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
Tom Hoehn on Curiosity, Community & a Life Well Lived
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We sit down with Tom Hoehn, a longtime digital marketing executive, community leader, patron of the arts, world-traveler and model, to talk about how curiosity can turn into a life of travel, art, and real community impact. We trace his path from early internet history to Northwest Arkansas civic work and why “say yes” can be a serious strategy for building a meaningful life.
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Fashion Week And Meeting Tom
SPEAKER_04Danielle, didn't you have so much fun at the Bentonville Fashion Week show this year?
SPEAKER_03I did. I've never hosted a fashion show or MC'd anything like that. It was really exciting to be backstage with all the models and to see all the organized chaos. The organized chaos.
SPEAKER_02It didn't, and everything came out so beautifully.
SPEAKER_04It really did. And in our studio today, we have one of the male models from the Bettonville Fashion Week show. And this is, I mean, how do we even capture all of who Tom is? And so if any of you live in Bettonville and you've met Tom Hohen, you know that he is a man about town. He is in a lot of spaces. You'll see him at The Momentary at Crystal Bridges, Blake Street. You'll see him downtown on the square. You'll see him at Coffee with the Mayor. You'll see him in a lot of spaces. He has an involvement in art and community. He's on the art board for the city of Bentonville, male model, and just really a great person. And we've really enjoyed this.
SPEAKER_01Man, I know this is a podcast, but you know, if you could see this on video, you'd see me blushing right now. This is what we do.
SPEAKER_04We like to build up our guests. And we because we love the people that live here and we love getting to know them. We love bringing them on the show and doing a deep dive and building them up for the things that they're involved in and the and the the stuff and the and just all the things that they put back into this community. Because that's what it's about, right?
SPEAKER_01I I gotta tell you, I'm honored to be with you too, and and you really you rocked it at Fashion Week is MC. So you said it was your first one. Yeah, and you you did a great job. You knocked it out of the park, and I hope you had a good time with it. Oh, we did.
SPEAKER_04We really had a good time. It was fun. Yeah. I would do it again. Oh, same, same. Yeah. Okay. Every year. We're locked in.
SPEAKER_05Exactly.
SPEAKER_04Ruley's gonna be like, and locked in. Yeah. So, Tom, tell us a little bit about how you ended up here in Northwest Arkansas. We really like to kind of kick things off with that story for everyone.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'm happy to be here with you, happy to be in Northwest Arkansas as well. It was 14 years ago now. I can't believe it. I was leading social media for Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, and it was an amazing experience, an amazing ride. I got to work with photographers and cinematographers all over the world and got to activate really cool events like the Olympics
From Kodak To Bentonville
SPEAKER_01and the World Series and NASCAR, and you know, it was just fun, fun, fun. Oscars and on and on and on. And Walmart called me up and they had a role to lead social media for Walmart. And I gotta tell you, you know, true confession here, this is like Arkansas, really? I've never been. And I said, okay, I'll I'll, you know, if I'm serious about my trade, and and I was pretty pretty good at social media, and I would speak on panels all the time all over the country on it, because Kodak really was an innovator at that time relative to that. And I said, I'm gonna go to Arkansas and learn more about this. And obviously the scale and scope of Walmart is an exciting opportunity. And it turns out it was a week after Crystal Bridges opened. So if you recall, Crystal Bridges was like 11, 11, 11. I must have come down on like 1117-11 or something like this. And I said, Oh my goodness, this is gonna change everything in this community. Yeah, it's not just the art, it's everything that comes with it, you know, film and lectures and music and it'll almost like a college campus. And I can't believe it, but we're moving to Arkansas. And the rest is history. So I came to join Walmart and led social media for a number of years. I'm no longer with Walmart. I'm kind of off on my own now, as I was telling you earlier, like as a free agent, I guess. And I do things on my own terms. I'm at that stage of my life and career.
SPEAKER_04That's nice. That is really nice. And I love the story of so many people that we have on here. And we are we fall into this category as well as I can't believe I've been here X amount of years. I can't, Arkansas? Why would I go to Arkansas? That's a common theme. And then you come here and you find out how great this place is, and the community is incredible. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah. I'm almost a decade.
SPEAKER_04Look at you. I'm only staying for two years. Look at her. I'm only staying for two.
SPEAKER_01When I got here, you know, Walmart usually connects you with a real estate agent. They and they brought me out to all these bougie suburbs, and you know, nothing wrong with them. Yeah, but same experience. No, you're not listening to me. I want to walk to work, I want a pedestrian lifestyle. And they said there's nothing downtown. And at the time there was table mesa, and 21C was a chain link fence with a sign saying hotel going here. And I said, No, it's gonna change. And you know, Crystal Bridges was gonna be the catalyst for that. So really we designed and built our house right downtown, and it was like a tourist attraction. Literally, they put us on the historic home tour the first year when it was built. I said, Our house is not historic. And they said, But everybody wants to see inside. Yeah, and nowadays and we had over 300 people come through our house in an afternoon. It was insane. My wife was like, You get the upstairs, I'll get the downstairs. Yeah, it was crazy. And wow, so it's like, wow, welcome to Batonville. And and so we shook it up right downtown.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you did. Yeah, when we were looking almost 10 years ago, I w I initially wanted to live downtown, but there wasn't anything at that time available, and or that had what we were looking for, space-wise with a child and one on the way. So we did move to a suburb. But I love the pedestrian friendliness of downtown. That's something that maybe when my kids are grown, I would love that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and we were at a we were at a different stage of our life. We were down to one kid out of we have four kids, and we were we could see the empty nesting nests kind of in our in our sights, and it's worked out pretty well. This downtown lifestyle, I swear I put gas in my car about every six weeks.
SPEAKER_04Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01And I just I ride my bike or walk everywhere. I can have a drink and not worry about driving and you know that kind of stuff. It's just it's and there's this whole network of downtown folks. It really is an ideal. It really is.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. Well, and all of Bentonville is becoming very bike and pedestrian friendly. So that's that is a huge, huge plus. All right, so we're gonna take it back. We're gonna take it back. Rewind to the we're gonna do a little rewind to the nineties. It's all about the nineties right now. And the nineties are back in every way.
