October 17, 2024 • 30 mins
Step inside the heart of Bentonville with us as we chat with Emily Medlock and Kelsey McIntyre from Blake Street House. Discover how this vibrant social club creates a thriving community hub through its unique blend of amenities, from gourmet dining options to fitness classes and lively social events. Kelsey shares her passion for connecting members with shared interests, revealing how a simple introduction can lead to lasting friendships. Emily and Kelsey also dive into their personal journeys to Bentonville, shedding light on what makes Blake Street a welcoming haven for both newcomers and locals alike.
As we explore beyond Blake Street’s walls, the power of community truly shines. From a women’s book club that spans generations to the deep bonds formed at Super Bowl parties, the connections made here are as important as they are enriching. Hear inspiring tales of member support during tough times, like post-tornado solidarity and simple gestures of kindness during power outages. These moving stories capture the genuine care that defines Blake Street's community spirit, illustrating how shared experiences bring people together in extraordinary ways.
Emily and Kelsey also share insights on the evolving nature of connection in a post-pandemic world, emphasizing the importance of intentional engagement. At Blake Street, programs and events are thoughtfully designed to foster organic interaction, breaking down barriers and building bridges between diverse backgrounds. We also touch on how life changes, like moving or career shifts, can spark unexpected friendships, highlighting the beautiful synergy of Bentonville's community dynamics. Join us in celebrating the vibrant, interconnected world of Blake Street House and the enduring bonds it cultivates.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the 4.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Bars podcast.
I'm Ken Leith and I'm PattiLeith.
We're your hosts for somecompelling dialogue, encouraging
our listeners to strengthentheir connections and build
strong communities, lifting eachother up and connecting in ways
that matter.
We named the podcast 4 Bars asa reference to how hard we work
to find a 4 Bars connection onour devices.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
And we wondered what could happen with relationships
if we worked as hard atconnecting.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's find out.
Welcome.
Welcome to our second episode.
We're excited to be here.
We have with us, from BlakeStreet House, emily Medlock, who
is the general manager, andKelsey McIntyre, who is the
director of membership, andwe're excited to hear their
stories.
We're excited to hear about oneof our favorite communities in
the region Blake Street House.
I'm Patti Lee.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
And I'm Ken Lee, the co-host, and I just want to
start out and share a little bitwhat is Blake Street, so people
will know what we're talkingabout today.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Sure, blake Street is a social club.
We are located in downtownBentonville and we have a focus
on wellness, so there's a lotunder one roof and we have
restaurants and bars and fitnessclasses and gyms and a pool.
But what sets us apart is thecommunity, and that's what
Kelsey always tells all of ournew members I do.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
My shtick is anytime I do a walkthrough, I always go
to the.
The house is beautiful, theamenities are nice, but
ultimately it's a community.
That's that's what people aresigning up for, yeah yeah, yeah,
and it's a great community.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
We have loved being part of it.
One of the things that I myresearch around community
there's so many ways that youcan look at community but but
the important ingredients andthis sounds really simple, but
it's people, places, activitiesand things and you have all of
those.
We do.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And what better way to build community but through
sharing a meal with someone, sohaving the food, the drinks, the
right environment.
But a lot of what we do is justset the stage for people to
make those connections.
So we do it in a couple of ways.
We provide events andprogramming that is all month
long, something for everyone,from small gatherings to large,
(02:02):
big backyard parties, and thensometimes it's just providing
the right atmosphere for thoseconnections to be made.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Yeah, fantastic, it's almost like a matchmaker game.
Yeah, it truly is.
I like that.
Tell us more about that.
I love that concept.
You get to know members,whether it's through their
intake, application.
We asked important questionslike what do you give a damn
about?
So some of it is the retentionof what I've learned from people
from that.
Some of it is just over thetime when I come to know about
them and then when a new membercomes forward and they go I'm
(02:31):
looking for a tennis partner Iget to go.
Oh, I know three people rightnow.
Yes, within like the realm ofyour age group capabilities.
That's awesome.
So it feels like you knowyou're doing the little matches
in your head.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Do you?
Yes, and we do a welcome socialevery month for new members and
we invite everyone to comebecause it's a great way to just
meet new people around thehouse.
But one time we had a welcomesocial and there were two
members there who I know prettywell, but I didn't know if they
knew each other, and so I saidBella, robert, do you guys know
(03:04):
each other?
And like you've literallyintroduced us a year ago, at
this very spot and I was like,oh okay, my work here is done.
So it's like picking thesepeople out that you really like
and like.
I think they would really hitit off and just making that
connection Fantastic yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I love that, and when you think about the people that
we're getting back up here,we're in Bentonville, arkansas,
just so.
Everyone understands that, andwe are growing.
We are a very thriving, growingcommunity.
I imagine that you are gettingnew members or requests for
memberships all the time.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah, it's a pretty steady flow.
There's definitely some influx.
You can tell, for example, whenWalmart Campus announced hey,
we need people to start movinghere, we definitely see a surge
in membership.
But announced, hey, we needpeople to start moving here, we
definitely see a surge inmembership.
But most of the applicants thatwe get it's all word of mouth,
it's you know.
We ask on there for references,but that's not because you have
to know somebody.
It's more so.
(03:54):
We want to see how members aretalking about us and how we are
spreading through the communityand creating somewhere that
people want to join and want toknow more about.
So we do get a lot of thetransplants and the people who
have relocated.
We also get those lifers, thepeople that are like I have
grown up here.
I remember when that wasfarmland and that was farmland
and that was a dirt road.
(04:14):
Now it's bank, bank, bank.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So we get a mix, truly, yeah, yeah.
What drew both of you to thisarea?
I know you're neither one fromhere.
What drew both of you to thisarea?
I know you're neither one fromhere.
What drew you to this area?
What drew you to Blake?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Street House.
We moved here in 2020.
My husband had an opportunityto work he's in the cycling
industry, so to work for acompany here so we moved here
and what drew me to Blake Streetwas I was really intentional
about what I was looking for inmy next move and I knew I wanted
somewhere in Bentonville thatwas close to my house, but also
(04:49):
something that was vibrant andfun and exciting.
I come from nonprofitbackground and municipal
government and you know I wanteda break from that, I think, and
I just really wanted somethingfun and exciting and when this
came around, it was the perfectfit.
I was like I feel like this jobwas made for me.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
That's awesome.
I moved to the area about eightyears ago.
It's actually the third timeI've lived in Northwest Arkansas
.
Yeah, my father works incategory management, so anytime
you would switch to a newcompany.
They're like oh, you know,walmart land.
Bye, bye, go live inonville.
You're a rep there.
So when I got out of college Iwas trying to figure out okay,
what's my next step?
What am I doing?
So my family had relocated whenI was a freshman in my
(05:32):
undergrad so I decided I'll justmove in with them, get a
part-time job.
I got a part-time job with thecity of Bentonville Parks and
Recreation in their aquaticsdepartment.
That turned into a full-timecareer position Somewhere in
there.
I bought a house Like, honestly, it happened so fast it did.
There was this switch.
You know I would travel.
People are like where are youfrom?
I would say Cleveland, but Ilive in Northwest Arkansas and
(05:53):
now we just say NorthwestArkansas, that's it.
So I was working for the city.
