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
Culinary Innovations and Community Connections with Hannah Cicioni
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Join us for an inspiring conversation with Hannah Cicioni, a business owner and passionate bow hunter, who shares her journey through the commercial real estate and development landscape. Hannah's enthusiasm for revitalizing downtown Rogers with her company, CRD, shines brightly as she talks about her love for historic buildings and adaptive reuse projects. Discover how her extroverted nature has helped her forge meaningful community connections and how her outdoor adventures have influenced her professional life.
@people_of_nwa
@brockentertainment
@h_cici
@proofdowntown
@txarhouse
Thank you to our presenting sponsor @thefirstcommunitybank
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Real Estate and Community Development
Speaker 1We want to take a moment and thank First Community Bank for being a premier sponsor of the podcast .
Speaker 2So , danielle , I have to ask have you ever been hunting before ?
Speaker 1No .
Speaker 2Does your ?
Speaker 1husband hunt Fishing . Does that count ? No , that's okay . If it doesn't , it's still an outdoor activity . But still an outdoor activity where you , you know , catch animals .
Speaker 2I'll be honest , I've never been hunting before I've gone to like a shooting range . I've been fishing , I've been taught how to draw a bow and hit targets , but I've never actually killed bambi or anything like that . No , I was just asking because our guest today is really into hunting and she's even been featured in a lot of local publications for her bow hunting and elk hunting . But I'll let you introduce her because she owns businesses . She does so much more than that , so I'll let you tell us a little bit more about our guest .
Speaker 1Yeah , so Hannah . I forgot to ask her how to pronounce her last name before I got on the air . How do I pronounce her ? Hello , sisioni , sisioni . So I met hannah at a coffee shop and we just started talking about she needs , I swear like 90 of organic .
Speaker 2I like it I love it .
Speaker 1I just love the extrovert in me I just start connecting .
Speaker 2She is because I'm in a coffee shop , I don't talk to anybody . I can't help it .
Speaker 1It's like I remember growing up and my dad would always talk to people . Like in every store we went into he would just talk to strangers and we'd be like that's how my mom is and I'd be like so embarrassing . And so now my kids are experiencing that . Oh my gosh , when are you gonna talk to everybody , mom ?
Speaker 1so you guys met like I love people , so that's how we met was in a coffee shop in Bentonville and I just heard a little bit about her businesses . So not only is she a bow hunter , but also she is a business owner here in Northwest Arkansas and has like a handful of businesses , correct ?
Speaker 3And so'm really excited to be here . I've enjoyed actually listening to y'all's podcast . I mean it's an honor to be here . I mean from talking about Raj and you know comedians , to the Cigar District owners , to you know Girl Banker , all that stuff .
Speaker 2She is a fan , I mean good what you guys do .
Speaker 3I think it's great content y'all are putting out . So I'm honored to be here and , yeah , we met that day at a local coffee shop , which I agree I like being local and in the community . I think sitting next to neighbors and people you don't even know that'll soon be neighbors or friends best way to engage in this community . And I say all the time in my businesses it all starts with a conversation . You never know a business deal can always be shook up just based off a conversation . So you never know until you ask . But , yeah , excited to be here today Now as I say you own .
Speaker 3Well , you're the top broker but you own a real estate development business . I do , yeah , so I own a couple of companies . That one in particular is called CRD . It's a commercial real estate and development company . I'm the owner and principal broker on that and excited to have just expanded within that . I have a really talented agent that's going to be coming in and doing the principal broker stuff for us there on that and also coming in as a part owner and excited for her growth within the company and then the people that she's helping bringing in within that .
Speaker 3But we specialize in commercial real estate and development , so commercial is what we do Been doing that . I've had CRD for about six years now and prior to that I was also in the commercial real estate brokerage through NAI , a local flag affiliate with that , and it's a global firm . So very honored to have been brought in underneath that affiliate . But yeah , it's been a lot of fun to see what's happened in the commercial real estate world and then you know sidestep into the development world as well too . And what we do within CRD is a little bit unique . We really are full scale hands-in involved with the development stuff . So we'll go and identify acquisition sites for clients . We'll help put together the full development scope for the building . So I love historical buildings . You get me talking about historical buildings and I'm all about it . I'll nerd out on it .
Speaker 2Yeah , because you talk about Rogers a lot .
Speaker 3Is that where Maine a lot of that's right , yeah , I mean we do work all over the state and actually we do stuff outside of the state as well too for some of our clients and self-developments . But I am extremely biased about downtown Rogers . I love downtown Rogers , I'm just a huge advocate for it . I think there's a lot of really great people doing a lot of really great stuff down there and but yeah , I mean we have one of the best crops of historic buildings in the state and so I applaud every one of the building owners that have really done a great job at , you know , preserving the buildings or doing adaptive reuses and I've been honored to have been a part of several of those projects and then just help get good people into good buildings and see what could be done with the .