SPEAKER_01Yes, we're gonna rewind, we're gonna rewind the tape.
SPEAKER_04We're gonna rewrite the film, we're gonna scratch it back, we're gonna push, yeah. We're gonna we're gonna take it back to 1995, which is such a special year for me. That's when I graduated high school. It's such a great I should probably not admit that on this, because then now people are gonna figure out my age.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I was just calculating
The Web Arrives In 1995
SPEAKER_03that.
SPEAKER_0490s were a good time. They were my yes, it was all when I was growing up, high school into college. So back in 1995, you know, the internet was getting started. I mean, I know it had kind of been already moving along, but really like hitting mainstream was I got my first, I remember I got my first email address in college in 1995. And so you were you were there, you were working in that space. Like what what was it like back then? Like what tell us about your journey in there.
SPEAKER_01Fascinating heady days. I was at Kodak, and Kodak was actually instrumental in the formation of the internet and also I worked with people that were on the committee to come up with standards like JPEG, which you use all the time. But I bet you didn't know it stands for the joint photographic experts group. And I knew people that were on that.
SPEAKER_03I did not know that.
SPEAKER_01The look on your face is just great.
SPEAKER_03You knew that. Yes, I did.
SPEAKER_01But I remember exactly where I was the first time I saw the World Wide Web. It was February 15th, 1995. Nice. And this guy was showing me, this coworker was showing me the the internet, the world wide web at the time.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I'm like, wait a minute, this can't possibly work the way you're describing it, connecting people all over the world. We can't even connect to that damn printer across the room reliably, you know, especially back then. Like, how can this possibly and I said, Oh my goodness, if this works the way I think it works, you're saying it works, this is gonna change everything. And this is our Times Gutenberg moment, if you're familiar with Gutenberg, you know, type and stuff, and it's gonna democratize knowledge, right? And I said, and I'm gonna be a part of that. So from that moment on, it was kind of a seminal moment in my career and life. And I've been involved in digital marketing and digital ever since that day.
SPEAKER_04That's so cool, Tom. I love hearing that. And I rem I forget about how that was like the World Wide Web. I remember having conversations. So you know, when you're in college, you're having all these like very deep and philosophical and you know, intellectual conversations and talking about the world wide web and what does it really mean and how is it going to change our lives? And now we still can't connect to the computer or the printer across the room. So something's never changed. Something's never changed. They didn't figure out how to put a computer in our hands, but somehow I still can't connect to my printer. What about you? I remember we can you connect to your printer?
SPEAKER_01Oh, you can't. I'm sorry, you just had me going down.
SPEAKER_03It depends on the day when my printer decides if it's for or against me. What's gonna happen?
SPEAKER_04And you're like, listen, printer, do I need to go office space on you? Because I will.
SPEAKER_03No, I I do want to go office space on my printer. Part of that could be because I didn't spend a whole lot on my printer, my home printer.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's you didn't print out your TPS reports.
SPEAKER_03My TPS note letters. Exactly. I feel like our younger audience is not gonna know office. That's okay. It's such a gem of a movie.
SPEAKER_04You know what though? I feel like they do. And with like the resurgence of all things loving 90s, they they have to. If you are listening right now and you have not seen the movie Office Space, you need to go and find it and watch it because it's really great. It's great. You know what else is back that's so interesting? Sorry, I keep seeing hearing commercials on the radio about map quest. Oh, yeah. I heard that the other day. I'm like, seriously. So bizarre.
SPEAKER_03It's like map quest is back, and my kids are like, what is that? My dad used to think me using MapQuest was ridiculous when you could just open a map. Right, right, right. He he would refuse to use map quest. I was like dad. Once you get to that town, though, how do you know where to he figured it out? I don't know.
SPEAKER_01So you guys are right on trend with this whole viral 90s thing, like what were you doing and the stuff. So you're right there. I remember my dad coming home and showing him the worldwide web like a month later, and I said, and I showed him switchboard.com, which is a website that is long gone, I'm sure. You could type in any name and it would give you the phone number of this person. You know, this is not mobile phone, this is before right. And I said, Dad, is there anybody you'd like to find? And he without a heart missing a heartbeat, he said, Heino Bunges. And I'm like, What? How do you even spell that? And Heino Bung. Turns out he was in World War II, my dad, and Heino was in his unit, and my dad borrowed his camera, it was a Kodak camera actually, and my dad went off on leave, and when he came back, Heino was dispatched out and he never saw him again.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_01And he said, I still have his camera, I have to get his camera back to him. He was recommended. This is in 1995, and this was from 1945, right?
SPEAKER_04Dang.
SPEAKER_01And Heino Bung is right there somewhere in Indiana. He called him up. He goes, Heino, this is Larry Hoan, I got your camera. And sure enough, he sent him his camera back.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I love that story. What amazing calling it all those years later.
SPEAKER_01That is first of all, he's like, Wait, who are you? Yeah, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_04Now, did you take care of my camera? Yeah, yeah. I mean, I yeah, just kidding. That is a great story. Yeah, I love little nuggets like that. That's I do.
SPEAKER_03I want to hear about a website that's now in the Smithsonian that you helped create. Tell us about that.
SPEAKER_01There was a project by Rick Smolin, is his name. He's a photographer in the Bay Area. He did a series of books pretty much in the 90s called A Day in a Life of America, you know, and other things a day in a life of. And the internet was like brand new. And he said this is a historic moment, really. And he wanted to capture almost like a time capsule of 24 hours in cyberspace.
A Website That Entered Smithsonian History
SPEAKER_01So we, Kodak, teamed with him and Sun Microsystems and a few other places, teamed with him to create essentially it was something like 3,000 photographers and just people all around the world capturing 24 hours in a day in a life of how people are using this new thing called the internet. And it created, you know, obviously a website and everything else, but it was just absolutely fascinating. It was so important that the Smithsonian Museum of American History decided that's the first website they're gonna put into their collections to kind of document this thing. So I had to go to Washington and I'm on the stage with Al Gore and me and the guy and the CTO from Sun Microsystems at the time. So that was the day Al Gore and I invented the internet. So that's awesome.
