How That Happened

Tara Lynn Thompson is the author of the three-volume romantic action-adventure Another series. She also does a wide variety of work around marketing and content strategy. Tara speaks and teaches on writing for various audiences.

She says that she has been confounding people with her descriptive writing since she was a 19-year-old beat reporter and states that she gets a "sharp, devious zing" when she keeps people guessing.

Listen in as Tara explains why she opted to be a writing generalist and a people specialist. She also talks about how the idea of being omnipresent on social media as a brand is being set aside for a more efficient and focused approach to content creation.

She then explains why "powerful, well-placed words spur action" and how companies can best express their message to stand above the noise.

Tara reflects on the spark that led her down her journey as a writer, and describes her approach to her craft as focusing on the spirit of the words written rather than the letter of those words.

Finally, Tara speaks on the process of writing her three-volume series, Another, and the single most powerful business lesson she learned from her experience selling her books.

This episode is now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via the podcast player embedded above.

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Tiffany Hatcher is the President of CrossFirst Bank Tulsa. Her banking career spans over 30 years and includes roles in private client services, wealth management, and commercial banking.

In her current role as Market President, Tiffany oversees all operations of CrossFirst Bank Tulsa, which includes lending, investing, marketing, and the development of new banking services.

In this episode, Tiffany shares her professional journey from entry-level teller to running a bank almost three decades later.

She then dives deep into CrossFirst Bank's unique strengths-based culture (based on the StrengthsFinder assessment) and unpacks her own particular strengths—Futuristic, Strategic, Activator, Relator, and Achiever—and how they have served her as a leader.

She explains how this strengths-based approach has been a huge help with regard to retention amid today's so-called "Great Resignation", where the three most important factors that people are looking for in an organization today are culture, the ability to win business, and community.

Finally, Tiffany speaks on the value that private banks bring to business owners, as well as the opportunities "to touch more people" that have emerged as a result of the pandemic.

This episode is now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via the podcast player embedded above.

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Brendan Quirk is the CEO of Allied Cycle Works in Bentonville, Arkansas. Allied's stated mission is "to make the best bicycles and components in the world, right here in America." Brendan is also the Cycling Program Director for Runway Group, a Bentonville-based investment firm whose focus is the "cultivation of entrepreneurship and other business activity specific to the cycling industry." Most recently, Brendan has served as the Non-Executive Director for North America for London's Brompton Bicycle.

In 1999, Brendan co-founded Competitive Cyclist, a retail bike shop, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He recounts the much smaller, pre-Armstrong market at the time, and how he drove his business forward using the limited capabilities of the early Internet.

The timing could not have been better. As Lance Armstrong rose to fame and eCommerce began to take off in the 2000s, Competitive Cyclist closed its brick-and-mortar office and did business exclusively online. The two-man operation never looked back, and in 2011, Competitive Cyclist was sold to Backcountry.com, propelling Brendan's career in the cycling industry.

In this episode, Brendan shares his experience serving in varied leadership positions throughout his career in the industry, how he came to decide on Allied's lofty mission, what makes a bike "world-class", and the ongoing evolution of cycling culture.

Be sure to subscribe to "How That Happened" to receive our latest episodes, learn more about our guests, and collect resources on how to better manage your business.

For bonus content and additional show notes, visit http://www.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened-episode-40.

Copyright 2021 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com

Susan Lindberg is an attorney and shareholder in the Tulsa office of GableGotwals. She has more than 25 years of experience as an attorney working in the energy sector working in a wide variety of issues, including oil and gas upstream, midstream, interstate natural gas pipeline, and tanking & terminalling businesses.

Susan specializes in company-transforming transactions, corporate governance, and compliance matters.

She has served as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of SemGroup Corporation. She was also General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Eni US Operating Co. Inc., and part of the U.S. executive team for Italy's Eni SpA.

Listen in as Susan shares how she gained an interest in the cyber security space, why many companies continue to have gaps in their systems around cyber-related legal issues.

She offers a number of resources that small-to-medium sized businesses can use to analyze and categorize risk and, therefore, determine the framework they may need to implement.

She also breaks down "ransomware-as-a-service" and what to do if your company falls victim to an attack, and how to plan for insurance and other cyber security investments.

Finally, she gives her thoughts on the future of business and identity verification should the time come when all personal information becomes public.

This episode is now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via the podcast player embedded above.

Make sure to subscribe to "How That Happened" to receive our latest episodes, learn more about our guests, and collect resources on how to better run your business.

For bonus content and additional show notes, visit http://www.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened

Copyright 2020 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com

Aaron is joined by his co-host Robert Wagner, who leads the Advisory practice at HoganTaylor. Robert published the book 55 Questions to Ask Before You Sell Your Business on March 23, 2021.

Robert shares the inspiration behind the book and the lessons he hopes readers will take away based on the opening statement he establishes at the very beginning of the first chapter: One day, your business will be owned by someone else.

"Too many owners," says Robert, "don't plan for that process." He makes the case that business owners need to be thinking—perhaps up to three years in advance—about how to position their company for that inevitable sale or transfer of ownership.

Listen in as Aaron and Robert discuss several of the 55 questions, which Robert grouped into five separate categories in the book: general financial questions; revenue and profitability questions; financial condition and capital structure questions; strategic organizational and human resource questions; and contracts, tax, and regulatory.

