• 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.”

In this episode, Emanuel Rivera shares his journey from Southside Chicago to Oklahoma, his mixed martial arts and ballroom background, and how he founded The Come-Up Foundation to bring martial arts, discipline, and mentorship to kids in schools and community centers.

We hear how the program builds leadership and emotional control, the anti-bullying and life-skills curriculum, school partnerships, and a win story that shows how young people’s lives are being transformed.

• Emmanuel Rivera’s journey from South Side Chicago to Oklahoma • Growing up without discipline, direction, or consistent role models • Early trouble, hard lessons, and the turning point that changed his path • Competing in mixed martial arts and how discipline reshaped his life • How heart issues ended his fighting career and opened the door to purpose • The origin of The Come Up Foundation and why mentorship comes before martial arts • Why boxing and MMA reduce violence instead of increasing it • Teaching emotional control, leadership, and resilience through training • Partnering with City Center, schools, and community hubs instead of opening gyms • Bringing The Come Up Foundation into Oklahoma City Public Schools • The role Emmanuel’s mother played in instilling hope and accountability • Practical steps for changing your life by changing your environment and habits • The long-term vision for The Come Up Foundation across OKC neighborhoods • A powerful success story of a young man whose life was completely redirected • Why small moments of mentorship can shape a lifetime

“Mixed martial arts is the worm on the hook. The real change is the mentorship.” “Discipline and emotional control will take you further than talent ever will.” “If you hang out with five losers, you’ll be the sixth. If you hang out with five winners, it’s inevitable.” “There’s no gratification like changing someone else’s life.” “Sometimes you’re doing more impact than you even realize.”

What you will hear in this episode:

In this episode of Voices of OKC, Jed sits down with Dr. Wayne Chappelle, a licensed clinical and sports psychologist whose work spans elite military units, professional athletics, and high-performance leaders across the country.

Dr. Chappelle currently serves as a Sports Psychologist for the OKC Thunder and previously led the Aeromedical Operational Psychology Program for the Air Force Research Laboratory, where he studied what he calls the Psychology of a Hero. His work focused on identifying the mindset, resilience, and personality traits required to succeed in extreme, high-stakes environments.

Together, they explore why hardship can become a hidden advantage, how mindset shapes outcomes over time, and why people who endure difficult seasons are better equipped for long-term success. This conversation challenges the idea that comfort leads to growth and offers a grounded, hopeful perspective on resilience, purpose, and personal responsibility.

If you’ve ever wondered why some people keep moving forward when life gets heavy, this episode is for you.

• Why mindset is often the deciding factor between potential and performance • How experiencing hard things can actually increase resilience and long-term success • What elite military operators and professional athletes have in common mentally • Why discomfort, pressure, and adversity often sharpen clarity and purpose • How self-awareness and mental discipline shape outcomes over time

"You don't become resilient by avoiding hard things. You become resilient by going through them.”

"Pressure doesn't create character. It reveals it.”

"Mindset is the filter through which everything else passes.”

Dr. Wayne Chappelle is a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). With over 20 years of experience, he has worked at the intersection of psychology, performance, and resilience, serving elite military personnel, professional athletes, and high-performing leaders. His work blends psychological testing, behavioral analysis, and real-world observation to understand what allows people to thrive under pressure.

Voices of OKC is produced at City Center, a nonprofit in the heart of Oklahoma City that empowers youth and families through mentorship, resources, and opportunities.

If this episode challenged or encouraged you: • Subscribe to Voices of OKC • Share this episode with someone who needs it • Learn more about City Center and how you can support the work happening in our community

Real PEOPLE. Real HOPE. Real OKC.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

• The launch of Voices of OKC and why spotlighting local difference makers matters.

• Jeff Morfield's upbringing as a military brat, moving constantly, and attending six different schools.

• Living overseas during the Cold War, growing up in Germany, and witnessing life behind the Iron Curtain.

• A terrifying encounter in East Berlin and how it shaped Jeff’s understanding of freedom.

• Returning to Oklahoma just before the OKC bombing, and how that moment propelled him toward law enforcement.

• Serving 22 years as a police officer and deploying with the Oklahoma Army National Guard to combat zones.

• The unseen toll of law enforcement and military service, exposure to hundreds of critical incidents.

• How trauma compounds over time and why first responders often lack healthy outlets.

• The coping mechanisms no one talks about, drinking, gambling, infidelity, and silent suffering.

• A defining officer-involved shooting in 2021 and realizing something had to change.

• The reintegration struggle after deployment and wearing the uniform for decades.

• Discovering a massive gap in transition support for retiring first responders.

• Research showing first responders die 5–7 years earlier than the general population.

• Why Jeff chose to create a nonprofit instead of a for-profit solution.

• The vision and symbolism behind the On Call Project name and logo.

• Launching the Thriving Responder course focused on personal development, not just tactics.

• The Beyond the Badge program helping first responders transition into civilian careers.

• Addressing identity loss, mental health, finances, physical health, and spiritual wellbeing.

• Building pathways, resumes, certifications, and real employment opportunities.

• What hope truly means for first responders standing at the edge of retirement.

• Separating role from identity and learning it’s okay to take the uniform off.

Key Quotes

“Freedom isn’t something you understand until you see a world without it.”

“Police officers see 600 to 800 critical incidents in a career. Most people see four or five in a lifetime.”

“You weren’t meant to carry all of that and walk away untouched.”

“When the uniform comes off, it’s not ‘see you later.’ It shouldn’t be.”