Speaker 3I mean , history can never be recreated , but that story can always be told and it's like how do you preserve certain elements of that ? You know , from one time we took down a wall of a building . It's a brick , is 123 years old , and so I salvaged it and then I put that into a couple of homes I built in downtown . So it's like new with old and it's like the tells the stories and statement pieces and then you see clients that are people that are going in and you know retrofitting the entire old buildings that special , unique , like first of its kind .
Speaker 3You know designs implemented from an architectural standpoint and it's just incredible what can be done with that . And then it helps breathe new life into it by giving opportunities for new businesses or people to own and to come in there and use it . It's wildly fascinating for me . So , yeah , I could nerd out on all that . I've been underneath probably all the basements of the buildings in downtown or the rooftops or in the nooks and crannies , exploring old ugly buildings and then seeing what help comes to life with them . So , oh my gosh , I love this .
Speaker 1So much can you take us with you ?
Speaker 3okay , creepiest basement okay , yeah , creepiest basement . So there's a building on walnut street . It's a fantastic building . It's on the market for sale right now , by the way , but it's the old crematorium building . So they used to . They used to like . You know , that makes sense , do the cremation in the building and the old fire blast doors are still in a tact in the building . And , oh my god , yeah , one of my one of my good friends and clients bought that building and I helped them kind of clear that out after they built it and it was like a summertime and I was moving stuff in and out of the basement for them . I'd find myself down there by myself and you know your mind gets to tricking you and you're like , ooh , heebie-jeebies , I'm out , or maybe not . You know , I'll leave that for other people .
Speaker 1I don't want to push my luck . If you had on here , it'd be like , yeah , I want to be down here it's the real thing .
Speaker 3You get some feelings but it's a yeah . It's probably the creepiest in downtown Rogers in particular .
Speaker 2So wait , you said you've lived in Rogers 27 years . Are you from this area ?
Speaker 3This area is definitely home . I'm originally from Texas , so me too . Yeah , yeah , okay , there we go .
Speaker 2I love it , I miss it . I'm not going to say best state , because I love Arkansas now , but I'll always be a Texan , amen to that .
Speaker 3Yeah , my father says all the time if stuff goes sideways , at least you can always pull your native Texas card and go back .
Speaker 2That's right and your dad sounds like my dad yeah . Yeah .
Speaker 1So I'm in trouble . I'm from California no-transcript .
Speaker 3And so , yeah , it's like Beaver Lake and Northwest Arkansas in 27 years it has changed a ton and , seeing it through this landscape of being here , it's been pretty cool to see the evolutions of it . But it has the people and the culture and just the natural beauty that has helped shape who I am today in it and I love it . This is going to be home forever . I want to one day have a family and kids here and be involved with it and , you know , just make a little stake of it .
Speaker 1So I love this so much . I'm over here like fangirling over you . Yeah , I'll be best friends . Yeah , for real . Well , we like to be around passionate people .
Speaker 2How are we supposed to get excited if you're not excited about what you do ? I agree I can tell that it's not only true on your socials , your passion and energy for it . I mean it's here , like I feel it here and because one of like I love that your taglines are like connecting the community
Supporting Educators and Restaurant Innovation
Speaker 2. And then I saw a video that you did about giving back to was it educators ? Yeah , and some of your yeah , so , so every year .
Speaker 3Listen , I'm a product of the Rogers Public School District , public education .
Speaker 3I'm a , I mean , from Tillery Elementary when I first moved here all the way up to Rogers , graduating and then getting the opportunity and honor to go , you know , be down to the university and play for the Razorbacks and do all that stuff .
Speaker 3And it was because of you know , my teachers and education . I was gifted here in Northwest Arkansas and teachers have a lot of friends and I tip my hats to them and it's the least that I can do is buy teachers a free beer . So for one month a year I like to put it out there I partner with different breweries or establishments and whatnot and says if you're involved , I don't care if you're a lunch lady or a bus driver or principal custodian , every single one of the teachers or anybody involved in the public school district deserves a beer . And it started really after COVID and whatnot and I was like let's buy you some drinks because it's the least I can do and we would do a fundraiser in addition if anybody wanted to donate . So for the entire month it's typically in September I buy a free beer for any educator . That's incredible .
Speaker 1I want to donate to that .
Speaker 3They can go in you know , once a day , every day , as many days as they want during that month , and get a beer on me , and so it's been you know they do too much and it's a thankless job and they're a part of also shaping the future of who's going to be taking care of us one day and doing the good things and the policy makers .
