The Inspiring Conversations Podcast

In this interview, Jeff sits down with Robin Smith, CEO of WeGoLook, as she first provides an overview of the company and the services that they offer. Robin talks about how WeGoLook combines technology with an on-demand workforce to help businesses and individuals gather and validate information anytime, anywhere.

As the interview begins, Robin shares a story about how she got the idea for this service in late 2009 as a friend of hers was looking to buy a high-end projector on eBay from someone in another state. They thought that the seller was misrepresenting it but had no way to really verify its condition. Robin then talks about how the company got started with her and a few people working alongside her and about how the company evolved and expanded their service offerings over time.

The conversation continues as Robin speaks about how WeGoLook is making a positive difference and a huge impact on the success of their clients and their individual customers. She offers an example of how they are helping a client streamline their same day automobile loan service by having Lookers meet this firm's loan clients at their homes or places of work to perform inspections of the vehicles and fund the loans without the loan client having to go to the bank at all.

Robin then speaks about Lookers and how they perform inspection services and other value-added services all over the world on their schedule and on their own terms as independent contractors. We then hear from her about how this is a great example of what is referred to as the "gig economy" and how people can work and provide these services as much or as little as they want and when they want. She also mentions how they now have over 140 employees in Oklahoma City and over 36,000 Lookers worldwide and continuing to grow.

As this segment wraps up, Robin shares her perspective on how the "gig economy" is changing how people work and how it provides people with more flexibility in how they earn their living. She also reflects on how these types of transaction-based services allow people with the appropriate skillsets to be matched to particular needs for services at any given time in a very convenient way.

In this segment, we hear from Robin about her life's journey and how she started and progressed in her career and positively dealt with challenges in her life. She reflects upon how she began to see the power of the Internet as she worked as a consultant in the automotive sales industry and how this informed her future decision to start WeGoLook utilizing an Internet-based service model.

After that, she looks back at her own experience of "taking the leap" and starting WeGoLook after a successful career as a consultant. She offers encouragement to anyone thinking of leaving a job in order to become self-employed and how it is possible to do so even if is scary or uncomfortable.

We continue as Robin shares the story of how she started WeGoLook and how the business evolved and grew over time. She then speaks about how it is possible for anyone to start a business with an idea no matter where they come from or no matter what their life circumstances have been. She talks about how it is part of the journey to make mistakes and then learn from them and how it's so important to stay resilient and to keep going no matter how tough it gets.

As we wrap up this segment, Jeff comments on how he really felt a sense of their organization being like a family as he had the opportunity to take a tour of their offices with Robin and how he was very moved by seeing her interact spontaneously with a large number of their employees as they moved around their offices. Robin speaks about how very important it is to her to get to know WeGoLook’s employees personally and how this is something that is a high priority for her on a continual basis.

Contact Information-

WeGoLook

100 NE 5th

Oklahoma City, OK. 73104

For more information about WeGoLook’s products and solutions, please visit https://wegolook.com. For inquiries about solutions for your business, please email [email protected]

In this segment, Jeff sits down with Helen Opper, Curator of The Art Hall, which is located at The Rise at 23rd and Walker in Oklahoma City. She explains that they have a specific exhibit schedule and feature various works by Oklahoma City artists as well as works from artists out of the Oklahoma City area, but mostly from within the state.

We continue hearing from her about how they focus on featuring diverse kinds of works by artists who don't always have opportunities to exhibit at other locations. She also explains that they are open Monday thru Friday from 8 am to 9 pm and from 10 am to 9 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays and that people are welcome to tour The Art Hall anytime during those hours and can come and go as they please since there is no charge for admission.

Then, Helen speaks about how they try to show work from as many artists as they can in each exhibit and that they usually do multi-artist exhibitions because of that.

She then shares some information about the history of the building itself as well as some details about the renovations that took place to transform it into The Rise as it is now known. She then talks about the fact that they are the only art gallery in the Uptown District and on 23rd Street and about how they are close to The Paseo and to The Tower Theatre, which makes it a convenient stop on the way to or from those locations.

She and Jeff also visit some about the uniqueness of The Art Hall and about what it adds to the overall experience of being in the area and about how nice it is to be able to just "drop by" when people are nearby Helen also reflects about what it adds to the overall experience of being in the Uptown area in terms of art and culture.

