Jason's father, Mike Boyett, passed away on December 16, 2021, after a year-long journey with cancer. As a result, there will not be a new Hey Amarillo episode this week. Instead, host Jason Boyett has recorded a quick message for listeners. Read Mike Boyett's obituary here . Contribute to the T. Mike Boyett Memorial Scholarship Fund here .
A conversation with Jim Whitton, who is officially retired but has made enormous contributions helping connect Storybridge to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Jim has had an incredibly diverse career, from international banking to talent representation in New York City to marketing at Hastings in the 1990s, followed by a lengthy tenure with The Hunger Project . He tells host Jason Boyett about the various stages of his career, how they led him to Amarillo, and why he decided to stay. This epi...
A conversation with Claudia Stuart, recently named Distinguished Alumni at West Texas A&M University. Decades ago, she became WT's first full-time, African American female faculty member and authored several books, including African Americans in Amarillo , which she cowrote. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Stuart shares about growing up in Germany, being one of the first Black students at WT, and her incredibly diverse career in sociology, criminal justice and other fields. This...
A conversation with Angela Workman, the proprietor of Aunt Eek's Books & Curiosities on historic 6th Street in Amarillo. Angela grew up in rural Amarillo, married early and left town. She eventually found her way back to Amarillo, where she spent time in the antiques world and working in temp agencies. Last year, during the pandemic, she opened the popular Aunt Eek's with a desire to create something fresh and new on 6th with a truly distinct personality. She tells host Jason Boyett that sto...
A conversation with Jill Goodrich, the executive director of Opportunity School . A native of Nebraska, Jill first came to Amarillo as an intern during her college years. She then spent the first decades of her career in marketing and communications—work that eventually brought her back to Amarillo. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Jill shares how she found her way into the nonprofit world and why early childhood education can be such a powerful force. This episode is sponsored by th...
A conversation with Natalie Schlabs , a Nashville singer-songwriter who grew up in Hereford and spent the first few years of her music career in Amarillo. After working in the food and catering for a few years, Schlabs eventually moved to Nashville to take her burgeoning music career more seriously. In this episode, she tells host Jason Boyett about getting her start singing in church, the early influence of former podcast guest Ryan Culwell , and how the Amarillo area continues to inform her so...
A conversation with the Honorable Judge Doug Woodburn of the 108th District Court in Potter County. A long-time family law attorney before his election in 2008, Woodburn is nearing his retirement. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, he shares why he committed so much time to family law, why he decided to run for judge several terms ago, and how the actual courtroom differs from what we see on television. Woodburn also shares about the new indigent defense plan he helped launch for Potte...
A conversation with Susan Sherali, a third-year medical student and one of nine Afghani siblings who arrived as refugees in 2000. Susan and her family fled the Taliban and happened to end up in Amarillo—and two decades later, continue to love living here. Susan tells host Jason Boyett about learning English at Lamar Elementary and First Baptist Church, practicing her Islamic faith in a predominantly Christian area, and why she's so grateful for the opportunities she's been given. This episode is...
A conversation with Brady Clark, the co-founder and executive director of Square Mile Community Development , an organization working to bring long-term improvements to the San Jacinto neighborhood. A former pastor and veteran nonprofit consultant, Brady spent several years working in inner-city Dallas before returning to his hometown. He tells host Jason Boyett about growing up in Amarillo's 1990s punk scene, what makes the SanJac neighborhood unique, and how Amarillo drew him back home. This e...
A conversation with Josh Gilmore, RN, a medical ICU nurse by day and a concert promoter by night. Gilmore has been in healthcare since graduating from Tascosa High a few years ago, and finished his RN degree right in the middle of the pandemic. He tells host Jason Boyett about working in a local COVID unit, as well as about his side hustle bringing headliners like Genuwine and Dru Hill to the area through Nfinity Entertainment . This episode is sponsored by the Discover Amarillo app and Brick &a...