Speaker 2Yes , exactly , they spend so much time with the future population and their mental health and happiness and I think just the appreciation can go a long way . You know what I mean .
Speaker 2It's not like you have to go over the top , I think , just simply acknowledging that the work that they do is so just invaluable and just a huge part of our community . Because I couldn't do it , my kids are always telling me , like mom , I wish you'd be a teacher . I'm like , I don't have the patience or the skill set or the capacity for that .
Speaker 1I don't know , it takes a special type of person . It really truly does . It's so important to just pour in and give back to our public schools . I think that there's so much value in what they're doing and how they're giving back , and it is a thankless job . I love that you buy them beers I buy my kids' teachers coffee all the time . I'm like it's easy to send them Starbucks , you know gift cards .
Speaker 2I need to really , really need .
Speaker 3Yeah , I mean coffee . Listen , that's what makes the world run .
Speaker 1Truly truly . Coffee is my jam A hundred percent . I do like beer as well , but I think that is a fun . That's a fun addition to giving to businesses , buying them a beer .
Speaker 3Yeah , it also gets them into , you know , the local establishments , and it gets them engaged with that , because typically , if they'll have one free beer , then that means that they're going to more than likely get them in for a second beer that they're going to actually pay for , and so it gives back to the brewery . That's also , you know , being a part of that , and so it's just about promotions to help , you know , cross-share and cross-collaborate to get good for other people too . Talk to us about Proof . Yeah , so Proof is the newest kind of restaurant venture that I have , and it's created out of necessity . Really . It kind of was developed .
Speaker 3I created this concept because in my commercial real estate world I'm helping people that are aspiring for restaurants or , you know , new breweries or new bars and all this kind of stuff , and it's just a hard space in Northwest Arkansas to compete . There's not a lot of space and if there is , there's a lot of people going after it or it's really pricey and it's anybody in the restaurant and beverage industry . Again , I tip my hat to you guys . I'm right there with you . I understand the stresses and the pressures and the exorbitant amount of costs that it is just to even build out of space these days , or to retrofit one or even to operate , and so I developed the concept of Proof , which is a culinary rotating kitchen , but it's a full brick and mortar restaurant .
Speaker 3So a different concept or chef or aspiring restaurateur can come through to Pro in . You have the opportunity to pick and choose your furniture and your glassware and your aesthetics , and everything from a decor rotates and transforms through . So proof is meant to be the blank canvas for somebody's future success , and so it's a full restaurant and it rotates for 30-day turns . We also have some concepts coming in that are going to be like on a two-week pop-up because the chef's maybe passing through , or a one two-day turn here or there to fill in between the big turns . We're excited about some of our future lineup , but it creates an opportunity for somebody to get in beta , test an idea or show a proof of concept of what this is , and we have a full bar to pair and accompany along any concept . Then we have a culinary director and a beverage director that helps consult and develop and do whatever necessary .
Speaker 3But the intention is that we help create and give them exposure , give them a platform for their future success . But in the meantime we also set people up with investors and developers and bankers and business development consultants . So they have not only during their 30 days , they have full professional bookkeeping services . We offer the consultations from , again , from the food and the beverage standpoint . Some chefs and restaurateurs don't need that , but we're here to assist with anything in that regard . And then we set them up to help get them in front of you know , because , like , let's say , a space is pretty hot in the market and they have three different restaurants competing . Well , one of the restaurants can happen to do a turn at proof . Well , we can get that developer and building owner and say , hey , I know you're competing against three concepts and really trying to evaluate them . Why don't you see this one in person ? Why don't you come experience the feel of what's going to be in your building ?
Speaker 3Yeah , what can be there . More than likely they're going to win that spot . So it gives them that competitive edge A hundred percent . At the same time , it also really helps put a reality in perspective of the challenges of owning restaurants and operating them ?
Speaker 2Yeah , because otherwise they would just have to start the restaurant and just see how it goes right . Yeah , absolutely .
Speaker 3And so from this you know the goal . With proof every concept walks away with . You know they get to keep 100% of their food sales . So anything that they make profit wise , as long as they're following kind of the guidelines of like making sure you're really managing your expenses and your costs and your overhead , you can show that you can be profitable money in their pocket Again proof of concept . They can also then walk away with a full professional bookkeeping deck and then they can walk into the bankers and say here's what I did , and oh , by the way , yeah , a banker sitting across the table from me . I know that you came and ate my food . What'd you think in person ?
Speaker 2That's so cool . So how do you do you have to be invited to eat there ? Is it kind of like a friends and family ? Yeah , great question . So and family yeah great question .
