Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Cindi Bulla, the broker/owner behind Realty Central Services and a recent primary candidate for Texas House District 87. Bulla shares the story of how she ran away from home at age 15 and ended up in Amarillo, how she found her way into careers in banking and construction before getting into real estate, and why she decided to run for office. (Her campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.) Bulla also speaks with host Jason Boyett about the local real estate market and her decades of involvement with Amarillo Little Theatre. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, Amarillo Habitat Pickleball Bash, La-Z-Boy Furniture Stores and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Tate Atkinson, one-half of the husband-wife duo behind Free Cheese Prints, a custom screen printing shop in Amarillo. Known for their Amarillo-focused souvenir t-shirts and constant presence at local popups and community markets, Free Cheese has an intense loyal following and a compelling origin story. Atkinson shares with host Jason Boyett about his creative approach, how sobriety helped focus and grow his business, why he and his wife, Reesa, are so passionate about getting away from Amarillo to travel. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, SKP Creative and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Micha Boyett, Jason's youngest sister and the author of the new book Blessed Are the Rest of Us. Micha is a poet, writer, pastor and podcaster whose work includes advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome. She's the cohost of the popular podcast The Lucky Few and will be preaching in Amarillo at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on Sunday, May 5. She and host Jason Boyett discuss Micha's upbringing in Amarillo, her son Ace and the family's connection to the Down syndrome community, and how Amarillo continues to inform her life and writing—even though she no longer lives here. This episode is sponsored by Pinnacle by Rockrose, Shemen Dental and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Isaiah Flores, a 2023 Caprock graduate who is currently completing his first year as a student at Harvard University. As profiled in the July/August 2023 issue of Brick & Elm, Flores is one of two Caprock students accepted last year into Harvard's freshman class. Home for Spring Break, Flores sat down with host Jason Boyett for a conversation about his upbringing in Amarillo public schools, what his first year had been like at Harvard, and how leaving Amarillo was helping him better understand and appreciate his hometown. This episode is sponsored by the Amarillo College Creative Mind Lecture Series featuring George Saunders, Pinnacle by Rockrose, Storybridge and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Gina Woodward, the Regional Director of America's SBDC at WTAMU. Gina is a Canyon resident who grew up here and has earned multiple degrees from WT. At the SBDC, she helps clients in the top 25 counties of the Texas Panhandle start and expand small businesses. She shares with host Jason Boyett about the no-cost, one-on-one consulting offered by the SBDC, as well as the low-cost training and research available to clients. Gina also details how the diverse and energetic local business community continues to inspire her. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty, Pinnacle by Rockrose and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Scott Houdashell, the inventor of the Eggmazing Egg Decorator and, with Curtis McGill, the owner of the toy and game company Hey Buddy Hey Pal. A former Farmers Insurance agent, Houdashell had always worked with his hands, and in 2015 came up with an idea for decorating Easter eggs without the messy dyes. What began with a hot glue stick, a spoon and an electric screwdriver soon turned into several makeshift prototypes before the final product took shape. The rest is history. Houdashell tells host Jason Boyett about his pre-Easter Bunny career, how he endured the product development process, getting on Shark Tank, and how his company is giving back to Make-a-Wish North Texas through MyTrueWish.org. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Stores, Pinnacle by Rockrose and Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

A conversation with Darlene Martin, a retired Amarillo ISD first-grade teacher, reading instructor, community volunteer and the founder of Westminster Presbyterian Church's Bear PAWS program, which serves students at Austin Middle School. Martin shares with host Jason Boyett about her teaching career and more than 20 years of service as a local hospice volunteer. Born with mild hemiplegia cerebral palsy—which restricts muscle movement on one side of her body—Martin also details the many ways the Turn Center impacted her over the course of her life and why Amarillo is such a significant part of her story. This episode is sponsored by Amarillo Habitat for Humanity, Blue Handle Publishing and Pinnacle by Rockrose.

A conversation with Britten Ratcliff, a Tascosa High School senior. Host Jason Boyett starts this interview by explaining that he is typically uninterested in interviewing high school students for the show, but Ratcliff changed his mind about that rule. A member of the FirstBank Southwest Banking Advisory Council and founder of The Neighborhood, a Tascosa student group, Ratcliff shares with Boyett about what it's like to be a teenager in Amarillo, what the city needs to consider related to its younger population, and why he decided to take classes at AmTech Career Academy. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental, SKP Creative, and Pinnacle by Rockrose.

A conversation with Robert Altman, who is retired from two prominent local careers, first as a manager at the women's clothing store Kline's of Amarillo and then as an assistant scout executive with the Golden Spread Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Altman, whose family owned and operated multiple Kline's locations in the city until the 1990s—including along Polk Street and at Western Plaza—reflects on how retailing changed over the years. He also shares with host Jason Boyett how his parents arrived in the area, describes the glory years of Western Plaza, and explains why Scouting remains so prominent within the Panhandle. This episode is sponsored by Pest Tex Pest Control and Storybridge.

A conversation with Sonja Gross, a Public Involvement Specialist with the Texas Department of Transportation and a former Public Information Officer for TXDOT. Gross arrived in Amarillo from Georgia around 20 years ago, and embarked on a communications career that took her from the local newspaper to the City of Amarillo to her current position with TXDOT. She shares with host Jason Boyett about road construction, the city's eternal Loop project, how to handle complaints from grumpy citizens and why, even as a transplant, she feels at home in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty.