Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Steve Brown , founder of ROI Online and author of the new book The Golden Toilet . With host Jason Boyett, Steve shares how a former "chicken fried steak guy" and lifelong Amarillo kid had his eyes opened while living in Japan. He finally returned to Amarillo, attended AC as a nontraditional student, found his way into the world of website design and ended up launching a local...

A conversation with Hilary Marie , a local musician and bookkeeper who lived in Borger and New Orleans before making a home in Amarillo. With host Jason Boyett, Hilary shares the details of her personal story, which involve finding healing—mentally, physically and emotionally—after multiple cycles of addiction and abuse. Their discussion covers plenty of unique territory, from Hilary's American Id...

A conversation with Fr. Scott Raef of St. Ann's Catholic Church in Canyon. A longtime Amarillo resident, Scott has served in a variety of positions within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo, including St. Thomas the Apostle Church and St. Mary's Cathedral . With host Jason Boyett, he shares about his career and calling, the Catholic history of Amarillo, and about time he spent during a recent...

A conversation with Phyllis Nickum, owner/operator of Cowgirls and Cowboys in the West , a tourism company on the rim of Palo Duro Canyon. Phyllis literally grew up in hotels, spent decades in hotel management and operations—including the Ambassador Hotel in Amarillo—and "retired" to a second career on horseback. She talks to host Jason Boyett about her career, the Ambassador's heyday, and why rid...

A conversation with Jennifer Gallardo , a vice president at Amarillo National Bank. Jennifer manages the ANB branch at  NE 24th & Grand, where she deals with a remarkably diverse customer base, and has worked at the bank since she was 17. In this episode, she tells host Jason Boyett about her career path, growing up in the Barrio, and her involvement on the Amarillo Civic Center Complex executive...

A conversation with Kent Harris, a working potter and the owner of Blue Sage Pottery . A Missouri native who got a fine arts degree from WTAMU, Kent is one of those unique Amarillo creatives who is making a living as an artist. His stoneware pottery sells online and has appeared in galleries across the United States. With host Jason Boyett, Kent discuses how he and his wife, Megan, built their bus...

A conversation with Emmi Hilbish, an elite wheelchair athlete and graduate of River Road High School. Born with spina bifida, Emmi struggled to walk and was entirely wheelchair-bound by the age of 10. After getting her first sports wheelchair in high school, she discovered a talent for wheelchair basketball, got a full-ride scholarship to the University of Texas at Arlington, and won a national ch...

A conversation with Dr. Billy Graves of Amarillo Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AOMS), one of the nation's largest oral surgery practices. A native of Kentucky, Dr. Graves intentionally picked Amarillo as the place to start his practice after he finished his schooling and residency. With host Jason Boyett, he reveals why Amarillo was his ideal choice, why the people here continue to surprise him, a...

A conversation with Dajana Johnson, the owner/operator of The Slay Station , a salon at 1st and Polk near downtown Amarillo. Only 22 years old, Dajana is a young entrepreneur who is carving out a career despite the challenges of her low-income upbringing. With host Jason Boyett, Dajana reveals her career path so far, why her salon is only "Level 3" in a multi-step career, and why it's so important...

A conversation with Chris Seals, cofounder and CEO at Still Austin Whiskey Co . An economist who spent the last 15 years in Amarillo, Chris now splits his time between here and Austin, where he runs the first whiskey distillery in the state capital since Prohibition.  With host Jason Boyett, Chris reveals how his career developed, why a change in Texas law made Still Austin viable, and why this ar...

A conversation with Libby Lane, owner and designer of Libby Lane leather handbags and accessories, an international business based in Amarillo. Libby grew up in Bushland, attended the Art Institute of Chicago, and now assembles each of her products by hand in Amarillo. With host Jason Boyett, she explains how her business began, why the Panhandle is so central to her products' story, and how she f...

A conversation with Lara Escobar, the executive director of Amarillo Area CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates). Lara lived in El Paso, College Station and Lubbock before coming to Amarillo ten years ago. With host Jason Boyett, she shares about her career in social work and public health, what she discovered upon relocating to Amarillo, and how volunteer advocates can change the life of a chil...

