What The Funk?

Jeremy sits down with Jared Hoover to unpack a remarkable journey from military service to the front lines of energy technology. Jared shares how his path shifted from dreams of flying fighter jets to deployments in Iraq, his transition into oil and gas with Shell, and eventually into energy tech and product leadership, while navigating life-changing personal challenges, including raising a son wi...

Jeremy sits down with Kirk Coburn, Houston-based entrepreneur and investor, to unpack his journey from early days at Dell to founding companies, running the Surge Accelerator, and now building sales engines through MOIC Partners. Kirk shares hard-earned lessons on sales, scaling energy software startups, avoiding common growth traps, and why patience, market understanding, and strong sales process...

Jeremy sits down with Shrivan Kamdar to explore his path through oil and gas technology, from ExxonMobil to Seven Lakes Technologies and the company’s acquisition by W Energy Software. Shrivan shares lessons on jumping from big oil to startups, integrating teams and tech post-acquisition, innovating in field services with real-time data, and why embracing challenge, risk, and curiosity has been ke...

In this engaging episode, we sit down with Andrew Rosen, a seasoned professional in the fields of sales, marketing, and advertising, who shares his journey from college friendships to navigating the complexities of middle management and finding fulfillment in his career. This episode dives into: Andrew Rosen's Background: From his early days at Brandeis University to his current role at Nextdoor,...

In this episode, we delve into the journey of Ian Myers, exploring his transition from aspiring athlete to a visionary in the business world, and how embracing change and seizing educational opportunities propelled him from Central Pennsylvania to the forefront of negotiation and business strategy. This episode dives into: Ian's early aspirations and the pivotal decision between pursuing sports or...

Jeremy sits down with Leon Oloya to unpack his journey from a career at ExxonMobil to launching his own company, Candor Technical. Leon shares lessons on intentional leadership, taking calculated risks, and transitioning from corporate life to entrepreneurship, along with his perspective on the future of energy, data-driven decision making, and balancing business, family, and personal growth along...

Jeremy sits down with Trent Marx, CEO and founder of Resource Energy Solutions, to trace his journey from seismic fieldwork in Calgary to building a leading oil and gas software company. Trent shares insights on the evolution of energy software, adapting to cloud and AI technologies, building products that scale globally, and what it takes to stay innovative while navigating cultural differences a...

Jeremy sits down with Jeff Tounge, a West Point graduate and former Army field artillery officer, to talk about his path from military service, including two tours in Iraq, to building a career in the oil and gas industry while staying rooted in Maine. Jeff shares lessons on leadership, discipline, transitioning to civilian life, and the surprising parallels between the military and energy, along...

Jeremy sits down with Jon Selig, a former enterprise tech sales pro turned comedian, to explore how humor can transform the sales process. Jon shares how stand-up comedy principles, timing, trust, and audience connection, translate into more engaging sales conversations, why humor makes complex ideas more memorable, and how he now helps revenue teams use comedy as a serious business tool. Join the...

Jeremy celebrates his birthday with a conversation featuring Courtney Stephens, CEO and founder of QED and Associates, about her path from East Texas to mathematician, mother, and entrepreneur. Courtney shares how she transitioned from theoretical math to oil and gas, launched QED to build a more balanced life, and created a unique training model that helps people from unexpected backgrounds find...

Jeremy celebrates his birthday with Steven Anson, a longtime oil and gas measurement expert, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, data, and life in the energy industry. From growing up in South Louisiana to offshore work in the Gulf, transitioning into data analytics, and his current role at Waterbridge focused on produced water management, Steven shares lessons on servant leadership, fa...

Jeremy sits down with Maxie Reynolds to unpack her journey from Scotland to California and across offshore, cybersecurity, and energy tech. Maxie shares how her experience in subsea engineering and red-team security led to founding Subsea Cloud, along with candid insights on data storage, sustainability, carbon capture, and the realities of our continued dependence on oil and gas as technology res...

Jeremy sits down with Bryan Becker to explore his journey from a small town in Iowa to building a career at the intersection of IT, cybersecurity, and data. The conversation spans cryptocurrency and blockchain, the GameStop moment, how COVID reshaped remote work and IT in oil and gas, and Bryan’s transition from sports and entertainment into energy tech—ultimately leading to the launch of his comp...

