October 2023

HONORING, EMPOWERING, AND RAISING UP REMARKABLE WOMEN IN THE 405

“For any new comers to Dr Noel R. Williams, MD - Optimal Health Associates - MonaLisa Touch, he saved my life. I was 30 years old and suffered from migraines to where I was taking medicine daily to stop them. After breaking down and crying to my regular doctor, he referred me to Noel. Noel took one look at me and said “you are estrogen dominate.” This was 21 years ago when natural hormone replacement was completely new to me. He was so knowledgeable and the only gynecologist who went against the traditional pharmaceutical machine. He started me on natural progesterone cream, within 3 days, my devastating, life stopping migraines were gone. He has always been far ahead of the pack.”

With over 29 years of experience, Optimal Health Associates is the leader in Oklahoma for hormonal and menopausal medicine.

We were the first to recognize the importance of using naturally derived hormones versus synthetic, testosterone therapy in women, progesterone cream, pellets and so much more including sexual wellness and regenerative medicine.

If you are having challenges with your hormones; whether a man or a woman we are the place for compassionate, individualized, science-driven hormone care.

Noel R. Williams, MD Gynecologist Benjamin J. Barenberg, MD Urogynecologist

30 HER

The stories of six remarkable OKC women.

68 IN CONVO WITH Hair Candy by Han designs shimmering clips

70 LOOKING BACK

A century of service from Oklahoma City’s Junior League

72 ONE MORE THING

Fine craftsmanship for sale at The Cowboy

12 FROM THE EDITOR

ON THE COVER

Lauren Chamberlain in Tres Jolie. Styled by Pivotal Style. Hair and makeup by Marlo Haus. Photo by Shevaun Williams.

PUBLISHER Kendall Morgan Hammack kendall.morgan@405magazine.com

VICE PRESIDENT  Kaley Regas kaley@hilltopmediagroup.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF  Julie Partin julie.partin@405magazine.com

ART DIRECTOR Cadence Ramos cadence.ramos@405magazine.com

MANAGING EDITOR Evan Musil evan.musil@405magazine.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lavinia Creswa, Jake Durham, Addam M. Francisco, Kristen Grace, Bennett Hill, Evie Klopp Holzer, Helen Jacob, Matt Kirouac, Linda Miller, Phi Nguyen

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Hannah Hudson, Kimberly Martin, Rachel Maucieri, Charlie Neuenschwander, Shevaun Williams

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Meagan Matthews meagan@hilltopmediagroup.com

CLIENT COORDINATOR Jennifer Cote production@405magazine.com

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Lisa Munson

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Drew Smith drew.smith@405magazine.com

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL Kiara Francisco kiara@hilltopmediagroup.com

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Empowered Women Empower Women

WELCOME TO BOTH MY FAVORITE MONTH OF THE YEAR and our team’s favorite issue of the year — the women’s issue!

Going through the HER Awards process every year is grueling, but empowering, inspiring and ultimately delightful. It starts with hundreds of community submissions; family members, friends and colleagues go through the process of filling out a consideration form to tell us about an incredible woman in their life. Our team can easily see that each entrant has taken real time and thought to encapsulate a person’s life and work in a few paragraphs. Reading through these is a beautiful process, and if I ever start to question the state of humanity, the HER awards bring me back mentally. The bravery and tenacity that women in this city show is incredible. Whittling the nominees down to six honorees is painstaking. If I could figure out a way, and maybe someday I will, I would honor every single woman who is giving of herself to create systems that make life better for other people.

This year’s honorees are powerhouse gals who break records and shatter glass ceilings and bring others along with them on the ascent. We decided to take a totally different and new direction with this year’s shoot. As you will see, it is bold, bright, colorful and glamorous. The ever-talented Shevaun Williams does not disappoint, and the shoot this year (pg. 30) could not have been more fun! Also in this issue you will meet a cardiologist deeply connected to her community in Norman (pg. 20) and an accessory designer who doesn’t hold back the sparkle (pg. 68). We are also thrilled to bring you a darling Heritage Hills historic home spread from an interior design legend (pg. 28), an inside look at the fancy new Midtown restaurant that has everyone talking (pg. 56) and previews of this year’s OKC Philharmonic and OKC Thunder seasons (pg. 64 and 66). Rounding out the women’s issue, we dive into the philanthropic history of our local Junior League (pg. 70).

As always, thank you for being a part of our 405 family! We love experiencing our city with you.

Julie Partin EDITOR IN CHIEF

BEHIND THE SCENES

2023 HER awards photoshoot crew and 405 Magazine team.

405 Vice President Kaley Regas, Editor-in-Chief Julie Partin and Publisher Kendall Morgan Hammack

Servicing Oklahoma City and surrounding areas for over three decades, Blind Alley is a premier choice for window treatments or for those who need a little extra help in redecorating their home. Their experts will help you create the perfect solution to complex design challenges. Family owned and operated, Blind Alley exclusively offers a complete line of Hunter Douglas products.

Community Cardiologist

Dr. Archana Gautam changes lives in the metro. p. 20

Romancing Your Wardrobe

Time to fall in love with alluring pieces

BY BENNETT HILL

SOME

SAY

IT IS ALL IN THE

details, and we would agree. Details can take your look from fi ne to sublime and add an element of romance that will surely cause sparks. Dark jewel tones draw the eye and create a warm, inviting air. Setting the scene is important, and a leather base is a spicy and sophisticated way to start. Like in any relationship, the small things count. Beads are the perfect way to capture attention, and a distinct heel will have everyone doing a double take, as they should.

1. Rag & Bone, Valencia Polka Dot Turtleneck; Edit & Co.

2. Anakatarina, Pierce Your Heart Ruby Necklace; Naifeh Fine Jewelry

3. Ichi, Pleated Dress; Rosegold

4. Crosby by Mollie Burch, Cailan Short; Refi nery

5. Samser, Peacock Beaded Clutch; Betsy King Shoes

6. Je rey Campbell, Geometric Sandal; Betsy King Shoes

Cookies & Cocktails

PHOTOS BY SUNDANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma hosted its annual fundraiser, Cookies & Cocktails, at Camp Trivera. The organization partnered with local restaurants to offer unique sweet and savory bites and cocktails featuring the famous Girl Scout cookies. People’s Choice Award winner was Hopscotch Kitchen & Bar, The Winston won Best Cocktail, McClintock Saloon & Chop House won Best Savory and Hopscotch Kitchen & Bar won Best Sweet. Over $75,000 was raised to support the cause.

From left to right: Judges Beau Stephenson, Seth Lewis, Brian Bogert and Zena Dater

Robby Vernon of Hacienda Tacos

From left to right: Kimberly Choromokos-Workman; Susan Regier, Honorary Chair; Kathy Frankenfield and Emily Thompson Ghavami

From left to right: Katie Long, Event Co-Chair, presents People's Choice check to Hopscotch

The Winston team

In the Heart

Cardiologist Archana Gautam on her career and connections to Norman

BY KRISTEN GRACE

PHOTO BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

ARCHANA GAUTAM, MD, HAS BEEN living and working in Norman as a specialist in cardiology for more than 25 years. Growing up in India, she was inspired by her father as she watched him serve his community by working as a surgeon. “That was when I decided I wanted to become a physician,” she said.

After completing medical school in India, Gautam moved to Oklahoma in her 20s to complete her fellowship at the OU Health Sciences Center. She and her husband were introduced through their families, and she has lived in Norman ever since.

“Everyone has been so kind and welcoming to me,” she said. “I love serving this community that I am a part of. It has been so good to know that I can serve this community where I have been welcomed. I love my patients. My goal is to treat them the way I would treat my own family.”

Gautam has a strong connection with her workplace of Norman Regional Hospital; along with it being a supportive professional community, both her husband and her son were born there. “Yes, there are very deep roots for me here,” she said.

When asked why she was drawn to cardiology, Gautam mentioned several important factors. “Several of my family members had cardiology problems, and I saw fi rsthand how it affected them and the entire family,” she said. “Also, when I was in my third year of medical school, one of my attending professors who I greatly respected was a cardiologist. And I learned that cardiology problems and heart attacks are often underdiagnosed in women, because women have different symptoms than men do. I wanted to help women in that way, so I have a special interest in treating women.”

Gautam has conducted numerous research studies in her field and been published multiple times. In a field led mostly by men, Dr. Archana Gautam represents a role model and inspiring figure to girls and women entering the field of medicine and medical research as she serves central Oklahoma.

Dr. Archana Gautam

Optimal Health Associates is a healthcare center of excellence having decades of experience combining the best parts of traditional Western medicine (allopathic) with the latest Integrative medical (homeopathic) interventions to cover the needs of its patients. In an environment where compassion meets science: life starts here, whether for menopausal or hormonal health, sexual medicine, collateral cancer care, or wellness. We have the knowledge and passion to address a patient’s healthcare needs.

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Keeping the Balance

Hormones and your health

BY HELEN JACOB

AT A BASIC LEVEL, HORMONES ARE CHEMICALS THAT coordinate the functions in your body by carrying signals through blood to different organs, muscles, tissue, etc. that make up your endocrine system. These chemicals help control bodily processes including metabolism, reproduction and growth and development, among other things.

A hormonal imbalance is an umbrella term for different hormone-related conditions that occur when an individual has too much or too little of the hormone. Even a slight tipping of the scales can lead to major changes in the body.

What causes a hormonal imbalance?

It depends which hormones are affected. It could be caused by any number of reasons: autoimmune disorders, chemo treatment, eating disorders, injury or trauma, etc. Changes occur naturally as we age, especially during menopause and perimenopause. Medical conditions like thyroid disorders or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affect hormone levels in women. Medications like hormonal contraceptives can also affect the balance.

What are symptoms of hormone imbalance?

Naturally, women going through menopause and perimenopause may experience hot flashes and night sweats. Digestive issues like constipation and diarrhea, and irregular menstrual cycles (missed periods, irregularities in heavy or light bleeding, etc.) are also typical signs of hormonal imbalance. Other signs include mood swings, fatigue, memory and cognitive issues.

