Rock the Boat Oklahoma

This week we got to talk to Shelly Goodmanson, the owner of Serendipity Pottery based in Cashion. Shelly is funny, quirky, and inspirational in her journey to build a business and a life for herself and her family! Listen in and discover why you might just need to make a trip to Cashion, Oklahoma.

Show Notes

• How did Shelly become interested in pottery?
• The history of Serendipity Pottery
• Classes and lessons at Serendipity studio
• The joy of teaching pottery to children
• Why she loves pottery so much and the peace it brings
• Why she didn't like stained glass :)
• The importance of sharing your craft with others
• Where you can find her pottery
• The exciting community project Shelly is spearheading thanks to a grant
• Shelly's favorite and least favorite parts of making pottery
• The process of making pottery

Recommended Resources

Jeff Blood never expected to open his own insurance agency. But after going through a divorce and the resulting turmoil, he knew he had to find something new. It wasn't a straight path, but it's one he's grateful for. Let's go on that journey with him now!

Show Notes

• Why did Jeff become an insurance agent when there are already so many?
• Training to become an agent takes a lot longer than you would think.
• What does Jeff love so much about being an insurance agent?
• His career before becoming an insurance agent
• Opening a new business is terrifying!
• The best tip you'll ever get for how to shop for insurance!
• What the heck does uninsured motorist coverage actually do?
• What really drove him to become an agency owner.
• How he went from the lowest time of his life to this brand-new adventure.
• He's going to be a Farmers agent for the rest of his life
• Why should we use Jeff Blood for our insurance needs?

Contact Info

Jeffrey Blood Insurance Agency

1400 SW 89th Street

(405) 692-7500

Dan Solloway is a modern-day renaissance man. With a career spanning several decades, he has done a little bit of everything. He invented fitness equipment many years ago. He's hosted a talk radio show for several years. Most recently he has become a podcast host and a painter. In today's episode, we talk to Dan and find out what drives him and how he ended up where he is today.

Show Notes

• ADHD is his superpower.
• What is Hydra-Tone?
• How did Dan get into radio?
• His podcast - Dan's Health Talks and the two supplements he highly recommends
• What happened to his Hydro-Tone invention?
• Inventing is a lot harder that you might think
• The method Dan found to drastically improve his memory
• Why Dan loves painting so much

Recommended Resources

Super excited for the first episode of our second season with RTB's new producer, Shanda Danielle, of LifeHAC Media!! She has an incredible story, and I think you'll be moved and inspired by how she's used personal tragedy to help others and move into a place of peace. 

Episode Summary

• How did Shanda become the producer of RTB?
• Besides being a producer, Shanda has written a book with her autistic son about what it's like spending a week in a psych ward getting help.
• Her primary passion is Tanker's Rock. What is Tanker's Rock?
• What does a mother go through when they lose a child?
• How does Tanker's Rock help?
• Shanda also does public speaking for women's empowerment and suicide prevention.
• Educating people about how to talk to parents who have lost a child.

Recommended Resources

You’ve probably heard me refer to my producer, Richard, on the show. Richard is an AMAZING producer, and he’s also the owner and founder of Blacken Studios.

What does Blacken Studios do exactly? As described on the website, “Blacken Studios specializes in forming an idea, defining your passion and transforming it into a work of art we like to call a podcast.” I couldn’t have said it any better myself.

Richard has an incredible story! He’s a father, an entrepreneur, and a cancer survivor. If you like to be inspired, this story will definitely do it! And if you’re considering starting a podcast, this is a great introduction to someone who can help you knock it out of the park.

• How did Richard become a podcast producer and then owner of his own studio?
• Why does he do podcasts rather than producing music?
• How did COVID affect the studio?
• Learn how and why this show got started.
• What drives Richard to do this whole podcast studio thing?
• The importance of embracing change
• Richard’s cancer survival story

Stephanie Laswell, the owner of Stephanie Marie Living, is a realtor. Nothing unusual there. But what does set her apart is that she specializes in divorcing families.

