/09 he was offered a position at Devon Energy he worked in a treasury group there for three years and then moved to chaparral energy in long term planning in the corporate development group for about three more years. Simas is very intelligent, he won’t say this himself but he is. He really enjoyed his time at Chaparral energy because he was able to branch out more across the board instead of being stuck in his specialty at Devon. After years in corporate America advising at Devon Energy Simas turned to Real Estate when they had their first child for Simas to have flexibility to take care of his first child Ivy. Simas’s is wife Amy is a pediatrician so it made sense for her to continue working and for Simas to work just not as much. Simas and Amy are about to have their third child. We wish them all the best for their future and look forward to catching up with them in the future. Follow us on Instagram @thisisoklahoma online www.thisisoklahoma.media YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUb9wfhbrtok2FmpIAQ6Amg #thisisoklahoma

On this episode I sit down with two golf mates Jason Smith and Jeremy Lamb. They've been to the Masters twice and have some amazing stories, Once with their mates and the second time with their Dads. Plus some other hilarious childhood golfing moments and Jason best round ever at Golf Club of Edmond. Follow us @thisisoklahomagolf

On this episode I sat with Heisman Trophy winner Jason White. Jason grew up in Tuttle Oklahoma. Dreamt of playing football for OU one day. With hardwork and determination he made his dream a reality. Coach Stoops recruited him and he went on to become one of OU's Heisman Trophy winners. Unfortunately for Jason he was riddled with injury forcing him to retire way too early. After making the decision he tried a number of different things, investments, owned stores selling OU and OSU merchandise. Until one day Mr Gregory from ACS asked him to do some radio advertisements for football season. That relationship grew over time and in 2010 Jason was brought on full time working as customer service for ACS. Can you imagine being a sooner fan and answering the phone to Jason White asking how he can help you? Jason has progressed over the years, recorded a lot of advertising campaigns and is now in charge of the commercial division of ACS. I really enjoyed my time interviewing Jason, we talked a lot about his love for golf, how he now watches games, his top 3 moments in college football and what the future looks like for ACS. Follow Air Comfort Solutions on all social media platforms for all your HVAC needs. This episode is presented by The Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them on social media @oklahomahof and check out their website www.oklahomahof.com for all the up and coming events this year. #thisisoklahoma

*This episode was recorded pre COVID19 back in February. Myself and Rob had no idea what would be in the future. His job has been affected with the arena closing and no games being played anywhere.* On this episode I sat with Chesapeake Arena in house photographer Rob Ferguson. Rob has been a photographer from a very early age. He started in 6th grade when his teacher taught them pinhole photography. His parents let him build a dark room in their house so he could develop the photos he'd taken. Back when you had to wait hours for feedback on your photos, not like today where you get instant feedback make a few adjustments on the camera and shoot again. Rob spoke about going home, developing then going back the next day to take the same photo with a different setting to see if it worked any better. Rob shared his journey to becoming the in house photographer at the arena as well as some of the best experiences he's had behind the camera. Shooting concerts for the best artists in the world here in OKC. Follow Rob on Instagram @robokc Follow Bedfords camera @bedfordsokc and @photocon_okc

On this episode I sat down with my friend, golf partner, pastor and Ducks fan Jason Smith. I met Jason as a sophomore in college when he became our golf team Chaplin. Jason came to Oklahoma to play college golf from Ontario Oregon in 1999. At SNU he felt called to become a pastor and met his awesome wife Katie. During college Jason interned at OKC First Church of the Nazarene where he still works today. Over the years Jason has become a great friend to me and my wife. He officiated both our weddings ( a story for another day ) This was a special podcast for me. Its one I've been wanting to record since I started the podcast over 2 years ago and I'm glad we made it happen. Jason and his wife Katie have two incredible daughters McCall and Berkley and lets just say that we still play a lot of golf together. OKC First Church of the Nazarene - www.okcfirst.com This episode was presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them online www.oklahomahof.com and on social media @oklahomahof Cheers.

On this episode I sat with founder of Oklahoma Gourmet Popcorn DJ Boles. DJ is from Tuttle Oklahoma. He played every sports you can think of growing up and even in college he played multiple sports. Never shying away from a challenge. He wrestled, golfed and even trIed to walk on at OSU. One day while sat in a business class at OSU. His professor gave the class their final assignment of the semester. Develop a business idea, a plan and present it to the class. This business plan was Oklahoma Gourmet Popcorn. DJ now has two stores and is concentrating on wholesaling his 64 flavors of popcorn around the state. This episode is presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them on social media @oklahomahof or online at www.oklahomahof.com Follow Oklahoma Gourmet Popcorn @oklahomagourmetpopcorn and online at www.ogpopcorn.com

On this episode myself and Kennon @tuurk interviewed Brandon Smith @dwellingtable a local food photography professional. Brandon has probably taken photos for many of the restaurants you eat at in OKC. He's had many covers for Edible OKC here in town. The best publication for food news in OKC and around the state. This episode comes at a time where many of the restaurants Brandon has shot for need our support. Local businesses that have adapted their operating procedures to cope with the effects of COVID19. So please order to go from your local spots. They need our support and there is so many amazing places for us to explore. Thanks Kennon for jumping in on this one to interview Brandon, this episode is a lot about the process of food photography. Something we all try to do when we're at the dinner table snapping pics for the gram. Listen to this and you'll learn some tips on how to improve your food photography photos. Thanks for listening. Be safe #thisisoklahoma