If you’ve been experiencing these ongoing symptoms and feel that it may be severe, you may want to consider hormone testing. A female hormone test is essentially a blood test that measures sex hormone levels, including estrogens and progesterone. These tests could also be used to aid in diagnosing hormone-related conditions such as PCOS. The information acquired from

testing can be used to develop a treatment plan if needed. Hormone testing is not generally needed for women who are experiencing uncomfortable but normal hormone fluctuations during menopause or perimenopause. For more serious cases, it’s best to talk to your doctor.

Effects of hormone imbalance

In turn, a plethora of health conditions are caused by hormone issues. For example, hormones are crucial for maintaining bone density. An imbalance in hormones has been linked to osteoporosis and bone fractures. It can also affect fertility, change the symptoms of PMS and cause irregular menstrual cycles. Other notable health concerns include difficulty falling asleep, sleep deprivation and interference with metabolism causing weight gain.

What you can do

Did you know ovarian health is directly linked to brain health?

Removing your ovaries have a direct impact on your brain. The estrogens that are released from your ovaries aid in spatial working memory (remembering where you parked your car) and verbal episodic memory (remembering a story). If you need to have your ovaries removed (if you’re at risk of breast or ovarian cancer, for example) and cannot do estrogen replacement therapy, good sleep (7 to 10 hours), diet and exercise can help with memory. But if you can, keep your ovaries. They’re really important for healthy brain aging. For most people, simple lifestyle changes like a balanced diet, enough sleep and exercise can put them back on track.

How to naturally balance your hormones

Exercise regularly: It helps organize your hormone receptor sensitivity so that hormone signals and nutrients are delivered smoothly.

Eat enough protein and fiber: Proteins provide amino acids that produce peptide hormones to regulate growth, appetite, stress, etc. Fibers help to regulate hormones.

Pay attention to your gut health: The gut microbiome needs to be in balance for estrogen metabolism to happen effectively.

Minimize your added sugar intake: Added sugars promote insulin resistance, ultimately leading to hormonal imbalances via disruptions in the gut microbiome.

Get enough sleep: It's one of the most important factors — try to get between 7 and 10 hours of sleep. Daytime naps are encouraged.

BORN AND RAISED ON A FARM IN Southeast Kentucky, Dr. Sherisa Warren’s interest in medicine started at age three after her grandmother had appendix surgery and she helped care for her wounds. She also found she had a gift for mending sick and wounded animals on the farm.

Her God-given gifts, combined with her dedication to help others, led her to the CardioVascular Health Clinic in Oklahoma City where she serves as a vascular surgeon.

“Farm life demands responsibility, patience, and adaptability — traits essential for practicing medicine,” Dr. Warren says. “Handling animals from a young age instills both empathy and the ability to observe subtle changes. Those are valuable skills in patient care. As an added bonus, I developed strong surgical hands from milking dairy cows every morning while I was growing up.”

Dr. Warren spent her five-year surgical residency working in a Detroit emergency room where she quickly established herself as a uniquely gifted vascular surgeon. She then spent five years performing surgeries at the Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix. During that time, she developed a devotion to treating underserved patients living on Arizona’s Indian reservations.

CardioVascular Health Clinic’s extensive outreach program to serve Tribal communities is what inspired her to bring her specialized skills to Oklahoma.

“I was heartbroken to see rural patients, particularly Navajo Tribal members, driving five hours each way to get to our clinic in Phoenix,” says Dr. Warren. “CardioVascular Health Clinic has a network of satellite clinics across Oklahoma specifically designed to address this crisis. American Indians are genetically susceptible to diabetes, a major contributor to cardio -

vascular disease, so I am constantly traveling the state to get where I’m needed most.”

Dr. Warren is the only female vascular surgeon in Oklahoma City. She actively encourages young women to pursue a career in medicine.

“Women surgeons play a crucial and transformative role in the field of medicine,” Dr. Warren says. “The importance of women surgeons extends beyond mere representation; it’s about harnessing different perspectives and skills to advance the health of our communities. Fact is, women often feel more comfortable discussing medical concerns with female doctors, leading to more accurate diagnoses and tailored treatment plans.”

Dr. Warren treats all aspects of vascular disease with a special interest in early detection and prevention of peripheral arterial disease. She lives in Edmond with her husband and daughter.

PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE IS woven throughout a woman’s lifetime and impacts the community around her. For one Oklahoma City physician, the healthiness of the community during and post COVID-19 also plays a vital role in contributing to individual wellness.

Karen Sargent, MD, FACOG is a highly dedicated physician and the director of Women’s Health at Variety Care, the largest Community Health Center in Oklahoma. Dr. Sargent is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and values the trust patients have in her.

“I try to hold my patients’ best interests at heart; I aim to make patients feel comfortable enough to share information in potentially vulnerable situations. Patients need to feel they

can trust their medical providers, especially their gynecologist,” said Dr. Sargent.

In her role leading the service lines that impact a woman’s health, from obstetrics and gynecology to primary health care, Dr. Sargent embraces the vision that all the community must work together to make Oklahoma City a healthier place.

Variety Care creates the ideal health care model by bringing the disparate parts of the health care system to align and assemble around the patient rather than requiring the patient and the family to navigate the complicated and oftentimes unaffordable web of health care services elsewhere. In the medical health home model, Variety Care’s provider teams work to help people get well and stay well whether it’s encouraging patients to sched -

ule an appointment for a well-woman exam or getting preventative immunizations like the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot. Often, this support goes beyond the walls of the health center.

As a member of the Variety Care provider team, Dr. Sargent affirms this approach.

“I strive to put our patients’ needs first and to provide the best evidence-based care available,” said Dr. Sargent. “I also want patients to be advocates for their health, ask questions and speak up. Medicine is sometimes a mystery. I don’t have all the answers, but just as the community impacts a woman’s health and a woman’s health impacts the community, the practice of medicine is teamwork. The patient and I are working together to improve their health.”

SAY TO THE FLU

C o m e g e t y o u r f l u s h o t a t

5 4 2 0 N . P o r t l a n d A v e

O k l a h o m a C i t y , O K 7 3 1 1 2

M o n - F r i : 9 : 0 0 a m - 6 : 0 0 p m

S a t : 9 : 0 0 a m - 2 : 0 0 p m

F R E E w i t h m o s t i n s u r a n c e s !

n o p r e s c r i p t i o n n e e d e d

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Fits Just Right

Interior designer John Chadwick’s 1926 apartment is perfectly appointed

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER | PHOTOS BY HANNAH HUDSON

IF GOLDILOCKS WERE TO VISIT JOHN CHADWICKʼS apartment in Heritage Hills, she might never leave. The retired interior designer has fashioned his rooms to feel “just right” with cheerful wallpapers, antique heirlooms, inviting colors and thoughtful details. Chadwick says his home is perfect for him — not too big, not too small.

“The entire layout is just so graceful,” he said. “I can entertain small groups. I can entertain large groups — about 20 or 25 people — and now with the new rear garden, I can have a lot of people over for cocktails or cookouts or whatever.”

Chadwick fi rst moved into the Heritage Hills neighborhood as a young adult, after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, and has remained strongly connected to the area ever since. He and his partner lived in a large home on 18th Street, which Chadwick owned, for the next 25 years. In 10, he purchased a two-family dwelling on 21st Street as an investment, with dreams of retiring to the upstairs apartment someday.

“Eighteenth Street was kind of a big operation because there was a pool and a cabana and all of that — and I knew then that when I was ready to retire, I didn't want to run that big of an operation,” Chadwick recalled.

The home on 21st Street is constructed of native red brick. The oversized front gable distinguishes it from the rest of the homes in the neighborhood,

Located within this magnificent home, John Chadwick's apartment will be on the Heritage Hills Historic Home Tour Oct. 21-22.

The kitchen walls are covered in a reissue of a wallcovering designed by Louis Bowen.

as does the second-story veranda that wraps around to the east side of the structure. Broad soffits protecting the home from the summer sun pay homage to Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie-style architecture, while symmetrically placed windows allow for maximum cross ventilation.

Interior design opportunities moved Chadwick to New York City, but he maintained another home and his rental property on 21st Street while living out-of-state, and he never forgot about his plans to move back to Oklahoma. If anything, his time away only solidified his retirement plans.

“When I left for New York, people cautioned me over and over, ‘You’re going to hate living in an apartment. You’re just going to hate it after having a big house.’ Well, I loved every minute,” Chadwick said. “I have become accustomed to having somebody live close to me — and I like it, because I’m alone and, in case something happens, there’s somebody there. So this just fills the bill.”

Chadwick retired and moved into the Heritage Hills apartment in 2020, coming full circle. He thoroughly enjoyed designing the space for himself — adding crown moldings, renovating the kitchen and furnishing the space with family treasures and favorite finds from his 50 years of traveling the world.

“I think the interiors lean towards traditional without, I hope, being stuffy,” he said.

When the weather is pleasant, Chadwick can be found on the veranda or in the garden. He has given special attention to the grounds, partnering with talented professionals along the way. Phillip Patterson of Heritage Landscaping created a perennial garden in the front, boasting blooms from spring to frost. The rear garden — a new addition, featuring flagstone patios and croquet and badminton courts — was designed by John Fluitt Landscape Design to match the historical integrity of the home.

With a great appreciation for the neighborhood, Chadwick will showcase his home and gardens during the Heritage Hills Home Tour in October.

“To own an antique home is a privilege that few people are afforded,” he said. “I would never live anywhere in Oklahoma City but Heritage Hills. It is the magnificent centerpiece of our city and must be preserved at all costs.”

Heritage Hills Historic Home Tour

Step inside John Chadwick’s home, and many more, during the Heritage Hills Historic Home Tour, Oct. 21 from 4 to 8 p.m. and Oct. 22 from 12 to 4 p.m. The self-guided walking tour highlights historic residences, and features food and drink as well. Proceeds will benefit historic preservation and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. In addition, event planners will team up with Mercedes Benz to shuttle people to and from the Midtown Walkabout on Oct. 21, encouraging participation in both events. Details and tickets are available at heritagehills.org.

“To own an antique home is a privilege that few people are afforded. I would never live anywhere in Oklahoma City but Heritage Hills. It is the magnificent centerpiece of our city and must be preserved at all costs.”

The chandelier — a signed Muller Freres, circa 1890 — highlights the blue Majolica art nouveau vase in the dining room.

