The 3W Podcast: Tina Winham

Join me as I sit down with my dear friend, Tina Winham, to reminisce about our journey of friendship and shared commitment to community involvement in Northwest Arkansas. From our initial meeting through the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas to our collaborative efforts in Women With a Mission, we share heartwarming stories of our nonprofit projects. We'll also explore the transformation of Bentonville from a quaint town to a vibrant community hub, all through the lens of Tina’s deep roots and dedication to charity work.

Our conversation reveals the unexpected connections between household names like Conair and Cuisinart, illustrating the innovative spirit within the beauty and kitchen appliance industries. We shift gears to bring you the latest trends in fashion and beauty, from runway spectacles to groundbreaking hair and beauty tools, ensuring you’re in the know about the hottest styles and innovations.

We dive into the rewarding yet challenging experiences of serving on the board of the Northwest Arkansas Women's Shelter and the importance of supporting pet sanctuaries for families fleeing abuse. Reflecting on the essence of experiences over material possessions, we share our love for social media as a tool for connection and the joy of creating lasting memories through community events. Don't miss this heartfelt and inspiring conversation filled with gratitude, community spirit, and the power of enduring friendships.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome to the 3W podcast.
I'm Kasey Yokely, as always,but I've got my dear friend here
, tina Winnow.
Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited you're joiningme.
Thank you so much.
Yes, so Tina has lots ofaccolades, all the things, but
currently today she sits here.
She is with Conair, yes, okay,but first, how did we meet?

(00:21):
So, junior League, juniorLeague it was a long time.
I don't really like 100 aboutthis.
And then also women with amission, because we were on the
initial start of the givingcircle with linda phillips.
Yes, we, yes, and we do allthings that linda says.
All things, all things.
Yes, for linda, uh-huh, yes, Iactually I don't think there's a
thing that linda hasn't hasasked me to do that I've said no

(00:44):
to.
Well, I, I have followed her toevery nonprofit she has been
out.
And then I'm like, do we stillwork in the retirement?
I think we do.
Yeah, I think so too.
Yeah, we should go on tripswith her and Joe.
This is our year, yeah, soJunior League, okay.
So I moved here in 06 and Ijoined Junior League in Tulsa.

(01:04):
So I affiliated like it's asorority or whatever.
So when did you start in JuniorLeague?
So I probably was like jumpinginto it in fall, maybe a little
bit before you, okay, but Idon't remember the exact year,
but I think a little bit beforeyou, okay.
And then I was quickly put on acommittee with your dear fraud

(01:26):
leela, touch a track, the veryfirst touch a track, yes, I
ironically proud to say that isstill going on.
Yes, it sure is.
Which is so, yeah, okay, so youthink is okay.
And junior league wow, I mean,can you they go?
No, those are the two that cameto mind.

(01:46):
And then fast friends, and thennon-profits yes, and all the
vendor world yes, and all theevents yes.
So that's probably how y'allknow tina, because tina is
always pageant, waving at all myguys around town more than me,
no, not more than 100, but morethan me.
I think we have a similar heartfor giving, absolutely, because

(02:09):
you were a champion of charityor whatever we called it back in
the dark ages, in the early 3Wdays.
Yes, that was one of myfavorite things.
You were like a leather dressin your photo shoot.
I remember thinking that waslike the biggest honor and it
was just so cool to be a part ofthat.
I think I still love that, andnow we've changed it to leading
ladies and I was actually likemaking it and working on the
list for 25.

(02:30):
And I'm like how soon is toosoon to bring it back in,
because you are a leading lady,you are a champion of charity in
Northwest Arkansas.
We're going to dive deeper intothat.
But I think you have a servant.
I think I do too.
I think I do too and I strivefor that, but I think that's
what we have in common.
I love that and you're a native.

(02:51):
Yes To Benton County.
Yes, which is a gravid otteraround here?
I was working on this not verylong ago to try to see how just
working on how long my familyhas been in Arkansas and I was
able to trace it back.
So I'm a fourth generationArkansan, which makes Lexi a
fifth generation.
So we've been here a long timeand I've just been very

(03:12):
fortunate and I've never had toleave Northwest Arkansas.
How odd is that?
I think that it's definitelyodd, because it's very, very few
times I run into people herethat are actually from here, so
I think it's rare, especially inthis space.
Yes, yeah, so I had coffee thismorning with a dear friend from
who's in the nonprofit world.
But she's actually from FortSmith and we were talking about

(03:37):
the Fort Smith stereotype andall the things.
And she's like you got toremember, back in the day Fort
Smith was a big city and then,like Rogers and Bentonville were
like country.
Yes, back in the 80s, yeah, shewas like you did not come up
here.
You like came to Fort Smith todo the things that you needed to
do, that's so true.
And I was like, oh, I mean, Ididn't know that.

(03:59):
She's like, yeah, little Rockand Fort Smith, this up here was
just country.
Yes, I remember I didn't knowanything.
We would say we needed to go totown and that was a bit.
And now I'd say it's not reallya tip, although it still has a
feel of the town, but yeah, it'svery fancy.
But when I moved here, they'relike oh, it's on the square and
I'm like what's a square?

(04:20):
I didn't know what a square was.
So now I love the square.
Then I'm like everybody hasthese squares, like registered
the whole art square.
But I'm like they kind of havetheir rows and I'm like and then
Springdale's got their littlesquare and I'm like y'all got
squares over here.
It's so great, I love it.
It's so funny.

(04:40):
I kind of wonder what willhappen in Rogers, you know,
since the tornado and they'regoing to rework things.
I wonder what.
The downtown area I know it'sweird, yeah, wild to drive down
there now like um.
So my youngest goes to schooland on the edge of downtown
Rogers and I haven't made thatdrive in a couple of months and
I had to make it recently and Iwas like the landscape is wildly

(05:02):
different, it's heartbreakinglydifferent, but they're going to
come back bigger.
It's heartbreakingly.
And I had to make it recentlyand I was like the landscape is
wildly different, it'sheartbreakingly different, but
they're going to come backbigger.
It is heartbreakingly different.
I do love that.
They're leveraging this as anopportunity, absolutely,
completely.
Do, potentially, a facelift, yes, and just change the trajectory
Right.
Yeah, exactly, I love that.
I love creating that.
I think that's really cool.
So creating that, I thinkthat's really cool, so grab it.

(05:28):
Yes, that where the like funkyhardware store is.
So I haven't been there, but Iokay, because there's like candy
and yeah, I've alreadydefinitely amazing about it and
my mom still lives there and soI should make an effort to do
that when I see her, but Ihaven't done it, but I've cut it
.
It's like super funky and cooland different thing.
Yeah, yeah, there's really noword.
I like where I now, which isclose to where we are at this
moment, I have found myself notleaving.

(05:50):
Do you not leave your radio?
You're like, oh my gosh, that'sa cross town.
I cannot possibly do it.
But it's so funny becausegrowing up in Gravia you'd go to
town in Biddenville.
That was a solid 20 minutes.
And then going to Fayettevilleto the mall at the time oh,
that's a dead track.
Yeah, it's like a day trip.
Now it's a major inconvenienceif I have to go 15 minutes.
It's like I got to plan for it.

