Big Blend Radio Shows

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast, host/producer Lisa D. Smith talks with clean energy executive Jared Schoch, founder and chairman of TurningPoint Energy and author of "Solar Coaster: The Untold Story of the Solar Industry, One Man's Journey Leading with Soul" (Regalo Press, November 10, 2026).  Jared has spent more than two decades in the industry and has managed more than 3 gigawatts of projects representing over $5 billion in solar and energy efficiency investments. The conversation starts with what a gigawatt means in terms of homes, then looks at why solar took so long to take hold in the U.S. From there it moves to how AI data centers are straining the grid, why Jared says solar and wind can be built faster than gas or nuclear, and how battery storage is changing what solar can do. They also cover small solar plants near cities, agrivoltaics, what happens to old batteries, why crypto and data center companies are asking for solar, and what the dot-com crash can teach us about a possible AI bubble. Along the way, Jared explains why he says the industry has to adapt to survive and why it takes purpose as well as profit. He also shares that he isn't making money from the book. He says every dollar he earns earn goes to charity, supporting environmental causes, poverty relief, education, and spiritual growth. Jared will be back on Big Blend Radio in November to go deeper on the book. Visit & Pre-order: https://SolarCoasterProject.com 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Before They Vanish" Podcast, explorer and author James Michael Dorsey returns to talk about the gray whales he has spent decades getting to know in Baja's San Ignacio Lagoon, and about his book, "The Lagoon: Encounters with the Whales of San Ignacio." Once hunted to the edge of extinction, these forty-ton animals now swim right up to the boats to be petted, and James explains why he calls the lagoon the only place on earth where wild animals in their natural habitat routinely seek out human contact. James traces his love of whales to a sea kayaking trip in British Columbia in 1996, when a pod of three orcas swam close enough to touch, and to his first trip to Baja in 1998. He describes hearing whales through the hull of a kayak, how gray whales navigate the coast without echolocation, and how the lagoon works as a nursery where mothers train their calves and then bring them to the boats to play. The conversation also covers the challenges the whales face, including warming waters, starvation, ship strikes, and the need for stronger protections. It also covers Mexico's protection of the lagoon, the difference between whales and dolphins, whether a whale could really swallow a person, why whales don't belong in captivity, and a whale-human connection that reaches back at least ten thousand years. RESOURCE LINKS: - Get the book: https://JamesMichaelDorseyAuthor.com/books/the-lagoon-encounters-with-the-whales-of-san-ignacio-james-michael-dorsey/9781635768428 - Travel with James: https://www.BajaEcoTours.com/ - Enjoy more episodes of Before They Vanish: https://www.BigBlendMediaHouse.com/p/before-they-vanish-podcast - Learn more about James: https://JamesMichaelDorseyAuthor.com/

September is National Preparedness Month, and getting your paperwork in order is part of being ready. Estate planning attorney Lauren Corman joins Lisa D. Smith on Big Blend Radio to break down wills vs. trusts, how to avoid probate, powers of attorney and health care directives, protecting a business, and the everyday details families overlook, like titling assets and storing passwords. In this conversation: - Wills vs. trusts, and why California probate is costly and slow - Protecting founders, startups, and business owners - Naming successor trustees and backups - Why a trust only works if your assets are titled in it - Guardians for your kids, handwritten wills, and the no-contest clause - Originals, safe deposit boxes, and documenting your belongings - Health care directives, passwords, and digital accounts About Lauren T. Corman: Lauren is the Managing Attorney at the Corman Law Offices, a boutique estate planning firm serving individuals, families, and business owners in Santa Cruz, San Jose, and the greater Bay Area. She is a California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. 

In honor of World Tourism Day, we're at Tiffany's Bed & Breakfast in Bismarck, Arkansas with innkeeper Tiffany Bertram for this Big Blend Radio Success Insider — a stop we make every year, and one that happens to sit right on the historic Jefferson Highway. Tiffany takes us through her whole path into hospitality: a hotel management degree from UNLV, working her way up from housekeeping to general manager, and a career that carried her through six cities and multiple hotel brands before she and her husband Bob bought a Hot Springs-area bed and breakfast twenty-some years ago — a purchase she almost talked herself out of ("No one would go there"). We get into what actually separates a bed and breakfast from an Airbnb, the daily headaches of online travel agencies, and how AI is already reshaping the back end of small hospitality businesses. Tiffany also shares one of her favorite guest story (the couple with no TV in their room), and her hospitality-adjacent dream job. Plus: the history behind Hot Springs' bathhouses, gangsters, and 4,000-year-old spring water. Tiffany answers our 10-question Success Insider Q&A too — check it out here:  https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/getting-to-know-innkeeper-tiffany-bertram  Learn more about Tiffany's B&B: https://www.tiffanysbedandbreakfast.com/ 