It was about five years tenureand obviously COVID, the
pandemic slowed a lot of thegrowth and projects that were
upcoming.
I was kind of in that pivotalearly mid-20s with my career and
the thing that attracted me toBlake Street when I got
headhunted was the fact that itwas new and I wanted something I
(06:14):
could grow with.
I wanted something that couldreally lean into that innovation
and allow me to I don't know toprogress alongside of something
.
So that's true man.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's awesome.
That's awesome and I know when,when I joined, both of you were
so welcoming and you broughtthe fun and the energy both of
you.
So thank you.
So I love that you're livingyour passion, yeah we should
tell how we met Patty.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
So right after I started at Blake Street, I
thought we needed a women's bookclub because the men had one
and I was like why is there nota women's book club?
I like books and so I can read,I can read, I can talk about
that, and so I decided to starta women's book club and so Patty
started coming like really soonafter.
And then we saw this reallyamazing community within the
(07:02):
community forum around thiswomen's book club and we have
women from like 25 to 70 in thisbook club and we all come
together where we love to talkabout the book.
We're not the kind of book clubthat just drinks and doesn't
talk about the book we get intoit.
So we love it and we have Pattyhad us all over to her house to
(07:23):
make pizzas and watch one of themovies for one of the books,
and so it's just been such a funthing to see come together and
come to life and it really is areally great group of women who
value each other's time.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
And I've made some amazing friendships inside of
that group, so yeah, and you hiton something just there too.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
It is not just relationships within the walls,
it's relationships.
Tell us a little bit about whatyou see and experience there.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Oh my gosh, can I tell you a story I just heard?
Please do, oh my gosh, oh, isthis here?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Okay.
So I just on Monday went todinner with some friends and I
met two women who I didn't knowvery well and they said that
they met at Blake Street.
And I was like, oh, tell me,because I love to hear, like the
meet cute, lake Street.
And I was like, oh, tell me,because I love to hear, like the
the meet cute.
And so they said they came toour Super Bowl party, which was
literally just the game was onthe TV.
So we, like I said, we set thestage for people to make
(08:14):
connections and so they metthere.
They both came in with a glassof wine and did not know a
single person and they both satdown and they looked at each
other like, can I sit here?
Yeah, of course, sit here.
And they are now best friendsand so they spend time outside
of Lake Street together.
They introduce each other tonew people and so, yeah, we see
people get together.
(08:35):
They come to our run club, theygo on an offsite excursion and
they make these connections witheach other that go outside into
the community, and I even Imean personally bringing it
inward with those communityconnections outside the four
walls.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
So, with the tornado that happened this past Memorial
Day, I live in downtown Rogersso I was.
I know everyone was affected,but I was one of the ones that
was affected a little bit harderand that area was so hard hit
it was.
It's still kind of hard beingdown there.
Yeah, there's still a lot ofdebris, um, but I will say,
(09:12):
after that had happened, youexpect the people reaching out,
are you okay?
How can I help?
That, I think, is a given um,when I would walk one time a day
over to the one location youcould get cell service Ping ping
, ping, ping, ping, are you OK?
(09:33):
What I didn't expect was, when Ireturned to normalcy as best I
could, the amount of justselflessness that people that I
have met at Blake Street reallyextended to me.
Of you know, I was speakingwith a woman who has telling her
man.
I just I feel stupid.
I feel like there's all thesequestions I need to ask my
insurance agent, but I don'tknow what questions to ask and
she put me in contact with thiswoman who is has a million
(09:54):
things on her plate but setaside time to talk to me and to
make me feel secure of it's okay.
There are people, members ofthe house, that heard I was
impacted and were sending melinks and encouraging me to sign
up for these assistanceprograms.
It's just, it really shocked me.
It was more than your thoughtsand prayers, right it?
(10:16):
straight up was, and that entiretime.
It was such a vulnerable timethat the only person I let over
to my house during that wasemily um because and you know
she has her own story too withit.
But it just was a differentdemonstration of community than
I've ever seen before.
And none of that would havehappened had it not been for the
(10:37):
connections at blake street.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Truly, yeah, yeah, it was funny when that happened.
We were hit really hard too,and there was a group of kids
from my son's school who cameover with chainsaws.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
There was like 15 year olds with chainsaws getting
on my roof.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And I was like I don't know how I feel about this
.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But one of the people who showed up was a Blake
Street member and I was likewait a minute, I know you.
And he was like we didn't evenknow, like our kids went to
school together.
So it just kind of shows youthat this community is so strong
but it extends out, yeah, andpeople are so willing to help
each other.
And people are still asking melike how's your roof?
Yeah, actually, it's beingprepared today.
How's the roof Just a fewmonths later?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And I have to share.
You were talking about theWomen's Book Club and Outside
the Walls that day I wassupposed to meet two women from
the book club across threedifferent age groups, and I
texted them both and said youknow, I was hit really hard and
I need to.
Not, I had no idea how bad thewhole area was, like there
(11:41):
wouldn't have been anywhere tocycle had I gone over there.
But at that point I'm like Iwas hit really hard, I'm going
to need to cancel, not realizingthat everybody was in that boat
.
Anyway, one of them said whatcan I do?
And I said I don't even know.
Yet she shows up with coffee.
Yeah, and that was the best.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
That was the best because we were out of power.
This could not be any moreperfect.
You know, and again that thatpower and connection within the
community, yeah, and coming fromthe outside myself, and I'm not
sure how long you said it tookyou to change over from saying,
well, I'm from here, but I'mliving here now, because I think
it took me five years, yeah,probably at least.
But now it's just like no, I'min bedville, arkansas, but it is
different and people come hereall the time and get a little
(12:26):
perspective from me of whatpeople who are new in a town,
what they say, because what wehear often when we go out and we
don't go anywhere withoutmeeting new people, sure and
well, next thing, you know, it'sa 30 to 60-minute conversation
that you come away with enrichedand like, oh, I have a new
friend.
So Bentonville is that to peopleand it is people looking for
(12:46):
connections.
We hear some of the programs.
We've been at Blake Streetlately.
Some of the topics have beenabout connecting and things I
mean share.
A little bit about thatcomponent.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
You know, I think that it's almost a very trending
hot topic to talk aboutconnection community.
I think a lot of that wasinspired by the pandemic and it
really changed how we connectwith each other.
So, alongside an alreadygrowing conversation, we could
see it in the day to day.
We saw people walk through thishouse or reach out to us or
knock on the door or standawkwardly on the sidewalk
(13:17):
looking in and you can tellwhether or not they're willing
to say it or even if they knowit.
What they're missing isconnection.
It is innate behavior.
I mean, we are a very socialspecies.
Rejection feels bad, breakupshurt, getting a job sucks,
isolation is hard.
It is terrible, and until youcan kind of put words to that
(13:39):
feeling and sensation, it's hardto do anything about it.
But I think at Blake Street werecognize that, and it's not
just us, I mean, the communityat large understands the
importance and so it's like okay, we have responsibility in this
.
How do we take action?
How do we host programs, how dowe host events that we can help
facilitate this, eitherorganically or forcefully?
(13:59):
I'll grab you, I'll grab yourarm and come here right now.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Yes, you know, meet these people.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
For the fourth time or whatever, philip Robert.
