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Episode 307

Experience Local Together (with Rachael Crawford)

Andy talks with Rachael Crawford, executive director of the Plaza District Association and Plaza Business Alliance, about how arts-driven small business districts build belonging, counter apathy, and strengthen civic life in OKC. They also preview the 26th Annual Plaza District Festival

Transcript
Speaker:

Hello and welcome to Let's Pod this.

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My name is Andy Moore.

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Friends, it's good to be

with you again this week.

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Uh, gosh, I hope this episode is

happier than my last episode, but

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I'm recording this on a Monday, and

who knows what the week will have.

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I guess if the week goes south,

I'll, I'll do a, a pre-roll bumper

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about like, oh my God, democracy is

fracturing yet again, which I think

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is a, an all too common, uh, thread.

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Thank you listeners, for everyone who

has reached out, um, to me or to Scott

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or anyone else who happens to know me

about that short episode I did last week.

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Um, gosh, last week feels

like it was a lifetime ago,

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even though, um, we're still.

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I think unpacking the implications

of it, the, the details, the facts

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about what happened in Utah and,

and what it means for our democracy.

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Um, but I always feel a little

nervous when I do those episodes

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that are more heartfelt and, um.

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I think they feel riskier,

like emotionally riskier.

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And so when there is

feedback, I appreciate it.

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To be clear, I appreciate

feedback for any episode.

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Um, today is gonna be a distinctly

different vibe, so we'll, uh.

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Shake off sort of the gloom from

last week, though it is never,

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never far from our hearts.

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Um, but this week we're gonna talk

about something much more local.

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Uh, we're gonna talk about local

events, uh, one event, a particular,

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the Plaza, um, district festival.

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And, um, why?

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Districts like the Plaza District as one,

I think standout example in Oklahoma City.

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Why this is important for our sense of

community, both like place and people.

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So joining me today is my dear friend,

uh, and executive director of the Plaza

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District Association and the Plaza

Business Alliance, Rachel Crawford.

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Hello Rachel.

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Thanks for being here.

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Thanks for having me, Andy.

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I'm so excited that you were able to

join me early on a Monday morning.

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Me too.

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This is the best way to start

my week, so thank you so much.

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Rachel and I have, uh, uh, had a chance

to work together on numerous occasions.

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Um, yeah.

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Around community work panels,

just like generally trying to

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like, help build up community.

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Is that fair?

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Yeah.

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And, and name what we see,

which is what people don't even

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mean to do, which is apathy.

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Yeah.

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And teaching them how to get involved and,

and showing them that we're approachable

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and we can plug 'em in pretty quick

if, if they just know what's going on.

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Yeah.

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That's so, that's so funny.

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You said the word apathy.

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This is the second time that word has come

up in conversation for me today already.

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And it's not even noon.

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Um, and I think given the events

of last week, we have to start

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thinking about apathy and where

it, where it leads to nihilism.

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Right?

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There's like a.

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Gradient here of where you might feel

bummed or like kind of disconnected

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and then it, that is a slippery

slope down at this like nihilist,

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like nothing matters world anyway.

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Okay, see that gravitational pull is deep.

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Let's pull back up.

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Um, Rachel, first let's talk about.

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And we'll, we'll mention this again

at the end, but I wanna let listeners

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know in case you know, their radio

shorts out here, but I want them to

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know about the Plaza District Festival,

and it's also the Plaza Walls Festival.

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It's all kind of one big thing, right?

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Yeah.

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So tell us about that.

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It's real, it's beginning already.

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And today they're starting

to prime some of the murals.

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So if you've ever been to the

Plaza District between Klassen and

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Penn on 16th Street and Oklahoma

City, there is a thriving arts and

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commercial district known as the Plaza

District, 16th Street Plaza District.

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We have about 70 local

businesses, and within that we do.

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Two large events annually.

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Our biggest of the year,

the 10th anniversary, Plaza

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Walls, mural Expos this year.

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Oh wow.

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And it is really leading this a week

leading up to, and then the day of our

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26th Annual Plaza District Festival.

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So the district festival's has been

around longer than the Mural Expo, but

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it's mostly because the Mural Expo, um,

and the organization that was formed to

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create the nonprofit Plaza walls hasn't

been around much longer than 10 years.

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Yeah.

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And I think.

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If memory serves, that was largely

thanks to like Google coming in with

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some money and they started this

like digital art archive across the

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country where they did a lot of like

public art, like murals and stuff.

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And they helped fund some of those.

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And then were taking photos

and like archiving it.

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So they kind of exist in perpetuity.

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I know there's a lot more than,

than just Google involved, but I

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remember them, them doing that in

Plaza and I think like in the Western

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Avenue District, like back mm-hmm.

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They did a big.

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Plaza or a big, uh, mural thing.

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Yeah.

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Probably 10 ish years ago as well.

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Yeah.

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They also gave some funding to the

laza District, I wanna say in:

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for our small business Saturday.

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Yeah.

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So that partnership was, was

pretty strong for a moment in time

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and that certainly helped boost

awareness about, Hey, Oklahoma

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City's on the map for street art now.

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Yeah.

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That's cool.

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Well, good for Google.

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You know, too much.

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To whom much is given, much is expected.

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Yeah.

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So if you're a huge company,

you should at least at the very

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least, pay for some public art.

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Um, Rachel, let's go back.

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You've referenced kind of the length

of time though, but tell us a little

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bit about the history of the Plaza

District, how it formed, and um, kind

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of how it got to where it is today.

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Okay.

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I'm going to do my best.

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What I can speak to most of

the time, most, uh, succinctly

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is my lived experience.

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Sure.

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Within the Plaza District, which.

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Began during, uh, January, 2017.

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I worked at Lyric Theater.

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In that time, I had the pleasure

of working with the most recently

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retired managing director,

uh, which is Paula Stover.

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Oh, okay.

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And through Paula Stover at the

time, um, she helped bring Lyric

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Theater to the Plaza District.

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And this is an important

piece to the story.

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Lyric is the anchor of the Plaza

District and helps tremendously.

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There are many case studies that

talk about this with the success,

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the socioeconomic success of how

the Plaza District's curated.

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'cause you've got a venue that has

Ticketable events and what do people

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wanna do before and after a show, right?

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However, the history of the Plaza

District starts way before this, in fact,

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where the, the Lyric Theater is now.

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What's called the Plaza Cinema.

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It was one of the first air conditioned

movie cinemas in Oklahoma back.

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It was built in 1934, and the, the

district was thriving in the thirties,

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forties, fifties, perhaps sixties,

seventies, eighties, nineties.

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Uh, all the stories I've heard

from residents of Gatewood who

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have been around a long time and

different community leaders is.

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It was really in a place where you

didn't wanna come down to the district.

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Mm-hmm.

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Right.

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Perhaps as early as, or recently

as the early two thousands.

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Um, I moved to Oklahoma in

late:

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businesses that had opened, it

was a grand opening of the Mule.

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Yeah.

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In the location where Barston is now.

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But if I understand correctly from the

first director of the district, Susan

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Hogan, when the nonprofit, the Plaza

District Association, 5 0 1 C3 was formed.

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One of the first big

initiatives was a street scape.

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Mm-hmm.

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And I've seen old pictures of the Plaza

District where there aren't these really

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wide pedestrian friendly sidewalks.

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In fact, I believe 16th Street

may have been at one time a

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four lane road too on each side.

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Oh.

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Just for that little stretch right there.

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Holy mo.

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Yeah.

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I've seen some pictures.

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Yeah.

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Where, um, like OEA is now,

where the old Aurora was.

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And it says like, PST casino.

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And the like.

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Model T Fords go right up to

the, up to the door window.

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Yeah, to the door.

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That's how it was for a long time.

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So with the streetscape in perhaps the

late nineties, early two thousands.

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That helped make the district

really pedestrian friendly.

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Then Lyric comes in.

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In the meantime though, before Lyric,

one of our longest, um, running

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businesses and property owners, female

property owners is Estella Evans.

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Mm-hmm.

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And she was one of the first

to go in and invest as well as.

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Keith and Bruce who own photo art.

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Mm-hmm.

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And then you've got Jeff and Amy

Struble and these different, uh,

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people who were renovating to

try to draw on small business.

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And I mean, it's just kept thriving.

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And when I came in,

this is just a fun fact.

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There were 52 businesses in the

same, uh, district boundaries.

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We now have 70.

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Wow.

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I had no idea that there

was even 52 70 is Yeah.

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Extraordinary.

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Yeah.

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And there's a lot more to Plaza

District than just like the

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things you see as you drive past.

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Like there's stuff that are like

in the alleyway now, like back in

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Plaza Walls, there's stuff south

of 16th that's kind of adjacent.

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Yes.

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And you start to see it kind of

build out over time, particularly

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on black welder, the south side of

black, black welder, southeast side

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of black welder, and west side.

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Yeah, that area.

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That's amazing.

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I remember some of the, I moved

here into Oklahoma City in:

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Um, and so I remember like, I mean,

no one was gonna the Plaza District

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back then, but I remember seeing news

stories about some of those, like

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early efforts at Street Scaping and um,

really like some of the, you know, when

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placemaking was a real buzz word and

like when that was starting to happen.

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Um, and uh, back when Twitter was cool

and getting to see some of those efforts.

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Um.

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So it's been really exciting.

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What do you think Rachel

makes the Plaza unique?

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Among all the other districts in

Oklahoma City and there's, I know

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there's like, in many cases some sort

of like tax incentive funding element

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that kind of helps ground a district

that there's some sort of economic

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development that's been like a top down

thing and plaza's always felt more of a

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bottom up thing to me as a lay person.

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Absolutely.

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Our motto is Experience local together.

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And from the moment that I first

stepped into the district, um, I

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felt like I moved here from Austin.

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I said, this kind of

feels like Austin to me.

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And at that time, in 2012, I,

I could've never known I was

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gonna work in the district.

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Mm-hmm.

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Let alone hang out there often.

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Um, what I noticed was like people

being unapologetically themselves.

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I remember Saints and Urban Wine

Works, and even the Mule, their

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motto is, uh, don't be a Jack.

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Mm-hmm.

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I don't know what I can say on here.

