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657. Championship Culture Meets Community Impact: The OKC Thunder Story - Erin Oldfield | Otter.ai

657. Championship Culture Meets Community Impact: The OKC Thunder Story - Erin Oldfield

Sabrina Li33min

Becky Endicott

00:00

Becky, look at you and your thunder team. I am not in we are for good blue. I am in thunder. Blue today is an epic conversation that we're about to have on the podcast because we have Erin Oldfield in the house. She is the VP of community engagement and the executive director of the thunder Community Foundation, and y'all, we are going to be talking about how to bring community impact, community partnerships, to bear when you have won a freaking national championship, and what that does to rally a city. So it's a good day in the we are for good house, because we are going to share the story from the heart of Oklahoma City, our hometown, because the thunder just brought home their first NBA championship. So can Jon, you just casual, right? I

Jonathan McCoy

00:47

didn't know even the adjacent non sports fans keep up with these things.

Becky Endicott

00:52

Yes. I mean, this is such an epic conversation for me. I love sports, I love the thunder. But the thing is, we're not just celebrating the championship, we are celebrating the power of philanthropy that has drifted off this beautiful story. So we are excited that Erin's in the house today, she is truly leading this movement of impact and connection across Oklahoma. I can tell you, I was a part of it. I gathered with, like, 600,000 of my friends for the parade, and like a very heat melting my face off, but to watch the energy and connection of how community comes together around this aligned celebration. So we're going to dive in today what it looks like when a championship team uses its platform to uplift community, empower youth and spark generosity that goes so far beyond the arena. I am so proud of the culture that the Thunder has built, and we want to learn about how you all did that. So, Erin, welcome to the we are for good podcast. We are psyched you are here.

Erin Oldfield

01:55

I am psyched to be here. I am the one who's fan girling and just, I'm just so excited to be here on the show for all the guests that you have. I'm just really excited to be be part of what you guys are doing. And, yeah, it's, it's a thrilling time to be here in Oklahoma City coming off the championship. It's actually game day here today. So all kinds of good energy and good vibes. But you know, we've, we started over zero and zero, or now three and zero.

Becky Endicott

02:23

Hey, we've won a lot of preseason games. I would just like to get in there and say, but we're going to get into the thunder. But before we do, we want to know you, Erin, like you are such an incredible impact soul. You have driven purpose in our hometown. And we just, like, kind of want to know your story. So take us back. Tell us about little Erin and how she got into this role,

Erin Oldfield

02:43

you know, little Aaron, oh my gosh, I'd have to go way back, you know, I've always just been one who wants to give back to the community and make people better. I think whether that was my first babysitting gig, and I would bring the boxes of crafts, you know, to see people be better reading story books. And then finally, just through my education, I actually have kind of a strange pathway to sports. I think most people are like, Oh, were you a sports management major? I was like, No, I actually worked in the arts for a long time, but it was community focused. My role previously here, I worked in museums and art education, and just used a different toolbox to give people knowledge about museums and how to look at artwork, to fill young people with the tools and resources that they needed to bring their artwork to life. It was storytelling then, and it's storytelling now, and I had worked in the arts pretty much my whole career in nonprofits, and loved that feeling of being able to connect veterans with arts, working with Boys and Girls Club, working with different populations, but my toolbox was arts, and I kind of came to this realization I was part of a really impactful program here in Oklahoma City, where we went to different areas around the state of Oklahoma to look at economic impact that the arts make. And I remember saying to a colleague of mine like, do you think that there's something bigger? And I didn't really know what it meant at the time, and I thought like, well, maybe my next step is being an executive director at a nonprofit. And I'm like, hop online, and I'm looking at, there's this one website, like, if you're looking for a job in nonprofits, it's where you go. And I log on, and I'm sifting through, and there is this job posting director Community Relations Oklahoma City Thunder. And I'm like, wow. Okay, what is? What is that? I was a huge thunder fan, to be honest. I never anticipated working in sports. I didn't go to the thunder to see what jobs they had. And I'm reading this job description, and I'm like, manages a team of people responsible for a budget, you know, creates community programming. And I'm like, I do all of these things, and it was just kind of wild to think something I had never anticipated being a part of was just so relevant to my life and what I was doing at that time. And so here we are. That was in 2017 that I had applied for this role, working at the thunder and it has just been so fulfilling. Instead of just working for one mission, you know what you do in your nonprofit work, we are able to be a megaphone and work with so many different organizations and schools that it just I'm able to do so many things. It just fills my bucket every single day.