So yeah, it's almost like aduty to act, in a sense.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, that's cool.
Yeah, it has been a reallyinteresting thing to see people
emerge from this and I thinkthat many people are just
naturally outgoing and naturallyconnective and then that makes
it easier for them to resumethat.
But I also think that that timein isolation through the
pandemic was harder for folkslike that.
But then there's a lot of folkswho are a little bit shy and
(14:37):
there's a vulnerability that hasto reach out with saying, Hi,
I'm Patty.
That doesn't come as naturallyand that went even further
inside of us during the pandemic, and so I think there is a lot
of effort needed to to bringpeople back together.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Yeah, I don't think it's something that you can just
let it be and oh, it'll workitself out.
It takes purposeful,intentional effort to draw the
connections.
You can't just set and forget.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, and something that we try to do at every
program that we offer isintroductions, because we don't
want someone to come in and justlike stand by the wall.
I know it can be weird toanswer some of our strange
questions.
We have people answer on thefront end after their name, but
it forces people to get a littlebit outside of their comfort
zone and then if they saysomething you know in an answer
(15:25):
to a question, someone elsemight be like oh yeah, me too,
are you from there?
And then here we go, like theywent to the same summer camp.
So there's always anopportunity to connect people,
even if we kind of have to getin the middle of it, yeah, so
you do more than just theintroduction.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
It's that next thing that, okay, I'm going to ask
something of everyone.
That icebreaker so that peopleshare.
And next thing you know, it'slike oh, commonality.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Yes, yeah, everyone has something in common share.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
And next, thing, you know.
It's like oh, commonality, yes,yeah, everyone has something in
common, and so one of theunique things that we observe
I'm sure everyone observes thereit's there's this
interconnectivity betweengenerations that you do not see
at ease the way it is.
They're kind of how does thathappen?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
it happens through.
I see a lot of it in fitnessclasses.
So people are in fitnessclasses together, right, and one
of my favorite is the aqua fitclass in the summertime.
Oh yeah, it's so accessible.
Anyone can do that, right.
You can make it as hard as youwant and sometimes you might
feel like you know, you're anold lady in water aerobics, but
it's fun and there's musicplaying and you're laughing and
(16:31):
you're like I don't know whatI'm supposed to be doing, but
I'm just moving around and thatbrings people together too, like
they're laughing and having agreat time.
We've seen it specifically withthis young man and an older
woman and they're literally calleach other best friends and
talk every day.
Now, and that's something Inever would have expected and I
think that came from a fitnessclass and then other things in.
(16:53):
We have these two women whocome to every live music event
that we have Shout out to Pattyand Nancy, and they meet all of
the young performers and theyoung people who are there
because they just have thisexcitement about them, about
music, and so they connect witha lot of people just over
something that they really,really enjoy.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Yeah, that connecting point, whether it is the
commonality of an event orexperience everyone's partaking
in, or what I think too is ageset aside.
I think the connections happena lot of times at certain events
, major life events.
Let's say, you know, you justmoved here.
Well, you found anothertransplant who's been here six
(17:34):
months ago and they're like Iremember when I was you.
Let me give you some advice.
When people are talking to you,they're being nice, they're not
trying to distract you whileyou get pocketed Pro tip.
I had a bit of an edge when Imoved here.
Or you know, hey, I just endeda relationship or I just moved a
job Right there's.
There's more than just what doyou look like, where you're from
(17:54):
, to bind people together.
And it's always in the placesyou don't expect, which I think
is, and it's so corny, but it'sso beautiful truly to see these.
Yeah, like the age differencesor background differences or
just anything.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah, I'll just a follow-up question.
There is and this is just ahypothetical type of question
how could we take that beyond,beyond Lake Street, beyond
Bentonville, just because thatis something sorely needed?
You see discussions all thetime and there tends to be a
divide, sometimes in our country, generationally, where people
(18:34):
don't connect or they don'tthink they can connect because
they're not sure about havingthings in common and we're on
the other side of the spectrum,a bit older, and what we forget.
And now I think back to it,it's like when I was younger
it's like oh well, they don'tunderstand the experience.
Well, they've already livedthrough the experience.
It might have been slightlydifferent with the technology
and stuff, but how do we take itthere?
Speaker 4 (18:53):
So one of my favorite quotes of all time is you know,
it's easy to remember we'reaway, but forget we're part of
an ocean, and I think there aretimes what you have to do.
Humans, we like things to beclean and in a box.
We like labels, we likecategorizing this is this, this
person's this right, and once ina while we're given these
moments of grace.
I think of one earlier thisyear, the eclipse, where you
(19:15):
have people brought togetherwith no other overlap except for
the fact that we're all justlike at a time skipping work?
Yes, and I think what it takesis you know, even when we talk
about these icebreakers,notoriously I don't do the whole
(19:35):
like where are you from?
What do you do for work?
I do things like in what ways?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
are you not like your ?
Speaker 4 (19:41):
father, because sometimes you have to dig around
to find where the connection is, to find the things that do
make you similar to people, andit's very easy to get distracted
by all the external, shallow,surface level stuff.
So it just takes more awarenessof self and vulnerability and
willingness.
Yeah, I think that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
And it also you have to put yourself in situations
where you're going to be aroundpeople, right?
You can't expect people to cometo you all the time, and so
Kelsey's really good about this.
She'll put herself in Onyxcoffee with her puzzle, but it's
like on a timer, you know.
Like she said, we need, we liketo know what's coming and
(20:20):
what's happening and the morestructure we can put in place to
schedule those times to bearound people, to to make sure
we're present in thoseinteractions with people and
breaking down those walls.
We can do that Like I I amfamous for I can talk to anyone
and my kids.
It drives them crazy becausethey're like we should have left
30 minutes ago, but I can'thelp it, like I want to talk to
(20:41):
you so badly, so, so sometimesthe onus is on us extroverts,
you know, to to kind of prodthose people along, who who may
want to stay at home, like myhusband, like we have to get
them out and being around people, and then they're going to
realize how much fun it was.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
And I think you know, inherentin what both of you are saying
is the importance of the story,the willingness to share it and
the willingness to ask aboutthem.
Yeah, right, so I have to beable to open up and tell you
mine, but also be interested inyours, and that's an important
part of the relationship thatthen builds into community.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, you know how good it feels when someone asks
you about your kid who just wentto college, whatever it is,
because you want to know theycare and that they're invested
in you, and so we can all dothat.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Well, that's people's favorite thing to talk about.
It helps, right.
It is Right Like it sounds bad,but it's true and it's just if
you bring that intentionalityand force yourself out and force
yourself to be open to aconversation.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, so that's a great way to build, you know,
build community.
We look at community from thestandpoint of it is built on
relationships and relationships.
Relationships start as aone-on-one thing and then they
build out and, in the backdropof what you all are doing,
you're bringing people togetherwith the opportunity to build
those relationships.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
We're just putting everything I don't know, we're
making the right conditions andthen just kind of tipping the
scale and letting it happen.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, I think you alluded to something also is
once you ask the question, do welisten to the question?
Right?
Sometimes people are good atasking, but all right, I got my
five-second snippet and I'mgoing to move on.