On this episode I sit with Jeremiah Lane. Assistant Director of the Children's Hospital Foundation. Jeremiah first started working for CHF Kids in college at OSU. He founded the Cowboython dance marathon, which aims to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the foundation. Last year OU raised over a million dollars for their 24hour dance marathon. It is unheard of to be the Assistant Director at the age of 28 but Jeremiah has worked extremely hard for this foundation. This isn't just a job for Jeremiah and we are lucky to have him working for one of Oklahoma's best Children's Hospitals. Not only has he worked hard but his son, niece and nephew have all been treated by the professionals at Children's. If you feel moved to help The Children's Hospital Foundation please reach out to them, host an event to raise money. Its really easy to host an event for them all information here www.chfkids.com Video with Brandon Weeden & Gavin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8y4abxHx2U The podcast is presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them online www.oklahomahof.com and on social media @oklahomahof for all the information you need. #thisisoklahoma

On this episode myself, Chad, Blake and Tim dive into our favorite golfing movies as well as talking about the effect on college golf coaches ( Tim ) and golf in Oklahoma. Follow us online @thisisoklahomagolf Cheers.

On this episode I sat down with Koda Crossfit founders Brice and Jared. They met working out at Crossfit OKC about 10 years ago when crossfit was very new to Oklahoma. Brice is from west Texas, grew up playing all sports and went to the Air Force after school. Picked up a rugby ball and traveled the world representing the US Air Force. Pretty awesome experience if you ask me. Jared grew up in south eastern Oklahoma. Played golf at NSU in Tahlequah Oklahoma. From there he worked as a golf pro ending up at Oak Tree Country Club before leaving to open the first Koda location in OKC. Really enjoyed sharing their story. Follow Koda online @kodacrossfit and on the internet for all the information you need to know about locations, events and merch at www.kodacrossfit.com Follow us @thisisoklahoma and check out our new website www.thisisoklahoma.media #thisisoklahoma

Part 3 of episode 5 our new segment called "Random Car Guys" around Oklahoma. This final part of our time with Reza shares his passion for cars. The research he's done on racing Ferrari Challenge and the future of his car collection. Follow us on Instagram @randomcarguys Follow my co host @ddrconcepts and us @thisisoklahoma Cheers

On this episode myself, Tim, Trey and our college team mate Eric Smith ( all the way from Germany ) sit down to talk about who we think should be in Oklahoma's Mount Rushmore. Recap of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and projections for The Players this week Follow us @thisisoklahomagolf

On this episode I sit down with friend Hannah Griffis. I met Hannah through her husband Matthew; we played golf together at SNU. Hannah has transformed herself in the past two years. Catching herself in the mirror one day she wasn't happy with what she saw and felt. Right there she decided to make a change. While working full time for DHS she started the journey to a healthier lifestyle by working out a lot. However, because she didn't change her eating habits, there was very little improvement. With this awareness she dove into all the information she could research about nutrition and dieting. Hannah lost 40lbs by counting her calories, weighing her food and being conscious of what she puts in her body. After this transformation, friends started to ask how? Hannah started a Facebook group to tell everyone asking. After her friends started to transform (my wife being one of them) Hannah put her findings into an Ebook to help others change their image. First time gym goers, people with zero nutritional knowledge. People like most of us who want to workout but don't want to get sore, or women who don't want to get stole at the gym. My wife lost 20lbs by weighing her food, eating the correct portion sizes and oh eating ice-cream every night!! A small cup but she still ate ice cream every night. If you are struggling in this department, you don't like how you look and you want to make a change. Reach out to Hannah, its not hard its just doing the work. You deserve it. Contact Hannah here www.freedomwithhan.squarespace.com Instagram @hannah.griffis This episode is presented by The Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them online at www.oklahomahof.com and on Instagram @oklahomahof #thisisoklahoma www.thisisoklahoma.media @thisisoklahoma

Part 2 of 3. If you haven't listened to part 1 yet go back and listen first. Great inside look into a series car guys collection and buying process. Reza - Talks F1 - Mclaren & The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera ( part 2 of 3 ) Follow us @randomcarguys for more car stories Mike & Heath @thisisoklahoma @ddrconcepts

Influenced by Fast & Furious. Love of HRE's & The Porsche Taycan ( part 1 of 3 ) Wow this one went long. Part 1 of 3. Reza is a car guy through and through, from a Mitsubishi Eclipse 5 speed manual to Lamborghini aventador. He's pretty much had it all. For part one we dive into his car history. Where his obsession started, how it progressed and more recently his thoughts on the Porsche Taycan. part 2 and 3 coming... Follow us @randomcarguys for more car stories. Mike & Heath @thisisoklahoma @ddrconcepts

On this episode myself, Blake, Tim and Chad breakdown the history of legendary golf course designer Perry Maxwell. His first ever golf course built in his backyard is a treasure for Oklahoma golfers. If you ever get invited to play you have to go! Follow us on Instagram @thisisoklahomagolf