Speaker 3So each concept , it's totally up to them . So , they decide right . And so some concepts of the first two concepts that have been in so far have been open to anybody . But it's been such a demand already and the way that they're in their operations is like reservations , where but they did have walking opportunities . But each concept is totally up to them .
Speaker 3Some concepts might come in and run . You know private dinners only and pre-sale tickets . Some concepts might come in and run you know , private dinners only and pre-sell tickets . That's totally up to them . So each day of like , each turn , can choose however many days they want to be open , however many hours they want to be open Totally up to them . And so you're going to see a real width or wide swath of ranges of . You know , some may be only open three days a week . Some might be open seven days a week . Interesting , yeah , but they get 30 days . They can have 30 days , yeah .
Speaker 3And so there's usually about a two to three week turnover period between each concept , so the exiting concept can do their breakdown , clean up and give opportunities for the new concept to come in prior to their start timeline .
Speaker 2And is this downtown ? It's in downtown Rogers , rogers , that's what I thought Absolutely , Of course it is .
Speaker 1I know everything .
Speaker 2Rogers . Oh yeah , I really want to go . Trace . I was asking because I'm like I want to go .
Speaker 3Well , it creates also a demand for the clients , right . So the customers . I'm a consumer , I love to consume and eat and drink good food right , me too . That's all I think about does . Is it requires us , as consumers , to say , well , I can't wait on it , it's only 30 days , or ?
Speaker 3it's only two weeks , so I have to get in there . So it creates that instant demand as well to building up that clientele and potential revenue generations where people can't wait on it . They can't be like I'll give it a couple of months , no , no , no , it's your only time you're getting it , so get in once . Good , yeah . And so it builds in an instant demand of clientele , which is a positive and encouraging thing for each concept to come through and says I have a captured audience for this period of time . We have people even from the first week that the first concept silver bellies , the steakhouse that was open . You know they were saying how do I get in every month ? How do we create , like , how do we make sure that we can get in all the time ? And so I'm excited about its future .
Speaker 3The whole point of proof is to really be able to help others in this space and in this industry . You know , maybe it teaches them that restaurants are not for me and you got out at a very , yeah , minimal financial commitment and it can save a lot of people , because I've seen people say well , to do this , I've got to leverage my house , my mama's house , my grandmother's house , just to get a loan and it's like that is a scary financial endeavor and so if this is can be a walk away , even if it comes out and says , I mean , I've really got to pivot or what I was thinking I was going to do , I've got to pivot on the fly . Well , proof is a safe space that you can do that . Yeah , and so again , the goal is to be helpful , to help bring realities to it awareness , you know , potential and investments for the future . However , that shakes out for each concept .
Speaker 2If I was going to start a restaurant , I would totally do that , because you'd want to see what it's really like . You don't know unless you're doing it .
Speaker 1The fact that you have provided this opportunity for people in this region is it's outstanding , I think about . I did a little business that was a pop-up type of a business and that it was hard
Elevating Food Industry in Northwest Arkansas
Speaker 1and through that experience learned okay , this is not going the way that we'd hoped or the way that we thought it would go , and it led us down a path of deciding not to continue that business , which was good . It was a hard decision to make but it was really positive . And I think you know , people have these dreams and they have these ideas of what they want to do and help them bring it to life and to experience it . And the fact that it's not , you know , in my you know in simple terms , my mind is like this is really cool .
Speaker 2No-transcript maybe it will help inspire more people to start restaurants , because one thing that I hear from other people that are from big cities like myself like being from Dallas , I'm just used to just an insane amount of choices in restaurants and a lot of people that come here . I have new neighbors from dallas . They love it , but the hardest thing their transition from big city to here is just the limited choices . But what they don't know is just I've been here almost eight years is there's so many more than there used to be . But it's interesting to hear your point of view because often in a person like me , like my mind , I'm just like well , maybe people just don't want to start them , or but there's more to it than that . Like you're saying , there's limit , limited spaces . Yeah , there's probably a lot of people out there that do , but they just can't find or they have hesitation because they haven't done it before . So maybe this will help . I mean , I see it helping .
Speaker 3Yeah and and I hope that and I'm I love to hear feedback even from y'all too you know , in your own ways , of how you view it , because that that's exactly what Proof is also trying to do from you know , y'all's perspective , not just the restaurant or chef side of stuff .
