• How growing up in various European countries prepared Marion for adapting to new environments
• The surprising diversity and international community Marion discovered in Tulsa
• Why remote work has been a cornerstone of Marion's career for over 30 years
• How Tulsa Remote facilitated meaningful connections across age groups and industries
• The unexpected opportunities that arose from chance encounters and community events

Justin Harlan:
Hi, I'm Justin Harlan, Managing Director for Tulsa Remote, and we are here with another episode of our Remote With series. Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Marion Renk Rosenthal, who has such a vast background and brings so much perspective and diversity to our membership and community. So I'm so excited to talk with you today, Marion. Thanks for joining me.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Thank you so very much for having me.

Justin Harlan:
Your story is so fascinating and deep, and I'd love to start at the very beginning. So tell me a little bit about Marion. Where are you from? And yeah, how did your life get started?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany. So actually, sometimes when I say hello here in Oklahoma, people are like, oh, you have an accent. Where are you from? I said one word. So it's detectable. Yes. I grew up in various European countries. My parents were Hamburg-based. We lived in Hamburg while I was little. And I have two little brothers. Lousy weather. So I was motivated to take my parents off... European parents send their kids off to study elsewhere. They like to get, especially Germans, want their kids to learn other languages and have other experiences. So I had a semester in England, in middle school, and then I moved to France to finish school, get a baccalaureate, and study in France and do my master's there.

Justin Harlan:
I love it. And so we're kind of already starting to tap into like aspects of your upbringing that might have made you ready for this adventure to move to Tulsa. Which, by the way, if I were to go to Germany and say, howdy, y'all, people would ask me where I'm from, too. So it's not just you. Which I don't usually enter a room saying howdy y'all, you know, but it would give it away.

Justin Harlan:
But I am curious, you know, as you think about kind of those experiences and moving around, how did that set you up for the person that you are today and like get you ready for what you might have, you know, not known at the time, but this adventure that you came on in Tulsa?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Well, growing up in different countries and learning different languages and incorporating all of that into who you are forces you to adapt over and over and over… because we moved within Hamburg and surrounding areas a few times and then different countries, France and England. And in the end, I ended up in Luxembourg before I came here. And everybody has their unique culture and language. And in order to get accepted and fit in as a kid, you learn how to adapt and learn the social code. And I can switch. My mind switches from one language to the other. So sometimes I don't remember whether I said something in French or English or German. And I dream in various languages. So you end up flowing from one to another, but that also gives you the capability of understanding other cultures and being comfortable in that. My level of, my barrier to new experiences is much, much lower because I think it's human nature to feel comfortable in your tribal setting. We see a lot of that in society these days, when you've grown up in a really diverse situation that forces you to adapt early on, you learn that we're actually all the same. All kids just want to play. So it's made me much more adept at blending in and feeling very comfortable.

Justin Harlan:
Yeah, well, you've done that so well during your time here in Tulsa. I mean, last year, I know that you won our Member of the Year Award, which is something that's voted on by our membership. You know, you're just such a warm person that I think is naturally connecting people together. And I think that that's just so informative about what you've done in your life that has led you to become that way or the experience that you would have had that would have built up those perspectives or valued the different cultural differences. Instead of seeing it as something that might be a barrier, you see it as an opportunity to connect and bring folks together, which I think is so amazing. I'd love to dig more into that here in a minute. But one thing that I think is unique about you is you've been working remotely for far longer than just the pandemic. And so talk to me a little bit about your work and what role that has played in your own identity and even just the aspect of remote work that you've been doing for quite some time.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I came to the United States in the late 80s. And, European media, the state media were just dissolving. Private media was finally allowed. I was at the one and only private conglomerate before that happened. So for two years, I worked as an employee at Radio Television Luxembourg. So I was trained as a producer, editor, presenter by private media, which means you don't go to a union office to get somebody to record your segment or edit your segment. It's like you have an interview in five minutes, it's clear the recording studio, I'm in here and I'm doing everything myself. And that was required. So I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I didn't come to California for that reason. It was Mr. Wonderful. The same old story. It's like, hello, baby. I'm like, hi. And that's how I ended up in California at the time.