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So whatever you wanna say.

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Don't be a jackass.

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Yeah.

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Don't be a jackass.

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I was like, I love that branding.

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I love that attitude.

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And now where we're at.

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I, it's you, you come as you

are to the Plaza District.

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And I, I try to lead that way too.

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I remember thinking, what does an

executive director of a district wear?

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Mm-hmm.

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And I used to dress up in blazers

and heels when I worked at Lyric.

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That's what the role called for.

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And in development and in box office

now, I mean, I rolled up in here in camo

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pants and camo crocs with sunglasses on.

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This is how I actually dress every day.

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'cause you look like the district now.

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Well, I want to blend in.

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Because I want, I walk the

district morning, noon, and night.

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I live close in Gatewood and I want

to see how people experience the

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district without realizing who I am.

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And yeah, I do wanna blend in.

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Um, the Plaza District is

unique in that all of our

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businesses are small businesses.

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Mm-hmm.

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And most of them are the

only location you can go to.

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I mean, take Pie Junkie for example.

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There's no other Pie junkie.

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Right.

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And they're intentionally set up that way.

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Yeah.

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I've talked to Darcy and Leslie about it.

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I was like, you know, you

could branch out like we know.

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Yeah.

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Like the Plaza is our home.

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Yeah.

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My sister drives in from

Hara just to buy pie.

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Really?

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And like she does baking, like she

could just make it at home, but she's

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like, Ooh, I'm gonna treat myself.

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I'm gonna drive 30 minutes in

just to get a slice of pie.

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Yeah.

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We we're really fortunate in that

we've got a lot of people who

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care about nurturing our artists.

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Um, again, you've got Lyric Theater,

you've got OKC, improv, um, canopy, the

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Thelma Gaylord Academy, DNA Galleries,

uh, paint and Cheers, OFA studios.

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Look how many, um, amazing arts

and culture nonprofits and small

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businesses that are galleries or

experiences exist in the Plaza District.

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That's another piece of it.

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That's really fascinating.

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Uh, how do you see the role of

the community in like shaping

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plazas and and identity?

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We aren't, we aren't anything

without our community.

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We're very collaborate, collaborative by

nature and um, I think one of the things

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that became really evident is when canopy.

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Went into the old Everything Goes

Dance Studio at:

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Street, and it's for people who might

not be familiar, it's, it looks like

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an old gas station, essentially.

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It is, yeah.

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And um, dusty Gilpen is like one

of the people involved with it.

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I know.

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Um, but it's become kind

of an art hub now, right?

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Yeah.

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So.

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What is special about the Plaza District

is you've got leaders like Dusty Gilpen,

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and I'm gonna even tie this into Kristen

Bales, who was an executive director

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and Dusty and Kristen are married for

eight years of the Plaza District.

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She's over at downtown OKC now.

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Mm-hmm.

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People like them really

nurtured this spirit of, um.

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Be kind to everyone around you.

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And even if you, I think

this is important too.

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We don't talk about this enough.

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Even if you don't have the budget,

figure it out and do something

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cool with your friends and weird

and don't apologize for it.

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I have carried that into what we do now.

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And one of the things, canopy

Art Center, um, it's Dusty Gil

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and Carlos Barbosa, Mave Wise,

Dylan Broadway and Tony Thunder.

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Five of them.

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It needed a space where they weren't

so siloed in their work creatively.

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Mm-hmm.

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And there's, they're gonna have their

one year anniversary, soon there'll be

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a documentary, but the Plaza District,

they could have just kept that space as

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an art studio and done graphic design

and just kept their doors closed.

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That's not what the plaza's about at all.

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What they've done is they've created

a third space in a place that

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is in the heart of the district.

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That's what so many business owners do.

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They create a third space.

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There's no expectation of spending, but we

do want you to come and be with us mm-hmm.

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In our space, because we promise you're

gonna leave happier than when you came.

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And it's some.

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The playoffs.

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Whenever we had the playoffs, the Plaza

District was lit because everybody

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was just like, come on, come hang.

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Mm-hmm.

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And one place you could go and it was

just kinda like you had to be walking by.

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Mm-hmm.

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But if you walked by and you

spent enough time in the district,

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you knew you were welcome.

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There, um, was Canopy and

they put the projector up.

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Mm-hmm.

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And, um, it's the, the, we're we're a

place where it truly is like, come hang.

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I don't know how many other districts

like you can just come hang without

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having to like go into a business

and spend money all the time.

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Like, yes, of course we want you to

support small businesses and think of

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us for your lunch, dinner, breakfast,

or your services or your retail.

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But you can just hang in Plaza Walls.

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You can just hang at Canopy.

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You can, you can hang and people

watch and uh, there's something

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really beautiful about that,

knowing you should just go and be.

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Yeah, that's, well, what strikes me

as you're talking about the role of

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art in particular, that I think that

from my perspective, the two districts

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that do that best, or Plaza and

peo, which is like the historic arts

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district, um, and it's probably the

only other place, the other district

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that I feel like I could just go hang.

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Mm-hmm.

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And it's because they

also curate experiences.

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Where that's like what you do, right?

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But you can come and like meander

the sidewalk or hang out with First

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Friday yard walk or live on the

plaza like you do in Plaza District.

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And I also live in Gatewood, so

I drive down 16th all the time.

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I mean, almost every day.

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And.

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Especially if you go in the evenings.

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Um, I love seeing the menagerie of people

who are on the sidewalk in Plaza District

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and it, it makes, it makes me think of

also, I didn't know you lived in Austin.

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Me too.

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Growing up in Austin, um, of like

the places you could go as a weird

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teenager to hang out away from your

parents, but still be safe, right?

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Yeah.

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And you need somewhere

to like express your.

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Individuality, but in

like a safe space, right?

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And their options are like the

mall, which has diminishing returns

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these days, or someplace like Plaza

where you're outside and you do

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interact with a range of people.

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That, for me, like there's like

a psychological development

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there of like, who am I?

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How do I fit into the world?

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How does, how does my

presentation today, right?

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As a.

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A gothic cowboy or a, you know,

whatever you've got going on, how

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does that relate to other people?

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How do I, what are responses

do I get, you know?

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Um, and that I think goes a lot into

shaping who we are as individuals.

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But it sounds like there's a reciprocity

there that people engaging in that.

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I'm getting real deep now, but

like people engage in this, like

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get deep psychological identity

building is also part of how a place

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gets their identity built, right?

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Mm-hmm.

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Like how, it's what makes Plaza, it

gives it its ness where people are like,

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you know, what else could we do here?

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Well, here, here are the kinds

of people that we see here.

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How do we, how do we design festivals

or events that like embody that?

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A good example, and I'll turn it back to

you, but this last, last Friday mm-hmm.

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Um, was live on the plaza and the theme

was cruise the plaza, which I was, I had

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something else and I forgot about it.

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And I was driving home from work

on Friday and, and as I came down

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16th, some of the dopest low riders

I've seen in a couple of decades.

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And I was like, oh my gosh.

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Like this is where my heart.

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Is from my youth, my misspent youth.

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But seeing some of these like dope rides,

like parked along the street, it gave the

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district like a whole new personality.

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And yet not like it, it was

just like a teenager putting on

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a different style of clothes.

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Okay, today I am gonna be all

grunge, or I'm gonna be like street

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culture and like going in and it,

and how that felt, um, new and fresh

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and still comfortably the same.

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Um, I, I don't want to put

words in your mouth, but is

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that what you were going for?

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Is that like Yeah, I'm getting, okay.

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This is what a, this is

how much I love what we do.

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:

I'm getting teary-eyed listening to

you talk about it because you get it.

404

:

Cruise the plaza, to be completely honest.

405

:

Um.

406

:

I wanted to keep a fresh

theme that was low maintenance

407

:

because the state fair mm-hmm.

408

:

Happens at the same time.

409

:

So I'm not gonna pour a bunch

of budget into an event.

410

:

We've tried that before.

411

:

Mm-hmm.

412

:

And we drew the same size

crowd as any other year.

413

:

So I was talking to my colleague and um,

my colleague's name is Casey Longacre and

414

:

he's our marketing assistant in Plaza.

415

:

I said, we've got to, when we

were building our calendar last

416

:

year, do something that brings

in a lot of subcultures and.

417

:

Try to figure out how to just keep

building community in third space and

418

:

what if we try this theme like cruise

the plaza And we were, we take our

419

:

work seriously, but not ourselves.

420

:

We were giggling with all

the ways we could do this.

421

:

Like, 'cause we're both queer so

we're like cruise the plaza, like

422

:

what is everyone gonna think this is?

423

:

And we were talking about having drag

queen, like car racing down plaza

424

:

walls and all these random ideas.

425

:

And I was like, hold on, hold on.

426

:

We're still creating too much programming

in the same month as Plaza Fest.

427

:

Right.

428

:

And I'm getting into

the weeds, nos scenes.

429

:

That's good.

430

:

Yeah.

431

:

But how does this all come to life?

432

:

I'm like, hold, I keep hearing something

about this Omo Lalo event, but the

433

:

Plaza district's not producing it

and I don't know who is, and it's

434

:

some kind of low rider car show.

435

:

Adam Magoos attic.

436

:

What is this?

437

:

So I, I hit up Jordan, the owner.

438

:

He goes, yeah, that's Ashley.

439

:

She's with Avenues and Alleyways and

she knows all the low riders and.

440

:

Like the south side in Oklahoma City.

441

:

I said, are you serious?

442

:

I just went to the car hop at the,

the fairgrounds and it was so cool.

443

:

Mm-hmm.

444

:

I'd never been to an auto expo or

car hop, but I wanted to see like

445

:

leading up to it what that, like,

what the culture was all about.

446

:

I will totally go back.

447

:

Yeah.

448

:

Because it was like Friday night.

449

:

Yeah.

450

:

So we hit up Ashley, she's a sweetheart

and her husband, and they plugged

451

:

us into the Lowrider community.

452

:

And then Dusty Gilpen with Canopy is

super connected to like Van Animals.

453

:

Yeah.

454

:

Um, with, which is like a van club.

455

:

Yes.

456

:

Yes, yes.

457

:

So.

