Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Welcome back to the she Said podcast with Amy and Lisa. And today we have a special guest. Our first one we, we announced it what a couple months ago that we were going to have bring in people to join us and today's our day. And her name's Amy Culvert. And Amy I met in April. She, she is the COO of MCwx with Mike Collier, the weather app. I reached out to Amy to get Haunte Appliance, which is one of my clients, to sponsor them, and met with her like a week later and Instant Friends.
And so then she came to my seat at the table last month and met Amy Tidwell. And so we thought she was the perfect person to have on our first guest appearance. Amy has spent more than 30 years in television, which is kind of crazy to me. Media, sales, marketing.
She's now the COO of MCwx, which is a live 24.7streaming weather network. We'll talk about that too, today. She has also served as vice president and general manager for several major stations across Oklahoma, including Fox 25, KOCB in Oklahoma City, KTUL Channel 8, and KJRH 2 News in Tulsa. Amy is a lifelong Tulsan, a respected leader in broadcasting, and has served on several boards, including the Oklahoma association of Broadcasters, where she was the first female broadcasting chair. Share.
Beyond all that, Amy is a wife, mom, singer, which I didn't know about. Did you know about that? Amy Traveler.
She might sing today if we coax her into it. Traveler, Lake lover and someone who knows a whole lot about leadership, media, community and life. So we're really happy to have her with us today.
[00:01:52] Speaker B: Thank you for having me.
[00:01:53] Speaker A: It's an honor.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: Welcome.
[00:01:54] Speaker C: Being your awesome. Your presence, man, you guys are sure did.
[00:01:58] Speaker A: Yeah, that was fun.
[00:02:00] Speaker C: I still talk about it.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: Do you? They're so much fun.
I had one lady say, I just want to come and I don't need to sit in the corner and just be at all of them. Just. And I'm like, I really am the lucky one because I get to be at all of them. But I have to say, I don't even know if I've told you, but I. I'm going to cry. I invited my mom's three really good friends and they're going to come to a brunch in June.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: Great.
[00:02:24] Speaker A: And I'm just like, I'm like, I'm so excited, but I'm so sad at the same time that I can't tell my mom that they're coming.
[00:02:31] Speaker C: She does.
[00:02:32] Speaker A: I know she does, but it's like, man, she would be so happy.
[00:02:36] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:02:36] Speaker A: And my dad goes, what do you mean? She would be there.
She would join. So, anyway, I'm really excited. Just had been thinking about doing that and I reached out to him and I literally sent them text messages and they all responded within 10 minutes. Yes. They as I loved your mom and I miss her, and I sat in my office and cried. I mean, it's like, so. It's going to be so much fun. But.
[00:02:57] Speaker C: Oh, I can't wait to hear.
[00:02:59] Speaker B: Patience for friends of my mother that even one that was like in her wedding. But just able to fill in some of the things I never even really knew. Just fun things and.
But they were very special conversations. Really mean a lot.
[00:03:14] Speaker A: I'm excited. It's funny because they're all me. They're younger than my mom. My mom was 89 when she died. And these. I think they're all in their 70s. My dad and I were trying to figure it out, but I don't think any of them drive. Two of them. I know don't. So my dad, who's 92, is probably going to bring him over.
[00:03:31] Speaker C: Oh, my goodness.
[00:03:32] Speaker A: And I'll take them home, which is just funny. But it's. But anyway, I'm excited. I got my mom's pearls that my. Her mother had made this really cool pearl necklace. And I already got. I've already got the table ready, obviously. I've still got four weeks, so I'm going to redo it. But I already bought the flowers and everything and I've got her pearls on the table and I'm making little gifts for them like my mom and I used to work on together.
So I'm just. I can't hardly wait. I'm really excited about it. It's going to be fun. But I love those dinners so much. And this is going to be a fun little brunch anyway with no more crying today.
Gosh, it makes me mad. I can't talk about that without crying. So I want to ask you just a couple questions before we get into all of our crazy stuff we talk about.
We. Amy and I have talked about this so many times. I remember the one time we talked about with Carrie Underwood. She. She made a. To post a picture of herself and everybody in the comments were so mean to her
[00:04:31] Speaker B: new hair color.
[00:04:32] Speaker A: I think it was her hair color. Yeah. And you in the TV world, obviously, you must have seen such a difference in 30 years from where it used to be between how critical people are. And I know you experience some of that now with your new job with just. People on social media are just brutal.
[00:04:50] Speaker C: They really are.
