October/November 2023

THE FUTURE OF OKLAHOMA'S SPORTS MEDIA

OKC's top culture executives explain how to grow culture & increase employee engagement.

DATA DIVE: ISSUES FACING OKLAHOMA BUSINESSES

INSPIRING

ROSE STATE PRESIDENT JEANNIE WEBB

Events so stunning, they belong in a museum.

(Or even above it.)

BOOK YOUR NEXT EVENT WITH US. VISIT OKCMOA.COM/PRIVATE-EVENTS FOR SPACES, PRICING, AND MORE.

Building a Better Culture

How does a company create a positive work culture to engage and retain employees?

top CEOs, Chief Culture Officers and HR executives explain how.

More than 300 attendees celebrated the launch of 405 Business Magazine's inaugural issue of The Metro's Most Influential.

BC CLARK

12 Insight Culture is King.

14 My Daily Media Diet with Douglas Sorocco, Dunlap Codding senior director and shareholder.

with Victor Flores, Oklahoma Tribal Finance Consortium president and Redw principal.

SWEAT EQUITY

EXIT STRATEGY

50 Inspirations

What inspires Rose State President Jeanie Webb?

54 On Topic

do you want

PRESIDENT & CEO Jordan Regas jordan.regas@405magazine.com

FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN

Rod Whitson rod.whitson@405business.com

PUBLISHER

Kendall Morgan Hammack kendall.morgan@405magazine.com

VICE PRESIDENT

Kaley Regas kaley@hilltopmediagroup.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kayte Spillman kayte@405business.com

ART DIRECTOR

Cadence Ramos cadence.ramos@405magazine.com

COPY EDITOR

Evan Musil evan.musil@405magazine.com

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Meagan Matthews meagan@hilltopmediagroup.com

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Jennifer Cote production@405magazine.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Charlie Neuenschwander, Logan Walcher

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Emily Grant

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Drew Smith drew.smith@405magazine.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Vanda Holland vanda@405business.com

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL

Kiara Francisco kiara@ihlltopmediagroup.com

Employing the Whole Person

WHEN I WAS a kid fresh out of college, I landed a true dream job at a city magazine just a little north of the 405 in Tulsa. I loved every minute and everything about that job, and I worked the hours to show for it. But it didn’t matter: I was at the stage of life when work could be my life, and my life could be my work.

Fast forward more years than I can believe, and now my work-life balance has to look a lot different. I’ve got kids, carpools and a whole slew of other people to consider every day. My priorities have shifted, just like the employees at more than 50% of Oklahoma companies that now offer remote work positions to meet the flex-time demands of a post-COVID workforce.

So many employers, thanks to an abundance of reasons like the Great Resignation and a tightened job market, are turning their attention to growing a positive company culture. The leaders in this group push authenticity and transparency — along with a good dose of humility about what they can do better — in order to accurately assess their culture. In our cover story, Building a Better Culture, we wanted to ask these leaders what makes a good culture and see if we could glean advice for how other companies can grow their culture, too.

I had the privilege to talk with so many smart, passionate, intentional business leaders from a lot of Oklahoma's biggest and well-known companies for this story. These men and women dedicate their professional lives to helping the culture of their business match the mission and vision of its leaders. They care about the whole employee, and they want to build companies that help these employees become the best version of themselves, both in the office and out. It was inspiring to hear Simple Modern Chief Culture Officer (and our cover star) Jonathan Kuhlman talk about knowing culture was an important cornerstone of the company even before the company was formed. Or hearing Phase 2 CEO Heath Clinton talk about the importance of trust when his team of 67 employees all work remotely in 10 states.

The bottom line is that work looks different than it did when my parents were younger, or goodness, even when I was younger. But people are the same. Companies are realizing that they actually employ the whole person, not just the parts they see behind the keyboard. And, for that, we’re all better.

Kayte Spillman EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bob Funk Express Employment Professionals, co-founder & president

"For a leader to say he or she is above someone else, it just doesn't work in managing people. It’s only if the leadership feels like they're humble enough to be able to be criticized and to listen to what the other person's issue might be, and then try to solve the issue for them."

Jenny Love Meyer Love's Travel Stops, Chief Culture Officer

"Listen to your employees. Hear them. What do they want? What's important to them? What are their problems? Have simple conversations. Show them that you care. Then use what they are saying to grow your culture and the strategy behind it."

While interviewing, we heard:

2023 Innovator Awards Networking Reception

THE 405 BUSINESS 2023 Innovator Awards Networking Reception, presented by BancFirst, recognized and celebrated nearly 20 companies and dozens of individuals for all they are doing for innovation in Oklahoma.

The gathering, held in the BancFirst tower at the Petroleum Club, featured nearly 100 attendees of both this year’s Innovators, along with those recognized in the first class of innovators in 2022.

PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY D

BancFirst President John Slay gives remarks during the awards presentation.

Cortado Venture’s J.D. Baker, Susan Moring, Nathaniel Harding, Cody Merrill, Deborah Moorad, Mike Moradi and David Woods.

Blu Hulsey, Continental Resources senior vice president, 405 Business Magazine Publisher Kendall Morgan Hammack and Harold Hamm, Continental Resources founder and executive chairman.

2023 Innovator of the Year Sharina Perry with Rod Whitson, 405 Business founder and chairman.

Wheeler Home’s Ashley Terry, Miranda Kitchen, Josh Kitchen, Lauren French, Greg McAlister, and Robin McAlister. Wheeler Home received the 2023 Real Estate Innovator of the Year award.

405 Business Publisher Kendall Morgan Hammack with 2023 Innovation Advocate of the Year Katy Boren

Front row: Dr. Jamie Polk, Traci McDaniel, Dr. Melani Mouse, Sandy Brown, Sara Lynn Sadorra. Back row: Dr. Peter Liesenfeld, Dr. Sean McDaniel, Brad Herzer, Jason Brown, Courtney Scott.

Back: Val Vacek, Ashley Eberhardt, Ahmad M. Khaimi, Zakariya Khaimi, Ahmad O. Khaimi and Dr. Mahmoud Khaimi. Front: Maryam Khaimi, Noor Khaimi, Suzan Khaimi, Hamza Khaimi

Ray and Amy Walton with Jason Baffrey. Amy was the Innovation Advocate of the Year for the inaugural class of innovators in 2022.

Lumata Heath Matt Wills with his award for 2023 Technology Innovator of the Year. JackBe Grocery’s Alex Ruhter and Jennifer Neef with BancFirst’s Ryan Featherstone.

START UP

Flipping Funding

For decades, media outlets have struggled to remain profitable. A new media outlet, Sellout Crowd, looks to monetize reporters and change the funding structure of media. Better pay for the people creating content is the first step, the second just might be changing the way sports media is structured in the future. p.22

Culture is King

In 2023, creating a thriving company culture is more challenging than ever.

BY MATT STANSBERRY

IN MANY INDUSTRIES, it’s become exceedingly difficult to attract and retain talent in order to create the sustainable cultures our businesses require to be successful. The effects of the pandemic are still lingering, and many businesses continue to operate in survival mode. We’re still trying to make adjustments and figure things out. The word for 2020 quickly became “uncertainty” (well, that, and “unprecedented,” which got old fast). In my opinion, uncertainty has continued as a primary theme. A 2020 McKinsey survey found 80% of executives were considering or already implementing changes in meeting structure and cadence in response to the evolution in how people work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re still in the thick of it, and I’m not sure we’ve learned our lesson(s) yet. Many of us are still running a little scared and holding on dearly to some old ways. Maybe it’s time we leave some old practices behind in exchange for newer and better ways of doing things. As leaders, we must embrace Steve Job’s famous campaign headline from 1997 and challenge ourselves to “think different.”

