The Founders of the Second Half Expo
Robin Gunn & Bob Loudermilk
The Two Oklahomans Behind the Second Half Expo
One is the publisher who gave Oklahoma's 50+ community its voice. The other traded retirement for a mission. Together, Robin Gunn and Bob Loudermilk created the Second Half Expo, the state's premier gathering for the second half of life. This is the story of the two people who made it happen.
Cofounder · Publisher, Oklahoma Senior Journal
Robin R. Gunn
The Voice of Oklahoma's Second Half
Long before “senior media” was ever a category, Robin R. Gunn saw a generation that deserved better than an afterthought. In 1993 she founded the Oklahoma Senior Journal, the state's original and longest-running magazine for the 50+ community, and more than thirty years later she is still at the helm of every issue.
What began as one magazine grew into a full media family, all created and led by Robin: the print magazine, a Saturday morning radio show on Freedom 96.9, a mobile app, The Senior Journal podcast, and an active website and social presence. Together they reach more than two million Oklahomans a year, with 174,000 people tuning in to the radio show every single week. She also writes a column in the Viewpoint section of the Sunday Oklahoman.
She built it to be the trusted first stop for the second half of life, the place Oklahomans and their families turn for real answers on health, finances, caregiving, housing, and everything in between, right down to the pets that keep so many older adults company. Robin has never talked down to her readers and never sold them out, and that is exactly why they have stayed with her for more than three decades.
So when Bob went looking for a trusted partner who already had the ear of the 50+ community, there was only one name. Robin brought her media reach, her relationships, and thirty years of hard-earned trust to help build the Second Half Expo into what it is today.
Founder, Publisher & Editor
Since 1993 she has published and edited every issue of the Oklahoma Senior Journal, the state's original and longest-running magazine for the 50+ community.
Radio Host & Podcaster
Every Saturday morning she is on the air on Freedom 96.9, reaching 174,000 listeners a week, and she carries the conversation online as host of The Senior Journal podcast.
Sunday Oklahoman Columnist
Her voice reaches even further from the Viewpoint section of the Sunday Oklahoman, where she writes on the issues that matter most to Oklahoma's older adults.
Cofounder, Second Half Expo
She brought her media reach and her lifelong trust with the 50+ community to help build Oklahoma's premier annual gathering for the second half of life.
Cofounder · Founder, Second Half 365
Bob Loudermilk
Never Retire. Reinvent Yourself for the Second Half.
When Bob Loudermilk and his wife Denise left Wichita for Edmond in 2016 to be closer to family, most people would have settled into retirement. Bob had spent decades in the trade-show business and had just sold his company. But sitting still was never the plan. He noticed that roughly 11,000 Americans turn 65 every day, a whole generation full of energy and questions with almost nowhere honest to turn.
So he did what few would. He sat down with dozens of professionals who serve the senior community, held forums to hear what people actually needed, and teamed up with Robin to build the answer. The Second Half Expo was born, and it struck a nerve. Today it draws up to 2,000 neighbors and more than 130 trusted exhibitors every fall. To carry that trust all year long, he founded Second Half 365 and partnered with TruLata to bring the platform to life for the 40+ community.
Founder, Second Half 365
He is the founder and guiding vision behind Second Half 365, the year-round platform, built by TruLata, that connects the 40+ community with vetted, trustworthy professionals. No gimmicks, no cold marketing, just real help.
Cofounder, Second Half Expo
He brought decades of trade-show know-how and a fresh mission to create, with Robin, an event that actually works for the people it serves.
Trade-Show Veteran
Decades in the trade-show industry taught him how to build events that draw a crowd and deliver real value. He sold his company, then pointed all of it at a cause.
The Never Retire Voice
Through talks, forums, and his Never Retire message, he has made it his mission to change how a whole generation thinks about what comes after the career.
“Don't think about retiring from something. Think about retiring to something.”
Bob Loudermilk
See Them in Person
Meet the Founders at the Second Half Expo
Every October, Robin and Bob bring the whole community together under one roof at the Second Half Expo, a full day of trusted professionals, expert talks, and neighbors, free to attend. It is the clearest picture of what these two set out to build: the second half of life, made something to look forward to.