Voices of OKC

Episoade

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  Jacobi Winslett on the Mentorship That Stayed With Him 16.10.2026 52min

  Jacobi Winslett reflects on Oklahoma City mentorship and the adults who helped him see more possibilities for his life. From an after-school program at Novo Ministries to changes in education and work, he considers what that early attention means now. His conversation with Jed Chappell connects leading by example at TimberCraft Homes with a renewed desire to give younger people his time.
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  Rob Lake | The Oklahoma Work Behind the Wonder 07.10.2026 30min
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  Open Vessels Oklahoma City: Joey Chappell on Practical Care 01.10.2026 43min

  Joey Chappell of Open Vessels talks with his brother Jed about faith expressed through home repairs, practical care and showing up for neighbors in Oklahoma City. Drawing on family memories and work alongside people in recovery, he considers the difference between wanting appreciation and serving because a need is there. The conversation asks what sustained care looks like when a small organization has more requests than resources.
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  Kristina Mills on grief, laughter and life after Survivor 24.09.2026 40min

  Kristina Mills, an educator and Survivor contestant, talks about living with grief while making room for laughter, family and new challenges. She joins Jed Chappell to explore what supportive friendship can look like, how the game changed her sense of identity, and why moving forward does not mean leaving the person you miss behind.
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  Generational Curses: Naming the Pattern with Paula Brown 17.09.2026 44min

  Dr. Paula Brown, an author and Oklahoma City parent, examines generational curses and the family patterns people can mistake for normal. Drawing from her Trinidad and Tobago roots, motherhood, faith, education, and lived experience, she and Jed Chappell consider how honest recognition, safe adults, counseling, and practical choices can help interrupt a cycle without reducing a family to its hardest chapter.
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  Oklahoma Kickboxing's Road to the World Stage | Scott Jones 09.09.2026 34min

  Scott Jones, CEO of Husky Fat Promotions, is building a path for Oklahoma kickboxing from local gyms toward the international stage. He talks with Jed about turning a memorial show into a growing fight promotion, the discipline that separates trained fighters from bravado, and the pressure of building something ambitious with a small team.
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  Artie Brylev on Work, Family and Battison Honda 02.09.2026 59min

  Artie Brylev, managing partner at Battison Honda, reflects on leaving Russia to escape religious persecution and building a life in Oklahoma City. He and Jed Chappell explore reputation, work, family, faith, and why meaningful opportunity for young people should not be left to chance.
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  Chris Crook | The Opportunity He Wasn’t Ready For 26.08.2026 17min

  Chris Crook, founder of the Chris Crook Foundation and an Oklahoma City youth mentor, uses basketball mentorship to meet middle school boys on common ground. He traces the path from Millwood and McPherson College to an Oklahoma City Blue workout opportunity, then speaks candidly about entitlement, gratitude, faith, and the work of rebuilding authentically. In this conversation: - The childhood camps that shaped Chris’s sense of possibility- How the Chris Crook Foundation grew from a basketball-camp invitation- Why the mentoring relationship matters more than the drill- What the Oklahoma City Blue opportunity revealed- How faith and self-awareness changed his approach to rebuilding Chapters - 00:00 Intro- 00:23 Meet Chris Crook- 01:14 The camps that shaped him- 02:13 From Millwood to McPherson- 02:29 The Oklahoma City Blue opportunity- 02:52 How the Foundation began- 04:28 Mentoring matters more than money- 04:58 Basketball as common ground- 07:16 Impact after camp- 09:20 Not ready for the opportunity- 12:04 Rebuilding authentically- 14:28 Look up and be patient Guest bio Chris Crook is an Oklahoma City-raised former McPherson College guard, youth mentor, and founder of the Chris Crook Foundation. McPherson College athletics lists him as an Oklahoma City native and Millwood graduate and documents his collegiate play. A public 2025 profile describes his youth mentoring and basketball-training work and says he trained with the Oklahoma City Blue. Resources - Chris Crook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c_crook1/ `[confirm official/current]`- McPherson College athletics profile: https://macbulldogs.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/2016-17- Oklahoma City Blue: https://oklahomacity.gleague.nba.com/- Santa Fe Family Life Center: https://mail.sfflc.com/about/- Kids Across America: https://kaakamps.org/- VOICES of OKC: https://www.voicesofokc.com/watch-listen/- City Center: https://okcitycenter.org/ Content note: Brief references to housing instability and professional disappointment. Listen to the full conversation, then share it with a coach, mentor, or parent who is helping a young person grow.
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  Les Thomas | The Cost of Becoming the Hype Man of Hope 19.08.2026 1h 9min

