The 3W Podcast: Frankie Rankin - Part 1

We talk about the winding path from a psychology degree at the University of Arkansas to weekend childcare at a children’s shelter, and how that “temporary” choice turns into a real calling in nonprofit work, social services and community impact.

Frankie also shares what it feels like to step into the CEO seat at the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas after years of learning fundraising, development and endowment campaign work from the ground up. She’s honest about walking in confident, then realizing leadership is a daily education especially through curveballs like COVID and organizational change. If you’re searching for nonprofit leadership lessons, career pivots, or how people actually grow into executive roles, you’ll hear the unpolished version here.

Then we go full real-life: raising two boys into adulthood, surviving the “bro” phase, dealing with school calls, and trying not to laugh at the exact wrong moment. We also talk about being a people person who still needs quiet downtime, plus a few lighter detours into cornhole, horseshoes and karaoke picks.

If you like this kind of honest conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s figuring out their next step and leave a review. What part of Frankie’s path sounds most like your own right now?

Transcript

Meet Frankie And Set The Tone

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Hey everybody, welcome back to the 3W podcast. Today is going to be super fun, and I highly doubt we stay on track at all. So good luck to all of y'all out there. I have my super fun friend here, Frankie Rankin. Frankie, welcome to the podcast. Hi, thanks for watching. Have you been before?

SPEAKER_01 0:22

No.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

This is here.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Yes. I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

You've been making the podcast circuit.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

I've done one prior to this. I've got it on the circuit.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Yeah. Frankie is with the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas, which we're totally going to dive into more on part two. But part one is all about Frankie, and I hope you all fall in love with her just as much as I have fallen in love with her over 15 plus years, is what I'm gonna say. Yeah. Yeah. Like she's kind of my favorite, one of my most favorite humans, and nothing clean ever comes out of our mouth. So we're gonna try and keep it super positive. Always good starting out profession. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Solid.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Okay. How long have I known you?

SPEAKER_01 1:08

I met you at I think the children's shelter. Yes. I want to say it was probably like 2010, maybe 2011. Okay. It's that long ago. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

It was way back. Did I have a kid? Do you know? No, you didn't have any kids. Okay, so it would have been prior to 2010. So it was before 2010. I've known you over 16 years. Yeah. That's a long time. That's a while. Wow. And we haven't aged at all. So we look the same. Okay, so I knew you at the children's shelter, and you've kind of hopped a couple places, but been super loyal ever since. Probably my most favorite place that besides single parent where you're at now, where you're like just kicking butt all over the place, which we're going to talk about in part two. But um, I loved working with you at Mercy because there was never not laugh.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

I know. I loved it there too. Well, and it was such a great team and great people. And I mean, I who doesn't love Mercy, like great health care, and that's what they provide. So I loved it there, but it was really fun. It was fun. And we get

The Leap To Nonprofit CEO

SPEAKER_01 2:10

to spend so much more time together there.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

I know. So it was kind of nice. Yeah, it was. Um, okay, so let's talk about your job progression over the last 16 years because you are currently at Grand Poo Bah over at Single Parrot. That's the first time I've heard that. You're the CEO. You're one year in on being a CEO. And when I found out a year ago, I called you and you didn't answer.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

I think I still have that voicemail. It's one for the records, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Because I was like, oh, we're so fancy and so important, we can't answer our phone now. Okay, got it. Thanks. Um, congratulations. Thank you. It's been it's been a trek. The best trek.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Yes, it's been like such a learning experience that um that I think I said to somebody recently I felt really cocky going into it a little bit because I was like You are a very confident human. Let's be real, but in the best way. Well, it was um really misplaced at that time. Because I thought, oh, I've worked here for eight years, like this is gonna be great. I'll know, I'll know what to do. Yeah, I'm still learning so much every single day. But it's that's good, though. I know, I'm excited about that. Right. I love that. And so um, so that's been really fun. But you didn't even start as a like real employee eight years ago.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Right, no, you were like a contract worker to work on we were doing an endowment campaign. Endowment campaign, that's what it was. Yes, yeah. And I remember when you went there and I was like, what, what, what? I can remember sitting at this restaurant, it's the old well, it's rights barbecue and pinnacle now. I don't it's been a hundred things since before rights, and you're like, I want to have a chat, tell you why I'm here, and I was like, Okay, and we did, and I was like, and I'm bought in because anytime somebody takes the time to tell me about something and is crying simultaneously and has a personal connection that I'm automatically in. So it was to see you go from a contract working on an endowment campaign to being the big cheese is kind of cool.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Oh sure. Like, no, I really do think it is, but I don't think I've thought about it in that way. Oh previously.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