Jonathan McCoy

05:37

I mean, what a gateway for me to be. So leaned into this conversation, Aaron, that you come from the arts. You're my people, and you're using a new toolbox to engage to accomplish the mission. Yeah, you're just such an incredible human for this moment. And I love that you have been there for a while and seen the uplift. Because even somebody that's not a huge sports fan knows that the Oklahoma City Thunder is our community's story like it's a reflection back to how our community is coming into its own and bringing the community along with it. And it's such like this beautiful crescendo that happened, I think, with the national championship last year. And so I would love to get your thoughts of how have you seen that success translate into energy, momentum, into all the community work that you're doing adjacent to the thunder.

Erin Oldfield

06:26

Yeah, you know, really elevated platform, elevated purpose. You know, that's just kind of what I go back to when the team is succeeds on the court. We're a basketball team. Of course, we want to win games, that's why they play basketball. But it amplifies our reach off of the court, so more eyes, more excitement, more opportunity to shine a light on all of the wonderful things that are happening here, not just in Oklahoma City, but really in our state. The same things that drive our team, you know, resilience, and the things that fuel them, just continues to remind us that we're bigger than basketball, and that's one of the things we talk about quite a bit. Because regardless, although the championship is so exciting for all those things, there still could be years where we might not be winning all those games, and we're not going to have that championship. And that's why our work in the community, stuff that we're doing, never changes. We're always going to be. We kind of look at Legacy over headlines. We're building STEM programming, reading and literacy programs that that continue to invest in a way that is long term.

Becky Endicott

07:35

I just think the brand of the thunder right now, like when we put our marketing hats, our marketing disguise. Marketers disguises fundraiser hats on. I'm like, the brand of the thunder right now is so electric. And it's not just because, in my opinion, it has this championship. It's because of how the championship was earned. And when we talk about values and we talk about culture. It has been building within the thunder, and it has started with people on the front line. It was not as much about these players as it was about these people coming and investing in the community in a way that works for them. I've seen all manner of players diving into their personal philanthropies and whatever that is. But I just think you're creating such a lasting impact across Oklahoma, flexing this brand of community of unity, of celebration, of looking around and saying, What can we do to make all parts of our community more vibrant? So talk a little bit about the overview of the thunder Community Foundation. I got to give a shout out to Christine Bernie, my friend, and yes, I adore her, but we want to know like, tell us about your different programs. Tell us what lights you up and what you're seeing happening that's sort of behind the scenes from the media fray that we're all looking at on our phones and TVs. I'm

Erin Oldfield

09:05

happy to lean into that shout out to Christine. I will just say Christine hired me. I'm a product of Christine. I worked with her for a number of years, and actually taking filling her shoes after she left last year to pursue other dreams that she has. So I really have had this working knowledge of the thunder and you know, everything that we do the importance of what community means to this team, and that is really on ownership from day one, is creating this culture for people to thrive, whether that is the players, the people that we're working with, is we want to see people be better, and it is just really since the team's arrival, we've existed to strengthen and uplift the community. We we often talk about ourselves as being a megaphone to tell other people's stories, because that's one of the things. That we're the best at right is we are this, not just the Oklahoma City Thunder we represent the entire state, but we are also this global brand that has incredible reach. So whether that is through thunder cares, which is sort of our corporate philanthropy arm, the thunder Community Foundation, or the players and the personal initiatives that they take on outside of the work that the thunder as an organization is doing is all really tied together, because I don't think you can think of our longevity here in Oklahoma City without thinking some of the players that have been here before and the long term impact that they've had, but I think that's also because of who we are as a community has embraced us back. So I think it makes it feel really easy for the players to want to do things or want to be involved, because that's who we are as Oklahomans, Oklahoma City. You cannot escape the Oklahoma Standard. I think that is one thing that I heard over and over coming out of the championship of all the people who came here to the city is, gosh, everyone is so nice. And that's not something that the thunder built, that is just who we are at our very core. So it's just, it's incredible to think of all of these different verticals that are all woven together to create this hopefully lasting change and legacies, generational impact,