[00:04:51] Speaker A: They hide behind their keyboards, just feel
[00:04:54] Speaker C: like they can say anything. We've lost that sense, I think, of decency, I don't know, just respect. I think back going back into the 90s, even for me as a woman, I allowed how people viewed things. And in truthfulness, you know, when I went into tv, I've always been a bigger girl. I've never been a smaller girl. My sisters were the small little athletics and I wasn't. And so I even limited myself. I'll be honest. In the 90s, when I went into TV, I thought, you know what? I can't be in front of the camera because everyone in front of the camera looks perfect.
And they're just perfect. They're put together and they're perfect. And everybody wants to see beautiful people. And I didn't see myself as that. And so I went behind the scenes and wanted to be a leader and started through that. And I look back and being the mom of two daughters, I'm working so hard to remind them it's not the outer, it's the inner of who you are and what you do and what you stand for. And you want to protect your kids from things you went through. You know, I mean, kids can be horrible even then to now, but now adding social media.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:05:58] Speaker C: And I think it just. People feel like, you know, their inadequacies and what they're facing, they project that through, you know, like you said, anonymous person behind the keyboard, and feel like they can say anything and that's okay. And it's really sad to me because no matter where you're at, we're all human, right? We all put our pants on the same way. We all are just working hard to take care of our families and fulfill things in our hearts that we want to do. And so I hate that, you know, I would have talks all the time with my anchors or reporters, especially the women, because people just like to go after them, whether it's their hair or makeup. And maybe they don't even know this person's going through cancer. And maybe that's why, you know, you saw that a lot in local media. Here in Tulsa, we had several of our on air talents. And I just would say to them, it's easy to say, you know, ignore it, but, you know, you're human. And that whole sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me is such a lie.
[00:06:54] Speaker A: Yes, totally.
Right.
[00:06:57] Speaker C: I. I don't know, you know, back words are the worst. And it's something that we don't forget.
And so.
[00:07:03] Speaker A: And no matter who you are or what, where you are in life, that still cuts deep. There's just something about that because we, I think we're just people. We like. We like people to think highly of us. Yeah. And then when they cut you down, when they don't even know you as a person.
[00:07:17] Speaker C: Right.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: It does really make an impact.
[00:07:19] Speaker C: And it may be something you're not even thinking about. And they bring it up, you know, and you're like, wow.
[00:07:23] Speaker A: Yeah, now I'm gonna question that now. It's an insecurity.
[00:07:26] Speaker C: I wish people would think type. I say that all the time. And I remind, you know, I spent, I've spent a lot of my years when I was served on the board with OAB and mentoring young people about to enter the field of media.
And I always start off with, you know, raise your hand if you have social media. And of course, everyone goes up. And I said, remember, that's with you forever. Everything you post, everything you say it as a leader in hiring people. Is the first place I went to when you said, and I didn't even look at your resume.
[00:07:54] Speaker A: That's right, exactly.
[00:07:55] Speaker C: Your social media. I wanted to see what kind of person you were or what are you posting, how are you commenting? And I just remind my daughters of that too. I'm like, put nothing out there. Say nothing that, you know, if God was sitting right next to you, would you be embarrassed or sad? You know, you know, your best friend, your mom, whoever, sitting next to your dad, and would that hurt them? And so, you know, we're not always perfect. We make mistakes. But, man, I wish people would think about that more before they say stuff.
[00:08:22] Speaker A: And I think raising kids, I mean, I don't have kids, but you two both do. You've got boys and you've got girls. And I think that's gotta be life lessons that you start teaching them really early.
[00:08:31] Speaker B: Because I've always even, I mean, even I believe it was my brother who instilled it in me that he was like, even, you know, if you are to drink or whatever, never take a picture with alcohol in your hand. Never pose with that alcohol in your hand. Because once, you know, you never know who's going to offend when it comes to getting a job or something for church or like, there's just no reason for it.
And, you know, that is one thing that has always stuck me. And I said that to my kids for as long. Like, no matter what you do, there are things on social media you can't take back and. But that's just one of them. Like just start with that little thing. Things and pictures that you don't want out there.
[00:09:15] Speaker C: Right.
[00:09:16] Speaker B: That do, you know. Good. You're not going to get a job because you had alcohol in your hand.
[00:09:20] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:20] Speaker B: But you could very well not get
[00:09:21] Speaker A: that job because of it.
[00:09:25] Speaker B: Yeah, it is. I'm still in it super young.
[00:09:27] Speaker A: I think I just am amazed with obviously as my job. I'm on social media all day long and seeing what people put out there. People going through a divorce and they put their whole divorce problems out there. The. What they. How they feel about their husband or ex husband. It's like, really? Because your kids see that. It's like, it's just funny how people.
