People of Northwest Arkansas
The People of Northwest Arkansas is an award winning podcast celebrating the power of storytelling by providing a platform for individuals living in Northwest Arkansas to share their unique and inspiring life experiences. We believe that every person has a story worth telling, and through our podcast, we aim to amplify these voices through thoughtful interviews and engaging storytelling.
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People of Northwest Arkansas
The Ride that Tells a Story with Allyson de la Houssaye
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We sit down with producer Allyson de la Houssaye - AWAL Productions founder, former Jerry Springer producer, documentary storyteller, and co-founder of Women of Oz—to trace the route between media mayhem and the quiet, durable power of community. Her new film, Ridge to River, follows a 472-mile ride from the Ozark mountains to the Delta rivers, stitching together personal grit with the layered history of Arkansas.
Content Note: Contains discussion of sensitive subject matter pertaining to talk show television.
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Nostalgia, Daytime TV, And A Tease
SPEAKER_00Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Did you watch that when you were younger? I did. Didn't you watch it? Yeah, it was like my sick day comfort. That and Price is right.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yes, Price is right. Jerry Springer, Wheel of Fortune.
SPEAKER_00Home improv- not home improvement. Family Matters.
SPEAKER_03Days of Our Lives. Yep. All that daytime sick day content.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_03But yes, the Jerry Springer show. We will get back to Jerry later in the episode.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because we actually have someone here that worked on the Jerry Springer show. Not just worked, was a producer on the Jerry Springer show. But that's not the only thing she's done. She's done many, many things since then. We have in the studio today Alison De La Hussein, and she is the founder of AWOL Productions, a media company specializing in storytelling across the news, documentary, and branded content. And so she began her career in talk shows, but she has since developed a very diverse
Meet Alison De La Hussein
SPEAKER_00portfolio spanning from corporate to creative media. She's also the governor-appointed commissioner for the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council and the chair of the Bentonville Parks and Recreation Board. She's also the co-founder of the Women of Oz, and she has a new movie out that we will get to in a little bit that I want to talk about.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_00But welcome to the studio. Hey, ladies, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_03We're so excited to have you. That is quite the bio, Alison.
SPEAKER_01That's impressive. Let me be honest. Laundry's not getting done, and we run out of toilet paper all the time. So that is fair. You can kind of have it all.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for saying that because when things are going really well for me, my my house is definitely not doing well. It's okay. Yeah. The laundry piles up.
SPEAKER_01It's just more about like a harmony rather than balance. There's going to be moments where some things get more attention than others, and that's okay. You better just roll like that. Otherwise, you you will just be awake at night thinking about all the things you didn't do.
SPEAKER_00And so Alison, for our listeners, you cannot see her, but she is outfitted in her cycling jersey and cleats. She came here right off the trails, which is very fitting because her new movie that she has produced is called Ridge to River, and it follows nine cyclists on a 472-mile ride across Arkansas from the Ozark Mountains to the Delta River. And so, what when I was watching the preview for this, what really struck me was the storytelling
Harmony Over Balance At Home
SPEAKER_00component and their personal journeys and the journeys through these small towns, getting to know people in the community. What struck me is that it was weaving together the small town community where they were complete strangers to these people and how they were able to go through and find all these connections. So I'm excited to see it. I haven't seen it yet. We're gonna go to a screening. I'm really excited. But tell us about before we get into the movie, how you came to Arkansas.
SPEAKER_01Like lots of other folks, I was a trailing spouse here. We moved here in 2013 for an opportunity with Walmart. At that point, my background had been television production. I was working in sports news for NBC as well as documentaries for National Geographic, Annie, Storm Stories on the Weather Channel, really programming for the over 60 crowd, but did had done that. And then when we moved here, we added our third child and it started to become a little bit hectic trying to for us both trying to work. And so I decided to stay home. And at that point, I really started getting into cycling. You know, cycling is a big cultural connector here in our community. And so started riding with Girls Bike Bentonville. And from there,
Ridge to River: Film Overview
SPEAKER_01there was a group of us that started Women of Oz, which, if you aren't familiar with it, it's a women's mountain bike organization. We're really focused on teaching other women how to ride mountain bikes. It's a beautiful program. If you are curious about mountain bikes, you don't know where to start, bring a friend, come to one of our flagship rides. It's the first Saturday of every month. It's just a great opportunity to try it out and see if it's for you. So we started Women of Oz, and that was in 2019. So really got deeper into the cycling community and leadership. And from there was hired on to work with People for Bikes, a national advocacy organization based out of Boulder. They have an office here in Northwest Arkansas. So I did that for a few years. And then this opportunity came about for the film, which was like a great blending of passion, skills, backgrounds, so kind of going back to those roots. And so The Ridge to River is really it is an adventure film, but it's really more about placemaking in Arkansas and the connections of the people within the state. So I think it kind of married all the backgrounds between my service at the state level and outdoor recreation boards at the local level of Parks and Recs and then filming and cycling. So it's like all those wonderful things together in one little package. That's really awesome.
