Flipping the Barrel: Building Community in Oil & Gas

Описание: In this episode of An Ounce of Prevention, Rachel Reese sits down with Massiel Diez and Jamie Elrod, founders of Flipping the Barrel, for a candid conversation about influence, credibility, and redefining leadership in the energy industry.

What began with a simple introduction quickly evolved into one of the most recognized podcasts in oil and gas. Drawing from Massiel’s field experience and Jamie’s strategic industry background, the two built a platform that earned early access to high-profile CEOs and key decision-makers across the energy sector. Their success wasn’t accidental; it was intentional branding, thoughtful positioning, and a commitment to meaningful conversations in a traditionally conservative industry.

But the heart of this episode goes beyond podcast growth.
Rachel, Massiel, and Jamie dive into a persistent challenge in the energy space: the perception that women’s conferences lack substance or measurable return on investment. Too often, companies hesitate to sponsor or send female leaders to industry events, questioning the value beyond optics. That skepticism became fuel for action.

It’s what led to the creation of the Pursuing Greatness Conference, and later Representation Matters, events designed not as performative showcases, but as strategic, results-driven experiences that deliver leadership development, business growth, and real ROI. In this conversation, they challenge outdated assumptions about women in energy, discuss the business case for intentional representation, and explore how branding and credibility shape the future of the industry.

Before diving into the full conversation, Rachel delivers a caselaw and regulatory update on EPA’s Final Rule Granting Texas Primacy for Class VI Underground Injection Wells, a major development for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. She breaks down what it means for the EPA to grant Texas primacy, how permitting authority shifts to the Railroad Commission of Texas, and why this transition could significantly impact timelines, regulatory predictability, and overall project economics. With 45Q tax credits and large-scale CCS deployment on the line, this update underscores why Texas’ expanded authority over Class VI wells is a pivotal moment for the energy industry.

If you’re interested in oil and gas leadership, women in energy, industry conferences, branding strategy, and the evolving business case for representation in the energy sector, this episode offers a perspective you won’t hear everywhere else.

Time Stamps / Chapters:
00:00 — Why personal stories change how we see leaders (and industries)
00:00:54 — Show intro: “An ounce of prevention…”
00:01:18 — Host intro + case law/regulatory update setup
00:01:34 — EPA grants Texas primacy for Class VI UIC wells (CCS explained)
00:02:09 — What “primacy” means + key effective date (Dec 15, 2025)
00:02:34 — RRC becomes permitting authority; scope + Indian lands exclusion
00:02:59 — Real-world impact: timelines, predictability, and the Class VI bottleneck
00:03:26 — Why 45Q and project economics depend on permit timing
00:03:54 — Introducing Flipping the Barrel + guests Massiel Diez & Jaime Elrod
00:04:55 — How Flipping the Barrel started (Instagram DM → first meetup)
00:06:16 — “Flip the narrative” about oil & gas + choosing the name
00:08:28 — How the podcast unlocked executive conversations
00:10:38 — Launching “Pursuing Greatness” and building real, raw panels
00:20:22 — The drop in company support for women’s conferences + ROI problem
00:38:30 — Event invite + where to find info + episode wrap

#OilAndGas #CarbonCapture #WomenInEnergy #EnergyIndustry #TexasEnergy #CCS #NetZero #EPARegulations #EnergyLaw #FlippingTheBarrel #RepresentationMatters #LeadershipDevelopment #WomenInSTEM