What The Funk?

Ever wonder what it’s like being the CEO of an E & P company? Well, Ward Polzin doesn’t have to wonder…he lives that life and gives us a glimpse into what it demands. The CEO of Camino Natural Resources, Founder of CDEV, dude who brought EnerPlus to the US, and mentor to the Gen X/Millennial generations dives into his humble beginnings, College in Missouri, and cutting his teeth in Alaska – ak...

We are no rocket scientists, but…Well, Matt Flanagan is. Really. This rocket scientist came on and schooled us on his mind blowing “Digital Twin” technology and where it will add value in the upstream, downstream, midstream, and renewables world. We dove into his highly successful career path and helping lead Opportune into International markets, and of course, his time at A & M. If you think...

Chevy. Kate. Bobby. Small Business. Oklahoma. Oil and Gas. Chesapeake. Consulting. 'Merica, folks. T-Lo and Dr. Funkenstein enjoyed diving into the background of these 3 Okie's, who are so bullish on their own business that they launched it during the height of a pandemic! While all 3 of the Novus Consulting founders have varied and unique skillsets, they leave you with one key message: People do...

Chris Hansen is a fast riser in the political world. We pushed for a commitment to run for President in 2032. Prior to embarking on a career in politics, Hansen spent many years at IHS building up expertise in the Energy industry, which is always a hot topic in Colorado. He also went to Kansas State. Therefore, it was important to have him on a podcast run by an Aggie to remind him about his alma...

When you grow up in Pueblo, CO, you are faced with a choice: Do I become an accountant or an actress? Well, Deanna Duell, a bada$$ Accountant, networker, and consultant, opted for the numbers. And the Oil & Gas Accounting space is better off because of it. Deanna talks about her humble beginnings, going to College in Boulder, working for Operators, Consulting firms, helping grow COPAS to natio...

Is Ashley Gilmore a happy guy? Is that just the lowest of hanging fruit for the episode titles? Yes, and yes. But not only is Ashley a happy guy…so are all of the Land Groups, CFO’s, and Mineral companies that use his product, Tracts: www.tracts.co – If you are one of the aforementioned folks, you gotta check out what they are doing. On this episode, Ashley takes us through his path from the Heart...

Accurate shale production forecasting is imperative but elusive…so, how do you demystify the black box? Jon Ludwig joins the podcast to discuss how his startup, Novi Labs has cracked the code on it. Jon is a serial entrepreneur and after spending time in Both T-Lo and the Doctor’s back yards, life lead him to Austin and creating Novi. Using machine learning to generate shale forecasts sounds cool,...

Oil and Gas executives, be warned: Mark “The Flamethrower” Viviano has been making waves in the Oil and Gas industry lately, and for good reason. Just because he looks like Trevor Lawrence and has a big smile…doesn’t mean he won’t criticize you if your financial discipline needs to improve. Mark takes us through his path growing up in New York, to his many years at Wellington, to the pot he is cur...

A term we hear thrown around a lot is “data driven”. Ken Dalton lives and breathes data, analytics, and finding the truth in numbers to drive business decisions in the oil and gas industry. His impact has been felt everywhere he goes, most prominently at Chevron and Devon. Ken’s passion and energy shines through in this lively episode. Join the conversation shaping the future of energy. Collide is...

Congratulations, sales guy! The Good news: Someone in an Oil and Gas company wants to buy your product. You even told your boss it was a done deal at an agreed upon price. Now all you have to do is get it past procurement. The Bad News: Shawn Forbes is procurement…and Shawn Forbes will get the best deal for her company. Every. Single. Time. The Queen of Quan takes us through her path from the subu...

What does a Landman do? And is it a Landman when said Landman is actually a woman (Landwoman?) like in the case of Brooke Clifton from Acacia Exploration? Well, we got our answer during this happy hour recording of #TOTB. Friend of the podcast Lindsey Mersman of EAG comes back for round two, joined by a couple of Landmen: Brooke, and Scott Hakel. Scott, who has a law degree joined us for this one,...

The US-Canada border is littered with companies that couldn’t transition across it. But Ian “King Moves” Stoneberg can tell you about one that was a smashing success. He also knows a thing or two about Oil and Gas Accounting – going all the way back to when people smoked cigarettes in the office, “Mad Men” style. But that is probably the LEAST interesting thing about Ian, a guy who traded the Calg...

Elizabeth Gerbel and Lindsey Mersman have it figured out. The Oil & Gas industry is filled with dudes. Need proof? Check out the Leadership page of any Oil and Gas company website (besides Oxy)…But EAG Services and EAG 1Source DOMINATE the game in Oil & Gas professional services and outsourcing. In this lively, wine-filled episode, Lindsey dives into her Ponca City roots, Elizabeth talks a...