Changing the way we think requires action.

The majority of the U.S. workforce (65%) is not engaged, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report. These disengaged employees are indifferent and neither like nor dislike their job, while the behaviors of highly engaged employees result in a 23% positive difference in profitability.

I see a lot of business owners experience concern that their teams just aren’t engaged and ultimately aren’t delivering – regardless of remote, hybrid or in-person working environments. It’s not our employees’ fault that they aren’t engaged, it’s ours. In one study, 33% of professionals cited boredom and needing new challenges as a primary motivating factor for seeking a new job. It’s up to us to create a successful atmosphere that drives both purpose and impact.

I’ve got a pretty simple theory when it comes to your people: Whoever has the best team will produce the best work. Clients and customers will always be important, they are the lifeblood to our companies and who we exist to serve. But if we’re being honest, in most cases, they will come and go. If your culture is right, your team will stay longer than your average client will. Here are some ways I believe you can best invest in how your organization serves its employees.

Let go.

It’s time to start focusing on outcomes or other metrics that aren't strictly time bound. You can tell talented people what to do, but at some point, you have to leave the appropriate amount of room for them to show you how it should be done. Micromanaging is a huge motivation killer. It’s difficult, but if you get the atmosphere right and have the right people in place, you can take a step back and watch some magic happen.

Inspire purpose.

Instill a greater sense of purpose with your team. If you’re in aviation or aerospace, what’s more inspiring than soaring above the clouds or exploring space? If you’re in energy, what’s more important than keeping society up and running? As my dad says, “Nothing moves without energy.” Regardless of what you provide, identify your higher calling and remind your team of the bigger vision you’re calling them into.

Live your values.

These are more than just words — or at least they should be. Values should find a way to actively show up regularly in your organization. You and your team should know them so they can live them. It’s sad to point out, but one of Enron’s values was “integrity.” That’s what happens when values are just words on your office walls. It’s up to us as business leaders to make them matter in our organizations.

Create an employer brand.

This one is uber specific. Take time to get your employer brand right and cultivate how it speaks to future talent. Many organizations don’t even know why working for them is better or different from working with a competitor. Understand why someone would want to come to work with you (notice I didn’t say “for you.” Words matter, and business is a team sport). Make sure this is branded in a way that resonates with both current and future talent. Truly understanding what it’s like to be part of your team can be a game changer in your recruitment efforts.

Your employees should be your primary stakeholder. Nothing gets done without them. Clients aren’t served, money isn’t made and dreams and goals simply aren’t met without your employees. We’re living in a new era. This new era is giving more “power to the people,” and I’m here for it.

Matt Stansberry founder and CEO of Nominee Design, a strategic brand studio in OKC

Source: 2020 McKinsey survey, Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report

It's time to address culture.

of professionals are bored, leading them to seek new jobs. 30%

of the U.S. workforce is not engaged. 65%

average company increase in profitability with engaged employees 23%

My Daily Media Diet

Douglas Sorocco, Dunlap Codding senior director and shareholder, talks about his love of vinyl, Reddit subthreads and why he wants to show you pictures of a skunk on a kayak going over a waterfall.

What newsletter always gets clicked open?

The first newsletter I read daily is TLDR (Too Long, Didn't Read). TLDR comprises several newsletters, each providing summaries and links to unique articles and news items dealing with technology, startup and founder issues. I'm also a crusading do-gooder, so the Stanford Social Innovation Review is always a great starting point for expanding my mind. The Atlantic Magazine Daily newsletter always has important nuggets of commentary and insight about our world, with writers that consistently challenge my biases and truisms. My favorite all-around "interesting reads" newsletter would be British commentator Andrew Sullivan. I am addicted to his weekly "View from Your Window" contest, where a reader submits a view out their window, and the challenge is to figure out where the picture was taken. I'm always amazed at my fellow readers' ability to find answers using algorithms, visual clues and pure luck.

Is there any other media you consume that we’ve missed?

I'm absorbing everything I can on AI and Large Language Models like ChatGPT. As all attest, the technology is revolutionary, and as a subscriber to ChatGPT, I view it as the cheapest expert I will ever have. Understanding how to use this technology appropriately within my legal practice will likely be the overarching technology issue I will face before I retire. The technology can democratize the law and broaden our community's access to justice. I hope to see the technology developed equitably, understanding its power to change lives in all communities. I highly encourage everyone to check out the AI image generator "Midjourney" – the imagery you can create simply by requesting it to "provide me an image of a skunk on a kayak going over a waterfall" is entirely mesmerizing.

What podcast do we need to be listening to?

Where do you get your news first?

I turn to the Washington Post and New York Times for national news and The Oklahoman when local information breaks, especially Steve Lackemeyer for stories dealing with downtown Oklahoma City.

What app do you open first in the morning?

I'm a political junky, and my guilty pleasure first thing in the morning is the r/politics subreddit on Reddit. Redditors post articles from various diverse sources, and I can sort by "new" and catch up on what's happening politically very quickly. I also venture out to other subreddits like r/vinyl or r/vintageaudio to feed my vinyl record and vintage audio-collecting obsession.

I catch up on my political news by replaying Nicole Wallace's "Deadline White House" show from the previous day on MSNBC. Keeping with the political theme, I attempt to listen to the Pod Save America podcast consistently. For a bit of fun, I'm currently working my way through Behind the Bastards to catch up on the back stories of our more infamous fellow citizens. I love a good exposé! And for a laugh, I listen in on comedians Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer's podcast 2 Bears, 1 Cave

What books are making you think? One of my all-time favorite books is Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. The book's point is that our decisions are generally irrational – do I really need to buy my 10,000th vinyl album? (Yes!) But this irrationality is predictable. Ariely recently released a new book, Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things, which is making me rethink my views on the current state of affairs in the United States. We have an enormous genie that needs to be put back in its bottle.

“I highly encourage everyone to check out the AI image generator

‘Midjourney’ — the imagery you can create simply by requesting it to ‘provide me an image of a skunk on a kayak going over a waterfall’ is entirely mesmerizing.”

Day in the Life

Victor Flores is the president of the Oklahoma Tribal Finance Consortium, working to change and align how Oklahoma’s tribes conduct business. And, he’s the principal of Redw, one of this region’s largest advisory and accounting firms. He crams both of those full-time responsibilities in each day, along with a host of other commitments and a good dose of after-hours entertainment too.

4:30 a.m. Before the sun is up, I start the day reading articles from the Wall Street Journal and any other articles I see that catch my eye.

5:30 a.m. As I get ready in my bedroom, I’m watching the news. In the bathroom, I’m listening to some motivational pump up music on YouTube to get me going.

8 a.m. Work meeting at Harvey Bakery and Kitchen. I met with some people to follow up from a recent conference working on Indian affairs issues.

10 a.m. Met with the Dodgers Foundation Board to be interviewed to join the board. I haven’t heard yet, but I hope I get in!

5 a.m. I try to do 30 minutes on my elliptical or I mix it up with some work on the punching bag in my room. Today, it was a bit of both to get the heart pumping.

7:30 a.m. Make my commute from north Edmond to downtown.

9 a.m. Attended my United Way Communications and Events Board Committee meeting. We reviewed any communications and marketing plans that we’re rolling out as well as discussed future events.