SPEAKER_03I love that. And I'm glad because if you didn't bring up Al Gore, I was going to because of that that story and then a time capsule type.
SPEAKER_01And it was just it was really a fascinating, fascinating project. And I get to work, and I'm lucky to be it kind of at the middle of that. And the imaging was kind of so important to the internet at the time.
SPEAKER_03It's so different now, too, the way people just photography, because you know, growing up, I always had a Kodak camera and you'd have to go get it developed. And I even remember my mom in art school had to develop film naturally. I still don't understand how she did that at home without like in a dark room.
SPEAKER_01In a dark room, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Well, no, no, but she also could do well, like I don't know. She well, she had the dark room, but she just it's magic. She would take a photo without a camera and then develop it. Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah, like a a a pinhole camera. Pinhole camera. Pinhole camera. See, I still don't even know. She was she was doing all this fun stuff with art and photography, and you know, and then also the horror. If you went on a really fun trip when you were young and got your film developed and you were thinking, what is the person developing these pictures gonna see? Like, I don't even remember all the pictures that were taken.
SPEAKER_04What kind of photos were you taking? Wait a minute. Why are we worried about this, Danielle? Maybe we should start interviewing her. Let's start an interview.
SPEAKER_03What kind of photos were you taking? Well, you didn't have control of what was you know developed. Like now you take a picture and you know.
SPEAKER_01No, I know, but I'm just saying, like you didn't know, but also you had a lot of questions about it.
SPEAKER_03Do you? Do you really though? I mean, I guess not.
SPEAKER_04Was this when you were in college or before?
SPEAKER_03I'm not answering any more questions.
SPEAKER_01Well, you also had to be more choiceful, you know. Like you had like 36 exposures, and yeah, like like do I want I'll wait and say and obviously the immediacy is immediacy is there now, and you can take as many as you want and stuff. But right, I also have no patience for people that just do a photo dump and here's 78 pictures from my thing. And like if you don't have the time to edit or care about this, why should I have the time to scroll through them? Yeah. So there's that level of curation or photo editing that was more choiceful back then.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And there's no AI, so now you have to But see, I feel like I have a really good eye for filters and editing. Especially if you know the person well. Yeah. You're like, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it doesn't look like you.
SPEAKER_03Or if someone overuses a smoothing tool, like, I yeah.
SPEAKER_01That those who know me, those who know me here in Bentonville know that I always have a camera. And it's I don't carry around the big camera with the big glass and everything. And I learned this back at Kodak in that the best camera is the one you have with you. And obviously you cell phones today, just amazing, you know, quality that wasn't there back then. But so I always have a camera with it again because you never know when you're gonna need it. And I don't need the big glass and everything else. And if I have to make a decision, like do I bring my camera or not today?
SPEAKER_03That's not the
Photography Then And Now
SPEAKER_03camera. What kind of camera do you usually carry?
SPEAKER_01I have a little Lumix camera. Okay. The little digital camera tucked in my bag right here. Yeah. And uh it's been all over the world with me. And I just use those little cameras and I can fit it in my pocket and that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_04That's awesome. Where's the furthest it's been with you?
SPEAKER_01I've been to so many places. Um I'm trying to think last two years ago now, I was in Tajikistan. Oh, nice in next month, in a couple weeks, I'm off to Bhutan.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_01So, yeah, it's yeah, my trips are not your average going to Vegas or Orlando thing, you know.
SPEAKER_04And go to actually fascinating places with culture and substance. Is that what you're doing?
SPEAKER_03Hey, you know what? Don't dump on Orlando. I'm going in three days.
SPEAKER_04But you're also going with your children.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there's like a difference. You know what? I told them next year we're not going to Disney. We're gonna go to like Italy, or which my youngest has been manifesting. She just started learning, she's eight. She just started learning Italian on Duolingo, and I was like, Why are you learning Italian? She's like, Because you're gonna take me to Italy. And I was like, Okay, let's go, Juliet. Yes, oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_01She's like, Ciao, mom.
SPEAKER_04Sweet. I'm not new in Italian.
SPEAKER_01I'm not dissing on Disney. I'm messing with it. I did a lot of work at Disney for Kodak, all the Kodak photo picture spots, and I worked on two different rides at Epcot, all the pre-shows.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I love the memory maker.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01I worked on like Captain EO with Michael Jackson back in the day. Yes, yes, yeah. And then Honey I Shrunk the Audience, if you remember that.
SPEAKER_03Oh my god, yes.
SPEAKER_01And the pre-shows that you wait, you know, and you're waiting to get into the main show. A lot of that was codec imagery and stuff like that.
unknownSo yeah.
SPEAKER_03There is a trend back towards using physical cameras, and I think it's great actually, because I've heard that the younger generation wants to use Polaroids now. And it's more fun, right? Because you and apparently you're not supposed to shake it, right? Shake it like Even though the song doesn't. I know. But they want to like take pictures and have them right away. I think it's fun because I feel like, and I'm I know I'm not the only one. I have so many photos on my phone and I don't even know what to do with them anymore. Yeah. There's and how do I even sort through my memories? Whereas when you had pictures printed, you could put them in a book and there's the memory, right? To pass down.
SPEAKER_01And so it's not just that there's trends and just analog things all over the place, like vinyl records, but you know, Kodak, sorry to keep going back to Kodak, but they have now re-established making film 24-7. Really? Yeah, because there is that much of a demand. It's certainly not what it used to be, of course, because it's just you know, changing habits. But the same with letterpress printing, silk screen printing, vinyl records that we mentioned.
SPEAKER_04Magazines.
SPEAKER_01Magazine.
SPEAKER_04Magazine. I gotta throw that in, throw that in there just for a second. So, Tom, tell how long did you work for Kodak and what were kind of like your different roles that you took on when you were there working?
