The 3W Podcast

A Halloween costume party inside a working theater sounds like a gimmick until you hear how TheatreSquared is building it. We sit down with Chris Seawood, corporate giving manager at TheatreSquared, and Meredith Lowry from TheatreSquared's Corporate Council, to unpack Stagefright, a 21+ fundraising event on Oct. 30 that turns the TheatreSquared space into a full-night experience with theater-...

A great theater doesn’t just put on plays. It builds a place where strangers sit shoulder to shoulder, feel something real at the same time, and walk back out into the city a little more connected. That’s what TheatreSquared is trying to do in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the behind-the-scenes story is even more interesting than most people realize. We’re joined by Chris Seawood, corporate giving m...

Teachers are saying yes to jobs and then backing out for one simple reason: they can’t find a place they can afford near the schools they’re hired to serve. That’s the pressure point McAuley Place tackles head-on, and the deeper story is why this Bentonville development was already drawing national attention before the doors even opened. We sit down with Ryan Faust of BUF Studio to unpack how McAu...

He started an architecture firm in January 2020, then watched the world change a few weeks later. Ryan Faust, founder of BUF Studio, joins us for a candid conversation about what it takes to build a design practice in Northwest Arkansas while the region grows at full speed and the economy keeps shifting under your feet.  We dig into what BUF Studio actually does across architecture, interior desig...

September doesn’t ease in, it hits like a full calendar alert. With school back, routines returning, and the heat still hanging on, we’re also stepping into the busiest stretch of the year for Northwest Arkansas nonprofit events. I’m flying solo on The 3W Podcast to talk through what’s coming, what we’re seeing across the community, and how we can all make fall fundraising season smoother for dono...

Rent is due, daycare is expensive, the car needs gas, and somewhere in the middle of all that a single parent is supposed to finish a degree. We sit down with Frankie Rankin from the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas to talk about what actually helps parents stay in school and why the real obstacles are rarely academic. We unpack how their single parent scholarship program works...

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 fund...

You can’t fake a venue that feels effortless. Ashley Starnes, owner of Osage House, joins us to share how one of the most sought-after wedding venues and event venues in Northwest Arkansas came to life, starting with 54 acres, a blank page, and a lot of listening. She walks us through the early research meetings with planners, photographers, caterers and DJs that shaped the core requirements: real...

Northwest Arkansas feels like it grows overnight, and sometimes the weirdest part is realizing you still haven’t explored the place you call home. We’re joined by Ashley Starnes of Osage House for a wide-ranging, very real conversation that starts with summer break logistics (two-boy households know) and turns into what it’s like to watch Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and Bella Vis...

Bentonville isn’t supposed to feel like a film capital, and that’s exactly why the Bentonville Film Festival works. We’re joined by Twilla Brooks to unpack how BFF has evolved over 12 years into one of the most welcoming, intimate and mission-driven film festivals in the country, rooted right here in Northwest Arkansas. We get into the real “why” behind BFF: Geena Davis’ passion project built to a...

Maycember is real, and if you’ve ever stared at your calendar wondering how 12 events landed in one week, we’re right there with you. We’re talking straight from the messy middle of the end-of-school-year sprint: field trips for every grade, sports banquets, award ceremonies, teacher appreciation, spirit days, graduation parties and the nonstop “friendly reminder” emails that somehow turn into “la...

Mother’s Day doesn’t just “get busy” at a flower shop. It becomes a full-scale logistics puzzle with real stakes: freshness, timing and the emotion tied to the moment. We’re back with Tricia Upshaw of Shirley’s Flower Studio in Rogers, and she walks us through what it actually takes to serve a whole community when Mother’s Day flower orders surge past expectations. We dig into how a local florist...

She bought the flower shop, then immediately ended up doing the least glamorous owner task imaginable: pushing a van out of the snow. That’s how we kick off a real conversation with Tricia Upshaw, the new owner of Shirley’s Flowers on the edge of downtown Rogers, and one of the most respected floral designers in the region. We get into the origin story of Shirley’s Flowers, how a small local flori...