Speaker 3It's like , yeah , I mean it is , it's so much more than just a rotating kitchen because really , hopefully , it's a business builder . But one of the things , too , is that it's an opportunity to really help elevate the food and drink scene in Northwest Arkansas and also recruit . So I want this to be an opportunity for people that are , let's say , you're a building owner or a commercial real estate person , or you know you're in this space of trying to recruit somebody in outside talent from Dallas or Oklahoma City . That's like , man , I'd love to get this restaurant in Northwest Arkansas . I think it would kill the person in Dallas or Oklahoma City or wherever they're from . They're like Northwest Arkansas , I don't know anything about it . Well , hey , oh , by the way , why don't you get connected with proof ? Come do a 30-day turn and get to know the market , beta test your concept of the market .
Speaker 2Oh , I'm going to so do this .
Speaker 3Beta test and get to know what the people are . So we're in talks right now with groups out of in Oklahoma , one in Texas , that are like they want to come in and they're being courted by multiple people to come to Northwest Arkansas . They're like , well , I've never been . You know what do I need to do about here ? And so they're looking to come to Eternit Proof and say I'm going to see how this even hits in this market .
Speaker 2Oh , I'm so going to send this to my . I have some friends that are restaurateurs in Dallas and I've been telling them for years , even visitor restauranteurs in Dallas , and I've been telling them for years , even at my high school reunion you have to bring this , this will be huge in Benton and they cannot find operating partners , or just they can't . They don't know anything about the area .
Speaker 3Well , and then it allows the local market , the operating partners , the investors , all those people to say okay , yeah , then you're getting the face-to-face with those folks and the potential concepts and the goal is not to again why . I'm a huge advocate for downtown rogers , like , hey , let's bring all the good stuff to downtown rogers , but I also really want to be a proponent for proof is in downtown rogers , but we want to see you go launch in bentonville . We want to go see you open and operate in fayetteville , springdale , siloam . It's to help launch you anywhere into the northwest arkansas .
Speaker 2This is really exciting because I love food , eating out food and wine , all the things . So the fact that you're like about to elevate , or you are elevating the industry here is really exciting because it really is and I go to Downtown Rogers a lot more Like it's a little bit of drive for me from .
Speaker 2Centerton , but we love to go down to the rail yard , my kids love the rail , we go to the anime cafe and I love onyx , front of my danielle heirloom , oh yeah , I mean , and there's so many more . We love the breweries , and I just think rogers definitely has its own feel than downtown bentonville and it's fun and it's and there's a lot more , that's coming too I mean the Victory Theater reopens after a remodel .
Speaker 1There's the opera house , the old opera house that's being renovated right now .
Speaker 2And our other guests opened Low Loft , which was in the old ice factory . It's hopping down there .
Speaker 3There's a lot going on and a lot of . Yeah , y'all are speaking of some great things and great businesses and you , there is a lot more to come . I mean more housing is coming , more development is coming . In addition to housing , we're having some mixed-use projects come in , some more historic remodels and renovations . So people are knocking on the door . There's just not enough space . We're having to build it or reuse it with existing buildings that are there .
Speaker 3And downtown Rogers , I love the feel of all the different cities . You know the Big Five in Northwest Arkansas , the Big Five , yeah , cities . You know the big five in north wisconsin , the big fat , yeah , and . But downtown it's like we're people is what makes downtown rogers great and you can bring all the businesses there , but it really is the people and it always has been . I mean , I , 27 years , have been down there and it's been awesome . You have some really long-standing history and families , but it's open and welcome and inviting and encouraging for new and it's like preserving of the old . But it's . You know , you've got Club Frisco in downtown . It's the oldest bar in Rogers and you could be sitting next to an old boy in overalls at one side of you and then a guy in a $5,000 suit in the next and the guy in the overalls is richer than the boy in the $5,000 suit , but we're all drinking the same beer right .
Speaker 3And it's like it's the authenticity . We don't need anything pretentious to be excited . You know and talk about airline with danielle and chase and they bring such an elevated culture and feel to to downtown rogers . But it is so approachable and it's because of who they are as people and how they treat others and how they really care , really genuinely give a .
Speaker 3I'm not allowed to say damn okay , really give a damn , and that's a . We're so honored and blessed to have them in the downtown rogers area , but it's like you go from that side to the rail . You know shane zimmerman and dave davis , who started the rail and parkside , and they're the most honest , humble , hard-working guys that'll be out . You know , helping any other building owner . You know dig trenches and lay grease traps and whatnot , because they've been there and done that before . But they're saying , hey , yeah , I was one one was one of the first to do it . Let me help you , you know . You know not have to go through the same hurdles that I was , just because they genuinely want to see good stuff happen in downtown .
Speaker 3And it's a blue collar mentality that we're proud of .