(06:11):
It is.
It's insane.
So I was telling you about agirlfriend who's going to be on
the podcast real soon and she'sdown in Fayetteville and she's
like plans everything around ifshe has to make the trek to
Canada.
Which messes Canada.
That's so good.
I love that.
That's so funny.
Yeah, I do tease my friendsthat live in Fayetteville like

(06:31):
if they need to do a layover onthe way out, oh, I gotta do like
a little stop off to.
You're like driving square upand betting no layout exactly.
Go ahead and drive on in themorning, you know, would stay
like pampered yes, real pampered.
Know, when it's daylightPampered?
Yes, real pampered.
Yes, exactly.
So it's insane how things havechanged.
Yeah, how about how?
Yeah, you've seen it reallygrow up yes, not grow up,

(06:54):
explode For sure.
Like all of this was pasture,like it's insane.
Crazy to me, that is crazy.
And then you didn't leave, no,and you just continued to crush
it.
Okay, yes, so Con Air.
Yes, a couple years.
Yeah, two and a half years.
Okay, I'm going to have toiterate.
It's been amazing.
I love the beauty space.
It's so fun.
Okay, well, it's way down in mylist of things to talk about,

(07:17):
but you're such a girly girl Foryou to go to Conair.
I was like that is so fitting,like all the things.
I thought the same thing too,because my career path was
completely different.
And when I had an opportunity tocome to Conair and be in PD, I
was like how have I not been inPD?
How have you not been there?
I love it, I love all of thethings that and a lot of it goes

(07:40):
back to like self-confidenceand just helping women believe
in themselves.
But I love it, and so I don'tknow how I wasn't in the space,
like for now, but I'm in awalmart right the left side is
your.
Well, at least in, like ourwalmart surround here, like the
left side is yours.
Yes, I mean, it's like that'swhere you take care of your
insides and then get to beautyfor even yes, exactly, it's so
fun, that's where you weredestined to be.

(08:02):
I won feel like I no longer goto the right, no more for
groceries.
Who needs the knockover in here, just when he can find it to be
?
But I go over here, exactly.
Okay, so let's stop it.
Let's just dive down into ConAir, even though we're going to
skip some stuff, because we'llcome back to, like Servant's
Heart.
But Con Air, like all thedetails let's talk about.

(08:25):
Okay, first of all, let'seducate people, because Conair
which I did not know, so I willthrow myself right under that
bus Cuisinart, oh my gosh, thatis like a surprise, I think, for
everyone.
It totally is, because when Isay well, conair owns Cuisinart,
and everybody's like what Imean hair and blenders don't go
together.
It's funny, yeah, one wouldthink I don't know the history

(08:48):
of the particular acquisition,of when we acquired Cuisinart,
but it is interesting, it's funfor me.
Do you even know, because Icould not find.
You may know what the word evenmeans.
Yes, oh, this is the legend.
Okay, so, in full transparency,have not have it, had it
confirmed, but what I've beentold is I love that story
because I do leave rosito thatstarted the company.

(09:09):
He uh, invented the blow dryer,basically, and the blow dryer
is conditioned air and so conair came from that and then just
exploded and went into a lot ofother things.
But that is the story that I'vebeen told.
I like that because that wasnowhere to find that information
Once I heard that conditionedair like con air.
Okay, now I get it because Ihad assumed when I was

(09:32):
interviewing that it was morearound a person's name or
something that was close andnear and dear to their heart.
But I think this actually ismore plausible.
Wow, but it has not been.
I feel like a mind blown emojiLike conditioned air.
So he invented the hairdryer,kind of.
Yes, I did not find that in mysearch history either.
One of the, my understanding, isone of the first ones that you

(09:54):
could actually um, like, takewith you.
You didn't have to be in abeauty salon and actually the
big on the go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, wow, I didn'tknow that.
I mean, clearly there could besomebody listening that wants to
disagree with them.
That's okay, but I like it.
Yeah, no, I like it too, butthat's the-.
I like, let's stick with that.
Yeah, let's stick with that.
Oh, my gosh, I'm like Disputes,yeah, and like 19 something.

(10:25):
Internally, they always just sayleave risotto.
Oh, leave risotto.
Yeah, and he sold his cadillacto fund the company.
Did you know that?
No, I didn't.
I don't think that's, or hisfamily did, or something like
this.
And I was like, well, that is Idon't know.
It was just like we're gonnasell the cadillac and we're all
done on.
This manufacturing situationkind of makes you think about
what you own today, that youknow, wow, what could I barter
for?
Yes, start, I don't know, yeah,exactly.

(10:49):
And now it's so divested ordivested, I'm probably just
butchered that whatever.
Um, like you've got cuisinart,you've got conair, how do you
say this?
I say baby list.
Now, when I pull up the website,I does not.
I say babblis, babblis.
I have heard it said a lot ofdifferent ways.
Okay, and then, and then scuncy, scuncy, yep, which I always

(11:13):
butcher and say scrunchie.
Yes, well, I mean becausescrunchies are in it.
Yes, yes, yes.
So I'm like, oh, and thenwearing, and wearing, yeah,
which is would be like Cuisinart, but for professionals.
Okay, yes, okay.
And then, but let's go back toSkuncey, because I feel like

(11:34):
that's what you have put in 3Wfor several years yes,
influencer, partnerships, etcetera.
So Skuncey is all about fashion, so it's all about fun, and so
it's been really cool to workwith her.
Her Walmart all about fashion,so it's all about fun, and so
it's been really cool to workwith her mom radio I love it and
spent like a walmart in their,a new I shouldn't say new, but
their trajectory in terms ofbringing elevated fashion to the
shopper, like scunsey, isexactly that right, and so we've

(11:55):
been able to work on this wordwhat are, I don't know.
Oh, okay, I don't know.
Um, that'll be my next homeworkproject.
I should figure out where itcame from and what it's, but
it's all over at the aisles.
Yeah, yeah, it's great.
We have a very healthy businessaround the globe.
Actually, I'm responsible forthe Walmart business and it's
been wonderful to work on, likehow to elevate fashion.

(12:18):
So, basically, when you'rewatching award shows or you're
watching your favoritecelebrities or anything of the
such, and you see these amazinghairstyles or products in their
hair.
Like that's what we're workingon, like how can we bring that
to the everyday shopper atwalmart and give them an
opportunity to have elevatedfashion, but add a value?
So it's fun, yeah, so fun,seeing your dollar.

(12:38):
Save money, save, save money,save it.
I live better, yeah, okay, well, speaking of that elevated
fashion, um Scunzi plays bigtime.
Am I saying that right?
Okay, I feel like I'mbutchering it every time.
Nope, they play big time in thecommunity.
No, thanks, since, uh, yeah,cheers, we should cheers, cheers
, cheers, cheers, cheers.

(12:59):
Um, um, yes, so that'ssomething that I've always been
passionate about.
Uh, with the companies that umI have had the fortune to work
with in the past and currentlywith Conair, is making sure that
we show up for our community,um, and so it's been fun to be
able to leverage that and seehow we can support our Walmart

(13:20):
partners, but do it in a, in afun way in our community.
So that fashion week is how thatshows up.
I remember I had literallyprobably had just been on um,
had just started with Conair,maybe 30 days in, and I
immediately called Robin, theCEO, oh, who has taken fashion
week to the next level, yes, whojust love her.
And it was like Robin, like I'mwith Conair, we have all.

(13:42):
I was going through the spieland I'm like this needs to be a
part of fashion week.
We gotta figure this out.
Like, what can we do?
Because hair is fashion, yes,and so, historically, fashion
week and rightfully so hasalways been about the designers
and the clothing, absolutely,and sometimes cosmetics and
beauty in that space.
But it's like hair too is art,hair too is a statement and it's

(14:03):
very much beauty.
And she was so gracious and andwas like, okay, let's figure
this out.
And we did, and so we've been astrong partner for the last.
Well, since I've been here, yeah, and up years, and it's been,
it's been marked down the runway, yes, and I love it.
I love it, yeah, so fun.
It's something that I reallylook forward to being a part of
and and being on like I'm Brettwrote every single show, just

(14:24):
like all smiles, just watchingthese designers bring this
wonderful fashion down the aisle, but then also like I'm
frantically taking pictures ofhair, absolutely, because it's
amazing to see what the hairdesigners that are working with
the designers to bring their yes, yes, and how they bring hair
into a really art, how they makeit.
Yeah, it's like a re with, likea constant reinvention, yes,

(14:45):
yes, and so it's so fun, so fun,so it's like something that's
been great.
And then we get all the clipsand all the things like I
personally benefit from yes,your, uh, partnerships with
nonprofits, from goodie bags yes, I'm always leaving.
I love these low products.
Being able to put some of ournew innovation or new product
into swag bags.
It's just fun, okay.
Well, speaking of what is thebig thing for fall bows we're

(15:10):
still on bows.
We're still on bows.
Oh, okay, yeah, lots of, but Ithink bows will probably carry
us through the holidays, to behonest.
Okay, so there might bedifferent, um, iterations of
what that looks like, but bowsare still very hot.
I was just in paris a coupleweeks ago and was also I love
people watching in June, right,and was being able to say I know
it is, I wish I could get paidto be hot, I know, right.

(15:31):
So I went to a concert and Iwas like I went to the Tate
McCray concert at the AMP, yes,and it was amazing.
People watching, I bet Juniorhigh kids I bet it was amazing.
It people watching junior highkids I bet it was amazing, so
something.
But bows are still still big andthen so everybody has their own
take on them.
So it's interesting to see howit comes to life in a hairstyle.

(15:53):
But I feel like they're simple,yes, and elegant, and so a lot
of, instead of the like thecheap bow yes, yes, incredibly
different.
Or like the baby bow, like Ididn't have a girl yes, girl
will touch on that, but I'm likeI always wanted a girl.
So I, yes, yes, oh, I knowFreaking band on her and all the
bows Can't even imagine Ididn't get that, but that's okay
.
I was going on bows, so.

(16:16):
But I'm like this you can do asimple pony and just add a bow.
You can do your hair down andadd a bow.
It's just these little touchesI think that are just so cool.
But that's what's happeningright now, and then we do a lot
of work in trends, like seeingwhat colors and fabrications and
things like that that arecoming, and so we have a lot of

(16:37):
exciting things that you'll getto see in 25th.
What's the big color for fallor holiday?
It's interesting.
Holiday, pretty standardHoliday, I would say, somewhat
standard.
It's always jewel tones for themost part with, I would say,
inflections of gold and silverin some way.
What does change is theapplication meaning, like,
sometimes it's more velvet,sometimes it's more sparkly,

(17:00):
sometimes it's more subdued.
It can kind of depend, likesatin, it can depend on what's
happening at the moment infashion, but it almost always is
some form of a jewel tone.
Right, and then justtraditional fall colors for us
to defend.
Okay, any 25 stuff you want totease or no, I don't know if I

(17:21):
can.
Okay, then we'll just keep thelid on that.
Okay, but we're working a lotof cool stuff and and, uh, it
makes us for everything tolaunch in spring at 25.
Oh my say, yeah, okay, howabout tools?
Tools, because I just got thebest hair dryer from you a
couple months ago, yes, and Igotta go buy one um in a week or
two for my mother-in-lawbecause she loves it, and I can

(17:44):
get it at Walmart.
So, double.
I know I think my counterpartactually manages tools and she
has done a fabulous job at beingable to help bring technology
and innovation into Walmart,which is fabulous.
Yeah, but the blow dryer thatyou're talking about is amazing.
It's like lightweight, it'd belike a Dyson dupe yeah, like

(18:05):
it's just so cool.
It is great, and that I meanmuch more affordable price, yes,
and very accessible.
Yes, I love that.
Okay, oh gosh, so you werespecifically on Skentsy, is that
correct?
And Conair and Conair, butConair more on the brushes and

(18:31):
grooming and cosmetic bags.
Oh, let's talk about those.
Yeah, so the way I think we'reset up in different divisions,
um, and so my division isresponsible for all things hair,
but nothing that is thatrequires power.
That might be the oh, okay,okay, um, but yeah, trying toing
brushes then, yeah, so we do,we have lots of, actually, we
have a really healthy businesson brushes.
It's great, so, and those areall branded Conair.

(18:51):
And then we have cosmetic bagsand they have multiple.
There are several brands.
Oh well, that is like a wholewild world right now.
I know what I feel like.
Yeah, all the like I'm going tobutcher it A-M-S-R-A-S-M-R, the
like packing and the unpackingand all the whatever, and I'm
like it's all about thecontainer, the product is in and
the clippity clap and then thatbag, it goes in.

(19:12):
Yes, yes.
So that must be unexpected andcrazy right now for y'all.
Yeah, it is, and I thinkthere's a lot of opportunity to
where fashion is, has been, butcontinues to move quicker into
things like cosmetic bags.
So a lot of what you're sayingon runways will translate to

(19:34):
cosmetic bag, yeah or not.
So it's cool, it is.
I love that I don't tie you thehair accessory.
I know it's so fun.
I know I mean your face kind oflights up, it's fun, it is.
I love this for you.
I just I'm like, oh, when Ifound I know I mean your face
kind of lights up, it's fun, itis.
I love this for you.
I just I'm like, oh, when Ifound out you were there, I was
like, oh, this is like the bestfor you.
I love this.
Maybe a little bit more funthan water sometimes.

(19:55):
Yeah, more floaty, yeah, morefun.
Okay, now let's touch on you.
So U of so, ufa, yes.
And then you went back recently.
You got your master's.
Yes, mba, yes, okay, becauseyou got a fabulous gucci bag for
graduation.
Yes, I love that.
I would actually consider goingback to have a gift like that,

(20:17):
like what?
It's funny because I amdefinitely a lifelong learner,
so I would not put it past I tothink about another.
You're like another degree, Ineed another master's, or just
go get your PhD so we can callyou.
Yes, I would love that.
Okay, married, yes, to Jeff, andthen one daughter, yeah, right,

(20:37):
enjoy, yes, 24, yes, and youknow what I think is so fun is
because I've known you for solong, so she was real little.
Well, what, how, what year wasshe born?
Because I don't do math 20, 20,yes, she's 24, yes, okay, see
again, don't do that.
Said 20, we need to cut.
That's 2000, 2020.

(20:59):
I was tracking about that.
Exactly.
She's more than 20.
Yeah, exactly.
So she is opposite of benjaminbiden 2000, 2007.
But I was right there.
I was just looking at the firsttwo numbers, the first two
numbers.
Oh, my god, I love that.
Now I'm like what, what in theworld do you think?
My train of thought was whoeven knows?

(21:20):
Okay, so I moved here in 06 soshe would have been, you know,
six or seven when I met you andto follow her along on your
social media, like to watch hergo to haas and graduate, and
then she's gone to college andwent to sorority and got a great
degree, I feel like in business, um, actually in apparel
studies.
Okay, I made that up and then,yeah, this is what I do.

(21:41):
I take all the things off.
I think that's lovely and it'sshe works for a business that
goes well, yes, yes, but it's,and she walked in fashion week
multiple years, which I think iskind of like full circle, like
y'all has paths.
That's what that's where I'mgetting.
They're overlapping, and Ithink it's crazy and awesome and

(22:04):
unique and just all the things,because unless it's like a
family business, mostgenerations don't work together
and that's.
I think it's kind of cool.
I hadn't really thought aboutthat, but that is so true.
Yes, well, I, I think it likedawned on me when I saw a post,
or maybe you shared it I don'teven know because I'm not
friends with her on social media, because that would be weird,

(22:25):
she doesn't know me, but likeweird stalker.
But she was sharing somethingat a Walmart meeting.
Yes, and I'm like, oh my gosh,like in the fashion, like a
swimsuit or something.
I feel like she's an associatemerchant and swimsuits, okay,
yeah, and I'm like, and wealways need a scrunchie for our,

(22:47):
I know, right with the swimsuit.
Yes, and I'm like your worlds Idon't know if they really are
overlapping or if it's just inmy head to make them over like.
That's why I'm like, okay, thisswimsuit totally needs some
hair matching hair products,absolutely like we need to, that
we could do a cosmetic bag inthat same print, like we need to
the whole thing, exactly likethis person needs to all of it.
And then he should work with atowel vendor and like have a

(23:07):
matching towel.
And then, yes, and she's alwayslike I think I got this, just
some ideas, just feel free topoke it in.
I hear what you meant, but Ilove this for y'all.
I don't know if she loves it asmuch as like you, and I do
Exactly, or I love this for you,but I do love it.
As said, well, I think you're acomplete badass anyway.

