June 6, 2025 • 33 mins
What happens when you step away from corporate success to find your own path? In this captivating conversation, former Walmart executive Twilla Brooks shares her journey from the structured world of retail to entrepreneurship and her current role with the Bentonville Film Festival. Listen now to discover how Brooks navigated major career transitions, and join us for part two where we'll dive deeper into all things Bentonville Film Festival!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey everybody, welcome to The 3W Podcast.
I'm your Kasie Yokley, .
Thank you for joining me again.
I have an amazing badass herewith me today, Twilla Brooks,
and I can't even go into hertitles because she has too many
titles, but we're going to,slowly but surely, so Twilla how
(00:24):
are you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I'm great.
I'm so excited to be here.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I thank you, you're kind of my host.
You're not my host.
You're my first guest for the2025 season.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Wow, I know Thank you , and I think our worlds just
collided, that it worked out.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I love that Our worlds collided a few years ago.
That's true it did.
I kind of like was like runninginto you at like LPGA events
yeah, women Empowerment RightSummit and the big tent you all
do and I'm like, who are you?
I didn't know who you were.
I felt bad, like you lookedreally familiar.
(00:59):
But I'm like, who are you?
You're like kind of a mover anda shaker.
And then I talked to cammy joe.
I was like who is this personthat's buzzing around, that
seems to know everybody?
And she's like how do you notknow twilight?
And I'm like I don't knowtwilight.
Who's twilight?
And so then I forced you to getto know me.
Yeah, and I think I was stillat walmart, right, you were like
phasing out, I was phasing out,yeah, yeah, I snagged you for
(01:19):
the magazine, like on your freshyeah, on my fresh exit, uh-huh,
I, oh my god, you were thefirst interview, um, for my exit
and at the time I didn't reallyknow what I was doing.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
You did it, I loved it.
I knew I had a game planned andI think at the time I was still
working with the mars reallywell, um, but I had kind of
teased that were I was going todo something different, right?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
no, I loved it, yeah yeah, I met at bl Street, your
favorite place, my favoriteplace, which is like on down the
list, on down the list.
We did your photo shoot atBlake Street.
We sure did.
You're all things Blake Street.
I'm all things Blake Street.
You're all things Bentonville.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I'm all things Bentonville.
You know I'm always in LA.
But there's just something GoDodgers, yes, they're doing well
.
There's just something aboutBlake Street where you know the
staff there, they're so opening.
You could have that privacywhere you don't have to worry
about a bunch of people tryingto find you.
The food's great and it's justsomething about coming in the
(02:21):
front door and someone sayinghey, Twilla, I know, right, I
haven't seen you in a while, yes, they keep tapas on you, they
do.
Sometimes I feel like they do.
They're like oh, what are?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
you going to do with that, but that's good, oh no,
that's good.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Accountability, that is.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I like it yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, came here fresh out of school, no I wish Retail
Retail.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Oh my God, you're so nice.
Yeah, I moved here from.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Well, no, I'm sorry, there was like a, there was like
a connect the dots.
It was like college and then.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, so college Marshall Fields, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Well, technically kind of I can't remember it's
been, I didn't do my research,I'm just like we're here to talk
about bff yes, so graduatedfrom uc, santa barbara.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
At the time I thought that I would go into law school
but I ran into a really goodfriend of mine who was an
associate buyer for a divisionof may Company at the time
called Robinson's May and he waslike you know, I thought he was
in law school and he was likeno, I just fell in love with
this company and you should comeand meet the recruiter and it
(03:34):
was kind of the rest is history.
You know, I always wondered,you know, would I go back to law
school?
But you know I give a lot ofcredit to Robinson's May, really
kind of teaching me they reallycared about their people and
they set you up with people whowere going to look after you and
for people that don't know whatwere their brands.
(03:56):
So, so, robinson's May, but thatat the time, you know that was
really where it was a differencebetween.
You had really high end brandsat the time, like Liz Claiborne
or Ralph Lauren, but then youalso had, you know, moderate
clothing where you know it wasvery affordable.
So they had this great way ofbeing able to and I feel like I
(04:18):
still do it till today.
I call it the high low project,where they were so accessible
to so many different people.
Low project where they were soaccessible to so many different
people.
And I think that they reallyhelped me with my foundation of
retail.
But I think in life of reallykind of how to operate as an
executive, how to work really,really hard, there's people who
worked really hard and,ironically, one of my closest
(04:40):
friends that we've known eachother since I was 23.
And we were buyers together.
You know, I just celebrated herbirthday this weekend in New
York and we kind of looked ateach other and we're like we've
been doing this thing for almost27 years.
How amazing is that?
And so, yeah, so a lot of greatfriendships, a really good
foundation of the person that Iknew I wanted to be in, and then
(05:03):
from there, you know,robinson's May got bought out by
Macy's Right, okay, that'swhere I was getting at that.
Yeah, got bought out by Macy's.
And they moved me to SanFrancisco where I really kind of
created this foundation, whereI kind of became really, where I
really learned that I lovedadaptability, that I loved
(05:23):
learning new things and I kindof became like their brand
builder.
I started in moderate petitesand then I got the great
opportunity to move into bettersportswear where, you know, I
got to work with the likes ofTommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne
Isaac Mizrahi for Liz Claiborne.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
But you still have all these connections to this
day and the thing that's socrazy through all these brands.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
You know I got a call from someone that I worked with
from Iconics.
That stems back from over 20plus years ago, that when I was
at Robinson's May, and this wasa call like a month ago.
So you just never know who theconnectors are and the people
that you'll keep in touch with.
I love it, but you know we'rereally tight knit group from
(06:08):
Robinson's May and then forthose of us who went to Macy's,
we stay really closely.
And then when Macy's decidedthat they were going to close
all their regional offices, Imoved from San Francisco and,
ironically, a mentor of mine whowas a GMM SVP in L in LA gave
me a call and said hey, I knowyou're going to go to Macy's,
(06:28):
but I think you need to look atthis company called Walmart.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
And I was like well, what's?
I'm not moving to the middle ofthe country?
Well, no, it's like California.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I'm still California and I was already thinking about
moving to New York and they hadan, a fashion office office in
New York and a long time ago along time ago and you know the
Walmart team they came in.
They were very focused.
They recruited me, you know, um, after time, you know SVP over
(06:57):
product development and sourcingand brand Mary Fox uh, who's
actually now um, she was then atL'Oreal.
She was like you need to comeand do this.
And if you think aboutconnections because I feel like
my whole life is like aconnected thread there was a
woman named Mary from Iconicswho knew me when I worked for
(07:20):
Oscar de la Renta and IsaacMizrahi for Liz Claiborne, and
she gave my name to Walmart, whothen reached out to an SVP and
that's how I basically ended upat Walmart and, ironically, that
same person is a person thatreached out to me a month ago.
I love that.
I love that.
Is that crazy?
Yes, yeah, so, yeah.
So then, fast forward, Walmarthad their fashion office in New
(07:42):
York for three years and theyclosed that office and they were
like we want to introduce, wewant to move you to Bentonville,
and I was like no Right, and Iwas like I'll move back to
California and at the time JCPenney's was interested in me
and it was Andy Barron who,since his retirement, he said to
me he said, Twilla, you havesuch a great career with a
(08:10):
company and we want to invest inyou and move you to Bentonville
, but you want to go to anothercompany in Texas that you've
never been to.
He was like we're not that farfrom Texas and I was like, well,
what do you mean?
He was like I'm from Texas andI live in Bentonville.
And so he was like you need togo down there and just check it
out.
And you know, fortunately forme, I took up.
