The 3W Podcast
From the people that bring you 3W Magazine, welcome to the 3W Podcast! We aim to serve our community by promoting awareness of Northwest Arkansas’ thriving philanthropic movement; To provide a guide of dates to help coordinate events so every nonprofit gets the coverage they need and deserve; To give financially to local charities each year.
The 3W Podcast
The 3W Podcast: Kasie Yokley
What happens when an Oklahoma State Cowboys fan, deeply rooted in her hometown and fiercely loyal to her team, moves to SEC country and starts cheering for the Razorbacks? Join me, Kasie Yokley, in this heartfelt episode of The 3W Podcast as I share my journey from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to Bentonville, Arkansas. From my beginnings at TulsaPeople Magazine to co-founding 3W Magazine with Leslie Zanoff, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at my career, my unwavering commitment to nonprofit work, and the hilarious quirks of my small-town upbringing, including the fact that I don't own a bike in a bike-centric community.
Navigating the world of social media can be a challenge, but it's all part of my larger mission to support nonprofits like the Mercy Health Foundation and the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter. This episode sheds light on my passion for community involvement and the rewarding experiences that come with it. You'll hear about the ups and downs of maintaining a social media presence with the help of my colleague, Ashley, and learn why giving back to the community is so important to me. From Pilates studios to early morning nail appointments, it's all about balancing personal goals with professional commitments.
As a devoted mother, I open up about the joys and complexities of raising two boys and balancing a career. Expect candid stories about travel baseball, soccer, and the dynamics of my marriage. I also share my love for books, cocktails, and movies, along with my experiences navigating social fatigue as an extroverted introvert. Whether it's celebrating school graduations or cherishing small victories, this episode is a tribute to hardworking moms and the little moments that make life special. Join me for an authentic and engaging conversation on the Who What Where podcast.
Hey everybody, welcome to the 3W Podcast. Today is a little simpler, a little narcissistic, if I'm being completely honest. We are three podcast in 3W3 Podcast that I would take some time to tell you a little bit about me if you don't know me. Some people do, some people don't, and we'll just pretend I'm super famous. Also, I can't see, I refuse to wear anything but these little glasses. I have notes that I have made that are in like the tiniest font ever. I should have put it in like T-Rex font, but I didn't. So bear with me as I look down a lot and try to figure out what I'm trying to say. So a little bit about me.
Speaker 1:My name is Casey Yokely. I am from Oklahoma, the great state of Oklahoma. I am an Oklahoma State Cowboy. I bleed orange. I am fiercely into the Big 12, even though we've recently had 10 teams, now we have what feels like 400 teams. I don't even know how many teams we have anymore, but I'm a cowboy all the way. But now that I live in SEC country, I will be honest. I will cheer for the Razorbacks. It's very challenging for me to call the Hogs. I feel like a complete poser when I call the Hogs, but I will cheer for them. I've got a really cute Pigs brand hat and that's probably all I have, but I will cheer for the Razorbacks. I've been to some sporting events and fundraisers for them. So go Hogs, but for sure go Cowboys.
Speaker 1:So, um, I moved to Northwest Arkansas back in 2006, I believe, and started 3W Magazine in 2008. So I've been here a while, almost 20 years, which is really weird to me. I moved here with no friends and continued to drive back home to Tulsa every weekend because I thought Tulsa was New York City. I know it's not, but it was to me back then. So I moved here with my husband, colby. He is an engineer with Crossland Construction, so I constantly joke that right now we live in a big, giant traffic cone and I'm married to a traffic cone, and we live in a traffic cone. There are five gajillion detours around here, and he tells me all the time this is what we need for change and for betterment for the community. So to just shut my mouth and move on. Anyways, so that's like a super quick story about me.
Speaker 1:I got into the magazine world on accident. When I lived in Tulsa. I worked for a fantastic monthly publication called Tulsa People Magazine. And then when I lived in Tulsa, I worked for a fantastic monthly publication called Tulsa People Magazine. And then when I moved over here, I worked for another great monthly publication called Cityscapes Magazine, owned by Kim Chart, who is still a great friend, and that is where I met my business partner, leslie Zanoff. So Leslie and I did 3W Magazine for 15 years together so a really long time and then she exited this past September to go live her best life and lean into health and wellness and momming. So she's just living the dream down in Fayetteville. So now it's just me and Ashley. And then we have a new designer, laura, who is taking over Kayla's reign. So that's kind of where my magazine background came from.