A conversation with Helen Burton, the small business owner behind Burton Insurance and Burton Leadership Solutions. Recipient of the 2019 Hispanic Woman of the Year award, Burton grew up in the Barrio neighborhood before attending Amarillo College as a single mom—and represented the first in her family to pursue higher education. She tells host Jason Boyett about her career path, breaking stereotypes, and why she is optimistic about the local business community. This episode is sponsored by Blue...
A conversation with Richard Walton, a partner at NCW Risk Management . Walton spent several years working in Dallas before making the calculated decision to return to Amarillo. (His DFW friends staged an intervention.) Walton specializes in health insurance, and tells host Jason Boyett about the complexities of that world, along with what it's like working for a 95-year-old, generational business like NCW. They also speak about intentional parenting and why Amarillo is such a good place to base ...
A conversation with Andrew Hall, chair and founder of the Hoodoo Mural Festival , an organization bringing large-scale public art to downtown Amarillo. Hall grew up in Amarillo but left during his college years. He launched a financial services career before moving back home several years later, at which point he noticed his hometown still lacked the cultural elements—including murals—he'd appreciated elsewhere. Hall tells host Jason Boyett how he helped bring high-profile artists to the inaugur...
A conversation with Jeremy Bradford, Vice President of Development at the Hope to Opportunities Foundation , which supports Advo Companies . Bradford shares with host Jason Boyett about how Advo provides training, work opportunities and residential housing for individuals with intellectual disabilities. A veteran of nonprofit work in the Metroplex area before returning to Amarillo, Bradford discovered our city to be a "hidden gem" of philanthropy. This episode is sponsored by NCW , the Amarillo ...
A conversation with Katie Blake, PhD , a social psychologist who teaches at Amarillo College and is a Masters-level yoga instructor. Though based in Amarillo, she also hosts a virtual community of women all over the world who are in the process of deconstructing their faith. Dr. Blake tells host Jason Boyett why a reevaluation of religious traditions and beliefs can be so valuable—and why relationships and support are critical during that process. This episode is sponsored by NCW , La-Z-Boy Furn...
A conversation with Larry Borger, owner of Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm . A former builder and developer with a degree in finance, Borger found his way into agricultural tourism around 14 years ago. Agritourism become a big deal and Maxwell's was one of the first of these kinds of local destinations. With host Jason Boyett, Borger shares the Maxwell's origin story, how he develops new, family-friendly activities, and how the economics of a seasonal business work during the rest of the year. This episo...
A conversation with Lori Crofford, a longtime local radio personality and now the Resource Development Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Texas Panhandle . Originally a Hereford native, Crofford shares with host Jason Boyett about the past two decades of change she's seen in the local radio industry, how she transitioned out of radio into the nonprofit world, and why mentorship can be so influential in the life of a child. This episode is sponsored by NCW and the WT Enterprise Center ....
A conversation with Gus Trujillo, the former office manager of the Amarillo Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the 2020 Democratic congressional candidate for Texas District 13. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Trujillo describes growing up in Amarillo's Barrio neighborhood, his work interning for former U.S. Representative Mac Thornberry in Washington, and what he learned about this area while running for Congress himself. This episode is sponsored by NCW , SKP Creative , and Pesttex ...
A conversation with Traci Mahannah of the Acupuncture and Holistic Medicine Clinic in Amarillo. One of the first state-licensed acupuncturists in the Panhandle, Traci has been providing pain relief and alternative therapy to locals for more than 15 years. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Traci describes how she encountered Chinese medicine after relocating to Austin, and why she decided to bring the practice to Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by the WT Enterprise Center and Brick...
A conversation with Zivorad Filipovic, director of marketing and communications for High Plains Food Bank . Z first came to the U.S. as a refugee from Serbia during the Balkans crisis in the 1990s. He learned English at Sam Houston Middle School and became the first in his family to graduate from college. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Z describes his intense upbringing, the Amarillo teachers who invested in him, and how he found a home in Amarillo's nonprofit world. This episode i...