BY Kristen Grace, Evie Klopp Holzer & Julie Partin

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Shevaun Williams

LOOKS BY Tres Jolie (gowns), Rosegold & Naifeh Fine Jewelry (accessories)

APPAREL Sarah McDonald & Lindsey Lawrence with Pivotal Style MAKEUP AND HAIR Ricki & Rylee with MarloHaus and Miranda Augusta

THIS YEAR, THE women we are Honoring, Empowering and Raising up for this feature are being celebrated in full and glorious color. This feels appropriate, considering how they add color to the worlds of everyone they encounter. They serve others with their very best, generously giving their time and their talents. And their endeavors result in a better Oklahoma City.

We believe you’ll enjoy reading how each woman has embraced her passion and transformed it into a way of life, fueled by grit, navigated with grace. These 2023 HER honorees brighten a room. Their compassion spurs connection. Their radiance draws us in, and we delight in their rainbow.

Kim Garrett-Funk

Before Palomar officially opened its doors in 2017, the need for an organization serving survivors of abuse in Oklahoma City had become obvious.

“Before we had phones, a copier, furniture — I mean, we literally didn't have anything yet — we had just moved in, we were waiting for deliveries, and people started banging at the door,” recalled Kim Garrett-Funk, Palomar founder and chief visionary officer. “I'll never forget the attorneys on the floor on their hands and knees, helping them with paperwork and filings. It was a really powerful moment. Fast forward to now, and we’ve had over 19,000 unduplicated clients— anyone from a mom with a newborn baby to a 97-year-old man, and everyone in between. Crime doesn’t discriminate.”

In Oklahoma, 49% of women are or have been affected by crime, violence and abuse. Garrett-Funk understands this statistic all too well.

“I have been impacted by crime. It impacted me tremendously, and it fueled a passion in me,” she said. “I'm really committed to helping survivors.”

Garrett-Funk began this commitment at age 18, when she was volunteering at a rape crisis call center. Then, while earning her social work degree, she worked for the police department in Reno, Nevada. In 2011, she joined the Oklahoma City Police Department as a victim services coordinator. As she gained more experience, she noticed more flaws in the system.

People in crisis were walking in with immediate needs, only to be sent away to other agencies located throughout the city. This sparked years of conversations with professionals and organizations, research and planning between city leaders — and culminated in Garrett-Funk’s opening of Palomar, a one-stop resource for protection and healing modeled after other family justice centers nationwide.

In its earliest years, Palomar had 15 agency partners. Today, there are 42. To accommodate such growth and overwhelming community support, Garrett-Funk is currently reviewing new building plans and hoping to break ground in spring 2024 and open in 2025.

“No other city across the United States has made the commitment to survivors that Oklahoma City has,” she said. “Investing $42 million with the MAPS 4 project for Palomar is a huge message to survivors — ‘You matter, and we care about you’ — and it’s a huge testament to what’s ahead for families in our community.”

Beyond the comprehensive resources and services they make readily available, the Palomar team keeps survivors at the heart of their work.

“Nationally, we are recognized as one of the best family justice centers in the United States,

and I think a large component of that is because we’ve been so client-centered,” Garrett-Funk said. “If something’s not working, we tweak it, we modify it, we cut it.” Palomar is changing outcomes. GarrettFunk says she’s seen children from Palomar’s camps and programs go on to thrive in education and personal relationships. The new facility will allow Garrett-Funk to further expand Palomar’s partnerships and programming. It will also house a coffee shop for survivors to connect, and training rooms for the community to learn about Palomar’s work.

“I think traditionally this work has been kept a secret, and the reality is we have to build an army of angels to combat this,” said Garrett-Funk of the prevalence of abuse and violence. “This is a community and systemic problem, and so we’re trying to approach it differently.”

“

... we’ve had over 19,000 unduplicated clients — anyone from a mom with a newborn baby to a 97-year-old man, and everyone in between. Crime doesn’t discriminate.”

Bailey Wilson

Bailey Wilson had no idea that the darkest time of her life would eventually lead her to her purpose, which involved serving her community healthy, delicious food in both food trucks and storefronts.

Four years ago, a postgrad marketing student, 24-year-old Wilson had just settled into a new life of freedom and adventure on Australia’s Bondi Beach. After living there for only two weeks, and with COVID rapidly spreading around the globe, she heard the terrible news that her father had been diagnosed with cancer.

Her world turned upside down, and she made the decision to come home to Oklahoma.

Once back here, she was thankful to learn that her father’s bladder cancer had a good prognosis, but she grew bored while homebound due to the pandemic. The fact that her father was undergoing chemo and serving shifts as an ER doctor during COVID also worried her. “I began making smoothie bowls for him for health benefits. I wanted to fuel him with the best foods. No refined sugar in the bases, no preservatives, the best acai. I made my own granola and my mom made peanut butter and almond butter. We were perfecting everything. That fueled me during the day — making my dad a bowl every day when he came home from work.”

When Wilson’s mother suggested that she try selling her bowls to the neighborhood from a food truck, she thought it might be a great idea. “I bought a food truck

that weekend, my dad and I fixed it up in less than a month — and on opening day, we opened the window and the line was across the parking lot,” she said. She named her new business Bondi Bowls, serving delicious vegan, glutenfree, dairy-free and sugar-free meals.

From that first food truck, Wilson’s business has grown to 17 food trucks spread across the country in locations from Oregon to Alabama, plus storefronts in downtown Edmond, Alabama, and soon in locations in Texas and California.

Purity and simplicity are large contributors to the appeal. Wilson said, “The bowls have all fruit at the base, no refined sugar or preservatives, no dairy, the purest acai blended with the freshest local fruit. Vegan granola sweetened with agave and cinnamon, topped with peanut butter and locally sourced honey. We encourage each truck or store to buy as many ingredients locally as possible.”

Bondi Bowls won the 2023 Philanthropic Business of the Year in Edmond. “We are still a very young business, so it was an honor to be recognized in this way,” Wilson said. “Even though we are nationally known, we are still locally owned, and we are trying to serve the community that we are in.

“What I love about Bondi is that I get to inspire high school and college kids. What I did was so unconventional. At the end of our hallway, it says, ‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,’ and that’s what I say to the people who work for me.”

And for the future? “My goal is always how to best serve my community,” Wilson said. “We

want to convert to just storefronts next. Our mission is to encourage God-honoring conversations while building community around healthy foods. And we are looking at places to put Bondi internationally with a mission impact, allowing people to serve on a global scale.”

“What I love about Bondi is that I get to inspire high school and college kids. What I did was so unconventional. At the end of our hallway, it says, ‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone,ʼ and that's what I say to the people who work for me.”

Gayle Maxwell

Gayle Maxwell has served numerous vocations in many capacities throughout her career so far, and in each one, she has been on the front line of transformation, community service and positive change in Oklahoma.

Her first professional job was working for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce as part of a team to get the very first MAPS package passed. “There was no ballpark, there was no arena, there was no canal,” Maxwell said. “Bricktown was just a concept; there were just two restaurants and only one hotel. I was so fortunate to be part of that project and to also catch the vision of what Oklahoma City could be.”

During Maxwell’s tenure at the Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City, the organization built an affordable 36-unit multifamily housing development and an affordable 60-unit senior housing development in Northeast Oklahoma City. These two developments represented 12 miles of property and hadn’t happened in 40 years in that area of the city. “It was one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had,” she said. “The Urban League works tirelessly every day to help families break the cycle of poverty, and to also drive inclusion and equity in our communities.”

While at OG&E, Maxwell was honored to provide communications strategy and support to help launch Oklahoma’s first utility-scale solar farm.

“In my role now at the Oklahoma City Thunder, you’ll often hear me say that it’s

the perfect storm for me. I love Oklahoma City. I love PR and communications. I love sports — especially the Thunder. I get to work at an organization whose global brand elevates the city in ways that frankly just aren’t an option for many other cities. It’s an organization that is just as passionate about serving off the court as they are competing on the court. I’m grateful to see how the work we do every day is more than basketball and bigger than just me.

“I help with the storytelling of the Thunder off the court. When we talk about the things we do in the community, with the schools, our youth basketball camps, the things that we do with our corporate partners — those are the kinds of stories that I tell. I work with a larger content team and we as a cohort try to tell the story of the Thunder’s impact on the community.”

Recently, with the Thunder Broadcasting and OKC Thunder Films, Maxwell was a part of a team that won an Emmy for Seeds of Greenwood The 2022 film highlighted the inaugural year of Thunder Fellows, a program that aims to unlock new opportunities in sports, entertainment and

technology for Black high school and college students in the Tulsa area.

“It’s important to understand that it’s more than basketball. Basketball affords us a tremendous platform to engage in the community. And sports has a tendency to bring people together. We like to think of ourselves as the largest cheerleader for all things Oklahoma,” said Maxwell.

“I crave being a part of something bigger than me. To know that by doing a job I love, I could also be a part of transforming the city that I love or a part of contributing to opportunities for people to transform their own lives, careers or families.”

As long as Gayle Maxwell is part of Oklahoma City’s story, we can be sure it will be one worth telling.

“ I get to work at an organization whose global brand elevates the city in ways that frankly just aren't an option for many other cities. It's an organization that is just as passionate about serving off the court as they are competing on the court. ”

Shiny Mathew

Shiny Mathew believes so strongly in helping others reach their highest potential, she trademarked the phrase “Maximize your shine.” If you think trademarking your motto sounds like a lawyertype thing to do, you aren’t wrong. Mathew is an accomplished attorney and co-owner of Polston Tax Resolution and Accounting.

“I think it is important for everyone to maximize their own potential — their own ‘shine’ — whatever that might be,” Mathew said. Education was her path forward, but she said there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, each person has individual needs requiring individual attention.

In her day-to-day work, Mathew helps others achieve economic success by demystifying complex tax codes and guiding people through problems with the IRS. In addition, since 2014, Mathew has had 400 speaking engagements and broadcast news interviews offering a wide range of legal and financial advice. “I love taking complex topics and making them easy for others to understand,” she said.

In 2020, Governor Kevin Stitt appointed Mathew to serve as a state commissioner on the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, further increasing her capacity to help others.

