Hey Amarillo

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 & Elm Magazine.

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 Handle Publishing and La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings.

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 business. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and Wieck Realty.

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 inaugural 2019 Hoodoo festival and is also working hard to make the 2021 event a success. This episode is sponsored by Amarillo EnterPrize Challenge, Amarillo's WIC Nutrition Program and SKP Creative.

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 EnterPrize Challenge, and Amarillo's WIC Nutrition Program.

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 Furniture Galleries and Blue Handle Publishing.

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 episode is sponsored by NCW, Shemen Dental and Wieck Realty.

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 & Elm Magazine.