Episode 118 · October 24, 2023
Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame Member Barbara Byrne Allen SHARES: her writing career and the importance of mentorship
with Barbara Byrne Allen, Award-winning writer and journalism educator; Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame member
46 min
Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame Member Barbara Byrne Allen SHARES: her writing career and the importance of mentorship
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In this episode
In this episode I sit down with a dear friend and sorority sister, Barbara Byrne Allen — known to those who love her as "Bob" — who I first met when she was heading into her freshman year at Oklahoma State University and I was her rush counselor. Barbara is a witty, warm, award-winning writer and a member of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, and getting to talk with her felt like a homecoming.
Barbara shares how her love of writing started at the Downtown Tulsa Library with a mom who encouraged her reading (even all those ghost books), how a random advising conversation at OSU nudged her into journalism, and how that path led her to the Tulsa World, back to OSU as an adviser, and eventually to the nationally renowned Poynter Institute. Along the way she opens up about being diagnosed as hard of hearing at 35, and how that reshaped how she listens to and advocates for others.
She also gets wonderfully raw about the fifteen months she and her husband spent nomadic after the pandemic, what it taught her about trading "have-tos" for "get-tos," and one of the hardest and most humbling seasons of her life as a mom. This is a mini master class on writing, mentorship, and building a purpose-filled life — and I love that she reminds us life isn't as short as we think. Keep going, friend.
Key takeaways
- When you see someone who has what you want, go ask them how they got it — mentorship, big and small, changes the trajectory of a life.
- Positive seeds planted early stick. A parent or teacher naming your gift ('you're really talented at this') can shape a whole career.
- To be a good writer, do two things: read, read, read — and write. Barbara's craft grew from an avid reading habit and great teachers.
- A career in journalism trains you to communicate clearly, meet deadlines, and serve your community — a foundation that transfers to law, medicine, and beyond.
- Trade 'have-tos' and low-key worry for 'get-tos.' Ask yourself what happens if you let a self-imposed rule go — your house doesn't have to be clean for friends to come over.
- Always keep something to look forward to, whether it's a movie this weekend or a trip in two years.
- Diversify your 'social portfolio' — spend time with people who don't look, talk, or believe like you. You get smarter, and people are fundamentally kind everywhere.
- Sometimes the thing you fight hardest against turns out to be a hidden blessing — you lose in the moment and only later realize it was a win.
Chapters
- 00:00Life is long: rethinking YOLO
- 01:00Meeting Barbara — sorority sisters at Oklahoma State
- 04:00The power of mentorship, big and small
- 07:00A childhood of library trips and a mom who named her gift
- 11:00From marine biology dreams to a journalism major
- 15:00The O'Colly, the Tulsa World, and learning by making mistakes
- 18:00Building a teen journalism section and finding her calling in teaching
- 23:00Diagnosed hard of hearing at 35 — and becoming an advocate
- 27:00Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and imposter syndrome
- 31:00Poynter Institute and why good journalism serves communities
- 35:00Advice for aspiring journalists
- 38:00Fifteen months nomadic: have-tos vs. get-tos
- 44:00Settling in Los Angeles and diversifying your social portfolio
- 48:00Her superpower: creating magical spaces for growth
- 51:00Tenacity, telling kids they're pretty AND smart
- 54:00A hard, humbling season as a mom — and the blessing in it
About Barbara
Award-winning writer and journalism educator; Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame member
Barbara Byrne Allen ("Bob") is an award-winning writer and member of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame. She grew up in Tulsa, studied journalism at Oklahoma State University, and reported for the Tulsa World, where she spent a decade teaching high school students through the paper's teen section. She later advised OSU's student newspaper, The O'Colly, and now creates journalism training and education at the Poynter Institute. After the pandemic she and her husband spent fifteen months living nomadically before settling in Los Angeles.
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