SPEAKER_00You are like a perfect match for Danielle and I because storytelling. Storytelling storytelling. Yeah, it's the storytelling, but you came here, you know, you're not from here, you came here and you've blossomed and created and you're part of the culture and and the and just showing off the state. And I love that when people because you know, people that live here from here do the same, but they're from here, so they have that pride of being where, you know, being from Arkansas. But I think it's really cool when people come from out of state and explore the history and the culture and weaving together the communities. I love that, like giving back.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I agree. Yeah. And I would say you even like helped shape that culture. Just what Women of Oz is doing in this area is really a huge, huge deal. And all of the cycling things that are happening, I can't even keep my head on straight with all the things that are happening in the cycling community. But it's really exciting. Yeah, that's yeah, okay, go for it.
SPEAKER_00One and it just popped into my head. So with Women of Oz, let's say you don't have a mountain bike. Can you still show up or do you need to at least like can you rent one?
SPEAKER_01Well, so when we started Women of Oz, that's a great question, Danielle. And like that is one of the things we were trying. We said, okay, what are the barriers? Well, if I don't have a mountain bike, it's probably not likely that I'm gonna go be able to purchase one. They're pretty expensive. They start at 500. That's a big investment. And then, you know, so we said, all right, bikes are a barrier. The second thing that's a barrier is education. If I've never done it before, how do I learn? Where do I go to get
Moving To Arkansas And Finding Bikes
SPEAKER_01these resources? And then the third barrier we found was intimidation. When I think about like what a mountain biker looks like, she is probably wearing pads and a full face helmet. She's way cooler than me, right? Like she's got a fox jersey on. That's an intimidating package. And so we set out to say, hey, if you come to our ride, you're gonna be greeted with a smile and a high five. And the other women there are gonna look like you, right? So that it kind of sets that like low bar, like, okay, oh, all right, I can do this. I see other women that look like me and they're doing it. So one of the things with the equipment we partnered with local bike shops. So Ari on flagship days will give you a free demo if you are with the women of Oz. And then Mojo has like a $20 bike rental fee. So bad. Yeah, so $20. And those are two great options, and I would recommend doing them both so you can kind of try different bikes. But that is one resource for you, and hopefully that lowers the barrier. You do have to register, but it is free. It's just we need to have like a headcount so we know how many ride leaders, and it is all volunteer. All the women who show up on that day to coach, they're doing it for free to share a skill set, and it's sort of that's the whole basis of a club. It's free, it's open to anyone who identifies as a woman. You come in, you learn a skill, then you go on, become a teacher, and you give the skills back. And that's really what it's about.
SPEAKER_03I love that. I think that that's really valuable. It's something a conversation I had recently with someone is kind of relatable to that is this like idea of servant leadership of just like giving back and doing the things that maybe you know, if you're like at the top of the food chain, like people expect that you might not do it, but you are doing it or you're giving back. And I think that that's how community grows when you're willing to to do those things.
SPEAKER_00And I and I wanted to ask you that question directly because it is definitely a question I've I've followed women of Oz on social, and and I will be honest, it is intimidating for me because I'm used to biking in the city, I've just got like a little fixed gear bike. Like, I'm not used to the trails. So I've always wanted to do it when we even when we had Jesse Heard on, she's like, come out with me. And I'm like, it is very intimidating. Yeah. So I love that you actually kind of wiped that away just now with your explanation of what's going on. So I feel like I will be much more apt to try it.
