Episode 21 – A Festive Occasion
Amarillo has been graced by the presence of Route 66 ever since its creation in 1926. With the Centennial of the Mother Road only a few years away, the Amarillo Convention & Visitor Bureau has partnered with several individuals and entities to create the first-ever Texas Route 66 Festival, which will be June 1-10 right here. And it’s just the beginning. Join guest Kashion Smith, Executive Director of the Amarillo CVB, as she tells the story.
Episode 20 – Forget Kevin Bacon
It was quite the honor for Amarillo to be able to claim the National Teacher of the Year; it’s quite another that she–Shanna Peeples–is now on faculty at WT. That’s rarified air as far as education goes. And never mind that you can forget all those degrees of separation we heard about in the movies.
Episode 19 – The Panhandle Gives
Non-profits are often overlooked when it comes to marketing, but they need the same marketing tools as do the for-profits. It’s just that they don’t have a profit motive. Broc Carter is the Director of Marketing & The Panhandle Gives Campaign at Amarillo Area Foundation, and he tells us how he spearheaded Giving campaigns through both a pandemic and a highly inflationary period.
Episode 18 – Stop The Car! It’s Time For Some Fudge!
Roadside attractions have long been the stuff of American highways. It’s just that most of them were created decades ago. Louie Keen, though, has set out to reinvent the genre in the modern era with his own quirky take on how to put smiles on travelers’ faces. And sell some fudge along the way.
Episode 17 – Artificial Ingredients: The Debate Over AI As A Writing Tool
It’s been in the news since late last year. Artificial Intelligence is being used to write blogs, social media posts, and even exam essays. Join us for a conversation with Dr. Joanna Kimbell, Clinical Assistant Professor of Business Law & Management, as we hash out ways to use AI responsibly, as well as how to control it in the classroom. Oh, and no AI was used to write this blurb!
Episode 16 – Keep on Trucking: From 0 to 400 in a Decade
There are roughly 13 million trucks on American highways, hauling everything from soup to nuts. We may take them for granted, but without them, retailer shelves would be empty. COB grad and serial entrepreneur Shane Redline tells us how he got started in the trucking business about a decade ago, and quickly grew from very humbler beginnings to one of the fastest growing trucking companies in Texas. And just for fun, he’ll tell us about the strangest load his company ever hauled.
Episode 15 – Saving For Retirement: How To Get Started
We all know we’re supposed to do it, but sometimes it’s hard, especially when you’re young. But that is the best time to do it, according to COB grad and Financial Planner Joseph Peterson. Tune in for tips on how to get started.
Episode 14 – Thinking Small: Practical Advice For Local Entrepreneurs
Gina Woodward is bullish on small business in Amarillo. Of course she should be, because she’s the Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center in Amarillo. Our local SBDC office is under the umbrella of the Engler College of Business. Tune in to hear why Gina is so optimistic, as well as the many services her office provides to small businesses to help them stay on track to profitability.
Episode 13 – It’s In The Numbers: Reaching For The CPA
If there is ever a business discipline that will always be in great demand, it is Accounting. For when there are sales and profits to be made, there are numbers to report to various taxing entities. It is an evergreen occupation, and it is our goal to produce the best the industry can hire. Recent grad Corey Orthengren does not disappoint in this category, having earned his BBA in 2019, his MPA in 2020, and now his CPA in 2022. Not one to sit still for long, he plans to reach for his CFP, and then likely continue toward his CFA. He’ll need an extra-wide business card for all that alphabet soup! In this episode, listen as Corey tells about what drives him to keep plowing this field, one that requires him to remain a lifelong learner.
Episode 12 – Continuous Improvement: Kaizen in Academia
There’s a great Japanese word that describes what we strive for in academia: Kaizen. Essentially, it means “change for the better or continuous improvement.” And this is no lofty goal or PR statement. It is an imperative, as expected by our accreditors and every other constituent we claim.In other words, no resting on laurels. No matter how good you think you are doing, you can always do better.Our guest this week is one of our own: Dr. Jillian Yarbough, Clinical Assistant Professor of Management as well as Assistant Director of Continuous Improvement. She spends much of her time working with College of Business faculty to monitor and track how well our students are doing in relation to our college’s learning objectives, as well as how we’re continuously improving.