I feel people need more of that, know, even still here, um, but
(22:34):
I will say, when I see thingsat blake street, I do see people
intently listening, activelylistening, because there is a a
bit more commitment to it yeah,it's, it's listening to
understand and not to justrespond.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Yeah because there's always a follow-up.
Yeah, and you're going to seethat person again oh my god, the
craziest little story.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
This is insane.
She mentioned onyx, so um, lastyear around this time I live in
downtown rogers.
I mentioned I was at the onyxin downtown rogers and I got
into a conversation with a guyand he was visiting from
australia.
He comes to the area once ortwice a year.
You know.
I was in my crocs and likedirty come and go t-shirt.
Like I'm pretty unrecognizablewhen I'm in downtown Rogers.
(23:16):
But yesterday I go to the Onyxin downtown Bentonville, as I do
most mornings.
I sit at the exact same table.
I pull out the crossword puzzle.
Guy sits next to me.
We start talking.
He's like oh, do you work forWalmart?
I said I do not, I work forBlake Street.
And he, um, I work for blakestreet.
And he goes.
Well, I met someone last yearthat worked for blake street and
um, literally shout out to themall uh, he like the fact that
(23:42):
it was an onyx, it was the sametime last year and of course his
mind is blown.
And three years ago I wouldfeel the same.
But I'm like that's just thisarea.
Yeah, I don't know how todescribe it, but like kismet,
right, the universe draws ustogether and puts us in those
conditions and we have to takeit and run with it yeah, yeah,
there's a couple of things aboutthat one.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
It says that you both have really good taste in
coffee.
The tonics is one of the bestin the world.
Uh, the other is the I hear yousay it all the time howdy.
It's about the two degrees ofseparation versus the six
degrees of separation that wehave here.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
It's kind of magical.
It's so wonderful and I thinkthere's so many things that
contribute to it, but it'smagical Well, and I like that.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Everybody kind of participates in that type of
play here, right?
I remember last year we weretalking and I mentioned
something about how you neverhear car horns and she was like,
yeah, you don't know who you'redriving behind, right?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
and I think with that mentality.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
It forces everyone to be wise because you just don't
know.
Yeah, but that nice, it's kindof like a good side effect of
that mentality.
Yeah, and it's just.
Yeah, I don't know it's.
It's a very unique community.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
I have the hardest time explaining it to people
who've yeah, been, and it nomatter how much growth we have,
it still feels like a reallysmall town.
Yeah, literally.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Australia a year apart.
It's such a good way, though,yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I think that's.
The trick is, how do wecontinue to grow which we are
going to, as we all know but doit and maintain what's here now?
When I got here in 2006, I usedto go up to the square Bedville
Square and run at five o'clock,and I did that and there was a
(25:23):
few businesses there at the timethat were really still
operating, but before the growthstarted to take off, but no one
stayed on the square.
Now, any night of the week,people are there till 10 o'clock
at night, talking, playing,music, just interacting in a way
that kind of reminds me of whenI was a kid.
Right, people just hang out.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
It does.
It has that vintage feel,doesn't it?
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, like my son rides his bike home from school
every day and I don't worryabout him.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
There is that component of it that you see
here.
We'll go to a big event hereand you'll see adults with their
toddlers.
They're not holding them by thehand, they're just kind of like
keeping an eye from over there.
There seems to be anindependence and a educational
component of that toddler to beable to grow up a little bit
more well-rounded and being ableto not have concerns that you
(26:09):
get to experience here.
Yeah, absolutely that you getto experience here?
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Yeah, absolutely.
Or you know, and the differencebetween the Bentonville Square
you described almost 20 yearsago and the Bentonville Square
today is not the abundance offlowers, it's the people, it's
the people around it, the peoplearound it and the energy that
that brings.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
If we were to ask you thisquestion, as you think about it,
what would you see kind of thenext steps for Blake Street?
And maybe the next steps forbringing people together in the
community from your perspectives, so from my perspective, I can
(26:44):
say we're about to hit ourfive-year anniversary.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
I saw that I signed up to be a person Good.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Amazing.
It's going to be a great time.
I'm trying to make a pinata.
If anyone can do it, she can doit.
I'll figure it out.
I've done that.
You made it.
I made one too.
But I'll figure it out.
I've done that.
You made it.
I made one too.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I feel pretty confident.
I'm also an Aquarian woman.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
So I operate on a reckless amount of confidence.
So we kind of had our firstfive years right, that first
chapter.
For me personally.
I think the next chapter is wetalked about it earlier
expanding beyond the four walls.
Let's actually put somemomentum and intentionality to
that, instead of waiting forpeople to come to us.
You know, I kind of make thejoke.
I'm like we have like achokehold on.
(27:23):
If you live within a mile ofblake street, I pretty much got
you in the house.
You know, short of going aroundand banging on doors of
businesses and, you know,forcing an introduction, I just
I think there's more that we canbe doing to extend outside of
the four walls.
So in my opinion, I thinkthat's where future Blake Street
goes.
Is it corny?
It's not a place, but it's astate of mind.
You know, I think about thefirst time I connected with you
(27:46):
guys was at Fresh Grass.
Yes, it was yes, and I thinkabout that and I go how do we
bring that to just a randomcouple dining at Preacher's Sun?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Yeah, no, I think Kelsey's completely right and
you know, we're investing a lotinto our food and beverage
program right now to reallyenhance that, so that we're able
to give people what they want.
You know, we know that peoplereally want more healthy options
.
There's a lot more dietaryrestrictions these days than
there ever have been, so we'rereally want to be a place where
(28:17):
anyone can eat.
Where we are.
We want people to bring intheir business colleagues and
their guests and their friendsand know that we will be able to
feed them delicious food, nomatter what their dietary
restriction is.
We really want to enhance thecommunity building that we have
been doing, like Kelsey said,with intentional programming.
(28:38):
We have a van now so we cantake our show on the road.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Yeah, we will.
We got 15 seats and I'm sure wecould come up with 11 more
people.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
I was just thinking about how much fun we're going
to have with that van just thismorning.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
We're going to get it taken away, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
But I really want to push the limits of what we've
been doing in terms ofprogramming with just learning.
I think we have a reallyinquisitive community.
We're very curious.
We want to know more about eachother, but we want to know more
just about the world around usand other things too.
So I think really putting afocus on learning together is
something I would like to see.
(29:15):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
I love that it's like we learn together, we're making
connections.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Yes, I love that we have a shared experience.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Exactly In a world where the dating site concept is
now moving to how peopleconnect as friends which I did
not know until talking to one ofmy son's friends, I was like
that's a thing you all are justoffering such an amazing
opportunity to connect and it'smaking the community better,
thank you.
And building it's making thecommunity better, thank you.
And building community outsideof the community that you're
(29:43):
raising up.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
So absolutely, thank you.
I want to thank you for beinghere thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Yeah, this was amazingly fun.
I can't.
I love hearing your stories andlook forward to hearing more
and seeing you at the houseabsolutely, thank you.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Thanks for all that you're doing seriously,
seriously, I mean again, likethe community and the house,
absolutely.
Thank you, thanks for all thatyou're doing Seriously.
Seriously, I mean again, likethe community and the house is
only as impactful as the peoplein it.
Otherwise it's just a beautifulspace, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
You know, so true.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
It was super fun to be here.