Divorce is an awful experience no matter what, and it’s made all the harder if you’re having to sell your home and/or buy a new one. There are lots of issues that have to be taken into consideration when it comes to selling a home during a divorce, and Stephanie can walk you through the entire process. With years of experience helping primarily women going through a divorce, she knows what to look out for and how to abide by court orders, and just all the things that go with selling a house in this difficult situation.

If you’ve ever gone through it, you understand how helpful having a realtor who specializes in working with divorcing families can be. So listen in and see what drove Stephanie to this niche in this field and hear the tips and advice she has for anyone going through a difficult time like this.

• Why did she choose to specialize in divorcing families?
• How is buying/selling a home different for divorcing families?
• What is the biggest surprise for people in selling a home for divorcing families?
• The training she’s taken in order to specialize in this niche
• Being a realtor for divorcing families is a part realtor and part counselor
• How do you handle friends who are going through a divorce?
• How should we, as a society, help people who are going through a divorce?
• What is the first thing someone should do when they decide to get a divorce?
• What’s her favorite part of working in this niche?
• What’s the hardest part?
• Why did she become a realtor?
• What’s causing the current seller’s market?
• What do you need to do to get ready to buy or sell a house?

What the heck is Magnus Omnicorps? It turns out it’s the old English name for McGuiness, as in Mark McGuiness. You don’t know who Mark is? Well, now is your chance to meet him!

Mark McGuiness is the owner of Magnus Omnicorps, which provides a variety of professional services to people who need things done, but the one we’re mostly going to touch on today is geriatric case management. At some point, almost all of us will have to deal with elderly parents, which is even more difficult if they leave in a different state. Mark is a fantastic resource for such a situation. He has spent years helping families make sure their loved one’s needs are met. He’s not a home health nurse, but he’ll help you make sure the home health service you’re using is a good one.

He does so much more that it’s almost impossible to explain it properly in an introduction. So let’s listen in so he can speak for himself. You’re gonna love him!

• Some of the services he provides for busy people
• How did he get into this weird, niche business?
• What does the future hold for Mark?
• Which service does he enjoy providing the most?
• Top tips on what to look out for if you have to put your parents into assisted living
• Your mom has fallen and broken her hip. She’s had surgery and the hospital is ready to discharge her. What do you do?
• How do you find out if an assisted center is any good?
• What keeps him motivated to keep going?
• Has he ever tried to train a successor?

One of the things I’ve heard more than once in doing these interviews is that the biggest surprise most people receive when they start a business is the importance of the numbers, the money. People want to make money doing something they enjoy, but most people don’t have any idea about taxes, tracking inventory, keeping a ledger, etc. And let’s be honest, most business owners don’t want to deal with the technicalities. They want to do what they enjoy and let the numbers take care of themselves.

Unfortunately, the numbers won’t take care of themselves, and that’s why we have people like the wonderful Stephanie Smith, owner of Zen Bookkeeping! She loves helping small businesses learn to take care of their numbers. That’s why I thought she would be a great guest this week. She has tips, advice, and things to be careful of. If you’re a small business owner who struggles to take care of their books, give a listen and learn some helpful tools and tactics to make your life easier!

Podcast Episode Summary

• What’s the biggest mistake most small business owners make?
• How can we avoid this mistake?
• Where did the name Zen Bookkeeping come from?
• What’s the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
• What made Stephanie decide to become a bookkeeper?
• Why does Stephanie want to help small business owners specifically?
• The best and worst parts of being a bookkeeper
• Future plans for Zen Bookkeeping
• What can you do to make your bookkeeper’s job easier?
• Here’s a good reason for keeping your business and personal bank accounts separate
• Can she help you handle the IRS?
• What does working with a bookkeeper look like?
• Some of the services she offers
• She’s passed the love of numbers down to her son!
• Learn some surprising facts about Stephanie that are completely not bookkeeper related
• Deductions, baby!
• The easiest way to track your mileage

Let’s talk health insurance. Wait…don’t go!

