Kenversations with Ken Okonek

Ken Okonek interviews lifelong Alaskan and gubernatorial candidate Shelley Hughes about the experiences shaping her leadership and mindset. Hughes recounts moving from Ohio to Alaska, living in the off-grid Game Creek community near Hoonah, then relocating to Bethel and Fort Yukon as her Vietnam-veteran husband worked in medicine. She describes choosing to be a largely stay-at-home mother of four (now with 12 grandchildren), and ho...

Entrepreneurship Beyond Unicorns: Passion, Failure, and Fixing Mental Health with David Crane

Ken Okonek interviews veteran entrepreneur David Crane about myths of entrepreneurship, emphasizing that most founders are middle-class people working 80–100 hours and should pursue passion over money. Crane shares his healthcare-focused career, advice on finding passion by intersecting what you love with what you’re good at, ...

Navigating the Cold Waters: Fred Drake's Snorkel Alaska Adventures

Join Ken Okonek in this riveting episode of Kenversations: with Ken Okonek,' where he chats with Fred Drake, the visionary owner of Snorkel Alaska. Fred shares his incredible journey from learning scuba diving as a child, working on Norwegian Cruise Line ships, to pioneering snorkeling tours in the chilly waters of Alaska. Discover the unique challenges and exhilara...

In this episode, we dive into the mindset and journey of Chad—how his personal story led to building a moving company that’s now dominating the industry in Alaska and expanding all the way to Idaho. Chad shares key lessons on growth, from mastering employee retention to creating a strong company culture that keeps teams engaged. One of his biggest insights? The power of self-awareness—knowing your strengths and we...

This one was a special one for me. Brady has been someone I have know from High school and we have walked in a lot of smilier paths and I just knew that it would be a good time. This man has done so many things and whatever it has been he has done it 100! 

He gives massive perspective that will help you gain motivation to pursue things with an energy that gives you traction while getting a ton of joy while doing it. 

We d...

I have to first say how grateful I am to have Dan on my podcast and to call this man a friend. His journey and what he has overcame is hard to put in words. We go through his amazing background of video and cinematography and his passion for it and what pushes him to create amazing work. 

But along the way life packs punches and Dan has had a few stack up along the way and he shares how he went through that process and what ca...

Nate Is just a the most humble human you ever meet. He would never say how he leads 1000's of people to their financial and physical freedom and combat the thing we are all fighting which is aging. Nate has been a dear freind and close mentor of my in the world of leadership and coaching. He has grown and given so much to others and his team. We go deep dive into Identify and how one finds theirs or a process on how to refine it an...

This one I am SO excited about! Today on Kenversations we had Pam Lloyd on the podcast. She is someone I wanted on here since day 1. She has been someone I have confided in many times in my life of transition. 

Just a quick bit about Pam. She has been a lady that has not just climbed the corporate ladder she has Crushed it. So we dig into her story at many different levels and un-pack nuggets of gold for you all. 

We go i...

I am so excited to share this one with you all! Chance was in the neighborhood so we had to have him on. We get to take a deep dive into another human living their best life. While he is pursuing his DREAM of being an North American Free Ride Pro. While going to school to be a MD. 

We dig deep into his mindset and how do you prep and both mentally and physically to compete at the highest level. Chance is a wonderful human doi...

I cant wait for you all to listen into this one! Jake Sloan shares his journey to becoming a youtuber and business owner through his passions and things that bring him joy. 

He shares some of the simplest yet profound nuggets of wisdom that have led to his successes and failures. 

If you have any interest in creating a career out of your passions then this is the podcast episode for you. 

I don't care if you want to ...

On this weeks episode of Kenversations I have the honor of interviewing Buddy Bailey. The son of Baileys Furniture that was dead set on going out on his own and pursuing a vision he came up with 14 years ago. 

We talk the ups and downs of Buddy success and how he came to found Zo Financial. His ability to be a visionary and his motivation to create a product and company that will have a net win effect on the people all around ...

How do you write a description for a man that Races one of the hardest races 5x in 5 years and then goes and decides to climb the 5 of the 7 tallest peaks across the globe and he only has 2 left to go and he will! Then on top of all that. He is a Dad and Husband to an amazing family. His kids are following his footsteps because of the trails he is blazing and just creating massive multiplication along the way. We dive into his mind...

Welcome to the latest episode of Kenversations, where we dive deep into the world of fitness, health, and mindset with Nick Halverson, a gym owner and personal trainer who has not only mastered his physical health but also his mental well-being through exercise and nutrition.

In this episode, Nick and myself explore various mindsets and myths around the health and fitness industry. They discuss how the current state of the world an...

In this episode of Kenversations, I welcomes Adam Heafner, a seasoned leader in the mortgage lending industry, to discuss the importance of having a clear mission and vision for a company. Adam shares his experience leading a growing mortgage lending team with his 2 partners, and how they navigated the challenges that come with growth while staying true to the company's core values.

Adam shares his insights on how to work through v...

This Week on Kenversations we talk with a personal Mentor of mine that has changed my life but changed 1000's off others, the one and only Nate Detracy. In this episode, we dive deep into the topic of mentorship, personal growth, and finding your purpose in life. With Nate's wealth of experience as a mentor and friend for over 10 years, we explore the importance of having a mentor and share tips on how to pick the right one for you...

Welcome to the latest episode of Kenversations! Today, we are joined by Kirrily. She shares her insights into the current state of the Australian housing market and how it compares to the US.

But the main focus of this episode is on the current world of 🤖🧠 Artificial Intelligence (AI). We delve deep into the ramifications that AI is having on the world, including its impact on work and education. Kirrily shares her thoughts on wh...