We love talking about this kindof stuff.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Bars up here Just say All right, have a great week.
Thank you, of course you do.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
The 4 Bars Podcast has been brought to you by Edges
Inc.
A growth advisory firm based inBentonville, arkansas.
I founded the company in 2001.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Edges promotes growth of people, companies and ideas.
Our team collaboration tool,called Interface Methods, is a
basis for teams to work togethermore collaboratively,
understand each other and acceptdifferences and address
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Speaker 2 (30:39):
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We teach kids and their adultinfluencers how to utilize
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We hope you'll check us out,subscribe to our podcast and
look at our website.
Welcome to the 4.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Bars podcast.
I'm Ken Leith and I'm PattiLeith.
We're your hosts for somecompelling dialogue, encouraging
our listeners to strengthentheir connections and build
strong communities, lifting eachother up and connecting in ways
that matter.
We named the podcast 4 Bars asa reference to how hard we work
to find a 4 Bars connection onour devices.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
And we wondered what could happen with relationships
if we worked as hard atconnecting.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's find out.
Welcome.
Welcome to our second episode.
We're excited to be here.
We have with us, from BlakeStreet House, emily Medlock, who
is the general manager, andKelsey McIntyre, who is the
director of membership, andwe're excited to hear their
stories.
We're excited to hear about oneof our favorite communities in
the region Blake Street House.
I'm Patti Lee.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
And I'm Ken Lee, the co-host, and I just want to
start out and share a little bitwhat is Blake Street, so people
will know what we're talkingabout today.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Sure, blake Street is a social club.
We are located in downtownBentonville and we have a focus
on wellness, so there's a lotunder one roof and we have
restaurants and bars and fitnessclasses and gyms and a pool.
But what sets us apart is thecommunity, and that's what
Kelsey always tells all of ournew members I do.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
My shtick is anytime I do a walkthrough, I always go
to the.
The house is beautiful, theamenities are nice, but
ultimately it's a community.
That's that's what people aresigning up for, yeah yeah, yeah,
and it's a great community.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
We have loved being part of it.
One of the things that I myresearch around community
there's so many ways that youcan look at community but but
the important ingredients andthis sounds really simple, but
it's people, places, activitiesand things and you have all of
those.
We do.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
And what better way to build community but through
sharing a meal with someone, sohaving the food, the drinks, the
right environment.
But a lot of what we do is justset the stage for people to
make those connections.
So we do it in a couple of ways.
We provide events andprogramming that is all month
long, something for everyone,from small gatherings to large,
(02:02):
big backyard parties, and thensometimes it's just providing
the right atmosphere for thoseconnections to be made.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Yeah, fantastic, it's almost like a matchmaker game.
Yeah, it truly is.
I like that.
Tell us more about that.
I love that concept.
You get to know members,whether it's through their
intake, application.
We asked important questionslike what do you give a damn
about?
So some of it is the retentionof what I've learned from people
from that.
Some of it is just over thetime when I come to know about
them and then when a new membercomes forward and they go I'm
(02:31):
looking for a tennis partner Iget to go.
Oh, I know three people rightnow.
Yes, within like the realm ofyour age group capabilities.
That's awesome.
So it feels like you knowyou're doing the little matches
in your head.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Do you?
Yes, and we do a welcome socialevery month for new members and
we invite everyone to comebecause it's a great way to just
meet new people around thehouse.
But one time we had a welcomesocial and there were two
members there who I know prettywell, but I didn't know if they
knew each other, and so I saidBella, robert, do you guys know
(03:04):
each other?
And like you've literallyintroduced us a year ago, at
this very spot and I was like,oh okay, my work here is done.
So it's like picking thesepeople out that you really like
and like.
I think they would really hitit off and just making that
connection Fantastic yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I love that, and when you think about the people that
we're getting back up here,we're in Bentonville, arkansas,
just so.
Everyone understands that, andwe are growing.
We are a very thriving, growingcommunity.
I imagine that you are gettingnew members or requests for
memberships all the time.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah, it's a pretty steady flow.
There's definitely some influx.
You can tell, for example, whenWalmart Campus announced hey,
we need people to start movinghere, we definitely see a surge
in membership.
But announced, hey, we needpeople to start moving here, we
definitely see a surge inmembership.
But most of the applicants thatwe get it's all word of mouth,
it's you know.
We ask on there for references,but that's not because you have
to know somebody.
It's more so.
(03:54):
We want to see how members aretalking about us and how we are
spreading through the communityand creating somewhere that
people want to join and want toknow more about.
So we do get a lot of thetransplants and the people who
have relocated.
We also get those lifers, thepeople that are like I have
grown up here.
I remember when that wasfarmland and that was farmland
and that was a dirt road.
(04:14):
Now it's bank, bank, bank.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
So we get a mix, truly, yeah, yeah.
What drew both of you to thisarea?
I know you're neither one fromhere.
What drew both of you to thisarea?
I know you're neither one fromhere.
What drew you to this area?
What drew you to Blake?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Street House.
We moved here in 2020.
My husband had an opportunityto work he's in the cycling
industry, so to work for acompany here so we moved here
and what drew me to Blake Streetwas I was really intentional
about what I was looking for inmy next move and I knew I wanted
somewhere in Bentonville thatwas close to my house, but also
(04:49):
something that was vibrant andfun and exciting.
I come from nonprofitbackground and municipal
government and you know I wanteda break from that, I think, and
I just really wanted somethingfun and exciting and when this
came around, it was the perfectfit.
I was like I feel like this jobwas made for me.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
That's awesome.
I moved to the area about eightyears ago.
It's actually the third timeI've lived in Northwest Arkansas
.
Yeah, my father works incategory management, so anytime
you would switch to a newcompany.
They're like oh, you know,walmart land.
Bye, bye, go live inonville.
You're a rep there.
So when I got out of college Iwas trying to figure out okay,
what's my next step?
What am I doing?
So my family had relocated whenI was a freshman in my
(05:32):
undergrad so I decided I'll justmove in with them, get a
part-time job.
I got a part-time job with thecity of Bentonville Parks and
Recreation in their aquaticsdepartment.
That turned into a full-timecareer position Somewhere in
there.
I bought a house Like, honestly, it happened so fast it did.
There was this switch.
You know I would travel.
People are like where are youfrom?
I would say Cleveland, but Ilive in Northwest Arkansas and
(05:53):
now we just say NorthwestArkansas, that's it.
So I was working for the city.
It was about five years tenureand obviously COVID, the
pandemic slowed a lot of thegrowth and projects that were
upcoming.
I was kind of in that pivotalearly mid-20s with my career and
the thing that attracted me toBlake Street when I got
headhunted was the fact that itwas new and I wanted something I
(06:14):
could grow with.
I wanted something that couldreally lean into that innovation
and allow me to I don't know toprogress alongside of something
.
So that's true man.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's awesome.
That's awesome and I know when,when I joined, both of you were
so welcoming and you broughtthe fun and the energy both of
you.
So thank you.
So I love that you're livingyour passion, yeah we should
tell how we met Patty.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
So right after I started at Blake Street, I
thought we needed a women's bookclub because the men had one
and I was like why is there nota women's book club?
