I Am Northwest Arkansas®

About the Show: "We must not only learn to tolerate our differences. We must welcome them as the richness and diversity which can lead to true intelligence." ~ Albert Einstein Depending on who you listen to here in Northwest Arkansas, we have more than 10,000 open positions that need to be filled.  Most of the significant regional companies - Walmart, JB Hunt, Tyson, Simmons, and the Universi...

About the Show: "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." - Oprah Winfrey Now and then, I like doing a monologue episode, and since we are celebrating Thanksgiving this week in the United States, it would be worth sharing some of the things I am thankful for.  I don’t know about you, but holidays ha...

About the Show: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” Dale Carnegie I ran into Carlos Rosas earlier this Spring when I needed a portable 5G tower/hot spot for my office.  I couldn’t get the broadband speeds I needed, so I reached out to Carlos and the folks at T-Mobile for hel...

About the Show: We spoke with the folks at Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville. Danielle Dotson, Marketing Manager, Kelley Carey, HR Manager, Brent Baker, GM, and Managing Partner. They gave us an inside view of the super successful dealership that has tapped into the outdoor enthusiast here in Northwest Arkansas.  Adventure Subaru was the last piece of an automotive dealership collection owned...

About the Show: Being a member of Rotary certainly has its privileges. We heard the next guest of the podcast at a Rotary meeting. Retired Judge John Fogleman shared a historically significant story with our club about the greatest maritime disaster in US History. We were surprised to learn that this disaster did not occur off our East (Atlantic) or West Coast (Pacific). It happened just off the s...

About the Show: On this episode of the podcast, we learn about the first and oldest Domestic Violence Shelter in Arkansas. Peace at Home has been running since 1977 and has made a difference in the lives of countless families struggling with domestic abuse.   Peace at Home has grown to meet the needs of both Benton and Washington County families. They offer several services, including a...

About the Show: In this podcast episode, we sit down with Christina Williams, the Executive Director of CirclesNWA . CirclesNWA is a poverty reduction initiative of the nonprofit Innovative Poverty Solutions . The program helps people achieve upward mobility from poverty.  Christina shared her story about her passion for sociology and people and her experience growing up in a diverse communit...

About the Show: In this podcast episode, we sit down with Chef Jennifer Hill Booker, Co-Owner of the Bauhaus Biergarten in Downtown Springdale.  Chef Jennifer shared her origin story from birth in Ann Arbor to living in NYC and ending up in Tulsa, OK, with her parents. From an early age, Chef Jennifer was encouraged to cook and experiment in the kitchen.  She grew up watching Julia Child...

About the Show: In this episode of the podcast, we sit down for a second time with Brandi K. Harris, a marriage and family therapist serving Northwest Arkansas. This is the second time that Brandi is on the podcast. We had her on episode 134 of the podcast where we talked about all of the mental health counseling options available in Northwest Arkansas. Not only is Brandi a great therapist, but sh...

About the Show: We sat down with Joe Donaldson, Owner, and President of Sam’s Furniture in Springdale, Arkansas.  Joe is a second-generation furniture store owner who learned the business from his Mother and Father, Sam and Becky Donaldson.  Sam, a successful business leader in the corporate world, moved his family to Northwest Arkansas in the early 90s. Joe’s dad was the President of Lo...

About the Show: We got invited to a BiteNWA event a couple of years ago at the 8th St Market and we fell in love with the selection of great food coupled with a well-orchestrated event.  We finally had a chance to get the folks from Bite NW Arkansas on the podcast to learn why and how they put on some of the most anticipated Foodie events here in Northwest Arkansas.  In addition to these...

About the Show: It’s Labor Day here in the United States. The first Monday of September marks the end of Summer and the start of School in some areas - except NWA, where our kids have been in school for several weeks now, and maybe a reason to put away white until next year - but that might not be a thing. Labor Day became official back in the late 1880s when labor movements began gaining steam wh...

About the Show: In this podcast episode, we sit with Natalie Tibbs, the Executive Director of Restoration Village and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County .  We learn more about Natalie and her team's work to ensure that women and children here in Northwest Arkansas have a safe place to go when they need help.  Natalie shared how she has been involved in helping people since s...