SPEAKER_01We want to be the place where you start. It's a really welcoming, soft, lovely environment to dip a toe in and just say, like, oh, is this for me? And when you show up, you go for the first time, you'll go into the fundamentals clinic. It's an hour in the grass, and we're gonna show you how to use your brakes, where your feet should be, where your hands should be, where should your body be? What
Founding Women of Oz
SPEAKER_01if I'm going around a turn? What if there's a rock or a route? And so we really prepare you before we even put you on the trail. And then we go out on a trail ride, and you have a leader and a sweep. So you're not gonna get left anywhere. We're gonna make sure you come back in one piece. And these are all this is so reassuring ride leaders. And so these women are certified mountain bike guides, and so they know how to coach. And the whole idea is like, let's go out and let's make it a really good experience. And then we come back and have a social, and that's like the secret sauce because you just did something scary and hard, and now you want to talk about it with other women, and you get to connect, and that's that community binder, and it also allows us to patronize and support other businesses in the area. We work with partners, we go to their restaurant and we enjoy snacks and bevs, and so like it's a great way to bring in that social aspect. But one, you know, I want to go back to what you said, Danielle, and you talked about community and giving and how important that is. And I think I don't know if you guys have ever heard of Arthur Brooks, he's sort of like the king of happiness. Yeah. And one of the things he uh highlights is that people who give are happier. So not only are you doing something awesome for other women in the community and are you building up this environment for women, but you're getting something in return. And I think that is so special. And it's one of those things that we try to think about, at least in my house, we try to think about like how is our servant leadership helping build our community?
SPEAKER_03I love that so much. I think that's so true. It's hard sometimes to share that or to teach that with your kids in some regard, you know, because it's like go, go, go. We're just constantly going and moving in school and activities and this and that. And we're working on that right now in our life. That just that time to like pause and step back and say, you know, I won't I'm trying not to go off on a tangent. No, she's right. Yeah. It's true. It's it really is true. I think like right now, like my heart is leaning into wanting to serve the community that uh that that's dealing with food insecurity. And so that's something that I really want to expose my kids to and bring them alongside to serve people.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, it does make a difference because I some of my earliest childhood memories were my grandmother taking me around, like meals on wheels, and or just any any type of service, right? Giving back. So, and I do agree, I think it does. Like on one hand, you don't want to do it because it like just to make yourself right. You don't want to be like, oh, I'm doing this so I feel good about myself. It's more like I'm doing it because it's enriching the community that I live in, and that makes me feel good. Yeah, right, because other people will be happier.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, you're pouring into your community. And I think, you know, we know that this area is changing. I think the stat is like 80 people a day or 10 families a day. It's crazy. And I think a lot of people feel like, okay, well, where do I start? And just
Lowering Barriers For New Riders
SPEAKER_01showing up and giving your time. That's where you start. So find what your passion is or something you're just moderately passionate about. Right. Yeah. And go and give your time and just say yes. And I think you will get connected quite easily, you'll find.
SPEAKER_03Well, let's get back to talking about your journey through film and TV production. How did how did you get there? Like, why did you decide to take that path?
SPEAKER_01Well, I think it's all gonna go back to the Jerry Springer show. Yes, you made it back. So I graduated college and had a communications and business degree, and I thought I was gonna go into pharmaceutical sales. That was my goal. I kind of started out pre-med, changed tracks, and wanted a more general business opportunity and was really trying to get to Chicago. I'm from the Midwest. I'm from Cleveland, Chicago's the biggest city in the Midwest. Um, and so was trying to get there and wasn't financially stable enough and was looking for a job. And my folks said, like, hey, if you can at least find an internship or a track, we will help support you. Uh and I just happened to be watching TV a few days later, and there was a commercial on, and it was the Jerry Springer show. And it was like, Would you like to intern for the Jerry Springer show? And I was like, Oh my God, I've got it.
SPEAKER_03This is it. I wish our listeners could see your face right now because that was amazing.
SPEAKER_01I picked up the phone and I called them every day for two weeks because the phone just goes to an automatic voicemail, and they finally called back and they said, Stop calling us. We will give you an internship. Just don't call us anymore. You start in two weeks. And I was like, Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That worked. Yeah, it worked.