I thought that's kind of what I see when I look at you. Like when I see the letters after your name, I'm like, look at where she started at this organization.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Yeah, no, that's really true because I started and thought, okay, well, I've got a job for two years. Yes, a job for two years. And that was it. Like I didn't know what was gonna happen after that. But I loved the organization and the mission so much that I was like, well, I'll take that chance and I'll have a job for two years and then we'll see what happens. And so fortunately I was able to stay on after the first two years. Um But even that was temporary, wasn't it? But no, I mean, after the two years, the board voted to go ahead and and keep me on.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

Um, but then you know, soon after that, COVID hit and then we went into a merger. So it has been, I mean, really interesting nine years of time at Single Parent Scholarship Fund. But fantastic. Right at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

Yeah. I mean, you change lives every single day. Yes. I love it. And we get to see that every single day. Every single day.

Ferndale Roots And High School Life

SPEAKER_00 5:28

Yeah. Um, so let's talk about Frankie. Frankie is from central Arkansas. Yeah, Frankie's from Ferndale and can't be faded. Frankie from Ferndale, which you just told me this. And I literally thought you were from Little Rock all 16 plus years. Oh, yeah. Frankie from Ferndale, a town I've never heard of, but I remember the movie Ferngoli growing up as a little kid. And so I was like, oh, I um you should be from Ferngoli with all the fairies and all the whatever. Maybe that's what Ferndale's like. Yeah, it probably is. Right. Probably is.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

So how big was this Ferndale town? Oh, it was really small. Uh and I mean, I don't even know if it's still called that anymore. It's essentially West Little Rock now. But was it called Ferndale High School? No, I went to um Joe T. Robinson, which is a Pulaski County school. So it's not a Little Rock School District School, it's in Pulaski County, but it also wasn't very big. We had like 110 people in my graduating class.

SPEAKER_00 6:25

Yeah, but were you like the rock star of Joe T. Robinson High School?

SPEAKER_01 6:31

Well, yeah. Exactly. Again, here comes the cockpit. I like it. I like it. Yes, you've really got it. No, it was just fun. Like high school was fun. You had so much fun. I did have fun. But you're a fun lover. Like we had a great class though. Like we all got along. Everybody was just like connected and it made it fun. And somehow I did really well in high school.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

I won't say I did well in college, but I have my kids convinced. Well, really, just the youngest. I think the oldest is figured out. Um, but I have the youngest convinced that I always made straight A's. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you did, right? Yeah. Yeah, me too. Uh-huh. I really was at school, and in fact, I just had dinner with my high school best friend that I hadn't spoken to in 20 years. I just had dinner with her last week, and uh, we were just kind of reminiscing, and I was like, Oh, you were just that good kid, like head down, studying, good with your money. And I was just kind of out there like la la la.

unknown 7:32

Hey!

SPEAKER_00 7:33

And she was like, Yeah, you were. Yeah. Like, yeah, I wasn't on that track that you were on. Yeah. I can see you being both.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

Yeah. I don't think I could say I was the good kid. My mom always says, I'm still hearing stories about you from when you were a kid.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

Oh, I love telling my parents those stories now. I'm like, so guess what I did? I snuck off to Oklahoma City one weekend. Yeah. Like, you did? And I'm like, yeah. Yeah. And they were so clueless.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

And my parents were too. Absolutely 100% clueless. Thought I was like the perfect age.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

I was a good kid. I mean, I'm I mean, I wasn't a bad kid. No, we all make poor decisions. Right. But that's part of learning.

