Chad Okrusch is a professor, author, photographer, philosopher, and singer-songwriter with deep roots in Butte, Montana. After attending graduate school in Eugene, Oregon, circumstances brought him back to his hometown to accept a pair of jobs in a city that, at that time, had no jobs to offer. The Butte “vortex” has kept hold of him since, and continues to inform and inspire his myriad creative projects and academic career.

Chad reflects on spending decades within a creative community that is blossoming, one that is creating inspiration and truly authentic stories. His latest project, written for his daughters and titled ‘Mostly Love’ explores themes of resilience, connection, heartbreak, and all that keeps us making songs when life gets messy. A thoughtful love letter to a place, people, and community that Chad holds dear.

In the classrooms of Montana Technological University, Chad teaches philosophy and communication, where he works with students on questions of ethics, meaning, and how we live together in community. He shares his thoughts on AI and helping young people find clarity and humility in a world that’s moving faster than any of us can track.

One thread running through all of Chads works, is exploring how people build lives of integrity and creativity in the places they love, and how they contribute to the place's capacity to grow in healthy ways.

And maybe the appropriateness of the Comic Sans font… and aliens.

Of all the places, Chad Okrusch calls Butte, Montana home.

For more information on Chad’s projects, visit www.chadokrusch.com

Scott Tallman Powers is an internationally-recognized naturalist painter. His talents have taken him all over the globe, creating art that depicts different world cultures. Originally from Alabama, he attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago. While working toward his dream of becoming a full-time artist, he founded a weekly outdoor painting group known as "The Plein Air Painters of Chicago."

Scott’s passion brought him to Butte in search of… well, love… and the inspiration he feels in Butte’s uniquely urban setting and SW Montana’s dramatic landscapes. Scott bought an uptown building that will soon become his studio and classroom with the aim of being a community art hub to share his knowledge and hopefully bring the Plein air Painters out west.

Over a perfectly mixed negroni, Scott shares stories of painting on the streets of Italy, working in a tent in Alaska, and teaching art classes in China. Through our conversation, one thing becomes clear: the intersection of community, passion, talent, and adventure is where Scott finds his calling.

Of all the places, Scott calls Butte, Montana home.

You can find Scott’s work at www.scottpowersfineart.com and at galleries  www.illumegallerywest.com in Philipsburg, Mt and www.settlerswest.com in Tucson, AZ

Zooey Zephyr is on a wild ride through the halls of the Montana State Capitol building. She represents Missoula in the Montana House of Representatives. Zooey didn’t necessarily seek out the political arena; it was frustration at seeing anti-LGBTQ and transgender bills being passed that spurred her to run. She was sworn into the Montana House in November 2022, becoming the first openly transgender person to be elected to the Montana Legislature.

We immediately found out that government work is no joke. Zooey tries to help us understand the inner workings of the job: how she balances different needs and allegiances and navigating the tidal wave of 1,800 bills during the 90-day session. All this while keeping her principles and promises grounded. The job can be a seemingly impossible task while simultaneously being completely worth the effort.

Zooey is most widely known for speaking out during the 2023 legislative session in opposition of multiple anti-trans and LGBTQ bills. She shares the moments leading up to and through the experience of being silenced, and eventually censured, from the House floor, resulting in protests, violence, and arrests. Throughout the chaos, Zooey stood at her desk, calmly and symbolically holding her microphone over her head, asking to speak truth on behalf of the transgender and LGBTQ community she cares deeply about.

Even while revisiting these challenges, participating in the democratic process energizes Zooey in passionate and thoughtful ways. She gets the same twinkle in her eyes while talking about visiting Glacier National Park with her family and friends. As well as painting… and gaming. Proof there’s still a lot of gas left in her tank. Oh, and belting out Broadway showtunes... we can’t wait to join her for that.

Of all the places, Zooey Zephyr calls Missoula, Montana home. 

For more information, check out Zooey’s Wikipedia page (And, yes, we’re all jealous she has one): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooey_Zephyr  and keep up with her work on Instagram at @zoandbehold

John McKee is the owner and founder of Headframe Spirits; Butte’s first (legal) distillery that opened its uptown doors in 2012. His journey is as tasty as the whiskey he brought us to enjoy during our recording.

As a typical Butte kid, John played on mine dumps and brought home liquid mercury that bubbled up through the streets. This ‘Butte grit’ led him to an attempt at playing high-level rugby in Tennessee. When he arrived back in his hometown, he began noticing mine waste being cleaned up. Noticing barren yellow rock piles now green with life, he saw his community forging its own path out of a challenging era – a realization he’s working toward still. So when a career venture in expired butter went upside down and being a kept-man wasn’t the option he hoped for, the idea came up of possibly making booze. He was all in.

John talks about the struggles of finding financing, to a point where his family became concerned about having enough food. When the 13th bank finally took a chance on the dream, it was off to the races.

Headframe Spirits launched with a vision of fusing community, history, and vision one bottle at a time  …all because of some bad butter. Who would have thought? 

Of all the places, John calls Butte, Montana home.