“As a commissioner, I have the opportunity to analyze the factors that inhibit women in Oklahoma from substantially gaining economic, educational, leadership and other opportunities,” she said. “The commission, in conjunction with nonprof-

its and other organizations, is able to work together to connect women with the resources that can help them maximize their potential. We also can make legislative recommendations to our elected officials to make progress toward addressing systemic barriers.”

Mathew’s current efforts to propel women forward will culminate in a summit on Oct. 24 at Oklahoma City Community College. Attendees will find practical advice, various resources and opportunities to connect face-to-face with people who can help address their specific needs.

A first-generation Indian American, Mathew says her passion for service was shaped by seeing the world through the eyes of her immigrant parents. Her father was a small business owner and had to navigate various work-related challenges. Mathew was very young but, looking back, she realized he would have benefited greatly from professional assistance. When she was 12, her father passed away, and she saw her mother struggle with gender, language and cultural barriers.

“Especially in the Indian community, women are invisible. Families that don’t have a father

— that’s their (family’s) face,” Mathew said. “And so these two worlds collided, in terms of me seeing the disparity for women in the world and wanting to help business owners.”

Mathew honed her own understanding of English and American culture through regular library visits with her parents. She calls education “the great equalizer,” opening doors to her successful career. Paying homage to those formative years, she also serves as a trustee on the Metropolitan Public Library Board.

No matter the venue, Mathew’s shiny mission remains. “From being a math tutor in college, to being an accountant, to being a tax attorney and business owner, to being nominated as a state commissioner, I am always trying to maximize my own shine,” she said, “but it's more important to me to find ways to help others maximize their shine.”

“I think it is important for everyone to maximize their own potential — their own ‘shine’ — whatever that might be.”

Lauren Chamberlain

How does a city become the undisputed “Softball Capital of the World?” It happens when generations of people and tenacious leaders see the potential in the powerful female athletes and the city of OKC.

Many names come to mind when considering how this came to fruition — such as Don Porter, a longtime figure in the world of softball who helped bring the sport to the Olympics in 1996 and build the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC. Also, of course, OU women’s softball head coach Patty Gasso, who has led the Sooners team to seven national championships.

One of the modern faces of women’s softball is the stunning Lauren Chamberlain. She is taking what Porter, Coach Gasso and many others started and carrying it further on a national stage than many people imagined possible.

Chamberlain’s softball career as a player was full of accolades. She played for the OU Sooners softball team from 2012 to 2015, and as a collegiate All-American, she was part of the 2013 Women’s College World Series championship team. She is the NCAA Division I career leader in slugging percentage. She also holds the school and Big 12 Conference career lead in RBIs, walks, total bases and runs.

Her love for the sport started early in her life, “I'm originally from Orange County, California, and literally the first thing I remember doing was playing softball. It was pretty immediate that ‘Okay, this is my sport.’”

Coach Patty Gasso recruited her as a high schooler to play at the University of

Oklahoma. Even though OKC was extremely different from “The OC,” Chamberlain felt a connection with the area immediately. She said, “I didn’t know much about Oklahoma, but I do remember being here and thinking, ‘People are looking out for other people here.’ I remember feeling that if I broke down on the side of the road that somebody would stop to help me. I did know that I would be taken care of. Coach Gasso said, ‘If you come here, we will win. If we put all the pieces together we will win a national championship.’” And win they very much did.

After college, Chamberlain was drafted #1 and played professional softball in Florida for the USSSA Pride of National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) from 2015 to 2018, winning a title in her final season in 2018. After the NPF league folded due to lack of resources during COVID, Chamberlain saw a gap that needed to be filled, and helped form a new national professional women’s softball league in 2021: Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF).

Chamberlain was asked to fill the role of league commissioner, and accepted. “When I say we had to grow this thing from the ground up, that’s exactly what we did. We basically started from scratch.”

The league has four teams total and just completed its first full season. WPF is headquartered in Oklahoma City and its professional team here, the Oklahoma City Spark is headlined by superstar and current home run champion Joceyln Alo.

On opening night, OKC Mayor David Holt conveyed the significance of the moment by stating, “Never in the 134-year history of our city have women worn an OKC uniform in the major league of their sport. That is, until this weekend!”

Having recently moved on from her role after the completed season, Chamberlain’s aspirations for herself and female softball players are high. What’s next for Chamberlain? Not only is she planning a gorgeous OKC wedding to her fiance fitness trainer, Tj Gipson, she will continue on as an ambassador and host for the MLB TV, and has plans to take her sports brand management agency L/C Management Group to the next level. It currently reps some of the heaviest hitters in the world, including Alo, and the list keeps growing.

But first and foremost, as has been the case since she was a child, Chamberlain will continue to be a champion for the softball community. “Anywhere that has an opportunity for me to advocate for the sport — that’s where you’ll find me. Pushing the sport forward, pushing the women in the sport, that’s my goal.”

“ Anywhere that has an opportunity for me to advocate for the sport -- that's where you'll find me. Pushing the sport forward, pushing the women in the sport, that's my goal.”

Valerie Naifeh

Many of life’s milestones are captured in jewelry: engagements, weddings, births and even deaths.

“Jewelry outlives us, and it gets passed on,” said Valerie Naifeh, jewelry designer and founder of Naifeh Fine Jewelry, which celebrates 25 years in business this month.

Jewelry is personal, and so is Naifeh’s approach to serving anyone who walks in her door. Some clients come to her to purchase a new treasure. Some bring her old pieces to be reimagined. Some simply present a loved one’s favorite piece and seek to preserve the past. Naifeh helps each person through a customer service process she’s finely tuned throughout the years.

Taking its owner’s talents beyond Oklahoma, Naifeh Fine Jewelry recently opened a second retail location at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho. It’s a destination Naifeh has frequented for both business and pleasure since 1999.

“Last September, my husband George and I were walking around the resort and saw that the jewelry store that had been here for 39 years was for sale,” she said. “I have famously said many times to many people over the years that I will never, ever, ever, ever have another retail store, but when I saw that sign on the door, I had an immediate reaction.”

The Sun Valley marketplace was lacking in luxury jewelry; opportunity propelled Naifeh forward. Opening last July, the new store offers the same jewelry lines

and services found in Oklahoma City, while all repair and custom work comes back home to Naifeh’s talented design team.

Naifeh calls her initial entry into jewelry design, service and sales “a happy accident.” She was studying architecture and graphic design at the University of Tulsa when a professor recommended her for a job as an apprentice for jewelry designer Ann Garrett.

“I went to the interview as a courtesy,” she said, though the meeting landed her the position. “My very first day on the job, she showed me how to carve a very basic eight-millimeter wedding band … After about 30 minutes of working on this wax model, I was just flooded with joy. I remember just setting my tools down and sitting there going, ‘Wow, this is so much fun. I can’t believe I could make money doing this.’”

Driven by a desire to serve clients at the highest level, Naifeh established her own shop in 1998.

“After 14 years of working for other people, I just could not really provide the personal experience and service that I wanted to, and so I started my tiny little lease department in Balliets,” she said.

In 2002, Naifeh’s operations outgrew the Balliets space, and Naifeh Fine Jewelry moved into Casady Square. Naifeh moved her store to its “forever location” in Nichols Hills Plaza in 2019. Today, she is poised for even more growth.

“Things have gone so well in Sun Valley, the company came to us three and a half weeks after we opened and asked us to take the space

at the other end of our building — and we’re going to do it,” Naifeh said. “So we’re already expanding, and we’re taking another 1,800 square feet.”

This new venture — called Helios, the Greek word for sun — will feature gem minerals and onyx products and give Naifeh more space, more locations and yet more opportunities to serve clients in her own special way.

“I have famously said many times to many people over the years that I will never, ever, ever, ever have another retail store, but when I saw that sign on the door, I had an immediate reaction.”

shevaun williams

portrait of shalynne jackson

Meet the hard-working women in the 405 who imbue the community with entrepreneurial spirit, thoughtful growth and vitality.

Aspen Ranch

ASPEN RANCH

IS

A PREMIER 160-ACRE venue nestled in the tranquil landscape of north Edmond. Its picturesque setting with spacious lawns, beautiful ponds and surrounding fields attracts unforgettable weddings, large affairs and special events.

Given the beautiful visuals at the venue, social media has been a driving force for the ranch’s popularity. The buzz on social media for the ranch is all down to Social Media and Communications Manager Karlee Boots, who is also part owner.

Boots graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s in communication. She previously volunteered as the social media manager for a local nonprofit animal rescue, fueling her passion for animal welfare.

Aspen Ranch is a perfect fit for Boots, as the venue is also a forever home to adopted ranch animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, pigs, goats and even a ranch cat. Over 30 percent of event proceeds directly contribute to the care of these beloved rescues, emphasizing the venue’s dedication to animal welfare.

Since opening in 2021, Boots has amassed a social media following of more than 11,000 for the Aspen Ranch venue and more than 10,000 for the adopted animals.

In addition, Boots works every wedding to create a personalized “BTS” (behind the scenes) gallery for each couple that provides a snapshot of the day. This is a special service she created for each couple, at no cost, so they have a shared gallery of videos from their wedding day.

She loves meeting potential couples and businesses inquiring at Aspen Ranch, and assists in conducting tours during the week and assists with venue management.

Photo credit: KGC Photography @cunninghamkatie

Hair & MUA: Maddie Henning August and Omi | @madkatartistry

Align Interventional Pain

ALIGN INTERVENTIONAL PAIN has revolutionized the treatment landscape. Gone are the days when patients had to choose between limited options such as physical therapy, medication or invasive surgery. As medical advancements pave the way for minimally invasive procedures, the field of Interventional Pain has blossomed, offering patients pain relief through less intrusive methods.

at OU Medical School and training at the prestigious Mayo Clinic for her medical residency and fellowship, she returned to Oklahoma to establish her own medical practice.

Remarkably, Dr. Pollard is a trailblazing figure in her field as one of the few female Interventional Pain specialists in the United States. Align Interventional Pain proudly champions gender diversity in pain management, offering patients a comprehensive approach that blends compassionate care with state-of-the-art procedures. The clinic’s dedicated staff understands the significance of nurturing patient relationships and tailoring treatments to each individual’s unique needs.

