Mike Koehler - Founder of Smirk New Media, OKC's original Digital Marketing Agency, digital marketing evangelist and social media guru. He shares tips for each venue and how his company invests in their community.
Conversations Around Good - Brittany Timmons Guthrie Chamber of Commerce
Brittany Timmons, President & CEO of the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce, shares how the they are working hard during the pandemic to promote business and community involvement. How working together is more important than ever, and the wins they have seen during these difficult times.
Conversations Around Good - Corey White
This episode, unlike the others, is focused on an individual. How one man chooses to give back to his community. Corey White, partner and senior vice president at Future Point of View, is passionate about the causes criminal justice reform; social equality; and mental health awareness. He serves on the board at Oklahoma Messages Project, which helps to connect children with their incarcerated parents. He is a founding member of the young professionals board at A Chance to Change, a mental health and addiction recovery center. He is also a contributing member of Stronger Together, which is devoted to racial reconciliation, as well as a member of Salt and Light Leadership Training, which connects Christian leaders in different spheres of influence to make a difference in the Oklahoma City area.
Conversations Around Good Other Options with Mary Arbuckle & Jim Everette
This week’s Conversation Around Good podcast you will hear how one man’s life was forever changed when he contracted HIV and syphilis while providing CPR. How one woman’s vision to help those living with AIDs has impacted thousands of lives all over the country. Join Mary Arbuckle, Executive Director of Other Options and Jim Everette, their Pantry Manager for true stories of Good.
Conversation Around Good Mike Hearne
Tune in to hear about how a Welsh golfer turns into one of Oklahoma’s most fervent champions. Mike Hearne (realtor and This is Oklahoma podcast host) has such a unique story and an equally unique heart for others.
Conversation Around Good Aly Cunningham & Linda Lee
Aly Cunningham, #CommunityMinded entrepreneur & Co owner of Happy Plate Concepts (where people come before profit), and Linda Lee, (Aly’s very own Mr. Miyagi) lifetime foodie and lover of everything OK, talk about mentorships. How they happen organically, and how sometimes, the roles are reversed.
Conversation Around Good Kevin Craft
Thank you for joining us for another episode of our podcast where we have conversations around good with community minded people. Today we sit down with Kevin Craft. Kevin is a husband, father & entrepreneur. You can find Kevin most days either in his State Farm Insurance Agency or in his community giving back.
Conversation Around Good Chelsea Banks & Ginger Casper from Workflow
Thank you for joining us for another Conversation Around Good. We hope these conversations inspire you to being a part of the good happening around the world. In this episode Tracy Zserdin sits down with the ladies behind Workflow Chelsea and Ginger. Learn more about the ladies at this link: https://workflowokc.com/about/
Find us on your favorite podcast app here.
Conversation Around Good KODA OKC Jared Muse & Ignacio Velasco
Conversations Around Good - Trilogy Purchasing Alliance with Maggie Clark
Our host Tracy Zserdin sits down with entrepreneur Maggie Clark of Trilogy Purchasing Alliance. Hear how she helps lead the local Rotary Club and how they gave 275 gallons of hand sanitizer from Prairie Wolf Distillery to first responders.
Conversations Around Good - Rick's Fine Chocolates and Coffees owner Stacy Staton
Such a joy to bring you this episode. Hear how Stacy Staton, founder and owner of Rick’s Fine Chocolates and Coffees gives back so generously to her community to the tune of 68 donations.
Female Entrepreneurs Leading the Way
Co-working spaces aren’t a new concept. One owned by and exclusively for women is The Treasury. It was born out of a need for women to connect and be productive, together. It’s a place where women focus on themselves and their work; legitimize their businesses with a downtown mailing address; and have a snazzy spot to meet clients. But, they also want to be the place where women can leave all their stress at the end of the day, and go home renewed.
They also host excellent events! I recently attended She Started It where four female founders:
Sarah Sears - S Design
Aly Cunningham - Happy Plate Concepts
Trenesha Simpkins - I Love Realty
Micah Abbananto - Micah Abbananto Designs
shared their struggles, offered encouragement, and answered audience questions. They spoke of their fears and failures, successes and struggles. How they had to choose “fake it til you make it”. Micah Abbananto spoke of how, in the beginning, she often used her own furniture to stage homes, and how her business was born out of a necessity to survive. Trenesha Simpkins said that it was her husband who pushed her to make the change. No matter how they started, they have all succeeded, and we applaud them!
The founders also talked about the different ways to measure success. Sarah Sears, brand guru, said that having the ability to spend more time with her family is a huge benefit. Aly Cunningham spoke of how she has a team member who was previously incarcerated and is now a partial owner in one of the restaurants. However you define success, each of these women would exceed that standard.
Thank you to Hannah Schmitt, female founder of The Treasury, for hosting these types of events and being our trail guide.
Now click and dance yourself out.
"Women are the most extraordinary force in the world.” - Annie Lennox
Conversations Around Good - Macey Barber of Atlink Services
Macey Barber is the Marketing Manager at AtLink Services. Hear how they are committed to their communities by supporting education, and youth sports and community events.
Conversations Around Good - Ben Knockles Common Place Books
We can only describe this podcast as really deep truth. Our guest Ben Knockles took us to school today. The school of seeing others. Slowing down, seeing others, caring for the homeless. These are just a few things that Ben Knockles of Common Place Books shares in this episode. How simple it is to solve the homeless problem one person at a time. You do not want to miss this one.
Conversations Around Good - Traci Walton & Brittany Melton
We sit down with the fine ladies of Plenty Mercantile, Traci Walton and Brittney Matlock. Hear how they chose their downtown OKC location, how they are pivoting during Covid and how they choose to give back to their community through organizations like Water4, 405 Center, and Creative Mornings.
Conversation Around Good Episode 1 - Hannah Schmitt, Les Thomas, Garry Mize, John Bobb-Semple, Andrea Fillmore
We are excited to be kicking off our Conversation Around Good with #communityminded businesses and individuals who believe that doing good is something we need to make loud.
Our first episode is with:
We are making doing good loud.
Garry Mize - Doing good matters
Garry Mize joins our podcast host Tracy Zserdin to talk all things community. Garry is an entrepreneur and State Rep in the great state of Oklahoma. He is married and has 3 gorgeous kiddos. This episode is worth listening in on.
Conversations Around Good Hannah Schmitt
Tracy Zserdin talks with Hannah Schmitt, co-owner of the all female co-working space The Treasury in Oklahoma City, about her story, being community-minded, motherhood and the why behind starting The Treasury.
Long Hair Repair: From a Borrowed Bike and Borrowed Tools to Small Business of The Year
If you have a chance to have breakfast with James “Long Hair” Gallant, do so. You will never forget him. Long Hair and I had coffee a week back to connect and visit about his past and his future. Long Hair runs a remodel and repair business that is thriving in and around Guthrie, Oklahoma. He has long hair, a full beard, quick wit , remodel skills and an amazing story. The name of his thriving business is, Long Hair Repair. Take a few minutes to check it out. I promise you, his story (and language) is colorful, interesting and inspirational.
Good morning, Long Hair. First of all, let’s start with the name of your business, Long Hair repair. It’s interesting for a home remodel and repair business. How did you come up with the name?
Hell, I didn’t. Von Coburn and Patricia Cornforth [both Guthrie based realtors] made me start my business. Von said, ‘you’re starting a business, what are you going to call it?’ I didn’t even know I had a business to start, let alone have a name for it.
I thought for a minute and said, well, everyone I work for says, ‘get that guy with the long hair to do it.’ Von said, ‘That’s it! Long Hair Repair! I’ll get your business cards printed.’ My sister made the logo. Then Von printed the cards.
“Then, they kicked me in the ass and said, ‘you need to start a business.’”