458

:

Dusty's also connected to,

uh, cars and coffee mm-hmm.

459

:

And ghosts that often.

460

:

So all we did was we took the people

that already know others that want

461

:

to be involved in the Plaza District

and we start making phone calls

462

:

and hitting up people on Instagram.

463

:

Mm-hmm.

464

:

That's all that it is.

465

:

And, um.

466

:

It's literally us hanging out with our

friends, but giving different friends

467

:

throughout the year, depending on

the theme, an opportunity to really

468

:

have a spotlight shined on them.

469

:

And it's always so fun when we do it

that way and skip the formalities.

470

:

Mm-hmm.

471

:

And just go right to like, Hey, you

wanna work together on something?

472

:

Right?

473

:

I mean, something as simple as

like, do you wanna come park your

474

:

car on 16th for a few hours while.

475

:

People walk around and anyone who

has a car they wanna show off is

476

:

like, yeah, I'll park it anywhere.

477

:

That sounds rad.

478

:

Will there be other cars there?

479

:

Dope.

480

:

I wanna see those too.

481

:

That's literally what happened

and that's how it starts, right?

482

:

Yeah, it is.

483

:

It's funny, there's an element of

event planning that will always be, you

484

:

know, if you build it, they will come.

485

:

Sometimes you're wrong.

486

:

Sometimes that doesn't happen.

487

:

But there's like a trust, the process

that you have to kind of know, I

488

:

think what resonates with people.

489

:

Mm-hmm.

490

:

Um, which I think gets back to that sense

of community and this, um, symbiotic

491

:

like relationship, especially for a

district like Plaza that is, you know.

492

:

I think Plaza is sandwiched between

two sizable neighborhoods, right?

493

:

Gatewood to the north that we

mentioned, and then class in

494

:

10 pen kind of to the south.

495

:

And then Plaza ends up

being this like, um, I.

496

:

You know, uh, liminal space in between

those, that is, it is of both, but it

497

:

is also of neither, like, it's a place

that exists on its own and plenty of

498

:

people come to plaza not knowing anything

about the neighborhoods around that.

499

:

Um, but I, I had a meeting just this

morning with someone about Gatewood,

500

:

about it is one of the largest

neighborhoods in Oklahoma City.

501

:

Um, it's over a thousand houses.

502

:

It goes from, from Penn to

Classen, from 16th to 23rd.

503

:

And it's a really wide range of

economic levels of education, levels

504

:

of, um, immigration, status of ages.

505

:

You've got like OCU college

kids who rent property in there.

506

:

You've got, um, there's a, a Catholic

church and so there's a lot of

507

:

community around the church there.

508

:

Um, you've got like a, a decent

sized like la Latino population.

509

:

You've got, um, especially on the eastern

side, a lot more like rental properties,

510

:

which brings in just like a more diverse.

511

:

Kind of populous.

512

:

Um, and so to do anything that like

connects with the community in that

513

:

area because it's so, it's not like

you're doing a, a gated community

514

:

where it's a bunch of like waspy

families, not nothing against that.

515

:

I'm just, it's a very different dynamic.

516

:

Um, it means that you have to, you

have to try to build lots of things

517

:

and hope that some of them resonate.

518

:

And it, from what you said, you.

519

:

Listen to the feedback.

520

:

You see how people respond.

521

:

They let you know if this one worked

or if you need to tweak things

522

:

or just ideas for future events.

523

:

Yeah.

524

:

Um, speaking of future events, you kind

of referenced Plaza District Festival.

525

:

Let's talk about that a little

bit as we're going along.

526

:

It's coming up on

Saturday, September 27th.

527

:

Mm-hmm.

528

:

Um.

529

:

I know the date and time, but I'm gonna,

that's, and it's from like 12 to 10,

530

:

12 noon to like 10:00 PM or something.

531

:

Roughly.

532

:

Right.

533

:

Or whenever you want to go home.

534

:

It used to be to 10:00 PM And

we said, I said, I said, why are

535

:

we paying for this main stage?

536

:

And it's so cool when we pay for

the banners and the backdrop,

537

:

why are we ending at 10?

538

:

We, the district's gonna

keep going after that.

539

:

I don't know who's watching this

that might say you can't do that.

540

:

I guess cut the power when it

happens, but we're extending it to

541

:

11:00 PM and the after party this

year is gonna be on the main stage.

542

:

But the music continues after JB

Williams, who's our headliner, yeah.

543

:

Performs, uh.

544

:

Cora Waves is gonna do a DJ set.

545

:

And if you've never seen Cora Waves

or her core waves, she is amazing.

546

:

Um, one of the cool things that's

happened over the last year is

547

:

we have had the opportunity to

see a series called Tiny Bar.

548

:

Okay.

549

:

And I'm getting off Plaza Fest

for a second, just for a moment.

550

:

That's this tiny bar.

551

:

Like Tiny Bar is good for a fuse

version of like tiny, tiny desk.

552

:

Okay.

553

:

And a lot of the artists

that have been on Tiny Bar.

554

:

The last year are also being

showcased at Plaza Fest.

555

:

Oh, that's cool.

556

:

So if you've never heard a tiny

bar go to their YouTube channel.

557

:

Uh, good for a Fuse.

558

:

They're amazing.

559

:

They were voted by USA today as one of

the best new cocktail bars in the country.

560

:

Yeah.

561

:

Um, they do really cool

entertainment curation and we are.

562

:

Also giving some of those artists a chance

to be highlighted, so Oh, that's cool.

563

:

Fest.

564

:

This year though, uh,

we've got several stages.

565

:

We got the ACM at UCO is actually

gonna be on the press patio this year.

566

:

Okay.

567

:

So it's a little more of a

south by Southwest field.

568

:

It's great for, um, that

area of the district.

569

:

Yeah.

570

:

Because we're gonna have some

activation of entertainment.

571

:

People can grab some food

and drink off the patio.

572

:

It'll be awesome.

573

:

Main stage is in the lyric lot again.

574

:

Okay.

575

:

And entertainment.

576

:

Starting with every, everything

goes Dance is the first, uh, act

577

:

on the main stage all the way

up to coral waves finishing out.

578

:

And the end of the evening, but where

there's usually the ACM at UCO stage.

579

:

We have an awesome family zone this year.

580

:

Ooh, so like in the middle of 16th?

581

:

Yep.

582

:

Nice.

583

:

We have three like inflatable, like

bounce houses with obstacle course.

584

:

Also, we are gonna have arts like

bracelet and necklace making activities.

585

:

We'll have Ghostbusters out there.

586

:

We will have DJ Light Brighton Friends.

587

:

So the official Oklahoma City

Thunder DJs, dj, light Bright, DJ

588

:

Tangerine, and UCI Boy will maybe

be on the rooftop of Velvet Monkey.

589

:

Mm-hmm.

590

:

And we'll, we'll see.

591

:

We're figuring out logistically,

um, Groment community will

592

:

be out doing street dance.

593

:

We'll have other.

594

:

Uh, community partners out there,

but 40 artists, vendors, the

595

:

mural expos going on with DJs and

B-boys all throughout plaza walls.

596

:

So many things happening in

the businesses, it's, it's

597

:

gonna be an amazing day.

598

:

That's super rad.

599

:

So, just by moving the stage, 'cause

normally the, the a CM at UCO stage

600

:

is down on like the east end of the

district, in the middle of 16th.

601

:

Um, but by moving it to the south, a

little bit down off of the press, you

602

:

really kind of expand the footprint.

603

:

Yeah.

604

:

Of what?

605

:

Of like, of the formal

festival itself, right?

606

:

Yeah.

607

:

I'm gonna be completely honest with you.

608

:

Like, uh, I don't know when and where

we, we plug this in, but to make this go

609

:

round, it takes sponsors and because of

the changes in our current administration

610

:

and tariffs, um, it, I, I've learned from.

611

:

Two sponsors that, uh,

help us significantly.

612

:

Those are some things that are

affecting them, which then affects

613

:

our ability to produce these events.

614

:

So my production budget,

we sliced significantly.

615

:

I'm like, I literally can't afford

another huge stage at this end.

616

:

So we have to get creative.

617

:

Right.

618

:

And if there's one thing that I

can do really well, most people

619

:

don't even realize are live on

the Plaza monthly block parties.

620

:

I produce on about a $500

budget, most of them, probably

621

:

10 of them throughout the year.

622

:

Mm-hmm.

623

:

Two, we go really large, skate

the plaza and pride on the

624

:

plaza, but to do what we do Yeah.

625

:

Is on a budget.

626

:

I know you know what that's like.

627

:

But yeah, that's how that came to be.

628

:

That's, um, I've always wondered if

that's, it's like both surprising and like

629

:

affirming to me of like, okay, I'm not

the only one shoestring stuff together.

630

:

And hopefully it, it feels like

a $5,000 event on a $500 budget.

631

:

But, um, but having solid

sponsors does make it a lot

632

:

easier to do some of that work.

633

:

Um.

634

:

So the Plaza Festival is obviously

something that brings together live

635

:

music, lots of art, lots of vendors.

636

:

Um, we almost always have a

booth there to do voter edu

637

:

education and like registration.

638

:

Like this year, you know, we'll be just a

couple of weeks out from Oklahoma City's,

639

:

um, municipal bond election mm-hmm.

640

:

On October 14th.

641

:

So we're gonna have a lot of conversations

about that 'cause most people don't know

642

:

it's coming up and it's like a big deal.

643

:

Um, hopefully in the next couple

of weeks we'll have a member of

644

:

city council on to talk about.

645

:

The bond election itself.

646

:

So listeners, if you're

interested in that, stay tuned.

647

:

Um, or come volunteer with us

in the Plaza District so you can

648

:

help hand out information and

be on the knowledge end of that.

649

:

Uh, that would be a big deal.

650

:

Um, how many people attend Plaza Fest?

651

:

So, interestingly enough,

there were 32,000 last year.

652

:

Um, fun fact, we used

to use a grid system.

653

:

And now there is technology that, uh,

has AI and can track cell phone pings.

654

:

Oh.

655

:

So there are different entities in

Oklahoma City that you can set a certain

656

:

radius and timeframe, um, where we

can see how many people have come.

657

:

Right.

658

:

So.