  Les Thomas Sr., Urban Bridge’s Executive Director of Community Engagement and Oklahoma State’s Hype Man of Hope, shares what it took to move from anger without a blueprint to a life of mentorship and service. The conversation explores fatherhood, emotional growth, afterschool access, and why Oklahoma City must see potential before problems in its young people.
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  What Survives the Fire | Sabrina Smith on Loss, Hope, and Building 1155 12.08.2026 34min

  Sabrina Smith is an event planner and designer with a background in interior design. She is the creative force behind Crystal Pink Events and is developing 1155, a vision for temporary housing and practical support for people displaced by fire.
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  Caitlin Ferguson | Your Pain Does Not Get the Final Word 05.08.2026 24min

  Caitlin Ferguson spent years trying to understand where she belonged. Growing up biracial, navigating different faith traditions, and later surviving sexual assault, addiction, and mental-health crisis, Caitlin often felt unseen and uncertain about her identity. In this honest conversation, Caitlin shares how faith, healthy relationships, and serving others helped her begin rebuilding her life. She also describes the encounter during a City Center mission trip that clarified her calling: a woman looked at her and said, “No one sees me.” Today, Caitlin is preparing to create a ministry where women experiencing trauma and instability can find safety, dignity, practical support, and a place to start again. This episode is a powerful reminder that pain does not have to define a life—and that it is never too late to keep going. Content note: This episode discusses sexual assault, addiction, and mental-health crisis. Learn more at voicesofokc.com and okcitycenter.org
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  Lydell Rhodes | The OKC Boxer Who Was One Fight From a World Title 29.07.2026 38min

  Lydell Rhodes is 33-9 with 17 knockouts. He fought a world title eliminator his opponent's own coach told him he'd won, watched the fighter ranked seventh skip past him to the belt, and came home to Oklahoma City to build the thing he never had growing up. This is a conversation about obsession, being robbed, and what you do next. What this explores:- The Pepsi warehouse job at 4 a.m. that turned him into a fighter- Getting kicked out of UCO — and why he calls it the best and worst thing that happened to him- What he learned training alongside the Mayweathers, Manny Pacquiao, and Zab Judah- The title eliminator against Edner Cherry, and the fighter who leapfrogged him to the championship- Why Oklahoma has all the talent and none of the infrastructure- Coaching, promoting, and the first combat sports event on the downtown canal Chapters00:00 Welcome · 03:47 Growing up in Spencer and Choctaw · 05:03 UCO · 07:33 Pepsi at 4 a.m. · 09:33 Obsession · 12:31 The record · 16:21 The Cherry fight · 18:04 Five minutes before the walkout · 20:02 Fight night on the canal · 21:17 Bringing Las Vegas home · 23:19 The gym · 25:55 The mental game · 34:26 Why Oklahoma starts late · 36:15 What's next About the guest: Lydell Rhodes is a professional boxer from Spencer, Oklahoma who trained in Las Vegas alongside the Mayweathers and rose to a world title eliminator in the super featherweight division. He now coaches at Western Avenue Boxing Gym in Oklahoma City and co-promotes fights through Hackman Boxing, working to build a competitive boxing pipeline in Oklahoma. Find Lydell — Western Avenue Boxing Gym, https://www.westernavenueboxinggym.com/ · Instagram @lydellrhodes · Hackman Boxing, hackmanboxing.com VOICES of OKC is a conversation platform from City Center. Follow the show wherever you listen so you don't miss next week's conversation.
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  One Suspension in Two Years: Lee Roland's Tulakes Turnaround 22.07.2026 40min