“We onboard people intentionally, then throw them to the wind when they’re done.”

“The tattered ‘O’ represents the life we lived. The ‘Project’ is the path forward.”“Hope is understanding there is a pathway forward.”

“Police officer was my role. Husband and father are my identity.”

“It’s okay to take it off. Nobody thinks less of you.”

“God can redeem the hardest experiences and use them to bring life to others.”

Marcus Jackson recounts his path from a music-loving kid in Northeast Oklahoma City to co-founding the Bridge Impact Center (Urban Bridge), a holistic youth center. He explains how mentors, music education, and community support shaped his vision.

The episode highlights the Bridge’s practical approach—incentives like Bridge Bucks, hands-on stations, mental health supports, and community partnerships—that helped secure a brick-and-mortar space and serve over 200 teens, creating pathways for leadership and hope across OKC.

• Marcus Jackson’s upbringing in Northeast OKC, being the youngest, feeling awkward, and getting in trouble outside the house • Being diagnosed with ADD in third grade, and how “having the info” didn’t mean having support • A real picture of neighborhood life, “busy” summers, latchkey days, and uneven access to good vs. bad • The turning point, how a band teacher recognized Marcus’ talent, pulled him toward Classen, and possibly saved his trajectory • Why mentors matter, not 24/7, but showing up consistently in their lane • How music became Marcus’ pathway to confidence, discipline, and purpose, plus the “ADD as a superpower” idea when you lock in • The role of strong parenting, boundaries, respect, and a mom who didn’t play • The deeper question behind hope, what are you looking forward to, do you know what you love, do you know what you’re good at • How society can talk people out of their calling, “too old,” “too young,” “get a real career” • Marcus’ path into faith-based music, then youth leadership, then full-time community work • Meeting Vernon Dees, building momentum through youth ministry, and scaling a school-based model from 6 schools to 31 • Compassion fatigue, family pressure, and doing what he had to do, including commercial plumbing, while still serving kids • The night Marcus realized “filling a room” wasn’t the same as transformation, “cutting yards vs landscaping” • The birth of the Bridge vision, more time, holistic support, and a space built around what teens actually need • The Bridge “buffet” model, choice-based stations, adult-led programs, incentives, and autonomy that actually moves the needle • The gritty early days, coffee shop whiteboards, working at Ross at 4:30am, no money, no team, just faith and grind • The miracle moments, a church buying a building to make the youth center possible, and a six-figure check that forced infrastructure to level up • A powerful story from the ice storm, meeting a kid walking 10 blocks for Wi-Fi, and how the Bridge became a lifeline • The long game, five years to open the doors, serving 200+ teens annually, and building leaders from the teens themselves • Why OKC is uniquely positioned to innovate in youth and community development, and why it’s a city-wide effort

“This is a team sport.”

“Living where I lived, you just never know who’s gonna walk up, what they’re gonna say, what kind of scheme they got going on.”

“It was easier for me to join a gang than it was for me to find a mentor.”

“She told me, I see who you hang out with and you’re too talented. You need to go somewhere else.”

“He expected excellence because he believed I could do it.”

“ADD can be a superpower. When you lock into something you love, you can really lock in.”

“We were cutting yards, but we weren’t landscaping.”

“We need more time, and we need to stop the silo of ministry focus and start looking at the whole person.”

“We’re going to be the buffet. The trickiest thing about a buffet is you think you chose what you ate, but it was already cooked.”

“Five years is what it took for us to open those doors.”

“Oklahoma City is prime for being leaders in innovating how we serve young people, families, and communities.”

Kelli Masters is an attorney, sports agent, author, and speaker known for breaking barriers in sports and law. A former National and World Champion baton twirler and Miss Oklahoma 1997, she earned her Juris Doctorate with Honors from the University of Oklahoma.

After beginning her legal career in litigation, she became a Certified NFL Sports Agent in 2005 and founded KMM Sports. In 2010, she made history as the first woman to represent a top-five NFL Draft pick. Today, Kelli leads KMM Sports, heads High Impact Life Ministries, and inspires audiences nationwide through her book and speaking.

• How Kelly Masters grew up as an Oklahoma native and lifelong OU football fan • The childhood drive that began with baton twirling and perfectionism • Kelly’s breaking point in law school and the moment she truly discovered hope • Surrendering fear, identity, and achievement to God • How winning Miss Oklahoma opened the door to law school • Building a law practice focused on service to ministries, foundations, and missions • The unexpected introduction to sports agency work • Becoming the first woman to represent a drafted NFL player • Launching KMM Sports in Oklahoma City when everyone told her it was impossible • Growing a nationwide agency representing 30+ athletes • The underdog story of Cooper McDonald making the Kansas City Chiefs roster • Kelly’s practical steps for discerning purpose, hearing God’s voice, and walking in obedience • Why spiritual mentors matter and how fear tried to shape her life • A powerful encouragement for listeners who feel overlooked, weary, or forgotten

"Hope didn’t get real for me until the moment I surrendered and realized God’s love was actually for me."

"When you're driven by fear, nothing you accomplish is ever enough. Surrender changes everything."

"I told God, whatever You ask me to do, the answer is yes, even if it means scrubbing toilets."

"I didn’t think I belonged in the sports agent world, but that’s exactly where God called me to be."

"Everyone told me starting an agency in Oklahoma City was crazy, but I had peace. I knew what God said."

"God has not forgotten you. His promises are for you. He is an on-time God, even when it feels delayed."

"He will bless you, and until then, He will keep you."