Seriously, this is an episode you need to listen to. There are alternatives to the major insurance companies out there, but you’ll only hear about it here! Just FYI, I use this alternative health insurance, and I GOT A CHECK BACK FROM THE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY! What?!?! That’s right.

Kathy is a super sweet, super fun lady that has made it her life’s mission to help people navigate the crazy world of health insurance. If you’re going through a medical event, the last thing you want to do is deal with the insurance company. One of the perks of being Kathy’s client is she’ll navigate that mess for you.

Listen in and take a peek into the dark world of health insurance and the fantabulous alternatives you can participate in. I promise it’s a lot more interesting than you think!

• What’s so different about the insurance companies Kathy represents?
• Shop around for any and all medical services, people!!! Get a written order instead of an electronic order.
• Kathy loves to help her clients shop around for the best providers and navigate the insurance maze on your behalf. It’s white-glove concierge service for each and every client!
• Upfront pricing for medical services is a gamechanger in the medical industry.
• My personal experience with Philadelphia American (hint: it’s a good one)
• How indemnity insurance actually works. This is actually really interesting! Just follow closely.
• Here’s how you can find out whether an insurance company is reputable.
• Do we really need health insurance?
• Direct Primary Care – How does this work with health insurance?
• How did she even get into health insurance?
• How the pandemic affected her business.

Cancer is a tragic reality for almost all of us. Either we have experienced it ourselves, or we’ve had a loved one go through it. For many of us, we’ve lost a loved one to that battle. Jenny Banner is no different. After losing her mother to lung cancer, she decided to do something to make the battle a little easier for those going through it. Thus was born the Oklahoma Lung Cancer Initiative.

When we think of cancer, we think of chemo and radiation and endless trips to the hospital. What we don’t think of is being unable to cook meals, do laundry, go to the grocery store. But being unable to accomplish these tasks is as much a reality for cancer patients as the treatment. Oklahoma Lung Cancer Initiative was created to fill that gap for patients who can’t do it for themselves while undergoing treatment.

But there is so much more to this organization. Listen in and hear Jenny’s story and learn more about this amazing organization and what they do and what their future plans are. This is a story of a few people who each experienced a traumatic loss, and by banding together, they are determined to make a difference in this world for others going through a similar trial.

• What does the Oklahoma Lung Cancer Initiative do?
• What is her why for starting this nonprofit? It’s very personal.
• Why doesn’t lung cancer get the concern and research money that breast cancer gets?
• What are the goals of OLCI over the next five years?
• Current guidelines for lung cancer screening
• Her mom’s lung cancer story
• BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE! If something is wrong and not getting better, don’t let medical professionals blow you off!
• Did you know Oklahoma City has a cancer treatment center?!?! I didn’t know either.
• But then she also has her own business -- For Purpose Events. What is it and what’s her why?
• The pandemic almost killed her brand-new business, but she managed to pull through!
• Virtual events vs. In-person events
• The pandemic affected nonprofits too.
• For Purpose Events is creating a philanthropic arm of their business for startup nonprofits.
• She’s also partnering with Bricktown water taxis for special events.

For my coffee lovers out there, this is for you. Joshua Bugg runs a micro-roasting coffee company out of Crescent, OK. If you’re used to drinking one of the brands you get from the grocery store, you should really have a listen. Learn about the process of brewing that coffee and what a difference freshness makes in the flavor!

If you’re not a coffee drinker, there’s good stuff in here for you too! Joshua is literally following his passion. He loves roasting coffee, and he’s slowly building his business. If you have a dream, something you love to do, Joshua’s story will really resonate with you, and he lays out the steps he took exactly to grow his business.

