The 3W Podcast: Ashley Starnes - Part 1

The 3W Podcast: Ashley Starnes - Part 1

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 Vista transform from open stretches of green into a packed, opportunity-filled region.  We also get personal about home design and decision fatigue. Ashley shares how an architect’s minimal instincts can clash with an eclectic, cozy vision, why committing to bold choices can be hard, and how low-commitment spaces like a powder bath can be the perfect place to take a swing. If you love interior design, architecture, and creating a home that actually feels like you, you’ll recognize the constant tug between timeless neutrals and the fun stuff you’re afraid you’ll regret.  Then we trace the kind of career path that looks random until you see the pattern: fundraising and development, catering and events, and even an energy auditor job that literally involves crawling through attics. Those experiences build the people skills and grit that matter when you’re building something bigger. We end by teasing part two, where we dive deeper into Osage House, the 54-acre vision, and what it takes to turn land into a destination wedding and event venue.  If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend in Northwest Arkansas, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. What’s one local spot you still haven’t made time for?

The 3W Podcast: Twilla Brooks talks about Bentonville Film Festival

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 amplify underrepresented stories by women and people of color, in front of the camera and behind it. Twilla shares how partnerships with Walmart and Coca-Cola helped the festival scale without losing its heart, and why this year’s theme, “The Stories That Connect Us All,” matters when so many important films struggle to find screens. Then we run through what to actually do during June 15–21: the opening night buzz around “Family Movie” with Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in town, the emotional punch of “Cookie Queens,” and the free family programming at The Momentary’s Geena Davis Outdoor Theater, packed with movies, food and hands-on activations. We also highlight Coffee Talks with Ree Drummond, Chef JJ Johnson, and Bobby Flay, plus Juneteenth screenings like “The Ebony Canal” on maternal health of Black women and a powerful Brittney Griner documentary. If you’ve ever wondered what makes Bentonville different, this is your guide. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a summer plan, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

The 3W Podcast: Kasie Yokley talks about Maycember

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 “last call” overnight. We also get honest about the emotional side. May isn’t just chaotic, it’s tender, because routines end and kids change right in front of you. One minute we’re proud and grateful, the next minute we’re crying in the carline or tearing up over seniors we don’t even know. We dig into why closures hit our brains so hard and how parenting a teen who’s suddenly gone all weekend can feel like a preview of bigger goodbyes ahead. Then we shift into survival mode with practical, doable coping strategies. We share how we manage decision fatigue, why “good enough” meals count as a win and how micro breaks can keep you steady when you’re tapped out. For us, that looks like short daily prayer, letting go of perfection, and blasting a car concert loud enough to reset the whole day. If Maycember has you feeling behind, you’re not alone. Subscribe for more real-life talk, share this with a fellow Maycember parent, and leave a review so more people can find us. What’s your go-to reset when May gets too loud?

The 3W Podcast: Tricia Upshaw - Part 2

> 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 plans months ahead, why wholesale deadlines and price increases matter, and how Mother’s Day designs often start with the container first because so many customers want a keepsake vase. Trisha shares what consistently sells, how spring color palettes show up year after year, and why delivery isn’t just “drop it at the door” when you’re scaling from a normal day to a week that can mean hundreds of flower deliveries. > > Then we widen the lens to everything else happening at the same time: weddings, graduations, nonprofit events and prom season. We talk wedding flower consultations in the Pinterest and TikTok era, how real flowers change the final look, typical wedding lead times, and what trends are fading or coming back, from pampas grass to lighter pastels, soft blues with peach, and modern black-and-white wedding parties. We also get honest about prom bouquets replacing wrist corsages, boutonnieres, and the little traditions people still care about. > > If you love Mother’s Day flowers, wedding flowers, prom corsages, and hearing how a trusted Rogers florist keeps quality high under pressure, hit play. If you enjoy it, subscribe, share it with a friend who waits until the last minute, and leave us a review.

The 3W Podcast: Tricia Upshaw - Part 1

> 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 florist grew into a 50-year community staple, and why the best businesses don’t just sell products, they build relationships. Tricia shares how she started in the floral industry as a delivery driver, how she learned design on the job, and how education shaped her career through AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers), the Arkansas Florists Association, and years of competitions, judging and hands-on practice. > Then we go behind the scenes: how flowers are shipped, processed and kept fresh, and why a “magical” arrangement is actually the result of systems, clean buckets and constant problem-solving. We also talk the real rules of floral design, symbolic meanings people still attach to certain blooms and the simplest tip for keeping flowers alive longer at home. > If you love Rogers, Northwest Arkansas, small business stories, wedding flowers, or just want your next bouquet to feel more personal, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves flowers, and leave a review so more people can find the show.