About the Show: Not every day, do we get to feature a previous guest on the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast, but this week we are doing just that. Doug Riverman Allen is the owner of Joses Bar & Grill in Tontitown . one of the best brunches in Northwest Arkansas.  Doug was on episode 63 of the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast which was a very encouraging episode about not giving up. It was...

About the Show: In this podcast episode, we sit down with two ladies who got bit by the entrepreneurial bug during the pandemic and joined forces to offer one of the newest boutiques, Bakeries in Northwest Arkansas.  Blanca Maldonado and Chef Danielle Reynolds are the creatives behind the Sugar Apple Baking Company .   Sugar Apple Baking Company offers a unique blend of West Indian...

About the Show: One frequent theme that resurfaces on the podcast is the level of giving that takes place right here in Northwest Arkansas. We have the Walton Family Foundation among a host of other great organizations that give back to our local community and make a difference worldwide. Sometimes these programs are some of the best-kept secrets under our noses. One of our goals here at the I am...

About the Show: Olivia Trimble is Uniting Northwest Arkansas and Beyond Through Love and Art We recently sat down with Olivia Trimble,  Artist, and Owner of Sleet City Art and Supplies in Fayetteville. Olivia is the daughter of Eric Snodgrass , and she is a second-generation sign painter.  You may be more familiar with her artwork as she has done many murals and signs throughout Northwes...

About the Show: Swimming is one of my favorite exercises. I don’t get to do it often, but I feel at home in the water. Our guest, Bonnie Adams, is the Founder of Joys of Swimming and Swim OZ , and she feels the same way about swimming.  Located in Bentonville and originally from Oklahoma, Bonnie has been swimming since she was a kid. A former University of Arkansas Swim Team member, Bonnie ha...

About the Show: Chef Matt Cooper is a friend of the podcast and one of the finest Chefs in Northwest Arkansas, if not the United States. We originally featured him on episode 28 of the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast discussing his return to Northwest Arkansas and the inspiration behind his original restaurant here, The Preachers Son.  Fast forward a couple of years, and with everything going...

About the Show: I can remember when I learned to ride a bike. I was about four years old and had a bike with training wheels. I couldn’t wait to get those training wheels off so I could ride on two wheels like the big kids in our neighborhood.  I know that a lot of people don’t have that shared experience.  According to a recent poll, about 100 million Americans bike each year in the Uni...

To see the complete Show Notes from the original podcast episode CLICK HERE! Mentioned in this episode: FindItNWA.com 🎧 This episode is brought to you by FindItNWA.com – the hyper-local business directory made for Northwest Arkansas. From local eats to trusted pros, it’s the go-to spot for discovering what’s great nearby. 📣 Are you a business owner? Get listed today and connect with thousands of...

To see the complete Show Notes from the original podcast episode CLICK HERE! Mentioned in this episode: FindItNWA.com 🎧 This episode is brought to you by FindItNWA.com – the hyper-local business directory made for Northwest Arkansas. From local eats to trusted pros, it’s the go-to spot for discovering what’s great nearby. 📣 Are you a business owner? Get listed today and connect with thousands of...

To see the complete Show Notes from the original podcast episode CLICK HERE! Mentioned in this episode: FindItNWA.com 🎧 This episode is brought to you by FindItNWA.com – the hyper-local business directory made for Northwest Arkansas. From local eats to trusted pros, it’s the go-to spot for discovering what’s great nearby. 📣 Are you a business owner? Get listed today and connect with thousands of...

This is a special episode of the podcast. We will be back with regularly scheduled programming next week. In the meantime, please listen to this one from the heart. Mentioned in this episode: FindItNWA.com 🎧 This episode is brought to you by FindItNWA.com – the hyper-local business directory made for Northwest Arkansas. From local eats to trusted pros, it’s the go-to spot for discovering what’s g...

About the Show: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Gandhi At least for the last 150 years, education has been an essential part of society.  Every industrialized nation puts a high value on education and credentials.  One thing that is probably lost on most Americans is that higher education isn’t always the goal for all. Only one-third of the US...