Introducing Jill Donovan:

There are two simple but strong words that describe Jill Donovan perfectly, “passionate” and “purposeful”.  Founder of Rustic Cuff and author of The Kindness Effect, Jill graduated from Oral Roberts University and went on to earn her law degree from the University of Tulsa. She is married to Terry, her college sweetheart and has two beautiful daughters.  

Jill was a practicing attorney and adjunct law professor at TU when her passion for cuff bracelets, and her need to refill her ‘gift closet’ led her to begin Rustic Cuff.  Now a sought-after motivational speaker, Jill encourages people to pursue their passions, fulfill their God-given purpose, and always pay it forward! From a young age, Jill has met life with humor and zeal. She is often heard saying, “You can truly change your world… one act of kindness at a time.”

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Introducing Ryan Mayfield:

Ryan Mayfield is a Leadership Coach & Teamwork Consultant.

Even though he'd sat through almost every imaginable version of leadership training and personality assessment, he never felt like those trainings left a truly lasting impact on himself or those he worked with. This led him to start his company, Your Teamwork Coach, where he helps leaders develop teams that make other leaders jealous! 

Today, he works with business leaders and teams from across the country to help them understand themselves, each other, communicate better, and love their jobs. Ryan’s content is currently being used globally with teams from Google, Delta Airlines, The US Air Force, Pfizer, The University of Oklahoma, Nike, and many others.

Ryan is obsessed with things like good coffee, travel, cricket (the sport, not the bug), and helping leaders learn to fight for the highest possible good of everyone they lead. He currently lives in Tulsa, OK with his wife, 13-year-old son, and a 2-year-old beagle named Rooster.

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**Please note our new location at Oklahoma Christian University- Meinders Conference Center at 2501 E Memorial Road, Edmond, OK 73013** Enter through the south entrance under the covered circle drive**

Introducing Brian Byrnes:

Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing

 Brian Byrnes joined the Thunder organization in April 2005 and was instrumental in developing and executing the strategic sales and marketing efforts needed to eventually launch business operations in Oklahoma City in 2008. Byrnes’ current responsibilities include oversight of all revenue platforms including corporate partnerships, ticket sales, retention and operations; luxury suites, terrace lounges and unique inclusive experiences; game theatre, event planning, corporate hospitality and brand architecture and discipline.

 Capitalizing on the unique opportunity to build Oklahoma City’s first major league sports team from the ground up, Byrnes continues to design and implement initiatives that reach beyond the Thunder’s regional influence, marking the team as one of the pillars on the NBA’s global stage. The programs under Byrnes’ oversight span platforms including education, wellness, social justice, entrepreneurial development and meaningful guest experiences - diversifying the Thunder’s entertainment brand to elevate and advance Oklahoma City and Oklahoma alike. Under Byrnes’ direction, these programs cultivate a culture of corporate leadership aimed at driving meaningful fan engagement with a relentless approach to creating conditions for people to thrive. This holistic effort is focused on bolstering the team’s commitment to its core values and maintaining emphasis on forward momentum and sustainability - all while building organizational legacy in real time.

Previously, Byrnes served as executive vice president of business operations for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, guiding the organization through an organizational rebranding in conjunction with a transition to a new venue. Prior to joining the Coyotes, Byrnes built nearly 10 years of experience with the NHL’s Dallas Stars and MLB’s Texas Rangers.

 Byrnes is actively involved in the Thunder Cares Foundation, Allied Arts, Leadership Oklahoma City, Leadership Oklahoma, Science Museum Oklahoma, Thunder Fellows and the Greater Oklahoma City Sports Consortium. A graduate of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Byrnes and his wife Ashley reside with their three children in Edmond.

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Introducing Phil Lakin:

Phil Lakin is a native Tulsan, attended Jenks High School and received his BBA and MBA from Baylor University. Lakin has been a City Councilor for 12 years serving District 8 and has led Tulsa Community Foundation since its founding. TCF is the second largest community foundation in the country, behind only Silicon Valley, and manages $6B in charitable accounts for over 2000 individuals, corporations, foundations and not for profit organizations. Phil is one of 50 individuals who has climbed all 70+ peaks in the continental US that exceed 14,000 feet and has attended the last 41 Indy 500 races, a tradition he and his father started. Phil has been married to Adriane for 28 years and they have 3 sons – Brooks, Alex and Cooper. 

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Introducing Eric Knam:

Eric Knam is the CEO of The Business Acceleration Team, a branch of the World’s #1 Business & Executive Coaching organization.

He specializes in helping people build a sellable business.