You know, I did that and then,with so many great mentors, just
guided my career over the nexttwo, next 10 years.
(08:34):
And then, you know, all goodthings must come to an end kind
of had this realization that Ihad been just moving and taking
roles based off of people who Iconsider to be mentors, who have
kind of guided me, and saidthat this is your next step.
But I never had the time to sitstill and say, well, what is
(08:57):
your next step?
Or what do I want to do?
What do I want to do, Because alot of times when sometimes you
think you're happy because youhave a lot of success and
happiness doesn't always equatewith success and so COVID forced
us all to sit still rightbecause we didn't know what was
(09:17):
going on and I had a lot of timeto think and somewhere in that
time I just said you know, Idon't think this is what I'm
supposed to be doing in 10 years, you know, and I set myself up
nicely with other investmentsand you know I talked to walmart
, other mentors, the advisorsand advice directions.
Yeah, it was so great andwalmart was so amazing to me,
(09:39):
you know.
They were like we understand uh, you know, uh, we'll let you go
on your way and kind of do yourthing.
And they wanted to know if Iwas going to move back to LA and
I was like I don't know.
You know what I mean.
I'm going to kind of find myway and I feel like over I would
say more so over the last 14months, I'm really kind of
finding my way and I would say Imet you a solid three years ago
(10:01):
.
Solid three years ago, but I metyou a solid three years ago.
Solid three years ago, but Ithink we might have first time,
we might have.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
That was Interform, I think maybe.
Oh yeah, you're probably right.
But I think we like really gotconnected three years ago
Because I was like I'm going tomake you my friend, yes, and
then we were like we should befriends.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Yes, and so, and the rest is history.
And then at create and innovate, which, lynette is my middle
name, I knew I was creative andI want to be innovative.
Uh, I tried to use my initialsbut I found out tlb is pretty
well known and a lot of peopleuse that.
So, uh, they were like no, youcan't do that.
And so I kind of just beenfinding my way where mostly.
(10:38):
I started in brand, uh, becausethat's what I knew, but I think,
fortunately for me, I got towork with the mars, and then I
got to work with the Mars, andthen I got to work through the
Bentonville Film Festival.
They're really teaching me about, you know, pr, public relations
, about marketing, and thenreally understanding that this
world of digital marketing,because over the last five years
(10:59):
, you know, the world shiftedfrom brick and mortar to online
and so really understanding thatspace.
And I'm excited because AI haskind of also introduced a
different way to think.
It's wicked's wicked and youhave to be, you kind of have to
give it its flowers a little bit.
You do, but you also have tostay on top of it, right and so.
(11:23):
So, as you are creating thatcontent.
You do have to be careful,because I do believe that the
world that we live in you haveto be authentic and you have to
be organic and you have to showup and you just have to make
sure that ai is not creating aspace where you're not who you
are oh right, it's going tocreate like an alter ego.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Yeah, if you don't court it yeah, and I'm
fascinated by it.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
yeah, so you take the world of retail and you merge
it with entertainment andthere's so much that from a
retail that I could utilize inentertainment, right, you know.
And then Walmart, if anything,taught me to be organized, to be
prepared for anything, and Ithink, as the world start to
merge, I'm learning a lot, but alot of the assets that I
(12:09):
learned from Walmart is helpingme be successful in the company
that I have today.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Absolutely yeah, we were talking offline of being an
entrepreneur.
Nobody goes intoentrepreneurship to be a
millionaire overnight ExactlyBlood, sweat and tears and to
know your worth, right, and youessentially work for below
minimum wage Pretty much, yeah,at first.
Yeah, you take on projects.
It's unfortunate.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, you take on projects.
You know we have a couple of,you know, because part of it I
also.
I want it to kind of helpentrepreneurs and small business
owners Right, and a lot oftimes they are not necessarily
working on a huge budget, no,they have the shoestring budget,
but you have to convince themof the greatness and a lot of
(12:51):
times there's a lot of like pushand pull.
Yes, you know, and and youlearn a lot and you just have to
be ready when it blows up.
Right now, obviously, I workedfor a brand that you know in the
beginning, you know, with daveand jenny.
They were very small and mighty.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
you know to scale, to scale it hard to scale it to
heart, so like for you to havethat expertise.
Yeah, um, when dave and jennywere first launching yeah, you
know scale right, worked in itfor 10 plus years, yeah, and so
for you to hold their handthrough it, I feel like, was
probably who they needed yeah,and you know, I think it was a
(13:26):
really good balance too, because, you know, if you meet um dave
and jenny, they're reallythey're.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
They're very interesting because they're
different but they're similar.
Right, we're um, we where.
What I learned a lot from fromjenny is your brand and who you
are is extremely important andyou have to hold tight to it,
which is hard.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Which is hard?
A bunch of people pulling youin different directions.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
You have a bunch of people pulling you and I think
for me I was able to kind ofpull her a little bit where, um,
she could see the level ofgrowth.
But it's tough because you, you, you have to be able to trust
people and some people you can'tright.
And then dave's side is allabout.
He has this amazing innateability to think outside the box
(14:10):
and to recognize the good inpeople and to see something you
know.
But for him he might be goingtoo fast, right where I'm on the
ride with him, uh, but we'llboth look at each other and be
like, all right, maybe that's alittle bit too fast, and so I
learned so much from the both ofthem about you know, and what
(14:30):
they're doing with their brandis amazing, uh, and I love now
where I'm really more of aspectator, um, but I get to kind
of uh, come around, uh, when,when something comes up that I
think is important to them, andbecause we have such a good
relationship, they're like, ohwell, what is this?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I mean, but your relationship goes back before
the show, oh yeah, which I think.
Yeah, it's authentic.
Yeah, yeah, right you were justlike oh, y'all are like famous
Bentonville people.
Now I'm going to come work foryou Like they did your home.
This was back when they werejust just their own construction
.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah, it was just, they were just, he was just Mars
developing.
And you know, for Walmart, youknow, I was really starting to
kind of, you know, get promotedand really, you know, get
involved in this community, andI was like I could see myself
here.
In order to do that, you know,I need to purchase a home, and
and how lucky was I that, youknow, when I went to go buy a
home and the home that I wantedto buy just happened to be one
(15:24):
of the homes that he wasbuilding, and then, you know,
that spawned out a relationship.
You know, it's just, it's sofake because the way, honestly,
I knew jenny, but I really knowher well, I really knew him and
we were friends, and then we didquite a few projects together
and then we would kind of askeach other for opinion on
different things you know what Imean, um, and then it just kind
(15:46):
of created a bigger thing.
And then, when I retired and Ididn't know what I wanted to do,
it just it just was like aperfect opportunity for us all.
It's like we all needed eachother at that point.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Right, it was a good spot to breathe on.
It's a good spot to figure outwhere you were going to go while
still being busy and be busyand be around people that you
trust.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Right, you know which is not the easiest thing to do
as an entrepreneur and in theworld that you know we live in,
because there is a bigdifference between corporate and
you know small businessesentrepreneur.
You know Walmart, you know it'sethical it's.
You know where that line is.
You don't cross that line.
(16:26):
You see, in the world that weare on this side it's, it can be
real gray, and so part of medid love having boundaries.
You know what I mean.
I mean because what?
But then when you become anentrepreneur, you have to
recreate your boundaries.
You do, uh, and they just lookdifferent.
And they just look different.
They're still great.
I mean, obviously you stillhave your core values, you still
have your ethics.
The dynamic is just a littlebit different.
(16:47):
Yes, and that's okay, and that'sthe only constant in life is
change.
It's change which you know,which is what I love.
Right, I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yes, oh my gosh.