Psychology Major And The Career Pivot

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Yeah. But we're still here. Yeah. And amazing members of society. Absolutely. Yeah. Yes. Okay, so then you moved to to Fayevelle to go to the U of A. Uh.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

And what degree did you get? I got a degree in psychology. So, and if you're not going to get a master's or go beyond that, it's really not. Um I shouldn't say that, but for me, it was just for you. Personal experience. Personal experience. Um, it didn't provide a career patch, is what I will say. Was it fascinating? I loved it. Okay. I loved studying it. And that was really like when I started college, I was actually pre-med because again, I thought I was like super smart. And then I took biology and I was like, oh, that's not fun. Reality chill. Uh-huh. Yeah. So I thought, oh, I better change. So I I'm I switched to psychology just because I was really fascinated with people. Uh-huh. You are a people person. I love people. And so, and I loved the think about like what made people tick and like why did they function the way they did? And so I loved taking the classes and learning. And then I had like a super reality check when I got done. Like, well, what am I supposed to do? Where's my job now? Right. Yeah. Um, so yeah, so that's how I got into it.

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Is that how you went in? Yeah, I was just gonna say, is that how you went into social and nonprofit work?

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Yeah. Okay. It really, so, and that was by accident, really. I mean, I when I graduated, I thought, okay, I want to be a counselor, but I wanted to take some time off, so I would I was trying to get an internship. And the um the doctor that I was trying to work for gave me a personality test and then politely told me that um I was not I didn't have the right personality to be a therapist. Weird. And like at the time, I was like, that's awful. Like, how could you say that? And now I totally get it. Like I would be terrible at that job. Um, but but it was devastating. I feel bad that there's cameras because I this is so you and I. I know. It was like you're like, oh I'm just laying it all out there for you. I love it. I love it. But yeah, so so I got this crushing news, and then I just thought, well, I guess I'll just keep working at the bookstore that I worked at in college. Yeah. That's right, their husband. Yeah. Yes. One of my favorite stories about you, actually, that's not where I met Pete, but we did work there together. Oh, okay. Yes. Where did we meet Pete? I met Pete on the South Street. Also on brand. Yes. Um I was having a party at my apartment and she was walking down the street. Yes. So that's how we met. Okay. And we have been inseparable ever since. Yeah, you have. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. That's hilarious. I didn't know that. That's the version I'll share today. I like that. That's a clean version.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

I like that. Um, my one of my favorite Pete stories is that he didn't have a driver's license for like you want something or most. Okay, yeah. I was just gonna say in the last 10 years or so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Yeah. So and he did that because we moved to Bell we moved from Fayetteville to Bella Vista and he still worked in Fayetteville. So it was like, well, you're gonna have to figure out how to get there. Um, and so, but yeah, so he drives all the time now.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

I love that. Yeah, that's one of my favorite stories about Pete. Truly, that might be that I think that is my favorite Pete story is that he did just made it through life without a drug slice. He didn't need it. He didn't really face him and no, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

I love that maybe my children as well.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

My youngest anyway.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

Is he still not? Max is not. Okay, yeah. Not worried.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Okay, yeah. Yeah. He's got what he's what, 18, so he's got 22 more years. That's right, yeah. I mean, he's on track. Why rush it at this point? Okay, so we didn't get to be a counselor. No. What did we do? Thank you, Jesus for that. Unanswered prayers. Thank you.

Children’s Shelter Work That Changed Her

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Um, so yeah, so then I I truly started working at the children's shelter on the weekend. Oh, is that when you started? Was essentially college? Like a little bit after. So like maybe it had because I had was, you know, licking my wound still from being told that I had chosen the wrong path in life. Um, but yeah, so then I was still working at my job from college and got a job at the children's shelter on the weekend doing child care because I wanted to go on vacation and I needed extra money.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Not where I thought not where I thought that was gonna go. How do I not know these random little facts? I wanted to go on vacation, so I went to work at the children's shelter, which quick reference for all of you that's now called Everhoe. Yes, but yes. Oh, that's in the child care part of it?

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Yes. And I have I was the youngest child in my family. I'd never I'd never supervised children or taking care of children, so I mean Did you Pete have children yet? No. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

This was earlier. This was training. Yeah, yeah. Nothing like going out there for some training. No, not at all. Oh my gosh. So, how long did you do weekends and childcare till it transitioned into? Did you start immediately on the development side?