Speaker 2But man , your , that's incredible . I read that I think you were featured in the Arkansas like a Gazette and they were talking about how you like to be alone in Utah and , I think , colorado , that's right . Yeah , and elk hunt , and I just have to say being alone in the woods . I would rather be alone in space than alone in the woods , I think Because I've had some creepy camping experiences where noises I mean maybe I'm not . If I was more proficient with a weapon I would be a little more confident . But and my husband's the same way he literally sleeps on the ground just under the stars , bugs crawling on him like , or in a hammock in a tree . I mean , I listen , I , I think it's incredible . So I want to hear how you got into elk hunting . Was someone in your family ?
Speaker 3Yeah , so no , no one in my family really hunted or fished . I'm the only child of a single mom and , bless her heart , I think she'd even know how to pick up a bow and I say that with respect , but it's kind of just self-taught and really got into introduction into hunting through the men of the church Grew up in the church and some of my friends' dads always went hunting and I was like that's cool and fly fishing . It was just a time of solitude and peace . I was a grown up and I'm a Methodist and grew up watching the river runs through it .
Speaker 3So you know , you've got that Methodist connection in that movie and I want to fly fish . That sounds awesome and they're methodists , I can do it then . Right , yes , but I think that the love and connections to the outdoors first to answer your question came from my grandfather . Like we ,
Bow Hunting Elk in Colorado
Speaker 3he would float the buffalo for 40 years and you know he went without you know , down there and he handmade a teepee and we'd set up a teepee along the buffalo and ponca or steel creek and , you know , enjoyed nature and outdoors there .
Speaker 2I was just at Steel Creek for the eclipse .
Speaker 3I love Steel Creek , it's beautiful out there , and so you know I was introduced to nature from that way in a very early age and I was always drawn to that . And then I just kind of self-taught through the guidance of , you know , the hunting side of stuff , and it was the first hunt I ever went on was just bird hunting . So here I hunting side of stuff , and it was first hunt I ever went on was just bird hunting . So here I am , 12 years old , carrying a giant 12 gauge shotgun and you know I'm not hitting any bird but it's like . What actually connected me , is like and got me hooked , was watching the bird dogs work and you know , and it was just the beauty of that and it's like man , those are , that's prettier than any tv screen you can get in front of . And you know we grew up in the age where we didn't have our phones right in front of us all the time mom would go like go outside , don't come home until the porch light comes on . Oh yeah , like and in northwest arkansas .
Speaker 3You can have that experience right go play and you're safe and you're good and yeah so it just kind of evolved from there and I always have loved a challenge and I think that's where bow hunting came from . I was like I grew up hunting and doing different things and I was like , man , there's not a lot of women that are bow hunters , no , and man , then I was like there's not a lot of women that bow hunt elk Like what's the biggest North American species that I can go after safely ?
Speaker 2And I was like , oh , elk , I don't want to do that , the picture of you with your pack on and your and then the horn , yeah , you can field dress an elk , and that's impressive .
Speaker 1What is field dress for listeners ?
Speaker 3So that's when you you break it down you animal , you break down the animal because you're so that elk in particular that picture . So I got that elk in the West Elks of Colorado just outside of Crested Butte , and I do an over the counter . You know archery tag hunt in Colorado and in Utah they have some pretty good over the counter tags so it's easier accessible to acquire without having to pay a lot . And we're still paying for it . But you know having to go through a draw system and whatnot , and that was that elk I got . That's the only elk I've gotten and so I've gone .
Speaker 3I've done the Colorado Utah trip for five times and I'd love to do it again . I'm just so dang busy and I will . It's on the calendar for probably next season but but yeah , it was , I was . I was five days in at that point and six days in when I finally got on to some herd of bulls and some cows and I was up around 9,800 feet of elevation , whoa . And so you're talking about how your husband can sleep and you can't , it's like at that point when you're that many days in hiking at those elevations you can sleep anywhere well , it knocked the first couple days .
Speaker 3You don't . I am terrified because you're in . You know you're in mountain lion country . You're in . You know bears no , they're not grizzlies , but there's brown bears , black bears and still something the outdoors , and it's just you don't sleep very well , so you know , any twig that breaks the first couple of days . You're like you don't sleep , yeah , until until you hit like pure exhaustion right , you're able to finally sleep .
Speaker 3But yeah , I was about five or six days in and I finally came on a group of elk and I put them to bed . They were up higher on the mountainside and so I just dropped a bivy sack , which is I slept in a on the ground in essence kind of thing , and got up early and a snowstorm had pushed through and so I , like where I saw that they should be in the morning , like oh crap , they're gone . So I was glassing them up the of the mountainside and I couldn't see him . The snow came , so that made a move earlier . Then I got up and I went up and you know , kind of cow called some in and they ended up getting this amazing bull , that actually what's called the satellite bull , so not even the main herd bull .