On this episode I sit down with President & CEO of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Shannon Rich. As president and CEO, Rich directed the single-largest endeavor in the organization’s 90-year history—the opening of the Gaylord–Pickens Museum. Before joining the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Rich served as executive vice president at John Q. Hammons Hotels, opening both the Renaissance Oklahoma City Hotel and the Downtown Courtyard by Marriott. Rich’s leadership has resulted in a tremendous impact on the Oklahoma Hall of Fame’s statewide exposure, educational programming and guest experience with more than 45,000 Oklahoma students experiencing the Museum through the free field trip program; the creation of one of the most active teen boards in the state; a significant increase in overall donor support; the launching of an emerging leaders board of young professionals; free family programming; the completion of a $19-million capital campaign; and enhancing the experience and revenue associated with the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Rich continues to make a lasting impact on her community. Her awards and honors include being recognized as one of Oklahoma’s “Most Admired CEOs,” and she is a three-time honoree and inductee of the Circle of Excellence for the Journal Record’s “50 Making a Difference”. Rich is a fifth-generation Oklahoman and a proud graduate of Oklahoma City University. She and her husband, Kelly Kerr, have one daughter—Mia. Together, they enjoy playing tennis, golf and being outdoors. For more information about the Oklahoma Hall of Fame go to www.oklahomahof.com or on social media @oklahomahof Thanks for listening and as always please SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A REVIEW #thisisoklahoma Cheers, Mike

On this episode I sat with marketing director for the Myriad Gardens Leslie Spears. Leslie is awesome! She does so much for the gardens all year round. Every event you see. Every publication. All the beautiful things you see in the media about the gardens has hands on it. She was so much fun to sit with and learn about the gardens and all they do for downtown OKC. Her favorite event is the Cat Movie night where they play cat videos for about an hour over the big screen on the lawn. As well as the full moon bike ride around town. Definitely worth attending both. For all the information you need follow them on Instagram @myriadgardens https://oklahomacitybotanicalgardens.com SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW THE PODCAST! CHEERS!

On this episode I sit with Steven Cook of Cook Feed and Outdoors. A third generation feed businesses here in Oklahoma. Steven and his family are from Tuttle Oklahoma. His grandfather started the businesses and over the years himself and his father have grown it significantly. With two stores and a third on the way, Cook Feed & Outdoors is one of the leading suppliers of animal feed to the state of Oklahoma and surrounding areas. They supply the OKC Zoo with all their feed, Remmington Park racecourse and a bunch of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers. Follow them on Instagram for all your animal feed needs @cookfeedoutdoor / @therealstevencook and check out Steve's podcast "Chatter With Steve" Thanks for listening! Leave a REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE for more Oklahoma Stories. This episode was presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Sharing Oklahoma's Stories Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them online at www.oklahomahof.com and on Instagram @oklahomahof #THISISOKLAHOMA

On this episode myself and Jackson sit down to share some of our favorite cart barn stories. Definitely the best job for a golfer in the summer. As well as OSU Cowboy Viktor Hovlands first PGA Tour win, Peter Kostis laying into Patrick Reed and some other golfing info from the past week. Follow us @thisisoklahomagolf for more Oklahoma Golf news. Cheers, Mike & Jackson

On this episode I sit with Bobby Gruenewald. A Pastor and Innovation Leader at Life Church. He is also the founder of the YouVersion Bible App. One of the most downloaded Apps in the world. Bobby was one of the first people I reached out to for my podcast back in March 2018. After two years of following up we finally sat down to share his story. Extremely thankful to have 45mins with Bobby, I sensed we could have talked for hours about his fascinating encounters. But, this 45mins is filled with gems. Most know Bobby for creating the Bible App. YouVersion was one of the first 200 apps to be launched on the App Store. A huge accomplishment for Bobby and his team at Life Church. He handed the Pope Francis a gold iPhone with the app on it. There's a lot more to his story which I'm happy to bring to you today. As you'll learn from the interview, he's always pushing himself to improve everyday. A lover of innovation and people. Follow Bobby on Instagram @bobbygwald Thanks for listening, please SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW the podcast. #thisisoklahoma

On this episode myself and Heath sat down with Shawn for our 4th episode of our car segment called Random Car Guys. Shawn has a niche business here in OKC specializing in Subaru performance cars as well as your Nan's daily driver. Shawn grew up in Edmond around cars and inevitably opened up his own shop around what he loves, as you can guess. Its fast Subaru's. Follow Shawn on Instagram @misfiremotorsports for more information and to see his day to day work and definitely check out the youtube channel That Racing Channel where he and his shop race car was recently featured. Thanks for listening, go follow @randomcarguys on Instagram and please leave a review. Cheers, Mike & Heath

On this episode I sat down with Andrew Holder. I met Andrew about 4 years ago, we worked at Keller Williams Elite together for sometime. Andrew is still there working on the leadership side of the business now and not so much the realtor side. His story is pretty awesome so I won't spoil it too much for you. But he grew up in Alva, worked for the family business which is still there today. Learned how to fly like his father and grandfather, graduated from OCU and loves to serve the community. This episode is presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them online www.oklahomahof.com and on social media @oklahomahof Thanks for listening, please SUBSCRIBE and leave a review. #thisisoklahoma

On this episode of our golf series we dive into the history behind Lincoln Park GC. The legendary U.C. Ferguson and the many golfing heroes that have graced the land with their presence. Erik Anders Lang Video with Roger Maxwell - Sussie Maxwell's brother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-2P26km9vw Follow our separate golf Instagram page @thisisoklahomagolf and please subscribe and review the podcast. ITS HUGE FOR US! Mike, Blake & Trey