Podcast Episode Summary

• Joshua’s journey from not even drinking coffee to starting his own micro-roasting coffee company
• His theory on what makes his coffee so much better than what you buy at the grocery store
• Where he gets his coffee beans
• Just FYI, he doesn’t roast coffee until the orders come in…FRESH FRESH FRESH!
  Joshua’s plans for the future of Rural Route Coffee Roasters
• Why he loves the coffee roasting process so much
• Marketing...the bane of every small business owner!
• The real secret – What is the difference between light, medium, and dark roast?
• What the heck are origin flavors?
• Another option for your coffee – STEAK RUB!

Recommended Resources

Sometimes it takes a huge event for us to make life changes. That was certainly the case for Julie Mott. After surviving stage IV colorectal cancer, Julie knew she wanted to do something good with her experience. After undergoing extensive training, Julie became a nationally board-certified health coach. Now she gets to spend her days helping other people improve their health, and she couldn't be happier!

If you want to hear her story and get some tips on how to handle healthy living in this crazy world of ours, you definitely need to listen to this episode! Julie is kind and funny and will get you excited about getting a jump start on living a healthy life!

• What does a health coach actually do?
• Little changes really can make a big difference in your health
• Julie’s favorite thing about being a health coach
• The importance of knowing your why. Simon Sinek nailed it!
• Her biggest success story so far
• What becoming a nationally board-certified health and wellness coach involves
• Julie’s battle with colorectal cancer and how it led her to become a health coach
• Tips for creating a healthy food plan
• IMPOSTOR SYNDROME is real!
• Building a business is HARD!
• Recommendations for self-care for both men and women
• She’s looking for new clients, people!

Does anyone in your life snore so loud that you’ve given half a thought to smothering them with your pillow?! Well, it turns out there is a better solution! This week we got to talk to Di’Anna Riffer-Gilpin, a registered sleep technician of many years, about sleep apnea, what it is, and what to do about it. We learned that sleep apnea can be a contributing factor to high blood pressure, heart disease, migraines, insomnia, certain types of cancer, anxiety, depression, and smothering by a pillow!

Seriously, if you have any of these issues, you need to listen to Di’Anna’s episode. I believe it could literally save your life or the life of a loved one. Besides, very few of us actually look good in orange.

Podcast Episode Summary

• What actually is sleep apnea?
• What happens if you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea?
• What makes her an expert in sleep?
• How do you become a sleep technician?
• What are some of the crazy things that happen when you’re watching people sleep?
• What causes sleep apnea?
• If you’ve used a CPAP machine before and hated it, don’t give up! Your CPAP machine can be adjusted to fix whatever you hate about it.
• People with claustrophobia can use CPAP machines too. It can be overcome!
• A few suggestions for how to get used to wearing a CPAP mask
• It can take some time to feel the difference of a good night’s sleep, so BE PATIENT!
• How do you get a sleep study?

Recommended Resources

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Sara Paden, owner of Tail Waggers Mobile Dog Grooming. Sara took an interesting path to dog grooming in that she didn’t always work with animals. It wasn’t something that was a lifelong dream, but now she’s having a great time with it!

Listen in and hear about Sara’s journey and get some tips and advice on caring for your pup’s grooming needs.

Podcast Episode Summary

• How did Sara go from an office job to dog grooming? That’s quite a leap.
• Tips on how to make yourself useful to potential mentors
• Social media, baby!
• Starting a business is intimidating, but Just. Do.It!
• How she handles difficult clients
• Word of mouth and social media is vital for gaining clients.
• First things first when starting a business, GET AN ACCOUNTANT!
• Tips for taking care of your dog’s coat. And hint, groomers automatically clip your dog’s nails.
• The yuckiest parts of dog grooming

We usually don’t think about oilfield workers being super-talented photographers, but David Schweizer is a great reminder to us all not to judge a book by its cover. He loves to drive around the backroads and take pictures of the beautiful Oklahoma landscape!

Find out how the beauty of the Oklahoma sky saved his life and how God has been directing his steps in this business ever since!