Okay, before we jump into BFF.
So we already we essentiallyhave already talked about your
aha moment.
Yeah, and what we met, talkabout.
Let's talk about Bentonville,okay, that'll be a good segue.
Yeah, for BFF.
Yep, what's your favorite food?
What's your favorite food InMidville?
Yes, we can't go to LA.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
We have a Dodger Dog, yeah.
So my favorite restaurant andI'm obsessed with and I'm there
all the time is Junto.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Oh, you know what?
I cannot get a reservationthere.
Oh my gosh, it's likeridiculous.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I'm so lucky, like you know, because I don't eat
red meat and I don't eat pork,right, don't?
I don't really eat duck Like Ipretty much live off of fish.
Occasionally I'll do chickenbecause you have to.
But but my favorite restaurantin LA which is obviously no boo,
(17:46):
but like it's not an attainablething that you can do all the
time no, super expensive, veryhard to get a reservation.
But you know, when you go toJuto, my two things that I love
is they make a yellow tailcarpaccio and they make a crispy
rice.
Okay, so, literally sometimes Ijust order it and I drive up to
the valet and then I go pick upthose two items and then I go
(18:08):
home.
Okay, I've never thought aboutthat.
Yeah, I'm like I want to go inand experience the whole vibe,
the other secret, is unable to,uh, just go sit at the bar okay,
not the bar inside therestaurant, or outside the bar
inside the hotel?
Nope, not, okay, the bar insidethe hotel.
They also serve it.
So if you can't get areservation, you can just roll
(18:29):
in there and you can still getthe best moment.
And you know they've beenadding a few.
They also added this, which Ithought was interesting.
It's almost like a Korean friedchicken kind of a thing.
So I thought that was prettygood, but, hands down, my
favorite, jun Chow.
Have you had?
Speaker 1 (18:43):
their brunch.
I heard it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
You know what?
Someone else told me to go totheir brunch and I have not.
That would require me toweekends more well, that's true,
and you are.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
You tend to get a jet set, I tend to jet set and you
know it's been raining for 40days and 40 nights and, oh my
gosh, I can't even talk about so, I can't even deal with it by
far my favorite, but I know thatthere's a couple of new
restaurants, uh, that are.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I want to try celeste , which is the new oh yes, the
zillion restaurant yeah, so, uh,I want to try that.
And then blake street justopened up a new restaurant as
well, so there's a few.
Have you tried Calista?
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Oh, yes, oh, so that would be my second Okay, I just
got to experience that a coupleof weeks, like a month ago, we
did a photo shoot there in thefall and it was so cool, and
then it's so tiny I can neverget a reservation.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
It's so tiny.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I loved it.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I love it.
Uh, I love the drinks there.
Um, there is I don't know whatit's called, but it's almost
like like they're.
Their drinks are always likeover the top, totally, um.
And then I love their skewers,but they also are really good
because they they play with alot of, like, vegetarian options
oh, we got some amazingcauliflower cauliflower oh my
gosh, that was yes yes, it wasamazing.
(19:56):
So they do really good andtheir skewers are great, so that
would be my second one okay,I'll let you my second one.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Okay, cocktail, what's the go-to?
What is like?
So I'm meeting Twilla and she'slate, which she isn't, yeah,
but um, she's stuck in traffic.
What do I order her?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
well, hopefully you.
Uh, there's a soft block fromnew zealand, okay, but I'm
really getting into sans air,right, so you know.
So that's I love that, but,okay, this is going to sound
interesting.
So I didn't drink from, so Idid um.
So basically, after new year'sI basically didn't drink all of
(20:35):
January, all of February, mostinto March.
Okay, right.
So Did you go into mocktails?
Yes, okay.
So my cocktail that I reallylove is almost like a Hugo
Spritz, okay, but without,obviously, the alcohol.
They serve it at Blake Streetand they use like a gear like
which is almost like an alcoholalternative, okay, and it's so
(20:58):
good it's almost like a lime,like club soda.
So it's club soda, lime,pretend alcohol, I think,
pretend alcohol, and there'sgotta be something else in it.
Okay, that makes it a littlesweet.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Oh, yeah, okay well, I might have to try one of those
.
Yeah, what's your favorite timeof day?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
uh, okay, my favorite time of day is I love breakfast
.
Right, met you for breakfast.
Yes, I love waking up and it'sa really nice day at like.
So, like right now, mytradition is, you know, I love
tennis other than baseball.
If I'm not doing baseball, it'stennis.
Well, the French Open is on.
Okay, right.
(21:38):
So in the mornings, you know,typically the really good
matches are on 730, 8 o'clockBecause that's prime time,
because it's prime time inFrance, right.
So, like yesterday morning, atlike 730, I sat out on my deck
and I watched Coco while I had achai.
Okay, well, that soundspeaceful and you know what it
does.
It just gives me time to kindof in my mind, like set
(22:03):
everything that I want, what aremy intentions, what is the
stuff that I need to get done?
Yes, but it's my favorite timeof day and typically in Arkansas
around this time, if it's notraining, it's probably in the
morning, like around 70.
You know, like I just sit backwith my pool, turn the pool on
and on, if I'm lucky, and then Ijust sit there, uh, for, and I
(22:25):
don't do anything, but I watchthe match and I drink my chai.
I don't check emails, I don't do, I think, passive.
Yeah, we're actually for anentrepreneur, that's well, yeah.
Well, you know, part of what Iwanted to do when I left Walmart
was my time was not my time,and even as an entrepreneur,
your time cannot be your time.
(22:45):
But I was trying to createboundaries where, like my
mornings or my mornings, or like536 o'clock my mornings or my
mornings, or at like 5, 36o'clock, I might say to my team
all right, I'm going to go workout, eat dinner.
I'll probably be back on ateight o'clock.
Okay, but like what are thoseintentions?
To kind of keep me still who Iam, level my stress, uh, and
(23:09):
just be excited about theopportunity I like it, I like it
, I like it.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Warning hey, that's a good one.
Do you have a hidden talent?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Do I have a hidden talent?
Besides, I think everyonereally knows my hidden talent,
you know, with playing softball,but that's not really a hidden
talent.
I think one of my hiddentalents is I love to make flower
arrangements.
Stop it, I did.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
You did the flower arrangements for a small BFF
event last year.
Yeah, I did it ended up to thekickoff.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Yeah, I did.
It.
Was it at your house, it was atmy house, yeah.
So I did all the flowers.
A lot of things I've doneflowers, yep, and then I do I
love hydrangeas, and so, and myhat, because I was like, where
are you getting these amazingflowers?
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I go to sam's club oh , they have the best flowers
they have the best flowers likea flower market.
It's like a cool.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
It literally is a flower market, and then and if
you're nice to the ladies andyou'll be like, well, I'm
noticing you're out of likewhite roses or they got that
stuff hidden, and they'll hook.
And if you're nice yes, you'reout of like white roses or
yellow roses, they've got thatstuff hidden and they'll hook
you up.
And if you're nice yes, you'regoing to be nice They'll hook
you up.
And so that would probably bemy head talent and I love it so.
And then now it's getting to apoint where my friends are like
(24:22):
hey, can you make flowerarrangers?
Speaker 1 (24:23):
for me.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Nice, I did a baby shower for my good friend.
Thought I had to do eight, butI just really only had to do
three.
But she gave me like these,like she bought these things
from uh sorry, walmart, fromAmazon, where it had like baby
around it and there was eight ofthem, so I thought she needed
eight.
Sure, of course she's like Ionly needed three.