Jonathan McCoy

11:29

yes to all those things. And from growing up in Oklahoma, I think that's why there is like such a point of pride when you see players recognize that and lean into that and add to it, you know, and that's what's really endeared the community around this team on a deeper level as well. So, I mean, is there a story that lifts for you, as you think about the programs, the heart of what the Community Foundation does, what's one where you would lift for

Erin Oldfield

11:53

us? You know, when I try to think about nine seasons of stories, there are so many moments through thunder cares, through the foundation and through the players personal philanthropy. For the foundation, we built 31 basketball courts and communities across

Becky Endicott

12:09

so amazing. I've been on one, and it is such an amazing, amazing court. Thank you for that investment.

Erin Oldfield

12:16

We believe in the power of sports to transform lives. If there's a basketball court in your community, it's going to bring people together. And it is really special to see how people we hear like, oh, kids are playing until the lights come on after dark, like it is just getting folks together. And somewhat, one of my favorite stories is actually a court that we have in boys City, Oklahoma. It's in the panhandle, over five hours town. Oh, my God, five hours one direction, okay, away. And I love to tell this story because the women who were behind that foundation were relentless in the pursuit of a court for their town. And by the way, there are about 1000 1100 people in boy city, and we met them, got to see the town, which is so cool, by the way, if you haven't been, you should surely go and visit. And we were like, yeah, it's actually Christine and I on that road trip. We're like, Yeah, we got it. We got to build a court here. The way the community met us was just so amazing. And I love this story of the dedication, you know, we bring all of our thunder fanfare. It's never just a few people from our thunder drummers, our thunder girls, you know, our MC, you know DJ, we travel with bus loads of people, and then we have the storytellers. So we have our communications team, broadcast social so we we always travel in this large group to tell that story, and we took some busses up there, and when we got close to town, they actually met us. So we had a police escort in like we were treated like these VIPs. It was such a crazy experience. And when we had the ribbon cutting, we kind of take turns sharing a few words. And the representative there of boys city was like, you know, we've applied for grants everywhere, and the answer is, always, you're out of our area of reach. And she's like, not to the thunder. And everybody just went crazy. I was crying. I look at Christine, she's crying. It was just like, such an impactful moment for what we were able to do for these women who had this idea to bring something to their town, to bring their community together in such a special way. There were, there were notes on businesses, like, we're at the thunder court dedication. I was like, was shut down, and it was just, it was such a wonderful day that so many of us, and folks who are still here, we talk about that like now, what was your favorite court dedication while they're all really impactful and meaningful, I can talk forever about, you know, we have courts and more that we refurbished after the tornado. You know, we have courts in McAlester, Lawton, Ardmore, here in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, they each. Present really special asks and meaningful moments and what that brings to the community. But that's certainly one of my favorite stories about the foundation, and that's just the foundation piece. We could start to unpack all of our education programs and what those mean for students across the state, encouraging reading and literacy, that Rolling Thunder. Book bus,

Becky Endicott

15:21

that book bus, my kids have both been on that book bus, and it is an experience. It is not a bus. It is an experience.

Erin Oldfield

15:29

It is an experience. You know, it started out, actually, it was a bus. It was a school bus. And then we just saw over time that, you know, the school bus couldn't go very far anymore, and it just it needed some we wanted to ensure that it was equitable experience for everybody who came on board. So it's actually now a truck and trailer, and it's ADA accessible, and so kiddos are able to come on the book bus, this trailer that's loaded with 1000s of book titles and that if you're interested in sports, or if you're interested in STEM or if you just want some fun reading about crunching through fall leaves, preparing for for winter. There are so many book choices that kids get to come on and pick something of their own. And every book has a thunder sticker in it. And so it's really cool to see them like sharing and talking like, oh, what book did you choose? Oh, I got this book. I got a book about caterpillars, or, you know, whatever it may be. And ensure, of course, are our books about sports and basketball, and we love to see those get into hands of kids, too. But we just want to encourage reading and literacy and sparking that moment. And that's one of the things that the funder can do is just drive that excitement, whether that's with math and statistics through one of our programs, or through reading and literacy in stem that's all really exciting.