11:30 a.m. I was asked to present at Rotary 29, representing the Greater Oklahoma City Asian Chamber and explaining the new chamber’s mission and purpose. I also serve as the Greater OKC Asian Chamber Vice President. 1 p.m. I met with my executive assistant Brea to go through meetings and appointments for the next few days.

1:30 p.m. I started a series of 30-minute meetings with several tribal clients talking with tribal leaders and tribal finance executives to solve issues ranging from audit and accounting consultation to just a whole bunch of other services our firm provides to tribal nations.

3 p.m. Met with Joe Dorman, who is CEO at the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, to see how we might be able to work together.

5:30 p.m. Stopped by the Edmond Chamber’s Thirsty Thursday networking event at The Frosted Mug. Talked with some friends and work associates. It was a great way to wind down after a busy day.

10 p.m.-ish I head home for a nightcap and bed before getting up to do it all again.

3:30 p.m. My team and I head over to the UCO Accounting Career Fair. We got to talk to a lot of students who could be potential employees.

7 p.m. After a stop home to get ready, I arrive at La Brasa for an invite-only Hamptons-themed party. It was just a couple hundred of my friends having a great time, all dressed in white.

FINANCES CAN BE COMPLICATED. INTEGRATED SERVICES CAN HELP.

By: Aaron Waters, Wealth Advisor & Shareholder at Wymer Brownlee Wealth Strategies

Managing personal and business finances has become increasingly complex in today’s economic landscape. With a number of regulations, tax laws and financial planning strategies constantly evolving, it can be difficult for those seeking clarity to find the right solutions. At Wymer Brownlee, we believe in the integration of multiple financial services financial planning, taxes, full-service accounting, business consulting and more because we know greater opportunity can only come when there’s collaboration happening on your behalf. Here’s how we aim to help our clients with our integrated service approach.

Enhanced Peace of Mind

Financial matters can often cause stress and anxiety, especially during tax season or when facing major life events like retirement, buying a new house or expanding your business. Having multiple financial services under one roof provides you with a single point of contact for all your financial needs. This alleviates the burden of finding and coordinating multiple professionals and ensures that all aspects of your financial well-being are managed cohesively.

Tailored Strategies and More Opportunities

Every individual and business has unique financial goals, circumstances and aspirations. We know an integrated approach allows our team to dig deep and get to know you personally what your core values are and your long-term goals in life so that we can tailor strategies that align with your specific needs. By considering both tax implications and financial opportunities, we design comprehensive financial plans that not only optimize tax efficiency but also capitalize on potential investment opportunities, estate planning and retirement strategies.

Time and Resource Efficiency

We know time is precious and rather than juggling appointments and communications with multiple professionals, you can consolidate your interactions into one relationship. This efficiency not only saves time but also reduces administrative hassles that can come from having your accounts divvied out to multiple institutions. Our integrated approach can provide a big-picture view of your finances in a shorter timeframe, ensuring you have the necessary information when you need it.

Comprehensive Planning

Wealth management encompasses more than just investment strategies. It involves careful consideration of taxes, estate planning, risk management and your unique financial goals. By having integrated services under one roof, our clients can benefit from a more well-rounded approach to financial planning. This ensures that all aspects of your financial landscape are aligned and optimized for your benefit.

Contact us to learn more about how we can support you. With our depth of experience and integrated financial service, we can help you realize your goals for the future and live your best life — today and for all the days to come.

Big Picture Thinking. Purposeful Living.

ment advisory services are offered through Avantax Advisory Services SM. Insurance services are offered through an Avantax-affiliated insurance agency.

Aaron Waters joined Wymer Brownlee in 2010 shortly after graduating from Abilene Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in financial management. Today, Aaron and his wife, Natalie, live in the Oklahoma City area with their two daughters. Aaron is passionate about helping business owners, young professionals and growing families prioritize and pay down debt, save for meaningful life experiences and ensure their loved ones will be well cared for in the future.

For more information, visit our website at wymerbrownlee.com

He can be reached at aaron.waters@wymerbrownlee.com or 405.748.4000.

“We strive to simplify our clients’ lives by offering a comprehensive range of financial services under one roof. Our approach helps relieve stress, fear and uncertainty – allowing our clients to focus on what matters most in life, such as being parents, business owners or spouses. It all starts with a tailored financial plan that aligns with their goals.”

AARON WATERS

The Future of Oklahoma’s Sports Media

The newly launched Sellout Crowd is looking to flip the sports reporting funding model to sponsorshipbased content and reinvent sports media in Oklahoma at the same time.

MIKE KOEHLER, FOUNDER of the newly launched Sellout Crowd, started out as a sports reporter at The Oklahoman years ago. And that was before he went out on his own to create Smirk Media, a digital branding agency that has flourished in Oklahoma City for more than a decade.

He couldn’t kick his love for sports journalism, so he decided to put all his experience together to create a new kind of sports media outlet in Oklahoma. He threw away the wall between advertising and content that exists in traditional media and embraced the idea of sponsorship, like so many other industries and entertainment providers already do.

“I'm trying to marry these two worlds that I've lived in for the past 25 years,” he said. “If a lot of content is still being consumed, which it is more than ever, and brands are still interested in reaching audiences, which they are just through different ways, then people who have expertise and value and creativity in the content that they put out, have a place in the market.”

With his work at Smirk, Koehler saw the rise of short-form videos, relevant podcasts and digital-based content and how well his clients could leverage it to reach desired audiences. He also saw influencers start earning significant paychecks for sponsored content. He knew the content still being created by Oklahoma sports reporters could find a similar audience – and paycheck – as others. Same work, different sponsor structure.

“Those people were being undervalued by the traditional places that they were working,” he said.”They were more valuable in marketing these individual brands than they were being seen internally by the companies that they were working for.”

His idea: Hire the top talent in the market – in this case, longtime Oklahoman sports reporters Berry Tramel and Jenni Carlson. These two well-known names in Oklahoma sports reporting with decades of experience between them pivoted to become, in essence, sponsored sports content influencers reporting on the Sooners, the Cowboys and the Thunder in Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd.

“And so that's the model: Take these traditional folks who have a built-in audience, who have years of experience, who are great at their craft and give them the freedom to do that work while having a support system that helps them distribute and monetize their content,” he said. ”It’s just like someone who's doing Tik Tok at their home or who has a great YouTube channel.”

This new kind of sponsored reporting will still rely on an advertiser support model, although Sellout has secured significant funding sources to help get the endeavor solidly off the ground.

“The pall way model is really broken, especially when it comes to individual content creators,” he said. “We just feel like instead of having salespeople talk to advertisers, about supporting a big corporate entity, we have sales people who are reaching out to local companies about supporting individual creators, or individual types of coverage and being really friendly to them, sort of escaping some of the rules that traditional media or journalism rules that handcuffs us a little bit.”

What kind of support are they getting? The scale of support for Sell Out Crowd tipped when country star Toby Keith, among others, came on board as a funder.

“What the investors enabled us to do was recruit the best team that we could possibly get and enabled us to go to market and start selling before we had something,” co-founder Kris Murray said. “There are other monetization structures that we will implement over time that have been successful for other networks. There's other things that we will implement in the future, so that is a growth area that we'll be looking at. But right now, this is the way that we felt would be the most authentic way to launch.”

The investors secured the launch of Sell Out, allowing time to establish more content sponsors.

“We’ve built the business plan into a three-year business plan,” Murray said. “And we expect to be self-sufficient by the end of this year according to our projections.”