A conversation with Jimmy Lackey , President and CEO of Kids, Incorporated, the nonprofit youth sports organization that celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Lackey tells how he arrived at the iconic organization in the 1990s, how he helped bring Kids Inc online in the early days of the internet, and how Cal Farley and a few friends originally founded the program in the 1940s. This episode is sponsored by the WT Enterprise Center and Wieck Realt...
A conversation with Abi Rivera, owner of The Society Barbershop . The first of her family to graduate from high school, Rivera has found success with her upscale shop, which specializes in men's cuts and beard services. She only opened a year ago but is already launching a second Amarillo location. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Rivera reveals why Amarillo was the perfect place to start her business. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical , SKP Creative and Jimmy Jo...
RERELEASE: A conversation with R. Taylor Moore , a former CIA operative and the author of the thriller Down Range , set in the Panhandle. Taylor grew up in South Texas, traveled the world, and found his way into a decade-long career in intelligence. With host Jason Boyett, he shares how he arrived in Amarillo "kicking and screaming" but saw that decision launch his writing career—and change the direction of his life. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical and the WT Enterprise Ce...
A conversation with Julian Reese, head coach of the Amarillo Venom and a co-owner of Golden Gate Mortuary . Reese arrived in Amarillo as a football prospect hoping the Arena League would offer a path to the pros. He ended up staying, getting married, and coaching the local indoor football team. In this conversation with host Jason Boyett, Reese details his unconventional career paths and why he's chosen to stay in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical , Shemen Dental a...
A conversation with Shawn Kennedy, executive director of Blank Spaces Murals & Gallery . Kennedy teaches art at Caprock High School and guides this local mural group—made up of high school students—which is responsible for 20-plus public murals in and around Amarillo. He tells host Jason Boyett about his temporarily itinerant life after high school, the deep educational value of Blank Spaces, and how art is a form of storytelling. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical , the ...
A conversation with Ryan Culwell , a Texas Panhandle native and former Amarillo resident now working in Nashville as a singer-songwriter. Culwell's acclaimed album Flatlands was inspired by this area, and his recent work has won further accolades. Returning to Amarillo for a show at the Golden Light, he shares with host Jason Boyett about his career, his influences, and why he kept returning to Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole" during the pandemic. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoo...
A conversation with Viv Salomon, the Amarillo-based host of the national podcast How to Liv with Viv . Originally from Borger, Salomon ended up in Amarillo after college and works in the world of physical therapy. But she's passionate about mental health and helping others, like her, navigate successfully through their 20s. She tells host Jason Boyett about her upbringing, her career path, and the friendships that sparked her popular inspirational podcast. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS ...
A conversation with Doug Lill, a local pharmacist, nutritionist and supplements expert at Drug Emporium . A local TV fixture as "Pharmacist Doug," Lill spent his career traveling the world as a relief pharmacist before returning to Amarillo a decade ago. After having grown up in this area, his travels helped him come to terms with who he is—and gave him a more positive perspective on the city as a result. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical , Shemen Dental and Wieck Realty ....
In this special 200th episode of Hey Amarillo, host Jason Boyett takes a seat on the other side of the mic, interviewed by KAMR Local 4 News anchor Jackie Kingston . They discuss his early career, the books he's written, how he chooses guests for the podcast, his new print magazine Brick & Elm , and the overall media landscape in Amarillo. Plus, Jason offers his answers to the typical Eight Straight questions. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical , the WT Enterprise Center ...
A conversation with Hayden Baca, an IT specialist and the owner of UnSavvy Strategy , a company that provides one-on-one technology assistance for senior adults. After 10-year career providing customer support for tech corporations, including Apple and AT&T, Baca returned to Amarillo to launch her small business. She tells host Jason Boyett why Amarillo was the perfect place to introduce this unique concept. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing and TEXAS Outdoor Musical ....