Speaker 1:I can't write to save my life. I love an Oxford comma or the lack thereof, I can't remember, but Ashley hates them. The lack thereof, I can't remember, but Ashley hates them. So that is the only time that we get into editing issues is when I have to say no, there's a comment that goes there and she's like but there's not. Um, I have no journalism expertise. I do have a marketing degree, so that's kind of where my talking and hugging and loving on people comes from. I definitely get lost in the weeds of people's ads on accident or events. You will see me just kind of like go off and I'm like, oh, that's not my job, hold on refocus. And here we are. So I sold ads back in Tulsa to businesses all around the Tulsa metro area and then did it here when I moved here, made amazing contacts and then that's how we jumped out and started 3W Magazine. So that's kind of my pretend journalism background, if you will.
Speaker 1:So back to Oklahoma. So I apologize, I'm also from a small town. So I said I moved here from Tulsa. I did, but I'm from a real small town just north of Tulsa. I did, but I'm from a real small town just north of Tulsa called Bartlesville, oklahoma, and it was home of Phillips 66 Petroleum back in the days or back in the day, and it was a one high school town, multiple stoplights, but a one high school town and it was good.
Speaker 1:I have no complaints about being raised in that small town and going down the road to Stillwater, oklahoma, and then to Tulsa and now to Northwest Arkansas. So I live in Bentonville, I'm a big Benton County person. I don't own a bike, which is really weird. I think my family, or at least my husband and I, are probably the last people in Bentonville to not own bikes, and I know that is so bad, but it's on the list. So just just hang tight with me, or if somebody wants to give me a bike, I will. I will ride your bike, but I probably am not really good at it. But that's okay. But I live by the bike trails, I live off ice street near Louise and we use Osage park all the time and love it. So I have no complaints about Bentonville at all, just that we live in a traffic cone.
Speaker 1:Um, so I think I answered how I got to Northwest Arkansas and how I got into the magazine business. Oh, here's another super fun fact that I wish I didn't own, but, um, I suck so badly at social media Like I have really great intentions. In fact, just a few weeks ago, at the Mercy Health Foundation golf tournament, ashley and I went out there. She was covering for her part and I was like, oh, I'm going to take a bunch of pictures of, you know, the golfers and the food and Shiloh Technologies, who was providing the food, and people enjoying their lunch, and Anheuser-Busch, one of our clients, that supplied all the beer and alcohol. So I was going to create this great reel for it. But you know what? I didn't, because when I left the golf tournament I ended up getting pulled over by the Cave Springs Police Department. I was not paying any attention I will totally throw myself under that bus and driving too fast and I was stopped by the nicest man and keep an eye out because there could be a story coming. But no, but he left me off with a warning, but not because I was potentially going to do a story on him, I just I like his involvement in this nonprofit that I had no idea about and so it was really interesting. Anyways, after I got pulled over by the policeman and then I rushed off to school to get one of my kids and that reel never got made.
Speaker 1:So I have really great intentions of social media and zero follow through, zero, zero. I need like a little person to just walk around and like help me with social media because I'm not good at it. And Ashley, she does the very best that she can as well, but, um, I I don't have that passion. I wish I did, but I don't. So you will see me post on my stories. I don't know once in a blue moon. And my Instagram is basically just for my kids. I love a good Facebook memory pop-up, love it. I only post so that I can have memories of my kids pop up. I should really post for my business, but that's what the 3W accounts are for. But I do feel passionately about our clients and whatnot when I use them for a personal sake, but I just have no follow through. So perhaps it will be on the to-do list this year. So it's always a goal and maybe I'll get better at it. So we shall see.
Speaker 1:Speaking of another goal, I'm not a workout person. I don't like strenuous activity. My idea of being outdoorsy is walking to a patio to have a drink, maybe with the dog, maybe with the kids, only when it's like 75 and up. I love sun. The hotter the better. Um, yeah, that's kind of who I am.
Speaker 1:However, I do have two friends who bullied me into joining a Pilates studio or an ex-former studio or whatever it's called. It's Saan in downtown Bentonville. It's super bougie, super beautiful, and now I am that person that is going at 5 30 in the morning, four days a week. I don't know who I think I am, but I it. It's very much not me, so maybe it's becoming the new me, so maybe there's hope for me and social media. I also disclaimer get my nails done at 5 am every other Friday, which is absurd as well, but that's just when I can fit it in. And I have the most amazing nail person who owns her own nail studio. It is men at a loft nails. She is not paying me for any of this In fact I pay her so but she's just that amazing. I've been with her since 2006. So I won't go to any philanthropy.