  Lee Roland led a school turnaround through relationships at Tulakes Elementary - starting with trust, adult culture, and the belief that families had already sent the best children they had.He says the school's final two years under his leadership saw one student suspended, stronger achievement, and teachers waiting for openings. Summary Lee sits down with Jed to trace the roots of that leadership model: growing up in Spencer during the 1960s and 1970s, watching national violence and the civil-rights struggle through a child's eyes, and learning from a father who pastored and a mother who taught. Those experiences shaped his conviction that children who are marginalized economically or socially deserve adults who see their full worth. At Tulakes, Lee says progress began when the adults stopped treating relationships as a side issue. Teachers needed to trust one another and their principal. Parents needed to feel respected. Students needed to hear that expectations existed for their benefit, not simply for adult control. Lee also explains why he changed as little as possible in year one, how shared power allowed teachers to lead, and why a person can hold a leadership position while nobody is truly following. The conversation closes by carrying the Tulakes model into churches, businesses, nonprofits, and public life: healthy organizations make it safe for quiet or overlooked people to bring their full selves, and justice is measured partly by the world adults leave to children. What You'll Hear How Lee's childhood in Spencer shaped his concern for marginalized children Why Tulakes started with teacher trust, parent respect, and student belonging The first-year decision to change almost nothing before changing the culture How the school moved toward stronger achievement, near-zero suspensions, and a teacher waiting list Why shared power, vulnerability, and listening matter in schools, churches, and organizations Chapters 00:00 - Meet Lee Roland 01:16 - Spencer, civil rights, and empathy 04:39 - Experience, purpose, and justice 07:54 - The Tulakes turnaround 10:36 - Relationships before curriculum 13:56 - Change almost nothing in year one 17:18 - One suspension in two years 20:30 - What school looks like in heaven 23:29 - Sharing power and building trust 25:00 - When leaders are out front but no one follows 31:39 - Voyage Consulting and healthy organizations 38:29 - Leaving children a better world About Lee Lee Roland is a longtime Oklahoma educator, pastor, author, and leadership consultant with more than 35 years of professional experience. His career has included teaching, school administration, service as principal of Tulakes Elementary, and executive leadership roles. He founded Voyage Consulting to help schools, businesses, nonprofits, and churches strengthen leadership, trust, parent and community engagement, and organizational culture. Guest & Resource Links Voyage Consulting - https://voyageconsulting.co/ - Official site and service overview. Email - [email protected] - Public contact listed by Voyage Consulting. Phone - Public contact listed by Voyage Consulting: 405-650-6553. Tulakes Elementary - https://academy.putnamcityschools.org/o/TE - Official Putnam City Schools campus page. Fantastic Voyage: A Story of School Turnaround and Achievement by Overcoming Poverty and Addressing Race - Author: Lee Roland Published: January 16, 2017 Official purchase link: Purchase on Amazon Publisher: Storied Publishing, under Gray Sparrow Books ISBN: 978-0-9973984-5-8 - Subscribe to Voices of OKC for more conversations with the people shaping this city. - Share this episode with a teacher, principal, pastor, or organizational leader who is trying to change culture without losing people.   City Center serves youth and families across Oklahoma City through practical support, mentorship, and relationships rooted in dignity. Through VOICES of OKC, students help tell the stories of the people shaping our city w
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  Zack Davis: Quanah Parker's Descendant on Heritage, Hustle, and Home 15.07.2026 37min

  Zack Davis — OKC realtor, investor, and host of the Keep Going Podcast — is a direct descendant of Quanah Parker. He shares the story of his first Comanche gourd dance, two years after losing his grandfather, and the $300-paycheck low point that nearly ended his real estate career before it started. What this conversation explores:- Growing up in Del City and Moore with a single mom and "a lot of alone time"- Basketball as first identity and first community- Comanche and Caddo heritage, and descent from Quanah Parker- His first gourd dance — the eagle wing, the elders, his grandfather's medicine- The garage moment: $300 every two weeks and best friends who said keep going- People-over-money selling, calmness, and getting 1% better Chapters:00:00 Meet Zack Davis01:26 Del City, Moore, and growing up with alone time04:09 Basketball becomes an identity07:39 Losing a friend at 2108:56 Comanche & Caddo heritage and the Quanah Parker lineage14:41 The first gourd dance and the eagle wing19:59 Walk-on years: no minutes, no quit21:52 The garage moment: $300 every two weeks22:52 Fired on a technicality25:56 People over money: how he sells29:42 Keep going: advice for anyone on the edge34:17 The Keep Going Podcast & how to reach Zack About the Guest:Zack Davis is a realtor with Copper Creek Real Estate and a real estate investor with Local Guy Buys Houses in Oklahoma City, working in real estate since 2017 and licensed since 2019. He hosts the Keep Going Podcast and is Comanche and Caddo, a direct descendant of Quanah Parker. Connect with Zack:Instagram: @zdsellsokcPhone: 405-740-5399 Follow Voices of OKC wherever you listen so you never miss a story from the people shaping Oklahoma City.
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  The Pilot Who Saw Freedom Behind Prison Walls with Blake Raney 08.07.2026 49min

  Blake Raney, founder of SPAIRROW, joins Jed Chappell to talk about aviation, calling, business as service, and what he saw the first time he walked into a prison. From Oklahoma City entrepreneurship to his daughter Kennedy’s heart surgery, Blake reflects on faith, fatherhood, accountability, and building a foundation before life’s storms arrive.
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  From Jamaica to Oklahoma City: Chef Andrew Black on Food, Work, and Home 01.07.2026 33min