I like books and so I can read,I can read, I can talk about
that, and so I decided to starta women's book club and so Patty
started coming like really soonafter.
And then we saw this reallyamazing community within the
(07:02):
community forum around thiswomen's book club and we have
women from like 25 to 70 in thisbook club and we all come
together where we love to talkabout the book.
We're not the kind of book clubthat just drinks and doesn't
talk about the book we get intoit.
So we love it and we have Pattyhad us all over to her house to
(07:23):
make pizzas and watch one of themovies for one of the books,
and so it's just been such a funthing to see come together and
come to life and it really is areally great group of women who
value each other's time.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
And I've made some amazing friendships inside of
that group, so yeah, and you hiton something just there too.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
It is not just relationships within the walls,
it's relationships.
Tell us a little bit about whatyou see and experience there.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Oh my gosh, can I tell you a story I just heard?
Please do, oh my gosh, oh, isthis here?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Okay.
So I just on Monday went todinner with some friends and I
met two women who I didn't knowvery well and they said that
they met at Blake Street.
And I was like, oh, tell me,because I love to hear, like the
meet cute, lake Street.
And I was like, oh, tell me,because I love to hear, like the
the meet cute.
And so they said they came toour Super Bowl party, which was
literally just the game was onthe TV.
So we, like I said, we set thestage for people to make
(08:14):
connections and so they metthere.
They both came in with a glassof wine and did not know a
single person and they both satdown and they looked at each
other like, can I sit here?
Yeah, of course, sit here.
And they are now best friendsand so they spend time outside
of Lake Street together.
They introduce each other tonew people and so, yeah, we see
people get together.
(08:35):
They come to our run club, theygo on an offsite excursion and
they make these connections witheach other that go outside into
the community, and I even Imean personally bringing it
inward with those communityconnections outside the four
walls.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
So, with the tornado that happened this past Memorial
Day, I live in downtown Rogersso I was.
I know everyone was affected,but I was one of the ones that
was affected a little bit harderand that area was so hard hit
it was.
It's still kind of hard beingdown there.
Yeah, there's still a lot ofdebris, um, but I will say,
(09:12):
after that had happened, youexpect the people reaching out,
are you okay?
How can I help?
That, I think, is a given um,when I would walk one time a day
over to the one location youcould get cell service Ping ping
, ping, ping, ping, are you OK?
(09:33):
What I didn't expect was, when Ireturned to normalcy as best I
could, the amount of justselflessness that people that I
have met at Blake Street reallyextended to me.
Of you know, I was speakingwith a woman who has telling her
man.
I just I feel stupid.
I feel like there's all thesequestions I need to ask my
insurance agent, but I don'tknow what questions to ask and
she put me in contact with thiswoman who is has a million
(09:54):
things on her plate but setaside time to talk to me and to
make me feel secure of it's okay.
There are people, members ofthe house, that heard I was
impacted and were sending melinks and encouraging me to sign
up for these assistanceprograms.
It's just, it really shocked me.
It was more than your thoughtsand prayers, right it?
(10:16):
straight up was, and that entiretime.
It was such a vulnerable timethat the only person I let over
to my house during that wasemily um because and you know
she has her own story too withit.
But it just was a differentdemonstration of community than
I've ever seen before.
And none of that would havehappened had it not been for the
(10:37):
connections at blake street.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Truly, yeah, yeah, it was funny when that happened.
We were hit really hard too,and there was a group of kids
from my son's school who cameover with chainsaws.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
There was like 15 year olds with chainsaws getting
on my roof.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And I was like I don't know how I feel about this
.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
But one of the people who showed up was a Blake
Street member and I was likewait a minute, I know you.
And he was like we didn't evenknow, like our kids went to
school together.
So it just kind of shows youthat this community is so strong
but it extends out, yeah, andpeople are so willing to help
each other.
And people are still asking melike how's your roof?
Yeah, actually, it's beingprepared today.
How's the roof Just a fewmonths later?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
And I have to share.
You were talking about theWomen's Book Club and Outside
the Walls that day I wassupposed to meet two women from
the book club across threedifferent age groups, and I
texted them both and said youknow, I was hit really hard and
I need to.
Not, I had no idea how bad thewhole area was, like there
(11:41):
wouldn't have been anywhere tocycle had I gone over there.
But at that point I'm like Iwas hit really hard, I'm going
to need to cancel, not realizingthat everybody was in that boat
.
Anyway, one of them said whatcan I do?
And I said I don't even know.
Yet she shows up with coffee.
Yeah, and that was the best.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
That was the best because we were out of power.
This could not be any moreperfect.
You know, and again that thatpower and connection within the
community, yeah, and coming fromthe outside myself, and I'm not
sure how long you said it tookyou to change over from saying,
well, I'm from here, but I'mliving here now, because I think
it took me five years, yeah,probably at least.
But now it's just like no, I'min bedville, arkansas, but it is
different and people come hereall the time and get a little
(12:26):
perspective from me of whatpeople who are new in a town,
what they say, because what wehear often when we go out and we
don't go anywhere withoutmeeting new people, sure and
well, next thing, you know, it'sa 30 to 60-minute conversation
that you come away with enrichedand like, oh, I have a new
friend.
So Bentonville is that to peopleand it is people looking for
(12:46):
connections.
We hear some of the programs.
We've been at Blake Streetlately.
Some of the topics have beenabout connecting and things I
mean share.
A little bit about thatcomponent.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
You know, I think that it's almost a very trending
hot topic to talk aboutconnection community.
I think a lot of that wasinspired by the pandemic and it
really changed how we connectwith each other.
So, alongside an alreadygrowing conversation, we could
see it in the day to day.
We saw people walk through thishouse or reach out to us or
knock on the door or standawkwardly on the sidewalk
(13:17):
looking in and you can tellwhether or not they're willing
to say it or even if they knowit.
What they're missing isconnection.
It is innate behavior.
I mean, we are a very socialspecies.
Rejection feels bad, breakupshurt, getting a job sucks,
isolation is hard.
It is terrible, and until youcan kind of put words to that
(13:39):
feeling and sensation, it's hardto do anything about it.
But I think at Blake Street werecognize that, and it's not
just us, I mean, the communityat large understands the
importance and so it's like okay, we have responsibility in this
.
How do we take action?
How do we host programs, how dowe host events that we can help
facilitate this, eitherorganically or forcefully?
(13:59):
I'll grab you, I'll grab yourarm and come here right now.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Yes, you know, meet these people.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
For the fourth time or whatever, philip Robert.
So yeah, it's almost like aduty to act, in a sense.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Yeah, that's cool.
Yeah, it has been a reallyinteresting thing to see people
emerge from this and I thinkthat many people are just
naturally outgoing and naturallyconnective and then that makes
it easier for them to resumethat.
But I also think that that timein isolation through the
pandemic was harder for folkslike that.
But then there's a lot of folkswho are a little bit shy and
(14:37):
there's a vulnerability that hasto reach out with saying, Hi,
I'm Patty.
That doesn't come as naturallyand that went even further
inside of us during the pandemic, and so I think there is a lot
of effort needed to to bringpeople back together.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Yeah, I don't think it's something that you can just
let it be and oh, it'll workitself out.
It takes purposeful,intentional effort to draw the
connections.