Dr. Pollard’s unwavering expertise, compassionate demeanor and commitment

to holistic care make her a trusted partner for patients on their journey toward reclaiming their lives from chronic pain. Align Interventional Pain’s patient-centric philosophy and emphasis on innovative solutions echo Dr. Pollard’s determination to empower individuals to overcome pain and embrace a higher quality of life. In a world where Interventional Pain remains an unsung hero, Dr. Morgan Pollard and Align Interventional Pain shine as a ray of hope and healing.

501

Suite

47 405MAGAZINE.COM

Contemporary Endodontics of Oklahoma

FOR DR. VICTORIA BALL, a healthy, happy life is directly related to the health of your teeth. In her practice at Contemporary Endodontics of Oklahoma, she focuses on maintaining the health of patients’ natural teeth.

After shadowing her hometown dentist, Dr. Ball said her eyes were opened to all the ways dentists can help their patients. While at dental school, she investigated several specialties, but she kept coming back to endodontics.

“I love the challenge of saving natural teeth,” she said. “Every patient, every tooth is different, kind of like that box of chocolates metaphor.”

Dr. Ball is the first female private practice endodontic owner in the 405 who has achieved board certification and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics.

“I regularly have patients who are seeking out a female practitioner,” she said. “I think the measurement is not male or female, but skill, competence and the ability to communicate with and care about patients.”

Her practice is at the forefront of utilizing advanced technology, including state-of-the-art Zeiss PROergo microscopes and 3D cone beam scans to diagnose and treat every patient.

The 3D cone beam scan provides a detailed view of the anatomy of the tooth to detect curvatures and calcifications or blockages within the tooth’s nerves, while the microscopes help to detect small hairline cracks or fractures that may not yet be detectable on a 3D scan.

When used together, this equipment helps to provide the best diagnosis and long-term prognosis for each patient’s case.

“I’m excited about new technology, and how it has changed our profession and the way we treat our patients,” Dr. Ball said.

Bajaj Plastic Surgery

CONFIDENT. REFRESHED. YOUTHFUL. These are words used to describe how Dr. Anureet Bajaj’s patients feel after their experience at Bajaj Plastic Surgery.

FOCUSED. THOUGHTFUL. DRIVEN. EXPERIENCED.

These are words used to describe Dr. Anureet Bajaj.

For over 15 years, she and her staff have focused on building lasting patient relationships through thoughtful plastic surgery in Oklahoma City. Dr. Bajaj is nationally recognized for her surgical skills and minimally invasive procedures; she specializes in facial rejuvenation, body sculpting, and aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery.

In 2007, Dr. Bajaj established a microvascular breast reconstruction program at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital with the assistance of her father. For ten years, she was one of the few plastic surgeons in Oklahoma who performed the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap for breast reconstruction.

“When I moved to OKC, most surgeons told me I wouldn’t be able to perform DIEP flaps in private practice because they were too time-intensive and complicated. However, we established St. Anthony Hospital’s program and became a high-volume center,” Bajaj said.

More recently, Dr. Bajaj has directed her energy to developing a comprehensive aesthetic surgical practice that has the ability to empower and support her patients. Dr. Bajaj and her experienced staff work to build a relationship with their patients from the initial consultation onwards. “As a surgeon, I enjoy speaking with and engaging with my patients,” said Bajaj. “I want to hear your story – that is one of the most important aspects of having a successful surgical outcome -- listening to your stories and understanding your goals helps me determine the right options for you.”

From consultation to operation to recovery, Dr. Bajaj and her staff continually strive to improve the patient experience.

8106 North May Avenue, Suite B Oklahoma City, Ok 73120 405.810.8448

bajajplasticsurgery.com

Photographer: Charlie Neuenschwander

Express Healthcare Professionals

THE FIRST STEP IN LAUNCHING ANY new corporate division is making sure the right leadership is in place. That’s why Bob Funk, Founder, Executive Chairman, President, Board of Directors of Express Employment Professionals tapped Bettye Taylor to take the helm of his Oklahoma City offices of Express Healthcare Professionals, a healthcare staffing solution serving hospitals, medical clinics, and a variety of other providers across Central Oklahoma.

With nearly three decades of experience in the staffing industry, Taylor brings experience, passion, and attention to detail to her job every day. And the managing director of recruiting says commitment to excellence is critical in the medical industry where people and health are the central focus.

“Staffing and customer service is at the core of what we provide,” she says. “But attention to detail is even more important in this industry because you’re dealing with patient touch, and you’re dealing with people’s health.”

“Therefore, you have to know your client’s needs and have a comprehensive process to follow, and that is what Express has been doing for over 40 years,” Taylor said. “And in the wake of COVID, the need for medical staffing services is greater than ever.”

Taylor and seasoned colleague Pam Dunbar, launched Express Healthcare Professionals in August, and the new division is helping clients procure the medical talent they need to ensure the best healthcare services possible. Her division assigns licensed and certified medical professionals in a variety of positions, including registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, certified medical assistants, and others.

Additionally, Express Healthcare Professionals completes full credentialing for all licensed medical professionals according to Joint Commission standards.

For more information contact: Bettye Taylor, Pam Dunbar 405.717.8300

ExpressHealthcareOKCOK @expresspros.com Expresspros.com/okchealthcare

Mister Robert Fine Furniture & Design

KEVEN CALONKEY CARL is a Nationally Certified Interior Designer and President of Mister Robert Fine Furniture and Design. She is the winner of 18 Excellence in Design Awards from the American Society of Interior Design, and under her leadership Mister Robert Furniture sales and footprint have grown to historic levels.

Keven’s clients regularly compliment her professionalism and attention to detail. Her employees see her as a hardworking, affable, and a consummate professional business woman. Since taking over the role of President, Mister Robert has added more than 25 new lines, updated the interior and exterior of the store, and revitalized the marketing plan, all while remaining true to its roots. “We still provide exceptional customer service and display unique furniture, lamps, accessories, art, and rugs, all made of the finest quality. Since our sales force is dominated by people with degrees in Interior Design, we provide exceptional design service as well.” says Calonkey Carl.

As an award-winning Interior Designer, she uses her years of experience to make homes and offices both beautiful and functional. Keven’s NICDQ certification is the highest standard in the profession, something the countless design interns appreciate when they come to Mister Robert to learn from the best. While Keven has a natural vision for classic design and is a master of scale and composition, she stresses that each space is unique. “Interior design starts with the desires of the client and then I create a space for them which reflects their tastes while surpassing all expectations,” she says.

A savvy businesswoman, under Keven’s leadership the Mister Robert brand continues to draw the attention of both local and national publications. Her design was recently featured in 405 magazine and Mister Robert has repeatedly been featured in the national publication

Home Accents Today.

Under Keven’s leadership Mister Robert remains the destination store for people seeking to invest in quality and extraordinary furnishings. “In our 65th year, with our over 25,000 Sq foot showroom, we know interior design and the home furnishings industry. We have many in-stock items which can be purchased off the floor or customized to suit the tastes of the client.” says Calonkey Carl. Mister Robert thrives in its one and only location.

109 E Main St. Norman, OK 73069 405.321.1818

misterrobert.com

Photographer: Charlie Neuenschwander

RefineU Medspa

REFINEU MEDSPA PROVIDES Oklahoma

City with a wide variety of the most recent, well-liked, non-invasive aesthetic procedures and injectables for every body type and skin tone. RefineU’s highly qualified staff helps clients identify the products and services that will help them achieve their ideal body or regain a more youthful appearance.

Raised in Stillwater, Oklahoma, owner Janelle Wagner brings over 26 years as a devoted nurse practitioner and aesthetic

medicine specialist to RefineU. Janelle and her staff provide clients with the most diversified state-of-the-art technologies and developments in cosmetic medicine. “The demand for aesthetic treatments is increasing in all cultures and ages,” said Wagner. “More people are seeking preventative care and seeking procedures at a younger age. For many patients, injectables in combination with skincare and laser treatments allow them to delay or replace surgery or more invasive procedures.”

Since 2019, RefineU has continued to provide patients with products and services focused on individualized care. “We have an amazing team that dedicates themselves to creating an exceptional patient experience based on obtaining optimal results for each patient,”

said Wagner. “We are so lucky to be able to do what we love daily. As the saying goes, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”

The skilled RefineU team provides every patient with a unique treatment plan that helps them achieve the best cosmetic outcomes. RefineU’s experienced staff takes the time to learn about your needs during an initial consultation to ensure that the care you receive is designed with excellence in mind.

13301 N. Meridian Avenue Ste. 300A

Oklahoma City, OK 73120

405.369.8840

refineuokc.com

Business Savvy Physician

BUSINESS SAVVY PHYSICIAN (BSP), a distinguished boutique physician consulting firm, supports private practice physicians and medical spas with a range of specialized business resources. Its comprehensive services cater to those launching their practice or seeking to grow existing ones.

What sets it apart is a wealth of experience derived from years of being in the medical industry and working with physicians in all specialties. The team excels in understanding what best practices are needed to jump start and run a successful and highly profitable practice. Through its well-defined practice audit and one-on-one consulting, Business Savvy Physician is adept at listening and understanding its clients’ needs. This allows BSP to deliver recommendations that drive action and results quickly.

For founder Jamie Meltzner Spann, her passion for helping private practice physicians stems from a lifetime of learning from her father, a private practice physician, the different pain points most practices go through. Between the relationship with her physician father and years in the industry as a medical device rep, Jamie has a unique understanding of the medical industry from various vantage points. By offering the crucial resources often not taught in medical school, BSP enables practitioners to open their new practice very quickly or expand and generate greater profitability in existing ones. BSP believes the resources and support it offers practices allows physicians and their teams to focus on what matters most — their patients.

405.642.0111

BusinessSavvyPhysician.com

The scent of piñon wood burning and green chile roasting fills the air.

Leaves on the aspen trees turn golden and red chile ristras hang by entryways. Days are sunny and crisp while the nights are starry and cool.