We wrap up the interview as Helen speaks about how The Art Hall is now also available to be rented as an event center, and there are details about that and about purchasing any of the art that is on display there on their website at www.arthallokc.com

In this segment, we continue the conversation with Helen Opper, Curator at The Art Hall as she talks about how she always knew that she wanted to work in the arts since she was a child. She reflects about her life journey and how she transitioned towards studying Art History and receiving her Bachelor’s degree in that field of study and then earned her Master’s degree in Museum Studies from New York University.

We then hear about how her career progressed in the early years as she had opportunities to work in different areas of the art world and about her experiences in returning to Oklahoma City, where she grew up and graduated from Casady School. After that, Helen shares the story of how she became affiliated with The Art Hall and about how she works very well with the owner of The Art Hall, Anna Russell.

The interview progresses with Helen speaking about her unique perspective regarding the art community here in Oklahoma City and how she is very motivated to give opportunities to artists who are at different levels of experience and who may have never had a chance to exhibit their works publicly before. Helen then talks about the diversity of genres of art here in Oklahoma and why she feels that it is so important to provide opportunities to artists who produce all types of art.

We wrap up the interview as Helen talks about how she hopes to see a greater diversity of art being shown here in Oklahoma City, and that in her mind, the solution isn't just simply offering more exhibitions as she sees a lot of value in the art community making efforts to bring in art from different perspectives and "to broaden the horizons on what people can see here."

For more information about rental rates for utilizing The Art Hall as an event center and about purchasing any of the artwork on display there, please visit their website at www.arthallokc.com

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Philip Baker, CEO of Staplegun, a full service advertising agency with its headquarters in downtown Oklahoma City.

We begin by hearing the story of how Philip and his business partner, Brent McCutchen, started Staplegun in their home offices and then continue with him sharing some stories from his earlier life and about how he got started in the advertising business. He shares some stories about how different the advertising business was when he started and then reflects about how much things have changed in the business.

Philip then talks about the importance of planning and in developing a deeper overall understanding in order to create an effective strategy as in the earlier years of his career before the advent of computer technology, there was an inherent need to take time to plan the work and to think more deeply before starting a project. He talks about how they embrace and practice the importance of proper and careful planning on all client projects at Staplegun.

As the conversation continues, Philip shares his perspective on how all of the changes in the media landscape have impacted how business, advertising, and public relations are done these days. He speaks to the importance of "being relevant when relevancy is needed and timeliness when timeliness is needed" and striking a balance between deep, creative thought and careful planning with the ability to be nimble and to react quickly when it is called for.

We then transition into a discussion about the thought that went into planning their current space on the 19th and 20th Floor of the City Place building in downtown Oklahoma City and how it was centered around a focus on creating a workplace that portrays who they are and also helps them to attract and retain the best talent. Philip then shares some of the lessons that they have learned through the process of designing and working within their office space.

As the interview wraps up, Philip shares his perspective on the big picture regarding the changes that we are seeing in the economy and how it is affecting the overall media landscape as well as some of his thoughts on the continued growth and the positive things here in Oklahoma City with so many exciting developments that have happened recently and that are on the horizon. He then speaks about how they try to honor and live the traditional values of keeping their promises and empowering their employees by having a supportive work environment that also challenges them to continue to improve and to do their best. They also put a considerable amount of focus on encouraging their employees to get involved and to be a part of the community, to give back, and to help out in several very meaningful ways.

Contact Info-

204 N. Robinson Ave., Suite 2000

Oklahoma City, OK. 73102

405-601-9430

https://staplegun.us/

In this episode, Jeff sits down to visit with Danny Joe Rose, a local artist whose work is deeply rooted in the natural world, combining nature and abstraction. Using mediums of paint, digital, and sculpture. His paintings usually start from a quick sketch. He draws in an automatic way, allowing shapes and compositions to arise freely. The places that emerge in his work are loosely based on places he has been and places he has created.

We begin as he speaks about how his process and his work has evolved over the years and about what he is working on currently in preparation for his next exhibit and then hear from him about his upcoming exhibition at [Artspace] at Untitled called Strange Tide that opens on January 13th.