Every fourth Sunday, Big Blend Radio's "Music Talks" series brings together host/producer Lisa D. Smith and co-host Joey Stuckey — the award-winning musician, producer, and Macon's own "Music Ambassador." This time, the mic turns toward Joey's own milestone year. Joey opens up about "Alive Day" — the anniversary of surviving a childhood brain tumor doctors once called inoperable — and the moment his parents reframed it forever: "September 29th is not the day you almost died. It is the day you lived." What began as a quiet family tradition has grown into a free, all-ages concert in downtown Macon, now in its ninth year. This year's celebration doubles as the grand reopening of Joey's Shadow Sound Studio, newly outfitted with an SSL Origin Evo console, with longtime friend and Wet Willie vocalist Jimmy Hall joining him for a day of recording, a special in-studio taping of Joey's own podcast Stuck on Sound, and a free hour-long concert. It's all part of marking 30 years in the music business — and Joey's got a new record taking shape too, tracked in part at the historic Les Paul Recording Studio in Hollywood. We'll dig into the album itself next month. Learn more at: https://joeystuckey.com Listen to more episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/joey-stuckey Photos courtest of Maryann Bates and Matthew Odom.

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows takes us for a wander through England's forests — ancient and modern, native and man-made — and what a single tree can teach us about history, health, and home. From Sherwood's legendary (and ailing) Major Oak to Thetford's man-made pine forest, from tree-ring dendrochronology to the real origin of the word "underdog," this one covers a lot of ground. Along the way: tree equity and environmental justice in American cities, why a felled tree feels like a genuine loss, cemetery bird-watching, England's Heritage Open Days, and a closing reading of Joyce Kilmer's "Trees." Read the companion article, "England's Ancient Trees: A Personal Tour of Britain's Forests," and check out Glynn's Digital Magazine at the links below. And what a great episode with today (Sept. 26) being National Public Lands Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, and Lumberjack Day! Resource Links: - Article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/englands-ancient-trees - Check out Glynn's "English Connection" Podcast & Magazine on his website https://www.englishconnection.uk/ - Glynn's new English Connection Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594366433338 

It's World Contraception Day and acclaimed Director/Producer Vaishali Sinha (Made in India and Ask the Sexpert) joins Big Blend Radio to talk about her documentary "Give It A Shot," which follows the decades-long global race to develop the first reversible male contraceptive since the modern condom. At the center of the story is 83-year-old Indian researcher Dr. Sujoy Guha, who has spent nearly 50 years on the technology, alongside a US-based team working toward the same goal. Vaishali shares the personal story behind the film, why men currently have only three contraception options compared to more than fifteen for women, and why she believes this conversation matters now more than ever — including for reproductive rights in the US. Watch the trailer and find screenings near you: https://www.giveitashotfilm.com/ 

It's World Contraception Day and acclaimed Director/Producer Vaishali Sinha (Made in India and Ask the Sexpert) joins Big Blend Radio to talk about her documentary "Give It A Shot," which follows the decades-long global race to develop the first reversible male contraceptive since the modern condom. At the center of the story is 83-year-old Indian researcher Dr. Sujoy Guha, who has spent nearly 50 years on the technology, alongside a US-based team working toward the same goal. Vaishali shares the personal story behind the film, why men currently have only three contraception options compared to more than fifteen for women, and why she believes this conversation matters now more than ever — including for reproductive rights in the US. Watch the trailer and find screenings near you: https://www.giveitashotfilm.com/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Historic Jefferson Highway" Show is packed with news from the road. As always, the show features Roger Bell, Co-Host and President of the Jefferson Highway Association, along with host and producer Lisa D. Smith. Fresh home from the Crossroads of America Centennial Conference in Joplin, Missouri, Roger shares the highlights. The conference marked 100 years since Joplin was promoted as the crossroads of the Jefferson Highway and Route 66, and brought together Route 66 Association members, tourism bureaus, travel writers, classic car clubs, and vintage trailer owners from every state and province on the route. Hear about CeCe Otto's highway songs, Daniel Hershberger's 1920s tourist camp, 20-year-old Model T enthusiast Ian Borges camping in full period style, a trivia championship, and the pre-conference tour's surprise stop at the tiny post office in Opolis, Kansas. Plus, meet Flat Stinky, the conference's new travel companion. Roger also announces the 2027 Jefferson Highway Association conference, the association's 14th, coming to St. Cloud, Minnesota, July 19–21, 2027, with a possible post-conference run north toward Itasca State Park, Bemidji, and beyond. Lisa then announces the launch of the Jefferson Highway Travel Guide, a new monthly digital guide debuting October 1 and publishing the first of every month. The first issue is ad-free and celebrates the members and partners who helped make it happen, with haunted history along the highway, a directory, events, a Google Map for everything featured, and a new column called "The Notables." spotlighting a notable person born that month from each region of the route. Learn more about the Jefferson Highway Association: https://jeffersonhighway.org/  Plan your journey with the Jefferson Highway Travel Guide: https://www.jeffersonhighwaytravelguide.com/  Subscribe to the Jefferson Highway Dispatch: https://jeffersonhighwaydispatch.substack.com/  The Big Blend Radio "Historic Jefferson Highway" Podcast airs every 4th Thursday. Follow the show at https://jefferson-highway.podbean.com/ 