Speaker 1:So you all know that three W stands for the who, what, where, and the bulk of the magazine is 12 months of nonprofit events. Right, be it runs, walks, family fun outings, golf tournaments, galas, luncheons, breakfast, you. If it's tied to a 501c3, we are going to try and promote it. In fact we get. We just got a message this week about promoting someone's lemonade stand, uh, that she's going to have a in Bella Vista for, uh, children's cancer. So any events that you all can send us, we'll gladly take them and push them out on our social not my social, because I'm not good at it, but the 3W social on our events calendar and on our email blast that goes out once a month. So anything we can get our hands on, we will do so with that. So 3W is 16 years old.
Speaker 1:I did not know when we started this magazine that I, unbeknownst to me, had a passion for nonprofits. I absolutely love people. I love dot connecting, which you'll probably hear again, and I love trying to solve problems Probably not my own, but everyone else's. I love to try and solve problems, for, in fact, I just rushed over here from a meeting with my friends at the Mercy Health Foundation where we were talking about the 15 year anniversary of Women With a Mission, which is a great thing, falls under the foundation's umbrella and I am the chair of the Mercy Health Foundation. I'm about to roll off, as they've reminded me, but that's okay. I love Mercy.
Speaker 1:I will fight to the death for Mercy because without high quality healthcare, none of us are here. We are all six feet under without high quality healthcare and I've never received any bad healthcare at Mercy. In fact, I just had to make a pit stop there last week even though this will air later for my nine-year-old who was having an allergic reaction to something he ate. We spent three hours in the ER. We, right in they had a massively full waiting room. But I will not. I will say we didn't get in because I helped the foundation. We got in because my son was having extremely labored breathing and the nicest nurses, the nicest doctor. He got a cocktail in his arm that took everything away. We now have an allergy appointment in six weeks to figure out what's going on.
Speaker 1:But without mercy, without the love and the care and at the overall mission of Jesus in that hospital, uh, you know, I don't know what would have happened and I don't. I choose not to think about what would happen. But that leads me to believe. I serve on the Mercy Health Foundation because I have a passion for it and I know that all my other board members that serve with me. We have a passion for making this hospital greater and bigger and providing more service lines. Just, we don't want people leaving the community for health care. So, if you ever have any issues or need any medical advice, if you need care, seek care. That's what they say at Mercy. So, yes, if you need anything, just holler at me and I will try to put you in touch with somebody who can help you at Mercy. But I love them. I love them.
Speaker 1:Another nonprofit I am very passionate about it's the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter and they have a new, newly developed philanthropy council where you invite people out to tour the shelter, like I would invite you to come tour the shelter, see what it's all about. It's not a scary place, it's an amazing place. I toured the shelter 14 plus years ago maybe, or 10 plus years ago, I'm not really sure it was the old shelter and I was scared. No, it had to be 14 years ago because I was pregnant 14 years ago, plus years ago. So very challenging to tour that. I loved crying, but not because of the shelter, just because it is uh, it's challenging to see children in those circumstances. But the people at the shelter, the team at the shelter, that's where they need to be. Those, that's where those kids need to be. It's the most safe place where they can be assessed, medically, taken care of, educated and safe.
Speaker 1:So over the years I have dove into Mercy and I have dove into the children's shelter. I also just recently joined the Children and Family Advocacy Center's Giving Circle as well, because they are a one-stop shop for any child that has been sexually abused or just abused in general. I'm probably butchering that because it's what I do. Regardless, I look forward to the day that they can shut their doors because no child will be abused in any form or fashion. So I say all of that because I'm like I did not know I had a passion for non-profits. I had no idea I had a passion for doing a job and baking money and going on, but the side effect has been I am very emotionally tied to these nonprofits that are in the magazine. So if you come to us and you need something, I'm going to attempt to try and find a way to figure it out. So, yeah, I love the nonprofits.