[00:09:46] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:46] Speaker A: There's no filter with what people will say on social media. And I. I feel bad for women in tv. I think about that started, you know, that, you know, like if you were. If you're on the camera for 30 years behind the camera, what the criticism that you would get, whether you might be the most stunning person in the world, someone's gonna criticize something about you. And I just think that's the saddest part of our society today, is that we think it's okay just to hurt people. Hurt people. Yeah, because you're obviously hurting. It's obviously a reflection back on you, but it still makes an impact. It still stings when you do that to other people.
[00:10:19] Speaker C: Yeah. And I saw it. Men, too. I'll be honest. I mean, a lot of my men.
[00:10:23] Speaker A: Oh, I bet.
[00:10:23] Speaker C: You know, even now where I work with Mike, getting a lot of hate and, you know, he's a dad, he's a husband, you know, he's got kids
[00:10:31] Speaker B: and kids have to see that. Yeah.
[00:10:32] Speaker C: It's just not. It's not nice.
[00:10:34] Speaker A: So I agree this is kind of on to what we always talk about, but what matters less to you now
[00:10:41] Speaker C: than it used to, you know, status. And it was funny because when I first started in my career, I thought, I've got to work my way up. I've got to prove myself as a woman. There weren't a lot of women. Even today, there's not a lot of women who are general manager, vice president, you know, GMs, and it was always a man's position. My mom and dad always taught me that you can do whatever you put your heart to, you know, and. But you got to work hard. I was the first to show up in the last, to leave. Because I saw that in my parents and what they did. I think that, you know, a lot of people, a lot of people forget that, you know, just because you're at the top, you know, it doesn't mean you're successful. We see that with so many people. It's like I see all these actors who in our minds, they have everything. They have all the money, they have status, they have the best jobs and yet they're some of the most broken hearted people.
[00:11:33] Speaker A: That's true.
[00:11:34] Speaker C: And I've had to remind myself that, you know, the impact and legacy I build each day in everything that I do, whether it's at home, working with my kids or closing $1 million deal, you know, I mean the vast difference, you know, is am I, am I fulfilling in my heart what you know, God's called me to do, but am I also leaving a positive impact? And I think I just, I look at life differently now on, on status, on, you know, do I don't drive the nicest car. I don't need the, all the stuff that, you know, when you're younger sometimes you think that defines and says who you are. And I feel very blessed to have the people in my life that I do and where I'm at in my job and, and my family. And that to me is what matters most. Because this is all going to go away. This with us, you know, doesn't mean you don't do anything, doesn't mean you don't work hard. But I think that for me it's just reminded me of what's important in life.
[00:12:31] Speaker A: It's not the stuff, you know, thinking about that. I was just thinking about that race car driver that passed away suddenly. Man, that hit you like you just never know what's going to happen and how fast it's going to happen. I mean he's, he wants won a race one weekend, the next weekend he's gone.
[00:12:48] Speaker C: And they're those little kids.
[00:12:49] Speaker A: I know, 11 year old boy and I forgot how old the daughter is.
[00:12:52] Speaker C: Younger.
[00:12:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:53] Speaker C: Five or six.
Yeah. And just that is heartbreaking. We are not guaranteed tomorrow.
[00:12:58] Speaker A: Boy.
[00:12:59] Speaker C: But then that really hits you and reminds you of it.
[00:13:01] Speaker A: It does, yeah. How fast it can happen and you just don't expect it.
[00:13:05] Speaker B: You know, you mentioned having to be a woman in the workplace and prove yourself.
This week since I had time to be by myself, I was scrolling through Netflix and there was a movie. It was, it was called like ladies First. I think it's new.
[00:13:18] Speaker C: Oh, okay.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: And I thought, oh, this could be,
[00:13:20] Speaker B: well, a good show, maybe. Well, first of all, it really was so vulgar that I ended up changing it. And then I was like, yeah, I'll just. But I got the JIT set up, but the whole concept of the movie was. It was this, you know, big CEO situation. But then he hit his head, roles were switched, and all of a sudden it was a female takeover. She was a CEO, but they all talked and treated him the way the men will, you know, speak women in work situations and all. It's certain environment. Not all like that, but it was like, wow, we really brush off a lot of stuff. Yeah. Not even thinking about it because it's just the norm. And so it may be worth the movie just sitting through. You don't watch with your kids.
[00:14:07] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:08] Speaker B: At all. But it really is, like, very telly. Telly.
[00:14:13] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: Especially in Hollywood jobs. You know what I mean?
[00:14:16] Speaker A: What's the name of it?
[00:14:17] Speaker B: Ladies First. It's new. It's on their top 10.
So on that, I think it was Netflix that I saw. If it wasn't that, it was Hulu.
[00:14:25] Speaker C: Look at that.
[00:14:25] Speaker A: I just think it's three women that's in business and have been. We worked in the corporate world. Now we work for. I mean, you're in real estate, which is still corporate, and then me owning a company, and then now you were with the company you're with. Just think about all the stories we have about the things that have happened to us because we're women. That's a whole other podcast.
