Hey Amarillo

A conversation with Vic Ragha, a local hotelier who owns and operates several hotels and motels along I-40. HIs family-owned Ragha Group currently oversees four properties, with three more in the planning process. Ragha shares with host Jason Boyett about growing up in a motel, his return to the family business, and why Amarillo has such a robust hospitality industry (Hint: I-40). He also reveals how he and his staff weathered COVID. This episode is sponsored by the TEXAS Outdoor Musical and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Karen Talley, who just retired after a long career with Christian Relief Fund (christianrelieffund.org), which was founded in Amarillo 50 years ago by her father, Baxter Loe. Talley was the last Loe family member still working for this global humanitarian organization. Talley shares with host Jason Boyett the inspiring story of how CRF began and the work it continues to do while based in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and the WT Enterprise Center.

A conversation with Chris Podzemny, a local cyclist and trail-builder working with the Fairly Foundation and Six Pack Outdoors. Podzemny and his volunteers have carved dozens of miles of trails in the area, from Palo Duro Canyon to Dalhart. He explains to host Jason Boyett why cities like Amarillo and Borger value his skills, and why he's so excited about the trails he's building at the Rick Klein Complex in east Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries and Brick & Elm Magazine.

A conversation with Michele McAffrey, a local magazine publisher who has partnered with host Jason Boyett to launch Brick & Elm (brickandelm.com), a new print magazine celebrating Amarillo. With the first issue releasing in May, McAffrey tells Jason how she transitioned from a cosmetics industry career into a publishing career, how she built and guided a previous magazine, and how she and Jason ended up in a position to start something new. This episode is sponsored by Pesttex and the WT Enterprise Center.

A conversation with Michael Haning, who runs DISCO, Inc. as his day job and, on the side, is one of the founders of Amarillo Acton Academy. His unique resume gives this episode a broad set of topics, as Haning tells host Jason Boyett about bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to the industrial trades and rethinking the ways we prepare kids for their career paths. Also: What was it like to launch a new private school model during a pandemic? This episode is sponsored by Jimmy John's and SKP Creative.

A conversation with Melanie Eggleston, a massage therapist for 24 Hours in the Canyon Cancer Survivorship Center and a death doula. Melanie arrived in this area more than a decade ago from Chicago. She tells host Jason Boyett about finding her place in the Panhandle and how her work with cancer patients evolved into a new career as an end-of-life doula—a unique caregiving role in which she supports individuals who have terminal illnesses. This episode is sponsored by Terra Accounting and Wieck Realty.

A conversation with Aloni Ndihokubwayo, the young entrepreneur behind the Amarillo-based F8TH Industry (f8thindustry.com). A recent high school graduate, his family is from Burundi and Aloni first arrived in the U.S. with refugee status from Tanzania. With host Jason Boyett, he shares about experiencing culture shock in Texas, why so many refugees are driven to succeed, and how the "melting pot" of Palo Duro High School pushed him toward his dreams. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.

A conversation with Jon Revett, a local artist, tenured professor and director of the art program at WTAMU. Besides being a talented artist whose art has been shown nationally, Revett is an expert on Robert Smithson's Amarillo Ramp, a famous work of land art that is practically unknown by locals. With Jason Boyett, Revett shares about his career path, the unique Amarillo art scene, and his connection to the complicated legacy of Stanley Marsh. This episode is sponsored by Terra Accounting and Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Deetress Peoples, the Canyon resident behind the "Black is Beautiful" book project and a member of WT's Faculty and Staff Diversity and Inclusion Council. With host Jason Boyett, Peoples shares how parenting propelled her into community activism. She shares about her upbringing, driving for Uber in Amarillo, and why uplifting the local community of Black residents in Amarillo and Canyon is so important to her. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative and Jimmy John's.

Jami Cowart

A conversation with Molly Dyer, an Amarillo resident and the host of the popular "Witchcraft Off the Beaten Path" podcast. Molly grew up in a very conservative faith tradition, but today describes herself as a witch and practitioner of paganism. With host Jason Boyett, she describes arriving in Amarillo a few years ago from the Texas Hill Country after a career in law enforcement. Despite an outlook that may set her at odds with most local religious beliefs, Molly says, "I absolutely LOVE Amarillo."

A conversation with Lonnie Shaw, the owner of SkyWest Assisted Living. A long-time entrepreneur, Lonnie has owned and operated multiple businesses, from janitorial services to remodeling. He bought SkyWest soon after his father became a resident there. Several years later, he'd be enduring the biggest challenge of his career. With host Jason Boyett, Shaw shares how COVID impacted life and work in a care facility like his. This episode is sponsored by Terra Accounting & Consulting and Shemen Dental.

A conversation with Marcy McKay, an award-winning novelist and the author of the recent book, When Life Feels Like a House Fire: Transforming Your COVID-19 Stress. McKay and her family survived a fire in their Wolflin home several years ago. She draws on that experience to share with host Jason Boyett how anxiety, insomnia and depression can relate to trauma. She also details the ways Amarillo continues to inform her writing. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.

A conversation with Brian Hudson, a project manager with Xcel Energy. An aerospace engineer—a literal rocket scientist—he pursued a defense industry career before returning to Amarillo. He oversaw the completion of the massive, $900 million Sagamore Wind Project, which provides clean energy to local residents. With host Jason Boyett, Hudson shares how COVID nearly derailed the wind project, and why this area is perfect for renewable energy. This episode is sponsored by Bivins Pointe and Terra Accounting

A conversation with Ana Ramirez, a senior business consultant with the Small Business Development Center at WTAMU. The daughter of immigrants, Ramirez works almost exclusively with the local Hispanic community. She helps small business owners and entrepreneurs navigate everything from idea generation to market research. She tells Jason Boyett about finding her niche in our community and why the Hispanic workforce is so central to Amarillo's future. This episode is sponsored by Jimmy John's and Wieck Realty.