INTERVIEW WITH RANDY LAFFOON

Where did you grow up?
Oklahoma City in the Putnam City School District until 10th grade. I attended Norman High School in the 11th and 12th grades.

Where did you go to college?
The University of Oklahoma. I have a degree in Finance/Business.

Do you have a family?
Wife, Debbie. Two sons, Trevor (11th grade at Norman North) and Trent (9th grade at Norman North)

What do you do at KREF Sports Talk Radio?
I am part owner, along with Casey and Brian Vineyard. I spend most of my time on sales and involvement in the community. I am working to create a new image for the radio station.

How long have you been involved with KREF?
10 months. For the previous 18 years, I owned and operated several AT&T cell phone franchise stores.

How did you get into this business?
Through my AT&T business, I was very involved in the community and was frequently on the radio, through commercials and live remotes. After AT&T purchased my franchise locations, I wanted to have another Norman business. I like to build businesses.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Working in Norman and working with Norman businesses.

What do you enjoy least about your job?Collections.

What skills are needed to perform your job well?
You have to be thick-skinned because not everyone will support you. You have to have an ability to sell yourself and your business. You have to like being involved in the community.

What inspires you?
More than the financial rewards, I tend to view things as a win or a loss. If a business or project succeeds, that’s a win. If it doesn’t, that’s a loss. I enjoy the struggle of building something from ground up. I like the personal challenge to win in business.

Did/do you have a mentor?
My father. He taught me the value and importance of public relations.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting out in their career?
Be prepared to work very hard. And while that is very important, you must have time away from your business to stay fresh and avoid burnout, or it will kill you.

What one thing would you want someone new to this community to know about Norman/Moore?
That it is an easy place to do business because for the most part, people here care about you.

 

Fun, Quick-Answer Questions:

Favorite food? Mexican
Favorite college team? OU
Favorite pro team? Cincinnati Reds
Dog or Cat person? Dog – have 2
Morning person or night owl? Morning
Favorite childhood television program? Gilligan’s Island
If your life were a movie, what actor/actress would you have play you? Bruce Willis
Weekend entertainment/hobby? Watching my sons play soccer
What one thing do you miss about being a kid? Not having a schedule
CNN, ESPN or CNBC? ESPN
Coke or Pepsi? Coke
Messy or Neat? Neat
First job? Clerk at the Brookhaven Village Store – worked for Roger Lalli
First car? 68 Blue Mustang
If you could take a trip tomorrow – where would you go? Anywhere with a beach
If stranded on a beach, what 3 things (not people) would you have to have? My phone, food and water.

INTERVIEW WITH BRENT WHEELBARGER

Where did you grow up? Oklahoma City

Where did you go to college? Oklahoma State University. I have a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Do you have a family? Wife, Marsha. Four year old daughter, Emma.

What do you do at the Moore Monthly? I am an owner and write some of the feature articles for the magazine. I am also an owner of Trifecta Communications which offers print services, video production and web design.

How long have you been involved with Moore Monthly? 3 years in October. This endeavor began in my garage with 20 pages and 10,000 copies. We now have an office inside the renovated, old Moore School Building, and at 60 pages and distributing 12,000 copies.

How did you get into this business? I began working as a television reporter with KXII out of Sherman, Texas. I was assigned the Ardmore and southern Oklahoma area. I then got a job with a Public Relations firm in Los Angeles, California. I was in LA for three years and the firm assigned me to work in Ada, Oklahoma. When my wife got a job in Oklahoma City, we decided to move to Moore. At that time, I started doing video shows for the City of Moore and believed Moore needed a monthly “lifestyle” magazine. That led to creation of the Moore Monthly, and I still do video production for the City of Moore on Channel 20.

What do you enjoy most about your job? Interviewing people and learning about the things they do for a profession or hobby.

What do you enjoy least about your job? The time it takes to do the job well. Doesn’t leave much free time, but that’s the same issue with all small business owners.

What skills are needed to perform your job well? The ability to write well. And with video, the technical skills to do the job along with creativity.

What inspires you? Getting to meet business people and hear their stories.

Did/do you have a mentor? My parents.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting out in their career? In every job, take advantage of every opportunity you have to learn, whether you like the job or not. You will probably learn a skill that you will be able to use later in life.

What one thing would you want someone new to this community to know about Norman/Moore? That Moore is a really fun place and interesting place to live and do business.

Fun, Quick-Answer Questions:

Favorite food? Stacked enchiladas, especially my Moms!
Favorite college team? OSU
Favorite pro team? Not really a pro sports fan.
Dog or Cat person? Dog
Morning person or night owl? Night Owl
Favorite childhood television program? Scooby Do
If your life were a movie, what actor/actress would you have play you? Toby McGuire
Weekend entertainment/hobby? Camping
What one thing do you miss about being a kid? Free time
CNN, ESPN or CNBC? CNN
Coke or Pepsi? Coke
Messy or Neat? Somewhere in the middle
First job? KXII television in Ardmore
First car? Ford Escort
If you could take a trip tomorrow – where would you go? Europe
If stranded on a beach, what 3 things (not people) would you have to have? Video camera, books and food