[00:14:48] Speaker C: Right.
[00:14:48] Speaker A: I mean, the stories we could tell. It's sad but true.
Well, I change topics real quick. I. We were always talking about shower heads and filtering shower heads for your. You know, Amy and I are pretty vain, and we talk about skin and. Well, plus your hair, too. They now have a red light shower head.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Oh, of course they're going to improve it. Wow. We're gonna buy it.
[00:15:15] Speaker A: And it's a lot of money. But I've. I've considered it because it literally. I mean, red light is such a healing thing. Have you ever done any kind of red light? Funny.
[00:15:24] Speaker C: We just had a new partner. Come on. Who? That's what she does with MCwx. And she said to me, you need to come try this. So. Okay, your confirmation right here. I've never done.
[00:15:32] Speaker A: Oh, it's the. For wrinkles, obviously. But even for healing. Like, I tore my meniscus putting my pants on one morning. If that doesn't tell you you're getting old, Amy's like, wow, that's aggressive.
But I. I put red light on it and that's. I just set with a red light wrap around my knee and it started healing it pretty quickly.
[00:15:57] Speaker B: But I'll tell you, I just happened to come across a picture of my chest from a year ago and I do the red light on my. I'll just lay the whole. I have like multiple sizes of them, but there's one that has about this long. And it's kind of useful to wrap around a knee or your waist or. There is a major difference in my skin texture from doing that on my chest.
[00:16:18] Speaker A: Yeah. It's pretty impactful.
[00:16:21] Speaker C: I believe it. Looking at both of you. I'm serious. Both of that.
[00:16:23] Speaker B: When I came in.
[00:16:24] Speaker A: There's so many little benefits of it.
[00:16:28] Speaker B: I drive with it a lot because I'll have a hip or knee pain or something.
Helps out there. My dogs.
[00:16:34] Speaker C: Oh, okay.
[00:16:36] Speaker A: Well. And I have red light goggles that you wear for three minutes and it's helping my farsightedness.
[00:16:42] Speaker C: Oh, I need that.
[00:16:43] Speaker A: And they're from. I've got them out of London. They don't sell them here in the United States. But so good. And then when I was going through chemo, that's the only thing that made me feel better is to go sit in a red light sauna. Basically. Yeah. And it just helps heal your. It's. It penetrates and I don't know all the logistics behind it. It's just really good.
[00:17:02] Speaker C: All those things that they face.
[00:17:04] Speaker A: What is your client? What is she? Do they.
[00:17:06] Speaker C: She have a hand in pt? Yes. Like she is brand new. She's one of the camera sponsors on her location.
[00:17:12] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:17:13] Speaker C: You guys came on as the main. She wanted to. She's recently. She's over on Memorial. The nicest lady. And.
Yeah. And so she is branching out with red light and offering that. And I know Mike. I don't think he'd give me saying he uses it a lot and is swearing by it for migraines. Other things he has. And so I know I. I just met with him earlier. I was like I've got to. Okay. This is all confirmation. I need to try this.
[00:17:38] Speaker A: You really Definitely. For aches and pains and helps with just healing of all sorts of things. But it's just. I think it penetrates deeper than any kind of heat can do. There's just something about that. I don't know all the. But there are certain numbers that come with red light that actually can penetrate deeper. And.
But it's. It's really good. But I'M just thinking a shower with red light, I'd never get out. Right. Yeah. Because you're also getting all the filter, so it's filtering all the junk out of your water. And then you're. The whole shower's red and you're right in your face.
[00:18:08] Speaker B: Shower at your house.
[00:18:09] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:18:10] Speaker B: People love my world.
[00:18:13] Speaker A: People love my shower. It is kind of a spa shower. It's just easier to buy it.
[00:18:18] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:18:18] Speaker A: I'm the sucker. Amy does her own distilled water.
I'll buy the distilled water.
[00:18:24] Speaker C: Do you?
[00:18:26] Speaker A: Yeah, she. She makes her own.
[00:18:28] Speaker B: That's all I drink.
[00:18:30] Speaker C: Wow. Okay.
[00:18:31] Speaker B: Have for years. Well, I mean, I drink a Dr. Pepper.
I really hate bottled water. I keep it at the house. Yeah. For emergencies. And then my kids.
[00:18:42] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:18:43] Speaker C: But everyone.
[00:18:43] Speaker B: I keep a glass container. I have a water distiller. It'll make a gallon every four hours.
[00:18:49] Speaker C: Oh, that's nice.
[00:18:49] Speaker B: Pretty. Running all the time.