SPEAKER_01For 22 years. I can't believe it. Oh wow. Yeah, and all kinds of roles. Just but a lot of it is like mentoring advice that I would give to people and that I didn't go for a job. I kind of identified a need and then articulated what would it take to do this thing. And then, oh, by the way, I'm just the guy to do this. An example of that was like the Olympic activations. Kodak was an Olympic sponsor. The internet was new, new-ish at that point. And you know, Kodak would bring all these, you know, guests and stuff like there and experience it. We would help with photographers that are there and
Building New Roles At Kodak
SPEAKER_01stuff. And I said, you know, we need to expand this beyond the physical place of where the games are happening. What if we turn our camera 180 degrees and show here's the place where the Olympics happen, or here's the fans that are experiencing it, not trying to do metal tallies and everything else that everyone else is doing. And oh, by the way, I'm just the guy to do this right now. They said, You're right, go to Sydney. So I went to Sydney, Australia, and did that for the Olympics. And it was so successful that I did five Olympic Games. So the Sydney, Salt Lake.
SPEAKER_03I'm so jealous.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Beijing, Athens, Torino, and I was there for like 40 days for each one of them. And it was amazing. Wow, that's a long time. I saw Michael Phelps win all his medals and you name it. Just it was an amazing experience. But you you obviously have to prove your way in how this is successful and metrics and things like this to get that. And then got to the point where I could bring a couple other people with me as well. And so the point there is it didn't exist. You kind of defined it and then you went after it. And it's really cool.
SPEAKER_03What was your favorite Olympics?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they feels loaded.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01It's almost like which is your favorite kid?
SPEAKER_02Okay, how about location?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. There they were different, like Beijing was 2008, and I don't know on your audience who remembers that, but their their that opening ceremonies was like China's coming out party was amazing, and that was just spectacle. It had 5,000 people playing drums at the same time in the stadium. And I was right there in that front row of that stadium.
SPEAKER_02That would give me chills watching that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. But the other thing is like in Sydney, that's my first Olympics, I came in, I'm all jet lagged, and the torch was coming into town, right? And I look out my hotel window and I could see down on the street, and there was a million people on the street to see the torch come.
SPEAKER_05Whoa.
SPEAKER_01That was my first like Olympic moment where I was like, I think we're a bit jaded as Americans. Because if this was like coming into Atlanta when it did, it's like, oh my god, I'm gonna be late, just gonna bottle traffic up, blah, blah, blah. Where they were like, the Olympic torch is coming through our city.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And and then in Athens, I remember there was a a Greek woman that was in the 20-kilometer walk, which is an event which is like you go once around the inside of the stadium, you go out, and then you walk all around town, and then the very last lap you come back in, which must be a really crappy ticket to get for the Olympics, because like, wait a minute, you're waiting for like an hour and a half or two hours. Yeah. Outside anyway, and this one Greek woman was in the in the 20-kilometer walk because she qualified because of the host country was Athens and Greece. So she got in, otherwise she wouldn't have been in, and she was leading the way. And when she came in, that stadium erupted.
SPEAKER_05Really?
SPEAKER_01Because Greek, you know, they they're we're gonna win the gold medal. I remember going back to the hotel and you form these relationships with people that work at the hotel, and there's this woman who's probably in her late sixties working behind the bar at the restaurant. And I had these pictures that I had just taken of this woman winning the gold medal like two hours earlier, and I printed them out and like here and and she started crying. She was so proud of her country winning this medal. And those are those moments that as Americans we're kind of a little bit jaded about some of these experiences. So when you say what's your favorite Olympics, there was these kind of moments that were sprinkled throughout that were just different depending on where you are.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I think that a lot of people are coming to the self-aware this point where they realize Americans in general are a little jaded and maybe take things too seriously. Because that's why I this is my opinion, by the way. I think that's why people are going back to analog and more meaningful connections and maybe having a little more whimsy and appreciation of the arts because honestly, that's what makes I think a society have culture and connection. Otherwise, I mean, I I personally cannot take most things seriously. So I'm a very happy person.
SPEAKER_01So I think evidenced by the pictures you took in the 90s.
SPEAKER_03Not the 90s, because I was still a young girl, but she's like a thousand. Just had the correct man. Okay.
SPEAKER_01But I will say when I got back from those experiences, I actually gave talks because I felt so you know deep inside that what you were just saying about Americans being, you know, taking for granted things like this. And I remember watching the opening ceremonies for like Athens, I think, on TV when I got back, and there's Bob Costas and the other announcing they're making fun of the country of Djibouti. Like, hey, here comes your favorite country. I remember it. Shake your booty. And like, you know, and that that athlete, this is the the pinnacle moment of their life walking into that stadium, and they're so proud, and they're like, seriously. And to see, like, we used to do the medical imaging in the athlete's village and stuff, and you see all these countries, every coach, every athlete would go to them and get their teeth checked, and every kind of medical procedure they could get done there because it's the best medical care they could get versus back where they came from and taking advantage of these opportunities, let alone competing and carrying the flag for your country and stuff like that. So I felt compelled to share the perceptions of how we may be perceived, you know, and and I just wish more people had a passport and would travel around here.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Oh, I agree. I agree. I think traveling is so valuable. You're gonna take your daughter to Italy. Yes.
SPEAKER_03Yes, I want them to be well traveled. I think that every trip that you take a child on, whether it's a road trip, you know, a different state, even just in your own state, I really think you see growth each time.
SPEAKER_04Yes, yeah, personally. I'm I'm that mom, Tom, that takes their kids on road trips, and we're gonna stop at the educational spots where you're gonna learn something. Oh my god, you're like my husband.
SPEAKER_03We're gonna stop at the nature museum and jazz or wherever it is, at the Buffalo. We're gonna read every plaque.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but it's I mean, I I've had some incredible moments with my kids on those trips. You know, we did one where we went to Memphis and Birmingham and we stopped in some very specific places that were powerful and they still remember to this day. So I'm gonna keep doing that.