Becky Endicott

16:52

There are so many ways that I want to jump off here, because

Erin Oldfield

16:56

one stories I warned you I

Becky Endicott

16:59

know, and I just think, like friends, you are listening to how to build and sustain and Stoke a movement as Christine's talking, because not only do I hear our values in what you're saying, I mean this Ada, accessibility. Everyone matters. Everyone can come to the bus, but it is. Community is everything. When community meets you driving in. That is when you know you have something special. And there's two trends in the past that are just lifting for me, that I want to lift again for everyone, which is one media scales impact and when you get something like the thunder and thank you for leveraging your marketing, thank you for leveraging your brand and your socials as you go to these places. That's one. But the other one was influencers, the power of how to tap creators and really increase influence, because the brand is an influencer brand, and what you were doing to really meet community in the middle that boy story is so epic, because that, to me, is believers. When believers come in, they're going to put the sign up on the door that says, I'm going to the parade. You can ask Jon and Julie. We had a full slate of interviews scheduled for the we are for good podcast on a Tuesday during the parade. And I said, cancel them all. We're going to have to reschedule all of them. I'm going to the parade. But my, but my point here is, is, when you get someone who believes so deeply in something, they will drive miles to come see you, they will set up, they will bring their friends. And I just think what you're doing is powerful, and so I want to, like, transition into this community partnership, because I'm sure there's a lot of nonprofits out there saying, How do I get a partnership with the community, or with a brand like the thunder, or with someone else in my community? So you all work with schools, nonprofits, you've got corporate partners. What have you learned about what makes a partnership work long term?

Erin Oldfield

18:58

You know, we work with so many amazing nonprofit partners. I'm just so moved by the work that they do to fill the gaps every single day. They are truly inspiring. What our nonprofit partners are doing here, across the city and state, they are the backbone of our community, really, and so we're happy in those moments where we can come beside them to be that storyteller and to share their story on social media, even if that, if that's going in with a player, or if that's going in with thunder girls, if it's if it's for holiday assist, and we're bringing in baskets of goods. But I think what makes a good partnership for us is it's shared values and lasting partnerships aren't transactional. You know, they are. They're rooted in mutual purpose and trust. And so one of the things we talk about a lot is what our relationships look like. We need to be good listeners. We should be co creating. You know, sometimes the way that we work can can be just we're a lot. I'll just say that we're a lot. We. Come in like the thunder with these entourage people. So we it's really important, and I would hope that our partners think that we are good communicators and and consistency, right? And we want to be sure that we are the challenge in doing what we're doing is we want to share the thunder love with more people, and at the same time, we want to be sure that we are showing up for the partners that we built these relationships with. And so one of the things we've talked a lot about this past season is, how can we go deeper with our relationships, instead of wider, so that we can ultimately make more impact? It is difficult, and I think any nonprofit probably faces like, mission creep, right? Like, you're like, Oh, well, that sounds good. Let's do that. You know, when you get to confetti philanthropy, it's really hard to drive impact when you're doing all of the good things. We want to do good things and do them really well, so we are exploring ways to continue doing the great things that we're doing, but to bring it in a little bit so that we can really drive impact in some core areas. And I will just say for us, flexibility is key innovation and our best collaborations evolve, right? So it's just staying in that constant contact and seeing where people are at may not be at the same place. Their needs aren't the same this year as they were last year, so it's important that we are just, you know, staying in close contact with what they need, and we track impact together, right? So as we're tracking our impact, hopefully they're able to track what we're doing with them as well.

Jonathan McCoy

21:35

Aaron, I'll say it again for those in the back you're so are people like, I love the way people are moving through this world, how you are aligning on values, how you're choosing to go deep, not just wide. Wide gets into vanity territory. I feel like, when we try to be everywhere all the time, finding those intentional partners to go deep is the way. There's a lot of nonprofits listening today that may want to, like, borrow something from your playbook. Because, friend, I can tell you've got a playbook for all of this, so we're kind of like leaned in what's a process or a mindset or a system that you would share to say this really matters. You know this, get this right, and it's going to unlock a lot of possibility.