(24:45):
So yeah, so that clear, thatwould be a good hidden talent,
that would be a good hidden okay, um, do you have a karaoke song
?
um, so okay if it depends on, um, how I feel, but you know I'm
obsessed with adele, um, so Ilove singing, set fire to the
range.
I know it's crazy, like I I'llscream it at the top of my lungs
(25:08):
, but most people who know me,they know, know that I love
music.
So, like my car and music islike my jam and like right now
I'm obsessed with, like NickiMinaj's, like with collab with
Rihanna called the Fly.
So I'm just singing it at thetop of my lung in the car and
I've gotten text messages frompeople who would say that
(25:28):
they've been, and although I didjust get my windows tinted a
little bit more because too manypeople could see me and so if I
want to act a fool in my car, Ithink it's very hard to see uh,
the car is such a sacred space.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Oh yeah, for a jam session, yeah.
And I oftentimes have twolittles next to me and their
eyes cannot get in the back oftheir head fast enough and I'm
like I don't care because justhold on, and it's such a stress
reliever.
Oh my god, it's such a stressreliever it feels so good.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
I do it all the time now it's like the best thing, it
is the best it doesn't matterif it's pouring down rain, which
, again, that's all it's donefor 40 days.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
You need a moment, but, um, it feels amazing.
It feels amazing.
I love it.
Oh Okay, last question on you.
What I know, what you,basically I think we know, what
you wanted to do at 13 was be alawyer.
Okay, aside from your phone andwallet, what do you have to
have?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Aside from my phone and my wallet, my AirPods.
Really, that's your go-to?
Yeah, because I'm on a planeall the time you are.
Yes, right, no, no, listen, Iget out if I get on the plane.
I soon as I, before I even geton the plane, I already have
(26:47):
them in, right?
Oh yeah, I am so not coolenough to be that person.
And then I have like my Dodgerhat on and my hair and like I'm
low right, they're like she mustbe famous.
And I was like don't talk to me.
Like I have like my music Ihave, and it's funny because the
flight we just came back fromNew York there's like a bunch of
(27:14):
people on talked like before wegot on, but then I was like
listen, I'm focused.
Like I've been there home forlike four days.
I have like two movies that Iwant to watch, like I need to
listen to my music, like bye,now bye.
So I would say that that isthat.
And then I gotta have lotion,okay, um, so I love to like um
at sephora or at ulta to buy thelittle lotions and keep them in
(27:34):
to a point where, like now Ihad like I think I had Gina,
because Gina asked me for alotion and I think she stole it
like.
So she's like this is reallygood.
I like the you know it was likething give it back.
She's like that kid chewed that.
So yeah, so that would probablybe what I need to have.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Okay, so we're going to jump off, we're going to have
a part two, okay, and we'regoing to really dive into BFF.
Yeah, give me a teaser soeverybody will join us for part
two.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
So listen, I think that part two you know the BFF.
Our theme this year is findyourself in film, and I think
it's so appropriate for wherewe've that's me, I guess they
found themselves in film as well.
It's so appropriate for theworld that we're in right now,
(28:23):
you know, where there's so muchadversity, that what I love
about it is there's so manydifferent things that you should
find yourself in, right, thatyou might love right, whether
it's from the filmmakers, um, ifyou are for all walks of life,
right, um.
(28:43):
But we're doing a couple ofthings that I think are
extremely important, where weadded a homegrown section that,
okay.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
You all launched that media day and I was sitting
there and I had tears in my eyeswhen allison de la jose was
speaking yeah, about, um, oh,it's way back to rich.
What did she say?
But she, oh yeah, she went toone of the panels about being in
charge of your own destiny 11years ago and that is what
(29:16):
energized her to be here to tospeak on your microphone that
day about ridge to river.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
yeah, and you know the thing is, there's that.
There's, beyond that, the ashes.
Yes, you know which.
You know this is a film that issuper powerful, um, because it
talks a lot about the challengesthat these writers go to and
what happens when there'ssomething doesn't go their way
and how they kind of get back upon.
(29:43):
The other thing, too, isSovereign, right, so Sovereign
with Nick Offerman and DennisQuaid and Nancy Travis, and you
never know, they may be here,but that was filmed.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
I mean right, that's gonna be like the big fancy,
that'll be because of the names,right, but I love the.
But you know the local homeground and I know that's a
homegrown one too, but the otherbut we also have that we're
announcing.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
You know, we have a tribute to Jim Te teeth and
there's four films uh that we'regoing to announce and three of
them uh have to do closely with,uh, the state of arkansas.
So one is called culber.
All students can learn aboutthe first african-american uh
(30:27):
superintendent in fayetteville.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Oh my gosh, traveling yeah, yeah, yes, recently, yes,
I just now in process.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Yeah, what you're saying, yes, right, well, yeah,
I remember yeah, um, travelingmercies, which is a short uh,
but it was filmed at Bentonvillehigh school and in downtown
Bentonville.
You'll see yayos uh on thescreen.
And then, uh, paris three, uh,where it talks about three young
girls who were 12 and 13 whowere thrown in a jail in Paris,
(30:57):
kentucky.
Well, the senior director hergrandmother, is one of the Paris
3 and the senior director worksfor Walmart.
Oh my gosh, so there'll be somany dots to home, so there'll
be so many to that willhighlight homegrown.
So we're super excited aboutthat.
But also, you know we're superexcited about that.
But also, you know we're thebentville film festival, right
where we're.
Obviously, we have huge ties tonew york and to los angeles,
(31:20):
and but there's also a lot ofgreat movies and different
things that are being filmed inthe state of arkansas, so this
really gives us an opportunityto highlight it.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
I I love that.
I think that's a.
That's right.
You're turning 11.
Yes, exactly, and BFF came onthe scene 11 years ago and it
was like, oh my gosh, all thesefamous people are going to be
here all the time.
Exactly, but look what it'smorphed into Right.
It's taken 11 years to bringthis homegrown to the light.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Right, and that's that's what it means.
Well, that's the thing that'sso great about the film festival
is, you know, you get anopportunity to see over 100
films, Right.
But there's also panels whereyou will be able to talk about.
You know the effects of havinga disability Right To the panels
(32:10):
are so inspired.
The panels are so inspiring.
They're one of my favorite.
But then there's that othergreat thing about us where we
highlight the community.
We're starting on Thursdayafternoon in the outdoor theater
, you know, the Gina DavisOutdoor Theater.
Everything is free, Everythingis free, everything is free,
right.
So where this one is reallydedicated to families, you know
(32:32):
what I mean when you can bringyour kids out.
So think about it.
If you're a family of four, ona thursday afternoon I mean
because it is the summer you canbring them out to watch wild
robot yep, get free food yes,free drink platform, free drinks
and just enjoy the night.
Yes, you know what I mean.
And then on saturday, saturdayis going to be insane.
It is going to be insane, it isgoing to be wild.
(32:53):
We have over 35 activationshighlighting some of the biggest
toys, some of the biggestcharacters.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
We're going to touch on that.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Yeah, we're giving everything away.
Yeah yeah, I'm giving too muchaway, so I'll stop.
I'm going to shut you down.
Shut me down.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Shut me down, okay, okay.
So miss Twilla touched onpopcorn, so I can't let you all
go without thanking our podcastsponsor, hershey salty snacks,
because they have skinny pop andpirate booty and dots homestyle
pretzels.
And have you had the cinnamonsugar ones?
I have not.
I might have to try these.
I will get you some.
Okay, freaking amazing, I wantthem.
(33:30):
They're just to die for.
So you all come back for parttwo and we're going to dive into
all things BFF and maybe we'lltell you where Gina is.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I don't know you just have to wait.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
You never know, right .