This episode is now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via the podcast player embedded above.

Make sure to subscribe to "How That Happened" to receive our latest episodes, learn more about our guests, and collect resources on how to better run your business.

For bonus content and additional show notes, visit http://www.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened

Copyright 2020 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com

Ande Burchfield is an attorney with a focus on Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and blockchain technology. She has a particular interest in the tokenization of real estate securities and the development of infrastructure businesses supporting the efficacy and adoptability of the technology.

Ande represents privately-owned businesses, real estate investors, registered transfer agents, and those involved in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.

She began her legal career working as FINRA and SEC counsel to public and private companies, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) and oil and gas exploration and production companies. In 2015, she founded Burchfield Law, PLLC.

Ande maintains her law practice while managing and growing her real estate portfolio which consists of assets in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Fairview, Oklahoma. She serves on the Board of Trustees for a local 501(c)3 public charity called Prairie Dance Theater that teaches free dance lessons to children in public schools of Oklahoma City.

In this episode, Ande explains the ins-and-outs of cryptocurrency and the potential uses for blockchain technology in different industries, particularly the security token market.

She touches on the various considerations that small business owners need to keep in mind should they decide to accept cryptocurrency as payment.

Finally, Ande gives her thoughts on how securitization can benefit from blockchain technology and potential regulations to expect in the crypto world in the near future.

Resources Mentioned:

The Security Token Show

Gilded

This episode is now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via the podcast player embedded above.

Make sure to subscribe to "How That Happened" to receive our latest episodes, learn more about our guests, and collect resources on how to better run your business.

For bonus content and additional show notes, visit http://www.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened

Copyright 2020 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com

Preston Ackerman is a Supervisory Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was assigned to FBI Headquarters on two separate occasions, supporting IT projects now in use throughout the FBI. Ackerman is currently assigned to the FBI's Oklahoma City Division Cyber Squad and is the program coordinator for computer intrusion matters covering Oklahoma's state. Prior to joining the FBI, he worked as a computer networking consultant.

Preston's background in cybercrime and IT projects has helped with his investigative career. Now, Preston has a special appreciation for the business world and small businesses. He loves working with small business owners because they are under immense pressure, and they happen to be a crucial part of our economy.

In this episode, Preston reveals the inspiration behind his career with the FBI, the most significant cyber threats to your business, and the importance of awareness programs in a corporate setting.

Be sure to subscribe to "How That Happened" to receive our latest episodes, learn more about our guests, and collect resources on how to better manage your business.

For bonus content and additional show notes, visit http://www.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened

Copyright 2020 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com

Tim O'Toole is the current President and CEO of Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. and a long-standing fixture in Oklahoma City's entertainment landscape.

Prior to joining the State Fair, Tim served as President and CEO of Oklahoma City's Triple-A baseball team. He has also played a role in many pivotal moments in Oklahoma City's history, including the 1989 US Olympic Festival, the opening of the Bricktown Ballpark, and multiple sales tax funded city initiatives.

In this episode, Tim shares how his team manages to bring 10,000 - 50,000 people through the Oklahoma City fairgrounds gates each weekend. He also discusses how Oklahoma's geographical location helps drive traffic to the venue and an economic impact of more than $300 million annually.

For bonus content and additional show notes, visit http://www.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened-episode-8

Copyright 2019 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com

Dan Hays is the former head men's basketball coach for Oklahoma Christian University (OC) in Edmond, Oklahoma. He spent 33 seasons as head coach at OC and recorded more wins than any coach in school history. While 2016 was his last season as head coach at OC, he returned to the program in April of 2019 and currently serves as special assistant to the head coach.

With more than 720 career wins, Dan has been inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame–the highest athletic recognition in the state. He is also the recipient of the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Guardians of The Game Award, which recognizes coaches who serve off the court as community leaders.

In this episode, Dan reflects over his long career at OC, what sparked his passion for basketball, the importance of mentorship, and how his dedication to building relationships on and off the court has been instrumental to his success.

This episode is now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via the podcast player embedded above.

Make sure to subscribe to "How That Happened" to receive our latest episodes, learn more about our guests, and collect resources on how to better run your business.

For additional show notes, visit: blog.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened/dan-hays.

Copyright 2021 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com/terms-conditions.

Jill Wagar is currently the Deputy Director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum, a nonprofit public charity founded by Alice Walton, opened its doors in November of 2011. Jill has been a staff member since Crystal Bridges' inception. Her initial role at the museum was Director of Development, followed by Chief Strategy Officer.

In this episode, Jill discusses the three main principles Crystal Bridges has implemented to usher in a new era of community: inclusion, diversity, and anti-racism. These principles strongly support the museum's mission to build a community centered around acceptance and belonging.

Additionally, Jill shares her strategies on fundraising and gives insight on how to engage with potential donors. The museum is currently undergoing an expansion of their building by 50 percent that includes additional art galleries and educational spaces for visitors to enjoy.

This episode is now on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via the podcast player embedded above.

Make sure to subscribe to "How That Happened" to receive our latest episodes, learn more about our guests, and collect resources on how to better run your business.

For additional show notes, visit blog.hogantaylor.com/how-that-happened/jill-wagar.

Copyright 2021 HoganTaylor LLP. All Rights Reserved. To view the HoganTaylor general terms & conditions, visit www.hogantaylor.com/terms-conditions.