(877) 90 1 -7666

Inn and Spa at Loretto

Photo by Douglas Merriam

Fancy & Fine

JK

A Flavorful Fairy Tale

Asian inspiration and dazzling ambiance wow OKC diners

BY MATT KIROUAC | PHOTOS BY RACHEL MAUCIERI

WALKING INTO JK BY CHEF KING, A LAVISH NEW Midtown restaurant abloom in sprawling floral decor and more hot-pink hues than Barbie, you might feel transported to Miami or Las Vegas. That’s because the contemporary Asian newcomer, from business partners King Dey and Josh Balan, is unlike anything Oklahoma City has tasted before — a decadent dining experience where the intricate plates and playful cocktails are as photogenic as the fairy tale decor.

It’s all in the meticulous details, from the zesty yuzu caviar atop slivers of hamachi crudo to espresso martinis topped with customized cocoa patterns. The decor itself is the stuff of Instagram dreams, from pink floral arrangements and gilded mirrors to Versace-wallpapered bathrooms and the pièce de résistance: an indoor wisteria tree in the middle of the dining room, whose nearly 20-foot canopy dangles with flowers and Norwegian lamps. Every element was hand-selected and designed by Dey and Balan themselves, bringing their well-traveled resumes — and fl air for pageantry — to a space directly across from the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

A colorful wisteria tree stands in the middle of the dining room.

Clockwise from top: Hamachi crudo, Asian romaine salad, eggplant miso, oxtail and bone marrow fried rice and rock shrimp popcorn tempura.

Born in India, and raised both there and in London, Dey attended culinary school in Paris before falling in love with Asian cuisine. “I moved to Tokyo and lived there for a few years, and then moved to Bangkok,” he recalled. “From there, I visited Vietnam, Malaysia and that region of Asia and fell in love with the cuisine. I started using those spices and flavors and mixed it with my French cooking technique.”

After working in restaurants all over the world, Dey spent several years in Dallas refining a vision for a restaurant of his own and partnering with longtime friend Balan to bring that vision to light.

“Josh and I worked together 10 years back in London, and we stayed connected,” Dey said. “We chose Oklahoma City because it’s an upcoming and growing city, not yet overcrowded like Dallas or Houston, and the people are the most amazing people.”

Such opportunity provided them with a blank canvas. They started by transforming an interior pillar into a lush wisteria by enrobing it in real imported branches and decorating the rest of the chic 130-seat space with vibrant velvet, chandeliers and bouquets reminiscent of an Italian garden.

As for the food, its flavors and techniques harmonize on plates such as eggplant miso, delicate cubes of roasted nightshade that are flash-fried, enrobed in miso-caramel and topped with crispy threads of filo pastry; rock shrimp tempura adorned with a “tree” of fried Japanese noodles; and an Asian romaine salad that sees baby gem lettuces flecked with multicolored beets, roasted quinoa and yuzu buttermilk.

Dey described the oxtail and bone marrow fried rice as an instant crowd-favorite and a dish that typifies his ethos of Asian inspiration-meets-French technique. Cooked in a wok, it’s tossed with tender oxtail that’s slow-baked for 24 hours then served alongside grilled bone marrow, the smoky and buttery innards of which guests can scoop into the olio. And while everything looks and sounds like something off South Beach, the price point is anything but, with almost no dish above $30.

Cocktails are a theatrical experience in and of themselves. The bar area, backed by a 40-foot custom mural depicting an enchanted forest, is Balan’s playground for crafting some of the most elaborate drinks in town, such as Deluxe Espresso Martinis made with fresh espresso and cocoa powder printed as custom images on the foam using a Ripple machine. Inspired by a cocktail favorite in London, the Hibiscus Royale is a gorgeous medley of peach vodka, prosecco, orange bitters and hibiscus syrup, while the Empire of the Rising Sun is a twee sake and coconut vodka cocktail, with a maraschino cherry that’s topped with a fragrant bubble of celery-lime air via a food vape.

It’s all a part of JK by Chef King’s playful pageantry, where the menu matches the motif to create a wholly immersive — and fantastical — dining experience. “It’s not only about the ambience,” Dey explained. “We’re matching the ambience with our food and drinks in every sense.”

JK by Chef King 612 N. Robinson Ave., OKC jkrestaurants.com

Follow the Sandwich Rainbow

A new northwest option aims for fabulousness

BY MATT KIROUAC | PHOTO BY RACHEL MAUCIERI

RAINBOWS IN THE 39TH STREET DISTRICT ARE A dime a dozen, but bistros are another story. The historic northwest side neighborhood has long been noteworthy for its gay bars and nightclubs, but until recently, its food scene was limited to drag brunch and a taco truck. Which is what makes Rainbow Bistro such a breath of fresh air — and a panacea for anyone looking for sustenance on a bar crawl.

Rainbow Bistro marks the first new dedicated dining establishment in the district in decades, providing much-needed nourishment and an all-ages daytime option, courtesy of owner Burl Beasley. Opening just before the district’s Pride celebrations earlier this spring, the bistro beckons with Pride flags, colorful patio umbrellas and rainbow regalia in an eclectic diner-like space, along with rainbow cake, Pride-themed beers and most particularly, sandwiches with snarky names that would be right at home at any given drag performance.

Along with charcuterie, pretzels and “Happy Endings,” aka cake slices, sandwiches form the heft of the menu and riff on comfort food classics with names like Sloppy Seconds, a foot-long sausage with pimento cheese, diced onions and “unicorn sauce” — essentially a spicy Thousand Island. A menu signature is the Hot Mess, a muffuletta variation that stacks toasted focaccia with a meaty medley of salami, ham, mozzarella, provolone and Italian olive salad — all with a sidecar of pink unicorn sauce for dunking. Reuben sandwiches are well-represented as well, via the more classic Big Helga

or the more vibrant Drama Queen, which adds red cabbage and unicorn sauce to the mix. Both feature hot, meltingly tender slices of pastrami and Swiss cheese on rye bread, achieving new levels of buttery bite with a press on the griddle.

All sandwiches come with sides, most of which skew Eastern European: think potato soup, sauerkraut and German potato salad. Drinks include mimosas, beer, wine on tap and some aptly sassy cocktails like the Prancing Queen (sparkling wine, sake, cranberry juice and prickly pear).

Surrounded by bars, Rainbow Bistro provides a much-needed dining option on weekend evenings, in addition to a relaxed brunch vibe on Saturdays and Sundays. Following a slew of recent street enhancements along 39th Street, new bars and upgrades at the adjoining District Hotel and the year-old Indigo Lounge next door, Rainbow Bistro is the latest beacon in an evolving neighborhood.

The Hot Mess: muffuletta with salami, ham, mozzarella, provolone, and olive salad.

A Sip of History

Oklahoma-made spirits reward the thirsty at Guthrie’s Wander Inn

BY MATT KIROUAC | PHOTO BY RACHEL MAUCIERI

GHOSTS AREN’T THE ONLY SPIRITS IN GUTHRIE THESE DAYS.

The suburban town, Oklahoma’s former capital now known mostly for its antique shops and haunted lore, has a drinking history, too, and one that lives on at The Wander Inn — a new type of bar for the oldest distillery in the state.

WanderFolk Spirits is an evolution of Prairie Wolf Distillery, the first distillery still in Oklahoma after it became legal to make alcohol in 2012. General manager Derek Duty and lead distiller Jeffrey Alan Cole initially showed off their wares at Mack & Ike’s, the first modern-day cocktail bar in Guthrie, where they partnered with the owners to showcase the products they were distilling right in town. Once state law changed to allow distilleries to have tasting rooms, Mack & Ike’s underwent its own evolution into The Wander Inn. It might be technically new, but history is at its heart. It’s housed in an 1890s building outfitted with enough memorabilia and news clippings to look like a boozy Guthrie museum.

Nestled in the heart of downtown, surrounded by fiddle shops and vintage candy stores, and located right next door to the WanderFolk distillery, the cozy, saloonlike lounge harkens to the past with Prohibition-era callbacks. Its Garden Society gin and vodkas are clad in images of rowdy Prohibitionists from the Guthrie Daily Leader, while Same Old Moses bourbon is named after the first legal bar in the pre-statehood territory, which was located a mere 100 yards away.

Vintage ephemera aside, the spotlight is squarely on the spirits. “We want to honor the story and history of Guthrie,” Duty said. “We’re proud of being the first, of putting Oklahoma on the map for making spirits.”

Calling it a “spirits lounge,” as a place to experience Oklahoma-made spirits, he said they wanted the vibe to feel traditional Victorian Guthrie, but modern. “A place to be able to control the narrative behind our spirits, but also show the cool woven history of the state’s disdain for sin.”

Guests can sip for themselves via single pours or flights of any of WanderFolk’s spirits, anchored by bourbons, gins and vodkas, or cocktails such as the Gold Rush — a bourbon drink with honey and lemon — or a brisk Tom Collins, made with gin, lemon, simple syrup and soda. Tours and tastings can be booked directly through the WanderFolk website at wanderfolkspirits.com, and new spirit releases are announced on social media. Snacks and charcuterie boards are also a post-Mack & Ike’s addition that feature tinned vittles from sustainability-minded Patagonia Provisions, like smoked mussels and paprika-spiced mackerel.

While some state laws have lapsed, others remain. “That’s why even now, there’s still the unique way we traditionally serve cocktails,” Duty said, noting that they serve their spirits in separate glassware from the rest of the cocktail mixers. “Our license allows us to produce alcohol, not make cocktails. So we serve the alcohol we make, and you make your own cocktail, basically.”

As dusty laws linger and evolve, it’s all part of a greater mission to establish Guthrie — and Oklahoma at large — as a spirit epicenter. “As the first legal distillery in Oklahoma, our mantra is we’re trying to help people understand that world-class spirits are happening up the street, locally,” Duty said. “Sometimes the best stuff you can find is in your own backyard.”

The Wander Inn 118 E. Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie

Gold Rush with Same Old Moses bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, orange, and Amarena cherry

Top Happy Hours in the 405

The happiest hour involves good food and cheap drinks

BY PHI NGUYEN, @TAKEABITEOK

MICKEY MANTLE STEAKHOUSE

7 S. Mickey Mantle Dr., OKC

The who’s who of downtown convene regularly in the smoke-friendly bar of Mickey Mantle to unwind after a hard day’s work or pregame before trekking over to Paycom Center. With $2.50 domestic longnecks, $7 wine and martinis plus half-priced appetizers, every customer is a happy customer. Our top food picks? Grilled peppered lamb chops with a button mushroom sauce or grilled tequila lime shrimp.