(23:29):
So I think the same to you.
Oh, so sweet, but I don'tbelieve you.
I believe you.
I just don't believe that.
But that's OK.
But I'm like you are someoneI've always looked up to for
years.
You're never, not, never, notworking, never, not learning,
never, not all the things andinvesting and serving.
So I'm like she has such anamazing role model to learn from

(23:53):
and I think that is so neatthat y'all can like overlap, and
I know I've seen her like at anext step event or whatever
which you're super involved inand we'll touch on, but I'm like
, oh my, I just think that iscrazy.
You don't look like you shouldhave a 24 year old that either.
We're like, thank you.
Very close in age, only twoyears apart, and yet I have a 10

(24:15):
year old.
So it's just, I'm stillcarpooling and you're like
having happy hour with her.
Your days are coming, yes, butI love this for the two of you.
I just want that is so.
It was fun at a fashion weekthis year because robin did a
whole collection with walmartthat was on swim, and so being

(24:36):
able to be there with her in theseat like I'm looking at all
the hair, um, and definitelydocumenting what's happening
there, and then her face justtotally lights up as swimsuits
walk down the aisle from WalmartLike it's on pride yes, it was
just so cool to see like her yougot to watch that.
Yes, that was just cool to seeher like what she had been
working on in her vision, likeliterally come to life on a

(24:58):
runway.
So it was cool.
Oh, that's not normal, I know,I know.
I know she should be reallyproud.
I hope she is proud of herself.
I'm proud of her.
I love this.
Yes, okay, well, next up, yes,okay, so many, and so I have
that written down.
So many accolades and I'mliterally I don't even know if I
should mention them because Iwill probably leave some out, so

(25:20):
I'm not going.
I feel like you're just rollingoff as a grand poobah Actually
rolling in, so I make that up.
Okay, it gets very confusing.
Executive chair.
Next year I'll be the chair.
Oh, the chair.
I'm so sorry.

(25:40):
Lila was a grand poobah.
Yes, yes, okay, I'm just tryingto follow Lila's footsteps For
sure, they're really good fory'all.
Exactly, follow it, exactly,not gonna lie.
Um, okay, yes, but you've heldso many different positions in
so many different.
Yes, non-profit.
Well, you did share a circle ofred.
Yes, for the american heartassociation.
So maybe that's what I'mconfusing it with.

(26:01):
But, um, yeah, so whatcommittee are you on for next
step?
What did you just say?
You're all of it.
Oh, okay, yeah, battling, yeah,you, you name it and I should
be helping in some way.
So it's really what?
It's not very okay.
So who's the grand poobah forthis year?

(26:21):
Is it Kimberly McGee?
Oh, it's Kimberly.
And then Allie comes.
Allison Van Mater comes up nextyear as the co-owner.
Yeah, and Kimberlyee Were youall duos and something?
We both served on the JuniorLeague board together.
I've known Kimberly forever, sothat's been really fun.
She's another badass in thecommunity.
Yes, I hope I need her on Right.

(26:43):
So, like a shout out to her,like, jump in here.
Yes, yeah, I do love her.
She has really great fashionsense.
She does.
I mean, every time we're on aZoom call, even just last night,
I'm like what are you wearing?
Yeah, like this is so cute andshe has to stand up on the Zoom
call and show me what she'swearing.
But I'm just like, I justwonder what her, her house like.

(27:08):
She has a room that's a closetand I have to imagine that's
entirely filled and where Ifigure out how to live in a
capsule wardrobe, which myfriend Lila is excellent at.
I don't have that skin and I'mtrying to get there and it's
super hard and I think Kimberlyis in a maximum A really big yes
, yes, a huge yeah, exactly.
And so, yeah, I think it'spretty amazing.
I love it, I love her style.

(27:29):
I don't have capsule wardrobein my skill set.
I don't either.
I've been trying, but it's good, it's super hard, it does.
It's just.
I like acquisition.
I'll do that for everyone else.
I love acquisition.
I love that.
I should get that.
I need that.
I need that, yes, and I willlike it.
It, it'll be super fun.

(27:54):
That's hilarious.
Yes, okay, so next up.
So in 25, you're going to bethe grand poobah.
Is that what?
Yes, hearing, okay, yay, you, Iknow, I'm excited, I know
that's kind of awesome, yeah,and then we have an event.
No, yes, yeah, women'sempowerment.
Yes, thank you, because we'rein july right now.
Well, this will air in august.
And then women's empowermentsummit is in september.
Yes, yes, our biggest event.
Anything.
Think supporter of that?
Not yet, okay, but you will beexcited about what we are doing.

(28:19):
I think we're going to startsharing in two weeks, okay, but
it's going to be good and thankyou for all your support.
Oh, I love this event,definitely Women's Empowerment
Summit, because that is oursignature event and I feel like
the audience that we're able toattract.
I mean, it's just such awonderful opportunity to have
women and men all over the placecome to this event and be

(28:41):
exposed to the great work thatit's been done.
It's a very inspiring morning.
I think it's very inspiring too, and it takes place during the
LPGA golf tournament, so it's,and having them as a partner is
amazing.
I know it is kind of fun.
We go out to the tournament forlike a little snack and a
little golf course action, andthen Zach and peace on out.
I know it's a great day, it isa great day, it was really a

(29:02):
good day.
And then we touched on JuniorLeague and I feel like you've
done stuff with the women'sshelter way back in the day,
with the women's shelter wayback in the day, and then we
both serve on mercy's women witha mission, and then we always
follow linda to the children'sshelter, all the places.
And now retirement, and nowretirement, we're gonna go on
vacation with her.
Yes, exactly.
And then, oh, lots of fancythings.

(29:26):
I think, um, like leadershipstuff, leadership arkansas am I
butchering that?
No, that's correct.
Oh, okay, yeah, I love it Likethe coolest year in literal.
Yes, yes, it was so fun.
So I had done leadership BentonCounty several years ago.
So for anyone that's interested, it's like amazing because it
gives you an opportunity tolearn about the community and
actually it's the full county,so you get to see it from

(29:46):
different angles from aneducation perspective, from
what's happening in thenonprofit space, from the big
businesses that are here, whatthey're doing, and just the
community in its entirety.
For I think it's roughly likenine months and then Leadership.
Arkansas is the same idea, butit's for the whole state and so
it was so cool.
So you'd go to different partsof the state and I'm from here,

(30:07):
like we just discovered earlier,yes, yeah, that I'm a fourth
generation arkansan and andhadn't, did not have any idea of
certain parts of the state thatI just had never been to, I
mean, outside of little rock.
Um, it was so cool to learn,like, the neat stuff that we
have here in arkansas.
See, I think everybody shouldbe educated on that.
Yes, because I'm like I don'thighly recommend it whenever

(30:29):
someone says, well, when I firstI shouldn't even say first,
like within the first 10 years Ilived here someone say
something like, yes, a title,and I'm like, is that a street,
is it a county or is it a town?
Yes, like, give me a frame ofreference, because a lot of
people talk in counties aroundit, like four counties, and I'm

(30:53):
like, what city is in thatcounty that I might have heard
on the news.
They're like Sebastian or Caroland I'm like, don't know, give
me a city.
Well, handle they workregionally, right to like,
handle usually the four, somefour counties, and I'm like just
need a town.
That is so funny because my VPwas here, who's amazing.
I couldn't work for a betterleader than what I have right

(31:14):
now.
Um, she was here and it wasduring like tornado stuff and
she was like it is not helpful.
The alerts are going off andthey're talking about biden
county.
I have no idea where I am.
I don't know where I am.
We're gonna do this on stream.
Yeah, where is it exactly?
Thank you, like you know, I'venever thought about that, but
it's always like what'shappening in the counties and if

(31:35):
you're here, brand new here, oryou're traveling here, you have
no idea.
No idea, no, I know normally,but going back to the tornadoes
in May, so I'm not normallyworried about them.
I'm from Oklahoma, like that is.
We're just used to those wizardof oz and I was um in the

(31:56):
joplin tornado in 11.
So I'm like and fine, like theyscare me now after joplin, but,
yes, before that, I'm like yougo outside and look at them when
you're in oklahoma.
So when that one was comingthrough, I remember it going off
and it, you know big county,benton County, whatever, but I'm
like it's not the tiniest, soI'm like whatever.
But they set a school rightaround the corner from us and I

(32:16):
was like, oh, okay, I took thatone seriously.
I was like, okay, I know wherethat is.
So okay, and thank goodness myoldest had just gone to that
school.
Otherwise, being because mykids were in Catholic school, I

(32:38):
didn't know where all theschools were until this year, so
really it wouldn't havemattered a year ago.
So I was like, oh, I know wherethat school is.
That's real close.
We've headed to that school.
So everybody get down.
We should probably go to a safespace.
Streets are so funny Landmarks.
People just need to getlandmarks for everyone that's
traveling.
I love landmarks.
I love landmarks for drivingdirections.
Jeff, talk to you in north,south, east and west.

