The Formative Years

July 1997 – June 1998, Graphic Resource Center. Hired as a marketing consultant to increase this Oklahoma City based audio visual equipment dealer’s sales. Won front page Business section interview in Daily Oklahoman. After four months of research and investigation, recommended owner’s “turn the key.”

September 1997 – July 1998, Useful Products, Inc. Developed marketing campaign including new product launch for their personal care product: Body Buddy. Won favorable reviews from McCall’s, Self and Glamour magazines. Body Buddy was then featured on Good Morning America in June 1998 and the Today Show in July of 1998.

May 1997- April 1998 – Jim Booher, CPA. Hired as a marketing consultant to increase small accounting firm’s market and revenues. Developed former public company controller’s marketing collateral materials. Firm won local business manager contract as a result.

September 9 1996 – Wembley Arena London, England: Saw Steely Dan.

Took Chunnel from London to Paris for the day.

1996 – Met Melvin Powers founder of Wilshire Publishing at his offices in North Hollywood, CA.

May 1996 – August 1999, William A. Vassar III & Associates, Inc. Hired as a marketing consultant to evaluate then revise marketing and advertising campaigns for this leading workers� compensation legal services firm. Conducted market research, developed firm’s unique selling proposition then focused customer acquisition budget on more profitable soft tissue injury market. Lead firm through a 150% reduction in revenue and advertising budget availability. Stemmed attrition while maintaining customer retention rates amidst a shrinking workers compensation market and hostile legislative climate.

March 1996, Oklahoma Renaissance Foundation. Retained by board members of the Foundation to develop a campaign to save their ancestral home (the Buttram Mansion) from demolition. Generated over $50,000 in front page news stories in less than six weeks. The campaign results produced a buyer who paid $1,570,000.00 to save the mansion from being destroyed.

March 1996 – October 1997, HOF Enterprises. Marketing consultant hired to launch HOF Fire Light fire starter product. Developed marketing and product launch campaign. Won local and national reviews including July 4, 1996 front page business section article in the Daily Oklahoman, followed by new product reviews in Sports Afield July 1996 and Popular Mechanics August 1997.

October 1995 – July 2000, American Computer and Telephone October 1995 – July 2000, American Computer and Telephone (Amcat). Marketing and management consultant to US based privately held software company. Produced corporate identity still in use today as well as the majority of their corporate collateral materials. In 1998, recommended AMCAT sell long distance to their customer base of 650+ call centers which led to the formation of USA Digital Communications: In 1999, researched then recommended European expansion for AMCAT. Won the contract to open their UK subsidiary’s London based headquarters. Successfully completed the project with their new division becoming profitable within the first six months of operation. Today, the majority of AMCAT revenue and profits are derived from USA Digital Communications and their London based UK subsidiary.

October 1995 – September 1996, Turtle Shells Corporation: Marketing consultant to Turtle Shells athletic wear company. Drafted new product launch campaign for the Turtle Shells sports bra. Won favorable new product reviews in Seventeen and Newsweek magazines.

October 1995 – August 2002 Lost Creek Mushroom Farm: Marketing consultant responsible for over 95% of sales generated by the company. Drafted original campaign for launching and marketing the Lost Creek Mushroom Farm Shiitake Mushroom Log. Won favorable new product reviews in major market media across the nation six consecutive years in a row. Campaign strategies to date have produced over 10,000 unique sales transactions at virtually no cost to Lost Creek Mushroom Farm. Launched web site 2002, site now ranks in the top ten results for their industry related keywords in Google and Yahoo.

March 2002 – August 2002, Redbud Gourmet: Marketing consultant to Lost Creek Mushroom Farm’s sister company. Developed web site and got firm listed in top ten results for their industry related keywords in Google and Yahoo.

1994 – Present, Published Baby Care Hand Book. 

1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America

March 1990 – Hired Playboy Playmate Miss January 1990 Peggy McIntaggart to be my company’s “product spokesperson.”

June 1989 – Asked my future in-laws for their blessings at the 21 Club.

March 1988 – July 1995, United Telesis Corporation. First new product marketing campaign commenced with the development, launch and roll out of the Telebel door answering system. Telebel was favorably reviewed by Popular Science Magazine in July 1990 and thereafter in numerous major market media including the Daily Telegraph; London, England. Telebel was sold nationally by Hammacher Schlemmer and Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies in the US in addition to other regional and local retailers. International sales were made to companies in Australia and Saudi Arabia. The company and product line were sold in April of 1995.

The formative? years 1972 – 1988, Held approximately 30 different types of jobs. Started Oklahoman newspaper route at age 10 delivering up to 700 “Oklahomans” and Wall Street Journal newspapers a day.

Moved out at age 17.

Senior year of high school worked as a bar back at Pistachio’s discotheque. Got off work between 11:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. Still got up and went to “school” in the morning.

Most unusual job: At 19 Roustabout on Transworld Drilling Company Rig #69 in the Gulf of Mexico 1980-1981. Hitchhiked to Gulf of Mexico several times to get to heliport at Sabine Pass, TX. Got the job so I could fly to work in a Sikorsky S-76. Worked one week on one week off. Put in 100-115 hours per hitch. Sometimes worked three weeks on with one week off. Longest uninterupted shift: 28 hours – running casing.

Attended my first rock concert Ted Nugent and Aerosmith at age 12. Met Ted Nugent in 2002. Saw approximately 20 acts before I turned 18.

Saw Led Zeppelin in concert on April 3, 1977 at age 15. Bought tickets from my aunt Jeanie after the Elvis tickets she had won on WKY radio were cancelled because of his death. WKY offered her two tickets to the sold out Led Zeppelin concert. I didn’t know at the time what I was seeing nor that the show would be one of Led Zeppelins’ last U.S. shows.

Later that year had front row to KISS and Uriah Heep. Met Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss without their makeup after the show at the Hilton Inn West. Then saw the Kinks and Tom Petty. Shook Ray Davies hand.

One of two sixth grade students chosen from all elementary schools within the Putnam City school district to report to and advise the school board on the district’s Accountability program. The other student Shari Lacy went on to become the Valedictorian of my class.

1971: Met Dizzy Dean, Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, Whitey Ford, Moose Skowron and Tommy Lasorda in the lobby of the Stouffers Hotel while attending the Old Timers Game at Busch Field, St. Louis, MO.

Summer 1969: My dad had a friend who was a airplane broker and stunt pilot. Got to “co-pilot” a DC-3 from Oklahoma City, OK to Lawton, OK. Rode in my dad’s lap while doing Loop to Loops over Lake Ft. Gibson in a Waco Biplane.

Born Ren-yin Year of the Tiger on the Vernal Equinox.

“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead & rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.” Benjamin Franklin