Interview with Andy Moore
We believe a better Oklahoma can be achieved through bipartisan cooperation and citizen leadership.
Andy Moore turned his one-time social media call to action post into a full-time career forever impacting Oklahoman’s thoughts and engagement on local politics. A few years ago, during one of our peer advisory group meetings, Andy shared with our group that he was at a crossroads in his career. He was close to finishing his MBA and running Let’s Fix This in the evenings and on weekends. He had founded Let’s Fix This, a nonprofit dedicated to educating Oklahomans on the laws, policies, and other political issues that affect them the most and creating opportunities for the public to interact with their elected officials. As we each questioned him to help him think through his different options, it became apparent to everyone in the room that Andy was born to run Let’s Fix This.
Since that meeting, Andy has poured his time, energy and soul into building an organization that is changing the attitude and understanding of our local government. Andy’s podcasts are followed by hundreds of listeners and he has interviewed almost everyone in the political landscape in Oklahoma.
As a child, what did you always want to be when you grew up?
I’ve always had very diverse interests, from architecture to psychology to business. I always knew I wanted to work for myself and be my own boss, but I wasn’t sure what that would look like. As it turns out, it’s looked like a whole bunch of different things – most of which I wasn’t even aware of as a child.
What was the best piece of advice you were given when you were first starting out?
My dad once said to me, “Be kinder than necessary.” If we applied that mantra all aspects of our life – business, family, community – imagine how different the world would be!
What is the biggest sacrifice you have made in starting your business?
Sleep. Late nights have definitely become the norm. I don’t mind it, though – I enjoy the quiet and the chance to reflect on the day.
What does success mean to you?
This is always a difficult question for me because I associate success with being satisfied with a particular outcome, but as soon as I reach one milestone, I’m already mentally three steps toward the next goal. I will admit that early on in my career I set a goal of doubling my income every ten years. So far I’ve been successful at that, but the early years are easier - that goal has now become much more difficult.
Name the biggest overall lesson you’ve learned in running a business.
You have to do the hard things. You have to get up early. You have to stay up late. You have to make the hard calls. You have to take responsibility for failures. There is no easy road – you have to do the hard things.
In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?
Admittedly, I usually just hunker down and work through it. I know my personal self-doubt is vanquished by just sitting down and doing the thing, whatever it is. Nike’s famous tagline is spot-on: We’re all infinitely more capable than we think, we have to get out there and “just do it.” I’ve failed plenty of times, but none of those failures have killed me. That means I have more time to try again.
What do you love in life?
People! I love meeting new people and hearing their stories about what they love in life. I love being inspired by people who are actively working to make their world a better place - it gives me hope for the future.
What are you most proud of with your business?
Our authenticity. We are who we say we are. I try to be pretty open and candid about the areas we need to improve. I’m generally skeptical of anyone who believes they’ve got it all figured out.
What are the things you do to grow professionally?
I intentionally seek discomfort and push myself to get out of my usual bubble. I read that the best wine is produced from grape vines that are forced to “struggle” in difficult climates and terrain. I like that - if we don’t experience adversity, we don’t have the same opportunity to grow. Producing more work is not the same as producing better work.
What is your favorite thing to do when you are not at work?
I love a long, relaxed breakfast at a local diner. There’s something nostalgic and comforting about a vinyl-covered corner booth, a plate of biscuits and gravy, and a never-ending cup of coffee.
What is your favorite “luxiere”?
Most anything made of high-quality brown leather such as shoes, sofas, briefcases–you name it, I probably own it. I love the patina that materials develop over time, becoming softer and more personal in each use. In a world where we’re accustomed to renting dresses and replacing our phones every year, I find it refreshing to remember that some luxuries are built to last.