Speaker 3The herd bull is usually the biggest and baddest elk out there . A satellite bull is a bull that wants to compete with the herd bull and bring some cows off on its own , and still a really great size bull . And it came in quiet . It was totally unexpected and it happened really quick and it wasn't until I got my hands on the elk . When , like , the emotional dump happens because that's a real thing and it's , you know , taking just a standard white cell or , you know , a turkey or an elk , like there is an emotional thing that happens especially . That was like my third year to go out and help elk and never have gotten one . Hadn't gotten on a shot for one .
Speaker 3It was like three or four years of accumulations of emotions , of like holy crap , I finally freaking , did it and so the emotions come , and it's the respect and honor of the animal too , because it's a beautiful beast and a creature , yeah , and then you realize also you're like , oh crap , now I gotta get this off . That's a lot of work , like how , and yeah , and you have to hike with it , yeah . So yes , and you were , even though you're pure exhausted , like you're never more motivated to move quickly through a mountain in the wilderness when you have fresh bloody meat on your bag and you're in , you know wolves and coyotes and mountain lions . I didn't think about that part . But yeah , that you're exhausted , but like you don't know exhaustion until you're done with that , so there's like an immediate adrenaline bump . That goes there too , but it's like .
Speaker 3But luckily I was able to be close to a cold water stream and so I was able to quarter up or field dress the elk and put it into some meat sacks and then sink it , because whenever you field dress it , you want to air it down and cool it off as much as possible and typically you want to , like you want to hoist it up in a tree so bears don't attract or other predators and things in some cases , and so luckily I was able to find a creek and I was able to sink it with some big rocks to keep it cold , so cool to cool to meet down , and it kept the scent of blood away . But I took me three times to three trips to pack that elk out .
Speaker 2I feel like . Have you ever heard of the show Alone ?
Speaker 1Yes , jeff watches it , have you seen the show .
Speaker 2Yeah , I feel like you would be a really
Exploring Northwest Arkansas Together
Speaker 2good candidate for this show . It's a long time , though , some of them last months . Yeah , that's a problem .
Speaker 3That is a lot . That's a lot of extra time you don't have . I don't know you could do it though .
Speaker 1I feel like she just doesn't have time with her businesses to do it .
Speaker 3They're just enough to be dangerous .
Speaker 3But I couldn't tell you how happy I was to see my truck the first time . I got back to it , though , and I tried to drive as close as up to the , but you still had to hike it out several miles round trip each time . But it's , you know , even when the years that I didn't get out there and get , or I didn't take an elk I mean my need for being able to be outside it's I say this it's like I go get lost to find myself again , and with all that's happening in the world and how crazy busy my schedule is and multiple businesses , and I've become even busier since my last time doing that . Hence what's kept me from getting out on that long of a two week trip . You know I still get out like it's we're chasing turkeys right now it's , and so you know I still get out like it's we're chasing turkeys right now it's , and so you know we're getting out there and fishing and great times for that , but it's you gotta go get away oh yeah , I've seen some of your pictures .
Speaker 2I showed him to my husband and he was like what he's probably thinking , where do I go to find these fish ?
Speaker 3because right here in Arkansas .
Speaker 2I know , yeah , my husband , uh , he loves to fish and , uh , fly fish and traditional bow hunt , yeah , and he taught my daughters I have a video still of my five-year-old where she was five in a princess dress , getting a bullseye oh , that's awesome well , I mean , it was like her bill for her right and he hand built a canoe during covid .
Speaker 2That's incredible , but he sounds like you need to meet your husband , no , you do yeah , yeah , he's , and he has a tattoo of the buffalo on his yeah , so he's trying to get . So this is what I want to do . This is my like alone . It wouldn't be alone to be with him , but he wants to do a five day float on the buffalo .
Speaker 3Yeah , absolutely , I encourage it . Right , that's what we grew up doing with my grandfather , so we'd put in and we go all the way down to Gilbert and whatnot Buffalo City . We do five or seven day floats and it's nice and it's such a gem here in Northwest Arkansas and in Central Arkansas , you know , and like people would die for that clear of crystal waters and what a beautiful natural amenity we have here we're blessed with to be able to access and I hope it continues to stay . And if you have that opportunity , I would encourage you to take your kids , because that's how I did it and just you know , throw kids and young people into nature , because that's how I did it and just you know , throw kids and young people into nature , it's you know .
Speaker 3I thought you were going to say in the water , yeah , just hoist them on , toss them in , think or swim .
Speaker 1I should have started a number of years ago with our deal . Yeah , it's going to be rough .