On this episode I sit down with Aaron founder of Superior Luxe Transportation. Aaron is serving in the US Navy Force but saw an opportunity to start his own business. After working for his friends traveling dance company he noticed that every major city he visited had a luxury travel company. They rented highly specced vans as they traveled around town. Vans that from the outside just look like blacked out buses but on the inside look like private jets. After trying to work one day from a local coffee shop and not being able to hear himself think. Aaron remembered how much work he'd been able to do while sat in his van. A mobile luxury office if you think of it. So being in OKC and working at Tinker he saw his opportunity and bought his first van. We recorded the podcast from the van and yes it does look like a private jet inside! Check their website out www.superiorluxellc.com for all the information you need and follow them on social media @superiorluxe Rent the van for business trips, game days, trips to Dallas. Whatever the need, they can cover it. Thanks for listening and as always please leave a review and SUBSCRIBE. Mike

On this episode I sit down with restaurant entrepreneur Hal Smith. Trying hard to find the words to describe how amazing this episode was. For me this was one of my favorite interviews. Hal has so many great stories. I think we just scratched the surface. He's a huge supporter of Oklahoma. Born in Ardmore now living in Norman. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2017 a moment that he said was one of the biggest achievements. Hal is still growing his concepts today, on average 8 stores a year. Both his children have a love of food and continue to work in the industry. His wife Sandy loves her golf and they try to play every Sunday afternoon. This episode is presented by The Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927. Follow them on Instagram @oklahomahof and online www.oklahomahof.org. Hal Smith Restaurants www.halsmith.com Charleston’s Restaurant Hefner Grill Hollie’s Flatiron Grill Louie’s Grill & Bar The Winston Neighborhood JA.M. Pub W Redrock Canyon Grill Mama Roja The Garage Burgers & Beer Smitty’s Garage Burgers & Beer Mahogany Prime Steakhouse Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill Upper Crust Wood Fired Pizza El Huevo Mexi-Diner Notorious P.I.E. Thanks for listening and please subscribe and leave a review. It means the world to hear your feedback. Cheers, Mike

On this episode I sit down with THE OSU GAME DAY HOST ( GO POKES ) the one and only Les Thomas Sr! Les has a fantastic story, one of ups and downs. Someone who has battled through life and come out a shining beacon of hope for the community. I won't spoil the story for you but Les drops a couple of exclusives on the podcasts. Stories he's never told before, like his rap name in middle school. Les is a humble guy, he's doing great things for his community and helping others in need. He'll tell you this himself, there's two things he's very good at, grilling out and drumming. A drummer from a young age, Les has some series skills on the drums and performed in many groups, he's played drums for artists coming to town and even at the Super Bowl! An incredible story you won't want to miss. Les thank you for your time and your service in the Airforce. Follow Les @lesthomas.sr This episode is presented by the Oklahoma Hall of Fame - Telling Oklahoma's Story Through Its People Since 1927 - Follow them @oklahomahof and online www.oklahomahof.org Follow us @thisisoklahoma and please leave a review and subscribe #thisisoklahoma

On this episode myself, Blake and Trey sit down to discuss the best five holes and worst five holes of our local OKC municipal golf courses. It was much harder than we thought! We briefly recap how our Oklahoma related tour pros did this past weekend but the majority of the episode of talking about our love and hate for some of the holes we played in college. Thanks for listening, for more Oklahoma Golf content follow us online @thisisoklahomagolf and please leave a review / subscribe to the podcast. Golf episodes released every Tuesday. Cheers, Mike, Blake & Trey.

On this episode I sat down with current President of the Midtown Rotary club Laura Nauman. Laura grew up here. She graduated from UCO and worked in the marketing space out of college. As someone who has always been connected with the arts, graphic design, music and arts education she naturally found her group at Midtown Rotary. A group of likeminded people who meet a couple of times a week at McNellies for a beer, some food and to raise money for local arts projects. Each week there's a guest speaker. I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak a few weeks back and it was a great experience. Midtown Rotary's BIGGEST fundraiser of the year is coming up and its an event you don't want to miss! Are you good at spelling? No? Doesn't matter, do you like great food, drinking local beer and raising money for a worthy cause? BOOM! Then the Spelling Bee(r) event on Friday Feb 21st at Tower Theatre is perfect for you! You can sign up online here https://okcmidtownrotary.org/spelling-beer/ Last year they raised $18,000 which provided musical instruments and art supplies to local schools. HELP RAISE MORE MONEY THIS YEAR! Thanks for listening, don't forget to leave a review and subscribe to the podcast for many more episodes to come. #thisisoklahoma

Episode 003 of our Random Car Guys automotive segment. Lou Renova known as 405_photo on Instagram has a pretty awesome story. His title is marketing and content creation for Farmtruck & AZN. Lou is a phenomenal automotive photographer. Most people who get involved in photography are given a camera from a young age and grow with it. Lou's experience is a little different. Working for the FNA team one day slinging T shirts at the race meets. AZN says "grab my camera and take photos" from that day the camera hasn't left his possession. If you follow him on social media @405_photo you will see how good he is. He's a car guy just like many of us, grew up around them and always liked being a part of the car scene. Cruising around town with all his mates, trying to find local street races and being a car guy. Fast forward to today, Lou has traveled the world creating content for Farmtruck and AZN's social media pages. Enjoy the story and follow Lou @405_photo For more automotive content for Oklahoma headover to @randomcarguys on Instagram and give us a follow. #thisisoklahoma Mike