1492 NEW WORLD LATIN CUISINE

1492okc.com

We like to show up for the 1492 happy hour drink specials and stay for the white queso! The drink prices are hard to beat with $2.50 Mexican beers, $4 house margs and mojitos, $4 house red or white wine by the glass, and $4.50 sangria and swirls.

MA DER LAO KITCHEN

1634 N. Blackwelder Ave., OKC

We know Chef Jeff Chanchaleune offers the finest Lao cuisine to the masses, but most don’t know about the killer happy hour! The bartenders will dazzle you with half-priced all cocktails, $5 draft beer and $3 Thai Basil Snaiquiri Shot. But the food will stop you in your tracks: $9 Lao sausage hot dog, $8 fried chicken, $5 beef jerky, $2 sticky rice, $1 chili dip. Trust me when I tell you the beef jerky will be your next constant craving.

RENDEZVOUS PIZZA

rendezvouspizza.com

Cold beer, pizza and wings, oh my!

Rendezvous is the ultimate destination for happy hour with half-priced draft beer, dollar wings and $2.50 New York slices. The Bricktown location boasts two ping pong tables for those of you who like to break a sweat in between bites of peanut butter & jalapeno jelly cherrywood smoked wings.

BLACK WALNUT

100 N.E. 4th St., OKC

Chef Andrew Black curates a food lineup that has us drooling just typing it out: $11 lobster bites, $10 jerk chicken lollipops, $7 ‘shrimp & grit’ bites, $6 Burgundy mushrooms and $3 po’boy deviled eggs. Black Walnut continues to showcase its innovative cocktail menu with $3 off all well cocktails while offering $8 wine for the dedicated wine drinkers.

R&J SUPPER CLUB

320 NW 10th St., OKC

We would be remiss to not include R&J on our top 10 happy hour list with its nostalgic ’50s vibes and fire-lit cocktail wieners (featured for $8 during happy hour). Drinks seem even more drinkable at inflation-resistant pricing like $1.65 Coors “Yellow Belly,” $4.10 well cocktail, $5.70 old fashioned and $11.50 Poor Man’s Sangria (made with red wine, brandy and Fanta).

S&B’S BURGER JOINT

sandbburgers.com

S&B’s Rock Hour has been around for ages, and as such, is a tried and true happy hour option most locals can vouch for. Rock out to music videos while indulging in decadent food options like $7 loaded queso, $6 fried pickles, $5 Slayer Fries and $4 PB Fries. Booze flows freely with $3 well drinks, domestic beer and the exclusive S&B Lager in addition to $5 Long Island iced teas and $6 Bloody Mary.

RED PRIMESTEAK

504 N. Broadway Ave., OKC

It makes sense that Red offers a red-hot happy hour! $6 old fashioneds, $6 red mojitos and $6 house cabernet or chardonnay pairs perfectly with the $12 Red Burger. This burger is a meat lover’s dream with 10 oz. of house-ground beef, butterkase, French onions, white remoulade and a bone marrow bordelaise served with Parmesan fries.

HIDEAWAY PIZZA

hideawaypizza.com

We saved the best for last. Hands down the best-kept happy hour secret in Oklahoma, Hideaway Pizza is not only a Oklahoma pizza institution, but all locations offer half-priced all alcoholic beverages for their weekday happy hour. If you knew, you knew. If you didn’t, we expect to see you at Hideaway after work on the reg now.

THE HAMILTON SUPPERETTE

&

LOUNGE

12232 N. May Ave., OKC

The Hamilton’s happy hour is our preferred choice when looking for a northside option with elevated offerings in a delightfully moody setting. The drink selections are solid with $8 old fashioneds, daiquiris and wine plus $4 domestic beers. However, the food selections are the true stars with $12 shrimp cocktail, $12 smoked salmon (our favorite!), $12 artichoke spinach dip, $10 Bavarian pretzel and $5 bar nuts.

Phi Nguyen is a born-andbred Oklahoman who spent 10 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her love of food and passion for the ever-growing dining landscape in OKC was the catalyst for @TakeABiteOK, whose mission is to share the vibrant culinary scene of Oklahoma with others. Phi believes “friends let friends take a bite!”

Sparkle Dealer

A Story in Sound

The OKC Philharmonic tunes up for a magnificent season

BY JAKE DURHAM

THE MUSIC OF A PHILHARMONIC ISN’T JUST an auditory experience, but an invitation to be transported to realms of human expression that words alone struggle to capture. The intertwining melodies, harmonious crescendos and meticulous performances of each instrument create a symphonic landscape that evokes a spectrum of feelings, weaving sonic tales that resonate across time and culture.

As part of Oklahoma’s flourishing cultural landscape, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic enriches the city through its orchestral melodies. In 2018, Alexander Mickelthwate became its second music director, bringing fresh energy to the orchestra’s artistic legacy. This year, he undertakes his sixth season with the orchestra.

“I try to create programs based on ideas and stories with a common thread by nationality,” Mickelthwate said. “This season is about humanity, and we (started) Sept. 9 with our Tchaikovsky program. The evening (began) with an emotional and romantic violin concerto featuring Anastasiya Petryshak, a violin soloist from Ukraine. The second half (featured) Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, which many people think is his most personal, intimate and emotional work.”

Creating a program that will resonate with OKC listeners takes time and preparation, and the music director and a committee discuss and evaluate potential concert lineups well in advance.

“The philosophy is to go into the community and create projects rooted in Oklahoma and the 21st century,” Mickelthwate said. “As a music director, I have to be very sensitive to what others say and recommend. I try to have a variety of small and large works, contemporary and classical, and combine them with traditional works around modern themes and ideas.”

Assembling programs is just one part of the puzzle for Mickelthwate. The conductor also assumes three pivotal responsibilities when orchestrating the ensemble. “I try to develop a personal relationship with everyone,” Mickelthwate said. “It is like being a CEO of a company. If issues need to be discussed about artistry or within a section, they are discussed … The second part is trying in the rehearsal process to connect with the orchestra so they are aware of the conductor and when to look up. The third is ensuring that the emotional output and the presence of the conductor are felt and seen.”

The conductor’s role also extends to captivating the audience and holding their focus by striving to convey a piece’s emotion and significance. “A conductor is a really good actor,” Mickelthwate

said. “But what does a really good actor do? Is he or she a showman? Do they pretend, or are they becoming more and more themselves in the moment? You have no awareness that anyone is looking at you.”

For the season in progress, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic is presenting a lineup of 18 captivating programs, from classical compositions to Broadway hits. The maestro placed particular emphasis on two not-to-be-missed performances in 2024: “Glorious Life” on March 23, and “Pines of Rome” on April 20.

In “Glorious Life,” American composer Christopher Theofanidis crafts a musical portrayal of the Tibetan Buddhist concept of rainbow body — when a master achieves full realization and transcendence, merging with eternal light upon death. Georgian composer Giya Kancheli’s viola concerto evokes the River Styx myth that bridges our world and the Underworld. And Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfi guration guides listeners through earthly struggles and ascension into heaven in depicting an artist’s death.

The “Pines of Rome” concert contrasts vibrant nature with human-made marvels, and it concludes with Italian composer Ottorino Respighi’s namesake renowned composition. Like Wagner’s Forest Murmurs, it intertwines natural essence and historical echoes and evokes distant, enduring memories through Rome’s forests.

With a rich repertoire spanning genres and an array of captivating performances, the orchestra continues its mission to enrapture audiences, create unforgettable musical experiences and enhance the cultural tapestry of the city.

To experience it yourself, visit okcphil.org.

Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic

GOTHIC MIDNIGHT CLASSICS

BACH: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

LISZT: Piano Concerto No. 1

BERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique

Dmytro Choni, piano MAESTRO’S

With Lightning Speed

Is the Thunder rebuild over? These additions and a growing core might end it

BY ADDAM M. FRANCISCO

FOR OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER FANS, THE hard days are past — and it’s time to look toward the future. Last season, the Thunder increased their win total (40) by 16 from the 2021-22 season, when they only recorded 24. After an exciting 2022-23 season full of promise and potential, all eyes in the NBA are on Oklahoma City.

Look at the starters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an All-Star player who’s trending toward superstardom — he even earned placement on the All-NBA First Team last season. Jalen Williams (J-Dub), after his Rookie of the Year runner-up campaign, has put the league on notice with his three-level scoring ability and intangible skills that can’t be taught. Josh Giddey continues to prove his uniqueness as a 6-foot-8 Steve Nash in terms of passing ability and court IQ, with the rebounding ability of a power forward. OKC’s defensive maestro Lu Dort has only improved since first signing his two-way contract years ago. Lastly, rookie Jaylin Williams (J-Will) led the league last year in total charges drawn per game.

That core, plus OKC’s underrated but productive bench unit, helped the team reach the NBA’s play-in tournament, ultimately falling short of the playoffs by one game. The Thunder’s bench ranked eighth in the NBA last season in points, averaging 37.5 points per game. Pairing OKC’s bench with SGA, who ranked fourth in the league in scoring with 31.4 points per game, and J-Dub, who ranked fourth among rookies in scoring with 14.1 points, is a recipe for success.

What will make the 2023-24 season so exciting? The addition of the highly touted 2022 No. 2 draft pick, Chet Holmgren, who missed what should have been his rookie season last year with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot. Former Kentucky guard Cason Wallace was OKC’s top pick in the 2023 draft, and K-State forward Keyontae Johnson was picked 50th. Not to mention, the Thunder finally reeled in the 29-year-old Serbian “rookie” Vasilije Micić, who’s giving the NBA a shot after years of success playing in Europe.

Here’s the rundown on the Thunder’s additions:

Holmgren’s finally here

There’s enough knowledge and hype around Holmgren and everything he has to offer. He’s multiple experts’ Rookie of the Year prediction and is expected to fix OKC’s interior problem with rim protection, with shot-blocking being his forte.