Justin Harlan:
So what's it like for you being in this seat versus behind the scenes of, you know, recording?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I much rather am behind the camera. What I really want to do is direct.

Justin Harlan:
Well, you're doing great. So take a deep breath. You're good. So from there, where did you go?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I arrived in California with that formation. I did have contacts, obviously. And I got calls immediately like, oh, my God, we need you for radio. And then shortly after television and then a few months later, print media. So I worked as a correspondent. From home in by late 1986 I had one week as an employee by a company that was majority owned by RTL it was an animation production company and the American work conditions for an employee weren't really up to snuff coming from Europe it's like how many weeks of paid vacation do I get one oh thank you very much I'll see you later we.

Justin Harlan:
Won't get into.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
That Yeah.

Justin Harlan:
Feels like a deep rabbit hole we could go down for another podcast.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Yes. So no, I went remote basically because that was the only way to work.

Justin Harlan:
Yeah.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
And it's a lot of work, but it's on your own terms. So, I mean, I always deliver. That's the thing. You got to deliver. You got to respond to deadlines and to requests and you have to communicate and you have to organize yourself. Sure. You're everything. You're your own office manager, and you're going to get the paper and the ink cartridges, and you handle all the phone calls and the emails. And every now and then, when it was a lot of work, I had assistants, but for the most part, I had to do everything because it also required speaking all those languages, because my clients on the other end speak French and German, and they don't think that they would have to switch to another language. My job is bridging those things. Yeah. So that's why, so I'm working nonstop.

Justin Harlan:
Well, it's fascinating, though, because, you know, I do a lot of speaking engagements today that talk about the role that remote work plays, especially for the younger generation. And it's interesting to hear you, even if my math is right, 25, 30 years ago, pulling out remote work as an additional benefit. And what I love about what you just said, obviously, there were some employment situations you could have been in where it was like, PTO is not there or whatever else. But you saw remote work as a real opportunity for flexibility, approaching the work as you deemed best fit. What I didn't hear you say is that that led to slacking or doing less work or anything like that, but provided you the chance to do it at your own pace, your own speed. And even 30 years ago, you were seeing that benefit in real time. And I think the pandemic has caused that natural inflection point for us as a country to say, what's the role of a work environment like this, the flexibility that comes with it, and what are the guardrails that you put behind it. So this isn't a new conversation. People like you have been considering this for a long time, which I think is an important reminder.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
The human aspect of it hasn't changed. You have to be self-organized. You have to be self-motivated. I'm very passionate about what I do, and I just get so excited about it. To me, it doesn't feel like work. I just love what I do. So it's easy. And so it's long hours when it's crunch time, but then when it's a little slower, it's a slower season, And then you can also relax and do more fun stuff. So you create your own life. And I've always loved that. And it's also given me the freedom of choosing projects and working with people that I really love to work with, that have an amazing energy, that are really positive. It's made it easier because I'm a contractor, not an employee. So the relationship. But you have to do your work on your end as a remote worker. You have to be responsible, responsive, and you have to deliver.

Justin Harlan:
Absolutely. The accountability still has to be there, but you can prioritize what matters most to you in life and then build your life around that as work as a part of that, as opposed to being confined to a work structure that requires you to... Put other things to the side, which may be more important.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
And I also think we remoters, because I've met a lot here now, of course, we know ourselves and we know how we function best. Because not everybody can be cookie cutter pushed into a structure that is office dictated or company dictated. I know that I thrive with deadline pressure and brainstorming with creative people around me, but I'm also extremely organized in my business life. So I know how to organize myself. but everybody's different and remote work allows you to organize yourself to be the most efficient you can be.

