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 is a society podcast hosted by Kasie Yokley, with 44 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Kasie Yokley hosts The 3W Podcast, a society show with 44 episodes published.

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  The 3W Podcast

  The 3W Podcast: Ryan Faust - Part 1

  Sep 25, 20261h 2m

  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 design and the broader built environment, plus the story behind the name: buffalo don’t run from the storm, they turn into it. That simple idea turns into a real leadership framework for how we handle hard news, tight timelines and the everyday pressure to do good work for real people. We also talk about Ryan’s core values, including “how you do anything is how you do everything,” and what “no bad days” looks like when you take it seriously. Some of the most memorable moments come from projects that carry meaning. Ryan shares the Children’s Safety Center story and how the team honored kids from the old space by projecting their handprints onto the new building, night after night. We also get practical about health care design and adaptive reuse, including how clinics inside existing buildings can expand access faster and how warmer, more familiar spaces can reduce fear while still meeting strict clinical standards. If you care about Northwest Arkansas growth, affordable housing, the missing middle, and how design shapes culture, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves NWA, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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  The 3W Podcast

  The 3W Podcast: Send 3W Your 2027 Event Dates!

  Sep 10, 202616 min

  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 donors, sponsors and the organizations doing the work. We zoom out on what 3W Magazine is built to do: share the who, what, where so people can show up and give with confidence. September is already packed with luncheons, runs, golf tournaments and gala-style nights, and that means planning matters. I also dig into one of the biggest community moments of the month, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. It’s an LPGA tournament week, but it’s also a 5K, food, family activities, and a reminder that so many great events here directly benefit local nonprofits. Then I get to the main point I don’t want any nonprofit to miss: send us your 2027 event dates now. Waiting costs you, because other groups are planning too, venues are booking, and audiences can only be in one place at a time. If you care about turnout and impact, getting on the calendar early is a real strategy, even if you only have a month and a TBD. Subscribe, share this with a nonprofit friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show, then tell me what you’re planning this fall.

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  The 3W Podcast

  The 3W Podcast: Frankie Rankin - Part 2

  Jul 17, 202632 min

  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 from application to interviews, including the community volunteer panels that turn a stressful moment into one filled with support. Then we get specific about the 360 approach that makes this nonprofit stand out: scholarship dollars can cover tuition, but they can also cover rent, utilities, childcare and other essential bills that determine whether a parent can keep showing up. Frankie also explains the wraparound services that change day-to-day life, including free mental health counseling for recipients and their children, plus a “dry pantry” stocked with essentials like toilet paper, detergent, and hygiene products that SNAP benefits often cannot buy. We also talk education pathways across Northwest Arkansas, from NWACC and the University of Arkansas to online programs and fast credential tracks in allied health and the trades. Finally, Frankie shares the behind-the-scenes story of landing a $1 million challenge grant and pushing a capital campaign toward a new Springdale location, the Pat Walker Center for Success, built to bring services under one roof and closer to the families who need them. If you care about breaking the cycle of poverty through education, listen, share this conversation and help us spread the word. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what support would make going back to school possible for a single parent you know?

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  The 3W Podcast

  The 3W Podcast: Frankie Rankin - Part 1

  Jul 10, 202638 min

  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?

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  The 3W Podcast

  The 3W Podcast: Ashley Starnes - Part 2

  Jul 3, 202647 min

  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 capacity, true versatility and natural light that makes every photo look like a magazine spread. We also tour the property through conversation, from the last-minute origin of The Reserve to the scale of The Hall and the emotional pull of The Chapel. Ashley explains what guests rarely notice but always feel, including flow, flexibility and those hidden rigging points that make massive floral installations possible. Along the way we talk wedding trends, how couples now care about the full planning experience, and why personal details beat “more stuff” every time. As Northwest Arkansas grows, expectations rise, and Ashley gets candid about building relationships in a crowded market, maintaining hospitality without becoming transactional, and why the preferred vendor list is a real process, not a random spreadsheet. We wrap with practical advice for couples, nonprofits and corporate teams, plus a peek at Osage House open house themes and what new community-facing events might look like next. If you love weddings, entrepreneurship or hospitality done right, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend planning an event, and leave us a review.

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