San Diego employment attorney Ward Heinrichs has been sharing California employment law updates on Big Blend Radio since 2014. For this special "Getting to Know You" episode, he sets the fine print aside for a fun, unscripted Q&A with host Lisa D. Smith. It's part of a series reconnecting with the Big Blend Radio family as Big Blend moves into its new home, the Big Blend Media House. Ward reveals that his lifelong spirit animal is the Wolverine: fierce, a little badass, and fitting for an attorney. Since he dreams of exploring North America by RV, he jokes that he'll need to tame his Wolverine before it can ride along. He also shares what makes him happiest, which is parking his RV somewhere beautiful and soaking up nature. His life lesson for the next generation is to keep your eye on your goal, don't sweat the small stuff, and be kind along the way. His bucket list includes editing the novel he's written and an epic RV and fishing trip through Western Canada and into Alaska, in search of salmon, giant halibut, and his favorite, lingcod. Ward also names the Toby Keith song he'd pick as his TV theme, admits there's no food he won't try, and explains why sashimi at Nobu tops his dinner wish list. When Lisa asks what he'd add to the Big Blend Media House, Ward picks a multimedia room and library, complete with a very big TV for sports. He also discovers what's hiding behind the library's secret bookcase door. Ward is back with new episodes of Big Blend Radio's "California Employment Law" Podcast every fourth Wednesday. LEARN MORE: Ward Heinrichs: https://bestemploymentattorneysandiego.com Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/california-employment-law-with-ward-heinrichs Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/california-employment-law-magazine "As Good As I Once Was" by Toby Keith: https://youtu.be/ldQrapQ4d0Y Big Blend Media House: https://bigblendmediahouse.com