  Chef Andrew Black, Oklahoma City restaurateur and 2023 James Beard Award winner, traces the discipline behind his work - from Saturday mornings in his grandmother’s Jamaican kitchen to building restaurants in the city he now calls home. He and Jed Chappell talk about consistency, mentorship, staying present, handling roadblocks, and creating businesses that serve more than the people at the table.
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  What Oklahoma City Cannot Lose as It Grows with Brad Carter 24.06.2026 39min

  Brad Carter, Oklahoma City’s Ward 1 Councilman, joins Jed Chappell to ask what the city must protect as it grows. They discuss transparent public service, listening across political divides, jobs and AI, recovery, homelessness, and the Oklahoma Standard Carter hopes will still define OKC for the next generation.
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  When Grief Stops Driving the Story: Kristina Mills on Survivor, Loss, and Hope 17.06.2026 16min

  Kristina Mills did not apply for Survivor because she loved camping. In fact, she had never been camping before. She applied because she felt stuck. After walking through postpartum depression, losing her mother to a fentanyl overdose, and realizing her kids could see the sadness she was carrying, Kristina knew something had to change. So she recorded a simple 60-second audition video and sent it in. That decision eventually took her to Fiji as a contestant on Survivor 49. But the deeper story is not just about a television show. It is about grief, courage, motherhood, mental health, and choosing to move forward when staying stuck would have been easier. In this episode, Kristina shares about her mother’s life, the pain of losing her to addiction, the healing power of telling the truth, and the hope she discovered on the other side of fear. Episode Highlights Kristina’s path to Survivor 49 Why she applied in memory of her mom Postpartum depression and feeling stuck Losing her mother to fentanyl addiction The importance of vulnerability Why addiction can affect any family A powerful moment in Fiji on her mom’s death anniversary Her work helping OU graduate business students prepare for their careers Why grief can be a passenger, but not the driver Guest Kristina MillsCareer Coach, University of Oklahoma Graduate Business ProgramContestant on Survivor 49 Links Voices of OKC: voicesofokc.comCity Center: okcitycenter.org
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  Relationships Matter More Than Programs: Christian Matthews on Mentoring Oklahoma City Youth 10.06.2026 29min

  Most people see after-school programs as activities, games, and homework help. Christian Matthews sees something deeper. As Program Coordinator at City Center, Christian spends his days helping students navigate challenges that often have nothing to do with academics. Behind many behavioral issues are stories of loneliness, bullying, family struggles, anxiety, and a longing to be understood. In this conversation, Christian shares how God unexpectedly led him to City Center, what he's learned about loving people unconditionally, and why relationships remain the foundation of lasting transformation. He also opens up about his personal faith journey, his work as an artist and musician, and the difficult decision to step away from growing opportunities in music in order to pursue deeper obedience and spiritual growth. If you're a parent, mentor, teacher, coach, or community leader, this episode offers valuable insight into what young people need most from the adults around them. Episode Highlights • How Christian discovered his calling to work with youth• Why emotional safety matters for young people• Helping students process difficult situations at home• The connection between self-awareness and personal growth• Lessons learned through mentorship and service• Christian's journey from rapper to faith-driven artist• Why self-love and identity matter for the next generation• What gives him hope for Oklahoma City's youth Connect with Christian Instagram: @hecallsmechristian Learn More About City Center 🌐 City Center City Center champions youth and families in under-resourced communities by creating empowered pathways to relief and restoration.
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  Growing Hope in Oklahoma: Brooke Freeman on Farming, Faith, and Community 03.06.2026 25min

  Brooke Freeman never planned to become a farmer. After years working as a NICU nurse, she found herself wrestling with a simple question: How do we truly help people become healthier? That question eventually led to the creation of Natural Freedom Farm, a nonprofit farm dedicated to growing fresh, nutrient-dense produce for families who might not otherwise have access to it. In this conversation, Brooke shares the story behind the farm, the vision that launched it, and why education is just as important as the food itself. She also explains regenerative farming, food insecurity, and how healthy food can become a pathway to better health outcomes for children and families. Natural Freedom Farm has become an important partner to City Center, helping provide fresh produce that goes directly into meals served to youth and families throughout Oklahoma City. Guest Information Brooke FreemanFounder, Natural Freedom Farm Website:Natural Freedom Farm Connect with City Center City Center