(33:00):
I'm losing heart.
I don't know.
Do I do it or do I not?
Exactly?
I have never been good at that.
Now, north, I know north andsouth.
You get me on East and West.
I really have to look up andfind the sun.
Yes, I do too.
Yes, yes, exactly, I do too.
I love that, okay.
So, hmm, I like this one.

(33:25):
What are your?
I feel like I have a pulse onthis one for you.
What are your personalphilanthropic pillars?
What are Tina's?
Tina's all about supportingwomen and children, so I
everything that I do ladders upto that in some way, and it took
me a long time to actually getthere.
So, do you know?

(33:46):
Yeah, I do.
Okay, actually, because I don'thave my own pillars yet For the
longest time, and a part of itis because I grew up in a small
community and then went to theUniversity of Arkansas and then
I realized there was a muchbigger world than what I had
thought growing up, and so whenpeople had asked me to get
involved in things, I was sohonored and I was like yes.
So I said yes to everything, andbefore I knew it, I had zero

(34:07):
time for myself or anything else, because I was yes to
everything, and I had to reallytake a step back and think
through okay, what is it that Iwant to contribute to?
What do I want my legacy to be,and how can I make a difference
?
Instead of being spread so thin, how can I just hone in on the
ones that are meaningful to me,and for everyone it's different,

(34:29):
so for me it was okay.
How can I help women andchildren be successful and reach
their potential?
And so, from that point on,anytime I've ever been asked to
do something, it's, it's an easyyes no based on that.
If it ladders up to supportwomen and children, I'm in.
If it doesn't, then I'm going tofind, like someone else that
might be a better fit, based onwhat their pillars are and what

(34:52):
they want to achieve, and so Itry not to have like a hard no,
right, but I definitely try toredirect to someone that would
be a better fit.
And also, I don't ever want tobe a seat filler, like I want to
.
I'll be a part, yeah, something, and so it's something that I'm
always mindful of.
But even you can get reallybusy.
Oh, it's so busy.
Yes, I mean, we've been onmultiple committees together and

(35:15):
so, yes, and committee is notthe same as a board, right,
correct?
There's many different facetsof all the things.
Okay, so, without naming thenonprofit, because I wouldn't, I
don't want to, I don't want todo that.
But what has been the mostmemorable position?
I would say board chair helpinga women's shelter, Okay, has

(35:38):
been by far the pivotal, like Ididn't know, yes, pivotal moment
.
I'm going to wait for that Forme, because it really gave me an
opportunity to understand andto think through how to help
women and families that are indomestic violence situations be
able to see like a brighterfuture and see a path out,

(36:00):
because that is something thatmost women do not, because
they're just in the moment,rightfully so, and so being able
to walk alongside and this is along time ago it was, but that
is by far the but I love thatit's still.
It's still way up there for youlike number one.
Yes, because I'm like this wasyears ago for sure because
that's like more like thegrassroots level, like really

(36:21):
helping a particular person seea brighter future and help them.
Oh, yes, exactly, and a lot ofthings that I know for you, too,
like a lot of the things thatwe do is more broad in scale and
we know we're helping people,but you may not have like a
particular name, right, a person, yeah, particular story,
exactly, and so this was a timefor me where it was, it was real

(36:41):
and it really made me.
Was it hard?
It was super hard.
What's the transition?
One year, so many books.
So I was on the board for 11years and that's also a long
time.
Yes, we kept rewriting thebiologics.
I was like I'm going to figurethis out.
I really want to do this andthe work we were doing was so

(37:01):
good.
But I think the chair was a oneyear or two year, I can't
remember, but it was meaningfuland I really gave it my all.
So I read lots of books to tryto understand like I learned so
much during that time frame,like how your brains work and
how you're wired and how likethings can happen in your life
and if they consistently happennegatively or positively but in

(37:23):
this situation negatively younaturally like that path becomes
super easy to stay on, and soyou have to really work to build
out new pathways in your brain,to train it to see things
differently or to do somethingdifferently to get to a
different outcome.
That was like fascinatingalways, and so it was like, yeah
, so it was an opportunity toreally so.
Are they in the current place orwere they in the like secret,

(37:46):
the old secret location?
Both started out in the oldsecret and then towards the end
of my tenure.
That was one of the moves thatwe did.
We were in the new place.
I have not been to the new.
I've been to the new place.
Let me say that I have not been.
I went before it opened.
I got like a tour of it beforeit opened and I was blown away
by it.
And the level of security andall the things Given is the

(38:14):
level of security and the allthe things given's not the right
word are provided to thesefamilies.
And I say family because it'snot just a no, typically,
typically it's families.
Yeah, and I was blown away.
So you need a family.
So I toured the peace at homefamily shelter.
Oh, it just how, my god, I justand now.
And it has a pet.
I was gonna say a pet cemetery,that's not the right word.
Sanctuary, how cool is that?
I mean, that's like the coolestthing, because that is a hurdle

(38:36):
, that I didn't even know, thatfamilies that are in those
situations, like can you imaginegiving your animal?
No, so I was at the afpluncheon.
It'll be two years.
So afp luncheon is always inthe fall, like november.
I feel like I couldn't makingthat up.
So it'll be two years ago thisfall.
That no, it wasn't the AFP, Itotally made that up.

(38:57):
It was the peace at homeluncheon in the fall.
Who the non-profit and the petthing is for?
I'm sorry, but Candy Clark, whoit's named after it was at her
that luncheon and she's passedaway.
But her partner, teddy,announced all the things and
then she was also honored withthe nafp award a month later,

(39:18):
posthumously.
That's why I get all confused.
Anyways, that's where theykicked off fundraising, yes, or
something, for this petsanctuary, and I had no idea
that people they had a survivorthere, yes, talking about how
she couldn't leave unless shegot into a place that took an
animal.
She wouldn't, couldn't leaveher abuse, yeah, I think it's a
it's a lot to ask someone toleave a situation and leave an

(39:41):
animal behind.
I don't have, um, I guess,thankfully, I've never been in
that position and I don't havethe mindset, so I'm just like,
oh, someone doesn't treat youwell, get, get out, like, but
that's wrong.
Yes, whatever in me and in alot of us, but, oh my gosh, to
think that a pet would keep youin a really wretched situation,
right, and now they have thisamazing space over these animals

(40:06):
.
I mean, it's like best friendslevel, like it's just beautiful.
How great is that?
And something I would neverthink of.
And so I think it's opening oureyes.
Because what if somebody'spillar was pets per se?
Because it's a lot of them?
Yes, but this is a differentavenue.
Best friends is great.
Humane Society, the Ozarks yes,all great, yes, but what if pets

(40:26):
is your thing?
More avenues for you to give,yes and provide?
Yes, yeah, exactly so cool,yeah.
And then they had this wallwith everybody's pets and that
had um given.
I'm assuming I was like chewies.
Yeah, it was so cool.
I mean, it was just likethere's so much love that went
into that.
It was very cool.
I love that.
Oh, I know that was, uh, veryunique.

(40:47):
I think so too.
Yeah, yeah.
So women's shelter Okay, andthat's like kind of the women's
shelter of Washington County-ish, yeah for sure.
Yes, so again, we're countydivision and we have different
names, but we're all here forthe same mission.
Yes, and I would say, for bothshelters here, I mean I don't
know that there's truly limitson who they serve.