As America celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson has been claimed, reshaped, and rejected by every side of the political divide. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Way Back When" History Show, Lisa D. Smith talks with historian Francis D. Cogliano, professor of American history at the University of Edinburgh. He is co-author with Peter S. Onuf of "Thomas Jefferson Survives: American Independence in His Time and Ours" (Liveright, 2026). This isn't a typical biography. Built from years of teaching seminars for American school teachers, the book's three essays, "Generations," "My Country," and "The People," look at Jefferson in his real historical context. Frank explains how Franklin Roosevelt and Donald Trump each invoked Jefferson toward very different ends. He talks about why the political left has largely stepped away from him this century, and how Jefferson's "Empire of Liberty" came at the expense of enslaved people and Indigenous nations. The conversation also goes to the heart of the book. Jefferson believed that "the earth belongs to the living." He thought the Constitution should grow with the country, and that every generation must confront its own challenges instead of being held back by the past. Frank shares the story of Jefferson's lukewarm reaction to Madison's Constitution. He also discusses the powerful slave trade clause Congress deleted from Jefferson's draft of the Declaration, and why Jefferson is "America writ small." Lisa brings in the kitchen table conversations the book sparked, including Jefferson's failings on women and the questions that still surround Sally Hemings. For Big Blend, the conversation hits close to home. The historic Jefferson Highway, the 1915 auto trail from Winnipeg to New Orleans, was named for Jefferson because it runs through the Louisiana Purchase. Frank also talks about teaching American history from Scotland and the Whiskey Rebellion podcast he co-hosts with fellow historian David Silkenat. RESOURCE LINKS: - Thomas Jefferson Survives: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324098072  - Francis D. Cogliano: https://franciscogliano.com  - Check out more history and culture interviews in the Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/history-and-culture 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures" Podcast, travel writer Debbie Stone takes us to the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. Most people know the area for Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous house, but it's actually a mecca for Wright's work. Debbie starts at Polymath Park, a private conservation effort by Tom and Heather Papinchak. There, two Wright homes, Duncan House and Mäntylä, were taken apart piece by piece in Illinois and Minnesota and rebuilt in the Pennsylvania woods. She shares what it's like to actually spend the night in Mäntylä, living with Wright's design and his blurring of indoors and outdoors, and waking to a deer crossing the yard. She also describes dinner in a private treehouse-style dining pod at TreeTops Restaurant, with Heather Papinchak as chef. From there it's on to Kentuck Knob, one of Wright's last projects. It has an "invisible" window, a Woodland Walk with a piece of the Berlin Wall, and a British lord as its current owner. The finale is Fallingwater, the cantilevered masterpiece built over a waterfall so the Kaufmann family could hear the water throughout the house, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read Debbie's article: - https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/frank-lloyd-wright-laurel-highlands  Plan your visit: - Polymath Park: https://www.polymathpark.com  - Kentuck Knob: https://www.kentuckknob.com  - Fallingwater: https://www.fallingwater.com  - Laurel Highlands: https://www.golaurelhighlands.com  Global Adventures with Debbie Stone: - Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-with-debbie-stone  - Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-travel-magazine 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, travel journalist Terri Guthrie kicks off a new series exploring Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train, joined by Knox Ross, Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission. Terri just rode the full route herself — from New Orleans, through coastal Mississippi, to Mobile, Alabama — and shares what stood out most about slow train travel along the Gulf Coast: the wide seats and legroom, alligator sightings from the window, and the walkable hotel scene waiting at every stop. Knox walks through how the route came back after two decades without Gulf Coast passenger rail service post-Katrina, the Mississippi-led push to fund it, and why it's become one of the highest-rated customer service trains in the entire Amtrak system, with 150,000 riders in its first year. Along the way: the best places to stay near each station, why downtown Mobile is quietly having a food-and-culture renaissance, what's in the café car, and the Facebook community of Mardi Gras Train superfans already planning their next trip. This episode kicks off Big Blend Radio's new Mardi Gras Train series — stay tuned for upcoming episodes diving deeper into Bay St. Louis and Mobile. Links & Resources - Amtrak Mardi Gras Service: https://www.amtrak.com/mardigras  - Southern Rail Commission – Mardi Gras Service: https://www.southernrailcommission.org/amtrak-mardi-gras-service  Listen to Terri's New Orleans Episodes: - The Roosevelt: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-roosevelt-new-orleans  - Travel New Orleans: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-new-orleans-with-terri  Keep up with Terri's Podcast & Digital Podcast Magazine at   https://www.travelwithterri.com/ 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine, and Travel" Show, in partnership with the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), travel writer and photographer Sharon K. Kurtz reports live from the Riviera Maya, where she's a guest of Lomas Hospitality at the adults-only El Dorado Royale. Sharon shares what makes Lomas's More Inclusive concept different from a typical all-inclusive stay, from cenote swimming and horseback riding at the Bonanza Ranch to snorkeling with sea turtles and stingrays off Maroma Beach. She also talks culinary culture at the Fuentes Culinary Theatre, Grupo Lomas's 45-year story as a Mexican hospitality company, and the range across the resort collection, from family-friendly properties to the adults-only, over-the-water Palafitos bungalows. Along the way, the conversation touches on safe, hassle-free travel for U.S. visitors, sargassum-free beaches, destination weddings, and why this stretch of Caribbean Mexico has become one of the most talked-about travel regions in the world. Learn more: - Lomas Hospitality: https://www.lomashospitality.com/  - Sharon K. Kurtz: https://www.sharonkkurtz.com/  - IFWTWA: https://ifwtwa.org/  - Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/ 