SPEAKER_01Yep, that's the same with our family. And I've seen lots of eye rolls from my wife in a loving and hearing wife. And uh, and we're kind of stuck with our daughter, this travel bug, but also learning and things like this. She is she now works at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, the country of Wow. Yeah, that was another trip I went to.
SPEAKER_03And okay. So wow, that's really cool.
SPEAKER_01Her and her husband both work at the embassy.
SPEAKER_03That's impressive, very impressive. So, in regards to photography, I know we're we've talked a lot about it. When you know, people share a photo online, you know, they have you kind of you see yourself one way, but people are gonna perceive that photo in so many different ways. And it makes me think about there's near Crystal Bridges, there's that dome, I think it's Crystal Bridges, or maybe it's on the yeah, it's on the trail where it changes colors with the light, and it's all about perceiving, everyone perceives the art that they see or the pictures they see. Every single person has a unique experience with what they see based off their lived experience. So, with photography, what does that mean to you when you when you take and share something? You know, maybe you have an intention behind why you're sharing it, or maybe you don't. Like what you know, what does that art form feel like to you, or you hope that it gives to people?
SPEAKER_01That's I loved working at Kodak because of that thing that you're describing. So it's not about the megapixels in your camera or the grain of the film back in the day and stuff like this. It's really about me connecting with so I'm showing you a picture of my kid, dog, cat, whatever. And it doesn't matter if it's the crappiest picture of the dog, kid, cat, whatever, but I'm telling you the story of like, yeah, she went, it was her first day of school, blah, blah, blah, and I'm connecting with you. It was like sacred space to work in that thing, or you're capturing these memories. There was a photographer in the late 1800s, early 1900s named Cartier Bersant, and he captured this this phrase, the decisive moment. And it's kind of like in your picture, this is the picture that describes the story that you're talking about, the decisive moment. So anyway, so photography is so important. And I'm glad Stieglitz, who Alfred Stieglitz, who is part of the collection at at Crystal Bridges, helped establish photography as an art form because people were, you know, back when photography started, like it's not art, it's just you press a button, there's no skill involved. And it took a lot of effort by a lot of people, creative people, to say, no, this actually is an art form.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, I have prints that have been put on canvas in my house of Arkansas nature, and I love it. I have to know your hot take on people photographing their food and posting it on social media. This is very divisive.
SPEAKER_04This is very divisive. You're putting him on the spot.
SPEAKER_03He was not prepared for the don't have to worry about offending anyone, okay?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. No, I I don't know if I have a formed opinion on this.
SPEAKER_03Like I don't photograph your own food and then we will know the answer.
SPEAKER_01I do not photograph my own food.
SPEAKER_03I knew that was gonna be an answer.
SPEAKER_01I don't have a visceral reaction, like these people are whatever. You know, stop and just eat your food, damn it. Right. You know, sorry, you can bleak that out, right? But no, but the reason why they're sharing it is interesting. Like if it's a different food experience and I want to make sure that you are seeing this amazing shrimp, whatever it would be.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_01That's great.
SPEAKER_03There's also another phenomenon that you know that people think that they're the way that they're photographed, do I really look like that? Like what what do you think about that phenomenon? What what's up with that?
SPEAKER_01There's people that just hate to have their picture taken. Yeah. You know, period. So matter what you look like, you're not gonna like it. That kind of thing. That's true. And and I I feel for those people like, no, just like a life is too short. Enjoy it.
SPEAKER_03Take a picture, be part of a well, she knows I have a good side.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_03I have my my I have my left side, which is my good side. I do not like to be photographed on my right side.
SPEAKER_01So when you're at me time to learn, so when you're at Fashion Week walking down the runway, you're gonna be walking down sideways, isn't it?
SPEAKER_04Exactly. All right, just just check in there. Yeah, just in pictures, in pictures, just capture her from that.
SPEAKER_03You know, Tom has so many wonderfully intelligent things to say, and I have to ask him about your good side, and then do you photograph your food?
SPEAKER_04You know what though? It's okay because it's real. Right. It's real life, real life. Well, speaking of real life and getting into the weeds of community, I'd love to talk a little bit about just all the things that you're doing here in Bettonville and how you are interacting with the community and how you're engaging with the community and making it better. So you moved here 14 years ago. Is that right? Did I get that right? 14 years ago. And about how long did it take for you to like really dive into the community?
SPEAKER_01I think I over-indexed getting involved in the community. It came from the Northeast. Right. And things are pretty established up there, and and there's red tape and bureaucracy and high taxes and blah, blah, blah. And here it's like you can do anything, you can get
Public Art And Civic Building
SPEAKER_01involved in anything. And an example I'll share is with this public art advisory committee that just changed this name to the Public Art Advisory Board. And Betonville didn't have one, right? So back then, when 21C was coming to town, there were these pink snails all over town that 21c put out to drive awareness to this hotel coming. Instead of green penguins, it was pink snails. And there was a big 12-foot snail on the courthouse lawn, and the city was like with each other, like, did you say they could do that or did you? And who said, you know, and somebody said, I did. And like, that's not right. We don't have any policies or procedures around this. You this could really go sideways if someone said, I want to put this here, and you know. And so they said, We better form a public art advisory committee. And uh I remember even seeing letters in the newspaper, which yes, there was a newspaper, the printed newspaper complaining about those pink snails, like, these are weird, what's going on in our town, you know, whatever. And so there's a public notice in the newspaper about forming this public art advisory committee. And my wife saw this and said, You should go for this committee, and your slogan should be more pink snails. And uh so I was on the initial public art advisory committee, and it was just great, because in back where I came from, there would have been one for 80 years, there would have been people on it, there were clicks and infighting and all the other stuff. And we were like a blank computer screen, like, okay, how do we get some funding? How do we get some art? How do we evaluate it? How do we do an RFP? So on and so forth. So and I'm super proud about the efforts there. Because if you look around this community today, there are hundreds of public artworks, whereas, you know, as short as 12, 14 years ago, there was probably two. And now there's well over 300. Yeah. And it's just it's really gratifying. And we got a new one coming. This is like a scoop on your your podcast here. On the the roundabout in front of the amazeum and crystal bridges at the entrance there, there'll be a brand new sculpture being put in in time for the expansion opening for Crystal Bridges.