Justin Harlan:
I am also fascinated to dive into your story about how you saw Tulsa for the first time because I think you were here for some sort of fight, if I got it right. So let's. I mean, you're obviously living in Tulsa now, and you came to the program, but tell me about your first visit to Tulsa and your first impression of this place.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
That was back in the 90s my first trip here I was filming a story about Royce Gracie. He was the first big UFC champion, martial arts specialist. He was from the Gracie family, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu family. And we were covering him. He was living in Redondo Beach at the time. And UFC was fairly new, and Europeans were becoming aware. So there was a huge championship fight here. It was wintertime. I don't remember exactly what year, mid-90ish. so roughly 30 years ago yeah well I don't, And frankly, it was cold, gray, dark, depressing. Downtown didn't exist. I know. Neighborhood. The arts district wasn't even on the radar.

Justin Harlan:
Yeah.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
We lived somewhere like a hotel somewhere around the outskirts. It wasn't very impressive, to be honest.

Justin Harlan:
I am shocked you gave Tulsa another chance.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Honestly.

Justin Harlan:
Yeah.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
It was a different city back then.

Justin Harlan:
Yeah. Do you remember where the fight was?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
No. It was in a gymnasium. It was a large gymnasium, but I don't have a clue what that was at the time.

Justin Harlan:
So you came, saw Tulsa, and then where were you? And do you remember the origin story of how you found out about Tulsa Remote? And did that image of Tulsa still exist in your mind?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
No, at that point, I had already been back here in 2017. You know, I do a lot of different jobs. One of them was tour managing a cultural exchange program for a Swiss accordion orchestra and yodeling choir, Texas and Oklahoma.

Justin Harlan:
Can you yodel?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
No.

Justin Harlan:
Oh, my gosh. Oh my gosh, we missed an incredible opportunity here to increase our listeners.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
You could have seen the band here at Guest. They were at the German American Society of Tulsa for the final concert. And so we were back in September of 2017, and it was like, wow, Tulsa is amazing. I mean, the energy had changed completely. The city had changed completely. There was so much going on already in 2017, and so much more has happened since. So when I heard about Tulsa Remote, I was very intrigued because at that point, I was like, Tulsa looked great. Yeah. So it was a totally different experience.

Justin Harlan:
It is amazing the pace at which the city has transformed. I mean, I moved here in 2004 to go to school, and there was no reason for us at that time to come downtown. There wasn't a BOK Center. There wasn't a baseball park. Because of those two big amenities, a lot of restaurants and bars and coffee shops opened up. I do remember coming down for McNelly's, which had a $5 burger night, which was especially intriguing to a college student. But that was about it. That was really the only reason we came downtown. So when you think about the pace at which the city has transformed and the investments that have been made in intentional ways, I firmly believe that those investments have been what have set up Tulsa Remote for success. And I think it sounds like that is true. I mean, the 1990 version of Tulsa probably would not have been something that you were attracted to. But when you came back in 2017, perhaps that planted a seed that you could then consider the move. And so where were Who were you and how did you learn about Tulsa Remote and ultimately kind of what led you to want to be a part of the program?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I had... I started following Tulsa-related content. You know, the internet knows what you're looking at, so you get more and more on your feeds. And so I was kind of aware of what was going on. So then at some point on the internet, I saw something about Tulsa Remote. And at the time, I was working nonstop out of California. I always travel a lot for work, so that's always been a constant. And at that time, before the pandemic, when 2018, when you started, for me, that wouldn't have been an option. The perception with my clients, even though I'd been remote my whole life, always was that a producer has to live in L.A., New York, or D.C.

Justin Harlan:
Sure, proximity mattered.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Yes. And then the pandemic happened, and all of that was blown out. So that freed me up to make different choices. And then I see two other Germans trekking east because they had been selected. It took a moment, but I was like, let me see whether I get accepted. So I get on the computer. or I apply because I was really ready for a change. There were multiple reasons for me to want to make a major change. California being in a slump, being a big part of it, and all this excitement about Tulsa was really attractive to me. And seeing that Marta and Christian, who have a similar work set up to me, were thriving was very encouraging for me because if they can convince their European clients that it's totally fine, so can I. So they were sort of my role model for that. And so I applied just fresh out of my gut, basically. And lo and behold, here I am.