This new model, the founders are quick to point out, works because Sellout’s coverage is all sports. It’s a shared community of already built in-super fans that want content.

“The reason this works is because of focus,” said Mike Sherman, Sellout Crowd Director of Content. “Everybody markets themselves to us. They wear OU hats and say ‘give me content’ without even saying anything. That's the kind of teamwork that was and is seldom seen in the so-called traditional media.”

Sellout Crowd founders are hoping it's a better funding model that provides better content, exactly when and where they want it, allowing the audience to interact with the reporters directly and immediately.

“It's an invitation for community,” Murray said. “It's an invitation for the audience to engage at a level with the creators and with the sports that they love in a way that they haven't been able to do in the past. We're inviting people to join something better. It's not just pushing content in front of them and hoping for the best you'll get.”

For Koehler, he’s capitalizing on a movement that has been building and providing content where the consumer already is – and not pushing them to find it.

“It's the trend towards the interest economy on social media,” he said. “If people tell you what they want, keep giving them what they want, in terms of content.”

“And so that's the model: Take these tradional folks who have a built-in audience, who have years of experience, who are great at their craft and give them the freedom to do that work while having a support system that helps them distribute and monetize their content.”

— Mike Koehler, Sellout Crowd founder

Mike Koehler Sellout Crowd founder

Mike Sherman Director of Content

Kris Murray Sellout Crowd co-founder

Berry Tramel content creator, berrytramel.com

Jenni Carlson content creator, jenny-carlson.com

SWEAT EQUITY

One Stop Shop

Janae Goodin created an app to do comparison shopping for consumers. And now with funding backing her idea, she’s set to launch it to a wider audience this holiday shopping season. p.30

What Can Oklahoma Do Better?

Recently, The State Chamber in Oklahoma released its 2023 Oklahoma Business Leaders Poll, in partnership with the Oklahoma Business Roundtable and the State Chamber Research Foundation. Along with reporting on what Oklahoma businesses and states leaders are doing right to grow its workforce and industry clusters, the report identifies areas to improve and ranks the problems businesses face that are hindering growth. More than 400 business leaders took the poll, which is the largest sampling in the three years since the annual survey began.

issues facing Oklahoma businesses

Workforce and education are the top concern for business leaders, with taxes and incentives polling at a distant second.

what a burden: tax regulations

Oklahoma business leaders find state and federal tax regulations to be a financial burden to their business.

FEDERAL REGULATION BURDEN

Extremely/very burdensome: 40%

Somewhat burdensome: 37% Not a burden at all: 19%

Undecided: 4% STATE REGULATION BURDEN

Extremely/very burdensome: 20%

Somewhat burdensome: 52% Not a burden at all: 23%

Undecided: 4%

Oklahoma business economic trends

The vast majority of Oklahoma business leaders polled plan to expand their businesses or keep them the same size in the coming year.

tax reform priorities

More than a third of business leaders want to see reform in Oklahoma’s individual income tax, while a quarter call for reform on taxes on businesses.

Just one Big Ass Bag

Janae Goodin’s idea to create an app to simplify online shopping was born out of frustration and some minor cursing. But now, Big Ass Bag has serious funding behind it and a mobile app that launched at the end of September.

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN | PHOTO BY LOGAN WALCHER

WHEN SEARCHING FOR needs for some upcoming weddings, Janae Goodin found herself surfing the web with 20 different tabs open, trying to comparison shop while getting annoyed at having to flip back and forth.

“So, I’m shopping and I have a couple of items in each store's shopping cart, and I'm flipping back and forth,” Goodin said. “And I'm trying to compare and look at prices. I just kept thinking, ‘Why can I not just put this all of this in like a big ass bag? I was over everything and the frustration was real.”

Her concept to solve her frustration was simple: Create an app that allows consumers to put all their items from various stores into one virtual bag, allowing customers to crosscheck prices, delete unwanted items and check out one time from multiple stores.

It’s an idea so simple, she assumed it already existed.

“I started looking in the Google Chrome store and the Apple App Store because I was sure someone has already thought of this,” she said. “But I didn’t find anything like it.”

She started investigating how to make this concept into a reality, and she applied for a grant from Builders + Backers, an idea accelerator that has helped launch more than 300 ventures. She received $5,000 in startup capital in January 2022.

“And that kicked off everything,” she said.

She used the grant, and a still-growing relationship with the accelerator, and built a Beta version of an app for Google Chrome. Her new app? It’s aptly named Big Ass Bag.

The initial reaction was, kindly put, small.

“We released it in May 2022,” she said. “And it took us until August to get to 50 Beta users.”

It was a start, and it showed Goodin how much hard work she had in front of her.

“So, I started interviewing these 50 beta users,” she said. “We’re jumping on Zoom. I’m watching them flip through what we have. At this point, only like 200 stores work. And then at that time I did something I don’t advise anyone to do.”

She did what many entrepreneurs do: She dove in head first to find help wherever she could. Goodin started working with five different accelerators at once, all while still working a full-time job. The overload paid off: i2e gave her a $100,000 investment in December 2022 through its E3 program, which is a six-week intensive micro accelerator that explores the product/market fit for new business concepts. The structure of that investment needed a $100,000 match, and she received that in May of 2023.

“That funding meant we could continue development and start developing all these different features for the app,” she said. “And it meant I could pay myself. I quit my job, and it meant I could work on this full time.”

With 40 times the funding Goodin started with at the beginning of 2022, Big Ass Bag, or BAB, was off and running. She’s now increased to 400-plus Beta users.

“We’re now in version two of our data, and of course, we’re using that to make different changes,” she said. “And our mobile app is coming out at the end of September, which was always the thing we were wanting to do. It was never about the desktop.”

BAB had made up a lot of ground fast, with about 90% of all stores working with the app, Goodin said. And, by joining 12 networks that work with vendors, BAB has figured out how to monetize this concept. The app makes a small portion of money from the vendor each time a sale is made through the app. In fact, recently, BAB made its first dollar.

“I just have to keep reminding myself, when you look at the timeline, we started all this in 2021,” she said. “So, we're doing really good.”

BAB is doing good and moving fast. The hope is the mobile app leads to significant growth, with an initial goal to grow users to 5,000 as the holidays approach and 10,000 by the end of 2023.

“You know how you have a dream, and you say, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if?’” she said. “And then you actually see it start happening? I love that, and I think it’s a testament to you really can do anything.”

ith employees increasing demand for a higher quality of life while at work and a tighter job market making retention vital for success, more companies are focused on a positive work culture to stay competitive in today’s changing marketplace. But how do companies actually build a positive work culture? Some of OKC’s top CEOs, chief culture officers and human resource executives explain what they do to grow their culture and increase employee engagement. And they explain how other companies can do it, too.

BY KAYTE SPILLMAN

PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUNSCHWANDER

ong gone are the days of a company defining a positive work culture by throwing some free pizza lunches.

COVID gave America’s workforce time to think, and they decided to make some waves when it was time to re-enter the workforce. The Great Resignation, a period of time when America’s workforce re-evaluated what it meant to work and what workers wanted out of employers, pushed the nation to a 20-year high in the number of people quitting their jobs. And a Pew Research Center study cites 57% of those quitting felt disrespected at work.

Culture matters. In a post-pandemic world, workers demand a respectful, positive work culture, and they are willing to leave to find it somewhere else.