NEW SERIES! As some of you will know, I have a huge passion for golf. It is the reason I am here today, the reason I met my wife. Everything in my life has revolved around golf in someway so naturally covering it in a podcast series was a no brainer. CAN'T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME THIS LONG! The goal for this golf series is for me to get together with a few of my friends every week. Talk about local golfing events, local players, course reviews, current events in the golf media and generally to have a good time. On this episode myself, Blake Jackson and Coach Tim Braaten ( Ex SNU college golf teammates ) sit down to introduce ourselves, our plans, tell some funny golf stories. We recap on the previous weeks golf tournaments around the world that Oklahoma golfers and Oklahoma related golfers (such as university players from out of state) are playing in. As well as what we think the best local muni course is in OKC. I hope you enjoy this series, I am really excited to cover this topic and to share more stories from my golfing adventures around the world. Follow us on social media @thisisoklahomagolf AND LEAVE A REVIEW :) #thisisoklahoma

On this episode I sat down with Alyssa Murphy from Siren Media. Alyssa started Siren Media in 2018 after being fired from her current job. Alyssa with the help of some friends created a freelance army to tackle projects. Alyssa has a passion for helping small businesses. She grew up in Edmond, her family have a small business Weathers Audio and Video. So she uses that to her advantage to relate to her clients. Growing up at the family business answering phones at age 12 and engaging with customers. She learned customer service, always having some form of a job in her youth. Alyssa collected and learned all these attributes to small business to which she uses today. Alyssa graduated from UCO and decided that she didn’t want to continue working in cosmetics as she did through college for MAC. So once she graduated her sister has this opportunity to come work as a social media manager for her art gallery. Sadly social media management wasn’t valued that much by other businesses so there was no opportunity to scale. However the sales jobs were very lucrative. So Alyssa went to work as a saleswoman for a corporate media company selling media outlets such as radio ads, marketing products. This first quote corporate job out of college went well but after a while started to feel grey and never ending. Eventually she left that job to go work for a marketing company in Norman. After sometime there she was offered a new position a t a marketing firm in Mustang, Oklahoma. Working with smaller businesses to improve their marketing. But after a few months she realized there was very little business improvement being sold. It was more about getting the business and not helping the client. So Alyssa left that job and started her own shop “Siren Media” her goal is to disrupt the culture of women in the workplace allowing or having their upbringing impact their business. She's now in her second full year of business And today is where we are now. This was such a blast learning about small business needs. Follow Alyssa on social media @sirenmediaokc AND LEAVE A REVIEW!! Cheers Mike

On this episode I sat down with Stacey Aldridge – director of marketing and communications of Scissortail Park in OKC. Stacey shared her story and talks about preparing for the Grand Opening of the park. The plans for 2020's events and the future of the park. Stacey grew up in Massachusetts moved to East Texas her junior year of high school. Went to Texas Women’s University studying fashion merchandise with minor in marketing got into retail and shopping center development leading to a job in malls, worked at quail springs in 97 then moved to work at the Chesapeake arena and JUMPED at the opportunity to work at the scissortail park. Stacey started 7 weeks before the Grand Opening. The event weekend was a huge success, lots of media requests. She spent her time in the photography pit during the concert. 28,000 people came through the gates and a couple thousand more including media, vendors and volunteers. After this Grand Opening the real work starts for the park. Bringing people to visit OKC. The park is another location that can pull more out of state travelers and instate travelers to town. This whole district in downtown is growing for the better. Currently the event schedule is growing for the warmer weather months, they do get food trucks in for the weekends. But due to the erratic nature of the weather it’s hard to plan certain outdoor events. Events will pick up in March / April. You can stay up to date on park on social media @scissortailpark or online at www.scissortailpark.org Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and share it with one of your friends. #thisisoklahoma

On this episode my wife Taryn joined me to interview sisters Emma & Addie Ryan. Owners of PLANT OKC in midtown OKC. If you have a social media, you watch the news or even have a Netflix account you borrow off your mates. You will have noticed that Plant based diets have been talked about a lot! So we thought what better idea than to interview the owners of OKC's most popular Plant based restaurant to find out their story. What a story it is. Emma was diagnosed with Cancer 9 years ago and after trying literally every possible option to cure her cancer she turned to a plant based diet. Go figure it worked! After Addie saw her recovery she tried it and her performance as a college athlete increased significantly. Now disclaimer here, everyone is different and not everyone will get the same results. However, myself and my wife eat 80-20 plant based meals and wow to do we feel better. So just give it a try. Eat more REAL FOOD and you'll be shocked at the difference in yourself. So not to ruin the whole story but 9 years later they have opened up their first restaurant. Emma has been a health coach and qualified chef for a long time and finally after lots of encouragement they opened PLANT OKC in August last year. This episode was so much fun! We laughed a ton and learned a ton about plant based food and how the girls make everything in house. If you're a first timer or want to try it please go to Plant OKC and ask for either Emma or Addie, they will tell you all you need to know and also there's a library of books there to read. You can get everything from a morning coffee and a bite to eat, a smoothie, lunch and dinner. Basically anything to fit your time of day! Try it out! Follow them here @plantokc Cheers, Mike #thisisoklahoma