Jeremy sits down with Justin Gauthier for his return to What the Funk to talk about family, entrepreneurship, and evolving careers in the oil and gas world. From growing up in a family business and working on drilling rigs to earning a petroleum engineering degree, launching the Wicked Energy podcast, and navigating life changes brought on by the pandemic, Justin shares reflections on balancing wo...

Jeremy sits down with JB Bendik to explore his path into the energy industry and his experience working across both the Marcellus and Permian basins. From a background in political science and commodities to navigating regulatory differences, water management challenges, and regional culture, JB shares insights on how these major basins compare and where he sees the oil and gas industry headed ove...

Michael Tanner is an emerging star in the Oil and gas industry. The Finance, Planning, and de facto IT lead at King Operating tells us about his surprising path to working for an operator, moving from Denver to Dallas, his favorite pieces of technology, and how many games Coach Prime and the Buffs will win in 2023. High energy is the only way Michael does it, and he does not disappoint in this epi...

Once an Electrician, now a Tech Founder, Shawn Martens has created a business built to last in IronSight. Shawn joins Funk to talk about his path from small-town pond hockey player to big-time business slayer, going from the Canadian cold to the West Texas heat, balancing being a dad with being an entrepreneur, and some really valuable advice Shawn would have given to his younger self. A must list...

Tim Beentjes is onto something big. The CEO of CarbonCred has cracked the code on how employees AND businesses can monetize carbon emission reductions. The concept is measured and fascinating. Take a listen as Funk and Tim chat about all things Calgary, international food preferences, ESG, what a carbon credit is, and how you and your company can make money by riding your bike to work. Really! Joi...

Jimmy Sebastian comes on the pod for a trip down memory lane and to chat all things Data & Analytics.  Seven Lakes Technologies, now a part of W Energy Software, took the industry by storm in the mid 2010’s as a disruptive Oil and Gas Technology innovator.  Jimmy, Funk, and others lead the charge, as Seven Lakes became one of the 1000 fastest growing privately held companies in the US in 2014....

Sarah Compton, aka "Tenacious G" (The G is for Geologist) is amazing. The former college Softball player wanted to study volcanoes but ended up in Oil & Gas. Sarah and Funk dive into life, business, softball, and getting served a steady diet of curveballs, success, and failures in all of those areas. Come for stories about bears breaking into your car and trashcans, and stay for social media a...

The Smart CEO of C-Smart Analytics. A nit with wit. A guy in a tie. Ernie Hauser is many things, and today, he is a guest on "What the Funk?". Continuing our streak of Mid-Atlantic hustlers, Ernie talks about dressing for success, the value of cold calling, Measurement, and his favorite ever Pittsburgh athletes. A fun listen with a passionate leader who will never shy away from the grind! Join the...

Checking in from our Nation's Capital, Craig Heilman joins the podcast to talk about all things Naval Aviation, Baltimore's Best Crab Cakes, making Kevlar, and how his company, Arbo, is a good one to know in the Energy Data and Analytics space. The mid-Atlantic renaissance man lets us under the hood on all things DC, Energy Regulation, and helping veterans get acclimated to civilian life. A fun an...

Todd Brooker knows about the value of hard work. The President of Cawley, Gillespie & Associates learned a whole bunch about discipline, effort, and accountability at an early age from his father, who played at Alabama and in the NFL, and the Legendary Bear Bryant. Athletes are often successful in business, and Todd is no exception. We talk about his last 31 (!!) years at Cawley Gillespie, his...

Kevin Ludbrook & Jason Webster can sniff out the BS. Two fellas who did time at Quorum and bonded over fast cars are working wonders at Spira Data, one of the fastest-growing Operational Resource Planning and Field Ticketing platforms in the game. Come for the stories, stay for the "Say-Do Ratio"...and whatever you do, remove the term "If your controller gets hit by a bus..." from your lexicon...

Mark Hinaman (Pronounced like Chinaman, or Heineken) is one of the most versatile dudes in all of Energy. He heads up the Denver Young Professionals in Energy group, has a passion for nuclear energy, plays the saxophone, is an unofficial Renaissance Engineer, and is an authentic millennial. If you are looking for facts around nuclear, a passion for energy prosperity and someone who tells it like i...