SPEAKER_05Oh, no.
SPEAKER_01And our public art advisory board has worked hand in glove with Crystal Bridges to make this another beautiful, it's be colorful, vibrant. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
SPEAKER_04That's so great roundabout, too. It's really a great interception where we're gonna do that. A couple other things.
SPEAKER_01Um, the same with the Bentonville Film Festival. I've been involved, this will be year 12. I've been involved in various capacities in all years. So when we were at Walmart, it was like, I remember it was January, and we were talking about working with this film festival to make a film festival to showcase diversity, and we're gonna do it in May. So this is like January to May. There wasn't something, and then we're gonna do it. And it's like, you got a bar and you got some costumes, let's put on a show, you know, that kind of thing. And and I was like, hey, Kodak, what can I do? So I was involved from that from the very beginning. And I've been a juror, I've made a lot of content over the years and various experiences. And but again, you just raise your hand and can you add to this? Yes, sure. Come on on board. And that's what I love about this place. I also serve on a board here at the Rave Cultural Foundation. Not sure if you've seen some of their work they do. It's an Indian classical dance and music organization to help that culture and to support that. And I think everyone in Northwest Arkansas should be seeing these performances. And they asked me to be on their board. And so my hands are in many, I guess.
SPEAKER_04You keep raising your hand. So the question behind that is why? Why are you raising your hand? Why are you getting involved?
SPEAKER_01I don't know. Maybe it all goes back to the point I was making about Kodak about sh you know connecting with one another and sharing with you this story of my life, your life. I want to hear about you. I'm just I just never cease to be amazed by people's experiences and also what's happening in this town. Are you kidding me? There's just so much to be amazed about constantly.
SPEAKER_03And that kind of leads me to another question I was thinking about, because you've been all over the world, many different countries. What do you think is unique about the culture here right now?
SPEAKER_01I think it it's almost like an expat community because like the stat the you know, the stat changes all the time, but it's like 65% of the people are from somewhere else. What I love about it is these people are bringing the best of what they've experienced here, right? So, and and the the trick will be and is for Bentonville to kind of maintain the charm of what makes Bentonville special and and respect the traditions and the people that have lived here and you know, and what uh made this place special to begin with, but it's kind of a town built on ambition, you know, and Sam Walton and Apple Orchards before that, and on and on. And to try to get the best of all of these experiences. So when we have a medical school opening here, are you kidding me? Here we're gonna have a STEM university here. What are you kidding me? Yeah, and and on and on and on. And Crystal Bridges, obviously, the expansion coming. Why do you see this thing? It's gonna be phenomenal. And so it just keeps getting better. And I and I enjoy meeting these people from all over the world that are coming here and want to live here and stay here.
SPEAKER_02Right. I think you put it perfectly. Yeah, that was really great.
SPEAKER_03That was really good.
SPEAKER_01If there was a mic, I could have dropped it. Is that what you're doing? I know, yeah. That was a mic drop. Absolutely, that was a mic drop moment.
SPEAKER_04I agree, I agree. I was like, okay, yes. And I think that it's really it's interesting to to really process and think about that as a as a transplant or a transit and like moving here and where you come from and what you get to be a part of, and not to talk down on my home state or hometown. I won't even name it, but it's different going back there. It's different going there and being in that space versus being here. And and how much I appreciate and value that we're in a space that's thriving.
SPEAKER_01And you don't want to mess it up either, and that's why this you gotta get engaged with the city and be involved in these planning meetings, which is they're very important meetings. And the city council, these eight mere mortals that serve on the city council, I mean I love that you called the mere mortals. But they have an impact on your life more than all this national politics hoo-ha that just consumes us all and these culture wars and all this other stuff. But they, you know, the sewers, the waters, the the amount of money that it is under their purview. And if you're not engaged in going to a city council meeting or paying attention to things, there's no one to blame
Why Local Government Matters
SPEAKER_01but yourself. That's true. That's true. And and the city really cares, they want to get it right too. And so right now there's the whole planning initiatives of what's going on since like a to 2040 or something like this. And the the level of rigor that has gone into this city planning is incredible. And and it's a lot of community input, but you have to be engaged if you want to be a part of making and shaping this place, which is kind of exciting. For sure.
SPEAKER_04It's really exciting. I I would love to echo that and just say how important it is to get involved in your community and and pay attention to what's going on in the community.
SPEAKER_03When are you both running for city council?
SPEAKER_01Actually, I was on city council for that's what I that's what yeah.
SPEAKER_04He's like been there, done that. I was a mere mortal up there.
SPEAKER_01I actually had to give it up. I took a role at Michael's Arts and Crafts for a couple years in Dallas and I was going back and forth and stuff. So it really hurt my heart that I had to give it up because I couldn't live here and do that. Right. So there is an upcoming. Maybe someday. Yes. Yes. Maybe someday. We'll see.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I know that we opened talking about Fashion Week and how you modeled and ran and walked the runway, but we didn't ask you how you got into that role. Origin story. Yeah, how that opportunity came about and promoting age diversity. And I feel like the the whole modeling industry is more diverse than it once was. So yeah, but I want to hear how you got to.
