Brian Yates - GM of the West Central Texas Municipal Water District On Water Usage by the Data Centers, Our Current Water Situation, What Needs to Be Done to Water for Growth through 2070, and If He Drinks the Tap Water

Katie Alford - President/CEO of the Community Foundation of Abilene - On Executive Director Burnout and Pay, What She Tells Potential New Charity Founders, Optimal Board Size, Event Fatigue, Biggest Weakness and How to Address it, Monthly Meetings by CFA for Exec Dir Support, and Much more!

John Kuhn - Abilene ISD Superintendent on School Vouchers, 8.5 Billion in Funding, Cell Phone Ban, Accountability and School Grading, Homestead Exemption Increase, and Abilene ISD Horizon, all told in an easy to understand terms in a laid back conversation.

Features Taylor County Judge Phil Crowley discussing the effect Lancium and the Data Centers have on West Texas, the changes to the the Texas CPS laws, and increasing the EMS services in Taylor County.

A sit down with Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop to discuss AI and its impact on law enforcement, fentanyl and the border and their impact on West Texans, mental health and homeless, and the law enforcement environment today versus 4 years ago.

Fidele Sebahizi is an immigrant from the Congo, survived a UN refugee camp massacre, immigrated to the US, and became an American citizen and an officer in the Abilene Police Department. While an officer he earned his bachelors, Masters, and PhD and wrote a book on his journey from a small village in Eastern Congo in Africa to Abilene, Texas. He tells of the brutal violence he experienced and the fight for an education. In our interview we talk about the difference in the education sys...

Courtney Horton - On Homelessness, Not all Panhandlers are Homeless, On Giving to Panhandlers, What Causes Homelessness In The First Place, and More. Courtney Horton is the Executive Director of Hope Haven Abilene, a non-profit that helps the homeless. She talks on how panhandlers are not homeless normally, on the effects of giving to panhandlers, what we can do in our community, where the break down is the system is currently, and much more.

Linda Goolsbee - Democrat Candidate for Texas State Representative District 71 Linda Goolsbee discusses the hot topics of immigration and Texas border security, school vouchers, and expanding healthcare in the form of Medicaid in Texas. If you're a Republican this is a great episode to listen to so that you understand the arguments of the other side. If you're a Democrat, this is a great discussion on the pros and cons on each issue.

Scott Kirk - President & Founder of Abilene Flying Bison Baseball Scott Kirk was a co-founder of the Abilene Flying Bison minor league baseball team in Abilene and helped found the Mid America League. They had their first season this past summer and are heading into their second season this coming May. He talks about what it takes to start a brand new baseball team from scratch AND a new league at the same time; creating a new team with no experience owning a baseball team or forming a b...

Dillon Clark - Owner of Clark Nissan Dealership Dillon moved to Abilene a few years ago and at the age of 29 owns the Clark Nissan Dealership on I-20. He has held every position in the car dealership world, from sales, to carwashing and tires, to General Manager. He talks about the system needed to run a large business like a dealership; How he turned around a failing dealership in Manhattan, Kansas; How you find a business mentor; How to negotiate on car prices; How he starts off his day on...

Lindsay Flores just opened Matera Bar & Grill in South of Downtown Abilene District and she's a great speaker on the show; she's full of passion and insight and honest answers. She knows every level of the restaurant world... She has a background as a waiter, manager, and general manager of a very successful restaurant and now as a fresh restaurant owner so her insight into the inner workings of a restaurant are great to hear! We talk about the difference between being a GM to becoming ...

Alejandro Elias and his wife are both chiropractors that founded and run Victory Spinal Care in Abilene. They moved to Texas right after school, fell in love with Abilene because it reminded them of the move Cars, and the people here were so welcoming. Alejandro talks about taking advantage of the 7 month delay in their build out by knocking on doors to let people know they were opening instead of wasting those months; How important their mentorship program is for their business; How t...

Carl Price opened Primal Brewery in Baird in 2019. He then moved to Brownwood, and now just recently moved back to Abilene, where he had the grand opening of Primal Brewery at north 8th and Hickory two weeks ago. His most popular beer is his pickle beer, and has a beer that tastes like Skittles, Almond Joy, and Reeses and so he has a Candy Beer flight where you can taste them all. We discuss the process of opening a brewery, how he gets feedback, how he handles distribution, bartending,...

Karson is one of the most interesting guests we had on the first season of the show so we wanted to catch up with her again in season, and this was just as good! We talk about the disaster when Shopify, without warning, shut down her business account for 7 days, which was all her inventory, her point of sale system, website, everything; The pep talk that got her from crying in her shop to working 48 hours straight to beat this shutdown; How she manages so many irons in the fire; How sh...

Mark Perkins Owner of Perkins Insurance Agency Mark owns Perkins Insurance Agency with locations in Abilene, Eastland, and in Franklin, Tennessee. We talk about running a business that doesn't sell something sexy (aka insurance); How you bring enthusiasm to your business team; How you identify what you as a leader are weak at and how you fill the gap; Two things a professor taught him that still guide him in his work today; How you balance a natural drive to expand with tempered advice...

Josh has an immediate hook in the first two minutes of our podcast that will keep you hooked! It caught me off guard and those who love truecrime podcasts, you'll love this episode. Josh Rader is the owner of Firehouse Fitness, The Dive Spot (for swim lesson and SCUBA diving lessons), the new Bodega in downtown Abilene that will sell necessaries like milk, eggs, gum, toilet paper, etc, and founded Urban Strength Coaching. We talk nitty gritty on how he bought the Firehouse...

This is a rare double double treat! Nikki Hill and Brittney Martinez are the owners of When Pigs Fly, a wine bar in Tuscola, Texas, and they're also Abilene Police Officers (Technically, Nikki is a Patrol Sergeant and Brittney is the instructor at the Police Academy now). So not only do you get to hear from two owners on the same episode, you get to hear how two police officers manage their work life and their business life. We talk about owning a wine bar, why they took the plunge in ...

Carlie Cooper is the owner of Espressoak, a mobile coffee truck/trailer. She's in her early twenties and bought Espressoak ten months ago so her insights are fresh and insightful and full of passion of someone going through the throes of running a business early in its stages. We talk about how she pitched her parents the idea of buying the business, how that didn't go well but that it led to another conversation that helped in the negotiations and eventual purchase, How she has change...

Jessica Quintanilla Jackson - Owner of Betty & June in Abilene and Corpus Christi. Jessica was the perfect guest on the show, very funny and relaxed, while answering honestly and with actionable nitty gritty answers. Her insights into running not just a business in Abilene but a second store in Corpus Christi, six hours away, highlights her drive and ability to manage from a distance. She speaks on how often she posts on social media, how the work ethics of the next generation have chang...

Season 2, Episode 10: GRAY BRIDWELL - Head of Military Affairs Committee, Farmer and Rancher, Pilot. This episode is EXACTLY why I started this show! Gray Bridwell discusses in practical nitty gritty terms: Farming and Ranching in West Texas, commercial farming versus family farming, Foreign countries/companies buying up farmland, how a farmer/rancher retires, the cost of becoming a farmer over $1 million, the future of farming, the importance of water and how most farms operate in West Texa...