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 about three years apart.
Darrin was born in 1965.
I came along in 1968.
Danny in 1971.
David in 1974.
We didn’t grow up rich, but we grew up surrounded by creativity, faith, and work ethic.
And it all started with my dad.
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 about three years apart.
Darrin was born in 1965.
I came along in 1968.
Danny in 1971.
David in 1974.
We didn’t grow up rich, but we grew up surrounded by creativity, faith, and work ethic.
And it all started with my dad.
A Father Who Learned to Create Through Adversity
Before I tell you about his business, I need to tell you about his life.
When my dad was seven years old, he was struck with polio.
He spent nearly a year in an iron lung.
He was confined to bed for years.
Most kids would have been crushed by that.
Instead, he taught himself how to draw.
He listened to baseball games.
He sketched.
He imagined.
He created.
Art became his escape.
And later, it became his calling.
Dad studied graphic design and art in college. He wanted to be a cartoonist. In fact, in the 1960s, he was offered a job with Walt Disney.
But life had other plans.
Mom didn’t want to leave Oklahoma. She wanted to stay close to family.
So Dad stayed.
And in 1959, he started Weddle Sign Company in our hometown.
That decision shaped our entire family.
Weddle Sign Company: Where Art Met Business
Our house wasn’t just a home.
It was connected to a business built on creativity.
Design.
Painting.
Lettering.
Layout.
Craftsmanship.
Dad’s work was art with purpose.
He didn’t just paint signs.
He told stories through them.
He later served as president of the Oklahoma Sign Association, but to us, he was just Dad — working late, building something with his hands and his heart.
Mom worked at the local hospital, just like my grandmother.
My grandfather flipped cars before it was cool to call it “flipping.”
Everyone worked.
Everyone contributed.
That’s what we knew.
Four Brothers, Four Different Gifts
When Mom and Dad divorced when I was twelve, life changed.
Darrin and I worked in the family business early.
As Dad’s polio began catching up to him later in life, Darrin stepped in and took the reins. He still owns and operates the company today.
He studied drafting and design at Kiamichi Vo-Tech.
A couple of years later, I followed him there.
Like Dad, I leaned into leadership.
I became all-school president.
Later, district president for VICA.
At Vo-Tech, I painted murals.
Built displays.
Designed graphics.
Created sculptures.
Art wasn’t a hobby in our family.
It was our language.
Then there’s Danny.
Danny’s talent is rare.
He studied neon tube bending in Dallas. His instructor said that in forty years of teaching, Danny was one of the most natural talents he had ever seen.
That’s not something people say lightly.
Today, Danny builds glass, steel structures, and signage with precision most people will never master.
David — the baby brother — is a problem solver.
A true MacGyver.
When he was seven years old, he tore down an old motorcycle engine, fixed it, and got it running again.
No YouTube.
No manual.
Just instinct.
Today, he works in marina manufacturing and handles design.
The next generation is following suit too.
Darrin’s son is now an architect in Tulsa.
David’s son works in production and installation at the company.
The craft continues.
How It Shaped Me
After my years in the family business, I went to Walmart.
And even there, my artistic roots showed up.
I built displays.
Designed layouts.
Created presentations that ended up being used company-wide.
I didn’t realize it then, but I was blending creativity with leadership — exactly what I grew up watching.
After Dad passed, I discovered something else.
He was a poet.
I found his poems tucked inside books.
Quietly hidden.
Private.
Beautiful.
That’s when writing grabbed me.
That’s when I started telling my own story.
Faith, Loss, and Gratitude
My dad has been gone for 26 years.
My mom passed just a few years ago.
Not a day goes by that I don’t feel grateful for what they gave us.
Work ethic.
Creativity.
Faith.
Integrity.
Resilience.
Dad never let polio define him.
Mom never let hardship slow her down.
They showed us that talent matters — but character matters more.
Why This Matters Now
When people hear my story, they often focus on Walmart.
Or real estate.
Or Survivor.
But the truth is…
All of it started long before any job title.
It started in a house where art was respected.
Where faith was practiced.
Where work was expected.
Where dreams were encouraged.
I didn’t just learn how to lead.
I learned how to create.
I learned how to endure.
I learned how to build something that lasts.
And that’s the family I came from.