Justin Harlan:
Well, tell me a little bit about your expectations as you moved across the country. So you pick up your entire life and you take a chance on this place that you had a little bit of knowledge about, but really not a ton. What were your expectations in coming to Tulsa through Tulsa Remote? And how has your experience lived up to those expectations?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I saw the amazing opportunity because of what Tulsa Remote offers, which is bringing you into a community. There's an infrastructure for you to make a big change and have a huge amount of emotional support and structural support. Yeah. And I was ready for a change. I mean, my basic situation in California was I really needed to get my groove back. Yeah. I wanted new inspiration. A lot of people were leaving California, especially in the creative field. A lot of Europeans were leaving California. So my world was changing in California anyway. So I was really looking for a change. I was looking at different locations. And then Tulsa kept coming up because there is so much going on. The energy coming into Tulsa is amazing. And the... After being in California for over 30 years, it was kind of scary. It's like, I'm not the youngest woman. I'm not, I haven't, I've been in the same place for a very long time. How do I make that flip again? Because I hadn't done it in a long time. So the idea of having an organization and a community basically built in, that was for me the determining factor.

Justin Harlan:
So you know that you're entering into a network of people. And, you know, something you mentioned quite a bit in your remarks that you sent me in advance was your age. And I do think that oftentimes when people think about a Tulsa remoter, they think about this young 20-something that's kind of has the freedom and flexibility to pick up their life and move, which couldn't be further from the truth. I mean, we've had folks anywhere from age 18 to age 70. And I am interested in just digging into that a bit. I mean, what was it like at your stage of life to enter into a community like this? And how have you found the connections that you've made during your time here?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
It's been amazing for me because the welcome I received in Tulsa from everybody was incredible and unexpected because in California, it's really quite segregated. It's unbelievably diverse on paper in terms of 140 languages in the school system. And of course, every age range and every tone of skin color and every ethnic group you can possibly think of, but you don't actually really mingle. And in Tulsa you have all of this in a microcosm and I met incredibly interesting people because first of all within Tulsa remote people who are interested in making that change and who work remote usually have something already in common with me even if they're in totally different industries yeah and I've met people of all age ranges and I've met made friends in all age ranges people in my age range and also really young friends I mean I have friends from people in their 20s to people who are also quite a bit older than myself. So it's really opened my world. It's huge.

Justin Harlan:
That's amazing. And it sounds like even though the city you might have lived in previously was more diverse based on population, that maybe you only found yourself mingling with folks that were like you or shared your values. And here in Tulsa, you've been able to really open up um, you know, a wide range within your close knit circle, um, which sound, I mean, there's a lot of folks out there yearning for that, uh, especially in the midst of isolation or remote work that often feels very isolated. How do you find a network of people that is going to bring those diverse perspectives? And I think that's incredibly valuable. You know, I think it does strike me and will likely strike a lot of people as they listen to this as surprising that, uh, for somebody who has traveled the world, literally seen so many different countries, speak so many different languages, to find a home in the middle of the country in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I think it'll surprise some people. And I'm curious, what is it about Tulsa in the midst of all of your explorations and perspectives that you find, I guess, heartwarming or that makes you want to call this place home?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
It's very diverse, which a lot of people don't know. There's a large French speaking community from all sorts of French speaking countries. And Alliance Francaise has a huge amount of events that are very engaging for everybody. Even if you don't speak much French, you're always welcome. There's Germans, there's Lufthansa Technik, all of Lufthansa parts that are needed in the North American sphere from Canada down to Mexico come out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. There's a brain research institute. I'm friends with a French neuroscientist who was here on a two-year research program. There's a lot more global stuff going on in Tulsa than anybody would expect. There's a lot of support for refugees from the Middle East, from Iraq, from Afghanistan. There's an international women's group that has been very welcoming. I speak Spanish there all the time because a lot of them are Peruvian and Brazilian. It's a lot of fun. And everybody's very open. Contrary to other places, I've found people here. And then also Tulsans, of course.

Justin Harlan:
Yes.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Let's not forget I've met Tulsans. I was going to say.

Justin Harlan:
You've found every international background here. Have you met any Tulsans?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I've met Tulsans too.