SPEAKER_01I mean, the persistence works. You sure you might be annoying, but they're going to remember you. Yeah. So I went, and you know, I know this is gonna be shocking, but there's a lot of turnover at the Springer show. Surprise. Not everybody wants to do that. And so on my third day, somebody quit and they kind of were just like, Well, you're breathing, you're in. And I was like, Great. So I got hired on my third day, and that was kind of, you know, the rest is history, as they say. So I can't tell you though, how unenthused my folks were. They had just gotten done paying for a college degree, and I was like, Well, I've got this opportunity in Chicago. At a talk show, my mom was like beaming, and she's like, Is it Oprah? I was like, the other one, but hey, we're number one in the ratings. So it is the number one talk show in America, mom. You should be proud about that. So you know, they were good sports about it. In fact, they did come to a show. My mom's wearing her beautiful like church dress, you know. And there's a fist fight happening in the public.
SPEAKER_00Can you tell us what the theme of that show was that you came to?
SPEAKER_01I think it was like cross-dressing lovers. And then there was, of course, like threesomes with my sister, which was the story I found. That was a story you found. And I went up to my mom after and I said, Well, what did you think about the show? And she said, Well, Allison, I was not going to chant, sit down to that young lady. And then I just look at my dad and he can't stop laughing. So they they came and they supported. Your dad. Yeah. They were like, We're never coming together. Yeah, they were like, and we got the flavor. So my goodness. But
Servant Leadership And Community
SPEAKER_01you know, I will say, like, of course, that was a really dumb show. It was, you know, for people who are under 40, maybe you don't know, but it was really relevant at that point in time. And it was the number one talk show. And we worked really, really hard. I mean, we had a show every week, and you had to have a book of guests. And so it was a sales job. I was on the phone calling people back from 1-800-96 Jerry, and it's all pranks. But the thing is, is like if you talk to people long enough, somebody knows a story, and that's what you have to do. You just have to get out there and start talking to people. And so we would work like 120-hour weeks to produce one show. That's insane. Whoa, it was crazy. Like getting up in the middle of the night, because if your guests are flying, you have to kind of I know this is shocking, but some of them aren't very responsible. So you'd have to call them and be like, and I'm waking you up now to go to the airport. And then you'd call them again and be like, and now your car is here. And then when they get to the airport, because you wouldn't buy the tickets until they got there, because sometimes they just didn't show up. And you never hear from them again, even though you have like all their travel lined up. And so then you would like call and ticket their ticket. And then when they get there, you gotta make sure they get into the limo, right? And so it was like all these things. And so it was like babysitting in an extreme, extreme really wild.
SPEAKER_03Well, I'm not, I am not surprised. And I think partially just in the in the small specks of film and TV production that I've experienced, like I I'm not surprised at how crazy that was. Like I can only I can only imagine that it was like nonstop. It probably taught you a lot about working in a fast-paced environment and how to like think about sentence. PhD in what? Multitasking. Okay, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, in human psychology, sure human psychology. Oh, right. How do you convince a mother whose two children are sleeping together to come and talk about that on television, right? Yeah. That's a I mean, that's like a skill right there in itself. And it is producing. It is like, how do I pull the story together? What are the voices that are not here? And how do I get these voices represented? Yeah, it's really what it is. So a lot of learnings out of that, a lot of wild stories, as you can imagine. One time the secrets saw each other at the Red Roof Inn, and I had to go down there at three in the morning and pay for some broken items and get everyone resituated. And then was like, okay, you know the surprise. So tomorrow, when you get to the set, you're gonna act surprised again, okay? Because they weren't supposed to be communicating, somebody broke a rule, and then the spouse found out, and I was like, oh no, you're gonna show up tomorrow. We're gonna do this all over again, right? But on stage with cameras.
SPEAKER_03So were guests paid? Can we ask?