SPEAKER_01 13:18

No. So I spent about four years on the program side of things. So I was um so I'll say I was only weekends for a couple of months, and then I absolutely fell in love. Like one does. Yeah. I mean, it was just like you're changing life. Literally life changing life. Yeah, and so and it changed my life. Like it gave me kind of, you know, a mission in what my life was gonna be. And I found out that I really loved helping children, and that was like that's kind of where my passion started. And I think that's the thing that I love now about single parent is that we also are helping the children. So it's just this for me, it hit it fills all my buckets, but so um, but anyway, at the children's shelter, I uh worked a couple of months for the weekends and then I went full-time. Okay, and then I was a child care supervisor for so I supervised other staff members um for about four years. Okay. And then I had a lot of different roles there. I was the volunteer coordinator, um, and then eventually I got into development. So probably my last three or four years there was in development. I was there for two years.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

That's when I met you. Yeah, was on the development side. And I I do remember actually, okay, yes. This would be when I met you. It's probably when I went and took a tour out there, and I was pregnant, which is not a solid time to take a tour in children's shelter. Yeah, I remember y'all had just gotten in a baby, and I'm growing a baby, and I was like, I am so confused.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

As to why and how and left bowling, yeah, of course. Absolutely. I knew I was all in on that and have been ever since. And so I what you all did out there was unbelievable. Yeah. And the stories are tragic, but they always left with smiles and assessments, and yeah, they were on track, on track, upward trajectory or whatever. Yeah, yes. Okay, so I met you at the children's shelter and out of hope, and then you um went to a couple other meaningful nonprofits and then landed at

Raising Two Boys Through Every Phase

SPEAKER_00 15:30

single parent, but in the middle of all that, you had two kids, two boys.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

I did I had my kids when I was at the children's shelter. Oh, yeah. And now they're grown up. They are grown up. I'm like, how is that even possible? It's weird, babies don't keep. I know. Yeah, and it's really sad, especially because now we see all these things on Facebook pop up, the memories, and I'm like, how was that 10 years ago?

SPEAKER_00 15:54

I don't know. And that's the only reason I post on social media so that to see those things cycle through.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Like, I don't find them otherwise.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Yeah, I I cannot dig through my phone, and I'm not savvy enough for Google Photos. It's yeah, I I just I'm just not. So if I post it on Instagram, I don't care about the likes, loves, or whatever's, I just want to see it pop up several years later. Yes, because it just it breaks my heart and makes me smile all at the same time. I know. I can remember my oldest and youngest, my oldest and your youngest, I'm sorry, doing like a little like a basketball program or something like the why.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

And I think my son was licking the pole. He was. And your son was like super serious about basketball. So it just the, you know. I was like, Thank you, I've known you for a hundred years.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

Which one's your kid? I don't know if your kids, right? Because I only know you pretend professionally. Right. And you're like, oh, that's that's Max.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

He's the one looking the I'd forgotten about that. Like, oh my gosh. And then Yeah, that's how sports work for our family, all of them. So yeah. Well, aren't you sporty? I was didn't you grow up being sporty spies? Yes, this is what I know about you. And it's devastating at first for me when my kids, neither of them liked sports. Like, it was that kind of um participation in everything that they tried. And we tried lots. I mean, we did. Did you make the rounds? We made the rounds.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Yeah. Oh, I remember thinking that about maybe both of them. I was like, oh, don't look real coordinated. I hope something works out for you because we're not a musical family either. I can't read a note to sing a note. I do think I have a m very angelic voice in the car, obviously. Yeah. Can't read a note to save my life. So I was like, and I'm fairly certain we're not artists of any kind.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Well, that's what my kids are. My kids are really artistic. So they both draw all the time. They write.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

Where'd they get this from, do you think?