(41:11):
I mean I think that's one greatthing about this community is
in those two examples, I meanthey'll serve.
You can come here from anystate, it doesn't matter.
Oh, I know how great is that.
Yeah, it's really good.
I didn't even know that.
I think I learned that that dayfrom that survivor.
She was not from the state ofArkansas.
That's pretty amazing, becausethat's not true for all shelters
but it is for the ones here,both of them, mm-hmm.

(41:34):
Did you learn that while youwere there or serving on the
board, serving for sure at theNorthwest Arkansas Women's
Shelter and then just beinginvolved with the Peace at Home?
So that's standard across thecountry.
No, no, interesting.
I did not know that, I know.
I think so too.
Interesting, I did not knowthat, I know.
I think so too.
This community is just great.

(41:55):
I know it is.
It really is.
So I think it was a couple yearsago, I think it was two years
ago, like in September, that Iread an article that Benton
County and I'm sure somebodywill debunk this, and that's
completely fine, I do makethings up all the time, I own
that all.
Somebody will debunk this andthat's completely fine.
I do make things up all thetime.
I own that all.
I own all of it.
But I read that Benton County,arkansas, was the most giving

(42:17):
per capita a couple years ago,like for one year, totally
Whatever, I don't even know.
I think we're so blessed to behere I thought, yeah, I hadn't
read that but I could totallysee that.
I mean, how great is that?
I'm sure washington county isright up there, so I'm not
interested.
Also a study done about justnon-profits per capita and we're
like we have a lot ofnon-profits here.

(42:39):
Like when leslie and I startedthe magazine, I think years ago,
doug doug mcmillan asked uslike oh, how many are in the two
counties?
And I think it was like 2700and it's not anywhere near that
today.
That also included your 4-Hsand your churches and all the
things.
But I'm like for two relativelysmall counties, I agree, like

(43:04):
we're not a million population Ido think.
I think we're like just above ahalf a million for the two
counties and so I'm like to havethat many three, we'll just say
3,000 plus at this point.
Non-profits raising the amountof money that they do on a daily
basis is amazing, but I thinkthat's also what's cool about
this community too is that onceeveryone understood that and

(43:27):
realized because it was reallyabout, if you think about all
those individual non-profitsthey all were created to based
on a need that they wanted tosolve.
Yeah, and then, as more peoplebecame more aware of other
people that might be working ona similar issue or the same
issue, everybody I think for themost part has been very open to
combining, creating code,because it's about the end

(43:48):
result eradicating whatever itis that your cause is and so I
think that's so cool and that's,I think, one of the reasons why
the nonprofit numbers have comedown is because more people are
pulling resources.
Yeah, collaboration overcompetition.
So smart, yes, single parentscholarship fund yes, the one
that comes right to my head.
That's a great example Combined.

(44:08):
But they, I think I don't'tknow, they all have a lane, and
I say this to all of them that Imeet I hope all of them go out
of business.
Yes, they all have to shut thedoor.
Should they get to right?
Because there's no need anymore.
I really feel like it's allabout eradicating whatever the
particular issue is, and thatthe goal and goal that's the
should be bye to work yourselfout of a job.

(44:30):
Yes, because you've done such agreat job I know your service
is no longer needed.
To me, that's like real success.
Oh, I just like got on the backright.
You're like bye, I'm going tothe beach, exactly, okay.
And then you're a fiercetraveler.
I love traveling.
Just got back, yes.
And also, I just want to makeeveryone mad because you've seen

(44:54):
taylor swift twice, so I, itwas so fun, I didn't know, gray.
You're like, and I saw herbefore the tortured poets
department.
I know, yes, yes, whatever.
And then you're like oh, herboyfriend, whatever his name is,
he was there.
I'm like my friends that aresolid k City cheese fans are
going to be really upset with me.
They couldn't remember his name, but he was there and so it was

(45:16):
cool.
She was serenading him and Icould not figure out what she
was doing.
And then finally it dawned onme oh my God, yes, of course,
mary Lab makes perfect sense.
Now, exactly that one guy thatcatches the eye.
That might be him.
I'd love that.
But you have, I love to livevicariously through your socials
, because I'm still in carpooland, um, you are jetting across

(45:40):
the pond.
That's the right.
It wasn't always like that.
So you're like you havefabulous friends and you're just
eating at fabulous restaurants.
Just, I mean not, okay, we loveacquiring.
Right, we are, yes, we loveacquiring.
You're also acquiring all theseawesome memories, yes, and I
love that.
Like experiences, yes, like allthe non-profits that have all

(46:02):
the events, um, they're likehere's our auction.
And I'm like that is so great.
What experiences are youbringing to the table?
Because I'm like, at this point, I don't want to buy asylum, I
want to buy experiences.
I agree, that's exactly where Iam at, so I live vicariously
through all your experiences.
I actually bid on one at Kiss aPig.

(46:23):
What's the next day?
We went to Rosemary Beach inOctober, oh, great.
But I'm like, yes, this is whatit's about.
You give money, you help thiswonderful cause and you have an
experience.
Yes, yeah, I'm super excitedabout it.
Also, you're going to need topost it, because if you don't
post that, you went to 38, itreally happens.
Oh, that's so true, that's sotrue.
You just keep going to bed.

(46:44):
Yeah, that's true.
It takes me an hour to create areel and Ashley she's she's
shorter than me, so she canfigure it out in like a half
hour.
I'm like, oh, this is hard.
I think it's hard too.
So, and it takes me so long,the music just keeps playing on

(47:05):
a loop and usually my 14 yearold I'm like, oh, I get it done.
I work at it.
That's just in the.
Oh my God, that's so funny.
You're an extremely loyalfriend.
Yes, so I consider friends, myfamily.
I know I put you in that ramtoo, ramly Rambling.
Yeah, so I love it and I thinkthat that's like pretty cool for

(47:28):
anyone like you can create yourown I don't know you can't your
own circle.
Yeah, exactly speaking of that,I went to see new kids on the
block.
I missed it and your friend wasin line with me.
So, oh, I saw the picture withGusty.
I saw the picture.
Yeah, so Michelle and I arestanding there.

(47:50):
So she bought these meet andgreet tickets.
Okay, and you had to get there.
What felt like the crack ofdawn, not really, it was like
three o'clock, but that's reallyearly if that was very early.
A long time to be at the antsand we had to form a group with
six or eight people in order Ithink it was six to go into the
meet and greet.

(48:11):
Okay, so everyone's likestanding outside the amp trying
to form their groups, with allkinds of random numbers of
people showing up.
Okay, we're just two.
Michelle's like running this.
So I just kind of stood backand she's like are y'all two?
And you're two, okay, great,we're now a group.
And Misty goes are you Casey,are you Tina's friend?
But she had sunglasses on and Ijust couldn't tell who it was.

(48:36):
That's so funny.
Yeah, she told me who she was.
I was like, oh my god, I metyou at Tina's birthday party.
That is so funny.
And like small world.
Who does this?
You're kind of like a littleKevin Bacon.
No, yes, that would be more you.
No, but I'm like, how great isthis?
And then, oh, and she was withher friend casey.

(48:56):
Yes, I think that's right, yes,that's true.
And so then we comparedspellings on our name and if
we're called cassie and howthere's no ass in our name.
So we were like all fastfriends right there immediately.
That would definitely like fasttrack.
That, yeah, it's the circle ofTina.
I love this.
That's funny, okay.
And then you're an extreme dotconnector, which you already

(49:16):
said.
Because if you do say, no, Iwish that was a job, because I
would be a connector A hundredpercent.
I get so much like energy andlove out of like being somebody
say, oh, I'm working on this, Ikind of need to figure this out.
Oh, I don't even want to let meconnect you with so-and-so.
That is like, yeah, I don'tneed anything, but I would love
for that.
Be fast friends and hug on eachother.