Eric started his professional career as an officer in the U.S. Army where he deployed twice to the Middle East. He transitioned to corporate America where he spent 22 years in sales, specialty sales, operations, and sales management with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

He is an accomplished business professional who has more than two decades of experience in coaching, mentoring, and holding people accountable to doing the things they say they are going to do. He has won numerous national and regional awards for coaching, leadership, and sales.

Even though Eric can’t sing to save his life and the only thing close to an instrument that he can play is the radio, he loves music. His favorite genre is alternative rock, and he has seen more than 150 bands live.

Eric is a devoted husband and father. He and his wife, Christi have been married for 30 years. They have a son Ryan and twin daughters, Liz & Hannah. They enjoy family vacations and going to concerts together.

Eric has been actively involved in numerous organizations including the Bixby Chamber of Commerce, the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, the Tulsa Home Builders Association, and as a graduate leader at the local and national levels for the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.

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Introducing Toby Joplin:

Dr. Toby Joplin is the founder of Joplin Consulting Group, a consulting firm that helps organizations create, improve, and execute business strategies. Known by his friends, colleagues, and students as “Dr J” because of his love of basketball, he has been helping organizations become more successful for over 25 years. He has worked with companies as small as start-ups to as large as QuikTrip and Intuit. Dr. J is also the Director of the University of Tulsa Graduate Business Programs where he teaches the capstone business strategy course. Dr J formerly taught at Oklahoma State University. In 2018, Dr J was named the Outstanding Graduate School Professor on both OSU’s Stillwater and Tulsa campuses.  Dr J is the founder of an internet website that has been featured in numerous business publications including Forbes, Business Week, Harvard Business Review, and Time magazines.  BusinessWeek named the website one of the “Top 50 Uses of the Web” in 2005.   Dr J earned his PhD from Oklahoma State University and is certified to practice public accounting. He is also a Strategic Member of the Oklahoma Bankers Association.

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Lindel Fields is a renowned leader in creating exceptional workplace cultures. With over 30 years of experience as a student and teacher of leadership, Lindel has a proven track record of helping organizations achieve world-class results by focusing on their people and culture.

Under Lindel's leadership, Tri County became one of the top-performing organizations in the U.S, earning the prestigious presidential Malcolm Baldrige Award in 2018 and being named to Fortune's Great Places to Work list five times, reaching #7 in 2021.

Lindel is the Founder and CEO of Your Culture Coach, a leading consulting firm specializing in transforming workplace cultures. Through Your Culture Coach, Lindel leverages his expertise and passion for providing customized strategies and programs that foster employee engagement, boosting productivity, and driving sustainable growth for organizations across various industries.

Lindel's philosophy is simple yet powerful: "It's not what you do in a day, but what you do daily that matters." This creed has led him to athletic feats such as completing the Ironman and drives his mission to help organizations create great places to work.

Together with his wife Leigh Ann and their daughter Eva, Lindel uses this philosophy to explore the beauty of nature by visiting all 63 National Parks before Eva graduates high school. As a premier leader in workplace culture, Lindel Fields continues to inspire and empower individuals and organizations to reach their full potential.

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Topic: The Impact Of Your Life Operating System

Discover how to live your life in a way that can change the trajectory of those you care about the most and are responsible to lead. Walk away understanding what a Life Operating System is, why it is so important, and how to improve yours.

Introducing Clay Slaton:

Clay Slaton is a coach, speaker, author, and entrepreneur. He bootstrapped his first two businesses each from zero to multi-millions before their respective successful exits. During this time he also started, purchased, partnered or sold another 10 businesses, was instrumental in growing the Oklahoma Chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization as a founding member and past president, and was recognized along the way with accolades such as: Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies, Fastest Growing Firms In Tulsa (4 years in a row), Top Firms To Work For In Tulsa (2 years in a row), Men Of Distinction Honoree, and Achievers Under 40 honoree. He has recently created the only Life Operating System Platform in the world and is currently building multiple businesses around it.

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Introducing Cory Minter:

Cory is a published author and recruiting professional with 20 years of experience in the staffing industry. He provides the leadership vision for Trinity Employment Specialists and focuses much of his time on building strong relationships with each of Trinity's clients. From day one, he and his wife Amber established Trinity with the vision of honoring God, operating with honesty, integrity, and respect for people as the foundational values for Trinity Employment Specialists. He believes this has been critical to the sustained 15 years of success Trinity has experienced. Trinity has been awarded multiple awards throughout the years, the most recent being Inc magazine’s fastest growing companies in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. In addition to operating Trinity, Cory serves many ministries in Tulsa and throughout the world, including Global Gospel Action, Safari Missions, maintains a leadership/entrepreneurship radio show in the Republic of Congo to over 10 million listeners, Shoulder to Shoulder Ministries, Phillip Renner Ministries, CityServe and 94x project. Although there are many ministries that he is involved in, he believes that his primary ministry is to care for and enjoy his family.