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Uh not me. Sporty spies. Yeah. Is Pete artistic? He's creative. Like Pete's really creative. Yeah. And so I think they get a lot of that. He was really smart too. And so I think they get that, they definitely get that from Pete too. But like, um, so they're smart kids and they're very creative, like artistic and drawing, and they're in their old.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Like what, 18 and 20? Oh, 21. 21. 18 and 21. That's so painful. It's so amazing. But thanks for bringing it up. Oh no, you're welcome. I'm always here to bring the love. Um, but you've raised amazing young human beings, and that's what that's what we're doing, right? We want them to keep growing and stay six feet above and be contributing members of society, even though it's painfully amazing.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

And they're so kind and loving and like they're best friends. And so to watch them together is just like the joy of my life, truly. Did they argue growing up? No, not really. Like, we had a couple of like small times where they did that, but like they have always just been super close, and I feel so fortunate for that. You are, yeah, because and I just like that's my hope is that they continue that for you're close with your siblings, yeah. Yeah, and so and I think it's I mean, like, that's so special to me. It is special.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

So I don't have to just so I look at other people and think that's really special.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

And I like I've I know that's special, yeah, and so I hope that my kids continue that, but it's just really like it really is like the joy of my life to see them interact together and how close they are.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Meanwhile, I'm walking around. I'm like, can we just get along? Can we please start arguing? Can you hug each other? But they're four years in age and five years in grades apart, and then they're both and they're very different, they're wired very differently, and that's hard, I think, as a mom to go we made both of you the same way. Yeah, how are you so different? How is this happening? And um both of mine went to the same private school, and thank goodness one paved the way for the other because the second one is just kind of he's awesome, he's real cute, and he's real smart. It's just he's not really on that straight path that the first one's on. And so that is so stressful for me because I'm like, I would say, and I'm sure my mom will go back and watch and listen to this. I would say I'm a role follower, probably not when I was being raised of any kind, but it's funny to see how different our kids are when they come from the same people and the stress levels they provide us. Yeah, yes, yeah, and I don't know if do your kids stress Pete out? Because I can say, Oh, do they? Because my kids don't stress my husband out.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Oh no, I think they both stress us out. They do, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

I hold on to different reasons family. Oh, for sure. I mean, but yes, no, I think Pete feels Pete feels like really really strongly though. And so I don't, I mean, like, so yeah, he gets stressed. You're probably a but we probably stress about different things with the kids though. Yeah. Like, you know, so I mean, I try to be chill, but when it comes to my kids, sometimes I'm not super strong. I'm not chill. Yeah, especially when they went through those phases where it's like, oh, good morning, and then you get yelled at because you said good morning to them. I was like, what is that? What is that? I don't know. I didn't care for that phase. So I'm glad we're beyond that. I might still be in that phase. Oh, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_00 21:44

I got the phone call yesterday from my oldest. He's like, Bro, I was like, Okay, still it's mom, but that's fine. Yeah. Uh, bro, you didn't wake me up. I missed my workout. I'm like, and number one, you have your own alarm. Right. Yeah. And number two, Two, you get yourself up 99% of the time. And number three, you never once communicated to me the night before that I was the alarm clock. Right. And he's like, bro. I'm like, bro.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

Is the word you're looking for.

SPEAKER_00 22:16

I'm constantly bro. Were you ever bro? No.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

You were never bro? No. Uh-uh. That wouldn't have gone over very well, I don't think.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

Huh? What? No. They never called you bro?

SPEAKER_01 22:27

No. I don't think my kids were real like it's a like slangy thing, you know, like that kind of stuff. Super slangy. Um, I think they like find the humor in that and like tend to be more um sarcastic children that make fun of things.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

Oh literally.

SPEAKER_01 22:45

Um that's what they're trouble for. That's I can't figure it out. I was I have no code. One of life's greatest mysteries. It really is.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Um, that's usually what they get in trouble for. Really? Yeah. Yeah, because they're not really in trouble kind of kids. No.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

A few times that we did get calls from school, it was

Sarcasm At School And Parenting Lessons

SPEAKER_01 23:05

mostly because they had said things that were inappropriate. Um, and I, as a mom who thinks a lot of those things are funny, had to really keep it together in those conversations with principals and teachers. Um, because when you hear what it is that they've said, yes, absolutely inappropriate. But also like a smart burn, you know, like you're kind of proud of like intelligent that's that's a life skill later on.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

That is, we should celebrate that. Yeah. So we got called up to school in the fall, and I'm not going to say the details of it because I would be highly canceled.