Podcast episode summary

• Taking pictures actually saved David’s life, and he’s been doing it ever since in an effort to bring joy to others.
• “The darkness makes you shine brighter.”
• How his hobby helped him actually get his day job
• Be careful taking pics out in the middle of nowhere! We’re a gun-lovin’ state.
• He sells prints and Oklahoma wooden cutouts with pictures printed on them that you can buy and have your own little piece of Oklahoma. The website link is below.
• What makes a good picture for the Oklahoma cutouts?
• How God’s inspiration is driving his business

Recommended resources

On this episode of Rock the Boat OKC, we get to talk to Mike O’Brien, owner and artisan of Beard and Brush. What are Beard and Brush? I’m glad you asked! This may come as a surprise, but beard refers to Mike’s bushy beard and brush is all about his hand-painted game pieces for tabletop games such as Warhammer.

Did you know people put down good money for these well-crafted game pieces? Neither did I, but they do and it’s a lot more common than you might realize. Let’s listen in and learn more about this very niche business.

Podcast episode summary

• If you want to get your hands on some models in OKC, where do you go?
• How did he get into such a niche business?
• Mike’s efforts to increase income so he can go full time.
• How do you hone your skills?
• His most difficult piece? St. Celestine the Living Saint
• No need for magnifying glasses when you have super terrible eyesight!
• That first commission!
• How much does it cost to get a hand-painted piece?
• Best practices for Facebook livestreams
• Mike’s favorite part of the process...and his least favorite part.
• A professional’s advice for beginning model painters
• How do you start getting customers?
• How do newbies get started doing tabletop games?

Recommended resources

Today we talk to the newly elected mayor of Bethany, OK, Nikki Lloyd. She’s not your typical politician. She’s funny, she’s interesting, and she actually has the interest of her citizens at heart!

Follow Nikki’s journey from city employee to business owner to mayor and hear about the ups and downs on her journey to mayordom and why she loves her little city so much!

Podcast Episode Summary

• Disaster strikes on her first day in office in the form of an ice storm that freezes city water pipes! Nooo!
• Being a reluctant leader and each person’s civic duty to try to make a change
• How complicated it is to get anything done in the government. You have no idea!
• Running a campaign is waaay harder than you would think. Get a campaign manager!
• How do you run a city on VERY limited resources?
• The biggest component of being a politician is customer service. Who da thunk?!
• Connecting with the citizens is what makes it all worth it!
• Future plans for Bethany
• How COVID decimated her marketing firm and why Zoom networking meetings don’t work
• Her message for the citizens of Bethany

Recommended Resources

In this week’s episode, we talk to Kris Morgan, the founder of Flags 4 Vets Made By A Vet. As you may have guessed, Kris is a veteran, and he has quite a story, from a traumatic brain injury while deployed to depression, divorce and finally finding his way through woodworking.

Join us as we find out how Kris got into making beautiful wooden flags when he had NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE in woodworking, the most touching experiences he’s had in giving flags to other veterans, and what the future holds for Flags 4 Vets.

Podcast episode summary

• How a misdiagnosed brain bleed led to 10 years of seizures and depression until he discovered the joy of woodworking.
• When he gave away the first flag he made and saw the smile on another vet’s face, he knew he’d found what he was meant to do.
• You can nominate a vet to receive a free handmade flag.
• Media exposure was a gamechanger for Flags 4 Vets. He even got to make a flag for Good Morning America host Robin Roberts in memory of her father.
• The gift that took his organization to the next level.
• The future of Flags 4 Vets includes bringing on other vets to ramp up production.
• But then he fell and got ANOTHER brain bleed just a couple of years ago! Thank God for hyperbaric chamber diving. Another lifechanger!
• He needs donations to keep his program going!! You can support Flags 4 Vet via Patreon.
• He’s been invited to be on Kelly Clarkson’s show! How exciting is that!!

Recommended Resources