659

:

That's fascinating.

660

:

Back in my day, we, the, the, uh,

porta-potty companies would like weigh

661

:

the waste and they would estimate based

on how much waste there was, isn't it?

662

:

That's not even, that could never be

accurate for the plaza we had, we have

663

:

all the brick and mortar locations like.

664

:

We'd be like, oh, 10 people showed up.

665

:

Yeah.

666

:

When, uh, back, you know, 10,

15 years ago when, when like h

667

:

and eighth was happening Yeah.

668

:

Downtown.

669

:

Some of those, like more outdoorsy events.

670

:

That's how people would estimate.

671

:

And I was like, that's like, uh, gross.

672

:

And also like, makes sense, right?

673

:

Like we're all just.

674

:

Little animals walking around this

earth and like, that's probably how

675

:

we would measure the size of an aunt.

676

:

How?

677

:

I've never heard of that.

678

:

Yeah, that's what I,

I've never heard of that.

679

:

I don't, and maybe it's wrong.

680

:

People will let me know if

I'm wrong, but No, that, that

681

:

literally makes so much sense.

682

:

I guess if it's like a big festival,

like if you're like doing Woodstock or

683

:

something, uh, you sell tickets, but

there's some other way to, I don't know.

684

:

I don't know.

685

:

I don't, I'm not the one

that weighs the waste.

686

:

Um, well, we've, so we'll come back around

to the festival at the end, I'm sure,

687

:

but it sounds like running the district.

688

:

Like, can't be easy, right?

689

:

You've got 70 something businesses.

690

:

You've got events every month that

you're trying to like, think around.

691

:

You're dealing with just

day-to-day district stuff.

692

:

Um, sometimes weird things happen.

693

:

People, you know, sleep in an alley

overnight or behind a building or,

694

:

you know, water mains burst or the

city decides to rip up a sidewalk and

695

:

didn't really tell everybody, or you

know, who I'm just making up stuff.

696

:

Um, but.

697

:

In a, to like give some reality to it.

698

:

What are some of the biggest challenges

you face as district manager over there?

699

:

I think people see the success of the

district and think we have a large staff.

700

:

We have one full-time person.

701

:

It's me and, hi, it's me.

702

:

I'm the staffer, a significantly, uh,

talented and driven marketing assistant

703

:

Casey, who's part-time, 30 hours a week.

704

:

Mm-hmm.

705

:

Um, what we're able to accomplish is in

large part, due to two volunteer boards.

706

:

A lot of really caring small business

owners and community members,

707

:

volunteers, sponsors, foundations who

allow us grants, but, um, I struggle

708

:

often with the guilt of my inbox.

709

:

My superpower is my A DHD can handle

all kinds of emergencies, you know?

710

:

Um, but the, for me personally,

the hardest part is the

711

:

day-to-day boring stuff.

712

:

Mm-hmm.

713

:

Really mundane.

714

:

What I wouldn't give for an assistant.

715

:

Mm-hmm.

716

:

Um, it's hard to have to do so much and,

um, just kind of keep up and not carry

717

:

that guilt of never being caught up.

718

:

Yeah.

719

:

So the part for me, um, that is perhaps

the biggest challenge is reminding myself

720

:

to, uh, take time to soak it all in.

721

:

And I did not.

722

:

Really do that until my four

year work anniversary is like

723

:

July 28th or 29th of this year.

724

:

And I had been archiving some videos

and photos by some, I mean, tens

725

:

of thousands of videos and photos.

726

:

Like I'm gonna have to submit

all this to some historical

727

:

society maybe, uh, someday.

728

:

But I've been taking for a long time.

729

:

And in looking at those videos, I

looked at what a live on the Plaza block

730

:

party was like in November of 2021.

731

:

When I first was starting, we were

coming back from COVID versus now.

732

:

Mm-hmm.

733

:

And I pan across 16th Street

at about six or 7:00 PM Dead.

734

:

Mm-hmm.

735

:

It's just dead.

736

:

Could you even imagine that

now after seeing Friday night?

737

:

Mm-hmm.

738

:

We probably had about 8,000 people out.

739

:

Mm-hmm.

740

:

Over the course of six or seven hours.

741

:

Mm-hmm.

742

:

I mean, wow.

743

:

Yeah, so taking those

moments to take it in.

744

:

Don't let your head get too big.

745

:

Always stay focused on the work.

746

:

Like forget about the, the words

are nice, the recognition is

747

:

nice, but just keep staying fresh.

748

:

I take a lot of time to keep a close pulse

on what else is going on in the city.

749

:

Otherwise I won't even know who

to reach out to, to be inspired.

750

:

So being like supporting what

other people are doing, what

751

:

other districts are doing, mm-hmm.

752

:

Is really key.

753

:

And I mean, this year is the first

year I've been single in 20 years.

754

:

I would say that part of my success

too is having the freedom to go and

755

:

do and be present in the district

in other parts of the city and just

756

:

kind of feeling like a sponge of.

757

:

Um, being, I, I need to be inspired

constantly so I can then feel like

758

:

my cup isn't, you know, so empty.

759

:

Mm-hmm.

760

:

And so going and supporting other people,

I don't know, is a really big part of

761

:

how I lead in the Plaza District too.

762

:

Yeah, that's really interesting.

763

:

And I would, I was gonna ask

when you joined Plaza, and I

764

:

knew it was right after COVID.

765

:

Mm-hmm.

766

:

Um, knowing that that was a.

767

:

Economically in com, like devastating

time for a lot of the businesses

768

:

there and destabilizing in terms

of just like personal community

769

:

and connection between people.

770

:

Um, and yeah, I, I mean it

was really dead over there.

771

:

And I think there were periods that a lot

of us, just regular citizens and certainly

772

:

business owners were nervous about.

773

:

Would a district built around small

businesses be able to survive something

774

:

like that where they rely on in-person

foot traffic and, um, people that

775

:

are feeling committed to coming.

776

:

Right.

777

:

Like, uh, I'm glad they did

and have grown since then.

778

:

I mean, I think the development

since then is, is, uh, a testament to

779

:

the grit of a lot of those business

owners and of the community around it.

780

:

What have you learned?

781

:

Over the last four years about

resilience in terms of you personally?

782

:

In, in terms of the, the district

and the community at large.

783

:

I have learned that we need community.

784

:

We really, really need community.

785

:

And it's not a luxury, it is

something that is transformative.

786

:

And what I mean by that is I got laid off.

787

:

From Lyric in the pandemic.

788

:

Mm.

789

:

There was a point in time where I couldn't

even ride through or walk through the

790

:

Plaza District because I felt like all

of these beautiful moments that I'd

791

:

shared and, uh, all the, the things

that were once fun, they were gone.

792

:

Mm-hmm.

793

:

And so where was I gonna find that

and build that again and then.

794

:

When the position came open for

executive director, some people have

795

:

heard this story, others haven't.

796

:

I was serving on the board and

Lindsay Harkness, who is the owner

797

:

of DNA Galleries, she encouraged

me to apply and we're good friends.

798

:

I said, oh yeah, sure.

799

:

And she occurred me,

encouraged me a week later.

800

:

I said, yeah, sure.

801

:

And finally she was like.

802

:

This is a true story.

803

:

She goes, bitch, if you don't

apply, she goes, I'm gonna,

804

:

I don't know what she said.

805

:

Okay.

806

:

Okay.

807

:

I'll apply.

808

:

She bullied you into it though.

809

:

It was, I love Lindsay.

810

:

We're both Aries.

811

:

Um, I didn't think I was qualified

and I, um, found out through baptism

812

:

by fire that I was, I was going

to figure it out and what I always

813

:

said from the start, and I had.

814

:

People that were in leadership

that want that completely disagreed

815

:

with this school of thought and

it feels so good to be right.

816

:

Um, we, if we build it, they will come.

817

:

And what I was talking about

was, were the block parties.

818

:

Hmm.

819

:

We, we did have an omicron surge

in January of:

820

:

only time that I have canceled a

block party for like COVID stuff.

821

:

Mm-hmm.

822

:

Um, when I came in to the district.

823

:

We were the first district

to do a large event in:

824

:

fall of 2021 for Plaza Fest.

825

:

'cause we didn't do it in 2020.

826

:

Mm-hmm.

827

:

And we'd seen evidence that it

was safe to go ahead and do that

828

:

through Pride on the Plaza 2021.

829

:

I was like, oh, we gotta do it right.

830

:

I'm an events person.

831

:

I was producing Pride Fest at

Scissor Till Park Pride on 39th.

832

:

I was helping with Festival of the

Arts co-chairing opening night.

833

:

That's my events are

what I probably do best.

834

:

Mm-hmm.

835

:

Bringing people together and.

836

:

Once we started doing the events,

we, we went back and forth on should

837

:

we do it second Fridays or should

we move it to Sundays, or should

838

:

we just do a couple large events?

839

:

That's kind of how Calder on

Dance Festival came to life.

840

:

Hmm.

841

:

And that's a whole other

festival we did because we were

842

:

thinking quality over quantity.

843

:

Mm-hmm.

844

:

But then I went back to the

drawing board and I was like, Nope.

845

:

Consistency.

846

:

Every month we know that you can,

like, you know, you can count on this

847

:

one thing you could look forward to.

848

:

Mm-hmm.

849

:

And then we started involving.

850

:

As many people as we could.

851

:

Oh, that's really cool

that you do that thing.

852

:

Do you wanna come out and don't

take the, take all of the rules

853

:

and throw them out the door?

854

:

The rules being, if someone

participates, it's a $50 vendor fee.

855

:

If a nonprofit does, it doesn't matter

if they don't have the money or not.

856

:

No.

857

:

If.

858

:

You want a scholarship mm-hmm.

859

:

For the vendor fee, Hey, I'll help you.

860

:

Mm-hmm.

861

:

If, if anyone wants to be a part of what

we're doing, if they can actually get

862

:

to me, which is probably them literally

walking into my office because emailing

863

:

me or DMing me is not gonna work,

um, we'll have them be a part of it.

864

:

Yeah.

865

:

And that's what it's, that's

really what it's about.

866

:

Do the events to bring people

together, get people inspired,

867

:

then guess which district they're

thinking about every time they're

868

:

thinking about making other decisions.