"While leading a successful marketing agency, Will Watrous met far too many business leaders who had wasted their money on marketing campaigns that didn’t produce. He saw the problem: they just weren’t communicating clearly.

After becoming a StoryBrand Certified Guide in 2017, Will worked closely with Don Miller and the StoryBrand team to facilitate live workshops where he helped hundreds of businesses clarify their message and get better marketing results.

In addition to his StoryBrand work, Will owns several companies and is passionate about helping owners and their leadership teams get more of what they want from their businesses with the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS, or Traction). You can contact Will by visiting eosworldwide.com/will-watrous."

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THIS EVENT IS FULL.

Sean Kouplen is Oklahoma’s immediate Past Secretary of Commerce & Workforce Development and the Chairman & CEO of Regent Bank.

In his volunteer role as Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development, Kouplen oversaw 36 state agencies who lead the economic development, community development and workforce development efforts for the state of Oklahoma. Under his leadership, the state has attracted over 100 new businesses since 2019. Governor Stitt also tasked Secretary Kouplen with leading our business and economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and he created the Oklahoma Business Relief Program that helped almost 9,000 Oklahoma businesses. 

In 2008, Kouplen led an investor group that purchased 110-year old Regent Bank in Nowata, OK. Since that time, the bank has expanded to Tulsa, OKC, Springfield, MO and now Bartlesville; growing from $72 million in assets to over $940 million- making it one of America’s fastest-growing banks. Regent Bank has won many awards including Inc Magazine’s Best Places to Work and the ICBA Central United States Community Banker of the Year.

Kouplen holds numerous local and statewide leadership positions, including Past Chairman of the OSU National Alumni Association, OSU-Tulsa Board of Trustees and Hospitality House Board of Directors. He is currently a board member for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Tulsa Community College Foundation and Hillcrest South Hospital, an Elder of Southpoint Church in Bixby, and a member of the OK Bankers Association and Young President’s Organizations.

Kouplen’s awards include Journal Record’s Most Admired CEO Circle of Excellence Inductee, his fraternity’s top national alumni award, Citizen of the Year in Bixby, OK and, most recently, a black belt in Taekwondo. Kouplen has written three best-selling books and leads a daily call-in devotional for over 60,000 people throughout the country every morning at 8:17am and you are invited!

Kouplen has been married to Angela for 23 years and they have three children- Emory (17), Kennedy (14) and Finley (11).

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Introducing Brad Lomenick:

Becoming a Great Leader: the Three Key Attributes of a Catalyst Leader. Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle. Regardless of your title, position, or experience, all of us can influence right where we are.

Brad Lomenick is a best selling author, the longtime leader of Catalyst, and host of the H3 Leadership Podcast. He is the author of two books, including The Catalyst Leader and most recently H3 Leadership: Be Humble, Stay Hungry, Always Hustle. He is the founder of BLINC, a boutique leadership advisory agency, and speaks across the US, and continues to gather the most influential leaders around the world through conferences and events . You can find out more at http://bradlomenick.com or at http://h3leadership.com.

He has more than two decades of experience working alongside thought-leaders, CEO’s and start up entrepreneurs. Brad spent several years working for legendary leadership author and speaker John C Maxwell and also served in a number of roles within the leadership organizations INJOY and Giant Impact. He also spent several years involved in the growth of the nationally acclaimed Life@Work magazine, and was a management consultant with Cornerstone Group, where he worked with a variety of companies, organizations, and nonprofit enterprises. Before that, he served as foreman for Lost Valley Ranch, a four-diamond working guest ranch in the mountains of Colorado.

Brad Lomenick

Listen and Subscribe to my new podcast!

H3 Leadership Podcast

http://h3leadership.com

Founder, BLINC

Author, H3 Leadership & The Catalyst Leader

http://BradLomenick.com @bradlomenick

Introducing Erika Lucas:

Erika co-founded StitchCrew, an organization focused on building a more equitable economy through entrepreneurship. In collaboration with NBA team the Oklahoma City Thunder, she established an accelerator program to support entrepreneurs in the middle of the country. Erika also founded VEST, a curated network of C-suite women working together to expedite the pipeline of more women in power. As she states in her Ted Talk: America's Trillion Dollar Blindspot, Erika's mission is to help close the funding and wealth gap for women and entrepreneurs of color.

Prior to launching StitchCrew and VEST, Erika was a partner at a private equity firm with investments in the U.S. and Europe. Before that she was the Deputy Director for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce where she oversaw the Global Investment and Trade Division. Erika began her career facilitating the establishment and in-country operation of several international manufacturing companies in Mexico.