SPEAKER_02 23:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

But um child number two asked a human at school if he ate a certain thing, um, a certain animal. Uh-huh. And he brings this home to us, and we're like, oh, that's funny. He's like, you know, he I uh so-and-so told me that he eats whatever this animal is because, and I was like, Oh, it's funny, yeah. With dad and I grew up hearing that all the time too. And dad goes, Well, that's why there aren't those kinds of animals outside of those kinds of restaurants, because that's always been the running joke. And he's like, But also, you can't say those things, right? So we go into the principal's office, and I mean we have this conversation, and Deadpan looked at them. We're like, But y'all, we're all sort of like floating in the same H pool. We all know this, yeah. And they're like, I was like, okay, okay. Well, now we all know. Yeah. So that was a learning moment. Yeah. Like you, that food that you love, it's not that animal, and you can't ever ask anybody what they eat, basically. Yeah, just don't talk to anyone. Just don't say words at school. If the teacher says ask you a question, just say yes or no. I can't say anything else. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

Oh, yeah, those are hard moments, but they're treasures. Yeah. Do you laugh a lot at home? Because every time I'm around you, yeah, I laugh hysterically. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

I mean, I think we do have to. Your home filled with laughter. Um, my home's filled with people. It is filled with people. And so when we're together, I think there is, but then also there's like, I need downtime. Do you need to decompress? I do.

SPEAKER_00 25:29

Okay, because I've never seen that side of you.

SPEAKER_01 25:31

Because sometimes you just people a lot. Oh, I mean, you know, and it's like, okay, I need, but I mean, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

I know. It doesn't matter. You still gotta do it.

SPEAKER_01 25:40

But then I still need so like you need some quiet. By nine o'clock, I'm like, okay, it's

Decompression Time And Small Talk Fatigue

SPEAKER_01 25:45

time to not be around anybody. And like, I want to sit on my couch, I don't want anybody to interrupt me, and I just want to watch like something for 30 minutes to an hour to just chill in total like my time. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Do you get small talked out?

SPEAKER_01 26:00

Sometimes.

unknown 26:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

And I try not to small talk people too much because it's inevitable. I know. I mean, I know you have to, and especially with people that you're just meeting. Yeah. But but I really want to get to something deeper. I know. Like I just feel like, but yes, and I think those are days when we're like, you know, it's like, oh, okay, we're having a lot of like little interactions like that where it's like if you just feel like I just saw you at a couple weeks ago.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Right, and it's super high energy during, and then there's a crash after sure. Yes. Yes. So I was um in Dallas, the tropical desk, all my tropical destinations this summer are centered around baseball. It's beautiful. Yeah. So I was in Dallas for five days because everybody wants to go to Dallas for five days. Yeah, in the summer. And live in a hotel. That's great. And the amount of just little conversations, they're all my people. Yeah. I love them. There's a lot to say about your kids' extracurricular activity family. Right. They're my baseball family. And um, but I mean, at some point, I think it was like, oh, it was Sunday. We got home Saturday night. And Sunday, I was just like, I didn't do anything. The house was clean. I had done laundry in the hotel because I thought we were still staying. That's a joy. Yeah. And um, I just was like Tip for next vacation. Do laundry at the hotel. It's fun. I know how to do it now. People walk in and I'm like, excuse me, I'm scrubbing. And I have like a whole bag of travel laundry supplies. Okay. I've crossed it. Interested. It's weird. And I travel with a uh laundry basket. Okay, that's weird.

SPEAKER_01 27:39

It's like a new level for me. I know it's weird. I don't really know. But again, my kids didn't love sports. So I don't care. I still don't I don't love that part of me. I'm not gonna lie. I didn't have to learn that. I have a travel shop bottle. Like, that's sad. Anyways. That's like super momming. That's not sad. Well, I mean super mom. Well, do you you would do the same thing? You wouldn't be like, I don't know. I got to the point where I'm like, if you care enough to do your laundry and do it right, then great for you. But um, if you're gonna make me still do it, then it's probably not getting done. Do your kids do their laundry? I mean, they should, right? Yeah, okay, okay. They don't all because again, back to the people that live in my house, my mom and dad live there. Um I spoil my kids terribly, and I'm not gonna lie about that. But also my my parents live with us, so their grandparents live there and also spoil them terribly. So in times where I've said, like, you know, they the children know how to do their laundry. Do they? Yeah. We started that like, yes, a long time ago. Oh, okay. We had those teaching moments. Um to question it now, like, oh, I don't know how. That's what my husband does. Yeah. Oh, I don't do pizza laundry at all. That was like number one when we got the phone.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

What button do I push? And I'm like, uh, what is wrong with you? He's like, I didn't do my laundry in college. So I paid a service. I'm like, of course you did. Yeah. No. So no, I do laundry. I think it's my type A. Like to control. You want to make sure that it's done right. Yeah, yeah, no, I get

Bella Vista Life And The Bike Problem

SPEAKER_00 29:10

that. Yeah, because I can't just yeah, it just runs way too often. Yeah. You live in Bella Vista. Your parents moved in with you a handful of years ago, which I think is amazing. Yeah. Do you have a tell us about Frankie? Do you have a favorite restaurant up in Bella Vista? Um, because I don't go to Bella Vista very often, but I do like that Bella's table up there.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Yeah, that's the one I was gonna say. I mean, that's a great place. Um, we're getting some new places because the there's a new place in the bike park. So I live like a block from the bike park. Okay. Um, and so I haven't been in there yet because it's just been too busy.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Oh, yes, I read about this. The meeting looks really good.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

Yeah, so it's like pizza and burgers. Yes. Yes. Um, so I'm excited about that because it's super close to home.

SPEAKER_00 29:55

Did you buy a pass? Did you are you a founding member of the bike? No, okay.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Did you own a bike? No, I don't have one anymore. I gave it away. Okay, we don't own bikes either.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

It's weird.

SPEAKER_01 30:08

It's another parent moment that I failed was I didn't teach my kids to ride a bike. So doing really good. And now we live in the bike capital of the world. So, you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

They don't know how to ride a bike. No. Surely they know how to ride a bike. Like a little tiny bike when they're little.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

Would you like to put my children on a bike today and see what happens? I would love to. They might get a few. I mean, they're like, I would love to watch it. We did try, but they're entertaining to watch it. Also, we live in Bella Vista, and it is not like conducive. It's not, unless you're on a trail, it's not conducive. It's not conducive. And so, like, I remember when we got Buckley a bike for Christmas, and he'd had like a tricycle or whatever, and then we got the the bicycle, like, you know, we're taking the next step up. It was Spider-Man and like some cool things. Um, and it had like hand brakes, which we lived at the end of a cul-de-sac, but our driveway was down a hill. The cul-de-sac was down a hill. So there was like a small space that you could bicycle on. And um, we forgot to talk about the brakes before we started like getting him pedaling. Uh, and he went down the driveway and slammed into the back of the car. And and so there really wasn't a lot of interest after that to ride the bike. I know. We did make him get back on because I was like, you gotta get back on and try again. Like, don't let this be the end. Um, but it was pretty much the end. And it was so sad because he was so excited about that bicycle, too. But was it hilarious too? I mean, it was like more like, oh, blank, we really we really messed this up. On to the hobby. So it didn't feel great. It really was scarring. It was scarring for me for a long time. Because I'm like, my kids don't like sports, and now I've ruined the biking thing that could be like a fun activity for them outdoors. So I've done a really great, I've done a bang up job. You are a great mom though.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

You love them. Well, I I do love them more than anything. Yes, and their grandparents live with them who love them more than anything. Absolutely. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Yes, and they're wonderful children. They somehow, even after those incidents, have turned out to be amazing kids. Human beings. They are, and I shouldn't say kids because now they're adults, but yeah, they're gonna always be your kids. No, I know, yeah. And they're always gonna be spoiled and babied. It's totally fine. Do you baby Max? Yes, yeah. I try not to all the time now because he's getting ready to go to college.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Fair.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

But um, you were talking about the alarm clock, and um, yeah, I'm not sure Max is gonna be able to wake himself up. He's gonna have to.