Let’s do a flashback, Long Hair. How did you make your way to Guthrie, America and end up running Guthrie’s Small Business of the Year?
In 2006 I was working as a hotel maintenance man in Canada on Prince Edward Albert Island. My Mom had a stroke so I came to Guthrie, Oklahoma to help her and my sister.
Did you start your business as soon as you arrived in Guthrie?
Hell no! I didn’t even have a car.
So, how did you start Long Hair Repair?
I was offered a free place to stay in a house on 1st Street. It was free but I had to remodel it. So I did that. But, it didn’t pay me cash. I needed cash to live, you know? So I borrowed my Step-Dad’s bike and some of his tools and went door-to-door.
Would you explain what going “door-to-door” looked like?
Well, I just rode around Guthrie on my borrowed bicycle with borrowed tools and looked at houses. I saw stuff that needed fixing. I’d knock on the door and tell ‘em I could fix anything, sheetrock; doors; windows; downspout; fence picket; lawnwork; painting; whatever. They’d ask me, ‘how much?’ I’d say, whatever you think is fair.
I’d do the work and they always paid me fair.
What happened next?
I met Patricia. She was the cog, the main cog that got me started with my own business.
How so?
I was remodeling the house I was living in, remember?
Patricia Cornforth is a realtor and she came by to look at the house. It looked good! And she asked, ‘what company did the remodel?’ I told her, ‘hell, I did it.’ That’s when she started referring me to her clients that needed work done. Then I met Von Coburn and she started doing the same thing.
Then, they kicked me in the ass and said, ‘you need to start a business.’
You went from a bicycle and borrowed tools to a full crew, multiple trucks and now, Guthrie’s Small Business of the Year. How do you feel?
First of all, it’s not really me. That happened because so many people helped me along the way. Von and Patricia helped me get work. Larry, my main man, has been with me from day one. Larry knows how to do everything. Brenda Welch does the books and keeps the business in order. I do work for James Long and he refers people too.
There are just so many people I’m thankful for. I’ve done so much work for so many people in Guthrie. Without everyone I wouldn’t even have a business.
But, you do. Congratulations! What surprised you most during your first couple years as a business owner?
All the work it takes to just run a business. Me and my crew can fix anything. But, running a business, the paperwork was just crazy. Without Brenda Welch, I’d be lost.
What are the keys to success as a business owner, Long Hair?
Honesty and hard work. At every job we do I ask myself, ‘would I want to pay for this work?’ If I’m not happy with it, why would I expect someone to pay me? My people are the key. Everyone that helps run the business and helped get it going.
You give back to the community. You donate time and labor to Neighborhood Solutions, Kiwanis, the local schools. You hire people that need a second chance. You’re a small business, why do you give back?
I came to Guthrie and no one judged me, so many people gave me a chance. I just want to help other people in the community. So, anything I can do to help is my way of saying. ‘thank you.’
This could all go away, my business could all go away if it weren’t for people in our great community.
You also throw one heck of a Christmas Party.
It’s a big one for sure. It started out as an employee party and it’s just grown. Really, the party is a celebration of the community we serve. Again, without the people in this community giving me a chance, I would have nothing. The party is just my way of bringing all kinds of people together to say, ‘thank you’ to all the businesses who support us.
What advice would you give to others as they start or manage their business?
Be yourself. Be honest with yourself and to others. Also, don’t let others’ judgement get in the way of doing your thing. There are always critics. Learn from them but don’t let them control you. And, do quality work. Whatever you do, learn to do it well.
Thank you Long Hair. Congratulations. You’ve come a long way, we’re proud of you and grateful for the work you’ve done.
Hell, I’m more surprised than anyone. I’m thankful to everyone that has believed in me along the way. Thank you.
About Made Possible By
Made Possible By is the new way community minded companies manage and share their grant, sponsorship and charitable gift requests. Made Possible By is reinventing the community investment process for companies with an easy to use, online toolset that saves them time and money and helps them earn community and customer trust. Learn more at our website or blog.