Yeah, so till next time.
Twilla, thank you, I'll see youagain in a minute, see you, but
appreciate y'all for joining us, so keep.
Hey everybody, welcome to The 3W Podcast.
I'm your Kasie Yokley, .
Thank you for joining me again.
I have an amazing badass herewith me today, Twilla Brooks,
and I can't even go into hertitles because she has too many
titles, but we're going to,slowly but surely, so Twilla how
(00:24):
are you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I'm great.
I'm so excited to be here.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
I thank you, you're kind of my host.
You're not my host.
You're my first guest for the2025 season.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Wow, I know Thank you , and I think our worlds just
collided, that it worked out.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
I love that Our worlds collided a few years ago.
That's true it did.
I kind of like was like runninginto you at like LPGA events
yeah, women Empowerment RightSummit and the big tent you all
do and I'm like, who are you?
I didn't know who you were.
I felt bad, like you lookedreally familiar.
(00:59):
But I'm like, who are you?
You're like kind of a mover anda shaker.
And then I talked to cammy joe.
I was like who is this personthat's buzzing around, that
seems to know everybody?
And she's like how do you notknow twilight?
And I'm like I don't knowtwilight.
Who's twilight?
And so then I forced you to getto know me.
Yeah, and I think I was stillat walmart, right, you were like
phasing out, I was phasing out,yeah, yeah, I snagged you for
(01:19):
the magazine, like on your freshyeah, on my fresh exit, uh-huh,
I, oh my god, you were thefirst interview, um, for my exit
and at the time I didn't reallyknow what I was doing.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
You did it, I loved it.
I knew I had a game planned andI think at the time I was still
working with the mars reallywell, um, but I had kind of
teased that were I was going todo something different, right?
Speaker 1 (01:43):
no, I loved it, yeah yeah, I met at bl Street, your
favorite place, my favoriteplace, which is like on down the
list, on down the list.
We did your photo shoot atBlake Street.
We sure did.
You're all things Blake Street.
I'm all things Blake Street.
You're all things Bentonville.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I'm all things Bentonville.
You know I'm always in LA.
But there's just something GoDodgers, yes, they're doing well
.
There's just something aboutBlake Street where you know the
staff there, they're so opening.
You could have that privacywhere you don't have to worry
about a bunch of people tryingto find you.
The food's great and it's justsomething about coming in the
(02:21):
front door and someone sayinghey, Twilla, I know, right, I
haven't seen you in a while, yes, they keep tapas on you, they
do.
Sometimes I feel like they do.
They're like oh, what are?
Speaker 1 (02:29):
you going to do with that, but that's good, oh no,
that's good.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Accountability, that is.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I like it yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, came here fresh out of school, no I wish Retail
Retail.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Oh my God, you're so nice.
Yeah, I moved here from.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Well, no, I'm sorry, there was like a, there was like
a connect the dots.
It was like college and then.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, so college Marshall Fields, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Well, technically kind of I can't remember it's
been, I didn't do my research,I'm just like we're here to talk
about bff yes, so graduatedfrom uc, santa barbara.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
At the time I thought that I would go into law school
but I ran into a really goodfriend of mine who was an
associate buyer for a divisionof may Company at the time
called Robinson's May and he waslike you know, I thought he was
in law school and he was likeno, I just fell in love with
this company and you should comeand meet the recruiter and it
(03:34):
was kind of the rest is history.
You know, I always wondered,you know, would I go back to law
school?
But you know I give a lot ofcredit to Robinson's May, really
kind of teaching me they reallycared about their people and
they set you up with people whowere going to look after you and
for people that don't know whatwere their brands.
(03:56):
So, so, robinson's May, but thatat the time, you know that was
really where it was a differencebetween.
You had really high end brandsat the time, like Liz Claiborne
or Ralph Lauren, but then youalso had, you know, moderate
clothing where you know it wasvery affordable.
So they had this great way ofbeing able to and I feel like I
(04:18):
still do it till today.
I call it the high low project,where they were so accessible
to so many different people.
Low project where they were soaccessible to so many different
people.
And I think that they reallyhelped me with my foundation of
retail.
But I think in life of reallykind of how to operate as an
executive, how to work really,really hard, there's people who
worked really hard and,ironically, one of my closest
(04:40):
friends that we've known eachother since I was 23.
And we were buyers together.
You know, I just celebrated herbirthday this weekend in New
York and we kind of looked ateach other and we're like we've
been doing this thing for almost27 years.
How amazing is that?
And so, yeah, so a lot of greatfriendships, a really good
foundation of the person that Iknew I wanted to be in, and then
(05:03):
from there, you know,robinson's May got bought out by
Macy's Right, okay, that'swhere I was getting at that.
Yeah, got bought out by Macy's.
And they moved me to SanFrancisco where I really kind of
created this foundation, whereI kind of became really, where I
really learned that I lovedadaptability, that I loved
(05:23):
learning new things and I kindof became like their brand
builder.
I started in moderate petitesand then I got the great
opportunity to move into bettersportswear where, you know, I
got to work with the likes ofTommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne
Isaac Mizrahi for Liz Claiborne.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
But you still have all these connections to this
day and the thing that's socrazy through all these brands.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
You know I got a call from someone that I worked with
from Iconics.
That stems back from over 20plus years ago, that when I was
at Robinson's May, and this wasa call like a month ago.
So you just never know who theconnectors are and the people
that you'll keep in touch with.
I love it, but you know we'rereally tight knit group from
(06:08):
Robinson's May and then forthose of us who went to Macy's,
we stay really closely.
And then when Macy's decidedthat they were going to close
all their regional offices, Imoved from San Francisco and,
ironically, a mentor of mine whowas a GMM SVP in L in LA gave
me a call and said hey, I knowyou're going to go to Macy's,
(06:28):
but I think you need to look atthis company called Walmart.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
And I was like well, what's?
I'm not moving to the middle ofthe country?
Well, no, it's like California.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I'm still California and I was already thinking about
moving to New York and they hadan, a fashion office office in
New York and a long time ago along time ago and you know the
Walmart team they came in.
They were very focused.
They recruited me, you know, um, after time, you know SVP over
(06:57):
product development and sourcingand brand Mary Fox uh, who's
actually now um, she was then atL'Oreal.
She was like you need to comeand do this.
And if you think aboutconnections because I feel like
my whole life is like aconnected thread there was a
woman named Mary from Iconicswho knew me when I worked for
(07:20):
Oscar de la Renta and IsaacMizrahi for Liz Claiborne, and
she gave my name to Walmart, whothen reached out to an SVP and
that's how I basically ended upat Walmart and, ironically, that
same person is a person thatreached out to me a month ago.
I love that.
I love that.
Is that crazy?
Yes, yeah, so, yeah.
So then, fast forward, Walmarthad their fashion office in New
(07:42):
York for three years and theyclosed that office and they were
like we want to introduce, wewant to move you to Bentonville,
and I was like no Right, and Iwas like I'll move back to
California and at the time JCPenney's was interested in me
and it was Andy Barron who,since his retirement, he said to
me he said, Twilla, you havesuch a great career with a
(08:10):
company and we want to invest inyou and move you to Bentonville
, but you want to go to anothercompany in Texas that you've
never been to.
He was like we're not that farfrom Texas and I was like, well,
what do you mean?
He was like I'm from Texas andI live in Bentonville.
And so he was like you need togo down there and just check it
out.
And you know, fortunately forme, I took up.
You know, I did that and then,with so many great mentors, just
guided my career over the nexttwo, next 10 years.