(49:37):
Yes, exactly, but I feel likeyou're a connector as well.
I think we're surrounded by alot of connect.
I don't.
I love it.
Nice, yeah, but you alreadysaid that.
Um, you alluded to it.
Like, if you don't 100 say yesto to a nonprofit, I'll say that
because, even though you mightsay no, it's not a zero.
Your no was never a zero.
No, right, you're like no, butI will connect you with somebody

(50:00):
who I think has the skill setthat you're looking for.
Yeah, exactly, exactly, I dotoo.
Okay, so fierce friend, andthat definitely goes with loyal
friend.
I love that.
Oh, and we already touched onthis Extreme fashionista to
where I bet people today whomeet you today don't know that
you founded, co-founded.

(50:21):
She said yes, with my bestfriend, brandy, who's in Texas.
Now, yeah, she's in Houston.
She is living her best life.
She's, yes, she's killing it.
She's so cute.
She is living her best life.
She's yes, she's killing it.
She's so cute.
She is like the most precioussoul.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, back in theday, and that still exists today
, of course not under completelynew ownership, but it is nice
to be able to drive by and seethat and know that it still

(50:43):
exists.
It's cool, so small world.
I was living.
Well, I was in Tulsa, this waspre-06, so when did I?
I want to say, you started itin before, ish, I think, go for,
okay.
And uh, the girl, a girlfriendin the office next to me.
So I worked for a localmagazine over there, a monthly

(51:03):
publication called Tulsa PeopleMagazine, and I don't know if
I've ever even told you thisstory.
So my girlfriend next to me andin the desk in the office next
to me was getting married andall of a sudden, these ads
showed up.
First she said, yes, in Tulsapeople were they advertising

(51:24):
beer wing?
Yes, okay, that was like our,okay, it was a huge deal.
And I'm like, what are theseads?
And they were this is just, Idon't know, journalism nerd,
something.
But they were like one-thirdsquares is what I can picture
them as advertising Vera Wang.
And I'm not.
I don't know if she came overfor a fitting or not, I really

(51:45):
can't or a shop, whatever, Idon't remember.
But she was like, yeah, thisstore in Rogers.
It was in Rogers.
I feel like, right, okay, andRogers is carrying these Vera
Wangs.
And this was before I was evenslated to move here and I was
like what?
My husband was living here butwe weren't married, but he was

(52:06):
living here, working and drivingback and forth and I'm like,
well, this is what.
There's a store in a small town, in argansand, because I'd only
probably ever heard ofbettenville because of walmart,
but didn't know what bettenvillewas.
Yes, and then little rock, andI'm like there's this store
that's carrying fear wang.
To me that was like the cremede la creme.
I couldn't agree more andthat's exactly how we set it up.

(52:29):
Yeah, yeah, and I was like thisis so wild.
And then I feel like I don'tknow if Tulsa people did a story
, or if Celebrate or Cityscapesomebody did a story.
Yes, and you had blonde hair.
Yes, I'd like to actually, Ithink, go back to blonde hair.
Oh, that's an yeah, okay, wedidn't touch on that because

(52:52):
that would be an odd bulletpoint, but you have had multiple
hair conures in all the yearsI've known you and you carry
them all off of, basically like,wow, you're like, oh, I think I
should go back.
Tomorrow is my hair day, somaybe I should talk to Paula.
We should just do it.
But you had blonde hair, shortblonde hair.
Now, that is the only time I'vehad very short hair, but it was

(53:13):
short, but it was so fun, Iloved it.
Well, tell me how that likegive me a little like 10 second
version of how she said yes,came to be.
Were you ready, just likehaving a glass of wine?
Yes, with a.
And we had a lot of friends thatwere getting married and we
always had to travel otherplaces to find dresses.
Oh, there wasn't really a dressstore here.

(53:35):
Ish, ish, Uh-huh.
And so it ultimately ended upwhere Brady and I like
brainstormed and we said we'regoing to do it.
So we worked with the U of A,but it was a side hustle.
It was Right, it was Becauseyou both had real jobs yeah,
because I've had real jobs okay,both working in the supplier
world.
And we worked with the U of Aand the chamber and we built out
our business plan and kind ofran with it and it was.

(53:56):
It was amazing, it was cool.
So did you physically workthere?
Yes, okay, on, yes, nights andweekends.
So, yes, and was it as fun andglamorous as you wanted it to be
.
Uh, it was because it was sohard.
Yeah, it was, so it was so hard, definitely tested.
Um, our friendship and I'm gladthat our friendship is is

(54:19):
amazing and I love seeing herlive her best life in Houston
and that whole transition hasbeen wonderful and I've learned
so much through this process.
But it was hard, yeah, it washard, but where the dress is fun
, oh, my god, so that's so fun.
And going to fashion week, yeah, like, yeah, fashion week, yes,
at Barcelona and New York, andyes, it was amazing.
Yeah, so there were aspects ofit that were most certainly

(54:41):
glamorous.
I do think, probably we'rebuilding out the business plan.
We actually really believe thewhole thing would be a surprise.
It was like, oh, oh, oh,there's wow, yeah, yeah, there's
a lot of work here, like thesethings don't just happen, okay,
somebody doesn't just, yeah, Iam the at department, exactly

(55:03):
exactly all of that.
The power button is, um, yes,yeah, how long were you involved
?
This is a great question.
I think four years, okay, yeah,yeah, and it's from inception
to yeah, yeah, and it's stillaround, so it's great.
How long was that?
It is cool, that's really cooland I feel like it's always been
in Rogers.
It's moved locations, yep, acouple of times, or just once.

(55:24):
That owns it today.
Yeah, yeah, which I think isbecause you and Brandy are like
family, oh my God.
Yes, yes, I think it's onlynatural, like my sister, so it
made perfect sense.
Yeah, yeah, it was great.
How fun it was Fine.
Okay, what did I not?
You have 20 pages of notes.
Somehow I like to be I wouldsay I'm an introvert, and so I

(55:55):
have to go into situationshaving a little bit of planned.
So I did come with probablythere's really 20 pages here,
and I actually we're friends,and so I'm not really sure why.
I thought you were going to askme hard-hitting questions that
I couldn't answer on the fly,color code, and I must say I
needed these notes, but I also Ididn't want to, like you know,
let you down.
I want to make sure that we hadeverything covered, but you

(56:15):
could not let me.
You know, like we've coveredeverything.
This is fun.
It is kind of fun, right, yes,to just talk.
Yeah, what I have enjoyed mostabout the podcast is every
single one of them, except forthe narcissistic one that I did
on myself is that I'm constantlylearning.
Yes, I prepare 75%, I don'tprepare 100.

(56:37):
Because that's just not reallywho I am.
And so I go in and I always putmy foot in my mouth and I'm
okay with that, because I'mauthentically learning every
time someone says something andI love that.
I love that.
I think we can learn from that,because I know that's a good
lesson for me and that'ssomething nice to hear, because

(56:58):
sometimes I feel like,especially as women, we think
we've got to be completelybuttoned up 100%.
So it's nice to see that you'resaying that that 75% is great,
and then you just kind of gowith the flow.
Let's be real, when I see peoplespeak and you included at
NextUp or I don't know, chamberevents or galas or whatever I am

(57:22):
always so envious of thoseprofessional speakers and
Polly's envious too.
You sound amazing, you knowexactly what's happening and I'm
over here, like I love amicrophone.
Y'all are gonna have to prayfor my little dead hands.
I can't know nothing good iscoming out.
I love a good mic.
So, like hello, it's so funny,it's like a push pull.

(57:44):
I think it's like you said,you're an introvert.
Yes, and one of my other dearfriends said he is an
extroverted introvert.
He is truly an introvert, buthe has to be extroverted for
work.
I think that's probably as well, a hundred percent.
I think you and I have talkedabout this and I'm like I can go
out and pageant wave.

(58:05):
You can too, and I truly I'mnot always there to do the wave
I'm really there to connect.
I promise you and hug you, yes,and give you my all, even if I
can only do a drive-by.
But I am real happy to go geton the sofa, yes, but I feel
like you need that, or at leastI know I do.