I feel the glass thing. It has a silver spigot. And we just fill our cups right there. But. And you can add. You can put, you know, a sea salt on your tongue to get any minerals that you might be lacking from our city water that everyone's like. But you need minerals. Well, you're getting nothing from that city water.
[00:19:13] Speaker C: Yeah, I believe that.
[00:19:15] Speaker B: Yeah. Distilled water.
[00:19:16] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:19:18] Speaker B: Very good for my family.
[00:19:20] Speaker A: Tell me about neuropathy that you were talking about.
Do you have neuropathy? Have you ever had any surgeries? Usually after surgery, people have neuropathy.
[00:19:28] Speaker C: You know, it's funny, after my C section in my stomach in the area where I do.
Yeah.
[00:19:34] Speaker A: Numb.
[00:19:34] Speaker C: Numb.
[00:19:36] Speaker B: It was.
I only just came across it, so I don't know anything about the app, but it seemed like the people that were in the conference were really commenting that it works well.
And it's the peptide Ara dash two nine zero.
[00:19:51] Speaker A: So we're all about peptides.
[00:19:52] Speaker C: Oh, I'm excited about this.
[00:19:54] Speaker B: But they were really saying they've had neuropathy and it's really helped address that neuropathy pain.
So I never heard of it. But I sent it to you.
[00:20:03] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm going to try it. So I've got it.
[00:20:06] Speaker B: If they have neuropathy, so many so
[00:20:08] Speaker A: would tell us your skin care routine.
[00:20:11] Speaker C: Oh my gosh. You guys are gonna laugh at me. Well, pre you all for 51 going on 52 years.
Listen, I'm an ivory soap girl.
[00:20:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:21] Speaker A: I mean, no complaints.
[00:20:22] Speaker C: A lot of money growing up and now I did tell the one thing that I've always done is I Never go to bed unless I wash my face because I don't. It just feels weird. I don't wear a lot of. I mean I wear powder, I don't wear base or stuff like. But I mean I don't moisturize. I know I need to do all this especially as I get older and my. Listen, my 10 year old who thinks she is a, you know, influencer for skincare and these kids now, especially since COVID you know, they're all like naming off all these products and I'm like I'm sorry, what? And they want how much but no.
[00:20:50] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:50] Speaker C: You're 10. Okay. Yeah. You can have Ivory soap like mom but yeah, Ivory soap and just wash my face every night. But as I've gotten older I know I need to do some stuff and
[00:21:01] Speaker B: plus he had an oil of Olay.
[00:21:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:03] Speaker C: My mom.
[00:21:04] Speaker B: So when I kick where I just use that as my lotion. Yeah. Get it so cheap. Yeah. And I, I don't remember me being upset about it.
[00:21:10] Speaker A: No.
[00:21:11] Speaker B: I just tend to hop products. Yeah.
[00:21:14] Speaker A: But I mean I can't tell you the number of stories I've seen of women in their 80s and 90s that have flawless skin and they ask what you. What's your skin care? And they was like Ivory soap.
[00:21:22] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:22] Speaker A: Or Dove soap.
[00:21:25] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:21:25] Speaker A: An oval A. That's the other thing. Mine too.
[00:21:28] Speaker C: I. I'm not in the sun a lot because I growing up I used to have pure red hair when I was little. I have freckles, blue eyes so I was, you know, perfect. My dad had melanoma when he was like I've had some pre skin cancer so I'm pretty nervous about that. So I don't go in the sun a lot.
[00:21:42] Speaker A: That's key too.
[00:21:43] Speaker C: 50 or more, you know, lathering up same way with my kids.
So that may a little bit too. I mean I have wrinkles close but yeah. I just kind of think, you know, I try to drink a lot of water. I'm a big not drinker as an alcohol. I mean I've had alcohol before but I'm a big. I'm always drinking something like unsweet tea or water. I'm like a sucker for Sonic.
My go to drink. My go to drink.
I like literally Sonic needs to hire me because every day I show up they have my Sonic drink ready and jinx. And I love diet I made with blood orange. It's like my new big thing. Oh my gosh, it's so good especially for summer or diet limeade with the dragon Fruit.
[00:22:31] Speaker B: But they do make a great dirty Dr. Pepper.
[00:22:33] Speaker C: A dirty doctor.
[00:22:34] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:22:35] Speaker B: Yes. Ever since. This is from the woodshed.
[00:22:37] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:22:37] Speaker B: I came from.
[00:22:38] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:22:39] Speaker B: Well, you know.
[00:22:39] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:22:40] Speaker B: But ever since I got my license, I've always driven a car with my cat.
[00:22:46] Speaker A: Me too.
[00:22:47] Speaker B: Oh, with.
[00:22:47] Speaker C: Between your legs. Oh, that's funny.