Justin Harlan:
Me too.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
And everybody, no matter how different your background may be or whatever your values may be, bottom line is everybody comes down to the human value of wanting to communicate and connect and be part of a community. Yeah. And I haven't found that anyplace else.

Justin Harlan:
Yeah. Well, one of the big questions that we always ask is when is somebody a Tulsan, you know? Yeah. And for me, you are a Tulsa now. You've lived here over a year. You're considering this place home. I don't know when calling somebody that starts and stops, but for me, it should start on day one. That's, I think, what makes us unique in terms of a city is that welcoming kind of southern hospitality and helping people find that connection that they're desiring. So it's good to hear the ways that you've done that. For me, I think there's often folks that hear about Tulsa Remote and think about it in a way that's going to, they're just going to show up and we're going to do everything for them. And the community that you mention is something that's just going to be kind of rolled out on a red carpet. And I don't think that's true. I mean, there's certainly things that we do that are strategic that set you up for success, but it also requires a member to meet us halfway. And I think that you've done that in such a beautiful way. As you think about the steps that you've taken upon coming to Tulsa, what are some things that you've done to find those connections intentionally?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I really went inside first. In California, I felt really isolated. Part of it, I mean, I know lots of people, but then you're looking at an invitation, it's like, okay, four hours on the freeway and an hour there. It doesn't compute, so you don't do it anymore. So you become really isolated in your area. And I was very deliberate about what do I need? What am I comfortable with? What are my people? What's my tribe? And I was looking for connections, work related or culturally related. So before I came, I had a short-lived podcast in the travel industry, and I interviewed Jeffrey Tannenhaus from Tulsa Tours and Terry Beckes from Black Wall Street Tours. So we talked about tourism, and so I already made two friends there, and I followed people on Instagram and Facebook. I was doing every hashtag Tulsa you can imagine, so I became more familiar. I communicated with people who were already here. Somebody recommended Allianz Francaise. I came on the hostage visit. And then again, for another one, when I was traveling across the country, I made a little side trip to come back to Tulsa and attend some meetings with Allianz Francaise. And then once I was within Tulsa remote, I really...

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I just want to do everything because there are so many events and people are very open because everybody's coming here. But through my original industry work-related connections, I met Tulsans. I became friends with a lady named Terry. She was living in the same, in Mario at the time. Meanwhile, she doesn't. She's from here, born and raised in Oklahoma. A wonderful person. My landlord's very nice. We connected in my wall-to-wall neighbor, my Oklahoma kid, so to speak, because we've gotten really close. She she's from Norman. She moved here at the same time. We really connected. I cook dinner and she teaches me everything I need to know to really get comfortable in Oklahoma. And we're family. So it's amazing.

Justin Harlan:
So I know that part of the Tulsa Remote membership and community building strategy is around 36 degrees north, which is kind of where we give you access to to set up shop. And I'm curious, are there ways in which doing your work alongside other Tulsa Remote members has led to connections that help in your job?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
It's been like a resource center in itself. That's been amazing because you meet people at 30 degrees or events that have skill sets that you wouldn't be able to access without that community. So, when I got here, I posted on Slack. Hi, I'm Marion. I work for European television. Would love to find camera people who know the European visual style because it's different in case we get assignments. And I get a response within an hour in German, slang from my hometown, no less.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Ian Duncan, who's also Tulsa Remote, he studied film in Germany. He's fluent in German. He worked on European television and film, and he's in town. So we started to collaborate on some production value stuff. He's a drone pilot. We also have terrestrial equipment, and we're specializing in, That international connection because of all these corporate entities where the bosses are from my culture and not quite comfortable always to collaborate on those issues directly. So that's a thing that we're doing. But I also met Paul and Anna Slater from Billion Minds. They're part of the Attento world. And Billion Minds is an amazing concept and all about remote work. And they were looking for somebody to help them with digital media. I've become friends with MB First, and then that led to me collaborating with them on digital media content. So, and I connected my friend Nikki with an opportunity with the Sutton Avian Research Center. I met Sutton Avian Research Center because the executive director, Dr. Lena Larson, is from Europe. We met on a flight, Frankfurt to Chicago. Yippity, yippity, yip. And before you know it, I'm volunteering.