He shares a very interesting perspective about the relationship between the mind and the work itself, and he then reflects upon his own experiences as he works in his studio and how he deals with those challenges on a moment-to-moment basis. He talks about how easy it is to give into the tendency to "chase" and try to re-create another good moment where everything just simply came together in the past and how he tries to just allow himself to feel however he does in the moment as he creates his various works.

We continue as he talks about what he is really enjoying about being here in OKC and how moving here has changed his perspective and about how he feels more moved to be out in the community more and meeting other artists and seeing their work as well. We also hear from Danny Joe about his upcoming work as a visiting Professor teaching graphic design and as an artist-in-residence at OCU this coming year.

We wrap up this segment where we discuss more about the "inner experience" of creating art, how that has affected him on a human level, and what he has learned through the process of growth and evolution as an artist over the years. He also makes a very important point that his finished works reflect different points in time along the way as he created them where he felt all different kinds of emotions which changed over time.

Danny's Bio-

Danny Rose received his BFA from the Art Institute of Dallas in 2012. Between 2014 and 2015, Rose lived in Indonesia, teaching art and design at the Chandra Kusuma International School. Rose's work has been included at The Beeville Art Museum, Oliver Francis Gallery, The Lexington Art League and others. His solo show “The Sun Shines Blue” opened at Galleri Urbane in the summer of 2016, followed by his show “Majic Eyes,” which opened in Jan 2017 at The Eisemann Center for Performing Arts. In January 2017 He was an artist-in-residence at The Guapamacátaro Center for Art and Ecology and most recently an artist-in-residence at Artspace Untitled. Beginning in January 2018 he will be a visiting professor and artist-in-residence at Oklahoma City University.

View Danny Joe's Website at dannyrosestudio.com

View information about his upcoming exhibition, Strange Tide, at [Artspace] at Untitled at https://www.1ne3.org/upcoming/

We continue the conversation as Danny Joe talks about his life journey and what inspired him to become an artist and about early experiences that have informed his artwork over the years.

We then hear from him about a trip to Indonesia to teach art and design and about how it changed his life in so many ways. He talks about how he found himself there through his experiences in fully immersing himself in the people and in the culture despite the difficulties in communicating verbally with people there due to language differences. He reflects on how his artistic practice grew there with a deepening of his self-reflection while doing his work and on how he enjoyed the process of just making things for the sake of making them and not worrying about the outcome or what he would do with the finished pieces. As we continue to discuss these experiences and how they have affected him, we hear from him about how the language barriers allowed him to relate to others on a different level. He also shares about how he really enjoyed the personal growth that came from being open to connecting with people despite the fear and discomfort with the challenges in communicating with them verbally.

We wrap up this segment talking with him about how all of his artwork is inspired and affected by all of the places that he has been and all that he has experienced. He then shares his thoughts about how works of art, even if they are abstract ones, bring what is experienced in the mind into the physical realm and how the unconscious mind influences works of art in such a powerful way.

Danny's Bio-

Danny Rose received his BFA from the Art Institute of Dallas in 2012. Between 2014 and 2015, Rose lived in Indonesia, teaching art and design at the Chandra Kusuma International School. Rose's work has been included at The Beeville Art Museum, Oliver Francis Gallery, The Lexington Art League and others. His solo show “The Sun Shines Blue” opened at Galleri Urbane in the summer of 2016, followed by his show “Majic Eyes,” which opened in Jan 2017 at The Eisemann Center for Performing Arts. In January 2017 He was an artist-in-residence at The Guapamacátaro Center for Art and Ecology and most recently an artist-in-residence at Artspace Untitled. Beginning in January 2018 he will be a visiting professor and artist-in-residence at Oklahoma City University.

View Danny Joe's Website at dannyrosestudio.com

View information about his upcoming exhibition, Strange Tide, at [Artspace] at Untitled at https://www.1ne3.org/upcoming/

In this segment, adam and I continue the conversation as we hear from him about his new project space and what he envisions for the future there.

He speaks about the significance of this new space being in the Paseo Arts District and why it is such an ideal place for this concept to take form.

adam reflects on how one of the most important professional influences in his life taught him how “people are more important than buildings” and how this new space will reflect that emphasis on people and communities. He provides us with a visual representation of how professionals can pool their resources, knowledge, and tools to help the public create projects that serve communities and bring people together.