Polished Wallace

My scouting report of Wallace is simple: He’s Dort with slightly less defensive skill but still highly effective on that end of the floor, and he’s a more polished offensive player. I believe Wallace provides Sam Presti a security blanket in case he wants to package Dort in a trade in the future. Regardless, Wallace is a hooper, and Thunder fans are soon to find out.

Keyontae off the bench

Don’t let the fact that Johnson was drafted 50th overall deter you from being excited, because if you saw him in college and especially during Summer League in July, you should be thrilled about what he’ll bring to this team. One of his most accurate player comparisons is OKC veteran Kenrich Williams, one of the team’s most important bench players. Johnson does the dirty work, like Kenny Hustle, but has him beat athletically.

A new veteran, kind of Micić is intriguing because of what we already know about him as a EuroLeague MVP. He’ll immediately provide depth to OKC’s backcourt and, while technically a rookie, will be one of the team’s elder statesmen at 29. So, hooray for experience, as the Thunder entered last season as the youngest team in the NBA.

OKC will be better this year because they have the same core, who will theoretically only take another step in the right direction this season, and they acquired four more studs for their repertoire. If you haven’t already gotten season tickets, now would be an ideal time to do so. The Thunder’s season tips off Oct. 25.

OKC Thunder’s NBA superstar Shai Gilgeous Alexander

including Jordan Ann Craig’s Playing Both Sides (2022) and Benjamin Harjo Jr.’s The Age of Sacrifice (2006) and Medicine Bundle (2015) Photo: AJ Stegall.

Full of Sparkle

Hannah Barnthouse shares her happy thoughts and wearable gems

BY EVIE KLOPP HOLZER | PHOTOS BY CHARLIE NEUENSCHWANDER

SEEKING SOME SPARKLE FOR YOUR wardrobe? Look no further than Hair Candy by Han, a locally owned accessory shop in Edmond that boasts the tagline, “Feed me gems.”

In 2020, Hannah Barnthouse launched the company online with one shiny product: hair clips (hence the name). Since then, she’s designed and added headbands, earrings, necklaces and clothing to offer customers a full line of dazzling fun. We spoke with Barnthouse about her gem-clad creations and how she believes elevating your style can also elevate your mood.

Where did the idea of Hair Candy by Han come from?

I had a ton of vintage jewelry in a box that I didn’t have the heart to throw away. A lot of it was broken, so I decided to turn them into hair accessories. I made myself some hair clips, started wearing them and immediately was inundated with requests from friends — and even strangers on the street — going, “Where did you get that? What is that?” So, very quickly, my wheels started to turn.

Describe the shopping experience you offer. The heartbeat behind the brand has always been that I wanted to create a place — on the internet, in the world, in Edmond, Oklahoma — where you feel like you can escape the yucky going on outside — especially considering how we started during COVID. It almost feels like you’re whisked away to a place where things are fun, they’re positive, they’re kind, and that’s something that we’ve all taken refuge in. All of my customers have become my friends, and it’s really a community of women who want to sparkle on the outside, but on the inside as well.

You have several large statement pieces, most notably earrings. Tell me about those. We are really, really proud of our varieties. We offer an assortment of sizes — six, to be exact. We start with our teeny-tiny little studs, and we have everything from a single gem to our jumbo. Our jumbo is like, you know, the equivalent of a ball gown, but for your ears.

What are people buying the most?

Our best-selling size is actually our smallest earring, called the baby jumbo. It is teeny-tiny, about an inch long. It is the same design as our jumbo, which is our largest statement … so the girl who comes in who wants something huge has something she can grab. But then if her friend doesn’t want something quite as loud, we also have a subtle statement in the identical pattern and exact design, just smaller. We really do have a sparkle statement subtle enough for the subtlest and loud enough for the loudest.

How do you guide your customers through all of the options?

I talk a lot about what’s called “dopamine dressing.” Essentially, it’s a line of thought that says when you pick out the pieces that you love, dopamine is released in your brain and it actually creates happiness. That doesn’t mean you have to wear the loudest statement. It just means you have to wear what you love. I always, always, always encourage people to dress for the way that they want to feel — and to dress for themselves, and not for others.

The sparkliest store in the metro.

Designer Hannah Barnthouse

A Legacy of Community Care

The Junior League of OKC’s decades of dedication

BY LINDA MILLER

OKLAHOMA CITY WAS QUICKLY GROWING IN THE 1920s, and with that growth came several concerns about children’s health care and the need for dedicated community involvement. Determined to address these issues, a group of women formed the Junior Service League of Oklahoma City in March 1927, which a year later became affiliated with the Association of Junior Leagues of America.

It was the start of a long, storied and continuing history of service, voluntarism and dedication to community projects and improvements with a focus on health and wellness.

Now known as the Junior League of Oklahoma City, the organization’s first extensive project in the ’20s was to establish a community center in the Walnut Grove area, south of the Canadian River. The League hired a play supervisor and set up a library, and two members were on site every afternoon.

Its efforts were quickly appreciated. Funding became easier for future projects, including transportation for children from the County Tubercular Sanitarium, Sunbeam Home and Walnut Grove to facilities for treatment and examinations.

During the League’s first year, fundraisers included a fashion show, tea party, Christmas card sales and a rummage sale that evolved into The Remarkable Shop, a community thrift store. After bills and obligations were paid, the surplus was $1,810.91.

The Junior League soon established an occupational therapy department and later a recreational therapy department in the then-named Crippled Children’s Hospital. In 1932, during the Great Depression, the Junior League established Variety Health Center with medical services first provided in Walnut Grove. In the mid- to late ’40s, the organization sponsored a war bond party and the Beaux Arts Ball.

Over the past 80 years, the Junior League’s effort and determination increased. It has sponsored or co-sponsored numerous seminars and clinics on drug education, the environment, playground design, child abuse and health-related issues. A multitude of projects have been completed, including the Jungle Gym at the Oklahoma City Zoo and The Zone at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital for patients and families.

Mistletoe Market has been a popular Junior League holiday shopping event for decades. Since 1994, more than $1.5 million has been raised to invest in Oklahoma City community projects. Last year’s event raised over $130,000; this year’s is planned for Nov. 3-5 at the OKC Convention Center.

The Remarkable Shop, the League’s resale and consignment store, closed in November 2012, but it generated more than $4 million in 82 years, and the money was invested back into the community. In 2013, an 85th anniversary gala raised $85,000 to fund gifts to both YWCA Oklahoma City and the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

As membership has grown, so have the number of projects the ambitious and dedicated group tackled. Junior League of Oklahoma City now has 1,200 members who engage in community service projects focused on the health and wellness of the metro, and make meaningful connections through leadership, development, training and social opportunities, said Junior League president Adrienne Nobles.

In the 2022-23 year, members reported about 13,700 volunteer hours in service for a total of $435,687 to the Oklahoma City community. Added up over 96 years, Nobles has no doubt the League has contributed millions of dollars in value to the 405.

The Junior League currently runs projects with the YWCA, Boys & Girls Club, Girl Scouts, Citizens Caring for Children, ReMerge, City Care, Concordia, Pivot, Positive Tomorrows, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital and the OKC Zoo. Its signature project, Project EmpowHer, addresses period poverty in the metro with delivery of more than 140,000 products so far.

The League’s mission hasn’t changed since inception — and neither has its members’ determination to help more each year.

For more information about any of its civic projects, Mistletoe Market or the League itself, visit jloc.org.

LEFT: Junior League of Oklahoma City members catalog books at the Oklahoma Arts Center in 1966.

BELOW: Junior League of OKC receives the Journal Record 2023 Empowering Women Award

Left: Jerry Markham, Defender, Oil, 26" x 9"; Top: Laura Robb, Orange Poppies, Oil on linen, 18” x 12”; Bottom: Kathryn Leitner-Merrill, Strength and Dignity, Colored pencil on sanded paper, 11” x 14”

Saddle Up

The detailed handiwork of the Wild West at this exhibition and sale

BY LAVINIA CRESWA

FOR NEARLY A QUARTER OF A CENTURY, THE National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has held an event unlike any other in the country — one where the sophisticated artworks celebrated aren’t paintings or sculptures, but belt buckles and saddles. The Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Exhibition & Sale showcases the ingenuity, practicality and cultural history of cowboy gear.

For the art sale and exhibit, the museum partners with the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association, which was founded in 1998 with the goal of maintaining beautiful, individualized craftsmanship of cowboy culture’s traditional art in the American West. The association is made up of 12 artists with five additional emeritus artists and offers seminars, professional workshops, mentorships and scholarships related to Western handiwork. The four disciplines the TCAA is dedicated to preserving are saddle making, bit and spur making, silversmithing and rawhide braiding.

All of these specialties are represented at the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Exhibition & Sale in Oklahoma City, with everything from traditional cowboy gear to more contemporary items being displayed. The traditional items include gorgeous leather saddles, belt buckles and jewelry as well as rawhide reins and quirts. Some of the more interesting pieces featured in this year’s exhibition are lamps, a wine opener and even a completely leather-tooled Fender Stratocaster guitar.

The exhibition features pieces by 12 artists, who have each hand-crafted three to five works, as well as two works by fellows in the TCAA education program. The artists come from all over the West and represent several

states as well as Canada. One artist is from Argentina and focuses on the gaucho traditions of South America. Everything on display has been specifically designed for this exhibition and will not be viewed anywhere else in the country. The show takes the traditional, functional objects and elevates them as the sculptural works of art that they are.

The sale portion takes place the fi rst weekend the exhibition is open and is packed with activities for the cowboy enthusiast. Patrons who want to bring a piece of art home are invited to a cocktail party that Friday night and then a brunch Saturday. The main event is Saturday evening, when hopeful collectors place their bids to win the pieces, which have fi xed prices, followed by dinner. The sale traditionally has a 75-to-100% sell-through rate, but any pieces that are still available will be clearly marked and available for purchase for the duration of the exhibition.

Nathan Jones, curator of history at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, has overseen the sale and exhibition for the last five years. “These are not pieces you see every day, but they do have a real connection to history,” he said. “The exhibition is very approachable and real, down to the smell of leather in the gallery. It provides the opportunity to look closely at the craftsmanship and to look closely at what people value about making these items, whether you consider yourself a Westerner or not. It is the chance to see what one group of Westerners holds dear, particularly those people who identify with or are curious about the traditional cowboy message.”