It's Fall Y'all in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana!  Big Blend Radio host/producer Lisa D. Smith is joined by Natalie Roblin of the Avoyelles Commission of Tourism, filling in for regular co-hosts Wilbert Carmouche and Mary Guillory, who are at the Jefferson Highway Conference in Joplin, Missouri. Together they explore why fall is one of the best times to visit the Centre de la Louisiane. Natalie shares the story of how Marksville got its start with a broken wagon wheel (hence Broken Wheel Brewery), what's happening at Paragon Casino Resort and the Fox Theater, and how fall in Avoyelles is marked by food: home-cooked church dinner plates on Sundays, cochon de lait, sweet potato harvest season, boudin, barbecue, and even gas station breakfasts you won't forget. Then it's time to roll the windows down. Explore Bunkie Trade Days, Griffin's, Hoover's Five and Dime and the retro full-service gas station along the Jefferson Highway; learn about National Hunting and Fishing Day at the Outdoor Education Center in Woodworth; and discover the Solomon Northup Trail, the Louisiana Colonial Trail, the Zachary Taylor Parkway, and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area.  Natalie also shares outdoor favorites including the Big Bend Museum and Sarto Old Iron Bridge, the Big Bend loop (LA 451), Spring Valley WMA, the Tunica-Biloxi Nature Trail, and Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge, plus a Louisiana music playlist of swamp pop and Zydeco. Events mentioned: National Hunting and Fishing Day (Sept. 26, free, 8:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Woodworth); Couillons of Comedy at the Fox Theater in Marksville (Oct. 3); Bunkie Trade Days (Oct. 3); church dinner plates and fairs throughout the parish in September and October. Plan your visit: https://TravelAvoyelles.com   Events page: https://TravelAvoyelles.com/events      Last Month's Fall Event Episode: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/fall-in-avoyelles-parish-louisiana-2026  New episodes of the Travel Avoyelles Podcast air every 3rd Sunday at 6pm CST on Big Blend Radio. Listen: https://travel-avoyelles.podbean.com/  

Debut novelist Tara Badstubner joins us on Big Blend Radio's "Toast to the Arts Podcast" as her first novel, "Every Room Remembers" (Sibylline Press), arrives on September 25, 2026.  The novel follows SJ Monroe, an interior designer grieving the sudden death of her husband, and Wyatt, a ghost in a liminal state who must watch in silence as she mourns everything left unresolved in their marriage. Tara shares the three experiences that sparked the story: anxiety about losing loved ones during COVID, an accident across the street that drew her whole town to mourn, and an extraordinary haunting during a writers' visit to a house in upstate New York.  She talks about why grief calls for treading lightly, how she wrote an imperfect marriage, and the animal signs that appear at pivotal moments in the book, including a black snake, a fox, green beetles, and a Carolina wren. She also tells the story of the bluebird that keeps tapping at her own windows, and takes us to the Osprey House restoration in Beaufort, South Carolina. Tara reads a passage from the book, and we talk about book clubs, reading through grief, favorite rereads, her writing habits, and advice for first-time novelists. "Every Room Remembers" is available for pre-order now. A must-read for fans of "Remarkably Bright Creatures" and the film "A Ghost Story."  Visit: https://www.tarabadstubner.com/ 

Today we're rethinking everything we thought we knew about Mary Cassatt. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "World of Art" Podcast, host Victoria Chick and Lisa D. Smith welcome Mary G. Morton, curator and head of French paintings at the National Gallery of Art, to talk about her new book, "Cassatt Reconsidered," out this November from Getty Publications. 2026 marks the centennial of Mary Cassatt's death (born May 22, 1844, died June 14, 1926), and Mary Morton makes the case for an artist who was bold, modern, and uncompromising. Cassatt's images of mothers and children are an extraordinary part of her work, but they're only part of the story. Mary explains how a narrow label took hold and what the fuller picture looks like. In this conversation: - How Cassatt built a career at a time when the École des Beaux-Arts did not admit women, and why selling her work mattered - The business-minded family that shaped her, and the role of dealer Paul Durand-Ruel in packaging her as "the painter of mothers and babies" - Why her maternity pictures were a realist break from the sentimental versions painted by men - Why the National Gallery holds the best Cassatt collection in the world, and why seven of its 12 oil paintings can't leave the building - The centennial exhibitions in Chicago, at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, in London, and in Boston - The cover painting, and how a woman's portrait that defies conventional beauty became the face of the book - Why the National Gallery belongs to all of us, and what a first visit to a great museum can do for a life MORE:  - Get the Book: https://shop.getty.edu/products/cassatt-reconsidered-979-8887120508  - Victoria Chick: https://victoriachick.com/  - World of Art Podcast: https://worldofart-victoriachick.podbean.com/  - Southwest Regional Museum of Art & Art Center: https://www.southwest-art-museum.org 

Happy Global Company Culture Day!  Company culture isn't what's written on your website or printed on a poster — it's how your people feel walking in the door on a Sunday night. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Supervision Matters" Podcast, HR and organizational culture expert Rita Sever joins Lisa D. Smith to break down what culture actually is, how it's built (and eroded), and why it has to be intentional from day one. Rita walks through the three components of a healthy culture — Mission, Vision, and Values; how the work gets done; and how people are treated — and shares the story of a NASA janitor who told President Kennedy he was "helping put a man on the moon." Rita is the author of two books — "Supervision Matters" and "Leading for Justice."  Links:

Screenwriter-turned-mystery-novelist Jule Selbo joins hosts Matt Cost and BJ Magnani on Big Blend Radio's "Pets, Plots & Poisons" Podcast to talk about her award-winning Dee Rommel mystery series — a countdown series that just landed its fifth book, "Six Days."   The conversation covers building a lead detective with a below-the-knee amputation, the Falmouth, Maine coffee-shop friendship that shaped her research, a scene-stealing Pomeranian named Prince Zhao, and how Seven Days turned PFAS "forever chemicals" into a plot device. Matt and Jule also trade plotting tips, and BJ closes out the episode with this month's poison: batrachotoxin, harvested from Colombia's golden poison frog. Learn more: - Jule Selbo: https://www.juleselbo.com  - BJ Magnani: https://www.bjmagnani.com  - Matt Cost: https://www.mattcost.net  - Pets, Plots & Poisons Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/pets-plots-poisons-podcast 

For World Patient Safety Day, Big Blend Radio's "Quality of Life" Show welcomes author Kenitra W. Dominguez to discuss her debut memoir, "Because I Deserve It: What Chronic Illness Taught Me About Finding My Voice in the Healthcare System" — out now. In 2021, a routine eye exam led Kenitra to an ER visit and, the next day, a diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) — a rare, incurable neurological condition. In this conversation, she talks with host Lisa D. Smith about what that diagnosis took from her, the racial and gender bias she encountered navigating the healthcare system, and the practical tools she built along the way: how to assemble a care team, how to prepare for a doctor's visit, how to request your medical records, how to ask for workplace accommodations, and how to trust your own instincts about your body. Kenitra W. Dominguez is the founder of Bay Equity HR, sits on the Advisory Board of the California Black Women's Health Project, and holds a master's in Work Law and Social Justice from UC Law San Francisco. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, HuffPost, and Teen Vogue. Book (out now): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX3131XK 

September is Pet Memorial Month, and on this episode of "The Pet Connection," Lisa D. Smith and co-host Angela Laws of TrustedHousesitters.com dig deep into how we remember the animals who shape our lives — personally, historically, and everywhere in between. From home memorial gardens and paw-print keepsakes to the extraordinary true stories of Old Sam (a Civil War artillery horse secretly buried at night), Cher Ami (the WWI pigeon who saved 200 soldiers), Old Abe the Civil War eagle, and Chaser the border collie who learned over 1,000 words — this episode covers the full span of how humans across history and cultures have honored their animal companions. Angela also shares insights from her pet-loss support work, including Trustedhousesitters' Pet Plaques program honoring extraordinary animals, and Lisa closes with the story of her heart-horse Cinnabar and the biggest lesson any animal ever taught her: be present. Listen to more episodes of The Pet Connection: https://pet-connection.podbean.com/  Learn more about Trusted Housesitters: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures" Podcast, travel writer Linda Ballou shares her latest adventure: six days rafting 89 miles of the Green River through Desolation Canyon, one of the largest roadless wildernesses left in the American Southwest.  Traveling with OARS Whitewater Rafting, Linda and a group of fellow outdoor enthusiasts — many of them retirees in their sixties, seventies, and eighties — floated past towering sandstone cliffs, ancient Fremont and Ute rock art, and the site where Butch Cassidy once hid stolen cattle. Linda talks about the rhythm of "river time" — no cell service, no politics, just canyon wrens at dawn and guitar music at camp — and how the trip challenged her physically more than she expected as she continues to rebuild her strength. She also shares the history of John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition, which gave the canyon its name, and reflects on what six days unplugged in the wilderness taught her about pacing herself and accepting help from others. Whether you're planning your own rafting trip or just want an armchair escape to redrock country, this episode captures the scenery, the characters, and the quiet magic of one of Utah's most remote stretches of river. PLAY YOUR ADVENTURE:

Travel writer and advisor Lisa Evans, host of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" Podcast takes us to Yellowstone National Park — America's very first national park, marking 110 years of the National Park Service this year.  This episode picks up right where her Cody, Wyoming visit left off: after basing herself in Cody, Lisa spent a day and a half looping through Yellowstone by chartered bus, and brings back a full rundown — bison herds thick enough to stop traffic for fifty cars, a moose sighting straight out of Lamar Valley, a surprise cinnamon bear, and the bighorn sheep on the way out of the park. From there we walk through the icons — Old Faithful (which kept everyone waiting an extra thirty minutes), the otherworldly colors of Grand Prismatic Spring and the Midway Geyser Basin, the bubbling mud volcanoes, and dinner at the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel with a general manager who's spent 40 years working his way up through the park's lodging operation. We also get honest about the less charming side of visiting a place like Yellowstone: tourists stepping over barriers at Mammoth Hot Springs, walking up to bison for a closer photo, and — in one widely reported case — Pierce Brosnan's own $1,500 fine for wandering off a boardwalk into a restricted thermal area. With national parks already stretched thin on funding and staffing, we talk about why this isn't just about rule-following — it's about keeping the wildlife wild and the parks safe for everyone who visits them. Along the way, Lisa also looks ahead to her next stops — Clarksville, TN, and a trip up to Anacortes, WA — and shares more of the multi-generational travel trends she's seeing on the road.

Welcome back to another episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wanderers Compass" Podcast! Three years after Joelle's first truffle hunt in the pouring rain with a cooking group of sixteen women, she and Ryan return to Buzet, Croatia, to sit down with Višnja Prodan Jekić of Prodan Tartufi — a family truffle business now heading into its fourth generation. It started in the 1960s, when Višnja's grandparents didn't even know what truffles were — they thought they were smelly, inedible potatoes and fed them to the pigs, until Italian traders showed them otherwise. Today, the Prodan family hunts and trains their own truffle dogs (five of them, each with their own name and personality), collects from 50-60 local hunting families every week, and ships fresh truffles worldwide — to Michelin-star restaurants like Alchemist, Noma, and Geranium in Copenhagen, and markets as far as Japan, Singapore, and Dubai. In this episode, Višnja walks through what makes Istria's climate uniquely suited to truffles, how a dog is trained from puppyhood to become a serious hunter, the real differences between black and white truffles (and why white truffles can sell for €2,000-€5,000 a kilo), how to actually cook with truffles at home without overcomplicating it, how to spot a real truffle product versus a chemical imitation, and the story behind the largest truffle her family has ever found. She also shares her own favorite way to eat them — simple scrambled eggs — and what it means to be building a new generation of this family tradition while opening the business to travelers from around the world.

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jo Goes Everywhere!" Podcast, travel writer Jo Clark takes us to Greensboro, North Carolina — the third-largest city in the state and home to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, site of one of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War. Jo digs into Greensboro's roots, from the Saura and Keyauwee peoples who lived there first, to the German, Welsh, English Quaker, and Scotch-Irish settlers who followed, to the city's surprising reputation as the "second-holiest city in America."  Then the Revolution arrives: on March 15, 1781, General Nathanael Greene's Continental Army met Lord Cornwallis's British troops at Guilford Courthouse. Cornwallis technically won the battle — but at such a staggering cost in men that it helped set up his eventual defeat at Yorktown. Along the way, Jo tells the story of the Hoskins family, who fled war-torn Pennsylvania for a fresh start in Greensboro, only to have the British commandeer their farm and turn their home into a field hospital just three years later.  Jo also shares Greensboro's literary and broadcast history (hometown ties to O. Henry and Edward R. Murrow), plus where to eat, drink, and stay if you visit today, including Sàigòn Cuisine, Machete, Lewis and Elm, the O. Henry Hotel, Fainting Goat Spirits, and Angels Bed & Breakfast. Read Jo's full article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/guilford-courthouse-national-military-park  Plan Your Visit to Greensboro - Jo's Greensboro Travel Guide:  https://recipestravelculture.com/greensboro-1781-battlefield-to-jeansboro/  - Guilford Courthouse National Military Park: https://www.nps.gov/guco/index.htm  Follow More of Jo: -  https://www.haveglasswilltravel.com/  - https://recipestravelculture.com/  - Jo Goes Everywhere! Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-podcast  - Jo Goes Everywhere! Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-magazine 

In this episode of Big Blend Radio's "ABC's of Horses" podcast, World Champion horse trainer Christy Wood is joined by fellow rider Stephanie Callahan Clark for their annual look at the Chief Joseph Trail Ride — a thirteen-year progressive journey on horseback retracing the Nez Perce National Historic Trail across Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.  They cover this year's route, wildlife encounters, camp community, horse safety, and why living off-the-grid on the trail is part of the adventure — plus a look ahead to 2027, the 150th anniversary of Chief Joseph's flight.