On todays podcast I sat down with two past clients of mine. Josh and Katie Riley to talk about their new business RSP, Riley Sports Performance. Josh and Katie met in college where we all met as well. All of us are graduated of Southern Nazarene University. Josh is born and raised in San Diego with a love of baseball, football and basketball but naturally he was better at Baseball, which brought him to SNU. Katie grew up in Yukon and then went to SNU for athletic training. Both have always had a passion for sport. After graduating they moved away to New York to work in the corporate world. After two years in the big city working in the corporate world, not really spending as much time around athletics as they’d like, they decided to come back to Oklahoma. Shocking I know they chose Oklahoma over San Diego one would think! Once they returned they earned their fitness training certifications. Katie attended grad school and then they both worked at Gold’s Gym. Doing classes and building their client lists, building a community. After putting in the hours and building a community around fitness for all ages, shapes and sizes. The timing was perfect for them to grow into this new opportunity at ARC Athletic, Recovery and Rehabilitation with 12 classes a week. All hours of the day there is a class for your schedule. They have created a new class that’s not really seen in OKC. It’s an adult strength training class. So a whole lot more personal with multiple coaches attending each class. By creating it this way they can work with different people, different sizes, all levels of fitness from power lifters to the first timers wanting to get some weight off before their vacation. Even elderly people wanting to be more stable when they walk, being stronger is healthy and that doesn’t mean you’re going to be a body builder that means you’ll not hurt yourself when you bend over to pick that box up in your home. In short it’s a strength training class for all levels of fitness with multiple coaches there to make sure you are doing all the exercises correctly. Super excited for these two to be on this journey together for 2020. You are invited to their grand opening Feb 1st there’s an hour workout and one hour for recovery from 9-11am all the details are on their Facebook page. Coffee will be provided by whole shot coffee. GRAND OPENING LINK! https://www.facebook.com/events/616073282461015/ Classes through January are free! So come on down and check them out. https://www.rileysportsperformance.com Instagram @rileysportsperformance Thanks for listening and please leave me a review and 5* #thisisoklahoma Cheers

On this episode I sat down with Jaxon Uhles. Jaxon grew up in Norman and like every football players dream wanted to play at OU. He moved away to college but then returned and walked on at OU along side fellow walk on's that year. Probably the most notable was Baker Mayfield. Jaxon and Baker roomed together for their remaining years at OU. Jaxon talks about his time at OU, his first game when they beat Tennessee in double overtime away. The feeling of walking on the field in Norman and the support of the fans. While at college Jaxon needed a coffee table and after seeing the price of one at a local store he decided to build one himself. Soon other players wanted a coffee table and so his new business 44designco was launched. However, the NCAA wasn't too pleased with him using his number and any images of him playing for OU for marketing. So he slowed it down to comply with the NCAA regulations. He was just trying to make it through college and pay for his tuition. Fortunately for Jaxon the passion of woodworking never died off and he still does it today. He has found his niche in cutting boards. He can make them in bigger batches and pull more profit from the materials than he could if he was making coffee tables. Plus it takes him far less time to make a batch of cutting boards. Jaxon did this for a year out of college but the love of football kept tugging at him. He recently became one of the coaches at Deer Creek high school and his looking forward to coaching these kids through their high school careers but also in life. Jaxon is a part of OKC FCA the OKC chapter of the fellowship for christian athletes. Jaxon still makes cutting boards and they are brilliant! You can find them on his instagarm page @44designco Thanks for listening and be sure to leave us a review. We need it. #thisisoklahoma

On this episode I sat down with Justin Wren @thebigpigmy and Jordan Miller @iamjordanmiller to talk about their recent collaboration for FFTF. Justin has been on the podcast twice before (Ep 21 & 76) Talking about his foundation Fight For The Forgotten and his recent impact with #STANDWITHRAYDEN. Jordan has jumped on board at FFTF to bring his traveling assembly of musicians and creators to the masses. Jordan and his team at Generation Why travel across the country sharing their stories at school assemblies. Bringing hope to kids in school with the goal to stop teen suicides. This episode talks about how these guys have been impacting kids across the world and how they plan to act together to increase their reach. Big things coming from these two in 2020 super excited. Its a pleasure to have them on the podcast. Follow them here @thebigpigmy @iamjordanmiller @fightfortheforgotten @gnwy/co #thisisoklahoma Cheers, Mike

On this episode I sat down with Mr Guthrie. Heady Coleman. Heady is a motivational speaker, professional greeter, pastor, community builder and all round great human being. His sole purpose is to change lives and make peoples day! He writes more handwritten notes than anyone I have ever met and is definitely someone you should know and follow! His Instagram is @heady.coleman and you can find him at this months creative mornings greeting at the door or walking around his home town of Guthrie America. A town which he grew up in and is extremely proud to be a resident of. Follow us here @thisisoklahoma for more Oklahoma content and subscribe for more podcast videos to come on youtube and Facebook. #thisisoklahoma

On this episode I sit down with Eric Granado at the Central Exchange Building. Eric has ONLY been a photographer for a year! Crazy when you see his skills. Follow him on Instagram @eric.granado Eric was born in Oklahoma, went to school here and then moved away to Oregon. He really wanted to work for Nike. After multiple interviews with Nike, meeting a lot of Nike's top brass he was unsuccessful and decided to come home. Moving back to OKC fueled his passion for photography and here we are today. Eric started a really cool series around small businesses in OKC. After that slowed down he picked up a western theme and has now found his niche. Eric has worked with Stetson on there #stetsonstories and is continuing to perfect his craft and do incredible things with his camera to capture and share the stories of the people in the world of western culture, cowboys, ranchers, boot makers, all these interesting people. We will be featuring more of Eric's stories on our platforms in 2020. Its a perfect concept and ties in nicely with our 2020 theme of people. Enjoy this episode and please leave us a review and subscribe to our youtube channel to watch future episodes. ( link below ) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUb9wfhbrtok2FmpIAQ6Amg #thisisoklahoma

