MIKE KOEHLER

FOUNDER & CHIEF STRATEGIST

Specialties: Content Strategy, Finding Just the Right Word, Biz Dev, Deep Thoughts

Hometown: Springfield, MO

Voice: Pioneer

Computer: HP laptop

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without? Stitcher, Reddit, Gmail, Google Calendar, a Pilot Precise V5 RT pen, a pocket knife and a handkerchief.

What’s your best shortcut or life hack? Always add peanut butter to ramen noodles. And, if possible, an egg.

Best advice you’ve ever received? There is a decision between every thought and action. If you take control of those decisions, you take control of your life.

What’s your hidden talent? Winning that game at the fair where you shoot the water into the clown’s mouth.

Where’s your favorite place to work remotely? Nichols Hills Starbucks.

What are you learning right now? How to be more content.

How do you recharge or take a break? Quality time with black-and-white movies.

How did you get to where you are today? I grew up a legit nerd in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. I loved words, then the internet, then the crazy idea of starting a business. And it’s still a thing. Putting those steps together has been an incredible journey. I have an awesome wife and three outstanding kids and a very patient God. Han shot first.

What do you love about working at Smirk? On the best days, we get to make people’s dreams come true.

ALLIE CARRICK

PRESIDENT & MANAGING PARTNER

Specialties: Marketing Strategy, Digital Ads, Project Management, Running the Biz

Hometown: Des Moines, IA

Voice: Guardian

Computer: iMac and MacBook Pro

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without? Grammarly is a timesaver. Receipt Bank keeps me from carrying folders of business receipts around.

What’s your best shortcut or life hack? If I’m working at odd times, rather than sending emails out at Zero Dark Thirty, I use Boomerang to schedule emails.

Best advice you’ve ever received? An exhausted person can’t operate at their highest level. Take time to recharge to be the best for your family and team.

What’s your hidden talent? Random trivia and facts. 

Where’s your favorite place to work remotely? At home in comfy pants or in a booth at All About Cha.

What are you learning right now? I’m learning about new conversion optimization strategies.

How do you recharge or take a break? Going to the movies or a day with no set schedule.

How did you get to where you are today? While normal kids were playing tag, I had a very elaborate pretend business with my cousin out of our grandparents’ basement. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a big imagination. When I joined Smirk in 2011, I was ready to grind to grow this new start-up. Years later, I love being a real entrepreneur and live in a constant state of gratitude for my wonderful team. 

What do you love about working at Smirk? Our people make Smirk special. We have some of the most talented, thoughtful and compassionate pros in the business. They don’t just do great work, but they care — about their clients and teammates.

KAILEY EMERSON

SENIOR STRATEGIST

Specialties: Project Management, Community Reputation Management, Social Media Content

Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK

Voice: Nurturer

Computer: Dell PC

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without? The Taco Bell app saved my life. Also, Spotify on every device.

What’s your best shortcut or life hack? You can immediately improve your life by staying hydrated. Also, don’t leave your clothes in the dryer even if you’re feeling lazy.

Best advice you’ve ever received? Don’t make decisions when you’re angry.

What’s your hidden talent? I only cry a little bit when I get tattoos.

Where’s your favorite place to work remotely? On my couch under a blanket wearing headphones while my dog sleeps next to me.

What are you learning right now? How amazing Star Trek is and new strategies for dynamic digital ads.

How do you recharge or take a break? I can only truly recharge when I’m alone, so laying on the couch watching one of my favorite movies is the fastest way for me to reset. Also, taking a walk with no screen time.

How did you get to where you are today? My BA is in Linguistics – I picked the field because I love to read and I’m bad at math. This has served me well, as I have to do very little math in my day-to-day and I get to read and write a ton. Joking aside, digital advertising has been a natural fit and is constantly, excitingly evolving.

What do you love about working at Smirk? I love the culture. I love the relationships I have with my coworkers, founded on kindness and a desire to collaborate. I love the fact that everyone has a dog.