Boards: Arvest Bank, OK Policy Institute, Diversion Hub, OKC County Health Department, the Oklahoma Downtown Partnership, Mercy Foundation.

Hal began his career in the restaurant industry while attending the University of Oklahoma and working at the Across the Street Restaurant. 

 As a working partner in Crosstimbers Restaurants, he opened and managed the units in Norman, Oklahoma, and Amarillo, Texas in the late sixties & early seventies.

 In 1973, Hal joined Steak & Ale Restaurant Corporation (S&A) as a Manager Trainee.  During the next seven years he held the positions of Manager, Supervisor, Area Supervisor, and Regional Associate.  In July 1980, Hal was promoted to President and COO of S&A, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pillsbury.  At that time, S&A consisted of more than 250 restaurants under the names of Steak & Ale and Bennigan’s with sales of $400 million.  During his tenure, the company grew to more than 400 restaurants with $750 million in sales.  Hal was then named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of S&A and became a Vice President of Pillsbury.  He was also appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of Burger King.  In addition, Hal had the responsibility of overseeing the Haagen Daz Ice Cream Stores and Poppin’ Fresh Pie Shops with total system wide sales of over $1.0 billion.

 Two years later, Hal was selected to become President/ Chief Operating Officer of Chili’s, Inc., (now Brinker International) a young, dynamic, fast growing, and highly profitable restaurant chain known for its casual, fun atmosphere.

 In the later part of the 1980’s, Hal accepted a challenging role as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer/President of the publicly held company, Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurants which was in need of a turn around.  Chi-Chi’s was a full service restaurant chain and a leader in the Mexican dinner house segment of the restaurant industry with more than 200 restaurants throughout the United States and Canada. 

 In April 1990 the turnaround was complete and Chi-Chi’s, Inc. was acquired by Foodmaker, Inc., a San Diego based restaurant Management Company which owned and operated Jack in the Box restaurants.  Hal remained C.E.O of Chi-Chi’s, Inc. while serving on the Foodmaker Board of Directors. He held these positions until June of 1992. He then left the company and founded Hal Smith Restaurants, a restaurant management company headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. Since that time, his company developed and grew the following multi-unit concepts: Charleston’s Restaurant, Red Rock Canyon Grill, Mahogany Prime Steakhouse, Krispy Kreme, Ted’s Café Escondido, Louie’s Bar & Grill, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, The Garage, Upper Crust and Pub W, as well as three other single unit concepts. In addition, he opened nineteen Outback Steakhouses and three On The Border Mexican Cafes as a franchisee in the early nineties and subsequently sold the twenty two units to the parent companies for capital to help fund future growth for Hal Smith Restaurants.

 Hal was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma.  He attended Oklahoma University and Central State University majoring in Management and Marketing while working his way through school in the Restaurants.

 Currently he supports the Oklahoma chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was a member of the Young Presidents Organization (49’ers).  He has served on the Board of Directors of First Fidelity Bank in Norman, Oklahoma, the Advisory Boards of Oklahoma University’s School of Economics and School of Business, and was a commissioner on the Oklahoma Tourism Committee, and currently serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for Valliance Bank.

 Hal and his wife Sandy founded the Norman Youth Foundation in 1997 and to date has raised close to $1.0 million for various youth-oriented charities in Oklahoma such as, Center for Children and Families, Ally’s House, Coaches for Cancer, WIN Foundation, Thunderbird Clubhouse and the Bootstrap Program, to name a few. Hal is a donor to the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University Hotel and Restaurant School.

 Hal was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in November of 2017 with Tom Colbert, Tom Cole, Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, Robert A. “Bob” Funk, Shannon Miller, Phil Parduhn and Sequoyah.

 Needless to say, Hal has a deep sense of pride when it comes to Oklahoma and its people. “It’s been a good ride.”

We are holding events at half capacity until further notice- please only RSVP if you plan to come in person. For all others, the links to watch it live are below.

https://www.facebook.com/RegentBank

or

https://vimeo.com/regentbank

The Executive Lunch Series is an exclusive event for business owners and executives in the Tulsa area. We feature speakers who offer valuable information to help your business succeed and continue to grow. Lunch is served and there is no charge to attend.

Speaker: Keith Trost

Presentation Title: “Are You Running Your Business or Is It Running You?”

Keith understands business and all of its dysfunction from 32+ years of first-hand experience. He now helps other entrepreneurs and their leadership teams fall back in love with their respective businesses, by implementing a simple organizing framework with many simple tools which creates clarity, focus, and results. As a former Certified EOSi and now a Certified Pinnacle Business Guide, Keith knows the possibilities for every business are greater than the limitations they argue about.

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