In fact, 73% of more than 36,000 employees analyzed in the 2023 Global Culture Report — conducted annually by O.C. Tanner, an international culture consulting firm — cited an employee’s sense of purpose as a top priority for employment. That’s an 18% jump from the year before. A vast majority, 63%, want to feel a sense of appreciation, and 57% want a sense of well-being.

Money isn’t enough in today’s post-COVID, post-Great Resignation work environment. Employees demand more.

And, similarly, companies are responding wanting to provide a better culture because it also makes financial sense: Engaged employees are 58% less likely to seek employment elsewhere and have a 38% lower levels of burnout at work. Less turnover, higher retention and higher levels of productivity directly impact the bottom line.

This lightbulb on both sides of the culture conversation has given rise to new job specialties in recent years, like chief culture officers, or to human resource executives carving out portions of their job solely dedicated to growing the right culture. Jenny Love Meyer, Love’s Travel Stops Chief Culture Officer, works at the corporation her dad founded almost 60 years ago, which now employs more than 40,000 people. She’s been with Love’s since 1991, but she became the company’s first chief culture officer in 2019 to focus specifically on improving company culture.

“A few years ago, we really set out to build a multiyear plan for culture,” she said. “I realized the ways that we were sustaining culture a few years ago weren't going to scale as we continue to grow. The culture shouldn’t change, but the way you sustain it will. For example, I’m the steward of the culture at our stores, and as we grow, I can’t get to every location. Our district managers, who interface with the people in the office and at the stores, have to be cultural ambassadors who make sure we’re living what we preach.”

Part of the plan is to increase initiatives that promote employee well-being, she said.

“Employee well-being is something that, especially post-COVID, is a big topic,” Meyer said. “We have an employee assistance program that's been in existence for a few years, and it’s something that we're adding to in wanting to provide the best benefits and the best programs to our team members. Mental health is embedded in that so that our team members can get free, confidential therapy … We want there to be work-life balance, and so we offer benefits like discounted gym memberships. We’ve given team members additional vacation days because we know that part of well-being is being able to take some time off. Our health insurance plan is maybe a step removed from day-to-day well-being, but when you need it, you need it, and it’s something we really pride ourselves on.”

DURING THE GREAT RESIGNATION, A PEW RESEARCH CENTER STUDY CITES OF THOSE QUITTING FELT DISRESPECTED AT WORK.

The 2023 Global Culture Report conducted annually by O.C. Tanner, reported that of the 36,000 employees they studied:

cited an employee's sense of purpose as a top priority for employment.

want to feel a sense of appreciation.

want a sense of wellbeing.

Out-of-Office

CULTURE BUILDING CAN be tough as many workforces have shifted to partial or completely remote work after learning through the pandemic the same result can be achieved with less square footage. In fact, the State Chamber’s 2023 Oklahoma Business Leaders Poll shows 51% of Oklahoma businesses now employ remote workers, with 42% reporting the business must offer remote options as they can not meet the workforce demands without offering this option to employees.

Phase 2, which Inc. Magazine named to its list of Best Workplaces for the third year in a row, conducts work almost completely remotely with its 67 employees located across 10 states. Heath Clinton, Phase 2 CEO, said the company’s culture is just as strong with a remote workforce, it just takes more conscious effort. Twice a year, Phase 2 flies in all remote workers for a multi-day summit, and culture is one of the top agenda items. The company plans group outings and guest speakers, and the biggest takeaway is the staff enjoys being together, after always being apart, he said.

“What that told us is that they love working remotely,” he said. “But when they are all together, they really like that, too. And that’s a really great time for us to work on and reinforce our culture.”

To build a good culture, whether with a remote workforce or not, Clinton said transparency and truthfulness — and wanting to hear the truth about how the company culture is viewed outside of leadership — is key.

“Make it a safe environment and truly seek the truth and ask the hard questions to find out where you're at,” he said. “It needs to be a safe environment, so that people will actually speak the truth. Sometimes culture or values or all the buzzwords are shoved down people’s throats, and people see through that.”

And Phase 2 conducts anonymous surveys among all employees to see if the culture they think they are creating is what actually exists.

“All kinds of good stuff comes out of that,” he said. “Those kinds of tools are really valuable. And then you’ve got your baseline and you can know, ‘Who are you, really?’”

E v E rybody ' s cultur E is diff E r E nt , but our cultur E is who w E ar E. w E' v E talk E d about it , w E continu E to E ducat E ours E lv E s about it , and w E work on it . it ' s our id E ntity , and what com E s out of that cl E ar id E ntity ar E filt E rs by which w E mak E d E cisions . w E mak E p E rsonn E l d E cisions , hiring d E cisions , all d E cisions , bas E d on our cultur E.

QUALITY OF LIFE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR EVERYONE. IF YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT MUCH TIME IN AN ORGANIZATION, WHY NOT MAKE IT THE BEST YOU CAN? WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE TOP TECHNICAL TALENT, AND TO RETAIN THEM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TRANSPARENT, QUALITY CULTURE.

The main theme is intent. And that's how that trust is built, when they know you're handling things the right way and they start to trust you. And that's the magic when everything comes together.

h E ath clinton Phase 2 CEO

cultur E is lik E a bu ZZ word now .

i almost roll my E y E s wh E n i

h E ar it , and i ' m

th E chi E f cultur E

offic E r ! cultur E is in my titl E. i think th E word has

b EE n wat E r E d down a littl E bit . i would J ust say a purpos Efuln E ss and an int E ntionality

b E hind th E 'why' of your cultur E is probably th E most important part .

Culture First, Company Second

SIMPLE MODERN, FOUNDED in 2015 and seeing meteoric growth since, puts culture first. No, it was actually the first thing the founders focused on when starting out: Co-founder Mike Beckham and his team — including Chief Culture Officer Jonathan Kuhlman, who has been with the company since the beginning — decided what culture they wanted at the company before they knew they wanted to make water bottles.

“If we’re going to show up to a place and spend almost as much, if not more, time there than we do in our homes, we might as well do it in a way that pours into one another, builds each other up and has a purpose,” Kuhlman said. “That's how we think of it, and that's how I think the most genuine companies are thinking about it.”

From an annual summit focusing on philanthropic partners — in 2022, Simple Modern gave more than $1 million to 45 different nonprofits — to bringing in lunch every day for its near 100 employees (a number that’s about quadrupled in the last several years), the company puts an intentional focus on employees having a voice in the decisions and direction of the company’s culture.

“We don't do the lunches as a perk,” he said. “I mean, it is a perk to employees, but the main reason we do that is not to pay for your lunch and so can add that to the list of great reasons why you should come to work at Simple Modern. No, the real reason we do that is because I feel that one of the ways you can really get to know people is through a shared meal.”

It's everybody's job to make sure that the culture that we have is sort of protected, as well as stewarded and fostered. Remember, it's people who carry a culture. It's not some kind of tagline or catchy phrase. Your people make your culture.