EMILY MARTINEZ

STRATEGIST

Specialties: SEO, Website Optimization, Website Content, Blogging, Social Media Strategy, Tech Clients

Hometown: Austin, TX

Voice: Guardian

Computer: MacBook Pro

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without? I can’t live without my iPhone. I use my phone to manage work communication, monitor client accounts, and to keep up with the latest on my personal social media accounts. I couldn’t go a day without checking Instagram (my favorite social media platform). Also, Grammarly saves me from spending hours searching the AP Stylebook every day.

What’s your best shortcut or life hack? As cheesy as it sounds, dress for success. In professional environments, confidence is key and taking some extra time to get ready and pick out a great outfit can make all the difference.

Best advice you’ve ever received? Read your writing (blogs, social media content, web copy, etc.) out loud to yourself. Your ears will catch things your eyes might not.

What’s your hidden talent? My hearing is unreal. My mom calls me elephant ears.

Where’s your favorite place to work remotely? I feel like I get my best work done at home on my living room couch.

What are you learning right now? Currently, I am working on becoming fluent in HTML and CSS so I can enhance my website skills to complement my SEO skills.

How do you recharge or take a break? I can get super focused on the task at hand and forget to take a step back, so I like to recharge by taking some time to play with my dog, Spock.

How did you get to where you are today? My passion for writing began in high school when I spent two years as a Contributing Writer for The Austin American Statesman. It may come as a surprise that I almost became an engineer, but I love math, logic, and problem-solving. By specializing in SEO/websites I get to be creative and techie while working as a full-stack marketing professional.

What do you love about working at Smirk? I love Monday huddles. I love my coworkers. I love Smirk’s promotion of professional development. I love having a dog-friendly office. I love Smirkstorms at R&J’s. I love that work is never boring.

RACHEL HAYNES

CREATIVE STRATEGIST

Specialties: Graphic Design, Motion Design, Illustration

Hometown: Tulsa, OK

Voice: Guardian

Computer: MacBook Pro

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without? A Wacom tablet, the Adobe Creative Suite, a good old-fashioned sketchbook, and Slack. Bless you, Slack.

How do you keep track of everything you do? I’m a big list maker. I’ll organize everything in Asana and then transfer over those projects to my physical sketchbook.

What’s your best shortcut or life hack? Not hitting snooze. As hard as it is, getting up as soon as my alarm goes off saves time and makes me more productive.

Best advice you’ve ever received? Stephen King has a great quote from his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

What’s your hidden talent? Rock climbing?

Where’s your favorite place to work remotely? Home or a quiet coffee shop.

What are you learning right now? Currently expanding my web design and coding skill set.

How do you recharge or take a break? Hiking, rock climbing, and reading.

How did you get to where you are today? I graduated with a degree in graphic design from Oklahoma State University and started my career as a Motion Designer at a creative agency. My next position was as an Art Director for the same agency.

What do you love about working at Smirk? I love working at Smirk because our team is so passionate, everyone is always striving for the best and supporting one another. We have a fantastic culture.

TREY RHOADES

CONTENT CREATOR

Specialties: Social Media Content, Photography, Videography

Hometown: Choctaw, OK

Voice: Nurturer

Computer: Macbook

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without? My phone and laptop.

How do you keep track of everything you do? I use Google Calendar, Asana, and handwritten to-do lists.

What’s your best shortcut or life hack? A positive attitude saves time. Shift your focus from problems to solutions.

Best advice you’ve ever received? Become comfortable taking constructive criticism.

What’s your hidden talent? I’m good at carpentry.

Where’s your favorite place to work remotely? I enjoy working from coffee shops.

What are you learning right now? I’m learning about SEO, reputation management, and much more!

How do you recharge or take a break? I love to make music in my spare time.

How did you get to where you are today? Discovering my passion for writing and digital media in high school, I went on to earn a degree in Advertising and PR from East Central University. After gaining agency experience as a media buyer, I know put my skills in writing, content creation, and strategy to use with Smirk.