[00:22:48] Speaker B: I cannot put it in a cup holder. I cannot. Like if my, if somebody wants a drink, I hand it to him back because they know it's going right between my legs.
[00:22:57] Speaker C: I've always, I've got drinks going. When I would go into work, when I was working, you know, the stations, I would come in with a Route 66 water with lemon from Sonic and then a Route 66, you know, my drink. And then there usually be a coffee. I don't know. I would go to my doctor, be like, am I diabetic? You know, they're like, no, but I'm just thirsty all the time. So. Love drinking a lot of water drinks and sweet tea.
[00:23:20] Speaker A: I'm impressed that Sonic has your drink waiting on you.
[00:23:23] Speaker C: Oh, these ladies and gents, you know, I'm a lifer, jinx galaxy.
I mean every morning because my, my oldest, who's type 1 diabetic, she gets the unsweet tea with the sugar free peach and mango so there's, you know, no sugar and it loves it. So every morning for the past.
Well, she just graduated, but for the past six years I would take her to school and, and we would that we'd drive up and they'd have our drinks.
[00:23:46] Speaker B: I like that. You're a creature of habit.
[00:23:48] Speaker C: Oh, every morning.
Yeah.
[00:23:50] Speaker B: I don't to really. I mean the, the sonic bias was like that until it closed.
[00:23:54] Speaker C: But yeah, no, I mean we don't. And it's funny, Avery and I, it's my daughter's name, we're like, man, I didn't have a good day today. If we miss our Sonic stop, we feel like.
[00:24:01] Speaker B: Did you get there before 10am Though, for the happy hour?
[00:24:04] Speaker C: Well, we do it on the app so it's always half price on the app so it's ready to go the minute we. I love. They were big clients of mine too. And I'd laugh and they would listen. If you ever need an Oklahoma girl to talk about your drinks, I'm in because I'm all about that Sonic ice and the Sonic drinks. So.
[00:24:19] Speaker A: Yeah, I've never been to Sonic.
[00:24:22] Speaker C: We are going. Are you kidding?
[00:24:24] Speaker A: No.
[00:24:24] Speaker C: Going.
[00:24:25] Speaker B: Stayed in. How long?
[00:24:27] Speaker A: Since 85.
[00:24:28] Speaker C: Oh my goodness.
[00:24:32] Speaker A: Girl, you know I started teaching aerobics in college And I stopped. I haven't had it since.
[00:24:38] Speaker C: Wow.
[00:24:39] Speaker A: No. I might take a French fry if somebody was eating a french fry and hand me one. I'll eat a French fry. But I've never gone and bought a hamburger. Like, I can't even imagine a hamburger from a fast food place.
[00:24:48] Speaker C: Oh, man. See, I need more Humo. That's survival in our house, unfortunately.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: And Sonic, I don't know why I wouldn't even. I've just never even been to Sonic.
[00:24:59] Speaker C: When I was pregnant, my go to was the grilled cheese with pickle. That's all I would eat from Sonic.
Oh, so I'm a pickle freak too. I don't know. Yeah. Grilled cheese there with pickles. Yeah.
[00:25:12] Speaker A: Deal pickles. We have talked about that.
[00:25:14] Speaker B: Well, we talk about the pickle thing because when I was.
[00:25:16] Speaker A: I had. Oh, yeah.
[00:25:18] Speaker B: So of course I saw my brother. I mean, and the drinking age was like 18 then, you know, so I saw plenty of stuff.
But I learned how to play quarters. Me and my friends when I was little play quarters of pickle juice.
[00:25:31] Speaker C: Oh, my goodness.
Well, you can get a pickle juice drink at Sonic.
[00:25:35] Speaker A: What is it?
[00:25:36] Speaker C: It's pickle juice. Slush. You can get a slush. You know that?
Yeah.
My girls love it. My youngest.
[00:25:43] Speaker B: Oh, that wouldn't blow up like, you know, an elephant after I'm done from this.
[00:25:48] Speaker A: Oh, I'm sure.
[00:25:49] Speaker C: Yeah. Well, did you ever eat at Goldies growing up? Do you ever.
[00:25:52] Speaker B: I did the pickle bar.
[00:25:54] Speaker C: Oh, that's. That was it, man. I was like. And now there's far and few of those. But Goldies was our go to as a family.
[00:26:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:01] Speaker C: I'd go for the pickles and then maybe get a little food.
[00:26:03] Speaker B: Yes, exactly.
[00:26:04] Speaker A: It must be Oklahoma. I don't know. Gold. It is.
[00:26:06] Speaker C: It's a big hamburger. It was. It's been here for years. Years and years.
[00:26:11] Speaker B: Is it still here?