SPEAKER_01I'm a huge fan of Robin Atkinson. If you know Robin, she's a local entrepreneur, has a really great startup that she's just getting off the ground now. It's called Upkept, U-P-K-E-P-T. So try it out.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_01That there, Robin, you got a plug for me, sorry. And when she had Interform
How He Became A Runway Model
SPEAKER_01in Fashion Week, it was at the record building, which is next to our house and stuff, and I got involved to help them because they used our driveway and you know for tents and stuff like this. And I got involved. And then I helped them in in various capacities over the years. And I remember seeing a call for auditions for the models, you know, and like, you know, I'm gonna go to that. Like I really loved how Robin and the team at Interform drove every kind of diversity on the runway. Not your stereotypical thing of what you think about in a runway. So I'm gonna go try out, and my wife's shaking her head, like, ah, jeez. And and you know, you've got a comfort zone, and I was way outside my comfort zone in this thing. And I go to Mount Sequoia to try out, and I'm standing there, and people are asking me where the restroom is and stuff because they thought I worked there. And then I got in line with them, and it was such a great experience. I and I I made it, and then it just got crazier from there. The person who picked me, the designer who picked me, is a designer from New York, Renat Broadhast. She was on Amazon's making the cut. I mean, this is legit. So I went from like zero to like, oh my god, I'm in the finale, and like, oh geez. And I remember going to the fitting, and there was a guy with no shirt on and a long frock coat and pants and stuff, and and she's like, you know, could you take the pants off and just wear your briefs? And I'm next in line. I'm like, holy crap, what have I got myself into now? So thankfully, I had pants and a shirt, and it's like and my wife's like, You're showing skin, I'm not coming. So and what I loved about it is the creative energy around that whole day. So you guys were out front, you know, doing the MC thing, but in the back, you just have all of these people living their best life, like a financial analyst from Sam's Club is walking on a runway, or a barista at Kennedy Coffee is walking on a runway. And just to interact with all of these people, and I'm at a different stage of my life than most of them, and and I feel like this model Yoda guy, you know, you know, and they're pumping me for information and stuff. And so when I was walking on that finale one, there's this guy who's up on the mezzanine looking down from the VIP area, and he says to no one in particular, he goes, I don't know who that guy is, but that's who I want to be when I grow up. And this person next to me, well, that's Tom, you know, whatever. So fast forward to the next fashion week. And he's a designer from Little Rock who does this really cool urban sport chic kind of really nice line. He remembered he picked me for his line to walk, so I walked again. And then I got a call from an agent, and I've done shoots now for Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Walmart, Simmons, Bark Bowl. My family gets no end of amusement by the time.
SPEAKER_03See, we should have introduced you as male model. We did. Well, I know, but I didn't know that that should have actually been the whole intro main focus of this podcast.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but you are here now. Heck yes, I will.
SPEAKER_01Heck yes, I will. So so this thing is kind of taking a life. And now Bentonville Fashion Week with Ruley Torres is kind of the founder and CEO of the this next iteration of what that is. And I just I'll do anything I can to help that organization keep this thing alive because of what I've seen, the positive impact, not just for designers and makeup artists and things like that, but the people that are engaged, the couple hundred of people that try out and go on that runway and to see that impact on their lives, is it just kind of fills your heart. So I'll do anything I can to keep that thing going. So that's probably a longer answer than the whole fashion thing that you that was a great answer.
SPEAKER_03That was a great answer. And now when I see advertisement for the you know, the next one in the fall, you're up on it. And I'm like, Yes, Tom.
SPEAKER_01So, or maybe next time you're not gonna be an MC, you're gonna be on the runway. Oh walking sideways.
SPEAKER_04Am I merged at being the short gal? She's an yeah, she's not an Amby Turner. So I would be fashioned roadkill on the runway.
SPEAKER_03I would fall like Carrie Bradshaw did in the heels, or they try to put me like in less close uncomfortable with the heels, like still that like really tall heels.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I'm going down.
SPEAKER_01When you're on that runway, it's it's not about me, it's about representing the designer, right? And so it's it's really not about me. So I just want to do a good job. And I remember the first time I got they said, you know, look down all the way to the runway, find somebody's eyes and look two feet above them, right? And just focus and you walk, right? So I did that. I'm like literally blue steel. Yes, my first millisecond of you know being on the runway, and I do that. And it turns out I had a whole row of friends on the second row that stood up at that time. So I'm staring right at my friends, and I I did not crack. I did good. I did my smise. I did my blue steel kind of look, yes.
SPEAKER_04He did he did blue steel. He did blue steel for that one, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_03Latigra. Latigra. They're all the same look. No, one of my favorite movies.
SPEAKER_04It is such a great movie.
SPEAKER_03No, you did a great job. I can't wait to see the next fashion show. It'll be here before you know it. They're doing casting and now model school sewing and all those things. Uh, what else are you working on that we didn't cover?
SPEAKER_01Because I know that you have so many projects and passions and things that are the things that are consuming me right now is just obviously some personal travel and just having a really good time going around the world and just taking advantage of that time. But um the this public art advisory board is really taking some time right now getting this big sculpture. It's been like three years in the making, and I'm kind of excited about it. The artist is Natasha Bowden. Um if you're familiar with she has one of her works that's hanging in the lady slipper, actually. And this is her first giant artwork that's a sculpture, and it'll be with the base and the sculpture. I think it's gonna be like
Saying Yes And What Comes Next
SPEAKER_0116 feet tall. So it's it's a major thing, and you guys are gonna love that. So that's taking some time. Okay. And I just run from the next one thing to the next, but it's all by choice. And my wife has no patience for being like, You signed up or you did this to yourself, you know, that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_03So what's something that might surprise us about you?
SPEAKER_01I think I've laid it all out there. There's no surprise.
SPEAKER_05It's like I'm an open book. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01No, I don't exactly if if if you could take one thing away from it, just I say yes to things. That was probably the best compliment I got from somebody on my team back in digital marketing days a couple years ago. And she it was the fashion week when I did this thing. She's like, You're gonna do what? And she just kind of just shook her head and she said, You say yes to things. And I thought that was a perfect, succinct way of doing it. And how could you not? There's so much experience in life that you gotta say yes.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna remember that next time I need a favor, like you know who I should call. No kidding.
SPEAKER_04Who I should call. Well, I mean, the just the what led to us being MCs for Bentonville Fashion was saying yes. And I am in a season of intentional yes. You know, I've I went through a season of learning to really put up boundaries and say no and not be a people pleaser, you know, and making sure that I was saying no appropriately. And now I'm kind of in this space of like, I'm ready to say yes to a lot more, but in a very intentional way. But I love that. I wanna, I don't know if this is a game or what I want to play, but I want to play a let's guess what Tom's gonna do next. Oh wow, like I'm really bad at games. No, no, no, but we're just gonna like have theories of the things that Tom is gonna do. Okay, and then if they come true, you heard it here first.