What do you love about working at Smirk? Every person on the team here at Smirk is incredibly friendly, professional, enthusiastic, and collaborative!

KEVIN DESHAZO

CULTURE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Specialties: Content, Culture, Coffee

Hometown: Tulsa, OK

Voice: Connector

Computer: MacBook Air

What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without? Twitter, Evernote, Spotify, Tripit, Coffee

How do you keep track of everything you do? Organization isn’t my greatest strength…

What’s your best shortcut or life hack? Drink more coffee.

Best advice you’ve ever received? Be who you were meant to be.

What’s your hidden talent? Freestyle rap.

Where’s your favorite place to work remotely? Clarity Coffee.

What are you learning right now? To be better organized in order to be more effective.

How do you recharge or take a break? Running.

How did you get to where you are today? I got addicted to Twitter while working in healthcare. While spending too much time on Twitter, I connected with Mike, we started Smirking when it was really just an idea in a coffee shop, and years later here we are changing the digital world with an incredible team and client list.

What do you love about working at Smirk? The people, the culture, the vision. People talk about a “family” culture, but Smirk lives it. A group that loves each other, values each other, and fights for each other.

EMMA DUNCAN

INTERN

I’m a junior at Oklahoma Christian University majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies, focused in Marketing, Science, and Bible. I lovingly refer to this as my DIY major, because it allows me to study several of my passions! I moved a few times as a child, but call Houston home. I love its immense diversity and vibrant culture, not to mention its wide variety of delicious food. Living in such a unique area has truly shaped me. I am so excited to start my journey at Smirk as the Sales and Business Development Intern!

AFTON GUEDEA

INTERN

My name is Afton Guedea, and I am currently a junior public relations major at the University of Oklahoma. I grew up in downtown Dallas. I am 100 percent a dog person and have a four-year-old yellow lab named Sullivan back home. I am a Mexican food enthusiast and can’t go long without spicy food. I fell in love with writing at a young age, which led me to have a passion for public relations, marketing, and advertising. A fun fact about myself is that I have been the reigning champion of Wii tennis in my house since 2014.

PEYTON MACKAY

INTERN

I love advertising because it gives an opportunity for brands to illustrate their personality so I am excited to a part of the industry after graduation. I grew up traveling a lot so I definitely have a travel bug that I hope stays with me for the rest of my life. I studied abroad last summer all throughout the UK and loved every second of it. I plan on having lots of dogs in my future!

TYLER RHOADES

INTERN

Hi! I’m Tyler Rhoades. I am a senior at East Central University majoring in Mass Communication with a focus in Mass Media. My areas of creative proficiency are in writing, videography, photography. I am primarily interested in entering the advertising & public relations field as a creative content generator and digital media specialist. I am from Choctaw, Oklahoma but I consider Oklahoma City to be my true hometown. I mostly use Adobe and G Suite software to create and organize my work, though I have found handwritten notes to be an excellent way to organize my thoughts as well. Some of my other hobbies include candle making, creative writing, and learning whatever new craft has recently intrigued me.

SAHRA SOMANI

INTERN

Hello! My name is Sahra and I am one of the new interns at Smirk New Media. I am from Oklahoma City and recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma. I have a degree in public relations and have a minor in human relations as well. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Smirk. I’m excited to learn from my peers at Smirk and cannot wait to see what all of us will accomplish together. I am looking forward to gaining more experience within my field as well as learning and growing with my new team!

MIKE KOEHLER

FOUNDER & CHIEF STRATEGIST

ALLIE CARRICK

PRESIDENT & MANAGING PARTNER

KAILEY EMERSON

SENIOR STRATEGIST

EMILY MARTINEZ

STRATEGIST

RACHEL HAYNES

CREATIVE STRATEGIST

TREY RHOADES

CONTENT CREATOR

KEVIN DESHAZO

CULTURE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

AFTON GUEDEA

INTERN

TYLER RHOADES

INTERN

EMMA DUNCAN

INTERN

PEYTON MACKAY

INTERN

SAHRA SOMANI

INTERN