Power often rides in the backseat, and Joe Washington has spent years at the wheel. We kick off season three with the trusted driver behind Northwest Arkansas’s most intriguing routes, funded early by Don Tyson, introduced to Alice Walton as “my friend Joe,” and frequently answering calls that start with “President for Don Tyson.” Joe shares how a simple code, safety first, discretion always, turned an ordinary service into a career that spans yachts in Italy, private airport pickups, and late-night runs for A-list guests.

We unpack the origin of NWA Transportation, the moment Don and attorney Kenneth Morton helped Joe get started, and the everyday discipline that made the relationship last for more than a decade. Joe takes us inside bucket-list drives down Don Tyson Parkway and across Walmart campus, then into surreal phone moments with Clinton, BB King, and other legends. He explains why he’s not “ride share,” how bookings from coastal agencies land in his inbox, and how a full-evening model beats point A to B when clients value privacy, flexibility, and calm.

The conversation stretches into culture and craft, why a bottle of Creed becomes a calling card, how a sleek black Escalade branded with Team Direct and the emerging Platform identity turns heads without shouting, and what it takes to manage luxury logistics without breaking the trust that earns them. Golf fans will lean in at stories of John Daly, a polite pass on Augusta for its no-cart rule, and a respectful glimpse of Michael Jordan’s high-stakes club life.

It’s a story about Bentonville’s gravity, Walmart’s orbit, and the quiet professionals who keep both moving. If you love behind-the-scenes business, service excellence, and the human side of power, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share with a friend who geeks out on logistics and leadership, and leave a review to tell us which story surprised you most.

Come back next week for more stories from Joe in part 2!

More About this Episode

Inside NWA’s Most Exclusive Car: What Driving the Powerful Teaches Us About Bentonville

There are certain people in Northwest Arkansas who seem to quietly orbit the most influential names in business, culture, and entertainment. They are present, but rarely seen. Trusted, but not loud because of it. Around power, but never trying to claim it as their own.

Joe Washington is one of those people.

In this episode of The B Team Podcast, we sat down with the man I have saved in my phone as “Joe the Car Guy.” He is the founder of NWA Transportation, and over the past two decades he has driven some of the most recognizable names in America through Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, and beyond.

From Don Tyson to Alice Walton, from Willie Nelson to John Daly, from corporate boardrooms to private jets, Joe has had a front row seat to the evolution of Northwest Arkansas and the people shaping it.

And what struck me most was not the celebrity stories. It was the loyalty, discretion, and perspective that built his business.

How NWA Transportation Got Its Start

Joe did not begin his career aiming to chauffeur billionaires and global executives. Like many entrepreneurs in Bentonville, his opportunity came through relationships.

Early on, two influential local leaders helped him launch what would eventually become NWA Transportation: Don Tyson and attorney Kenneth Morton. They believed in him enough to back his vision for a professional transportation company in a region that was rapidly growing alongside Walmart and its supplier ecosystem.

That backing changed everything.

For over a decade, Joe drove Don Tyson personally. Not occasionally. Not for special events. This was daily life. Business meetings. Dinners. Private conversations. Quiet drives down the parkway that now carries Tyson’s name.

Joe told us one of his proudest moments was driving down Don Tyson Parkway with Don Tyson in the back seat. Most people do not see a road named after them until they are gone. Don saw it. And Joe was behind the wheel.

It is a small detail, but it captures something powerful about Bentonville. This is a place where business, legacy, and community are deeply intertwined.

Trust Is the Real Currency in Bentonville

When you listen to Joe talk about driving Don Tyson, Alice Walton, and even President Bill Clinton, you notice something consistent. He does not lead with gossip. He does not chase headlines. He does not try to inflate his own importance.

He talks about responsibility.

One of the first lessons Don Tyson gave him was simple: “Your job is to keep me safe.”

That mindset shaped his entire company.

Joe does not drink on the job. He does not overshare. He does not publish behind-the-scenes stories for attention. In a town like Bentonville, where relationships drive opportunity, discretion is not optional. It is foundational.