(08:34):
And then, you know, all goodthings must come to an end kind
of had this realization that Ihad been just moving and taking
roles based off of people who Iconsider to be mentors, who have
kind of guided me, and saidthat this is your next step.
But I never had the time to sitstill and say, well, what is
(08:57):
your next step?
Or what do I want to do?
What do I want to do, Because alot of times when sometimes you
think you're happy because youhave a lot of success and
happiness doesn't always equatewith success and so COVID forced
us all to sit still rightbecause we didn't know what was
(09:17):
going on and I had a lot of timeto think and somewhere in that
time I just said you know, Idon't think this is what I'm
supposed to be doing in 10 years, you know, and I set myself up
nicely with other investmentsand you know I talked to walmart
, other mentors, the advisorsand advice directions.
Yeah, it was so great andwalmart was so amazing to me,
(09:39):
you know.
They were like we understand uh, you know, uh, we'll let you go
on your way and kind of do yourthing.
And they wanted to know if Iwas going to move back to LA and
I was like I don't know.
You know what I mean.
I'm going to kind of find myway and I feel like over I would
say more so over the last 14months, I'm really kind of
finding my way and I would say Imet you a solid three years ago
(10:01):
.
Solid three years ago, but I metyou a solid three years ago.
Solid three years ago, but Ithink we might have first time,
we might have.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
That was Interform, I think maybe.
Oh yeah, you're probably right.
But I think we like really gotconnected three years ago
Because I was like I'm going tomake you my friend, yes, and
then we were like we should befriends.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Yes, and so, and the rest is history.
And then at create and innovate, which, lynette is my middle
name, I knew I was creative andI want to be innovative.
Uh, I tried to use my initialsbut I found out tlb is pretty
well known and a lot of peopleuse that.
So, uh, they were like no, youcan't do that.
And so I kind of just beenfinding my way where mostly.
(10:38):
I started in brand, uh, becausethat's what I knew, but I think,
fortunately for me, I got towork with the mars, and then I
got to work with the Mars, andthen I got to work through the
Bentonville Film Festival.
They're really teaching me about, you know, pr, public relations
, about marketing, and thenreally understanding that this
world of digital marketing,because over the last five years
(10:59):
, you know, the world shiftedfrom brick and mortar to online
and so really understanding thatspace.
And I'm excited because AI haskind of also introduced a
different way to think.
It's wicked's wicked and youhave to be, you kind of have to
give it its flowers a little bit.
You do, but you also have tostay on top of it, right and so.
(11:23):
So, as you are creating thatcontent.
You do have to be careful,because I do believe that the
world that we live in you haveto be authentic and you have to
be organic and you have to showup and you just have to make
sure that ai is not creating aspace where you're not who you
are oh right, it's going tocreate like an alter ego.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Yeah, if you don't court it yeah, and I'm
fascinated by it.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
yeah, so you take the world of retail and you merge
it with entertainment andthere's so much that from a
retail that I could utilize inentertainment, right, you know.
And then Walmart, if anything,taught me to be organized, to be
prepared for anything, and Ithink, as the world start to
merge, I'm learning a lot, but alot of the assets that I
(12:09):
learned from Walmart is helpingme be successful in the company
that I have today.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Absolutely yeah, we were talking offline of being an
entrepreneur.
Nobody goes intoentrepreneurship to be a
millionaire overnight ExactlyBlood, sweat and tears and to
know your worth, right, and youessentially work for below
minimum wage Pretty much, yeah,at first.
Yeah, you take on projects.
It's unfortunate.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, you take on projects.
You know we have a couple of,you know, because part of it I
also.
I want it to kind of helpentrepreneurs and small business
owners Right, and a lot oftimes they are not necessarily
working on a huge budget, no,they have the shoestring budget,
but you have to convince themof the greatness and a lot of
(12:51):
times there's a lot of like pushand pull.
Yes, you know, and and youlearn a lot and you just have to
be ready when it blows up.
Right now, obviously, I workedfor a brand that you know in the
beginning, you know, with daveand jenny.
They were very small and mighty.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
you know to scale, to scale it hard to scale it to
heart, so like for you to havethat expertise.
Yeah, um, when dave and jennywere first launching yeah, you
know scale right, worked in itfor 10 plus years, yeah, and so
for you to hold their handthrough it, I feel like, was
probably who they needed yeah,and you know, I think it was a
(13:26):
really good balance too, because, you know, if you meet um dave
and jenny, they're reallythey're.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
They're very interesting because they're
different but they're similar.
Right, we're um, we where.
What I learned a lot from fromjenny is your brand and who you
are is extremely important andyou have to hold tight to it,
which is hard.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Which is hard?
A bunch of people pulling youin different directions.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
You have a bunch of people pulling you and I think
for me I was able to kind ofpull her a little bit where, um,
she could see the level ofgrowth.
But it's tough because you, you, you have to be able to trust
people and some people you can'tright.
And then dave's side is allabout.
He has this amazing innateability to think outside the box
(14:10):
and to recognize the good inpeople and to see something you
know.
But for him he might be goingtoo fast, right where I'm on the
ride with him, uh, but we'llboth look at each other and be
like, all right, maybe that's alittle bit too fast, and so I
learned so much from the both ofthem about you know, and what
(14:30):
they're doing with their brandis amazing, uh, and I love now
where I'm really more of aspectator, um, but I get to kind
of uh, come around, uh, when,when something comes up that I
think is important to them, andbecause we have such a good
relationship, they're like, ohwell, what is this?
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I mean, but your relationship goes back before
the show, oh yeah, which I think.
Yeah, it's authentic.
Yeah, yeah, right you were justlike oh, y'all are like famous
Bentonville people.
Now I'm going to come work foryou Like they did your home.
This was back when they werejust just their own construction
.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah, it was just, they were just, he was just Mars
developing.
And you know, for Walmart, youknow, I was really starting to
kind of, you know, get promotedand really, you know, get
involved in this community, andI was like I could see myself
here.
In order to do that, you know,I need to purchase a home, and
and how lucky was I that, youknow, when I went to go buy a
home and the home that I wantedto buy just happened to be one
(15:24):
of the homes that he wasbuilding, and then, you know,
that spawned out a relationship.
You know, it's just, it's sofake because the way, honestly,
I knew jenny, but I really knowher well, I really knew him and
we were friends, and then we didquite a few projects together
and then we would kind of askeach other for opinion on
different things you know what Imean, um, and then it just kind
(15:46):
of created a bigger thing.
And then, when I retired and Ididn't know what I wanted to do,
it just it just was like aperfect opportunity for us all.
It's like we all needed eachother at that point.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Right, it was a good spot to breathe on.
It's a good spot to figure outwhere you were going to go while
still being busy and be busyand be around people that you
trust.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Right, you know which is not the easiest thing to do
as an entrepreneur and in theworld that you know we live in,
because there is a bigdifference between corporate and
you know small businessesentrepreneur.
You know Walmart, you know it'sethical it's.
You know where that line is.
You don't cross that line.
(16:26):
You see, in the world that weare on this side it's, it can be
real gray, and so part of medid love having boundaries.
You know what I mean.
I mean because what?
But then when you become anentrepreneur, you have to
recreate your boundaries.
You do, uh, and they just lookdifferent.
And they just look different.
They're still great.
I mean, obviously you stillhave your core values, you still
have your ethics.
The dynamic is just a littlebit different.
(16:47):
Yes, and that's okay, and that'sthe only constant in life is
change.
It's change which you know,which is what I love.
Right, I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yes, oh my gosh.
Okay, before we jump into BFF.
So we already we essentiallyhave already talked about your
aha moment.
Yeah, and what we met, talkabout.