Without a doubt, Spotfire is a widely used solution in the O&G Industry…but that wasn’t always the case. How did it become so popular? Rock Gnatovich (Probably the best name to ever come on this or ANY podcast) joins the guys to detail the backstory of Spotfire, dating back over 20 years ago to the Year 2000. Tim couldn’t help but drag Rock into the mud and discuss the epic corporate meetings...

Do you know that epic scene from Game of Thrones where an army of 1000 horses and soldiers is charging at Jon Snow with his sword drawn? It is an iconic image. Well, in real life, the horse-led army is the COGCC and Jon Snow is Jack Hamlin. Sound daunting? It is. Jack is literally fighting for the Oil and Gas industry every day in Colorado against a tidal wave of state led opposition. A passionate...

Alex Flournoy was born to be in the Oil & Gas industry…as an Engineer. For better or worse, Alex was given the gift of gab and after a chance encounter, bang – he’s a Sales guy instead. Growing up in Shreveport, LA, and seeing his father help start and run O’Brien Energy lit a passion for the Industry that burns like hot lava. Alex takes us through his time at LSU, to Dallas, to buying his fir...

Why would the guys bring a Senior in college on a “Professional” podcast? Well, listen to Andrew Chan for a couple of minutes and you have your answer…Better Question: Why would a College student (Cal Tech, Go Beavers) attend O&G Networking events or be active on LinkedIn? Conversation ranges from going to school – or not going TO school - during COVID, to Andrew dispening a lesson on Venture...

How do you build an AWESOME culture at your startup? Well, Allen Gilmer knows. He built one of the best startups our industry has ever seen. His advice is simple: “Don’t hire assholes.” Allen “Santa” Gilmer recounts his early days in El Paso, building DrillingInfo (now Enverus) into an industry leader while maintaining the same fun culture that started even after getting private equity money. By t...

David Forsberg knows a thing or two about finance. He also knows a heck of a lot about oil and gas. How about technology? Yep. Combine those and you have an unrivaled vision: help bring exposure, and investors to the emerging Energy Tech market. Listen in as David talks about growing up in Denver, being a trader in Chicago, and today, fundraising during Covid times. A unique episode with a dude th...

How does one go from getting a degree in Geology, to opening a bakery, to being the top Software Sales person at an emerging company called Spotfire, and finally becoming a farmer in North Carolina? Well, Laura Dye can tell ya. She is an incredible relationship builder and that skill played a crucial role in the growth of early days Spotfire. Now she has unplugged and retired to the farm, literall...

We brought the Demo Guru, Peter Cohan, back for another session. Last time Peter blew our minds and completely changed our approach to speaker switches (76 seconds, come on!). We talked about how in this session. What about discovery though? We go deep into discovery and how to do it. Yet again, Peter shows that most of us simply aren't doing enough. We also got Peter's opinion on virtual technolo...

What is your favorite TV show of all time? Maybe “Breaking Bad”, “Seinfeld”, or “The Walking Dead”? Well, If you haven’t seen “The Wire”…what have you been doing with your life?! One of the great lines from that epic series is the title of this episode, and is particularly relevant to the Data King of the Oil and Gas industry, Barry Barksdale. Barry breaks down the differences between what it mean...

Get your hot takes here!! Does this man really need any introduction? Probably not but he gets one anyway: How do you go from a few fun and hot (borderline scalding) takes...to becoming LinkedIn famous...to being kicked off LinkedIn? The Woodsman covers this, his well publicized crush on Vicki Hollub, his golf game, growing up in New York (huh?), and the #1 thing he has learned about podcasting. T...

Dan the Man, “Pick”, “The Wiz of the Oil Biz”. Whatever moniker you choose for Dan Pickering, you better also call him this: Sharp. Humble. Brilliant. And one of the most well liked dudes in the Oil & Gas investment community. Dan dives into his history, and introduction to the oilfield: As an Engineer in Alaska. The formation of Tudor Pickering & Holt, and Dan’s creation of Pickering Ener...

Who the fu&# is Chuck Yates?! Besides someone who needs a job and NOT a Podcast? Well, he’s friends with Jewel, Dave Grohl, and Michael Linn. He lives in a glass house (seriously – and it’s famous). Take a listen as Chuck goes all over the map with tales such as: “The Million Dollar Tattoo”, the “plumber-ification” of the oilfield, his passion for helping Houston’s 5th Ward, and the crucial ro...