Episode 15

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Published on:

1st Jun 2026

EP15 The Path That Found Her with Olivia James

Olivia James started her career thinking she wanted to be in public health. Then she did an internship at a community clinic, got introduced to the behavioral health department, and started paying closer attention to something she had been circling for a while. Then a tornado changed everything.

She was injured. She experienced physical mobility limitations. She went to counseling to process the trauma. And the path that she had been moving toward became unmistakable. She was already heading into a helping profession. Now she knew firsthand what it felt like to need one.

Olivia is a Springdale-raised, University of Arkansas-educated access coordinator and licensed associate counselor at the Center for Educational Access at the U of A, where she works with students with disabilities to remove barriers, coordinate accommodations, and provide counseling services. She graduated from the same counseling program her mother completed. She did not plan that. In this episode, Sami sits down with Olivia for a conversation about early careers, identity, and a reframe of imposter syndrome that will stay with you. In this episode, we get into:

  • How a personal experience with injury and trauma led her directly into the work she was already heading toward
  • What it felt like to be one of very few Black women in her counseling program and how she navigated the imposter syndrome that came with it
  • A reframe of imposter syndrome that a speaker gave her in grad school that she cannot stop thinking about
  • What it means to work in an office that genuinely mentors and teaches without a gatekeeper energy
  • The community of women, family and chosen, that has surrounded and shaped her from the beginning

The imposter syndrome conversation is the centerpiece of this episode. Olivia shares what a speaker at her Association of Black Counseling Students meetings told her: imposter syndrome is internalized suppression. The question is not whether you are qualified. The evidence is already there. The question is who you think you are imitating, and why you have been socialized to believe you do not belong. That reframe is worth the entire listen.

She also talks about what it looks like to be supervised well, how good feedback lands differently when it is given in love and in true mentorship, and what she hopes to pass forward when she eventually supervises licensed associate counselors herself.

The Women of All Generations event is June 16, 2026, 3 to 6 PM at the Fayetteville Town Center. Grab your tickets at fayettevillear.com/woag.

Mentioned in this episode:

  • Center for Educational Access, University of Arkansas: cea.uark.edu
  • Association of Black Counseling Students (grad school organization)
  • Community Clinic NWA (Olivia's public health internship)
  • Women of All Generations event: fayettevillear.com/woag

Connect with Olivia:

  • Center for Educational Access: cea.uark.edu
  • Email: olj001@uark.edu
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/oliviajames333

Mentioned in this episode:

Women of All Generations | June 16, 2026

The Women of All Generations event is almost here. Join us June 16, 2026 from 3 to 6 PM at the Fayetteville Town Center for an afternoon of real conversation, connection, and celebration. Tickets and sponsorships are available now. You belong in that room. Grab your spot at fayettevillear.com/woag.

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About the Podcast

HerStory Podcast - Presented by Chamber Fayetteville and Be Freaking Awesome - Featuring Stories of Women of Fayetteville
Every woman you admire has a story she almost didn't tell. The version where things didn't go as planned. The pivot that looked like a failure before it became the thing that changed everything. The moment she almost talked herself out of the room she was born to be in. Those are the stories that actually teach us something. The ones that make you feel less alone and more ready to go back out there and try again. That's what HerStory is about, and it starts with an invitation. Chamber Fayetteville's Women of All Generations returns on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 3 to 6 PM at the Fayetteville Town Center. It's an annual panel, celebration, and networking event that brings together women across industries and age groups for honest, meaningful conversation. This year's theme is "You've Earned This," and it's exactly what it sounds like: a pause worth taking. A room full of women who have worked hard, grown a lot, and earned the right to celebrate that together. The 2026 event features a panel discussion moderated by Brittany Phillips, with confirmed panelists Samantha Gregory (influencer, @MunchinWithMantha), Kelsi Musick (head coach of the University of Arkansas Women's Basketball team), and Carol Gray (General Manager, Village Inn). You'll also find meaningful networking with 400-plus attendees, The Curated Collective marketplace spotlighting local and women-owned businesses, and the Sarah Jessie Young Award presentation, honoring a woman who exemplifies leadership, impact, and generational influence. HerStory is how we're getting you ready for that room. This limited podcast series is produced in partnership with Chamber Fayetteville and hosted by Angela Belford and Sami Kinnison of Be Freaking Awesome. Each episode features a different woman from the Fayetteville community, sitting down to share the real version of her story. Not the polished LinkedIn bio. Not the highlight reel. The actual journey: the grit it took, the confidence she had to build from scratch, and the growth she wouldn't trade even on the hard days. We're not here for surface-level inspiration. We're here for the honest, specific, "I needed to hear that" kind of conversation. The women featured in this series come from different industries, different generations, and different starting points. What they share is a willingness to talk about what it actually took. Because here's what we know after years of coaching and facilitating conversations about leadership and communication: the stories women tell each other in quiet moments, the real ones, are some of the most powerful professional development tools that exist. And most of those stories never get told out loud. HerStory is our attempt to change that. Angela Belford has spent decades helping people understand the beliefs underneath their behavior, the invisible edges that shape how we lead, how we communicate, and how we see ourselves. Sami Kinnison has built a career helping teams and leaders say the things they've been avoiding, and find out what's possible on the other side of that conversation. Together, they bring a warmth and depth to these interviews that creates space for guests to go somewhere real. Each episode is a conversation, not an interview. You'll hear laughter. You'll probably hear something that makes you catch your breath a little. You'll definitely hear something you want to text a friend. If you've ever sat next to a woman at an event and thought, "I want to know more about her story," this series was built for you. If you're the kind of person who drives home from a conference replaying one conversation that changed your whole perspective, you're going to love this. If you've been waiting for permission to tell your own story out loud, we hope something you hear here gives it to you. Subscribe now so you don't miss a single episode, and grab your tickets to Women of All Generations at fayettevillear.com/woag. This is the kind of event that reminds you why community matters, and why your story matters too. HerStory. Real women. Real Fayetteville. Real talk.

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Sami Kinnison