Hey Amarillo

A conversation with James Avery Rush IV, MD, who goes by the nickname "Jave." A psychiatrist, he shares with host Jason Boyett about the impact of COVID on local residents' mental health, plus his work with elderly dementia patients and a vital new facility coming to Amarillo. Jave also gives insight into the reason he and his family—including his high-achieving younger brothers and his father—have invested so much in Amarillo. This episode is sponsored by Pesttex and Terra Accounting & Consulting.

A conversation with Robyn Bilson, owner of the creative branding agency Hatched Studio. She found her way into her marketing business via the fashion world, after launching and learning to market Semblance boutique (now closed) several years ago. With host Jason Boyett, she shares about introducing some of Austin to Amarillo, the state of women's fashion, and why more and more women-owned businesses are taking shape in our city. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries. 

A conversation with Clay Stribling, President/CEO of the Amarillo Area Foundation. A Hereford native and former attorney with Brown and Furtunato, Stribling guides this community foundation as it serves the Texas Panhandle, from supporting nonprofits to matching donors with community needs. Clay shares with host Jason Boyett his path into this unique position and why the AAF has invested so heavily in the Panhandle's future. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative and Terra Accounting & Consulting.

A conversation with the Rev. E. Courtney Jones of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. A former science teacher at Boys Ranch, Courtney took on a full-time role as "some sort of minister" during the pandemic. She and host Jason Boyett discuss Courtney's path into the ministry from Amarillo to Austin and back to Amarillo, including how she began deconstructing her faith after a dramatic experience in college—and how she has since rebuilt it. This episode is sponsored by Bivins Pointe and Jimmy John's.

A conversation with Scott Buchanan of Yellow City Street Food (YCSF). Half of the husband-wife team behind this high-profile restaurant, Scott combines an impressive resume with a punk-rock personality and passion for food. He shares with host Jason Boyett his journey through the Amarillo and Austin restaurant worlds, the YCSF origin story, and why Amarillo needs to keep its talent here instead of exporting it to other cities. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty and Terra Accounting & Consulting.

RERELEASE: A conversation with Patrick Miller, a local educator and the newly elected president of the Amarillo chapter of the NAACP. Also a member of the Amarillo College Board of Regents, Patrick became the youngest person ever elected to the Board in 2015. In this interview, he tells host Jason Boyett why he got into local politics and discusses his work with refugees at Whittier and Travis. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and originally released February 26, 2018.

RERELEASE: A conversation with Jodi Thomas, a best-selling novelist and member of the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. An Amarillo native, Jodi has written more than 50 books, from historical romances to contemporary fiction—and many are set in Texas and the Texas Panhandle. With host Jason Boyett, she shares her writing process, how her career began, and why this area is so significant to her work. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries and originally released September 17, 20

RERELEASE: A conversation with Dr. Ryan Pennington of the Refugee Language Project. A linguist, Pennington moved to Amarillo after several years working in Papua New Guinea. Here he discovered an extraordinary refugee population—and set about trying to remove the barriers that kept these residents from success. He and host Jason Boyett talk about culture shock, how West Texans and Somalis are alike, and why relationships are key to learning a new language. This episode originally released August 13, 2018.

RERELEASE: A conversation with Kristin Babbitt, the entrepreneur behind Dotsy's Boutique in Wolflin Square. Women's fashion is big business in Amarillo, and Dotsy's has carved out a large and loyal following despite tons of local competition. With host Jason Boyett, Kristin shares how she started her boutique, her plans for the future, and why social media remains so central to Dotsy's success. This episode is sponsored by Blue Handle Publishing and originally released October 1, 2018.

RERELEASE: A conversation with architect Mason Rogers of Playa Design Studio, the firm behind the Six Car/Crush building on Polk, the new Ronald McDonald House, and other high-profile projects. With host Jason Boyett, Mason talks about the city's architectural history, whether or not Amarillo has a particular "style," and what he thinks the future holds for development and redevelopment. This episode is sponsored by Wieck Realty and Bivins Pointe and originally released December 17, 2018.

RERELEASE: A conversation with Stevi Larson, special events coordinator at Sharing Hope Ministry. After years of heroin addiction, Stevi ended up in the state prison system. During her incarceration, she got in touch with Sharing Hope, based in Amarillo. Stevi tells host Jason Boyett about her past mistakes, why she came to Amarillo after her release, and how Patsy's Place helped Stevi establish her life in a new community. This episode is sponsored by Shemen Dental and originally released March 26, 2018

Due to the current COVID-19 surge in Amarillo and the increasing difficulty of safe, in-person interviews during this moment, Hey Amarillo is going on a brief hiatus. The next few weeks of episodes will feature re-releases of past interviews from the first year of the podcast. In this 5-minute announcement, host Jason Boyett explains this decision.

A conversation with Scarlett Burke, the star, co-creator, director and executive producer of Make It Up as We Go, a scripted podcast featuring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton and others. Born in Amarillo, Scarlett lived in Canyon before leaving to pursue acting, modeling and songwriting. In this episode, she shares with host Jason Boyett about growing up in Canyon, her current career, and why Amarillo plays such a large role in her popular podcast. This episode is sponsored by La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries.

A conversation with Tremaine Brown of Shi-Lee's Barbecue and Soul Food Cafe. During the pandemic, Tremaine gave away nearly 90,000 free lunches to local kids. Then he picked up thousands of pounds of trash from north Amarillo neighborhoods. His activism and generosity aren't new, but 2020 offered him an unprecedented opportunity to serve the city he calls home. Tremaine shares with host Jason Boyett about his career, restaurant, and pursuit of social justice. This episode is sponsored by SKP Creative.

A conversation with Dallas Bell, owner and operator of Burrowing Owl Books, an independent bookstore with two locations. She and her family arrived from North Carolina when her husband accepted a local pediatrics position. In 2017, they opened their first bookstore on the Square in Canyon, and recently expanded to Amarillo. Dallas speaks with host Jason Boyett about local entrepreneurship, living near Palo Duro Canyon, the power of books and much more. This episode is sponsored by Pesttex and Bivins Pointe.