You can't just set and forget.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, and something that we try to do at every
program that we offer isintroductions, because we don't
want someone to come in and justlike stand by the wall.
I know it can be weird toanswer some of our strange
questions.
We have people answer on thefront end after their name, but
it forces people to get a littlebit outside of their comfort
zone and then if they saysomething you know in an answer
(15:25):
to a question, someone elsemight be like oh yeah, me too,
are you from there?
And then here we go, like theywent to the same summer camp.
So there's always anopportunity to connect people,
even if we kind of have to getin the middle of it, yeah, so
you do more than just theintroduction.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
It's that next thing that, okay, I'm going to ask
something of everyone.
That icebreaker so that peopleshare.
And next thing you know, it'slike oh, commonality.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Yes, yeah, everyone has something in common share.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
And next, thing, you know.
It's like oh, commonality, yes,yeah, everyone has something in
common, and so one of theunique things that we observe
I'm sure everyone observes thereit's there's this
interconnectivity betweengenerations that you do not see
at ease the way it is.
They're kind of how does thathappen?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
it happens through.
I see a lot of it in fitnessclasses.
So people are in fitnessclasses together, right, and one
of my favorite is the aqua fitclass in the summertime.
Oh yeah, it's so accessible.
Anyone can do that, right.
You can make it as hard as youwant and sometimes you might
feel like you know, you're anold lady in water aerobics, but
it's fun and there's musicplaying and you're laughing and
(16:31):
you're like I don't know whatI'm supposed to be doing, but
I'm just moving around and thatbrings people together too, like
they're laughing and having agreat time.
We've seen it specifically withthis young man and an older
woman and they're literally calleach other best friends and
talk every day.
Now, and that's something Inever would have expected and I
think that came from a fitnessclass and then other things in.
(16:53):
We have these two women whocome to every live music event
that we have Shout out to Pattyand Nancy, and they meet all of
the young performers and theyoung people who are there
because they just have thisexcitement about them, about
music, and so they connect witha lot of people just over
something that they really,really enjoy.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
Yeah, that connecting point, whether it is the
commonality of an event orexperience everyone's partaking
in, or what I think too is ageset aside.
I think the connections happena lot of times at certain events
, major life events.
Let's say, you know, you justmoved here.
Well, you found anothertransplant who's been here six
(17:34):
months ago and they're like Iremember when I was you.
Let me give you some advice.
When people are talking to you,they're being nice, they're not
trying to distract you whileyou get pocketed Pro tip.
I had a bit of an edge when Imoved here.
Or you know, hey, I just endeda relationship or I just moved a
job Right there's.
There's more than just what doyou look like, where you're from
(17:54):
, to bind people together.
And it's always in the placesyou don't expect, which I think
is, and it's so corny, but it'sso beautiful truly to see these.
Yeah, like the age differencesor background differences or
just anything.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah, I'll just a follow-up question.
There is and this is just ahypothetical type of question
how could we take that beyond,beyond Lake Street, beyond
Bentonville, just because thatis something sorely needed?
You see discussions all thetime and there tends to be a
divide, sometimes in our country, generationally, where people
(18:34):
don't connect or they don'tthink they can connect because
they're not sure about havingthings in common and we're on
the other side of the spectrum,a bit older, and what we forget.
And now I think back to it,it's like when I was younger
it's like oh well, they don'tunderstand the experience.
Well, they've already livedthrough the experience.
It might have been slightlydifferent with the technology
and stuff, but how do we take itthere?
Speaker 4 (18:53):
So one of my favorite quotes of all time is you know,
it's easy to remember we'reaway, but forget we're part of
an ocean, and I think there aretimes what you have to do.
Humans, we like things to beclean and in a box.
We like labels, we likecategorizing this is this, this
person's this right, and once ina while we're given these
moments of grace.
I think of one earlier thisyear, the eclipse, where you
(19:15):
have people brought togetherwith no other overlap except for
the fact that we're all justlike at a time skipping work?
Yes, and I think what it takesis you know, even when we talk
about these icebreakers,notoriously I don't do the whole
(19:35):
like where are you from?
What do you do for work?
I do things like in what ways?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
are you not like your ?
Speaker 4 (19:41):
father, because sometimes you have to dig around
to find where the connection is, to find the things that do
make you similar to people, andit's very easy to get distracted
by all the external, shallow,surface level stuff.
So it just takes more awarenessof self and vulnerability and
willingness.
Yeah, I think that, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
And it also you have to put yourself in situations
where you're going to be aroundpeople, right?
You can't expect people to cometo you all the time, and so
Kelsey's really good about this.
She'll put herself in Onyxcoffee with her puzzle, but it's
like on a timer, you know.
Like she said, we need, we liketo know what's coming and
(20:20):
what's happening and the morestructure we can put in place to
schedule those times to bearound people, to to make sure
we're present in thoseinteractions with people and
breaking down those walls.
We can do that Like I I amfamous for I can talk to anyone
and my kids.
It drives them crazy becausethey're like we should have left
30 minutes ago, but I can'thelp it, like I want to talk to
(20:41):
you so badly, so, so sometimesthe onus is on us extroverts,
you know, to to kind of prodthose people along, who who may
want to stay at home, like myhusband, like we have to get
them out and being around people, and then they're going to
realize how much fun it was.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
And I think you know, inherentin what both of you are saying
is the importance of the story,the willingness to share it and
the willingness to ask aboutthem.
Yeah, right, so I have to beable to open up and tell you
mine, but also be interested inyours, and that's an important
part of the relationship thatthen builds into community.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Yeah, you know how good it feels when someone asks
you about your kid who just wentto college, whatever it is,
because you want to know theycare and that they're invested
in you, and so we can all dothat.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Well, that's people's favorite thing to talk about.
It helps, right.
It is Right Like it sounds bad,but it's true and it's just if
you bring that intentionalityand force yourself out and force
yourself to be open to aconversation.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yeah, so that's a great way to build, you know,
build community.
We look at community from thestandpoint of it is built on
relationships and relationships.
Relationships start as aone-on-one thing and then they
build out and, in the backdropof what you all are doing,
you're bringing people togetherwith the opportunity to build
those relationships.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
We're just putting everything I don't know, we're
making the right conditions andthen just kind of tipping the
scale and letting it happen.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, I think you alluded to something also is
once you ask the question, do welisten to the question?
Right?
Sometimes people are good atasking, but all right, I got my
five-second snippet and I'mgoing to move on.
I feel people need more of that, know, even still here, um, but
(22:34):
I will say, when I see thingsat blake street, I do see people
intently listening, activelylistening, because there is a a
bit more commitment to it yeah,it's, it's listening to
understand and not to justrespond.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
Yeah because there's always a follow-up.
Yeah, and you're going to seethat person again oh my god, the
craziest little story.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
This is insane.
She mentioned onyx, so um, lastyear around this time I live in
downtown rogers.
I mentioned I was at the onyxin downtown rogers and I got
into a conversation with a guyand he was visiting from
australia.
He comes to the area once ortwice a year.
You know.
I was in my crocs and likedirty come and go t-shirt.
Like I'm pretty unrecognizablewhen I'm in downtown Rogers.
(23:16):
But yesterday I go to the Onyxin downtown Bentonville, as I do
most mornings.
I sit at the exact same table.