Speaker 3I know you got to be young , or else they're like yeah , or then you're just like . My grandfather handmade a canoe and it's hanging in my barbecue restaurant , tar House in downtown Rogers . You have a barbecue restaurant .
Speaker 1Mm-hmm . Okay , we got to go yeah .
Speaker 3We got to go see it . Yeah , you got to come visit Tar House that's in downtown .
Speaker 2I'm going to message you next time you're there , so that you can meet Elliot and . I want to show him your grandfather's canoe yeah well , I'd love up like pictures of his kids . There you go They'd be proud of them .
Speaker 3Yeah , we might . I remember we took it , for each boat has to have its maiden voyage , I guess . And so our maiden voyage that we took it to Lake Atalanta in downtown Rogers and I remember being in the front of the canoe with my grandfather and we paddled around the lake and so downtown Rogers and the outdoors of Beaver Lake , right there , lake Atalanta and all the trails and the things that are happening , it's just we want to continue to invest and build and develop around that and encourage it . There's a lot more happening and you know there's , from you know , new places for people to stay and to be and to evolve and go with . And , like me and my best friends , there's a super , super cool project we just completed . It's called the 81 .
Speaker 3So Jeff Scott , who owns Cal's Custom Homes , his wife and his daughter and I all partnered together and we developed the 81 . It's the new , it's the only temporary lodging community in downtown Rogers and we specifically built it right adjacent to the Rail Yard Bike Park and , like out steps off of each one of your . So it's a seven unit temporary lodging community . So nightly lodging it steps away from the Rail Yard Live music concert series , but literally out the back doors of each one of these units is the Rail Yard Bike Park and Lake Atlanta trails , and so we wanted to build these to highlight , you know , the biking abilities right out your doorsteps , but also the beauty of Lake atlanta and and what's happening in downtown . And it's like people , once they come into downtown rogers , they're just in love with it , and we want to give them opportunities to stay and be a part of that .
Speaker 3Because you stand at you stand at poplar street and you can see the light of frisco . You know we'll send you down to frisco . Or right next door there's uh , my buddy owns black crowns a it's a whiskey and cigar bar , and so you can have a great cocktail right there and cigars and overlook Like that too .
Speaker 3Or you listen to the live music concert series from the deck of the units , and so we wanted to be immersive there so everybody can see and even , for a night or two , experience the things that are happening there , from food and culture and all that . I think you should be the mayor . I don't know who the mayor is .
Speaker 2I caused a lot on her plate .
Speaker 1I got a little bit too much trouble for that . No , you should be the unofficial mayor . Yeah , what's great about that , too , is that it would be a great place to stay to introduce people to Northwest Arkansas , but also , like I , going through my head was like it would be such a great staycation going through , my head was like it'd be such a great staycation . You know like , yeah , we just kind of we love downtown rogers already and so that would just well .
Speaker 3Maybe we need to get y'all to come over and so like . And the great thing is that you can go with friends or family but you don't have to be in the same like it's your own house , it's your own and they're all on the same property so you can come in and get all seven units at once . Or you can come and like still have a little bit of elbow room and not have anybody else in your unit and that's completely detached and separated , their own private space and yeah , just bring friends .
Speaker 3But yeah , yeah we were girls night . I do it for sure . We've had several of those girl night groups come through and they've all loved it , so we're here for it , whipping it up , all right .
Speaker 1well , hannah , tell us , tell our listeners , where they can find you on social media and some of your businesses , especially the ones we talked about today house is the barbecue spot in downtown rogers , also on facebook and instagram .
Speaker 3And then I'm on social media instagram and facebook hannah sissioni or h underscore ci for instagram . But yeah , I , I love engaging with good people and doing good stuff and so I love it when people reach out , or even if there's ever just questions that people have , I say it's like I may not know the answer , but , man , I want to connect you with the right people that I knew that I do know that have that answer and it's I love hearing what other people are doing and if I can help celebrate and promote that as well . Like , and I'm all about it because there's again , we're blessed with Northwest Arkansas by how many great people are doing so much good stuff and it's and I appreciate what y'all are doing it help highlighting giving people an opportunity to speak to that . Yeah , so I appreciate what y'all are doing . It helped highlighting giving people an opportunity to speak to that .
Speaker 3And so I think what you guys are doing is so important and again , thank you for the honor of being on here today .
Speaker 1Thank you for coming and being on our show . We love it . We do love it . We're going to go hang out now . I know let's do it yeah .
Speaker 2Hey , thanks
People of Northwest Arkansas Podcast
Speaker 2so much for listening today .
Speaker 4If you like 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 . People of Northwest Arkansas , with the two Danielle's produced by me , brock Short of Civil Republic Productions . 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 .