Speaker 1:Um, I am a mom. I am very scatterbrained, I am self-diagnosed ADHD and I think it's because I have two boys. I wanted a girl so badly I couldn't see straight, but clearly God had different plans for me because we can't make girls. But I have the two most amazing boys. I have a 14 year old who is finishing up junior high this year, which is painful to me in. In fact, when I turned the corner and I dropped him off this morning, it said congrats, eighth graders. And all of a sudden I started crying. Oh, I just am a complete basket case when it comes to my kids. I also have a nine year old who will be 10, probably when this airs um, he is finishing up third grade this year, and so now my baby is going into fourth grade at a private school in downtown Rogers. He goes to St Vincent Catholic school, and I just I couldn't be more proud of him. If you ever have any questions about ADHD, you can reach out to me. We have a new diagnosis on that. We are now medicating for that. I'm kind of an open book also, which is an interesting road.
Speaker 1:My boys are nothing alike, absolutely nothing alike. My firstborn is more like me. My secondborn is a lot like my husband. Speaking of my husband, I love him so much. We do not fit at all at all. I cannot even express that to you, but I would rather fight with him any day than wake up next to anyone else.
Speaker 1:God has a wicked sense of humor, and opposites truly do attract. I wanted to marry somebody much taller than me who wore suits every day, and instead I married an engineer in construction with muddy boots Not what I was picturing for my future, but I wouldn't change any of it. He also has a very wicked sense of humor and laughs at everything under the sun at anyone's expense. So, um, just buckle up. If you're around him, he's. He's an interesting and he's got very dirty sense of humor too. So, um, but a very kind soul, kind soul, and I am all over the place anyways. So my kids, so my 14 year old, he plays travel baseball and I think that is completely psychotic and I guarantee you he plays travel baseball because of my karma.
Speaker 1:When I, when he was younger, like before school age or I don't even know if I had the second one or not I was in this little tiny hotel, and I don't even know where visiting my husband because he was off on a project and I was sitting downstairs. I don't even know if I had kids, to be honest, I can't remember. Anyways, I'm sitting downstairs at the continental free breakfast and all these ball teams and people were coming downstairs and I'm like, oh my god, like this is, and it was summer, and I'm like this is their vacation, it's this little dinky hotel with the free breakfast, and I'm like I'll be damned, this will not be my life. I am not spending my vacations in these little hotels on the weekends for baseball tournaments Famous. Last words, because now I do and I absolutely would not change it. Um, I don't need a mother's day with all the relaxing. I my perfect mother's day. That just happened.
Speaker 1:But my vision for a perfect mother's day every year is sunny and 80 degrees and both of my boys playing whatever sport involves a ball that they love. If they win, even better. If they lose, it's fine. Unfortunate, but it's fine. My youngest place travel soccer. I think that is um quite the steal compared to travel baseball. You don't even have to pay to watch your kid play in a tournament. It's amazing, whereas at baseball you're nickel and dimed every time you walk in the gate. Fine, I'll do whatever, but but it's um soccer just just amazingly inexpensive compared to travel baseball. So, anyways, those are my two boys. Um, they are the entire universe for me. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them. In fact, I have this magazine because of them.
Speaker 1:I choose to have an annual publication so that I can still be a mom or a stay-at-home mom or a free mom or whatever kind of mom you want to call it. It helps me be involved in the community, make some money, help some people out and still get to mom, just like I will. I always pick my kids up from school 97% of the time, so they've never ridden a school bus like a home bus, which is great too. I tried to get my 14-year-old on a bus earlier this year and it didn't work out, but my goal is to always pick them up, always be present for the parties, always get to know the teachers which I find it a bit more challenging in junior high than I do for the younger one but, um, it's, I don't know. I am, they are my world and I hope that I don't know, I just hope they're with me forever. That's, they're just great. I just love them.
Speaker 1:I absolutely do not think before I speak. It's just really unfortunate. In fact, I was at this event yesterday morning and this person was getting up and speaking and so well-spoken and I'm like, oh, I wish that could be me. It's not me and that's okay, I'm working on it. I'm working on it. Um, but it makes me authentic. But I am absolutely a hot mess on a mic, as you can obviously tell, and on a camera. My friend Clark at the Mercy Health Foundation lets me have a mic at Charity Ball, his 1500 person plus event in December, which I don't know what he's thinking, letting me have a mic, or maybe I've just bulldozed him enough, but I do love to get the mic. I have no confidence, but I just speak and it just works. And it reminds me of being a child in my bedroom with a mirror on the back of my door and my parents were older parents and so I had these big, giant, huge headphones that went over and a hairbrush like the round brushes today, and that was my microphone. And so that is where my passion for microphones comes from. But I am authentic. I put my foot in my mouth all the time, as you can obviously tell, but it's okay.