869

:

They're thinking about the

place where they had the good

870

:

time with no expectations.

871

:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

872

:

That's, I mean, I think that strikes

me as exactly right, just from my

873

:

own experience as a nonprofit leader

and trying to weasel my way into

874

:

public events or find opportunities.

875

:

And so I have always appreciated the Plaza

District proactively reaching out, being

876

:

like, Hey, we value civic engagement.

877

:

Can you join us?

878

:

I was like, yes.

879

:

This is, this is a good

news on two fronts.

880

:

I'm happy to be there and also

glad that you care about it.

881

:

Um, and you know what other district

would, I feel comfortable dressing

882

:

up as a, uh, I'm just a bill on

Capitol Hill and walking a runway.

883

:

I realize I've never told you, and

I realize in this moment you really

884

:

look like, have I told you this?

885

:

You remind me of Jeff Goldblum.

886

:

You haven't, but I've

heard that from others.

887

:

Okay, so then whenever you said

Goth cowboy, I was like, if Jeff

888

:

Goldblum was like a goth cowboy.

889

:

There we go.

890

:

That's so Plaza May, maybe that's

what I'll do for, uh, ghouls on

891

:

the plaza this year or whatever.

892

:

Ghouls night.

893

:

Don't you usually have

something along those Yeah.

894

:

GULs night.

895

:

Alright, good.

896

:

Um, you have mentioned, uh, a couple

of times the boards, right, that you

897

:

served on the board and you've talked

about their role in helping you do it.

898

:

And I think, um, when I reached out

to you about having you on the show

899

:

this week, this was my main reason

for asking is that I don't think.

900

:

Most people, they might be aware that

there's a board, but I think for a lot of

901

:

just general public being on boards feels,

you assume it's either like a politically

902

:

appointed thing somehow, right?

903

:

There's a bunch of boards and commissions

that like the mayor, city council

904

:

or governor might appoint you to,

and that doesn't fit for everybody.

905

:

Or we associate community boards as

something you have to be on only if

906

:

you're like wealthy or well connected.

907

:

Um, and that.

908

:

Necessarily then like limits who

raises their hand to even participate.

909

:

Like, or we expect someone will invite

me if they need me or if they want me.

910

:

And so we just don't try and I

don't think the Plaza District

911

:

Board is like that, right?

912

:

Not at all.

913

:

Tell me about it and like how people

could get involved if they wanted to.

914

:

So one board.

915

:

We have a wait list for the other board.

916

:

I feel like I have to beg people to be

on, which is, which I wanna tell you why.

917

:

And it's nothing, it's nothing bad.

918

:

It's just a, it's just

the nature of what it is.

919

:

So the board that I feel like I have to

beg people to be on is our 5 0 1 C six,

920

:

which is the Plaza Business Alliance.

921

:

Sure.

922

:

It's amazing.

923

:

It's comprised of mostly small business

owners and some property owners.

924

:

Do you know why I feel like I

have to beg people to be on it?

925

:

No.

926

:

Because a small business

owner's capacity Oh sure.

927

:

Is like non-existent,

especially if they have kids.

928

:

Mm-hmm.

929

:

So it's like you have this

amazing, talented entrepreneur, you

930

:

really want to be on it, but they

don't, they don't have the time.

931

:

Mm-hmm.

932

:

Because at the end of the day, if it's a,

a choice of board service or them making

933

:

sure their business is successful in any

way that they need to, that's the number

934

:

one thing that I want them to focus on.

935

:

Well, it probably just feels like another.

936

:

Work task they have to do.

937

:

Yes.

938

:

And at the end of the day, they're like,

listen, I just worked like eight to five.

939

:

I'd like to go home now, not

hang out for a board meeting.

940

:

Yeah.

941

:

For something that is like also my work.

942

:

Yep.

943

:

Yeah.

944

:

Okay.

945

:

I get that.

946

:

Yeah.

947

:

Um, so go ahead.

948

:

What were you gonna say?

949

:

I was gonna say for the other side.

950

:

Okay.

951

:

The other side is the Plaza District

Association, which has been around longer.

952

:

Right.

953

:

Those are community leaders that want

to lend their skills and talents to

954

:

a district that they love and that.

955

:

The Plaza District Association,

the 5 0 1 C3 has been around

956

:

significantly longer than the Plaza

Business Alliance 5 0 1 C six.

957

:

And the difference between the

two while we have two is because

958

:

initially when we participated in a

program called Main Street mm-hmm.

959

:

Which have four pillars, please

don't make me name them, we can

960

:

search them somewhere and learn.

961

:

Um, it, the framework was set

up yourself up as a 5 0 1 C3.

962

:

Mm-hmm.

963

:

We found out that, um, IRS rules and

regulations basically state you can't

964

:

promote when social media became a thing,

especially Instagram, you cannot take

965

:

voluntary dues from business owners as a 5

0 1 C3 and promote individual businesses,

966

:

even if they're part of the Plaza

District and its destination advocacy.

967

:

So in order to like remain

ethical and follow those rules,

968

:

the 5 0 1 c six was formed.

969

:

That makes sense now.

970

:

It is very, um, interesting.

971

:

Being an executive director of

two separate nonprofits that

972

:

serve the same district, but

they have different purposes.

973

:

Mm-hmm.

974

:

Not overextending yourself, but also not

asking too much of board members because

975

:

one is a working board and the other

isn't, the chamber is not a working board.

976

:

Mm-hmm.

977

:

They're essentially

like consultants, right.

978

:

And invested stakeholders.

979

:

Um, the, the Plaza District Association,

how do you get on that board?

980

:

Okay.

981

:

If you're not a business owner

or property owner, how do you,

982

:

how do you get on that board?

983

:

You literally.

984

:

Offer to help in the Plaza District.

985

:

Um, hey, I'd love to be involved sometime.

986

:

You're hanging around.

987

:

Uh, I have three new board members,

Jesse Whitley and Lee Lee is

988

:

our, uh, Plaza Fest co-chair.

989

:

Whitley is our live on the Plaza committee

chair, and Jesse is our entertainment

990

:

committee chair for Plaza Fest.

991

:

They got onto the board because

they just started as volunteers.

992

:

Mm-hmm.

993

:

Doesn't require any prior experience.

994

:

Most people that serve on the Plaza

District Association board, it is

995

:

their first board they served on.

996

:

But the people who have led that

board include Susan Mooring of Cortado

997

:

Ventures, uh, Chris Turner, Jr.

998

:

Who is an attorney.

999

:

Um, for this, I'm gonna say

this wrong, it doesn't matter.

:

00:44:58,605 --> 00:44:59,265

I mean, it does matter.

:

00:44:59,265 --> 00:45:01,005

Chris, sorry if you're

listening, it absolutely matters.

:

00:45:01,245 --> 00:45:03,015

Maybe he doesn't want me to say

his employer, but he's amazing.

:

00:45:03,525 --> 00:45:05,025

Um, right now we have John Millner.

:

00:45:05,775 --> 00:45:07,185

Who is wonderful.

:

00:45:07,185 --> 00:45:10,634

He was our volunteer of the year, and just

prior to John, we have had Natalie Evans,

:

00:45:10,634 --> 00:45:11,865

who's the executive director of OKC.

:

00:45:11,865 --> 00:45:12,315

Beautiful.

:

00:45:12,345 --> 00:45:12,495

Yeah.

:

00:45:12,765 --> 00:45:16,845

So really amazing movers and shakers

and, and many people before them.

:

00:45:16,845 --> 00:45:20,174

And the, the whole board themselves,

they're people who just love the Plaza

:

00:45:20,174 --> 00:45:22,484

District and want to be involved.

:

00:45:23,025 --> 00:45:26,535

Um, so there's no really formal process.

:

00:45:26,535 --> 00:45:29,025

It's if someone wants to serve

on the board, reach out to me.

:

00:45:29,025 --> 00:45:29,115

Mm-hmm.

:

00:45:29,355 --> 00:45:32,025

Or someone who's already on the

board, let's have coffee and talk

:

00:45:32,025 --> 00:45:33,045

and see what that looks like.

:

00:45:33,105 --> 00:45:33,315

Yeah.

:

00:45:34,035 --> 00:45:39,045

Well, and I think kind of to your point,

like there are other opportunities

:

00:45:39,135 --> 00:45:43,425

plaza related that aren't even on

one of these boards, like Plaza Fest.

:

00:45:43,575 --> 00:45:43,665

Mm-hmm.

:

00:45:43,965 --> 00:45:47,385

Has a whole planning committee

that's not the board like it.

:

00:45:47,505 --> 00:45:49,845

It takes more than the

board to plan big events.

:

00:45:49,845 --> 00:45:50,055

Right?

:

00:45:50,055 --> 00:45:50,115

Yeah.

:

00:45:50,115 --> 00:45:53,595

And so having a event specific

committee, there's also like

:

00:45:53,685 --> 00:45:54,975

Friends of the Plaza, right?

:

00:45:54,975 --> 00:45:55,065

Mm-hmm.

:

00:45:55,305 --> 00:45:56,365

Which is I think kind of a.

:

00:45:57,615 --> 00:45:59,205

Will you describe it

because I'll mess it up.

:

00:45:59,505 --> 00:45:59,654

Yeah.

:

00:45:59,654 --> 00:46:04,065

Friends of the Plaza is essentially like

our super fans of the Plaza District.

:

00:46:04,185 --> 00:46:04,245

Yeah.

:

00:46:04,395 --> 00:46:06,765

It is also a pipeline to board

and committee service Uhhuh.

:

00:46:07,005 --> 00:46:11,415

So if you really like the Plaza once a

month we have a VIP area at our block

:

00:46:11,415 --> 00:46:15,735

parties and also at Plaza Fest and Small

Business Saturday and invites to special

:

00:46:15,735 --> 00:46:17,415

events like preview nights at Lyric.

:

00:46:17,475 --> 00:46:17,535

Yeah.

:

00:46:17,955 --> 00:46:20,355

So you can see shows

actually for free sometimes.

:

00:46:20,475 --> 00:46:20,595

Yeah.

:

00:46:20,895 --> 00:46:21,315

Um.