Let's talk about Bentonville,okay, that'll be a good segue.
Yeah, for BFF.
Yep, what's your favorite food?
What's your favorite food InMidville?
Yes, we can't go to LA.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
We have a Dodger Dog, yeah.
So my favorite restaurant andI'm obsessed with and I'm there
all the time is Junto.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Oh, you know what?
I cannot get a reservationthere.
Oh my gosh, it's likeridiculous.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I'm so lucky, like you know, because I don't eat
red meat and I don't eat pork,right, don't?
I don't really eat duck Like Ipretty much live off of fish.
Occasionally I'll do chickenbecause you have to.
But but my favorite restaurantin LA which is obviously no boo,
(17:46):
but like it's not an attainablething that you can do all the
time no, super expensive, veryhard to get a reservation.
But you know, when you go toJuto, my two things that I love
is they make a yellow tailcarpaccio and they make a crispy
rice.
Okay, so, literally sometimes Ijust order it and I drive up to
the valet and then I go pick upthose two items and then I go
(18:08):
home.
Okay, I've never thought aboutthat.
Yeah, I'm like I want to go inand experience the whole vibe,
the other secret, is unable to,uh, just go sit at the bar okay,
not the bar inside therestaurant, or outside the bar
inside the hotel?
Nope, not, okay, the bar insidethe hotel.
They also serve it.
So if you can't get areservation, you can just roll
(18:29):
in there and you can still getthe best moment.
And you know they've beenadding a few.
They also added this, which Ithought was interesting.
It's almost like a Korean friedchicken kind of a thing.
So I thought that was prettygood, but, hands down, my
favorite, jun Chow.
Have you had?
Speaker 1 (18:43):
their brunch.
I heard it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
You know what?
Someone else told me to go totheir brunch and I have not.
That would require me toweekends more well, that's true,
and you are.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
You tend to get a jet set, I tend to jet set and you
know it's been raining for 40days and 40 nights and, oh my
gosh, I can't even talk about so, I can't even deal with it by
far my favorite, but I know thatthere's a couple of new
restaurants, uh, that are.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I want to try celeste , which is the new oh yes, the
zillion restaurant yeah, so, uh,I want to try that.
And then blake street justopened up a new restaurant as
well, so there's a few.
Have you tried Calista?
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Oh, yes, oh, so that would be my second Okay, I just
got to experience that a coupleof weeks, like a month ago, we
did a photo shoot there in thefall and it was so cool, and
then it's so tiny I can neverget a reservation.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
It's so tiny.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I loved it.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I love it.
Uh, I love the drinks there.
Um, there is I don't know whatit's called, but it's almost
like like they're.
Their drinks are always likeover the top, totally, um.
And then I love their skewers,but they also are really good
because they they play with alot of, like, vegetarian options
oh, we got some amazingcauliflower cauliflower oh my
gosh, that was yes yes, it wasamazing.
(19:56):
So they do really good andtheir skewers are great, so that
would be my second one okay,I'll let you my second one.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Okay, cocktail, what's the go-to?
What is like?
So I'm meeting Twilla and she'slate, which she isn't, yeah,
but um, she's stuck in traffic.
What do I order her?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
well, hopefully you.
Uh, there's a soft block fromnew zealand, okay, but I'm
really getting into sans air,right, so you know.
So that's I love that, but,okay, this is going to sound
interesting.
So I didn't drink from, so Idid um.
So basically, after new year'sI basically didn't drink all of
(20:35):
January, all of February, mostinto March.
Okay, right.
So Did you go into mocktails?
Yes, okay.
So my cocktail that I reallylove is almost like a Hugo
Spritz, okay, but without,obviously, the alcohol.
They serve it at Blake Streetand they use like a gear like
which is almost like an alcoholalternative, okay, and it's so
(20:58):
good it's almost like a lime,like club soda.
So it's club soda, lime,pretend alcohol, I think,
pretend alcohol, and there'sgotta be something else in it.
Okay, that makes it a littlesweet.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Oh, yeah, okay well, I might have to try one of those
.
Yeah, what's your favorite timeof day?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
uh, okay, my favorite time of day is I love breakfast
.
Right, met you for breakfast.
Yes, I love waking up and it'sa really nice day at like.
So, like right now, mytradition is, you know, I love
tennis other than baseball.
If I'm not doing baseball, it'stennis.
Well, the French Open is on.
Okay, right.
(21:38):
So in the mornings, you know,typically the really good
matches are on 730, 8 o'clockBecause that's prime time,
because it's prime time inFrance, right.
So, like yesterday morning, atlike 730, I sat out on my deck
and I watched Coco while I had achai.
Okay, well, that soundspeaceful and you know what it
does.
It just gives me time to kindof in my mind, like set
(22:03):
everything that I want, what aremy intentions, what is the
stuff that I need to get done?
Yes, but it's my favorite timeof day and typically in Arkansas
around this time, if it's notraining, it's probably in the
morning, like around 70.
You know, like I just sit backwith my pool, turn the pool on
and on, if I'm lucky, and then Ijust sit there, uh, for, and I
(22:25):
don't do anything, but I watchthe match and I drink my chai.
I don't check emails, I don't do, I think, passive.
Yeah, we're actually for anentrepreneur, that's well, yeah.
Well, you know, part of what Iwanted to do when I left Walmart
was my time was not my time,and even as an entrepreneur,
your time cannot be your time.
(22:45):
But I was trying to createboundaries where, like my
mornings or my mornings, or like536 o'clock my mornings or my
mornings, or at like 5, 36o'clock, I might say to my team
all right, I'm going to go workout, eat dinner.
I'll probably be back on ateight o'clock.
Okay, but like what are thoseintentions?
To kind of keep me still who Iam, level my stress, uh, and
(23:09):
just be excited about theopportunity I like it, I like it
, I like it.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Warning hey, that's a good one.
Do you have a hidden talent?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Do I have a hidden talent?
Besides, I think everyonereally knows my hidden talent,
you know, with playing softball,but that's not really a hidden
talent.
I think one of my hiddentalents is I love to make flower
arrangements.
Stop it, I did.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
You did the flower arrangements for a small BFF
event last year.
Yeah, I did it ended up to thekickoff.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Yeah, I did.
It.
Was it at your house, it was atmy house, yeah.
So I did all the flowers.
A lot of things I've doneflowers, yep, and then I do I
love hydrangeas, and so, and myhat, because I was like, where
are you getting these amazingflowers?
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I go to sam's club oh , they have the best flowers
they have the best flowers likea flower market.
It's like a cool.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
It literally is a flower market, and then and if
you're nice to the ladies andyou'll be like, well, I'm
noticing you're out of likewhite roses or they got that
stuff hidden, and they'll hook.
And if you're nice yes, you'reout of like white roses or
yellow roses, they've got thatstuff hidden and they'll hook
you up.
And if you're nice yes, you'regoing to be nice They'll hook
you up.
And so that would probably bemy head talent and I love it so.
And then now it's getting to apoint where my friends are like
(24:22):
hey, can you make flowerarrangers?
Speaker 1 (24:23):
for me.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Nice, I did a baby shower for my good friend.
Thought I had to do eight, butI just really only had to do
three.
But she gave me like these,like she bought these things
from uh sorry, walmart, fromAmazon, where it had like baby
around it and there was eight ofthem, so I thought she needed
eight.
Sure, of course she's like Ionly needed three.
(24:45):
So yeah, so that clear, thatwould be a good hidden talent,
that would be a good hidden okay, um, do you have a karaoke song
?
um, so okay if it depends on, um, how I feel, but you know I'm
obsessed with adele, um, so Ilove singing, set fire to the
range.