A conversation with R. Taylor Moore , a former CIA analyst and operative who now lives in Amarillo as a full-time writer of thriller novels. 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, a few years ago, he arrived in Amarillo "kicking and screaming" but saw that decision change the direction o...

A conversation with Lytton St. Stephen, a mental health case manager and relative newcomer to Amarillo. Lytton arrived less than a year ago from Albuquerque, and it gave them an opportunity to reinvent themselves—and embrace their true identity.  With host Jason Boyett, Lytton shares about being gender non-binary, finding community, standing out in a conservative place, and why the city has been s...

A conversation with Howard Smith , a member of the city council and longtime local Realtor. In the mid-20th century, Howard's family operated the historic Hub Clothiers and he was part owner. He also served aboard the USS Guadalcanal when the U.S. Navy ship was used to recover Apollo 9 astronauts after they landed in the Atlantic.  With host Jason Boyett, Howard shares about his career, how he's s...

A conversation with Julie Ballard, a recent graduate of the REZ program at Faith City Mission . Now a marketing consultant working on the administrative side of this organization, Julie arrived in Amarillo two years ago after decades of fighting addiction and even homelessness—and her struggles weren't over. With host Jason Boyett, she details her harrowing journey and explains how Faith City help...

A conversation with David Ritchie, pastor of Redeemer Christian Church . David comes from a family with deep West Texas roots, and his church community is also historic. Instead of planting a new church from scratch, he "replanted" Redeemer within a struggling, multi-generational church that dated back to the 1920s. With host Jason Boyett, he shares the Redeemer origin story and explains why it's...

A conversation with Becca White, owner and designer of M Street Studio , a jewelry and leather goods company based in Amarillo and shipping handmade products all over the world. Becca first learned jewelry-making at Amarillo High School, started her career in Austin and Dallas, and then returned to Amarillo. With host Jason Boyett, she reveals how M Street began, why it has exploded in popularity...

A conversation with Alex O'Brien , a retired professional tennis player, U.S. Open winner, and the former number-one doubles player in the world (2000). Now the President and CEO of BOC Bank , Alex grew up in Amarillo and decided to bring his family back here after retiring from pro tennis. He and host Jason Boyett discuss Alex's tennis career, the unusual history of his bank, and what advantages...

A conversation with Ashley Jourdan, who provides human trafficking prevention and outreach for Family Support Services . Ashley grew up in an itinerant family—spending her first 15 years on the road—and describes Amarillo as the only "home" she's ever had. She and host Jason Boyett discuss her unique upbringing, what human trafficking looks like in the Texas Panhandle, and why it's so vital that s...

EPISODE 100: First, a quick interview with Hey Amarillo editor Angelina Marie , who offers a behind-the-scenes look at the show. Then host Jason Boyett interviews Dexter Cearley, firefighter and host of the Panhandle Primate Podcast , another local interview show which launched around the same time as this one. Dexter opens up about the life and schedule of a local firefighter, the unique concept...

A conversation with Reagan Hales , Vice President of Business Development at the Amarillo EDC. Reagan has worked in a variety of positions—from high-pressure bond trading to the nonprofit and university worlds—and today works to strengthen local business and attract outside companies to the city. With host Jason Boyett, Reagan explains how she ended up here, why women in leadership need a supporti...

A conversation with Cori Burns , the CEO of Estacar Companies , this podcast's very first corporate sponsor. A former marketing director and current executive coach and entrepreneur, Cori has provided coaching and consulting services to clients ranging from Bar Z Wines locally to international brands like Kate Spade. With host Jason Boyett, she talks about why she chose to live here, why she's so...

A conversation with Wilson Lemieux , a young, Amarillo-based commercial filmmaker and director. In just a few years since graduating from West Texas A&M University, Lemieux has built a reputation for using local talent to create advertising that gets national attention. With host Jason Boyett, he talks about why Amarillo is central to his success and the value of cultivating (and retaining) the ci...

A conversation with Anette Carlisle, a certified poverty coach and member of the Amarillo College Board of Regents . Educated as a zoologist, Anette arrived in Amarillo more than two decades ago and immediately turned her leadership skills to public service. She founded Panhandle Twenty/20 , which has been instrumental in helping address some of the area's biggest needs. Now that it's almost 2020,...