Episode 2 of our Automotive segment. Today we sit down with JD Terry a local home builder here in OKC to talk about his passion for cars. JD pulled up to the shop in his 1929 Ford then proceeded to take me for a spin in it around Edmond and WOW! You can see a photo of that car on his Instagram @okie_jd but sadly by the time we post this he has sold the car and now has some new toys to play with. JD talks about growing up around cars. Him and his Dad which he calls his best friend spent hours and hours working on cars and the stories and nothing but amazing. JD and his Dad have had many of their cars featured on magazine covers around the country. A true passion for old school cars. Thanks JD for taking the time to share your stories and no doubt this won't be the only episode we have with JD. Follow JD's business page too @loneoakhomes Thank you for listening and as always please leave a review and subscribe if you haven't already. Follow us on social media @thisisoklahoma / @randomcarguys / @ddrconcepts #thisisoklahoma

This is the first of our automotive segments for the new year. We've started a series around cars, trucks and anything with an engine. I have a huge passion for cars, so have decided with the help of my co host Heath Dean to start an automotive series to the podcast. You can follow this car segment on Instagram @randomcarguys I will post all Oklahoma car related episodes here but if you are a car nut! There will be more content coming to a new podcast called Random Car Guys soon. More in depth interviews and episodes about F1 races, car related Youtube channels etc. So if you're a car guy be sure to subscribe to Random Car Guys Podcast and follow @randomcarguys on Instagram. On this episode we sit down with local Ford Raptor legend and icon Mr Dustin Cowans also known as @snowyetiraptor on Instagram to talk about his insane Raptor build and his plans for the future with that truck. Dustin was born and raise in Stillwater. Grew up doing backroad country things like most kids growing up in the country. Trucks have always been present in his life and he's decided to come on the podcast to share some of what he's doing now. We've started a new page for the car show so please give that a follow @randomcarguys and look forward to many more episodes in 2020. Thanks for listening, please leave a review and subscribe if you haven't already. Follow us @thisisoklahoma and my co host @ddrconcepts #thisisoklahoma

It’s been far too long of a wait but I finally had my brother in law on the podcast. The guy I met in 2015 as a young college senior with questions about real estate. The guy who after some sarcasm from me about getting married to stay in the states replied with “ I have a sister in law that’s single, do you want to go on a double date?” Without this response I wouldn’t have met T. Wouldn’t have fallen in love and wouldn’t be here today with a brand centered around the love of Oklahoma. I think Chad just wanted a golfer in the family and offered me up to T with the hope that something might happen. To be fair to Chad, T had told him that he gets to choose her next boyfriend because she’d had some bad luck in the past. I’ll admit that sounds odd, however Chad is like a big brother to T. Chad started dating T’s sister Kendal when she was 8, so for 15 years Chad was pretty much family. Chad has been a great mentor to me in real estate, always someone to rely on and sets the example when it comes to being a father to his kids. Its funny, the girls will tell you we talk more than they do. Pretty much everyday there’s a call, text or DM fired off related to the most recent golf memes or current events. I’m extremely grateful for Chads friendship, mentorship and golf games on vacation. Thanks for offering your sister in law to me mate. Here’s to many more golf rounds in trips overseas in the future. Follow Chad here @chadmckamie #thisisoklahoma

On this episode I travelled to the capitol building to sit with Lt Gov Matt Pinnell. Matt Pinnell was elected as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Oklahoma on November 6th, 2018. In that role, he serves as President of the Oklahoma State Senate, and is a member of multiple constitutional boards and commissions. Lt. Governor Pinnell also serves as Secretary of Tourism and Branding on Governor Kevin Stitt’s cabinet. In his role as Secretary of Tourism and Branding, Pinnell oversees the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation and the state’s efforts to promote tourism, the third largest industry in Oklahoma. Pinnell is also leading the campaign to create a new brand for the State of Oklahoma. The OklaX branding effort has brought together a collection of the most creative minds in Oklahoma to create a new brand that will be unveiled in 2020. Pinnell also currently serves on the Department of Commerce executive committee focusing on small business growth and entrepreneurship. Pinnell has a background in entrepreneurship and is a small business owner with his wife, Lisa, who is an inventor and entrepreneur. Matt is a graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Advertising and lives in Tulsa with his wife and their 4 children who attend Jenks Public Schools. In short Matt is the lead salesman for Oklahoma to the rest of the world. His job is to bring tourists to our great state and we spoke about just that. Matt spends most of his days on the road traveling around our incredible state. I really enjoyed my time speaking with Lt Gov Pinnell and was very excited to hear the great things he's been working on for Oklahoma tourist. Tourism is our 3rd largest income source in the state and definitely needs more attention and marketing dollars. Lt Gov Matt Pinelle Podcast Minutes 3mins – growing up 5mins - ORU 7.15mins – 7.50 leadership on the radar 7.50-9mins – family 9mins-13.15 – Paris and travel route 66 promotion 13.15 – graduate university advertising 15mins social media in politics 16mins time in DC 17.20mins - public transportation in Oklahoma 18.30 –NE Oklahoma high school football and band 19.43mins-23mins – OKC v Tulsa 23.20mins- coming back from DC 24mins running the national party 25mins – always travelling 26mins – selling Oklahoma to other states and countries 29mins – going to Taiwan to sell Oklahoma 30mins – Czech Republic for route 66 convention 31.31mins – traveling the state 33mins – travel ok roadtrip – Oklahoma Ambassadors 34.20mins – Underrated events around the state 35.30mins – college towns 37mins – landrun100 38mins – Tulsa tough and Iron man Tulsa 39.43mins – bmx facility 40mins – 2019 atv takeover at little sahara 41mins – 2020 plans 43mins – instagram links 43mins – travel ok website free brochure Follow Matt here @ltgovpinnell Thanks for listening and as always please leave us a review, tell a friend or submit a story to us via email [email protected] Cheers, Mike