I know it's crazy, like I I'llscream it at the top of my lungs
(25:08):
, but most people who know me,they know, know that I love
music.
So, like my car and music islike my jam and like right now
I'm obsessed with, like NickiMinaj's, like with collab with
Rihanna called the Fly.
So I'm just singing it at thetop of my lung in the car and
I've gotten text messages frompeople who would say that
(25:28):
they've been, and although I didjust get my windows tinted a
little bit more because too manypeople could see me and so if I
want to act a fool in my car, Ithink it's very hard to see uh,
the car is such a sacred space.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Oh yeah, for a jam session, yeah.
And I oftentimes have twolittles next to me and their
eyes cannot get in the back oftheir head fast enough and I'm
like I don't care because justhold on, and it's such a stress
reliever.
Oh my god, it's such a stressreliever it feels so good.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
I do it all the time now it's like the best thing, it
is the best it doesn't matterif it's pouring down rain, which
, again, that's all it's donefor 40 days.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
You need a moment, but, um, it feels amazing.
It feels amazing.
I love it.
Oh Okay, last question on you.
What I know, what you,basically I think we know, what
you wanted to do at 13 was be alawyer.
Okay, aside from your phone andwallet, what do you have to
have?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Aside from my phone and my wallet, my AirPods.
Really, that's your go-to?
Yeah, because I'm on a planeall the time you are.
Yes, right, no, no, listen, Iget out if I get on the plane.
I soon as I, before I even geton the plane, I already have
(26:47):
them in, right?
Oh yeah, I am so not coolenough to be that person.
And then I have like my Dodgerhat on and my hair and like I'm
low right, they're like she mustbe famous.
And I was like don't talk to me.
Like I have like my music Ihave, and it's funny because the
flight we just came back fromNew York there's like a bunch of
(27:14):
people on talked like before wegot on, but then I was like
listen, I'm focused.
Like I've been there home forlike four days.
I have like two movies that Iwant to watch, like I need to
listen to my music, like bye,now bye.
So I would say that that isthat.
And then I gotta have lotion,okay, um, so I love to like um
at sephora or at ulta to buy thelittle lotions and keep them in
(27:34):
to a point where, like now Ihad like I think I had Gina,
because Gina asked me for alotion and I think she stole it
like.
So she's like this is reallygood.
I like the you know it was likething give it back.
She's like that kid chewed that.
So yeah, so that would probablybe what I need to have.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Okay, so we're going to jump off, we're going to have
a part two, okay, and we'regoing to really dive into BFF.
Yeah, give me a teaser soeverybody will join us for part
two.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
So listen, I think that part two you know the BFF.
Our theme this year is findyourself in film, and I think
it's so appropriate for wherewe've that's me, I guess they
found themselves in film as well.
It's so appropriate for theworld that we're in right now,
(28:23):
you know, where there's so muchadversity, that what I love
about it is there's so manydifferent things that you should
find yourself in, right, thatyou might love right, whether
it's from the filmmakers, um, ifyou are for all walks of life,
right, um.
(28:43):
But we're doing a couple ofthings that I think are
extremely important, where weadded a homegrown section that,
okay.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
You all launched that media day and I was sitting
there and I had tears in my eyeswhen allison de la jose was
speaking yeah, about, um, oh,it's way back to rich.
What did she say?
But she, oh yeah, she went toone of the panels about being in
charge of your own destiny 11years ago and that is what
(29:16):
energized her to be here to tospeak on your microphone that
day about ridge to river.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
yeah, and you know the thing is, there's that.
There's, beyond that, the ashes.
Yes, you know which.
You know this is a film that issuper powerful, um, because it
talks a lot about the challengesthat these writers go to and
what happens when there'ssomething doesn't go their way
and how they kind of get back upon.
(29:43):
The other thing, too, isSovereign, right, so Sovereign
with Nick Offerman and DennisQuaid and Nancy Travis, and you
never know, they may be here,but that was filmed.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
I mean right, that's gonna be like the big fancy,
that'll be because of the names,right, but I love the.
But you know the local homeground and I know that's a
homegrown one too, but the otherbut we also have that we're
announcing.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
You know, we have a tribute to Jim Te teeth and
there's four films uh that we'regoing to announce and three of
them uh have to do closely with,uh, the state of arkansas.
So one is called culber.
All students can learn aboutthe first african-american uh
(30:27):
superintendent in fayetteville.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Oh my gosh, traveling yeah, yeah, yes, recently, yes,
I just now in process.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Yeah, what you're saying, yes, right, well, yeah,
I remember yeah, um, travelingmercies, which is a short uh,
but it was filmed at Bentonvillehigh school and in downtown
Bentonville.
You'll see yayos uh on thescreen.
And then, uh, paris three, uh,where it talks about three young
girls who were 12 and 13 whowere thrown in a jail in Paris,
(30:57):
kentucky.
Well, the senior director hergrandmother, is one of the Paris
3 and the senior director worksfor Walmart.
Oh my gosh, so there'll be somany dots to home, so there'll
be so many to that willhighlight homegrown.
So we're super excited aboutthat.
But also, you know we're superexcited about that.
But also, you know we're thebentville film festival, right
where we're.
Obviously, we have huge ties tonew york and to los angeles,
(31:20):
and but there's also a lot ofgreat movies and different
things that are being filmed inthe state of arkansas, so this
really gives us an opportunityto highlight it.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
I I love that.
I think that's a.
That's right.
You're turning 11.
Yes, exactly, and BFF came onthe scene 11 years ago and it
was like, oh my gosh, all thesefamous people are going to be
here all the time.
Exactly, but look what it'smorphed into Right.
It's taken 11 years to bringthis homegrown to the light.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Right, and that's that's what it means.
Well, that's the thing that'sso great about the film festival
is, you know, you get anopportunity to see over 100
films, Right.
But there's also panels whereyou will be able to talk about.
You know the effects of havinga disability Right To the panels
(32:10):
are so inspired.
The panels are so inspiring.
They're one of my favorite.
But then there's that othergreat thing about us where we
highlight the community.
We're starting on Thursdayafternoon in the outdoor theater
, you know, the Gina DavisOutdoor Theater.
Everything is free, Everythingis free, everything is free,
right.
So where this one is reallydedicated to families, you know
(32:32):
what I mean when you can bringyour kids out.
So think about it.
If you're a family of four, ona thursday afternoon I mean
because it is the summer you canbring them out to watch wild
robot yep, get free food yes,free drink platform, free drinks
and just enjoy the night.
Yes, you know what I mean.
And then on saturday, saturdayis going to be insane.
It is going to be insane, it isgoing to be wild.
(32:53):
We have over 35 activationshighlighting some of the biggest
toys, some of the biggestcharacters.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
We're going to touch on that.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Yeah, we're giving everything away.
Yeah yeah, I'm giving too muchaway, so I'll stop.
I'm going to shut you down.
Shut me down.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Shut me down, okay, okay.
So miss Twilla touched onpopcorn, so I can't let you all
go without thanking our podcastsponsor, hershey salty snacks,
because they have skinny pop andpirate booty and dots homestyle
pretzels.
And have you had the cinnamonsugar ones?
I have not.
I might have to try these.
I will get you some.
Okay, freaking amazing, I wantthem.
(33:30):
They're just to die for.
So you all come back for parttwo and we're going to dive into
all things BFF and maybe we'lltell you where Gina is.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I don't know you just have to wait.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
You never know, right .
Yeah, so till next time.
Twilla, thank you, I'll see youagain in a minute, see you, but
appreciate y'all for joining us, so keep.
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