Hope in Hard Places: Jabee Williams on OKC, Violence, and Hope

Zack Davis: Quanah Parker's Descendant on Heritage, Hustle, and Home

Zack Davis — OKC realtor, investor, and host of the Keep Going Podcast — is a direct descendant of Quanah Parker. He shares the story of his first Comanche gourd dance, two years after losing his grandfather, and the $300-paycheck low point that nearly ended his real estate career before it started. What this conversation explores: - Growing up in Del City and Moore with a single mom and "a lot of alone time" - Basketball as first identity and first community - Comanche and Caddo heritage, and descent from Quanah Parker - His first gourd dance — the eagle wing, the elders, his grandfather's medicine - The garage moment: $300 every two weeks and best friends who said keep going - People-over-money selling, calmness, and getting 1% better Chapters: 00:00 Meet Zack Davis 01:26 Del City, Moore, and growing up with alone time 04:09 Basketball becomes an identity 07:39 Losing a friend at 21 08:56 Comanche & Caddo heritage and the Quanah Parker lineage 14:41 The first gourd dance and the eagle wing 19:59 Walk-on years: no minutes, no quit 21:52 The garage moment: $300 every two weeks 22:52 Fired on a technicality 25:56 People over money: how he sells 29:42 Keep going: advice for anyone on the edge 34:17 The Keep Going Podcast & how to reach Zack About the Guest: Zack Davis is a realtor with Copper Creek Real Estate and a real estate investor with Local Guy Buys Houses in Oklahoma City, working in real estate since 2017 and licensed since 2019. He hosts the Keep Going Podcast and is Comanche and Caddo, a direct descendant of Quanah Parker. Connect with Zack: Instagram: @zdsellsokc Phone: 405-740-5399 Follow Voices of OKC wherever you listen so you never miss a story from the people shaping Oklahoma City.

The Pilot Who Saw Freedom Behind Prison Walls with Blake Raney

Blake Raney expected aviation to be about flying. Over time, it became a way to serve people who often feel unseen. Blake, founder of SPAIRROW, joins Jed Chappell for a conversation about aviation, calling, business as service, prison ministry, fatherhood, and building a foundation before the storm. He shares how an unexpected appointment to Oklahoma’s aerospace and aeronautics work challenged his confidence, how a business relationship changed the way he thought about work, and what he saw the first time he walked into a prison. The conversation also moves into the story of Blake and Anna’s daughter Kennedy, her heart surgery, and the moments that reminded their family they were not alone. Content note: This conversation includes discussion of prison, addiction, abusive or absent fathers, infertility, and infant heart surgery. Nothing is graphic. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR - How Blake’s lifelong pull toward aviation became a business and calling - Why SPAIRROW was built around helping people feel seen and valued - What Blake saw in prison that changed his understanding of freedom - Why fatherhood, accountability, and leadership matter for breaking cycles - The story of Kennedy’s surgery and why Blake says to build your foundation before the storm CHAPTERS 00:00 Blake Raney, Oklahoma roots, and family 06:04 Aviation, entrepreneurship, and the pull to fly 08:08 The appointment that challenged Blake’s confidence 10:12 YouVersion, Scripture, and knowing God personally 13:02 A TBM opportunity and business as a tool 17:29 SPAIRROW, the God who sees, and serving with purpose 22:26 What SPAIRROW provides for aircraft owners 23:27 Prison ministry, George Medley, and unexpected confirmation 29:02 Finding freedom inside prison walls 32:43 Fathers, leadership, and breaking cycles 35:55 Small decisions that take a life off course 38:25 Kennedy’s surgery story and faith before the storm ABOUT BLAKE RANEY Blake Raney is the founder of SPAIRROW, an Oklahoma City-based aviation company focused on aircraft management, brokerage, maintenance, and pilot services. He also serves as the District 5 commissioner on the Oklahoma Aerospace and Aeronautics Commission. Blake and his wife, Anna, live in Oklahoma City with their daughter, Kennedy. LINKS SPAIRROW: https://www.flyspairrow.com/ SPAIRROW Services: https://www.flyspairrow.com/services Oklahoma Aerospace and Aeronautics Commission: https://oklahoma.gov/aerospace/about/commission.html YouVersion Bible App: https://www.youversion.com/ VOICES of OKC: https://www.voicesofokc.com/ City Center: https://okcitycenter.org/ VOICES of OKC is a student-produced civic podcast from City Center spotlighting the people, stories, and ideas shaping Oklahoma City. City Center champions youth and families in under-resourced communities by creating empowered pathways to relief and restoration. Subscribe to VOICES of OKC for thoughtful conversations with the people shaping Oklahoma City. Share this episode with someone who cares about faith, leadership, fatherhood, aviation, or the work of helping people feel seen. #VOICESofOKC #OklahomaCity #FaithAndLeadership

From Jamaica to Oklahoma City: Chef Andrew Black on Food, Work, and Home

Chef Andrew Black, Oklahoma City restaurateur and 2023 James Beard Award winner, traces the discipline behind his work - from Saturday mornings in his grandmother's Jamaican kitchen to building restaurants in the city he now calls home. He and Jed Chappell talk about consistency, mentorship, staying present, handling roadblocks, and creating businesses that serve more than the people at the table.

What Oklahoma City Cannot Lose as It Grows with Brad Carter

Brad Carter, Oklahoma City’s Ward 1 Councilman, joins Jed Chappell to ask what the city must protect as it grows. They discuss transparent public service, listening across political divides, jobs and AI, recovery, homelessness, and the Oklahoma Standard Carter hopes will still define OKC for the next generation.

When Grief Stops Driving the Story: Kristina Mills on Survivor, Loss, and Hope

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