• Eliud Villarreal’s upbringing in Oklahoma City and growing up in Yukon • How martial arts, sports, and discipline shaped his early years • Meeting his wife through the car business and building a family together • Fatherhood, racing, and discovering his daughter’s natural driving talent • The origin story of Exotic Motorsports and stepping into entrepreneurship • Taking the leap into a niche luxury market despite doubt and discouragement • Why online presence and vision matter more than local limitations • Lessons learned through risk, rejection, and long-term commitment • The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people • Why tracking numbers and building the right team is essential in business • Handling rejection, pressure, and failure without quitting • Eliud’s “holy grail” cars and love for automotive artistry • Building a business while maintaining faith, integrity, and responsibility • A major crisis involving a stolen Ferrari and facing a seven-figure loss • Choosing to do what’s right even when it costs everything • Finding hope, purpose, and peace through faith during the hardest moments • Why Eliud believes perseverance and calling matter more than comfort

“Don’t listen to the naysayers.” “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” “If your dashboard isn’t solid, you don’t know what’s happening.” “I didn’t know how to run a business—I learned by doing.” “God is bigger than anything that tries to steal, kill, or destroy.”

• Growing up as a pastor’s kid and moving from a small town to inner-city Dallas • Navigating faith, skepticism, and rebellion before making belief personal • College years, athletics, and formative leadership experiences • The moment of personal encounter that reshaped everything • Why faith cannot be inherited and must be owned • Saying “no” to ministry before eventually saying “yes” • Leaving higher education to step into pastoral leadership • Discovering purpose in the place of greatest fear • Leading Victory Church through growth, challenge, and restoration • The reality that life is a series of hopeless moments • Why hope must be anchored to something greater than circumstance • The vision behind City Center and choosing partnership over control • Planting something healthy, then releasing it to the community • Defining hope as believing for what cannot yet be seen • Writing Half the Battle and ReLeader and helping rebuild broken organizations • A call to not just experience hope, but bring it to others

“You can’t have faith through someone else, you have to have your own encounter.” “Life isn’t one hopeless moment, it’s a series of them.” “If Jesus were in Oklahoma City, He’d be in War Acres.” “God will chase you down if you’re willing to be found.” “Hope is believing for something you can’t yet see.”

Voices of OKC hosts Ashonte Winston, Program Director at City Center, as she shares her journey from Spencer, OK, to leading youth programs after experiences with college setbacks, mentorship, and AmeriCorps. The episode highlights her philosophy of showing up for young people, the collective impact model of partnering with community nonprofits, and success stories of students who have turned their lives around.

The conversation also touches on Ashonte's clothing line, Revelations Clothing (inspired by faith and resilience), and emphasizes the message that the past does not define the future. Listeners are invited to connect with City Center for tours and volunteer opportunities at info@okcitycenter.org.

• Ashonte Winston's roots growing up in Spencer and Midwest City • How sports, grit, and family shaped her leadership and work ethic • Navigating college setbacks, injuries, and financial hardship • Pivotal moments that reshaped her purpose and perspective • Entering City Center through AmeriCorps and stepping into leadership • What a real day in the life of youth programming looks like • Why presence matters more than perfection in mentorship • Creating safe, consistent spaces for youth from diverse backgrounds • Measuring progress one small win at a time • The power of collective impact and community partnerships • A powerful transformation story of a student named Orion • Why showing up consistently can change a young person’s trajectory • How one mentor can alter the course of a life • Defining hope as freedom from the past • Ashonte's creative outlet through her Revelations Clothing line

"It only takes one person to be present in your life." "Progress looks different for every kid." "Your past doesn't define who you are." "Being present is where the real work happens." "Sometimes just showing up is the miracle.”