[00:26:11] Speaker C: There's a couple. There's one on Sheridan. Yeah. And I think there's one in ba still. But yeah, it's. They have a pickle bar and pre Covid. You could go up and get your own pickles now. They bring it to you. They had sweet, they had dill, and they had dill spears.
And I mean, pickle freak here.
[00:26:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:29] Speaker C: Like, yeah. Love pickles.
[00:26:31] Speaker A: So tell us a little bit about MCwx.
[00:26:33] Speaker C: Oh, I love talking about this. So, you know, at 51, 52, had lots of changes going on. And you know how we sit down and broadcast and watch. You know, I was realizing, especially As a gm, I'm like, man, people are not sitting down for the 5, 6, and 10 news. I. Here I am trying to sell this, you know, and back in the day, we were selling ratings of 20, and now they're like 2 and 0.3 and point, you know, I'm like, come on. And I've known Mike Collier since he was 19, and my husband. I started my career at Channel 8 way before Mike was there. I'm a lot older than him, but my husband worked there for many years and hired Mike. And Mike came on as even an intern and was working and working mornings and just a really great guy, you know, from here. Went to school here. And.
And so when I became. He moved his way up through his career and became a chief at 8. And when I became the GM at 2 and began to rebuild it, because back then it was. Everybody knew it was two works for you. And I said, you know, I just really want to bring home the Oklahoma brand. So I rebranded it and rebuilt it as 2News Oklahoma when I was there. And, you know, I remember the corporate company being like, why? And I go, listen, if you're in Oklahoma, you know why? Okay, we're proud. And we are, you know, Oklahoma, you know, supports each other, and it's just Oklahoma standard. And so they allowed me to rebuild it and rename it to News Oklahoma. And so I really wanted someone to be. And I knew weather was the number one reason people tuned in, you know, especially in Oklahoma, to the news.
And so I knew Mike and knew what he stood for. And so he happened to reach out and we brought him over as chief. And so I got to work with him for about seven and a half years before everything started to change in the industry. And they eliminated the VP positions. And they were like, hey, come move out here to, you know, a big city. You're going to want to do that. I said, listen, I just love Oklahoma. This is where we're from. My husband's from here. He's a Bixby guy. And my mom's still here and alive, and. And my sisters. And so I just said, no, I want to stay here. And so, you know, I was able to move to another station in town, but, you know, I just knew things were changing for me. And Mike had always reached out saying, hey. He had left after I left, too. He left and went into commercial insurance, but everyone was saying, hey, we want you to do weather. And he was really smart that he had built this social platform. And listen, as an older person, I was like, you know, who's watching this?
And I would see him go on before the 10 o' clock news on his station, on his Facebook page, and have 20,000 people watching. Well, then I looked at our ratings, and we maybe had a thousand thousand. And I'm like, okay, he's got something going on here, you know, and he would just go on and do forecasts, and people would comment and they'd love it, and you'd see all this. And I thought, wow.
And when he left, people were saying, we don't want this to stop. We want this to keep going. And so he's like, okay. So he just creatively, you know, built his own thing, and sponsors came to him, and they were like, you know, when you mention stuff, people trust you. I mean, they trusted you for two decades or more. And, you know, you're. You're a good guy, and so could you rep our brand. And so he slowly built this small weather app, and it blew up, you know, and then he was reaching out to me, saying, hey, we really need to take this to the next level. Will you come and do this? And, you know, as a creature of what I've done for so long, it was scary. And I thought, how do I venture out, you know, and do this and still provide for my family? You know, I mean, it was just. It was so different. And I really prayed about it, and Mike prayed about it, and he said, listen, I really just come and let's try.
And within the first three to four weeks, I was just, for the first time in probably five to 10 years, loving what I did again and just finding joy and meeting people I met. That's how I met Lisa. You know, I was like, this is what my heart, you know, wants. And plus, we're helping keep people safe. I mean, I know the importance of weather as growing up in Oklahoma, my whole life, it can change on a dime. People are scared who move into. You know, they're like, hey, these twisters, these tornadoes. And I mean, obviously they are something that you should be warned about. But our big thing is we don't want you to be scared. Be prepared. And so through this, we built. I was able to build out the channel with Mike, and honestly, it has just exploded. You know, we have more than 130,000 locals downloading the app. You know, we beat out local media by a lot. So much so that these big major corporations are coming after us. They're, like, calling our clients, they're sending them stories. And I'm like, listen, you're a multi Mini million dollar company and there's five of us here.
[00:31:06] Speaker A: You know, we're just threatened by the little guy.