:

00:46:22,020 --> 00:46:26,040

Thanks to Mia Sherlock, who works

with Lyric, but 49 99 for one person.

:

00:46:26,400 --> 00:46:26,819

A year.

:

00:46:26,879 --> 00:46:27,960

Yeah, a year.

:

00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:30,600

And it's pro, it's, it's

essentially starts on the date

:

00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:31,920

and goes to that date next year.

:

00:46:32,250 --> 00:46:32,490

Oh, nice.

:

00:46:32,490 --> 00:46:35,339

So it's like based on the, just

on the year that you pay for.

:

00:46:35,339 --> 00:46:37,920

So if you started today, it

would go through next September.

:

00:46:37,950 --> 00:46:39,390

Yeah, September 15th next year.

:

00:46:39,390 --> 00:46:43,319

And um, the cool part about

it is it's free Anthem beer,

:

00:46:43,350 --> 00:46:44,670

free non-alcoholic beverages.

:

00:46:44,700 --> 00:46:47,850

It's a place to meet other people

who love the Plaza District.

:

00:46:47,850 --> 00:46:49,859

Like I have some of the guys who.

:

00:46:50,085 --> 00:46:53,355

Uh, built the Skydance Bridge

that are friends of the Plaza.

:

00:46:53,360 --> 00:46:53,570

Mm-hmm.

:

00:46:53,710 --> 00:46:56,325

And it's just a time where

you can be yourself in a fun

:

00:46:56,325 --> 00:46:57,705

environment, meet other people.

:

00:46:57,705 --> 00:47:00,735

We've got about 120 members

of friends of the Plaza.

:

00:47:01,065 --> 00:47:04,635

It's also a revenue

stream for our 5 0 1 C3.

:

00:47:04,755 --> 00:47:04,965

Yeah.

:

00:47:05,025 --> 00:47:07,875

So all proceeds go back to the

Plaza District Association.

:

00:47:08,475 --> 00:47:11,565

It's like a, it reminds me of like

all the young professional groups,

:

00:47:11,595 --> 00:47:15,795

like, um, with the Phil Harmonic,

it was called Overture, and there's

:

00:47:16,335 --> 00:47:18,255

the moderns at the Museum of Art.

:

00:47:18,255 --> 00:47:19,365

There's all these groups that like.

:

00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:24,870

Or a way to get involved without

having maybe like the weight of like

:

00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:29,070

on the board involvement, but often

it's like a good kind of entry ramp.

:

00:47:29,130 --> 00:47:29,220

Yeah.

:

00:47:29,220 --> 00:47:31,170

Into additional activities.

:

00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:31,500

Yeah.

:

00:47:31,500 --> 00:47:32,130

Plus it is fun.

:

00:47:32,280 --> 00:47:32,940

You get to hang out.

:

00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:37,740

Um, one of the things that I appreciate

is that, uh, every month for Live on the

:

00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:41,730

Plaza, friends of the Plaza have their

own little tent and they often, like

:

00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:45,090

you, you select like a featured friend.

:

00:47:45,090 --> 00:47:45,840

Featured friend, right?

:

00:47:45,840 --> 00:47:45,900

Yeah.

:

00:47:45,900 --> 00:47:48,660

And then like you put your tent

next to their tent and it feels.

:

00:47:49,049 --> 00:47:53,339

Having been, uh, an organization who

got to be that featured friend one

:

00:47:53,339 --> 00:47:58,290

month last year, it felt, this is real

silly, but it felt like when you're

:

00:47:58,290 --> 00:48:01,379

at a new school and you don't know

where to sit in the lunch room and

:

00:48:01,379 --> 00:48:03,240

someone's like, you can sit with us.

:

00:48:03,299 --> 00:48:07,140

And it, I was like, listen, I don't know

everybody here, but we're gonna be next

:

00:48:07,140 --> 00:48:09,870

to the friends on the of the Plaza thing.

:

00:48:09,870 --> 00:48:12,209

And so they're gonna be hanging out

with us whether they want to or not.

:

00:48:12,585 --> 00:48:15,435

And it was a, and I'm someone who will

talk to anybody, but it was a good chance

:

00:48:15,435 --> 00:48:19,154

to have conversations with people who

already knew about, let's fix this.

:

00:48:19,214 --> 00:48:19,365

Mm-hmm.

:

00:48:19,815 --> 00:48:21,884

As well as a bunch of folks who

didn't, who could say to their

:

00:48:21,884 --> 00:48:23,265

friend, oh, hey, I know this guy.

:

00:48:23,444 --> 00:48:24,345

Here's what they do.

:

00:48:24,944 --> 00:48:30,015

And just like a lot of conversations that,

you know, it, I think it was a relational

:

00:48:30,105 --> 00:48:33,645

example of if you build it, they will

come of like, mm-hmm, well I don't know

:

00:48:33,645 --> 00:48:38,085

these people, but let's hang out and like,

we can grab a beverage and chat about.

:

00:48:38,475 --> 00:48:40,095

Civic engagement or whatever.

:

00:48:40,455 --> 00:48:44,535

Um, if nothing else, it like

warms up the relationships Yes.

:

00:48:44,535 --> 00:48:49,214

So that, you know, a year or two or

five down the road, you know, I might

:

00:48:49,214 --> 00:48:51,734

reconnect with those same people

or maybe in a few months or a few

:

00:48:51,734 --> 00:48:54,314

weeks and find some opportunities.

:

00:48:54,675 --> 00:48:56,715

For us to work together in

some way that we would not have

:

00:48:56,715 --> 00:48:58,185

otherwise thought possible.

:

00:48:58,215 --> 00:48:58,635

Yes.

:

00:48:58,635 --> 00:48:59,835

Timing is divine.

:

00:48:59,955 --> 00:49:03,765

Timing is so divine and some, I used

to be somebody who was like, why

:

00:49:03,765 --> 00:49:05,265

can't I find any information on this?

:

00:49:05,265 --> 00:49:06,555

Or Why don't I know about this?

:

00:49:06,945 --> 00:49:14,085

Now, being on the other side of

it, I intentionally do not make the

:

00:49:14,145 --> 00:49:15,975

board process easy to understand.

:

00:49:16,515 --> 00:49:18,795

And that sounds like, why

would you do that, Rachel?

:

00:49:18,915 --> 00:49:21,915

I could take the time to

put all this on the website.

:

00:49:21,915 --> 00:49:22,005

Mm-hmm.

:

00:49:22,245 --> 00:49:22,965

And make it super easy.

:

00:49:22,965 --> 00:49:23,835

You know what's gonna happen?

:

00:49:24,600 --> 00:49:28,050

I am gonna get a bunch of questions in

my inbox, and I'm gonna go back and forth

:

00:49:28,050 --> 00:49:32,040

an email that's taking time away from

me, just being out and present in the

:

00:49:32,040 --> 00:49:33,750

district and what I want people to do.

:

00:49:34,575 --> 00:49:37,575

Don't email me, come to the

district and experience it.

:

00:49:37,575 --> 00:49:38,895

It is not hard to find me there.

:

00:49:38,895 --> 00:49:42,255

And if you are serious about it,

we're gonna talk about board service.

:

00:49:42,315 --> 00:49:42,405

Mm-hmm.

:

00:49:42,645 --> 00:49:46,125

There are always ways to find

me, and I hope, I hope people are

:

00:49:46,125 --> 00:49:48,225

listening to this and going, man, I

have been trying to reach her, so I

:

00:49:48,225 --> 00:49:49,365

just gotta go down to the district.

:

00:49:49,425 --> 00:49:49,845

Yes.

:

00:49:50,055 --> 00:49:51,285

I'm not ignoring you.

:

00:49:51,615 --> 00:49:54,430

I want to meet you, but I also wanna

see that you wanna meet me where I'm at.

:

00:49:55,245 --> 00:49:58,245

And you really care about the district

and you're willing to be here in person.

:

00:49:58,424 --> 00:50:01,275

'cause a lot of people think they want

to do things and it's easy to say,

:

00:50:01,515 --> 00:50:04,875

I wanna do this, I wanna be involved

and say, well, just let me know.

:

00:50:05,174 --> 00:50:06,105

You hear that all the time.

:

00:50:06,225 --> 00:50:06,285

Yeah.

:

00:50:06,345 --> 00:50:06,944

Just let me know.

:

00:50:06,975 --> 00:50:08,475

I don't have the capacity to let you know.

:

00:50:08,475 --> 00:50:08,955

Right.

:

00:50:09,225 --> 00:50:12,285

I need you to come like, oh my gosh, you

wanna help me clean my office right now?

:

00:50:12,285 --> 00:50:13,335

Just because you have time.

:

00:50:13,395 --> 00:50:13,455

Yeah.

:

00:50:13,455 --> 00:50:18,674

My real, the the real ones that know,

they know I'm what you see is what

:

00:50:18,674 --> 00:50:20,535

you get and I will hold my door open.

:

00:50:20,535 --> 00:50:21,015

You're welcome.

:

00:50:21,015 --> 00:50:22,634

My friend Bobby came over and did that.

:

00:50:23,175 --> 00:50:23,925

Like that is.

:

00:50:24,195 --> 00:50:24,255

Yeah.

:

00:50:24,255 --> 00:50:28,095

Oh my gosh, that's, that's one of the

most amazing gifts is someone just showing

:

00:50:28,155 --> 00:50:30,405

up to show that they care in person.

:

00:50:30,525 --> 00:50:30,795

Yeah.

:

00:50:30,855 --> 00:50:33,975

That's how I operate and that's how

I want the people around me operate

:

00:50:33,975 --> 00:50:35,805

for, operate for people to show up.

:

00:50:36,015 --> 00:50:36,285

Yeah.

:

00:50:36,345 --> 00:50:37,365

And nobody talks about that.

:

00:50:37,815 --> 00:50:38,235

That's true.

:

00:50:38,235 --> 00:50:40,455

Well, and I think, you know, when

you and I were talking before we

:

00:50:40,455 --> 00:50:46,155

started recording, I think there is

an element of like, we have to be

:

00:50:46,155 --> 00:50:50,235

willing to raise our own hands and we

can't just wait for someone to say.