J onathan kuhlman Simple Modern Chief Culture Officer

JE nny lov E m E y E r

Love's Travel Stops Chief Culture Officer

WHEN I TALK ABOUT CULTURE, IT’S REALLY A TWO-LEGGED STOOL. YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THE POLICIES AND THE PROCESSES IN PLACE, BUT THAT’S JUST ONE LEG. IF YOU HAVE A STRUCTURE IN PLACE, AND IT’S NOT BEING LIVED AT THE UNIT LEVEL, IT’S A PROBLEM. THAT’S WHERE LEADERSHIP COMES IN AS THAT SECOND LEG. YOU HAVE TO HAVE LEADERS WHO UNDERSTAND AND EMBRACE THE CULTURE, WHO LIVE IT AND REINFORCE IT ON A DAILY BASIS. IF YOUR TEAM MEMBERS DON’T SEE IT BEING LIVED, IT’S ALMOST WORSE THAN NOT COMMUNICATING THE CULTURE TO THEM AT ALL, BECAUSE THEY’LL SEE IT AS INAUTHENTIC.

i lik E n cultur E to wat E r in an aquarium.

i t J ust is. i t's th E E nvironm E nt that p E opl E

co E xist in. i t shouldn't b E any diff E r E nt if you'r E at our corporat E offic E s v E rsus in th E stor E s or in our truck car E shops or driving a truck for gE mini. t h E J ob is dif -

f E r E nt, but how p E opl E act should b E th E sam E .

To continue to be a really excellent employer, we have to be able to show our team members that we appreciate them, we care about them and we value their feedback.

if w E ar E to r E ali ZE our vision to b E th E most trust E d partn E r for h E alth , w E must hav E all 11,000 car E giv E rs E ngag E d in h E lping us achi E v E it ... it is ama Z ing to s EE how t E ams and individuals mov E mountains to d E liv E r b E tt E r r Esults for our pati E nts . wh E n w E add up all th E s E align E d E fforts in E ach pillar of trust for E v E ry t E am , th E vision magically com E s aliv E!

LEADERS MUST BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT CREATING A GREAT COMPANY CULTURE. THEY MUST REINFORCE IT THROUGH THEIR BEHAVIORS AND THE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES THEY PUT IN PLACE.

Key Pillars

THIS INTENTIONALITY SEEN at Simple Modern is at the core of building a positive culture, said INTEGRIS Health CEO Timothy Pehrson. Having clearly stated company values also sets the expectations for the company’s culture as well, he said.

“A company culture, good or bad, will just happen unless leaders are intentional,” he said. “Strong cultures have leaders who have an intentional focus on creating a good culture.”

He said INTEGRIS focuses on six elements to have an intentional culture: Create a clear mission for why the organization exists; lay out a clear vision and values; understand organizational competencies and the operating model for organizing success, and create a continuous improvement system or methodology to drive a culture of improvement. He said INTEGRIS leverages employees to drive change both culturally and operationally.

“We believe that the people doing the work know how to best improve the work,” he said. “Our job as leaders is to unleash their creative genius and give

Our values set expectations for our caregivers on how we do our work and create a common language for how we model behavior and hold each other accountable. We reinforce our values annually through performance reviews by evaluating every caregiver on how well they live our values. Most people who leave for performance reasons are almost always because they chose not to live our values. We take our values seriously and display them everywhere.

them permission to lean in and make a difference by having an idea board in every work area. We expect caregivers to improve their work and collaborate to create the best patient and family experience possible.

“We have strong evidence that our caregivers love shaping their work to improve patient care. Last year alone, our caregivers implemented over 20,000 ideas — that’s implemented, not submitted. This is amazing! As leaders, it is fun to sit back and watch how amazing and smart our people are and how much they want to make a difference.”

timothy p E hrson

INTEGRIS Health CEO

cultur E is som E thing that w E talk about almost daily . what ar E w E doing to b E on th E cutting E dg E from a cultur E and E ngag E m E nt p E rsp E ctiv E, wh E th E r that ' s th E programs that w E' r E off E ring or wh E th E r that ' s th E t E chnology that w E' r E d E v E loping and our E mploy EE s ar E using ? you can ' t b E afraid to try som E thing n E w , b E caus E at th E E nd of th E day , it ' s th E right thing to do for your E mploy EE s . you can ' t J ust sit back and go , 'oh , w E' v E don E all th E s E gr E at things . w E' v E got all th E s E b E n E fits . and it ' s a gr E at cultur E.'

Paycom human resources vice president

IT'S NO LONGER A WORLD WHERE YOU COME TO WORK, YOU DO YOUR JOB, YOU GET A PAYCHECK AND YOU GET HOME. NOW, EMPLOYEES GO TO WORK AND EXPECT EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN BE THEIR BEST SELVES. THEY WANT TO LEARN AND GROW AND GO HOME AND ALSO BE A BETTER PERSON AT HOME, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE TO THEM.

Culture is constantly moving. It's a living, breathing thing that you have to always be aware of.

JE nnif E r kras ZE wski

bob funk

Express Employment Professionals co-founder & president

in ord E r to hav E th E right p E rson with th E right cultur E, w E had to tak E car E of th E m . i ' v E always said to th E m , 'w E' r E asking you to b E loyal to us as a company , but it ' s our r E sponsibility to b E loyal back to you as a p E rson . ' and with that kind of philosophy , i think it built a gr E at t

People, then Employees

PAYCOM, WHICH RECEIVED the 2023 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award, employs thousands of Oklahomans, and its human resources vice president Jennifer Kraszewski said she spends a lot of her time thinking about the employee experience. For her, building Paycom’s culture goes hand in hand with helping employees advance and grow in their lives — professionally and personally.

“As an employer, you need to not only provide opportunities for people to enhance and grow their career, whatever that looks like, whether that's in the leadership or in a technical track, but you also need to give them opportunities to grow and be better people,” she said. “And when I say better people, that means we’re helping them be a better mom, a better dad, a better husband — those types of things. We need to give our employees the opportunity to grow financially, to understand how important it is to save for their retirement because that creates a wellness factor. We have to provide our employees the opportunity to participate in well-being programs to make sure that they are well mentally and they are well physically by providing opportunities for exercise and time to collaborate with people. We have to provide them opportunities to be with their families and also be with people that they work with in a nonwork setting to create those lifelong friendships.”

In addition, intentionally weaving diversity and inclusion into a company’s culture builds belonging among coworkers.

“Diversity and inclusion are important when you think about creating your culture because how can you create a culture where people feel like they belong?” she said. “Because when they truly feel like they belong, they are going to want to stay and they are going to want to grow and they are going to want to give it their best every day. You have to weave these pieces into the culture.”

For companies looking to increase diversity or inclusion into its culture, Kraszewski said it starts with open conversations with leadership and employees.

“I think it's all about being brave and having the conversations in your organization,” she said. “Really make sure you can meet people where they’re at, and appreciate people for who they are and what they bring to the workplace and their authentic selves. Don’t be afraid to embrace that because all that will do is make you better as an organization.”

Bob Funk, co-founder and president of Express Employment Professionals, started his company in 1985. Curating the right culture has always been an important cornerstone of his company, which has grown to have record sales of more than $3 billion and more than 7,000 employees, he said. To do so, he said employers must put the individual before the company, even before profits. This can’t be lip-service; it has to be authentic and tangible.

“When you're interested more in (your employees) than interested in yourself, you build a great

culture because they know that you care about them,” Funk said. “And most companies only care about the bottom-line dollar. And this is one of the challenges public companies have because it's always about how they're doing financially in this quarter or the next quarter. And that's really not the most important part of your company. You certainly have to keep making profits, but more importantly, you have to take good care of your people. And I've always probably overpaid my people, but it has always paid great dividends with loyalty and dedication to our cause, whatever our cause was at the time.”

Being responsible for employees' well-being might sound like something that’s well outside the scope of an employer’s role to those of an older generation, but it’s becoming expected of those in the workforce now. For companies that desire stronger culture but don’t know where to start, Love’s Meyer suggests starting wherever you are: “First, look at the culture that you have,” she said. “You don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In my experience, there are always some good things in an organization's culture. Find the nuggets. Talk with your people. Find out what works for them and why they stay at your organization. And then you build from there.”

