Episode 7

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Published on:

13th May 2026

EP7 Be Your Own Hype Woman with Natalie Abram

Natalie Abram grew up in Fayetteville, cheered at the University of Arkansas, planned weddings, worked events at Crystal Bridges and The Momentary, and is now the events and marketing manager at Lewis Automotive Group. She is 24 years old. She did not finish college. And she is one of the most clear-eyed people in this series about what it takes to get where she is.

She doesn't see a glass ceiling. She doesn't talk about people blocking her path. She says: the only person standing between me and what's coming next is me. And she says it like she's said it to herself a hundred times, because she has.

In this episode, Sami sits down with Natalie to talk about growing up in Fayetteville, taking her own unconventional path through some of NWA's most exciting organizations, and what she thinks about building a career before you're thirty. In this episode, we get into:

  • How her mom helped her identify her strengths as a kid with ADHD and why that foundation still guides her today
  • What it's actually like to work in rooms where most people are older than you and have more traditional credentials
  • Why experience outpaces a diploma in her field, and what she'd tell anyone who's questioning whether college is the right path
  • Her completely contagious take on the glass ceiling: she doesn't see limitations because she refuses to
  • What 34-year-old Natalie is going to be grateful that 24-year-old Natalie is doing right now

Natalie talks about confidence as a practice, not a personality trait. She talks about booking a last-minute flight to a Morgan Wallen concert in Florida and about the specific feeling of driving into Fayetteville on I-49 and seeing Old Main come over the hill. She is fully herself in this conversation, and that's exactly what makes it worth listening to.

If you know someone who is early in their career, feels out of place in a room, or is wondering whether the path they're on is the right one, this episode is for them.

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:

  • Lewis Automotive Group: lewissuperstore.com
  • Women of All Generations event: fayettevillear.com/woag

Connect with Natalie:

  • Lewis Automotive Group: lewissuperstore.com
  • Lewis Automotive Instagram: @lewisautomotivegroup
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/natalie-abram

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.

About your host

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Sami Kinnison