:

00:50:51,045 --> 00:50:52,485

Hey, you like, will you do this?

:

00:50:52,515 --> 00:50:53,625

That's great when someone does.

:

00:50:53,625 --> 00:50:53,685

Yeah.

:

00:50:53,715 --> 00:50:58,545

But often, um, we need people

to like raise hands, right?

:

00:50:58,545 --> 00:51:04,095

Like, I feel the same way with let's fix

this and our volunteers is that, um, like

:

00:51:04,095 --> 00:51:07,275

I had someone text me just a little while

ago who said, Hey, I'm gonna, I wanna

:

00:51:07,275 --> 00:51:09,525

volunteer with you guys at Plaza Fest.

:

00:51:10,365 --> 00:51:12,795

Is there a shift where you

need more help than others?

:

00:51:12,795 --> 00:51:14,410

I was like, oh yeah, I'll go look and see.

:

00:51:14,430 --> 00:51:14,850

Mm-hmm.

:

00:51:15,110 --> 00:51:16,515

And so I can tell 'em, yeah, come.

:

00:51:16,635 --> 00:51:17,385

I'm sure it's in the evening.

:

00:51:17,385 --> 00:51:18,435

That's when we always need more help.

:

00:51:19,110 --> 00:51:21,090

But I like that question

was really helpful.

:

00:51:21,090 --> 00:51:25,380

Otherwise, I have to kind of like cajole

people to be like, Hey, can you guys

:

00:51:25,380 --> 00:51:28,620

come later or try to do that afterwards?

:

00:51:28,620 --> 00:51:32,010

It's much better if someone raises

their hand and says, I want to help.

:

00:51:32,460 --> 00:51:33,480

I suspect you need help.

:

00:51:33,660 --> 00:51:36,870

It's sometimes other than others,

let me know what's best and then I

:

00:51:36,870 --> 00:51:38,520

can plug them in in the right spot.

:

00:51:38,580 --> 00:51:39,930

That kind of thing is really helpful.

:

00:51:40,110 --> 00:51:44,130

Or if someone says, um,

more often, like, Hey.

:

00:51:44,460 --> 00:51:47,040

We want to, we wanna do voter

registration at this event.

:

00:51:47,250 --> 00:51:49,890

Can you send somebody and like you,

I'm like, well, it's like me and

:

00:51:49,890 --> 00:51:51,870

my intern, maybe some volunteers.

:

00:51:51,870 --> 00:51:55,530

But it's hard to organize

that kind of stuff.

:

00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:59,580

It's much better when someone says, Hey, I

wanna do voter registration at this event.

:

00:52:00,315 --> 00:52:03,585

Um, like, I'll give you a kit,

I'll give you all the forms,

:

00:52:03,585 --> 00:52:04,365

I'll give you instructions.

:

00:52:04,365 --> 00:52:06,675

I can make that happen if

you can find the people.

:

00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:06,840

Mm-hmm.

:

00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:09,645

It's just like a different, a different

way to arrive at the same solution.

:

00:52:09,735 --> 00:52:17,085

Yes, and I was talking, I was talking

with a friend last night and she said

:

00:52:17,085 --> 00:52:20,055

to me, I was like, I was trying to

understand an interaction I have with

:

00:52:20,055 --> 00:52:23,235

someone and she goes, you're really

direct whenever you communicate.

:

00:52:23,235 --> 00:52:23,625

And I think it.

:

00:52:24,645 --> 00:52:25,634

Intimidates people.

:

00:52:25,904 --> 00:52:25,935

Mm.

:

00:52:25,935 --> 00:52:27,645

Because you just say

exactly what's on your mind.

:

00:52:27,645 --> 00:52:31,154

And she goes, but what I've learned

about you is that people can do the

:

00:52:31,154 --> 00:52:34,515

exact same thing with you and you,

you don't even think twice about it.

:

00:52:35,174 --> 00:52:40,575

And the where that has come

from, Andy, is, I wish I had more

:

00:52:40,575 --> 00:52:43,814

time to do all the formalities.

:

00:52:44,294 --> 00:52:50,325

I really do what I just

like So cherish is, yeah.

:

00:52:51,195 --> 00:52:52,065

You wanna be involved?

:

00:52:52,095 --> 00:52:52,845

Just come see me.

:

00:52:52,845 --> 00:52:53,595

Can we talk through it?

:

00:52:53,595 --> 00:52:54,645

This is how we always do it.

:

00:52:54,645 --> 00:52:54,705

Yeah.

:

00:52:54,705 --> 00:52:57,255

You, you know, you can hit me up

last minute and if I have that

:

00:52:57,435 --> 00:52:59,025

time in my calendar, I'm there.

:

00:52:59,085 --> 00:52:59,325

Yeah.

:

00:52:59,775 --> 00:53:02,235

And I don't, I don't know if this

makes sense, but I don't want

:

00:53:02,235 --> 00:53:03,375

people to listen to this and go.

:

00:53:04,620 --> 00:53:05,520

Well, now I don't wanna approach her.

:

00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:07,020

I want, please.

:

00:53:07,020 --> 00:53:07,710

I would love that.

:

00:53:07,710 --> 00:53:12,120

It's, it's all a capacity thing and

not having as much support staff

:

00:53:12,120 --> 00:53:15,270

as what I wish that we had, which

every nonprofit goes through this.

:

00:53:15,270 --> 00:53:15,330

Yeah.

:

00:53:15,330 --> 00:53:19,620

And if you've never worked in a nonprofit

or owned a small business, it is

:

00:53:19,620 --> 00:53:24,090

hard to empathize and, and understand

that experience until you're in it.

:

00:53:24,240 --> 00:53:24,570

Yeah.

:

00:53:24,930 --> 00:53:25,200

Yeah.

:

00:53:25,530 --> 00:53:28,140

Well, and you were talking about

board members a minute ago and

:

00:53:28,140 --> 00:53:32,580

it, I remembered a time a few

months ago where I had stopped at.

:

00:53:33,569 --> 00:53:37,290

Maybe Pie Junkie or DNA galleries

and bought something and was walking

:

00:53:37,290 --> 00:53:40,950

down the sidewalk and ran into you

with a prospective board member.

:

00:53:41,190 --> 00:53:42,180

And so I stopped to chat with you.

:

00:53:42,180 --> 00:53:42,870

I was like, Hey, what's up?

:

00:53:42,870 --> 00:53:46,200

And you're like, I could see you kind

of click into like between friend

:

00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:50,399

and work mode and be like, oh, hey,

this is a prospective board member.

:

00:53:50,759 --> 00:53:54,330

And so I had a chance to like

vouch for the district and I be

:

00:53:54,540 --> 00:53:55,649

they're, they're there with you.

:

00:53:55,649 --> 00:53:56,940

I assume they're pretty interested.

:

00:53:56,970 --> 00:53:57,600

You did too.

:

00:53:57,629 --> 00:54:00,870

But tried to like offer

my perspective on like.

:

00:54:01,650 --> 00:54:02,700

Why it's a cool district.

:

00:54:03,360 --> 00:54:06,840

'cause I was also like, well if this

person cares about the Plaza District, we

:

00:54:06,840 --> 00:54:08,520

might be aligned on some other things too.

:

00:54:08,760 --> 00:54:11,880

And so it was like, you never know

what's gonna come with that conversation.

:

00:54:11,910 --> 00:54:12,000

Mm-hmm.

:

00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:15,420

And I'm sure I'm like you or you're

like me, that if someone comes

:

00:54:15,420 --> 00:54:18,420

up to me on the street and says,

Andy, hey are you Andy Moore?

:

00:54:19,110 --> 00:54:19,890

Listen, I like what you're doing.

:

00:54:19,890 --> 00:54:20,580

Let's fix this.

:

00:54:20,580 --> 00:54:21,270

I want to help.

:

00:54:22,050 --> 00:54:25,140

I like my, immediately, my

immediate feeling is grateful.

:

00:54:25,140 --> 00:54:26,550

Like, oh great, thanks.

:

00:54:27,300 --> 00:54:27,990

But then I'm like.

:

00:54:28,995 --> 00:54:29,984

Now I have a task.

:

00:54:29,984 --> 00:54:30,884

I have to find a place.

:

00:54:31,125 --> 00:54:33,734

And so if they're like, here's

what I wanna do, and they give

:

00:54:33,734 --> 00:54:36,254

me a a thing, I'm like, oh yes.

:

00:54:36,254 --> 00:54:39,915

And if you've already got an idea you

wanna carry out and it like, is not

:

00:54:39,915 --> 00:54:43,035

absolutely crazy, then like, let's do

it if you're willing to take it on.

:

00:54:43,095 --> 00:54:44,865

That's an ideal scenario for me.

:

00:54:45,255 --> 00:54:45,675

Yeah.

:

00:54:46,005 --> 00:54:51,465

That is the most conflicting feeling

when, and this happens on a daily basis.

:

00:54:51,795 --> 00:54:55,815

Hey, have you ever thought about,

and you listen to the pitch

:

00:54:55,815 --> 00:54:56,745

whether you want to or not.

:

00:54:56,745 --> 00:54:56,835

Mm-hmm.

:

00:54:57,134 --> 00:54:57,225

Right.

:

00:54:57,225 --> 00:54:57,945

I'm just gonna be honest.

:

00:54:57,975 --> 00:54:58,035

Yeah.

:

00:54:58,125 --> 00:54:58,905

Listen to the pitch.

:

00:54:59,475 --> 00:54:59,895

Um.

:

00:55:00,260 --> 00:55:03,740

I've gotten better about immediately

knowing how to respond and go.

:

00:55:03,890 --> 00:55:04,910

I love that idea.

:

00:55:05,120 --> 00:55:06,260

Um, who's gonna sponsor it?

:

00:55:06,500 --> 00:55:06,650

Mm-hmm.

:

00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:09,890

Or, um, how much time

do you think you need?

:

00:55:09,950 --> 00:55:12,830

I, I go directly to the deadlines

and the timeframe that it takes.

:

00:55:12,830 --> 00:55:12,890

Yeah.