E am .

BUILDING TEAMS IS REALLY IMPORTANT SO THAT EVERYBODY IS A PART OF THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY, NOT JUST THE CEO, NOT JUST THE UPPER LEADERSHIP OF THE COMPANY.

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The Power of Using an Entrepreneurial Operating System

Paul Taylor, Taylor Valve Technology CEO, was looking to add structure and accountability when he took the reins at the business his father started and grew successfully for a generation. As a second-generation leader, he was ready to take the business to the next level.

He turned to EOS – or the Entrepreneurial Operating System – and embraced its complete set of simple concepts and practical tools that has helped thousands of other entrepreneurs grow their business.

And it worked: Three years later, his company has had back-to-back record years of growth and the organization has a clear plan for how to achieve even more.

“EOS gives ways to grow your business and ways to stabilize your business with a lot of practical tools that help things run a lot smoother,” Taylor said. “We’re more profitable now and we have a strong future and a stronger business overall because we implemented EOS into our business model.”

For Taylor, EOS helped him create a true leadership team that could lay out a clear vision for Taylor Valve Technology’s future.

“It is one of the best things we have done,” Taylor said. “For us, we did not have a lot of structure or processes before beginning EOS. What EOS gives us is like a playbook on how to have a really strong business. EOS is written by business people for business people. It’s not theory or academic. It’s simple processes, but it’s not easy to implement. But through working quarterly with our certified EOS implementer, and weekly as a leadership team, it’s been very good for us. It has shown us a path and helped us grow and be a stronger business.”

Michael Dillard, Century Martial Arts Chief Financial Officer, also helps guide his second-generation family business. His company, which employs nearly 300 people, is beginning its third year implementing EOS.

“It’s given us a different vocabulary to use as a company,” Dillard said. “For us, it just provided a high-level of clarity, and it really changed our whole company.”

Dillard said EOS helps companies focus on a clear vision with tangible to-dos to drive healthy company growth – something that he saw happen in the first 90 days of implementing EOS.

“EOS walks you through a process that’s very detailed,” he said. “If your organization is not seeing the kind of growth that you want, this is a solution. And it’s not a theoretical one either; it’s very practical. Within 90 days, it changed things for us. It is a long term solution, but it doesn’t take months and months to see results.”

“If your organization is not seeing the kind of growth you want, this is a solution ... Within 90 days, it changed things for us.”

‒ Michael Dillard, Century Martial Arts Chief Financial Officer

“It is one of the best things we have done ... What EOS gives us is like a playbook on how to have a really strong business.”

‒ Paul Taylor, Taylor Valve Technology CEO

Metro's Most Influential Cover Reveal

405 BUSINESS MAGAZINE recently released its inaugural stand-alone issue of The Metro's Most Influential, which names close to 250 leaders in 10 different industry clusters as some of the most influential executives and leaders in the area.

405 Business Magazine held an exclusive cover reveal event for honorees on the rooftop of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The event was presented by Specialized Recruiting Group and sponsored by LSB Industries, ASTEC Charter Schools and Standley Systems.

PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY D

Matt Neal Farley and Sam Farley.

Jorge and Brenda Hernandez with Katy and Brody Gustafsan.

Cover stars Shalynne Jackson and Ayana Lawson.

Ernest Abrogar and cover star Cassandra Kalancha.

Dr. Greg Walton and Traci Walton. Roslynn and Chris Semrau.

Damiana and Malek Massad.

Vahid Farzaneh and Kelley Gann.

Lance McDaniel, Rachel Cannon and Noah Engh.

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What Inspires Jeanie Webb?

Jeanie Webb, Rose State College president, has been at the helm of the college for 10 years, with a total of 30 years working in higher education. To keep herself fresh, she gets inspired by graduation day and makes sure she takes vacations – her favorite spot is Scotland.

How did you find your career?

Thanks to a community college that offered me a scholarship, I began my journey to become an educator. Once given the opportunity, I went on to a regional college for my undergraduate and graduate degrees, received a doctorate from a university and, ultimately, a post-graduate Kellogg Fellowship. If it weren’t for that community college, I would not have had the opportunities I’ve had in my life and career.

I had many mentors, but it was my mom who inspired me to go for my dreams. Even though she left this world much too young, her words still inspire me today. As a first-generation student, I can identify with many of our students at Rose State College.

What inspires you right now?

Graduation day. It is inspirational to look out into a sea of excited new graduates, all decked out in hats and gowns, and all relieved they finally made it to graduation. I know how lives can change through the power of education and how they can influence members of their family and friends to also pursue higher education.

What's your best self-care advice?

Take time to do what works for you! I enjoy working out, trying to eat healthy and taking time to reflect and recharge.

Quote you love?

I agree with a quote I once read by Peter Drucker: “We are all charged with the responsibility of influencing the changes that will define our future.” I realized early that I could not just rely on good luck to get me where I would go, I had to work to make it happen. My mother once told me that if things didn’t work out for me not to blame others. I am responsible for my own success and happiness.

How do you recharge?

In my job, it can be difficult to find time to take time off. In my early years, I didn’t do a very good job of taking vacations. But in recent years, we take off for vacation time, often in Scotland. This is my favorite place to go to get refreshed and recharge my battery.

What advice do you have for others who want to pursue your professional path?

My advice is to not be afraid to dream and not be afraid to dream BIG. Too often, I have seen gifted people not reach their potential because someone put a lid on their ceiling. They didn’t have the confidence to take a risk or to go for it and forever missed out on their best days.

Is there anything else that fills you up or motivates you to be better?

My faith in God is a constant motivation. The best tonic I have is just being around my family. I love spending time with my husband, daughter and two dogs. They make me happy. I love it when we are all together. It makes me a better person.

Inside the Industry

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2024

Every December, 405 Business closes out the year with a look at top local businesses in a wide variety of industries. Our readers learn about the past, present and future of industry standouts as each continues to make their mark in the Oklahoma City marketplace.

We invite you to join us and showcase your company as an exclusive industry leader in the December issue of 405 Business.

“Our goal is to make Oklahoma City an even better place to work and live,” says Dick Tanenbaum of Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings (GTH).

Behind Tanenbaum’s affable smile and relaxed charm is a razor-sharp business mind brimming with innovation and ingenuity. The commercial real estate projects spearheaded by GTH are unprecedented. Worldwide leaders in commercial real estate for more than 50 years, GTH has played a vital role in Oklahoma City’s growth and success.

“We are dedicated to meeting the needs of Oklahomans by continuously reinvesting in the city we love,” he says. “Being able to provide these core services to Oklahomans, especially in undeveloped parts of the city, brings us our greatest joy.”

Dick Tanenbaum has an international reputation as a trailblazer in the world of real estate development. With a portfolio covering more than 9-million square feet of commercial, industrial, and residential properties in Oklahoma, 26 states across the U.S., as well as Mexico and Brazil, he has lifted GTH to unparalleled heights.

“There is a direct correlation between our success and the success of our community. Investing my energy and resources into projects that elevate everyone in Oklahoma City is what motivates me to hit the ground running every morning.”

Q: What makes Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings unique?

A: “When you live and work in a community for half a century, you build quite a few relationships along the way. We are uniquely connected with Oklahoma City’s business community and we have always seen a bright vision for this city. We have cultivated these relationships because of our deep commitment to the people of our community and a dedication to continuously reinvest in the city we love.”