SPEAKER_01So it was really rare. No, okay. That was a really rare thing to happen because really, if somebody comes with passion, that's like the best reason for that. If they're coming just as they're getting paid, usually they're not really wanting to be there, it's gonna be a little more difficult to work with them. Now, sometimes we had folks that like they couldn't leave their job and they were like, I'm gonna miss a week of pay. Right. And so there were opportunities where we could do things like that. Yeah, but for the most part, it was somebody in that scenario knew something was off about their relationship, they could not get their significant other to come clean, but they like were pretty sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And to this like genre, like Springer, they watched it every day. It was like
Back To Jerry: Breaking Into TV
SPEAKER_01you were famous if you went on Springer. So there was motivation to get your limelight. Like, this is the beginning of reality television, you know? Yeah. Here is your two minutes of fame, especially if you are in a community that watches Springer. And so you come to Chicago, you get a trip, we pay for everything with limos and planes, and like I mean, we would deliver ribs to their room at two in the morning, like whatever they wanted, like they really got taken care of well.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_01And then they had an opportunity to kind of like dive into their relationship and see like what's going on here.
SPEAKER_00So I saw one where a girl had a phobia of pickles and a jar of pickles was brought out. Oh she like vacated the premises. I don't remember that.
SPEAKER_03Quite mild. And my next question is what's the craziest story that you found and brought on the show? Oh, maybe besides the sisters, threesome or whatever that well that was like.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think actually, I think one of the ones that sticks out to me the most is there was uh a husband and wife that were married, and he he had cheated on her before, and she was so hurt that she slept with his brother. Oh, and then she got pregnant, and they're like, Okay, well, that'd be easy to figure out. Except the brother and he were identical twins, and so it was kind of like whose kids are these? Oh, wow. Because I don't think the DNA was sophisticated enough at that time, and like we tried uh with all of our connections, we're no Maury, but we tried to see if we could get a more sophisticated test, and we weren't able to at that time. I mean, that was like early 2000s. I don't know if that technology exists now, but we'll at that time like she left still not knowing. That's wild. Um, and it was hard. I mean, you could tell there was a lot of I don't think people make choices step outside of their marriage if they're happy. And so I think she was so hurt at what he did, and you know, yeah, I had a lot of empathy for her. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Still kind of think about her, like, oh, what happened to you?
SPEAKER_03I wonder if she ever found out who's her baby. I don't know. I mean, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna lose sleep on I'm not gonna lose sleep over that, but well, makes you curious.
SPEAKER_01You know, the other story was I had a actual brother sister sleeping together. They were 50%. So they're the same mom, but not the same dad, but they didn't know each other growing up, and then they started dating, and they had to hide out at the Waffle House because their mom was looking for them, so we were like, We'll get you picked up. So we put them up for an extra few days. Anyways, they came to the show in front of the whole world to talk about how they're dating, much to their mother's chagrin. And she truly was like, I raised, like, I raised you to not know this. And then, like a week later, he called crying because his sister had dumped him. You're calling you guys, you're like, here's the number for a therapist. That call, he was like, Crystal, dump me. And I was like, Oh yeah, poor mom. You're like, that's actually good news for you. Right. Like your dating pool just got way less inbred. Yeah. Congratulations.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you should start dating out in the world now.
SPEAKER_03Oh my goodness. So after Jerry Springer, what where did you go from there?
SPEAKER_01So after Jerry, I did a little bit of work in casting and for film and television commercials, and then from there went into documentaries. So I worked for a company that would host or we would do content for all different cable broadcast companies. So we worked for National Geographic and AE and History Channel, Wii Television, a whole bunch of them. And we would produce short-form documentaries, like 23 minutes or 53 minutes.
SPEAKER_03Okay, awesome. Yeah, so that was a lot of fun. I bet that was a lot of fun. What are some do you have like two standout stories from that experience?
SPEAKER_01For National Geographic, I worked at a show called Conspiracy Theory, and it was like on the back end of these conspiracies, like
Producing Chaos And Human Psychology
SPEAKER_01what let's relook at them. And one of them was Princess Diana, which of course you know. And so to be able to like talk to people in her circle was really interesting. That would be based because she's a legend, you know what I mean? Like talking about a human that's bigger than life itself. She still fascinates people to this day. I mean, yeah. I know she's still okay. This is crazy. She is still selling on magazine covers, and I'm like, why? That's true. Why can't this poor woman just rest in peace? But her her and JFK, they're still all over those mags.
SPEAKER_03That is so true. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Interesting. Well, because it's a mystery, really. Well, right, it's not, but it is. Yeah. Right. There will always be conspiracy around that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01For sure.
SPEAKER_00Is there a conspiracy theory that you believed in that came true? Because I love that. Ooh, let me think about that. What do you get? First, tell me I don't know. Mine was that Britney Spears was being held against her will. Oh. And it actually did kind of come to light, but now I'm I don't know.