I pull out the crossword puzzle.
Guy sits next to me.
We start talking.
He's like oh, do you work forWalmart?
I said I do not, I work forBlake Street.
And he, um, I work for blakestreet.
And he goes.
Well, I met someone last yearthat worked for blake street and
um, literally shout out to themall uh, he like the fact that
(23:42):
it was an onyx, it was the sametime last year and of course his
mind is blown.
And three years ago I wouldfeel the same.
But I'm like that's just thisarea.
Yeah, I don't know how todescribe it, but like kismet,
right, the universe draws ustogether and puts us in those
conditions and we have to takeit and run with it yeah, yeah,
there's a couple of things aboutthat one.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
It says that you both have really good taste in
coffee.
The tonics is one of the bestin the world.
Uh, the other is the I hear yousay it all the time howdy.
It's about the two degrees ofseparation versus the six
degrees of separation that wehave here.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
It's kind of magical.
It's so wonderful and I thinkthere's so many things that
contribute to it, but it'smagical Well, and I like that.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Everybody kind of participates in that type of
play here, right?
I remember last year we weretalking and I mentioned
something about how you neverhear car horns and she was like,
yeah, you don't know who you'redriving behind, right?
Speaker 2 (24:37):
and I think with that mentality.
Speaker 4 (24:38):
It forces everyone to be wise because you just don't
know.
Yeah, but that nice, it's kindof like a good side effect of
that mentality.
Yeah, and it's just.
Yeah, I don't know it's.
It's a very unique community.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
I have the hardest time explaining it to people
who've yeah, been, and it nomatter how much growth we have,
it still feels like a reallysmall town.
Yeah, literally.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Australia a year apart.
It's such a good way, though,yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I think that's.
The trick is, how do wecontinue to grow which we are
going to, as we all know but doit and maintain what's here now?
When I got here in 2006, I usedto go up to the square Bedville
Square and run at five o'clock,and I did that and there was a
(25:23):
few businesses there at the timethat were really still
operating, but before the growthstarted to take off, but no one
stayed on the square.
Now, any night of the week,people are there till 10 o'clock
at night, talking, playing,music, just interacting in a way
that kind of reminds me of whenI was a kid.
Right, people just hang out.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
It does.
It has that vintage feel,doesn't it?
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, like my son rides his bike home from school
every day and I don't worryabout him.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
There is that component of it that you see
here.
We'll go to a big event hereand you'll see adults with their
toddlers.
They're not holding them by thehand, they're just kind of like
keeping an eye from over there.
There seems to be anindependence and a educational
component of that toddler to beable to grow up a little bit
more well-rounded and being ableto not have concerns that you
(26:09):
get to experience here.
Yeah, absolutely that you getto experience here?
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Yeah, absolutely.
Or you know, and the differencebetween the Bentonville Square
you described almost 20 yearsago and the Bentonville Square
today is not the abundance offlowers, it's the people, it's
the people around it, the peoplearound it and the energy that
that brings.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
If we were to ask you thisquestion, as you think about it,
what would you see kind of thenext steps for Blake Street?
And maybe the next steps forbringing people together in the
community from your perspectives, so from my perspective, I can
(26:44):
say we're about to hit ourfive-year anniversary.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
I saw that I signed up to be a person Good.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Amazing.
It's going to be a great time.
I'm trying to make a pinata.
If anyone can do it, she can doit.
I'll figure it out.
I've done that.
You made it.
I made one too.
But I'll figure it out.
I've done that.
You made it.
I made one too.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I feel pretty confident.
I'm also an Aquarian woman.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
So I operate on a reckless amount of confidence.
So we kind of had our firstfive years right, that first
chapter.
For me personally.
I think the next chapter is wetalked about it earlier
expanding beyond the four walls.
Let's actually put somemomentum and intentionality to
that, instead of waiting forpeople to come to us.
You know, I kind of make thejoke.
I'm like we have like achokehold on.
(27:23):
If you live within a mile ofblake street, I pretty much got
you in the house.
You know, short of going aroundand banging on doors of
businesses and, you know,forcing an introduction, I just
I think there's more that we canbe doing to extend outside of
the four walls.
So in my opinion, I thinkthat's where future Blake Street
goes.
Is it corny?
It's not a place, but it's astate of mind.
You know, I think about thefirst time I connected with you
(27:46):
guys was at Fresh Grass.
Yes, it was yes, and I thinkabout that and I go how do we
bring that to just a randomcouple dining at Preacher's Sun?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Yeah, no, I think Kelsey's completely right and
you know, we're investing a lotinto our food and beverage
program right now to reallyenhance that, so that we're able
to give people what they want.
You know, we know that peoplereally want more healthy options
.
There's a lot more dietaryrestrictions these days than
there ever have been, so we'rereally want to be a place where
(28:17):
anyone can eat.
Where we are.
We want people to bring intheir business colleagues and
their guests and their friendsand know that we will be able to
feed them delicious food, nomatter what their dietary
restriction is.
We really want to enhance thecommunity building that we have
been doing, like Kelsey said,with intentional programming.
(28:38):
We have a van now so we cantake our show on the road.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Yeah, we will.
We got 15 seats and I'm sure wecould come up with 11 more
people.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
I was just thinking about how much fun we're going
to have with that van just thismorning.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
We're going to get it taken away, yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
But I really want to push the limits of what we've
been doing in terms ofprogramming with just learning.
I think we have a reallyinquisitive community.
We're very curious.
We want to know more about eachother, but we want to know more
just about the world around usand other things too.
So I think really putting afocus on learning together is
something I would like to see.
(29:15):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
I love that it's like we learn together, we're making
connections.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Yes, I love that we have a shared experience.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Exactly In a world where the dating site concept is
now moving to how peopleconnect as friends which I did
not know until talking to one ofmy son's friends, I was like
that's a thing you all are justoffering such an amazing
opportunity to connect and it'smaking the community better,
thank you.
And building it's making thecommunity better, thank you.
And building community outsideof the community that you're
(29:43):
raising up.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
So absolutely, thank you.
I want to thank you for beinghere thank you.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Yeah, this was amazingly fun.
I can't.
I love hearing your stories andlook forward to hearing more
and seeing you at the houseabsolutely, thank you.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Thanks for all that you're doing seriously,
seriously, I mean again, likethe community and the house,
absolutely.
Thank you, thanks for all thatyou're doing Seriously.
Seriously, I mean again, likethe community and the house is
only as impactful as the peoplein it.
Otherwise it's just a beautifulspace, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
You know, so true.
Speaker 4 (30:07):
It was super fun to be here.
We love talking about this kindof stuff.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Bars up here Just say All right, have a great week.
Thank you, of course you do.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
The 4 Bars Podcast has been brought to you by Edges
Inc.
A growth advisory firm based inBentonville, arkansas.
I founded the company in 2001.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Edges promotes growth of people, companies and ideas.
Our team collaboration tool,called Interface Methods, is a
basis for teams to work togethermore collaboratively,
understand each other and acceptdifferences and address
challenges together.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
We also started a nonprofit called Unform your
Bias.
We teach kids and their adultinfluencers how to utilize
storytelling as a means toreduce bias in the world.
We hope you'll check us out,subscribe to our podcast and
look at our website.
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