Q: What is on the horizon for GTH?

A: “We are very excited about Westgate Park located near Kilpatrick Turnpike and I-40. Westgate Park development is designed for business, retail, and residents to LIVE, WORK, & CONNECT. The existing five-story Class-A office Building, Westgate One, was just the beginning. It will be a game changer for the west region of Oklahoma City.”

Q: This will be a combination of office and residential?

A: Yes, Westgate Park is offering 444 Class A+ residential units. You can host small gatherings in our seating areas, grill your favorite meals at our grilling stations, or relax by the fire pits while enjoying outdoor TV areas. Our dog park will accommodate large and small dogs and features a peek-a boo fence for your enjoyment and for your pet’s safety! Our swimming pool with a theater wall is perfect for a refreshing swim and you can even enjoy a dive-in movie night. We will also have pickleball, basketball, and sand volleyball courts, as well as a patio pub with seating, outdoor grills, and fire pits.

Our resident clubhouse is accessible 24/7. We offer outdoor TV’s, pavilions, fireplaces, and complimentary Starbucks coffee in our hospitality area to our residents. There is nothing like it in West OKC!

Q: Why do you invest in areas that other developers seem to shy away from?

A: “Our team is highly skilled at spotting opportunities that others ove look. A recent study of housing requirements in Oklahoma City shows a tremendous need to increase the inventory in the Oklahoma City Market, specifically in the west part of OKC. We recognized that need and we have played a pivotal role in fulfilling that demand across the metro.”

Q: Where do you see GTH by the end of the decade?

A: “We have developed 9 5 million square feet of commercial, residential, and industrial real estate and have $450 million currently under constru tion throughout the metro. People will always need a place to live and a place to work so I see GTH expanding exponentially as more people come here to make Oklahoma City their home.”

What industry do you want to see grow in the OKC metro in the next five years?

Three leaders working with economic development and city growth discuss what industries they expect to see growing in OKC’s future.

Ben Lepak STATE CHAMBER RESEARCH FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“Aerospace and all the industries that support aerospace in Oklahoma City — we're just really well positioned as a city and as a state in that industry. There's been a very concerted effort by political and business leaders in the state to ensure that there continues to be investment in aerospace. We've seen a lot of benefit from that, and we will continue to as we go forward. As the industry moves into drone technology and some of the more cutting-edge aspects of that industry, I think Oklahoma is really well positioned to do well there as well.

Beyond that, more than any one specific industry, Oklahoma City, and the state more broadly, has thrived in creating an overall business environment that is conducive to really all industries. If we have a strong business environment where businesses can operate relatively free from a lot of the cost drivers that you see in other parts of the country, that all of that works to benefit everybody in Oklahoma City, and the state.”

Daisy Muñoz MAPS4 COMMITTEE MEMBER

“With MAPS4 focusing on social infrastructure, placing an emphasis on the arts industry allows us to cultivate a city that generates creativity and innovation with the effect of economic development.

Picture a weekend where visitors and residents visit commercial districts like The Plaza, Paseo and Automobile Alley. Each district has a unique identity that encompasses the arts, fosters a sense of community and activates the built environment. Exploring museums, concert venues, murals, theaters and other art-focused businesses that highlight OKC's talent provides people with a diverse range of experiences.

Organizations like Oklahoma Contemporary, Oklahoma Arts Council, and Arts Council OKC promote and support art initiatives through their missions. Still OKC should grant a higher value to the art industry and the local artists. As OKC grows, art should be viewed as a vehicle for self-expression, workforce development, community building and economic growth.”

Jeff Seymour

GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY CHAMBER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

“In the next five years, I'm really excited about our aerospace and transportation cluster growing to include more research and development, more manufacturing and more opportunities for new technology to be tested and validated and created here. We've just had such a strong aerospace cluster in the region, and it's always had such strong opportunities around maintenance, repair and overhaul and we're seeing such opportunities for this rapid technology enhancements around transportation.

I'm also really excited about the investments that are happening in healthcare and in bioscience. We can be a place in the U.S. where we can produce quality and affordable drugs and therapeutics in a way that fulfill the domestic U.S. demand. And we’re seeing these growing cluster opportunities where Oklahoma City can partner with places like Dallas and Boston to really see things start here and also grow here.”

VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES

Nearly 6% of America’s businesses are owned by this country’s veterans. Those businesses produce more than $947 billion in receipts, employ more than 3.9 million people and pay out more than $177 billion in annual payroll, according to the U.S. Census.

These veterans are making this country stronger every day, proving their service and dedication to this country doesn’t end.

We want to highlight these heroes wherever they are in the 405. Nominate today!

Publication Date: December/January

The 405 Business Notable Series features best-in-class executives across a range of industries in the OKC metro.

The 405 Business Notable Series features best-in-class executives across a range of industries in the OKC Metro.

OKC’s punk rock salon

Iron Rose Salon owner Misti Byrd celebrates 10 years this year as a salon owner, now employing 15 people in her salon designed to allow employees and patrons alike to be themselves. And, all the while, she’s cutting hair with high-carbon Japanese steel Hanzo Shears as her go-to tool of choice in her salon.

OWNER MISTI BYRD’S salon, Iron Rose Salon, jams out to its own punk rock rules.

From the murals painted by local artists adorning every wall inside and most of them outside to the dress-asyou-want, come-as-you-are attitude, Iron Rose Salon is designed to be a place that is a respite for those just wanting to be their authentic selves.

“I just wanted something different,” Byrd said. “I wanted a place where I could dress how I want, to sell stuff if I wanted to, and just not have this box where I had to be a certain something. And I wanted that for the girls that worked for me. I kind of consider Iron Rose to be a punk rock salon because we really are truly our authentic selves. We just are who we are.”

Nothing was handed to Byrd along the way, either. She said she grew up in poverty and never went to a salon herself growing up. After dropping out of high school, she said she had 30 jobs before landing as a receptionist in a salon. The salon owner encouraged her to go to cosmetology school, and she worked for 10 years before opening her own salon. Iron Salon has been in business now for a decade and employs 15 people.

“It really has kind of grown into its own,” she said.

Byrd swears by Hanzo Shears, which are made with certified Japanese steel and are an industry favorite. With new Hanzo Shears costing hundreds for each pair, it’s an investment in the business. But, it’s also a mark of how far she’s come.

“When I first started doing hair, I bought a pair of used Honzos for $40, and I used those for 15 years,” she said. “They're great blades. I have had them sharpened a few times, but they're really great and they last forever.

“But, this last time I bought two pairs of shears I spent $1,700. They are very expensive, if you buy them new. But those shears will last me the rest of my career.”

PHOTO BY LOGAN WALCHER

INTRODUCING EXPRESS HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.

Expanding into the healthcare industry makes sense for Express Employment Professionals of Oklahoma, that’s why they launched Express Healthcare Professionals in Oklahoma City. The demand for medical professionals has continued to increase over the last several years. Oklahomans have trusted Express with their staffing needs for over 40 years, and they can trust Express Healthcare Professionals to deliver the same quality and excellence in serving the medical community.

After Hours Account Managers

All clinicians employed through Express complete a rigorous testing and credentialing process before they are sent on assignment. And Express Healthcare Professionals follows all Joint Commission hiring performance measurements, the gold standard in healthcare.

We have dedicated account managers that are available after hours, weekends, and holidays to recruit and place qualified medical personnel to fill your wide-ranging sta ng requirements.