[00:31:08] Speaker C: But I mean, even like you, Lisa, you saw, you know, the power of building out the largest camera network in the state and, you know, so appreciate Han and everything that they're doing for us on that. And all of our sponsors who've come on and we've been able to really pick and choose because we want to work with people who are invested in the community who give back, who have the same standards we do. And, you know, it's just grown so fast. And we're about to launch our company in Kansas City with someone. It's not Mike. You know, we will own the companies and stuff, but we'll launch someone who has a huge social platform. We're launching an Oklahoma City and Dallas will come. But even more exciting, we've hired a Spanish meteorologist. Emily Anderos had reached out and came on. So we're going to start providing to green country a Spanish forecast and serving the Hispanic community who honestly, no one has done.
And so we're just really excited. I mean, every day is a new adventure and I'm back to learning again.
Lisa, you've taught me so much, even about social and, and you know, Mike is an expert when it comes to social. He, that's his baby. And you know, and I've been able to handle the marketing and sales and we've just brought on some really great people. And so I'm excited, you know, each day I wake up and it's something new. Like I'm here today, you know, and I just love it. I, that's not something I would have thought at 51 I can redefine because it's scary. I got a lot of years, I got to work still, you know, I got a 10 year old, grandma had a baby. I said, but, you know, so the sky's the limit and we're just really trusting in our faith and believing that God opens the right do.
[00:32:44] Speaker A: And it is exciting. And I think that's what I saw too, which is why, you know, we reached out to you when I or I reached out to Han and I said, you really need to do this because I, I saw it, I keep talking about this, but you know, back in, when social media first started it, people argued with me that newspaper ads weren't going away.
And now they're arguing that TV ads aren't going away, but they are. I mean, TV is not the way it used to be. Cable's not the same now we're on streaming networks that have had to take
[00:33:13] Speaker C: over the ads almost.
[00:33:15] Speaker B: Right.
[00:33:16] Speaker A: Yeah. It's sad. And so I saw. I mean, I saw that I was on the app all the time when there was weather in the area. I never watched tv. I. I don't even turn my TV on hardly at home. And so it just made sense to that digital is where it's going. And then. And it's been fun watching just, even the changes that's happening, you know, with new customers and people trust people that do the right thing. And I think that's why Mike is trusted so well. And then his sponsors are trusted, and it's kind of a vicious circle. So it's fun watching it from sort of afar, but involved in it to some degree.
[00:33:50] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:33:50] Speaker A: And seeing all the things that are happening.
[00:33:53] Speaker C: Yeah. It's just, again, I think it's something that. With, you know, Mike having been in the community for more than two decades and, you know, he really is. I joke with him, he'll kill me for saying this, but he's like Opie, you know, I mean, he's just a great guy. He's. He's just like, you know, he's an amazing wife, Aaron, and three kids. And he's out coaching his kids and dealing with all the stuff that we all deal with. But then, you know, can sit down in his home and broadcast to, you know, he averages 40 to 80 million views a month on Facebook.
[00:34:24] Speaker A: That's crazy.
[00:34:25] Speaker C: And so brands are realizing. And Lisa, you are again too someone that was above, you know, forward thinking and, you know, you've been able to take social media for your companies to the next level. And so I think that that's the good part of social media. And I love to highlight that because, you know, you're gonna have good and bad, everything you do and stuff. But we've been able to really work with companies and elevating. We had our new roofing team come on and two weeks ago, and I think he. He called and said, I've had 15 jobs that we've been able to take because of your recommendations.
And those are the stories we love to tell because that's. That's our mission. If I said to you day one, if, if Han's not successful with us, that then we're not doing something right. And so we work hand in hand. Mike's able to endorse course which local media can't do. You know, there's a lot of guidelines and so. And we can be on. We don't have to worry about big corporate people who don't live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, don't live in Bixby, Kawita, Claremore. You know, these are towns that just got a notification, right?
[00:35:22] Speaker B: In cwa.
[00:35:24] Speaker A: But, yeah, it's exciting to see. It's scary when you see changes like that. I talk about that even with AI and how it's just moving in that direction, and you got to be ready and you got to. You gotta change to follow where it's going. And so it's exciting to see that you took that leap of faith, because that is kind of scary.
[00:35:43] Speaker C: Well, it wasn't. God had to kind of force me because, again, I'm a creature of habit. And I just felt like I gotta just stay here. And I wasn't happy. I wasn't being fulfilled. It was waking up every morning and just, you know, thankful. We had a paycheck to pay bills and stuff like that. But I didn't feel I was doing legacy, leaving a legacy, or teaching my kids that you can be joyful in your job again, even at 51, starting over and just really trusting what the next steps are. So I'm. I'm really excited about it. Yeah.
[00:36:10] Speaker A: Yeah, it's really exciting.
Well, we are way over, so thanks for joining us today.
[00:36:15] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:36:16] Speaker A: And we'll be back next week.