SPEAKER_03All right, you will kick off the game.
SPEAKER_04All right, I'm kicking it off. Todd is Tom, not Todd. I can't believe it's just Todd. I'm like, Todd.
SPEAKER_01He's gonna change his name to Todd.
SPEAKER_04No, he's gonna change his name to Todd. That's the first thing. No, Tom. I think that you are going to have a podcast. I think you have lots of stories to tell, and I feel like this would be a great medium for you. That's one thing.
SPEAKER_03My prediction is no, because I think that he's gonna keep expressing himself digitally with photos, but I'd love to see a podcast.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I'll give it some consideration. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I think if someone asked him to do a podcast, he would say yes. Maybe he'll just be a guest on multiple podcasts. Okay, okay. Let's call that. I will say that I think you should start a podcast.
SPEAKER_01But are you inviting competition here? What do you think?
SPEAKER_04Oh, we we we love we love the array of podcasts in this area. Oh, yeah. And we love that. We're all friends. There are some, yeah, we are all friends and all collaborate. That there's there's enough to go around and there's so many different people's.
SPEAKER_01I love what you guys do, and I love what Mike Rush does on his. Oh, yeah. He's so poetic, that guy. I guess.
SPEAKER_03He's great. What's your next prediction? Hmm.
SPEAKER_04I feel like you should come up with one. Why don't you come up with one? Will Ooh, I have another one. Yes. Tom is gonna work with someone to design his own fashion line.
SPEAKER_03I actually was just gonna say that. Like an co-collaborate collaborator.
SPEAKER_04He's gonna collaborate with someone. I like that. And he's gonna help design a line of coaches.
SPEAKER_01You can't see me here. I'm taking notes now. Maybe coats.
SPEAKER_04I don't know why I'm thinking coats. I don't know why. Coats. Okay. Like sports coats? Like, yeah, sports coats. Yeah. A line of like okay, very stylish sports coats. I like it. All right. Like very Bridgerton. Yeah. Yeah, maybe. No? I'll take it under advice. He's like, and I'm never coming on this show again.
SPEAKER_01I do have to throw in there, and like we've talked a lot about me. I feel kind of oddly like I guess you wanted to interview me, so you're talking a lot about me, but I you know, my wife is a huge partner in this whole thing. She is not the extrovert that I am. And we have been married for 41 years now, which I cannot believe. Wow. I told her, how is it possible we've been married longer than we've been alive? But but she has been my partner. So she doesn't begrudge me going off and doing all these things, and I don't begrudge her for not wanting to do that. Because she she's actually a fitness instructor. Oh she teaches multiple times during
Partnership Marriage And Closing Reflections
SPEAKER_01a week. So she's like an extrovert on stage at the Rogers Adult Wellness Center.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay, nice.
SPEAKER_01And and I'm her biggest fan. She's just so dedicated to the fitness goals of mostly women, these women, and right down to her pinky. She's just elegantly beautiful as she does these. I'm her biggest fan. And so when she gets home, she I'm home, you know, and I'm just gonna have a glass of wine and and so you go off and whatever. And so we've forged that relationship. And like those Olympic games, they sound all cool and sexy, but we had like four kids, so she was like doing yeoman's work and she's heroic to allow me to go. And she would always say, like, how can I say no to like a trip of a lifetime again?
SPEAKER_03She sounds like an incredible woman in life and mother.
SPEAKER_01She is, she is absolutely. And we had four kids, and there's not a clinker in the bunch, so it's a good match.
SPEAKER_04That's so great. I love that. I love hearing when somebody has a partner that's very supportive of the things that they do. Yeah, I'm very thankful to have that in my life too. My husband is constantly lifting me up and encouraging and rallying behind all the things that I do. I'm like, guess what? We're buying a magazine. Oh, yeah, well, that makes sense. Guess what? I'm doing this. Yep, that makes sense. So that is, you know, that is an amazing thing. All right, we probably need to wrap this up as much as I don't want to wrap this up because this is a great conversation.
SPEAKER_03Wealth knowledge and experience and fascinating to talk to.
SPEAKER_04So maybe we'll see you again. So honored to have you on the show. We do like to close it out with one question about what do you love the most about Northwest Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01I guess what it boils down to is like what's next. Because there's always something next, and the torrent of next that are happening are just incredible. And it's just so inspiring, and it's coming from all sides. And I just enjoy that energy. And so I love that about Northwest Arkansas. And I I mentioned earlier, it's like this is a town built on ambition, and you can roll up your sleeves. People are, you know, you you need some help, but people will help you. And when people move here, you know, you meet somebody new and they'll say, you know, you oh you you're involved in this, you should really talk to X or you know, whatever. And they will follow up and give you that connection to X. It's not a superficial like we'll do lunch and you never hear from them again. And I love that about this town. So it it just keeps growing and getting better from that point of view. So I sound like a cheerleader for Northwest Arkansas, which is a good thing that I'm on this podcast, I guess.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01But I I really am bullish on this town and the community. But uh the thing I'd say to any and everyone is get involved. People, you know, they'll help you. Yeah, there's help out there for anything that you want to do, and you'd be amazed at the resources that are here in this place. It's a very special place.
SPEAKER_04It really is. That's a great answer. I liked that.
SPEAKER_03What is next? Well, Tom, thank you for coming on. If you want to share your handles or how to find you online, you can.
SPEAKER_01Sure. On Instagram, it's just at Tom Hohen. T-O-M-H-O-E-H-N. And on Facebook, it's Thomas.hoen. And LinkedIn is Thomas Hohen as well.
SPEAKER_03All right. Thank you so much, Tom. Thank you guys. 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_00People of Northwest Arkansas with the two Danielle's produced by me, Brock Short of Brock Entertainment. Please rate, review, and like us on any podcast platform
Where To Follow And Subscribe
SPEAKER_00where you listen. For more information about today's guests and the show, please check the show notes. Thanks for listening.