Learn more about Headframe Spirits visit www.headframespirits.com

Cassie Wick likes good trouble, the kind that elevates community and the people around her. She is certainly doing that as the business owner at 5518 Designs, as a member of uptown Butte’s Business Improvement District, and most recently as the Public Policy and Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator at Ability Montana. She credits the roots of her contagious passion to a year in AmeriCorps and being ‘radicalized’ in a conference promoting walkable cities. Once she realized her ability to create change for good, there was no looking back. She is working tirelessly to create a vibrant, more desirable and visionary uptown business district in Butte. Her community building efforts range from snow shoveling to a city-wide program aimed at neighbors connecting in more meaningful ways. Through her work, she is advocating at a state-government level to promote systems change that benefits people of all abilities.

All that and she still gets labeled as a ‘radient goddess.’ Not a bad adjective for a gal who grew up playing bartender with her dolls. Then again, bartenders are some of the original community builders. Of all the places, Cassie (and Jon) call Butte, Montana home.

You can learn more about Cassie’s work at www.abilitymt.org, her community advocacy efforts at www.uptownbuttemt.com, and shop at www.shop5518.com

The powerhouse duo behind RESTÔR design + build is the husband-and-wife team of architect Maisie Sulser and contractor Mike Handley. This two-person, one-stop shop for historic renovations is bringing back the magic of Butte with one of their first (of hopefully many) major developments - restoring the historic Fairmont Creamery Warehouse. From the outside, it looks like any other empty, century-old warehouse in uptown Butte. When you see the recently finished loft condos, you’ll see the life they’re creating… both together and for their community. 

They sat down with us to share some of the challenges they have faced, how meaningful it is to work with your partner, and which of their seven vintage campers are their favorite. We also did our best to convince them to start their own TV show, despite Mike’s resistance.

The connection running through their journey is evident: to breathe life back into buildings and in turn, the community they call home. Of all the places, Shake 'n Bake, er… Mike and Maisie call Butte, Montana home.

Dr. Les Cook is the recently retired 12th chancellor of Montana Technological University. During his six years of leadership, Montana Tech has cemented a reputation as one of the nation’s top STEM institutions. His student-first, community building approach has been transformative for campus life and student success.

We sat down with Les, almost literally, on his way out of Butte to reflect on his time as Chancellor. He shares his journey from ranch-life without electricity, to chance meetings that changed the trajectory of his career. He explains how the mining culture of Butte feels serendipitous, the value of family, and how every leader should frisbee pizzas into crowds when the opportunity exists.

Our first bonus episode of the summer is a heartfelt, fun, and inspiring conversation with a proven leader whose impacts will continue to be felt in the Montana Tech and Butte community well into the future.

Of all the places, Les Cook calls Salt Lake City home… or Houghton, Michigan… but we all know it’s really Butte, Montana.

As a “silly little biscuit,” Patrick Quinn approaches life with a beautiful depth, enthusiasm, and generosity. He has been coaching outdoor recreation since he was a teenager in upstate New York. He soon realized a need for people with disabilities who want to experience the outdoors, which led to his career in adaptive recreation. Patrick discusses how healthy risk makes us feel alive, the role Montana’s tourism industry plays in his life, and his work with people of all abilities to enjoy the outdoors in the way they choose to.

He also talks about the ‘electricity’ he sees in people’s eyes when an activity begins to ‘click’ for them. We hope he noticed the electricity in our eyes during this fun conversation.

Of all the places, Patrick calls Bozeman, Montana home (until we get him to Butte).

When the financial crisis hit in 2008, Shera Konen jumped at the chance to leave the real estate industry for an opportunity in television and film. After a healthy dose of ‘almost’ reality TV, and several adventures wrangling mountain men, Shera eventually found her niche in location scouting. Shera talks about her experiences in Butte, Montana’s film boom, casually getting a call from actress Helen Mirin inviting her for a drink in an uptown dive bar, and creating Jon’s murder-house. She also shares the successes and challenges of being a first time festival organizer with the Northwest 360 Film Festival.Shera is a driving force behind the blossoming arts culture in Butte. If her hopes come true, the narrative of this place will, no doubt, be one of mining, architecture, authenticity, along with festivals, and film, and comedy, and music, and food. We’re fortunate to share Butte’s “beautiful grit” with Shera and the world. 

Of all the places, Shera Konen calls Butte, Montana home. 

Author Maggie Dallen is proof that unicorns walk among us disguised as talented, charismatic neighbors wearing sweatpants. She has published a library’s worth of Young Adult titles and a growing collection of screenplays in those sweatpants. Most recently, her work ‘Believe In Christmas’ was developed into a 2024 Hallmark Christmas movie. Yes, that Hallmark.Maggie shares her journey from Brooklyn to Butte, becoming a certified princess along the way. She talks about the grind of writing and the surreal feeling she experienced waking onto a movie set that previously only existed in her mind. Maggie also opens up about her struggle with anxiety and the value of creating moments of joy for readers looking for a lighthearted, feel-good escape.Just don’t ask her about anything related to the San Francisco sports world. Or do. We hear the Gryffindors had a good season. 

Of all the places, Maggie Dallen calls Butte, Montana home. 

For more on Maggie’s books, visit: maggiedallenbooks.com or visit her on the socials at authormaggiedallen