Speaker 1:I am a lover of life. I would much rather attempt to sing and dance and make a fool of myself than listen to sad songs and be quiet. It's just not really 100% who I am, especially in public. I like to joke around. That's probably why my husband and I do very well together.
Speaker 1:I just I like real people and you know what, in this job with Walmart in our back door, I am always enthralled by female executives especially who are real, because everyone is walking around faking it till they make it. This is my theory, and me too. I'm not going to lie to y'all. I am absolutely out there pageant waving and it is what it is. But when I meet or I hear a panel of female executives from wherever and they are real and they call themselves whatever and they're very well-spoken also, but I, I just love real, it's just um, it's who I am I feel like it makes you approachable. It also makes me a hot mess and a hot button. But I don't think before I speak and I am a very real human. But speaking of real humans on my notes, I have no idea where it is.
Speaker 1:I'm also and I heard this one of my friend Ryan. I'm not going to call him out by last name, but my friend Ryan said this when he was on a panel a couple of years ago. He said he is the most extroverted introvert and I'm like, oh, it really hit, because as much as I love people, I love to be at home not speaking to anyone. My kids are either gone out of practice on a device, on a TV or whatever. I love to just go sit on my bed and I might scroll, I might watch something aimless on TV, I might read a book.
Speaker 1:I was on a big book reading kick last year and it's fallen off. I read like five books. That's a lot for me. Five books, five or six books last year and um, five or six books last year in um, what year are we? In? 2024 and 2023. Sorry and um. I ordered a bunch of new books after Christmas and I'm like I'm only halfway through it with one. I'm not going to tell you what it is, because the author is super famous and the book is super famous. I just I'm trying to get through it because everyone says it's amazing and I'm just I'm struggling with it. So my book reading has gone by the wayside, but I'm hoping to pick it up back up with summer, because I love to be tan. Even though I'm a huge fan of Premier Derm and all the sunscreen, I still love to be tan and I love to cook in the sun and read a book with a drink and a hat. So there you go.
Speaker 1:Come mid-December, I'm done peopling. I don't mean to be done peopling, but I'm super done peopling and I get very small talked out like I'd like it's. Uh, it's real sad. So if you ever see me and I'm not on, I apologize. I do have a friend, um, and I will say her name because she is adorable, and shout out to her she's got a huge promotion.
Speaker 1:Jacqueline House, who is now one of the morning people on KNWA. She walked up to me a couple years ago and was like hey, I'm doing a live video, something, something on the phone at this event. Can I do a quick interview? And I was just like no, and I hate people that say no to me and I don't know what was going on, but I couldn't turn it on. So we talked about it. She was like I get it, I get it. So if you ever just can't people and everyone thinks you're peopling, it's okay to to not people and to be an introvert, um, yes, but I would say I'm an extroverted introvert. Maybe we'll see.
Speaker 1:Anyways, okay, I don't know if you drink cocktails, but I love cocktails. I don't discriminate on alcohol. I'm not an alcoholic by any means and I don't even drink that often, but I absolutely love going out to get drinks with people. Huge fan of tequila Not a tequila connoisseur by any means. Big fan of tequila, though, just really like it. And then I love me some red wine in the winter. I cannot drink it in the summer unless it's sangria. Sometimes a beer with pizza is really great.
Speaker 1:My friends at Anheuser-Busch and Molson Coors both have amazing beers. We support both of them. They both have seltzers, they both have super fun things. So we try to support both of them. They both have seltzers, they both have super fun things, so we try to support both of them. And yeah, but if you see me, chances are I'm going to have a ranch water, so it's just a very light and easy cocktail for me. So, yeah, tequila and red wine.
Speaker 1:Okay, what else? Oh, this is probably back to me being authentic, but, um, I think I'm really funny and I have no doubt that I'm not. So if you've made it this far, kudos to you, because I'm not sure I would have, or I don't even know if my husband would have, but it's okay, it's okay. This is for me, this is for the magazine. And here we are and here we are.
Speaker 1:I already told you I prefer humor over sentimental, because sentimental makes me get into my feelings and I choose to compartmentalize those. So I would much rather laugh my way through everything than to have to stop and feel, because then you have me crying and car line dropping my 8th grader off this morning, which is no one wants to see that, and just, he quickly got out of the car. But are we surprised? Um, but speaking of crying, um, I don't watch animal movies. Um, they are. It doesn't matter how well they end, I don't watch them.