That discretion is why he was later introduced to Alice Walton. It is why high-profile clients continue to call him. It is why celebrities flying into Northwest Arkansas for Walmart meetings or corporate events often find themselves in one of his Escalades.

In a region fueled by Walmart, Tyson Foods, and global vendors, trust travels fast. So does reputation.

From Taxi Meters to Executive Transport

Before NWA Transportation became known for luxury black car service in Northwest Arkansas, Joe was also the first person to introduce meter-based taxi cabs to the region.

He built NWA Taxi into a 24-hour operation with dozens of employees and cars running around the clock. At one point, he had 37 employees and 18 vehicles on the road.

Then Uber arrived.

Like many local entrepreneurs, Joe felt the impact immediately. The taxi side of the business shrank dramatically after rideshare services entered the market. Instead of fighting a losing battle, he leaned into what he did best: high-end, relationship-based transportation.

That pivot is a lesson in itself.

In Bentonville business, you either adapt or you disappear. Joe adapted.

Today, he focuses primarily on executive clients, corporate leaders, professional athletes, entertainers, and high-net-worth individuals who value privacy and reliability over the cheapest ride.

The Bentonville Celebrity Effect

One thing we laughed about during the episode is how many celebrities quietly pass through Northwest Arkansas.

If you are famous and you want to do business with Walmart, you are coming to Bentonville. Period.

Joe has driven entertainers, athletes, and business icons who fly in to pitch products, attend supplier meetings, or participate in corporate events. From Shaq to George Lopez, from Mr. Beast to music legends, the list is longer than most people would expect.

And yet, what makes the stories interesting is not the fame.

It is the contrast.

One moment Joe is driving a global icon. The next, he is sitting in traffic on Walton Boulevard like the rest of us. Bentonville has this unique ability to normalize extraordinary people. They shop here. They eat here. They do business here.

Northwest Arkansas has become a magnet for influence, and NWA Transportation sits quietly at the center of that movement.

The Golf Courses, the Yachts, and the Private Flights

We could not avoid the golf stories.

Joe has played on courses most golfers only see on television. He has spent time around elite clubs, private events, and even Michael Jordan’s course. He turned down a chance to play Augusta because he would have had to walk. That might be the boldest flex in B Team history.

But again, what stands out is not the access. It is awareness.

Joe understands the level he is operating in. He knows when he is a participant and when he is there in a professional capacity. That balance is rare.

He has flown internationally, picked up clients from private airports, and coordinated logistics across Europe and the United States. Yet he still describes himself as a “normal everyday guy” who goes to work and does his job.

That grounded perspective is what makes him successful in a place like Bentonville.

Branding, Partnership, and Platform

Another interesting part of Joe’s journey is his partnership with Team Direct, soon transitioning to Platform. Through that relationship, he added a branded Escalade to his fleet, blending corporate marketing with executive transportation.

It is a smart move.

In Northwest Arkansas, visibility matters. When corporate leaders, suppliers, and executives see a professionally branded luxury vehicle consistently serving high-level clients, it reinforces both brands.

It is a reminder that even in a service business like transportation, strategic partnerships drive growth.

What Driving the Powerful Teaches You

At the end of the day, Joe’s story is not about cars. It is about proximity to leadership.

When you sit in silence while billion-dollar decisions are discussed in the back seat, you learn things. You see how high performers think. You observe how influential people handle pressure. You watch how they treat waitstaff, pilots, and drivers.

And if you are paying attention, you grow.

Joe built NWA Transportation not by chasing fame, but by serving consistently, staying professional, and protecting trust.

In a town defined by Walmart, Tyson Foods, and a rapidly expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem, that approach works.

Bentonville is growing. Northwest Arkansas is evolving. More celebrities, executives, and founders are flying in every year. And somewhere between XNA and downtown Bentonville, there is a good chance Joe Washington is behind the wheel.

Quietly doing his job.

Keeping people safe.

And driving the story of Northwest Arkansas forward one ride at a time.