SPEAKER_01But maybe you feel like the conservative ship needs to be back on when you see her dancing with knives.
SPEAKER_00Yes. I have I have contemplated that. Like maybe their her parents were looking out for her. I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I don't know what's going on with her, but I wish her well. But I think you look at Britney and Amanda Bynes and these girls who at a young age had enormous pressure. And then I think that you can always find the path to like something traumatic happens, then like for Britney. If you read her book, she suggests her and Justin got pregnant, right? And she was forced to give up the baby. And so it's like I think when those things happen, people just get influenced and it just stops, they stop. They stop growing right at the end stunted. And I really believe that's what happened to Britney. And I think if Britney were coming up today, like if we were to look at how media treats celebrities, that would never happen.
SPEAKER_03I agree.
SPEAKER_01It was awful. So back at the what the things they would say about women. It's terrible. I know. And well, and how's Justin still walking around? I know. Getting to be on tour after that and nipplegate and all those.
SPEAKER_00I read her book. It was good. Yeah. Liked her book.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So that was a conspiracy I had that kind of came true, but I don't I love conspiracy theories. I'm not like some crazy nut, like sitting with a pinpoil hat, but I I like indulging.
SPEAKER_03Tell the truth. Tell the truth.
SPEAKER_00I like indulging a theory.
SPEAKER_03I like indulging a theory. I don't know that I have I I don't know that I could even answer that question. I don't know that there's been a lot of conspiracy theories that I've been like, yes, that's definitely true, and then it comes true. Or like some Bermuda Triangle. Yeah. I think well, but here's my thought about like the Bermuda triangle is like the same thing with like quicksand. Like I thought as a kid it was like a much bigger deal than it actually is. If it was going to affect you at that point, that it's going to be a part of my day-to-day life as a grown-up in some way. Like I'm going to be walking down the street and there's going to be quicksand that I have to be careful of.
SPEAKER_00You don't struggle in quicksand. You know, if you ever saw Never Ending Story, don't pull. Traumatized by you, I'll never forget it.
SPEAKER_01Like, ugh. It's so traumatized. Yeah. I don't, you know, one of the things that I do find interesting though, after living through 9-11 and being old enough to remember it, like I don't believe a lot of the 9-11. There's so much of it. Was it all faked? And yeah, what it's but it is interesting to read some of those theories. I don't believe them, but same.
SPEAKER_00I'm with you. Like, I don't, I'm very skeptical. I the thing about conspiracy theories that I've been kind of told is there always starts with some little acorn of truth, but then people just go in a million directions, and you're like, okay, nobody has proof of anything, but I mean the latest scandal is Escalator Gate.
SPEAKER_01Oh. That someone intentionally turned off Melania's Escalator. I heard about how dare they. And boy, did they stick them where it counts.
SPEAKER_03Oh my god. Escalator Gate. My favorite is like when the escalator stops, it just becomes stairs. It is stairs.
SPEAKER_01She worked right through it.
SPEAKER_00She got there.
SPEAKER_03She did. Just became stairs.
SPEAKER_00She did. Okay, so you
Wildest Springer Stories
SPEAKER_00you worked on a lot of different shows. And then what kind of led you to creating your own production company and creating your own movie?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so towards my end of time working in Chicago, I then started working for Comcast. And at that time, like on-demand content was the new thing. And so I picked up a contract to produce all of their content. So that's when I formed AWOL, went out on my own. I did some consulting in the corporate world for GE Healthcare, uh, going all over the world to talk about their machines and other healthcare systems. And so that was kind of like you know, pushing myself out of the box just a little bit. Um, and always had had that production company, but as you become a mom, you know, those things sort of become dormant for a little bit. And so kind of press pause when we got here in 2013 and took a break and then as I said got really into cycling.
SPEAKER_03So and then cycling led to your film.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_03And all full circle.
SPEAKER_01It's really true.