Speaker 1:My nine-year-old had the one and only Ivan on last week just on, and I was busy moving, doing all the things in the kitchen and dining room and wherever he was watching in the living room, and I still, and I had to leave to go get the 14-year-old from baseball practice. I still bawled all the way to get the 14 year old from practice because it's a true story about a gorilla and he goes to live this amazing life after being in a mall. Anyways, I just couldn't handle it. And it ends well. Same thing with Marley and me Not the same, but same.
Speaker 1:I went to see that movie, didn't read the book, probably should have had to leave in the middle of it because they're putting the dog down. I'm like, no, this is like we've grown attached to this beautiful dog. Also, I have a dog, we're dog people and, um, you know, I had to leave and it's just, I had to crawl out over people during Marlene Meats. So I'm like I don't watch animal movies. I really try not to watch animal movies. Um, but speaking of leaving a theater, I've only left a theater three times in my life. Um, the second time my husband wanted to go see that American sniper movie and I'm going to butcher his name, so I'm going to say it's Chris Kyle, but I can be completely making that up. So I apologize for not doing my research first, making that up, so I apologize for not doing my research first.
Speaker 1:Really good movie, up until a child was injured and I left, literally ran out of the theater. I cannot handle anything happening to kids or to animals. Um, thankfully, wherever I, whatever movie theater I was at, there was a bar, a restaurant right around the corner. So I just went to the bar at the restaurant, ordered a red wine because it was winter, and text him. I was like I'm here, so, um, just when the movie's done, you just come get me. And then, because my husband has a very sick sense of humor, he's obsessed with scary movies. Um, halloween is his favorite. Michael Myers is probably his spirit animal or spirit, something anyways loves Michael Myers.
Speaker 1:We have a long-standing history with Michael Myers. He scared the absolute crap out of me. In a store back in Oklahoma before we moved to Arkansas, he put a mask on. It's like, but I don't know. It's not even near Christmas or near no, it's past Halloween, it's Christmas. Why they have this mask? I have no idea. He is what feels like a thousand yards away from me, but he's not Puts the mask on. I just happened to turn. I see him. I scream bloody murder in a store. He falls down laughing. So we just have this history with Michael Myers. Side note my nine-year-old was Michael Myers for Halloween. So that's really good parenting. So just follow along for more parenting hacks, because we're obviously extremely amazing parents.
Speaker 1:He wanted me to go see whichever was the newest one at the time. This was several years ago and I went and I'm not so sure it wasn't my anniversary. It must have been an out-of-body experience. I went to the movie with them. I'm kind of like this the whole time, and Michael Myers kills people, right, we all know that In like a public bathroom or something like this. I don't remember the details, and then I'm not so sure that a child wasn't injured a few scenes later.
Speaker 1:Anyways, short story long, I leave the theater because I can't handle it anymore. But I have to go to the bathroom. And movie theater bathrooms are pretty scary. Also, don't kid yourself, I kicked every door open to make sure I was alone. Good thing no one else was in there. That would have been real jarring. And I peed in that bathroom with every stall door open because I was so scared of being murdered by Michael Myers. I peed and ran and found somewhere to wash my hands in a more public place than the bathroom. Not a finer moment in my life, but one that had to be done. So I've only left a theater three times in my life. And scary movies.
Speaker 1:I'm not a huge fan. Oh, let's talk music. I am not a music aficionado at all. I love music. I am top 40, hits, one on SiriusXM just kind of became a Taylor fan with this last album. Also helps that she's dating Travis Kelsey, because we are big Chiefs and Cowboys fans, like Dallas Cowboys, also OSU Cowboys, but we are big sports people and so I just like to sing along to music. I'm never going to find the obscure new wave, new hip songs until they're already popular and brought to me. So I just I want to be those people that appreciate all the things.
Speaker 1:My girlfriend texted me tickets to I'm not going to say who she is, because it was a wildly popular concert back in the fall and she was like, hey, I've got two tickets to the amp and I was like, oh my gosh, and not only can I, can't, I can't go because of the boy's schedules, but I don't even know who that is. Oh, this person was so popular, so popular, so when I figured out her songs I was like, oh, that's who that is. That would have been a fun concert anyways. Um, I just like generic super fun music. My first concert was New Kids on the Block and I'm not going to lie, I'm going next month with my girlfriend Michelle. We have like the fanciest tickets. Like I don't know, we get to meet him. So I can't.