As we wrap up this segment, adam speaks about a financially sustainable model that fuels his concept for a project space and empowers neighborhoods and communities. He makes a very important point about how community projects must “fill the void” left when community programs disappear. adam adds that we have way more than we realize as a community and that we can apply creative, entrepreneurial thinking to “put the pieces together and make it happen”. This is where his creative passion lies: To creatively fill the void, spark innovation, and bring communities and people together through placemaking.

In this episode, I sit down with adam Lanman, artist and architect and hear about what inspired his practice, atelieraL, and his new cooperative project and performance space in the Paseo Arts District.

adam shares memories of his early community-based projects that ignited his imagination and that today he focuses his energy on. He talks about some of his completed projects over the past few years and the impact he has seen them make in communities. adam then reflects on these personally and how they have inspired him to focus his practice in finding more creative and effective ways to bring communities together. adam speaks about the benefit of reusing material and provides examples of how that can be done innovatively. He talks about how important it is we change in our cultural mindset and focus on reuse, rethinking, innovation and community building through placemaking.

adam tells us how atelieraL will focus on serving groups in community-based projects that have a need for architects, designers and associated professionals who have a heart to serve communities despite their lack of financial resources. Here he emphasizes the importance of “making” in this process and how bringing together stakeholders in his new space will provide a platform to visualize, plan, fund and fabricate new and exciting works.

In closing, we hear from adam why public art is so important and how he believes it is beneficial to the community by adding some information about projects both in progress and on the boards.

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Jeremiah Davis-Artistic Director and Jennifer Scanlan-Exhibitions & Curatorial Director at Oklahoma Contemporary.

We begin the conversation with information about Oklahoma Contemporary and what their mission is and what they offer the public.

Oklahoma Contemporary encourages artistic expression in all its forms through education and exhibitions, and their vision is to endeavor to instill in the public a lifetime appreciation of the arts and enthusiasm for creative practice.

Throughout the year, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center enriches the lives of tens of thousands of people, young and old.......from budding artists to seasoned creators, many of whom might not otherwise receive this exposure. They offer a variety of classes and workshops for adults and children six days a week in the arts of painting, pottery, weaving and more.

We continue as they both emphasize the fact that they see themselves as a "crossroads of art, expression, and creativity."

After that, Jennifer and Jeremiah both share information about their new facility at 11th and Broadway and that they plan to open the new building fully in the Fall of 2019, and Jennifer speaks about the fact that they do have some exhibitions in place at the new facility and have done so for some time. We hear from them that they are very excited to bring all of their exhibits and programs closer to the downtown area as there is so much growth and so many exciting things happening in the downtown area.

We then transition into hearing from them about their upcoming exhibit, which opens on Thursday, October 5th and is called Not For Sale: Graffiti Culture in Oklahoma. This will be a group art show and will feature 10 artists who have been an integral part of the Oklahoma graffiti scene. Artists will paint their pieces directly on the walls of the gallery, transforming Oklahoma Contemporary into an amazing display of styles. These artists are part of a culture that promotes creative expression to individuals who have not always had access to the art world.

Jeremiah and Jennifer both share an overview of how the idea of this exhibit came into being and also give us a very detailed overview about the exhibit itself. They both speak to the importance of how this exhibit gave them an opportunity to do a lot of outreach to various community organizations to get their input and how that will hopefully lead to more collaboration between all of them for the good of all.

After that, we then discuss the evolution of graffiti throughout history and over the last 40 years and how they are really focusing on the aspects of this art form and the values that bring people together and help people change their lives for the better. They explain that graffiti is one of the four elements of hip-hop culture and speak to how their programming associated with this exhibit will be focused on the other three elements as well. We talk briefly about examples of other outdoor areas in OKC that are featuring similar types of this art form.

We then hear from them about how all of the artists featured in this exhibit are all from Oklahoma originally and how this particular exhibit may very well be the first one with graffiti-based art being painted directly on the indoor walls to be exhibited in this particular manner.

We wrap up this segment hearing about all of the various programs that are planned around this exhibit over the next couple of months.