:

00:55:12,890 --> 00:55:16,010

And I can decipher pretty quickly if

someone has a lot of experience doing

:

00:55:16,010 --> 00:55:18,800

what they're doing or if it's the,

they're excited 'cause they're in the

:

00:55:18,800 --> 00:55:20,360

district and they have the enthusiasm.

:

00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:20,600

Yeah.

:

00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:25,070

And the last thing I ever wanna do

is squander enthusiasm, but sometimes

:

00:55:25,070 --> 00:55:27,650

I also know it's my responsibility

to not get someone's hopes up that

:

00:55:27,650 --> 00:55:29,600

something's gonna happen, that I know.

:

00:55:29,985 --> 00:55:30,525

Very well.

:

00:55:30,525 --> 00:55:32,115

It's, it's never gonna come to life.

:

00:55:32,115 --> 00:55:32,865

Yeah, yeah.

:

00:55:33,315 --> 00:55:33,525

Yeah.

:

00:55:33,525 --> 00:55:34,725

That's the way it works.

:

00:55:34,755 --> 00:55:38,625

We're, we're, uh, we're full of

ideas, um, and we have limited

:

00:55:38,625 --> 00:55:39,825

capacity for implementation.

:

00:55:40,605 --> 00:55:40,875

Yeah.

:

00:55:41,445 --> 00:55:45,495

Um, well, Rachel, I think we're kind

of at time for today, but before we

:

00:55:45,495 --> 00:55:50,145

go, um, gimme the Dets on Plaza Fest.

:

00:55:50,145 --> 00:55:50,715

One more time.

:

00:55:50,895 --> 00:55:51,015

Yeah.

:

00:55:51,015 --> 00:55:51,585

Not just me.

:

00:55:51,705 --> 00:55:53,775

Give our listeners the

deets on Plaza Fest.

:

00:55:53,775 --> 00:55:54,255

One more time.

:

00:55:54,435 --> 00:55:54,705

Yeah.

:

00:55:54,705 --> 00:55:56,235

so@plazadistrict.org.

:

00:55:57,255 --> 00:55:59,235

You can find a lot of details right there.

:

00:55:59,235 --> 00:56:01,665

On the homepage of our website,

we've also got a tab at the top

:

00:56:01,665 --> 00:56:06,315

for Plaza District Festival, and

it's Saturday, September 27th.

:

00:56:06,765 --> 00:56:11,025

:

which coincides with the 10th

:

00:56:11,025 --> 00:56:13,815

anniversary Plaza Walls, mural Expo.

:

00:56:14,325 --> 00:56:17,655

And we will have about

30 to 35,000 people out.

:

00:56:17,655 --> 00:56:19,275

The event happens, rain or shine.

:

00:56:19,665 --> 00:56:23,835

And I wanna give a huge shout out to our

two presenting sponsors, Brahms Ice Cream

:

00:56:23,835 --> 00:56:27,640

and Dairy, and in as much foundation,

absolutely couldn't do this without them.

:

00:56:28,140 --> 00:56:29,040

Um, so it's free.

:

00:56:29,745 --> 00:56:31,215

All ages open to the public.

:

00:56:31,215 --> 00:56:34,365

We'll have family zone, tons of

live entertainment artist vendors.

:

00:56:34,635 --> 00:56:37,785

Over 60 businesses in the district

will be open doing business

:

00:56:37,785 --> 00:56:39,255

specials in their own entertainment.

:

00:56:39,675 --> 00:56:43,005

Uh, over 40 muralists that are

going to be doing live murals.

:

00:56:43,215 --> 00:56:46,785

Even the week leading up to the

festival and Mural Expo on that day.

:

00:56:46,815 --> 00:56:46,905

Mm-hmm.

:

00:56:47,475 --> 00:56:50,145

The, the best week of the year be in

the district because they're, they've

:

00:56:50,145 --> 00:56:53,295

got the scaffolding up and they're doing

the murals morning, noon, and night.

:

00:56:53,385 --> 00:56:53,715

Yeah.

:

00:56:53,925 --> 00:56:54,105

Yeah.

:

00:56:54,105 --> 00:56:56,895

'cause they're, like you said,

they're priming them right now.

:

00:56:56,895 --> 00:56:57,885

They'll start painting them.

:

00:56:58,259 --> 00:57:00,810

Throughout the week and really

they're like mostly done by the

:

00:57:00,810 --> 00:57:03,000

time we get to that Saturday.

:

00:57:03,029 --> 00:57:03,299

Yeah.

:

00:57:03,330 --> 00:57:05,850

So you can kinda see 'em in development,

which is I think really fun.

:

00:57:05,850 --> 00:57:05,940

Yeah.

:

00:57:06,359 --> 00:57:09,750

And uh, as we were just talking

about, if people want to volunteer.

:

00:57:10,560 --> 00:57:12,930

At Plaza Fest, there's a link

to do that online as well.

:

00:57:12,930 --> 00:57:15,270

Yeah, online and also on our social media.

:

00:57:15,270 --> 00:57:18,089

So if you follow us on Instagram,

it's at Plaza District.

:

00:57:18,089 --> 00:57:20,759

We've got our link tree

there and you can sign up.

:

00:57:20,819 --> 00:57:24,330

Um, last I checked, we still

needed some tear down volunteers

:

00:57:24,330 --> 00:57:27,390

set up and, um, entertainment.

:

00:57:27,629 --> 00:57:29,669

So doing like stage running

and stage management.

:

00:57:30,120 --> 00:57:31,919

Got a great group that

helps with that committee.

:

00:57:32,009 --> 00:57:32,430

Nice.

:

00:57:32,910 --> 00:57:36,089

Um, listeners, I would be remiss

if I didn't also offer you the

:

00:57:36,089 --> 00:57:37,919

opportunity to volunteer with us.

:

00:57:37,980 --> 00:57:38,790

You could do both.

:

00:57:39,345 --> 00:57:41,234

We can make this work, but let's fix this.

:

00:57:41,325 --> 00:57:46,185

Um, we'll have a booth doing, as we said,

voter uh, education, voter registration,

:

00:57:46,605 --> 00:57:48,810

um, running three shifts like.

:

00:57:49,560 --> 00:57:52,290

12 to three, three to six, six to nine.

:

00:57:52,589 --> 00:57:54,960

We usually start kinda

wrapping up by nine.

:

00:57:54,960 --> 00:57:58,020

We don't stick around till 11

because after 9:00 PM nobody cares

:

00:57:58,020 --> 00:58:00,000

about voter registration anymore.

:

00:58:00,390 --> 00:58:03,660

Um, we would love to

have you, um, help out.

:

00:58:04,049 --> 00:58:07,319

Um, we need most of our

help in the evenings.

:

00:58:07,379 --> 00:58:10,049

Um, and that evening shift, 'cause

that's when most people are there.

:

00:58:10,049 --> 00:58:13,109

It's when it's really busy, we send

people out in the crowd with clipboards.

:

00:58:13,109 --> 00:58:14,250

You can be at our tent.

:

00:58:14,669 --> 00:58:15,149

Um.

:

00:58:15,470 --> 00:58:17,450

We've got lots of fun ways to participate.

:

00:58:17,450 --> 00:58:19,760

You can get details for

that on our website.

:

00:58:19,850 --> 00:58:20,780

Let's fix this.

:

00:58:20,780 --> 00:58:24,530

Dot org slash events,

um, is the easiest way.

:

00:58:24,530 --> 00:58:25,850

There's a mobilized link.

:

00:58:25,850 --> 00:58:29,570

You can sign up for the shift and you

can bring a friend and it'll get you like

:

00:58:29,570 --> 00:58:33,050

automated reminders, which is, I think,

helpful to me at least so I don't forget.

:

00:58:33,560 --> 00:58:38,300

One brief thing, I got my start in

the Plaza District volunteering at

:

00:58:38,300 --> 00:58:40,730

a drink tent at Plaza Fest in:

:

00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:43,670

I didn't get a good

degree in place making.

:

00:58:44,325 --> 00:58:47,835

I don't, I, I got my start in

the Plaza District volunteering

:

00:58:47,835 --> 00:58:49,214

at a drink tent in:

:

00:58:49,485 --> 00:58:49,755

There we go.

:

00:58:49,755 --> 00:58:50,505

That's what happened.

:

00:58:50,745 --> 00:58:51,315

There we go.

:

00:58:51,735 --> 00:58:55,485

I think last year you had a hat on maybe

the year before last year at a drink tent

:

00:58:55,964 --> 00:58:57,180

as district manager, but you were like.

:

00:58:57,794 --> 00:58:59,085

Working a drink tint at some point.

:

00:58:59,085 --> 00:59:00,075

And I was like, I like that hat.

:

00:59:00,075 --> 00:59:02,085

And then I bought the same

hat because you had it on it.

:

00:59:02,085 --> 00:59:02,205

Really.

:

00:59:02,205 --> 00:59:05,294

So look, you're influencing people

in ways you don't even know.

:

00:59:05,625 --> 00:59:08,805

Oh, uh, Rachel Crawford

with the Plaza District.

:

00:59:08,805 --> 00:59:09,915

Thanks for being here today.

:

00:59:10,035 --> 00:59:11,714

Thanks for having me friends.

:

00:59:11,955 --> 00:59:14,595

Thanks for being here

with us, uh, as well.

:

00:59:14,955 --> 00:59:15,495

Of course.

:

00:59:15,794 --> 00:59:19,960

Uh, next week we'll be back

with, um, member of city Council.

:

00:59:20,325 --> 00:59:22,964

I think I just got that scheduled

while we were talking today.

:

00:59:23,294 --> 00:59:26,654

Um, so we'll talk about the

Oklahoma City Municipal Bond.

:

00:59:27,225 --> 00:59:31,154

Um, as we say, every week decisions

are made by those who show up

:

00:59:31,814 --> 00:59:33,615

This week a specific challenge.

:

00:59:34,035 --> 00:59:36,645

Show up at Plaza District

Festival in Oklahoma City.

:

00:59:37,274 --> 00:59:39,330

Um, with us, with Plaza, with both.

:

00:59:40,050 --> 00:59:40,920

And break some friends.

:

00:59:41,130 --> 00:59:41,700

Have a good week.

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Let's Pod This
Oklahoma politics for regular folks

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Andy Moore