Skip the tux and keep your hands free, you’re going to want to touch everything. We’re joined by Jennifer Martinez Belt, Chief Philanthropy Officer at the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, to map out what makes the Amazeum UnGala one of the most talked-about fundraising events in Northwest Arkansas: it’s casual, fast-moving, and designed around play, not speeches. We dig into the why behind the...

You can learn a lot about a community by the way it treats kids and the caregivers raising them. We sit down with Jennifer Martinez Belt, the philanthropy and fundraising leader at the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, to talk about the work that makes a children’s museum more than a fun stop - it becomes a place where families across Northwest Arkansas can actually belong. Jennifer pulls back...

Start the year with purpose and a plan. We’re looking at the 2026 3W Magazine and walking you through the Who, What and Where shaping Northwest Arkansas philanthropy — so you’ll know exactly who to support, what to attend and where your dollars change lives. We dig into EverHope, the evolved identity of the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, and what a holistic model means for kids who need mo...

The spark behind Circle of Hope is simple and bold: turn collective generosity into immediate relief for people navigating cancer. We invited Gay Prescott from Hope Cancer Resources to walk us through how a women’s giving circle was built for real life — studied, tailored and launched with clarity about what matters most when treatment begins to upend daily routines. We talk through the pillars of...

The moment a cancer diagnosis lands, life tilts. Calendars stop being yours, choices get crowded by appointments, and the simplest barrier — like a ride to treatment — can decide outcomes. That’s where we go today with Gay Prescott from Hope Cancer Resources, exploring how a community-built nonprofit evolved from NARTI’s radiation roots into a full-spectrum support system for patients and families...

Batteries found, Ferblets chirping and the timer on Perfection primed — this conversation with Amanda Whittaker from Hasbro is a full-on joy sprint through toys, games and the little moments that reset a busy home. We dive into why robotic pets like DJ Furby and Nanimal feel fresh yet familiar, how Monopoly evolves without losing its soul, and the surprising power of fast, low-friction games to pu...

Holiday magic isn’t accidental; it’s built through smart strategy, bold collaboration and a whole lot of heart. We’re joined by Hasbro’s Amanda Whittaker, who pulls back the curtain on how toys move from sketch to shelf — while still making space for joy, nostalgia and community impact. From the Play-Doh x Barbie collab stealing the season to a full-on Furby revival, we get into what sparks trends...

Attention is earned where people already watch and search — and right now, that’s YouTube and social video. We sit down with Parker from PodcastVideos.com to unpack a complete, repeatable system that turns a single recording into weeks of smart content without adding chaos to your calendar. From audience research and show strategy to cover art, music and channel setup, we walk through the exact st...

A four-hour coffee can change your career. We sit down with Parker Dodson of PodcastVideos.com to trace the unlikely path from commercial interior design to photography to building a multi-studio production hub designed to make podcasting easier, faster, and far more consistent. Parker opens up about the early scrappy days — phones, GoPros, trial and error—and how those experiments shaped a profes...

Philanthropy feels big until you hear how it actually happens: a local decision, a monthly gift, a grill fired up after a storm. We sit down with Stephanie Riffle of United Federal Credit Union to trace how community power grows when autonomy meets purpose. Stephanie shares why UFCU treats Northwest Arkansas like home turf even with Michigan headquarters, how that flexibility unlocks smarter partn...

What's the real difference between a bank and a credit union? After 30 years in the financial industry, Stephanie Riffle pulls back the curtain on how credit unions fundamentally change the banking relationship by putting people before profits. From her humble beginnings as a teller to surviving five bank robberies (including a terrifying takeover on Y2K eve), Stephanie shares how the banking...

Dive into the fascinating world of professional hair care with veteran stylist Rachel Bray as she reveals the chemistry, artistry, and evolution of modern hair techniques. After 16 years behind the chair, Rachel breaks down what's really happening in those mysterious color bowls — explaining how toners (or "glosses" as she prefers to call them) aren't something to fear but rath...