CasedGod By Anna Ervin HERBAGE MAGAZINE
“I’ve never been to college,” he explained. “I’ve never had any formal marketing training so everything I have and I’m able to do, I give all the glory to God. I used to stick needles in my arm and go hang out at a skate park. Never in my dreams would I think, ‘I’m gonna go shoot 50 cent tomorrow.’ Like that’s what I get to do.”
Have you ever met someone with such an incredible attitude, that the more you get to know them the more you want to know them? The first time I worked with OKC photographer Jeff Hooten II, better known as CasedGod, I knew he was going to be one of those people.
His journey to becoming one of OKC’s best known event and cannabis photographers hasn’t always been easy, though. When Jeff first moved to Oklahoma, he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing in the cannabis industry. “At that time,” he told me, “the cannabis industry didn’t have such a social media presence as it does now. So I feel like I kind of had to Jeff is the type of person who greets you with a smile and a carve my own path in that regard.” warm hug every time you meet, and never shies away from the opportunity to add a little light and color to someone’s Working at a local dispensary, Jeff began taking the opporworld. However, his desire to make the world a more com- tunity to ask vendors to let him highlight their business or passionate place was born out of his own struggles with opi- products free of charge. “For a good 6 months,” he explained, oid addiction. At the age of 19, Jeff overdosed on heroin for “I did a bunch of work for free, just kind of proving myself. the second time in his life.” And it was the best time in my life. I got to meet all the best processors, growers, chefs, cultivators, and extractors in the “The first time,” Jeff began explaining, one Thursday after- industry.” noon over pizza, “I was revived with Narcan. But the second time, I just woke up. And when I woke up, I didn’t have the “What it eventually did is it made a network for myself that, same urges or desires anymore. I just had the desire to help wherever I went, I had really really great relationships.” people and I didn’t know where to place it.” This work ethic and dedication to his craft grabbed the attention of his current employer. “The boss had told me that While attending a leadership academy in Arkansas, Jeff fell he had been watching my Instagram for 6 months. His exinto the film track, learning to operate a camera and edit vid- act words were, ‘I love the way that you show people. I love eos, among other things. “I was home,” he recalled. “It was the way that you highlight people’s businesses. I want you to like picking up a drug again. I picked up a camera and there work for my team.” was nothing better than that.” “With 1440,” he continued, “I’m representing some of the “Addiction kind of isolates you as a person,” Jeff continued, best brands in the nation. I’m actually going to get to travel “so you see the world through a different lens, or different around the country and film for Viola’s cultivation tours. I’m perception. Because of that, I feel like I can see pictures be- excited about that.” fore they happen, and time myself to be perfectly positioned to capture people in a light they may not typically get to see Backtracking to his remark about the valuable relationships themselves in.” he had created through his work in the industry, I asked Jeff if he had received any noteworthy advice or inspiration from “With my camera work all I want to do is inspire people to his community. He left me with this: be the better versions of themselves. There was one point in time when someone showed me a picture of me, I was like, “Keep your head down and keep grinding. Don’t pay atten‘woah. That’s me?’ In that moment I had instilled confidence, tion to the attention, because when you focus on anything I had hope, I had faith. And I just continued to build off of but your work, you’re losing time. As hard as you can work, that.” while you can work, do that. I had invited Jeff to meet me in the Plaza in OKC to give him “Don’t pay attention to people who are going to be negative. an opportunity to tell his story. Being the driven guy that he When you are succeeding, when you’re continuing to rise, is, he showed up with all of his equipment and gear, ready to you will be tested at every level, and if you’re not then you’re shoot. After reminding him that we were just there to chat not truly making any progress. about the things going on in his world, he laughed and admitted he’d been a little overbooked lately. Jeff is currently “Any progress is forward progress. Pay attention to your mithe CMO for 1440 Processing, on top of managing a photog- cro wins and macro wins. Even the tiniest little bit of prography business that takes him all over the state. ress is something to be completely celebrated. “The reason why I call myself CasedGod,” Jeff began when I asked about his brand name, “is that throughout my time in sobriety, I used cannabis and my faith to get through that. The bible talks about when you ask Jesus to come into your heart and transform your life, he comes and lives inside of you and works outwardly through you. It’s like a Cased God, or Encased God.” 22 22
“When you’re going through trials, don’t get yourself down on it. Don’t focus purely on what the negative thing is, because at that point you’re giving your attention to it, and when you give your attention you give your energy, and the universe moves with energy. “Get yourself out of the hole and continue to have a positive mindset and you’ll produce positive things. That’s the only reason why things have turned up for me through those tests & trials.”