On this episode myself and Gann sat down with elite crossfire athlete Brooke Wells. Brooke burst onto the scene when she qualified for her first crossfire games at the age of 19. Fast forward to today and she's competed in 5 crossfire games. Brooke is the 2nd fittest woman in the nation and 11th fittest in the world! Let that sink in for a minute. She's an athlete! Brooke spent her high school years at Jenks in Tulsa and after graduating university with a business degree from Mizzou moved to Tulsa. Tulsa felt like home so it was the natural choice, a lot of Brooke's friends are here in Tulsa, she has a great gym there ( Crossfot T-Town ) so it all made sense. A year and a half has passed since Brooke graduated and has been able to commit her entire life to perfecting her craft. We had a blast talking to Brooke and hearing her share some of her best moments in crossfit and why she loves living in Tulsa. We can't thank Brooke enough for taking the time out of her day to record with us. Brooke doesn't do many podcasts which makes us even more grateful for her time. Below are the show notes, thank you to everyone that submitted a question for Brooke. We wish her all the best for 2020 and a healthy and successful crossfit career. Thanks for coming on Brooke! Follow Brooke here @brookewellss Follow Gann here @johngann Follow us here @thisisoklahoma If you like this episode please leave a review. It means the world to us. #thisisoklahoma Minutes: 1min – Why Tulsa / Why Oklahoma 3mins - NoBull video / Trip to Austria 4mins – Travel / Diet 5mins – Best Place You’ve Been to 7mins – Pre / Post Workout Routine 9mins – Cheat Meals 11mins – Being a Role Model 13mins – Young Women In Crossfit 15mins – Being Done With School 18mins – Gymnastics / Track 19mins – Mentally Tough 20mins – Sibling Competition 22mins – NoBull Video 24mins – Coffee Shop / Alec 25mins – Crossfit and Family 27mins – Sister Competition 28mins – PR’s 29mins – Typical Recovery Day 31mins – Sleep & Nutrition 35mins – Hardest Workout 36mins – Changes in Crossfit Games 38mins – Pre Games Routine 41mins – Training Partners 44mins – Favorite and Least Favorite movement 47mins – Mental Discipline 48mins – First Open Workout 53mins – Fan Questions 55mins – Plant Based and Vegan 58mins – Future living in Tulsa 60mins – Brooke’s Heros 62mins – Life After Crossfit 64mins – Faith

On this episode I sat down with Rep Cyndi Munson to talk a little about Oklahoma politics but mostly about her story, how she got into politics and how life in the house is in 2019. Munson became the first Asian-American woman elected to the Oklahoma Legislature. She has concentrated her legislative efforts on providing equal pay for equal work, strengthening the rights of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, assisting Oklahoma’s veterans, and working to make life easier for our loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Originally from Lawton, Cyndi developed her passion for public service at an early age. Her father’s military service taught Cyndi and her sister, Sandra, the importance of giving back. A first generation college student, Cyndi graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she earned a Master of Science in Leadership Education. Cyndi also spent a semester of her college experience studying at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Before her election to the Legislature, Cyndi spent a decade working and volunteering in Oklahoma City’s non-profit community. In her most recent work with Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, she provided leadership programs for thousands of girls in low-income schools, juvenile detention centers, and public housing. Cyndi is a member of Leadership Oklahoma Class 31 and an alumni member of Leadership Oklahoma City’s LOYAL Class VIII. She serves on the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, is a member of the Oklahoma Messages Project Board of Directors, and is the past chair of the Infant Crisis Services Young Professionals Group. Thanks for listening, follow Cyndi on Instagram here @cyndimunson Please leave a review, if you liked this episode I'd love to hear your thoughts. Cheers, Mike

On this episode I sat down with Christine Berney. Christine has worked with the thunder for 10 years. Since the organization came to town. We chatted all about what the Thunder does off the court for the community. All the thunder courts around the state, the events for children and many other events they organize to give back in anyway they can. It was really cool to hear everything the OKC Thunder Cares Foundation does. I know you've seen something related to the Thunder but to truly dive into it all was an honor. After all it is Oklahomans who run the foundation and naturally we are caring people. Christine was a blast to talk to and definitely someone who you should all connect with. Please follow them on Instagram @thundercares The work they do is second to non and it makes a huge impact in our community all year round. Thanks for listening and please leave us a review. Cheers, Mike #thisisoklahoma