If you want to understand me, start with boys on the farm just outside Arpelar, Oklahoma. That dirt pen wasn’t just where pigs lived. It’s where three 10-year-olds figured out how easy it is to get into trouble… without even trying. You see boys laughing and chasing hogs. What you don’t see is the lesson:When […]
Boys on the Farm Outside Arpelar, Oklahoma Read More »
The foundation of my Survivor, mountain skills didn’t begin on a beach. They began on the side of the mountain just off Old Daisy Road. Three ten-year-old boys.Straight rock formations.No gear. No helmets. No safety nets. If it looked climbable, we climbed it. Not because we were fearless — but because we were curious. Fear
Survivor, My Mountain Skills Started Early Read More »
The Donnie Weddle Survivor story didn’t begin with a casting tape. It began in a time before cell phones, when street lights were the only clock we needed. When they flicked on, you headed home. No tracking apps. No texts. Just trust, instinct, and a little bit of hustle to make it before dark. Until
Donnie Weddle Survivor Roots Run Deep Read More »
People sometimes look at my career and assume I was always wired for business and leadership. The truth is, I came from artists, dreamers, builders, and believers. That’s where it started. My mom and dad began dating young. Really young.They were engaged after just fourteen days. Fourteen. They went on to raise four boys, each
The Family I Came From: Art, Faith, and the Roots of Who I Am Read More »
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been asked more than once: “Are you still a REALTOR®?” It’s a fair question. From the outside, seasons can look quiet. Slower. Different. But what people don’t always see are the seasons happening behind the scenes. After 2020, Michelle and I stepped into one of those seasons. Family
The Seasons You Didn’t See… and the Ones Yet to Come Read More »
When I was young, I followed my heart. Maybe too far. After five years at Walmart, I left everything I knew and moved more than 200 miles away. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have a job lined up. I had a girlfriend, and I believed that was enough. Five days after arriving, I landed
When Love, Risk, and Responsibility Collide Read More »
There’s a song by Cody Johnson called ’Til You Can’t. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t preach. It just tells the truth. Life gives you windows. And one day, quietly, they close. I Didn’t Always Understand That When I was younger, I thought time was unlimited. There would always be another chance.Another season.Another tomorrow. I thought
“Till You Can’t: Why I’m Still Chasing Purpose, Growth, and the Next Challenge” Read More »
I’ve never been the type to just “wing it.” In business.In leadership.In life. If something matters to me, I study it. That habit didn’t start with Survivor. It started decades ago. Learning From the People Around Me Early in my career, I learned something important: The best teachers aren’t always in classrooms. They’re in conversations.
Why I Study Before I Step Into the Game | Donnie Weddle Read More »
I didn’t start my career in a corner office. I started at Walmart. Pushing carts. Stocking shelves. Learning the business from the ground up. No shortcuts. No titles. Just showing up every day and doing the work. Over the next 27 years, I worked my way up to store manager, leading hundreds of employees and
From Walmart to Real Estate to Survivor: Why Experience Still Matters Read More »
Not all pressure arrives with warning. Some moments don’t ask if you’re ready—they simply demand steadiness. This is a reflection on leadership, loss, and carrying responsibility quietly when others are looking to you for calm.
When Responsibility Gets Heavy Read More »
