Greg Archbald

Founder, Greasebook

Greg Archbald, founder of GreaseBook, graduated from the Honors College at the University of Oklahoma in 2005 where he received a dual degree in Energy Management and Finance. In 2010, Greg was invited to attend ESADE’s Global MBA program on scholarship in Barcelona, Spain, ranked by both Financial Times and Business Week as one of the top international business schools in the world.

While attending ESADE, Greg was introduced to some of the mobile industry’s brightest mobile app design and development specialists. By combining their knowledge with the exposure he gained from working at his family’s business, SSI (Oklahoma’s leading accounting software provider to over 300 investment, production, exploration, and service companies in the oil & gas industry), Greg immediately recognized how much the owners of oil & gas operating companies stand to profit from mobile apps in the form of increased oil production and awareness of the employee efforts that directly affect the bottom line.

Upon returning to Oklahoma, Greg immediately lured his dad away from his post as president of SSI to consult part-time on GreaseBook’s operations. Headquarted in Oklahoma City, GreaseBook is poised to rock the oil & gas industry. Greg is excited to be home and is 100% committed to helping independent operators pump more oil, waste less time, and make more money.

We asked Greg:

The OGM: What does sustainability mean to you?

Greg: Healthy ecosystems and environments are necessary to the survival of humans and other organisms. Just as in nature, one must take care of their personal ‘ecosystem’ – family, friends, mental health, physical well-being, etc. Essentially, things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. To me, sustainability is tending my personal ecosystem so that it can continue to thrive.

The OGM: Have you had a mentor?

Greg: We see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up and borne aloft on their gigantic stature. I’m but a dwarf standing on the shoulder of a giant. My giant is my dad. He runs a very successful oil & gas software company of his own – it’s only through him that I’ve come this far.

The OGM: What does success mean to you?

Greg: There are almost as many definitions of the word “success” as there are people in the world. To me, success is taking pride in a self-perpetuating system one builds for him or herself. It could be a company, a family – even an outlook on life.

The OGM: If you were to describe your career in three words, what would they be?

Greg: Optimism. Freedom. Enthusiasm.

The OGM: What advice would you give to someone looking for a career in the Energy Industry?

Greg: Get a great job at a great company, and then find all the processes that are broken in that company. Ask around, see if your friends working at similar companies have similar issues. Work nights and weekends (while your friends party and carry on) developing a solution to solve this issue. Quit your job. Sell your solution to your old company and the companies of your friends. Throw an even bigger party for you and your friends.

The OGM: Describe a milestone in your career?

Greg:  The first time I received a message in my email box from our credit card processing company notifying us that a customer had transferred payment to our bank account. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it did validate our hard work as well as our business model.

The OGM: Describe a challenge you faced in your career?

Greg: Starting a business!

The OGM: What impact does technology have on your career?

Greg: Technology is my livelihood. It’s ever changing and never dull.

The OGM: What do the next five years look like in your career?

Greg: Who knows? That’s what makes it so exciting.

The OGM: Were you always interested in a career in Energy?

Greg: Yes. I always felt there was a lot of opportunity in energy – however, it took a while to discover which facet of the industry I might be able to make a big impact.

The OGM: What interests you to sustain a career in the Energy Industry?

Greg: Helping independent operators pump more oil, waste less time, and make more money.

The OGM: Do you have a role model you look up to?

Greg: William Bruce (Axl Rose)

The OGM: What does Energy mean to you?

Greg: Maintaining the comforts of life we’ve come to take for granted.

The OGM: What is your favorite APP on your phone?

Greg: Why GreaseBook, of course!

The OGM: What impact will the Millennial Generation have on the Energy Industry?

Greg: The Millennial Generation’s greatest potential for impact will be the questioning of current systems – notice I say ‘potential’, because it’s not a certainty. We must respect the old guard and make a concerted effort to understand their reasons for having done things a particular way. Only then can we improve upon it.

The OGM: What’s your take on Social Media and our ever changing digital world?

Greg: Social media is like cigarettes for a new era: addictive to those that use it, lucrative for those that wield it, and harboring many side effects that are still unknown. All of us have experienced group dynamics interrupted by the chime of someone’s phone, or the physical company of a friend who isn’t mentally there. It’s unfortunate, but the virtual second hand smoke of one person’s device can ruin the environment for so many.

That being said, I still use social media. It’s an interesting time to be young!

The OGM: What Social Medium do you use on a daily basis?

Greg: Does Skype count?

The OGM: Do you use Social Media for work?

Greg: Right now, we’re playing with LinkedIn.

The OGM: What do you think of Social Recruiting?

Greg: Why not?! Hire smart or manage tough – you must use all the tools available to you to find the best potential recruits.

The OGM: Why do you love what you do?

Greg: I love to learn, and running a business is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever taken on – I know I’m becoming a better person for it.