SPEAKER_00 32:50

He's going to go to school for architecture.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

Like they live at that building. So we have an alarm. Well, he has an alarm. Step one. Yeah. And he's had that for quite some time. Okay. We'll see how that goes. So I'm hoping for a roommate that's really super fantastic that's gonna help with that wake-up process.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

I'm sure the roommate

Cornhole Nights And Horseshoe Glory

SPEAKER_00 33:10

will love that. Yeah. Okay, so I ran into you a couple weeks ago at Mercy's Cornhole event, and you have these stellar corn dog t-shirts that Clark picked out for the two of you. How did y'all do in the tournament per whatever we want to call it? I mean, we practically won. Oh, practically, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

We only we won like two games. Okay. So that's winning. Yeah. Um, but ultimately we we got to end before it got super hot and we were able to leave. So I feel like that's um. And you won with appearance. Yeah, I mean, we had fantastic t-shirts. Um, and the best attitude, I'm sure of all. Do you practice? Um I haven't in a while. I really love cornhole.

SPEAKER_00 33:56

Yeah, it's fun as a family activity. Yeah, I don't agree.

SPEAKER_01 33:59

I actually I love horseshoes. Like we I grew up playing horseshoes. Okay. My husband's played that. I've never played a horseshoe in my life. I've actually won horseshoe tournaments. Oh, like for money. It was like when I was young. Yeah, I was we I used to be I used to be very athletic as we talked.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

It's actually the fun fact. See, I didn't even bring my notes that I normally bring with people because it was just because you know I'm just gonna shout out for you. Right. Because we know each other so well. We don't need pages and pages of notes. But on there is like, tell us a fun fact about you that no one knows. You're a horseshoe star.

SPEAKER_01 34:35

Yeah, I've won a horseshoe tournament. My dad and I. And my uncle used to have them every year, and we would play for money, and my brother and I would usually win those too. But like, I won like a legit tournament here in Northwest. I didn't know that existed. This is amazing. It doesn't anymore. Wow. Like, you know, because then it turned to baggage, like it's switched, like there was that cornhole. Like there was that transition, and so like horseshoes kind of went away. And now it's cornhole, but I'm not as good at that. Practice. But I don't, yeah, I don't do it as often. Well, maybe she's a good one. I will say now that I'm older though, they are lighter and much easier to throw than a horseshoe. So upsides everywhere. Right. So I don't get as tired like as I probably would if we were playing horseshoes. You do some arm workout.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

I know. Um, do you have

Karaoke Picks And Part Two Teaser

SPEAKER_00 35:20

a karaoke song? Do you have a go-to karaoke song? I haven't done karaoke.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Well no forever. But if you had a concert in the car, yeah, it would probably be um for non blondes, uh what's going on or what's whatever that song is. Yeah. Um, because I like to scream that song out in the car. Fair. So I feel like that's I can say karaoke anymore. No, I used to do um, what was her name? Uh she actually came and performed for Mercy uh one year. Oh gosh. Um oh, Jennifer Nettles? No, uh big Jewel. Jewel, yes. I used to do Joel songs when I was um in college and had all the confidence in the world. You would just belt out some jewel.

SPEAKER_00 36:09

Yeah. She was wildly popular when we were in college. Yes, she was.

SPEAKER_01 36:12

So okay. So that's an old school karaoke. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

Interesting. There's a couple Uber around town that have karaoke in their cars. There is their art. Well, we need to do their art. One's a minivan, and I've been in him once or twice, and he's got a microphone and uh screens and lights and yeah. Are we doing that after this? Yeah. It's gonna pick us up. Yeah. What's your song? Vanilla Ice, Ice Ice Baby. Okay, yeah. Yeah. All right, stop. Collaborate and listen. Yeah. Okay. That's a good spot to stop. Yeah. I love that. Okay. I hope y'all hung with us because that I know that was a tough listen because we're really just friends hanging out. So, but I hope y'all got to know Frankie a little bit better. And join us for part two because we're gonna dive into all things professh, legit perfection, not her side hustle of karaoke, but her day job changing lives over at Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Quick note: let's see, we're heading into

Walmart Snacks Plug And Goodbye

SPEAKER_00 37:17

July. So it's America's 250th birthday. You're definitely gonna need to stop by Walmart and get your Hershey salty snacks. Definitely need some dots, pretzels, pirate booty, and some skinny pop. My home always has those. I'm sure your home always has those. So don't forget to stop by your local Walmart and pick up those Hershey salty snacks. Tune in for part two. We'll see you next time. Bye. Bye.