Speaker 1:I. I can tell you what I wore to that concert. Like this was back in the 80s when kids wore, or girls wore, their dad's polo shirts and tucked them into jean skirts, and I'm sure I had white socks on with my Cole Haan loafers. It was a red polo, white, blue and yellow polo shirt with a green pony. I mean, you can't get more 80s than that. So the concert was in Tulsa. I remember my mom driving her and I, my girlfriend and I, to Tulsa, dropping us off. I mean we were probably 12 at this. It was at the University of Tulsa and it was the very best concert. I absolutely loved it. I was a super fan from day one and I'm so excited I get to go see them in a few weeks, so it's going to be so great.
Speaker 1:My second concert more 80s, but it was really 90s because it was eighth grade for me Ipsy Hammer I mean can't touch this right, so great. And in Vogue and vanilla ice opened up. And speaking of vanilla ice, everyone has to have a karaoke song. Ice, ice baby's my karaoke song. So, just um, I feel that's important for you to know. So, um, stop, collaborate and listen. Okay, I digress, but anyways, I just feel like that tells you a little bit about me.
Speaker 1:My husband is a big country music fan. My 14-year-old is really big into country music. Morgan Wallen's his favorite right now and I do like Morgan Wallen. I like more rock and roll-y type country music and in fact, my 14-year-old has tickets to go see Morgan Wallen in August in Kansas City and I'm very excited for him and I get to take him, which was not the original plan. But I'm pretty excited and I'm going to wear my super fun hat that I made in Nashville.
Speaker 1:I went to Nashville back in September. I'd never been and if you have the chance, please go and also visit a hat bar. I went to a hat bar down in the Gulch I think that's what it's called and I made a hat and my hat is awesome. It's also I have it on in the Founders photo in 3W Magazine. It's a great hat, but it will only be my hat, and at a hat bar you can do whatever you want and customize it any way, and so I was able I think it's on this side, so I point over here Um, I got the boys initials branded into my hat.
Speaker 1:So, um, I don't know. It was kind of fun, so it would only be my hat. Very, very expensive little venture to make your own hat, but very worth it. So all the cute kids will be at the Morgan Wallen concert and I will be there with my super cute tall 14 year old and I will have my super cute hat on. Not sure about the rest of it and I'm sure him and I will get into an argument over his attire, but, um, I don't know. It could be fun, so we shall see, um, and maybe I'll do this every now and then, maybe once a quarter, I jump on here and you all tell me what you want to know about whatever. I hope you know a little bit more about me. I hope that you feel empowered, entitled, whatever, to just stop into the 3w magazine office or to let Ashley and I know if you ever need anything.
Speaker 1:I feel like I'm really approachable. I just met this adorable person and I can't tell you her name because I can't remember it, because she was supposed to. It was really loud at the event so I couldn't hear very well, but she was adorable. She had on a black and white polka dot dress and I invited her to come on the podcast, but I think our communication got lost and I haven't received a message because I don't think you could hear the phone number stuff that well that night. Anyways, she's a fan and not of me but of the magazine, likes what the magazine's doing. The magazine is the best magazine, like I love all the magazines in the market. We have our own lane and I'm very proud of that lane, and so I'm still navigating this whole podcast situation.
Speaker 1:I don't know what I'm doing. Obviously you know that. So I'm trying to bring people on that are interesting and fun, and I would love for you anyone in Northwest Arkansas to come on and let's talk about it. Let's talk about being a mom, let's talk about working, let's talk about balance in life. So whatever you all want to know about me, or about 3w or about ashley, just let me know. So, um, I hope you feel like you know a bit about me. So it's a little uncomfortable, I'm not gonna lie. Very narcissistic is how I feel, but that's okay.
Speaker 1:And people tell you to celebrate the win. So I going to celebrate the win that I've got a camera and you're captured audience for a small amount of time. So hopefully on the next one I will have someone else with me, but I just thought this might be kind of fun. If it's not just DM me and tell me that was awful, I can take it. Anyways, we're heading into this will air in a week or so, but we're into Memorial Weekend this weekend and last week of school for one kid, next last week of school for the other kid for me. Um, congratulations to all the graduates out there. You all. You all are awesome. But also shout out to the moms, because this is a tough time and you all have done amazing work, and just shout out to all of you thank you. You for joining me, thank you for the time to let me occupy your space. I really appreciate it. Thank you for joining the who what Word podcast. See you next time, you, you.