SPEAKER_03How has the your history and the things that you've done in in the work sphere, how has that impacted you personally and where you're at today?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, I think Women of Oz truly gave me that leadership skills that were applicable to and relationship development in this community that led to the project with the Arkansas Traverse. And that was being ingrained in the cycling community, but also that community development. So and the Traverse, I mean, it's I would say, like, sure, it's an adventure film, but it's really more about the state of Arkansas, the history of Arkansas, and placemaking in Arkansas. Yeah. Told through the lens of an adventure. So Mike Rush, he's an incredible human being. He and Nick Ogle started a men's cycling group called the Betonville Ride Club. It was during pandemic. The goal was really like, hey, let's get out, let's get connected. Let's find a place where we as a group can go out and talk about what's on our mind, right? And then, but also do something great for our bodies at the same time. They initially called it the prayer group, so that if their wives would be like, Where are you going for two hours? They'd be like, Oh, I'm going to prayer group. And so that was the initial, and that's why if you ever see the logo, it's hands. Yeah. Like praying. Well, because you can't argue with that. Exactly. So, but they started during the pandemic, and the whole goal was to create a resource like Women of Oz for men looking to ride and connect in the community. And the group has grown and they've started to do adventure races. So they were going out to Colorado doing Leadville. They do uh the Unbound. And so it's like in, I think that one's in always getting confused. That one's in Oklahoma. And then there's another one in Kansas. So they're they're going all over. They're doing these races. Um, and what they decided was why are we taking our resources and putting them into other communities? What if we just made our own route and let's go discover the state of Arkansas? I love that. And that's sort of how this journey began. And so my husband came home and grunted a few words about this epic bike adventure, and I kind of didn't really think about it again. I was like, great, that sounds good for you. You're gonna have a great time. Um, and then I was
From Talk Shows To Documentaries
SPEAKER_01at work one day and I bumped into Mike Rush and he started telling me about the route. And if there's one thing you know about Mike is that he's very intentional about curating things and experiences, and he does it with excellence. And so he plotted a route starting in Bella Vista, ending in Louisiana. So every inch of this experience was going to be on a bike to get from one corner to the next. So they went the entire way, like riding the entire state. So there was never like, oh, we're gonna get a car and drive 10 miles over. They rode the entire thing. Wow, and he purposely did the trail of tears. I think they rode the trail of tears at four different times, and then they were going to go to Arkansas Trading Post, which has a lot of relevant history for the state, including where we got our name, it was French, it was Spanish, it was Indian, like it just kept changing hands. And of course, all the goods that were coming up through the Mississippi came through the trading post. And then they went to Rauer, which is a World War II internment camp, which I think a lot of people don't know that this existed, much less in Arkansas, but we had two, and it's where Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II off the president's orders. Like these people could be a threat, we're gonna round them up and we're gonna imprison them. And not only were they imprisoned, but when their boys turned 18, they were sent to war. And they were vital for interpretation on the battlefield and doing translations and things. Um and so they go there and then they head down to Arkansas City, which is a city in the Delta that has had a declining population for the last, you know, 50 years, and they have a new trail coming. It starts in the north, comes down the south. It's called the Delta Heritage Trail. It's a bike trail, and they are very hopeful that this bike trail could help revitalize through tourism. Like it's a cute little downtown, they built an Airbnb, and so they see the bike as an economic development tool for them. Yeah. So when the guys arrive there, they are met by the sheriff, the mayor, the one guy who owns the restaurant, he opens it back up for them, you know, and so they get this warm welcome, but they get to experience like here's somebody, a community that is so looks so different than Northwest Arkansas. But at the end of the day, they're just people looking to enrich their community as well. And so it really is an emotional experience, but I think if you love Arkansas, you're gonna love this film, just so beautiful.
Conspiracies, Media, And Empathy
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. So you followed them through their entire journey?
SPEAKER_01We did. Okay. So we it was five days. Okay, we had a crew of three. Somebody drove the car and two people were filming and they were on bikes or at the back of the car. I mean, think about it like you have nine different people moving at different speeds across these each day was a hundred to a hundred and twenty miles. So it was a huge feat. The crew did an incredible job. I worked with a guy named Colton Sykes out of Oklahoma. He's fantastic, and it's just really beautiful. I'm getting goosebumps. I'm so excited to see this.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. So, for those listening, how could they access Find the Film?