(58:25):
I need that downtime torecharge to be able to go do
that again.
The sofa battery gets real loudIn the fourth quarter, yes, and
pretty much by the time CharityBall is done and over with, I'm
like I can't people anymore.
I know, but I need to, and Ijust got the invitation for
Charity Ball.
Oh, and it's the same today.
It's so beautiful, it's so cuteand I love that Hallmark does

(58:45):
that.
I think it's Dayspring.
Oh, is it Dayspring?
Yes, okay, but they're the same.
They're not the same, but theyare right.
I love that.
I think Hallmark owns Dayspring.
I think you're right.
Yeah, so it must have been theDayspring logo that I saw, but I
just think that's so cool.
It's Kathleen over at Dayspring.
You know Kathleen, love her.
Yeah, she's on that show, yes,so, yes, she spearheads that for

(59:07):
Marcy, which I love.
I think that's really cool, Iknow, isn't that neat.
She's also somebody to follow onsocial.
She does a lot of fun stuff,does she?
Yes, okay, I see her on andabout, but I don't think we're
social people.
I don't.
Social thing is weird to me.
I don't even mean it that way.
It's like I'm still 9,000 andlove Facebook, and Instagram is

(59:29):
like my fun space where I like,follow, like, I think, famous
people and I are friends, butliterally obviously I am best
friends with Taylor and Travison Instagram, but Facebook is
where I find out what all theold people like me are doing,
and I love someone's like oh, Inever open up Facebook and I'm
like, and I love someone's likeoh, I never opened up Facebook

(59:49):
and I'm like that was kind of myfirst go-to.
That's where you get theinformation and Instagram is
where you get to see the picture.
I love all the fun on Instagram, but I still need to know about
certain events.
I agree, I do both and I'm like, oh, let's just.
But I did notice in Amsterdam,like a couple weeks ago, I
posted on instagram and I lovethat it'll share over, so that's

(01:00:10):
great.
Yes, the other day I waslooking I had all these like
messages on facebook like, oh mygod, are you here?
You should connect with mybrother.
I missed it all, like I'm notopening facebook exactly, and so
then I came back.
It's like oh my gosh, I missedall these like great
recommendations, these greatopportunities.
Connect with people.
Go be old.
I didn't see any of it.
Go be old with me.

(01:00:32):
So ashley loves her facebook tooand she's a million younger,
million years younger than meand she wants and I hope she
listens to it.
She probably is an old soul,but she's beautiful 100, she's a
nice.
Totally see that.
She's like oh, I gotta go throwmy pictures before I post.
I gotta weed it down before Ilike create the synopsis and the
paragraphs and the periods andthe punctuation.
I'm like just post it.

(01:00:54):
That's what I think I love aboutstories is that you can just
post.
Oh, totally, you know what Imean and you don't have to come
up with any verbiage.
Right here I am and you'rewelcome.
Exactly the arch, exactly, arch, exactly, exactly.
No question.
Yes, I love it.
That's a good spot to end on,because you love Ashley.
We love social media.

(01:01:15):
Yes, I still love Facebook.
I know that's weird, butthey're all by the same company,
so it's not like I'm choosing.
No, and I love Instagramstories.
They're fun to watch.
I'm a horrible poster, butthat's Same, same.
Same or no?
You're not.
I do a lot in stories, but forthat reason I don't have to put
a lot of thought to it.
Like I can't do what Ashleydoes, where she sits down and
tries to oh, here's all mypictures, but it parallels.
What story can I tell?

(01:01:37):
Yeah, like I want to do that.
Yeah, but then it's paralyzingto think through.
No, I can't even get to thestory.
But at night, just looking,watching people's stories just
absolutely cool.
Yeah, do you get stuck on rails?
Yes, oh yes, that is a rabbithole I can never get out of, to
where I won't even let myselfopen it.

(01:01:58):
90, yeah, it's.
I'm like, well, they're goingan hour.
I'll never get back.
I know it's fast, how, or it'swondering how fast time goes,
but I love that.
It makes me laugh more thananything, because it's what I
would just watch, like mindlessdumb, like people scaring people
yeah, jumping out, oh my goshtripping and falling.
Yeah, I'm like.
So I'm like this is good, Ijust created a laughter and now

(01:02:19):
let's go to bed.
I feel like it's all aboutlaughter and connection, like
the rules, is all about thelaughter.
And then the stories.
I feel connected stories is,but then I always feel weird
because I run into somebody like, oh my god, I saw you, or
nothing.
They're thinking psycho, dothat.
Yes, nothing better to do it,to like this singular person and
go down this rabbit hole,salute and I see them, I know
more about them, and they dolike it's like I know.

(01:02:41):
Every time it comes out of mymouth, I'm like why did I say
that?
Why didn't I just say like, ifI did, you found her and be like
, oh my god, yay, you presentingat Walmart or Swimwear.
She'd be like, oh my God, yayyou for staying at Walmart or
Swimwear.
She'd be like I go.
Well, she thinks she knows you,so you should be friends.
Yay, we will be friends.
That's hilarious.
So I'm like, yeah, I'm like, oh, they were at wherever last
night.
That's so psychotic.
You know, with Lexi, though oneof my biggest pet peeves is that

(01:03:04):
she does really well in storiesand posting, but she won't say
where she is, and so I'll lookat a story and I'll be like, oh
my God, that looks amazing, butI have to take the time to ask
where she is.
Why can't she just tell us?
I'm a Blake Street, I'm at.
Is that for safety?
Is she like being a reallyconscious person?
I never thought about that, somaybe I should walk that back,

(01:03:25):
but I don't know.
I want to know where she hadthat amazing drink or where she
had that amazing meal.
Like, I want to know this stuff.
Do you have Snapchat?
And she doesn't.
No, she doesn't.
Okay, of course she does.
Yeah, she does.
So my 14-year-old Snapchat.
I have Snapchat because I'mlike a super awesome mom that
can't parent social media,apparently.
And he's like, oh, and hefigured out how to turn off his
permission controls and I turnthat off.

(01:03:52):
And I got snapchat and I'm like, um, I feel like that was a
conversation.
Like I need you to turn off.
No, no, like location, this iswhat I've heard.
You got to turn off location.
He's like, well then, peoplecan't find me and I'm like
that's the best guy, but he likeso-and-so's at the pool,
so-and-so's here.
No one knows where I am and I'mlike we're gonna keep it that
way for now, but yeah, so that'ssomething maybe you can look up
for an mediation.
Yeah, maybe it's chat and aprotection program of some sort.

(01:04:14):
I'm not sure.
I'm always like wanting to knowwhere these fabulous, where
these fabulous places are.
Then I have to ask every singletime.
I should just like type itsomewhere and then copy and
paste every time where are you?
Where are you?
Where are you?
Because you think you know bynow.
Yeah, so like, just send it toyou personally.
Yes, she should have spent mom.
Also, I would start rolling ifI was watching that on stories.

(01:04:40):
Mom, this is right.
Oh, why do you know?
I don't.
I think she started.
This is for my mom.
Yes, that could be her, exactly,exactly, because it's yeah,
yeah, flip.
What we just want to know.
Yeah, I just want to know.
I want to go out that drink.
Yeah, exactly, share, share thewealth, that's exactly.
Well, yeah, as members.
Only, I don't know, I mean, Iguess that would be true for
blake street.
Well, it could be.

(01:05:00):
Yeah, I don't know, we got waysto get in, it's fine, okay.
Well, that was good.
You shared your wealth of being.
I love that.
This was so fun.
Know, I really appreciate youreaching out or no, I reached
out, but I appreciate youworking with me on schedule so
we could get it done.
This was so fun.
This was like just having thatconversation Self-digest, it was
like ADHD.

(01:05:20):
Great, thank you for having me.
Thank you, thank you for comingprepared.
I know you know what they say.
I know Not.
I know not at all.
You never once looked at it andI know right now you're like I
love that.
Okay, tina, with Con Air, butalso my fabulous friend, thank
you, thank you, appreciate it.
Thank you for staying with us.
I say it every time, so I'llcontinue to say it.
Maybe that's my new closing,but if you've hung with us this

(01:05:47):
long, I'm super grateful for you.
And catch us next time on the3W.