Erin Oldfield

22:15

Well, I think definitely is narrowing that impact. Leveraging storytelling data is so important, and how you're using your data, and I don't mean just at the end of year recap, right for your annual report. I mean it's driving decisions, really, on it on a daily, weekly basis, if that is goal setting or, you know, recognizing if you have a program, where are we not? Where are we at with registrations now? So just really utilizing your data on a more consistent basis and just aligning internally, one of the things we talk a lot about is being authentic, and sometimes I think that's really hard to do, right? There are so many conversations we're listening to that we it's easy for us to say, like, oh, that sounds good. This is how they're doing it. We should do that. If it's not authentic to who you are. It's just so important to be lead with being very intentional and authentic, even if that means it's going to take a little bit more time. That's something that we really think a lot about, instead of just like, eager to just jump into the next thing is really kind of evaluate to see if it's the right move for you.

Becky Endicott

23:25

I hear what you're saying, I see how it's represented, and you're doing it so well, and people feel so seen in it, and they are swept up, not just in the hype of winning. They're swept up in the good and the joy. We talk about joy as a vibe all the time, and particularly right now, like we we all need something to celebrate. And I just think then the basketball is not just about basketball, it's about something that's so much bigger. And I just want to compliment you and the entire team. And I don't mean just like the players, I mean the thunder team, who, by the way, if you don't think they live this as a culture, they gave you know how that Jon, the players, like, come in their busses, and we all are cheering for them. They put their staff in the parade, in a bus, and, like we all cheered for them, it's not just the people on the front that we can see that make these movements happen. It is all about the people. And so I just want to say we'll always be a thunder fan. I live in Colorado now, but don't think I'm not going to a nuggets game with my thunder hat on. That's what I like to hear. You talked about story and how it lifts what you were doing into places that probably people would never know what you're doing unless you shared the power of what's happening on the ground. And we love to ask people about a moment of philanthropy that moved them, that stayed with them forever. And I'm wondering if there's a story of generosity, whether. Or it's in this role or anywhere in your life that you would like to share a story about. I

Erin Oldfield

25:05

have so many amazing thunder memories. It's oftentimes an entire season goes by and we'll be looking back on that season. I'm like, was that this year? You know? Like, did that happen this year? One of the things I think about was this really special moment that happened between the players. Nick Collison, number four, Mr. Thunder, okay, this was my first season here, and it was the holidays, and we were on this shopping spree in a store. We've paired a kid up with a player, and they go through and they're navigating the aisles and, you know, they're putting some things in their cart, they're getting to know one another. And it's really special to see like these relationships build in this moment that they're just talking to one another like they would talk to anybody, and they're there, they're telling stories, and they're about to leave, and the kid is eyeing this basketball goal, and the mom was like, There's no room. Like, we can't we cannot get that basketball goal home. And he was like, I'll bring it to you guys. And he actually made the commitment himself, loaded up that basketball goal into his truck and took it to their house. And that is just like, I think about that story and in that moment, and he just wanted to ensure that that wasn't a reason, just like eliminating that smallest barrier for that family, like, oh, we you could have it, but we can't get it home. And he just jumped in at that moment and solved that problem. And it was just, it was such a cool thing. Those are those really special, organic things that you can't plan for, right? Like, we can plan really intentional moments with Make A Wish hosting individuals to games, and it's very planned out, and we know it's going to be wonderful. And then there are these organic things that happen in the moment that we're so unexpected that we all leave at night and we're like, Oh my gosh. We're like, that was so neat. That was so special. And we don't always get to tell all those stories, right, but we often get to see them as staff members behind the scenes. So sometimes there's so many other things that are happening that there's only so many, so much you can show through photos and video and but they're just like these really special things that happen behind the scenes. I think that stick with me the most.