SPEAKER_01Yes. So we are doing a screening on October 15th. That will be at the Skylight. It's with Oz Gravels hosting it with Revelist, and it will be us and a short five-minute film by Black Elk. Super talented guys out of Fayetteville. They've made a very fun short film about riding bikes and driving Porsches. So if you like that, come to this screening. It is ticketed. You can get the tickets through Eventbrite, or if you follow AWOL Productions on Instagram, there's links there. And then we'll have like Express Rally and 944 Safari out there with some cool cars. So definitely come. If you can't get a ticket, still come. We're doing an after party over at the hub. We'll have a drink special. Those cool cars will be out there too. So it's really just like community cycling celebration on October 15th. And then Women of Oz is actually hosting their annual fundraiser. You do not have to be a woman to come. It's a great opportunity. It's free. There will be a screening that's going to be October 25th at the momentary.
SPEAKER_03Nice.
SPEAKER_01And before that, we'll do a panel and a happy hour. And then we're trying to ask people to support Women of Oz by joining our perks program, which are discounts at Meteor, The Hub, Oven and Tap, like all these great partners, Fox. So even if you aren't a woman and you don't ride with Women of Oz, there are still great ways to support this organization doing good work in the community. So think about coming to that fundraiser. No obligation to purchase, but would love if you would support the group.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. And you guys won at BFF, right? Did you win? I did.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Ridge to River had two sold-out screenings. We were one of the most downloaded movies of the whole festival, and we won audience choice. That's awesome. Congratulations. Thank you. You know, I think if you want to get some excitement behind your project, just get nine local people to be in it and then have them tell all their friends. Yes.
SPEAKER_03That is actually true. I mean, I think that, you know, when you have people's part of what you're doing, it really builds that momentum and that excitement because people they get to own it in their in their own way. Like each of those nine people had ownership in that project. That's really, really awesome. Well, we really loved having you on the show. We like to kind of wrap up each episode with the question what is your favorite thing about Northwest Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01Who that's hard because there's so many. And I remember when we moved here thinking this would be, you know, we came because it was the right thing for my husband's career, but the thought was this would be temporary. And now, you know, 14 years later, we're it's home. I can't imagine anywhere else. We had our last child here. He's we always say, like, you're an Arkansas boy. And he's like, I'm an Arkansas boy, and he loves it. He's saying to my daughter. My kids love it too. They don't ever want to leave. Yeah. I and you know, we've had opportunities and we chose to stay here, and I hope that we stay here forever. I really do. I have so much pride for this state, not just this area, this state, and the opportunities for outdoor recreation here are vast. And I think like what a legacy for the next generation if you can procure or develop something that can stay for camping or hiking or swimming or biking or whatever, climbing. So I think Arkansas's story isn't told yet. I think there's an opportunity for us to rebrand this state, and there are initiatives happening at Office of Outdoor Rec with the Tourism
Launching AWOL And Corporate Work
SPEAKER_01Board, with WFF, home region, like Robert Burns. So doing great work. I think we will tell that story in a way that is truly representative of our state. I think my number one favorite thing about Northwest Arkansas are the people. It's a place where people smile. In fact, we were riding today, somebody rode by and did not wave at us, and we were like, clearly, you're from out of town.
SPEAKER_02Because you wave at each other and you say hi.
SPEAKER_01And that and that's the thing that I love. Benville is specifically in Northwest Arkansas is changing, right? But that doesn't mean that our culture has to change. And I agree. I think there's a lot of us that feel like that's the special part. That's the little special magic that we have. And so I hope that we get to maintain that as we continue to grow. I love that. That was a great way to end this episode.
SPEAKER_00That was a great way to end it. Can you share your website?
SPEAKER_01Yes, it's AWOLProductions.com. So if you can go there, see the trailer, we'll update future viewings. We're hoping to get one with the library too at some point. You guys are gonna be sick of this movie. No, we're not. No, never. Well, thank you, ladies. It was so fun. Thank you for coming on. I enjoyed chatting with you.
SPEAKER_00You too. Hey, thanks so much for listening today. If you liked what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast so you never miss an episode. You can also follow us on Instagram at People of NWA. Thanks so much.
SPEAKER_04People of Northwest Darkenstaw with the two Danielles, produced by me, Brock Short of Brock Entertainment. Please rate, review, and like us on any podcast platform where you listen. For more information about today's guests and the show, please check the show notes. Thanks for listening.