Justin Harlan:
Wow. So I mean, first off, it's amazing that you moved to Tulsa, introduced yourself, and then found somebody from the same area of Germany that you're from, which is, I mean, what are the odds of that happening within Tulsa? And then, you know, I think that Tulsa Remote intentionally creates natural collisions, whether it's in Slack or at 36 degrees north or at events. And I think you've so beautifully embraced those collisions as opportunities to take something from it. It's like the spark that we might ignite. But then what comes of that is really up to the person. And I think you've done that so well.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
I think you really, when you're coming in here, you have to be self-motivated. All the opportunities are here. You don't have to look far to find those opportunities. Then you just have to say yes. So once you say yes, the world's your oyster. It's amazing.

Justin Harlan:
You've said yes so many times that I think over, you know, committing to a certain number of events, then you kind of. Whittle down the things that you care most about and you're building up that small cohort of folks. But also, I know you serve as an ambassador and help welcome new people to town. And that's so great. So just in closing, which by the way, we haven't even touched on Oktoberfest. And as a German, this is, I mean, do you want to say anything about the beautiful Oktoberfest that we have in Tulsa?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
It is amazing because everybody participates. It is a real festival for the whole Old city, all ages, everybody from far and wide comes around. It has a wonderful atmosphere. It has really good, authentic German food and great beers. There's a huge brewery scene here, so there's a lot of great beer and a lot of entertainment. And it's easy to access, and it's a huge amount of fun. And October is a beautiful month. It's my favorite month of the year.

Justin Harlan:
I mean, it doesn't honestly get better in Tulsa than October in terms of weather. And one of the things that we've done as a family is on Sundays, we take the whole family out. And on Saturday nights, people throw pennies. I don't know if you've been there late enough where you see the penny throwing. It's a little obnoxious, but I am 38 years old. But you know, the 20-year-olds love it. You're trying to throw pennies in somebody's beer. But then what happens is the next morning, there's all these pennies all over the ground. And I bring my kids with a Ziploc bag and they're busy for hours getting rich.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Perfect.

Justin Harlan:
It's the future investment plan, you know? Well, in closing, there's plenty of people who I'm sure are listening to this as an opportunity to learn about Tulsa, Tulsa Remote, and hearing your story, maybe seeing somebody or hearing somebody's story that maybe they didn't know would be successful in Tulsa, and debating themselves whether this is something that they want to do. What advice would you give to somebody that's considering this venture or this juncture in their life?

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
If you want to make a change, this is by far the easiest way, the most supportive way to do it. Tulsa is a big city in a small space. So you have every... Thing that you want to do, you'll find it here. And you can access it. It's super comfortable. The lifestyle is really relaxed. At the same time, you have a huge amount of different opportunities to explore culture. There's museums, there's every style of music. The music scene's off the charts. There's soccer, there's baseball, there's ice hockey, I believe. I'm not a big fan of that, but there's really everything here. And you have access to all of that. And it's a one-year commitment. You're in the middle of the country. So if you get homesick, It's not that big of a deal to go back and visit, but it's definitely, it's changed my life for the better. I'm so grateful that I've made this decision. I didn't know what I would expect, but it's really worked out way beyond my dreams.

Justin Harlan:
Well, it's amazing to hear your understanding of the city. I mean, everything you just said is what I try to preach from the mountaintop. So for you to have that understanding of this place in such a short amount of time of having lived here, I think speaks to your ability to get plugged in, to throw yourself out there, to say yes to things, and the ways in which you've supported our community, both on Slack and in person and welcoming people with the same open arms that you desired when you moved here. I just want to thank you for that because it's people like you that really make this program special. And I know that it requires time and effort on your part to replicate what what you received. And that's what makes this whole thing so beautiful. So I appreciate you and all that you've done for our community. I appreciate you giving us your time today too. Thanks for coming.

Marion Renk Rosenthal:
Thank you so very much for having me.