Becky Endicott

27:27

Nick calls

Jonathan McCoy

27:29

Nick Collison sending you a massive fist bump. And I love it more that it wasn't part of the video. You know, I love that it's just thinking that too was showing up for each other, loading up the pickup truck and driving it across town. How beautiful

Erin Oldfield

27:43

these guys are. Certainly really special. We love everything that we get to do as an organization, but that definitely is, you know, there is so much that that happens behind the scenes, and the players just add this extra, really special moment that people can connect with, especially the kids, whether that could be on a book bus, one of our special visitors could be a player that day, and they're helping them select that book. It could be some of our it could be on one of the basketball courts, or just so many moments we've played bingo in nursing homes, for example. I mean, there are, just like so many things, we are just always looking for ways to plug into things that people are doing just because we have, we have thunder fans of all ages everywhere. And you know, not everybody's going to be able to get to a thunder game, but and the brand still resonates beyond the game because of the activations and things that we are planning. We say we're 365 whether we're on the court or off the court or community work doesn't stop, because our community doesn't either. So while we are certainly it is fun during the season, because the guys are here, we are continuing to elevate nonprofits 365, days a year.

Jonathan McCoy

28:57

Yeah. And back to your words. It's just so authentic that it just it hits differently when it comes across in that way. So this conversation's so dang rich. I mean, we can't leave without asking for a one good thing. Erin, this is a piece of advice. This could be a life hack for you personally. What's something you would leave with our community?

Erin Oldfield

29:17

Gosh, I would say consistency beats intensity, even if it's sustainable, small acts of goodness can outpace one time grand gestures, right? We love to do both of those things, but staying consistent, and if I'll add one more, is lead with listening. You know, I think that can be such a big challenge for for for anyone, whether you're corporate, giving, philanthropy, nonprofit, if you're not listening to see what that need is, you're you're going to it's going to lead you down a different path. So I think those would be my my two good

Speaker 1

29:55

things. I love them both, and I will just say the lead with listening. Yeah, that is a phrase marked with humility, because, and I'm so obsessed that you said that, because you have a brand like the thunder, who could embrace all the bravado, and we are champions in this sort of we have all the answers, and the fact that you ground and root in that we have to listen shows why you are so powerful and why people are so connected to you.

Erin Oldfield

30:28

So I appreciate you saying that it is the only way to reach sustainability, right? Like, you're not going to be sustainable if you're not taking those measured steps and having that measured approach, because, like we talked about at the beginning, it's regardless of if we're if we're winning or losing. It's this sustainable, measured approach that is going to take us through wherever we're at.

Speaker 1

30:53

I'm just so proud of you, Aaron. I'm so proud of your team. I'm proud to be associated with this city and this brand. People are going to want to connect with you, my friend. So how can listeners find you? Where do you hang out online? Give us all the deets

Erin Oldfield

31:08

you can connect with me on LinkedIn. I think my email is on there. Shoot me a direct message. I just have to say, although I'm super happy to be the one talking to you guys today, we have a phenomenal team here at the thunder that we could not do the work that we do without really inspiring, compassionate people here on the community engagement team, from leading our book bus, leading all of our education programs, helping players connect to the community. There are so many of us just on our team, but community impact is larger just than one department. It's this entire brand. It's in the mission for our staff, talking about taking our staff to the parade and things. It is a culture here, because we all represent the brand. It is certainly my department has the joy of being one of the ways that this team gives back. But every single person here is connected to the work that we do. So they are brand representatives every single day, and I think that they feel proud of the work that we do. They could be graphic designers. They could be whatever they're working on is they're all part of our culture and how we give back. So I think we all feel very rewarded by the work that the organization does.

Speaker 1

32:20

It's an incredible brand, an incredible story. I will just tell you that my now past grandmother, in her late 90s was the biggest Russell Westbrook fan, and to watch her navigate in her assisted living, how to make sure that she was sitting in her chair for the thunder to watch Russ and watch that phenomenon happen. You have something really special on your hands. So thank you for coming in. Thank you for showing us what a vibrant brand can do for an entire community. Keep going.

Erin Oldfield

32:55

Thank you all for having me. It has been just a real pleasure getting to chat with you guys, and we wouldn't be doing the work that we're doing without our amazing nonprofits that are here on the ground, like I said, backbone of our community. Oklahoma, standard working day in and day out tirelessly to improve the lives of others. We get these really wonderful moments to be part of what they're doing. And so that's where, that's where our heart really is.

Jonathan McCoy

33:21

I feel it reflecting it back so good. Thank you, friend.

Erin Oldfield

33:26

Appreciate it.

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