Author and adventurer Inga Aksamit returns to this Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" show with the International Food Wine Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) — to take us snorkeling for two weeks aboard the MV Bilikiki in the Solomon Islands.  From a camouflaged crocodile fish and venomous sea kraits to a floating village market and the Coral Triangle's marine biodiversity, Inga shares what it's like to spend eleven days snorkeling with Snorkel Venture on one of the South Pacific's most remote liveaboard adventures. SOLOMON ISLANDS SNORKLE ADVENTURE RESOURCES:   - Inga's article about her experience: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/snorkeling-solomon-islands  - Plan Your Own Snorkeling Adventure: https://snorkelventure.com/  MORE ON INGA & IFWTWA: - Inga Aksamit: https://ingasadventures.com/  - IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org/  - Follow this podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/food-wine-travel-with-ifwtwa  - Read its companion magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-food-wine-magazine 

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Quiltripping Travel" Podcast, travel writer and photographer Rose Palmer shares her epic month-long journey across Southern Africa with her husband — starting with wine tasting in Cape Town, riding the historic Rovos Rail into Zimbabwe, chasing wildlife and waterfalls at Victoria Falls, safari glamping in Botswana's Khwai Private Reserve and Okavango Delta, and ending with a river boat cruise on the Chobe River. Rose talks border crossings, elephant migration, the best age to bring kids on safari, and why this trip topped even her Alaska road trip for pure epic scale. MORE ON AFRICA:  - Read Rose's full article and see her photos: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/an-epic-month-in-africa   - More of Rose's Africa stories: https://quiltripping.com/africa/   KEEP UP WITH ROSE: - Listen to more of Rose's "Quiltripping Travel" Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/quiltripping-travel-with-rose-podcast   - Check out the "Quiltripping Travel" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/quiltripping-travel-magazine   - Follow Rose's blog: https://www.quiltripping.com 

Debut author Jane Brookwood joins Big Blend Radio's "Books & Authors" series with Books Forward to talk about her new tarot-themed cozy mystery, "The Hanged Man," out September 15, 2026. Jane shares how she built the fictional town of Pineridge Hollow, the real cat named Rosie who inspired Fiona's feline familiar, and how her own tarot practice — including a recurring relationship with the Devil card — shaped the book's themes.  The conversation covers tarot symbolism, synchronicity, the archetypes behind her characters, and what's next for the Raven-verse. The Hanged Man is available for pre-order now. Learn more about Jane Brookwood: https://ravenversebooks.com/  Listen to more Big Blend Radio Books & Authors episodes: https://bigblendmediahouse.com/  Learn more about Books Forward: https://booksforward.com/ 

Just 30 minutes from Portland, Tualatin Valley is Oregon's underrated wine country — home to 40+ wineries, one of the state's most ethnically diverse food scenes, tax-free shopping, and a 21-mile paved trail past a giant wooden troll.  On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel Show," presented in partnership with the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), Sylke Neal-Finnegan, VP of Communications and PR at Explore Tualatin Valley, gives us a conversational tour of the Willamette Valley's northwest corner. Beyond the vineyards, Tualatin Valley is shaped by a 50-year-old urban growth boundary that protects farmland and keeps its wine country sustainable including some dry-farming. Sylke also digs into the region's thriving arts scene — from the Broadway Rose Theatre Company to the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts — plus year-round outdoor adventure along the Tualatin River, Hagg Lake, and the fully accessible Banks-Vernonia State Trail. It's proof that this corner of the Willamette Valley offers a lot to experience. Featured image: David Hill Vineyards & Winery, courtesy of Explore Tualatin Valley. RESOURCES LINKS: - Plan your visit: https://tualatinvalley.org/  - Learn more about IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org/  - Follow the Food, Wine & Travel Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/food-wine-travel-podcast-ifwtwa  - Check out Big Blend Radio's "Travel Food & Wine: Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/travel-food-wine-magazine 

Celebrate Intergeneration Month (September) with this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast where travel journalist Terri Guthrie shares how Oklahoma City is a destination built for every generation — grandparents, parents, and grandkids alike.  Hear about the whimsical, hands-on art of Factory Obscura, the massive Science Museum Oklahoma, the newly refreshed Frontier City theme park, the canal-side charm of Bricktown, and the high tea tradition at The National Hotel. Terri talks about Riversport Adventures where active families can go rafting, ziplining, and tread an 80-foot Sky Trail. A host to international Olympic Trials athletes, it's on its way to becoming a training hub for Team USA ahead of the next Summer Games. Oklahoma City is proving itself as one of the most underrated multigenerational travel destinations in the country — easy to navigate, packed with hands-on experiences, and offering something for every age and interest. It's also less than 3 hours from the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, making it an easy road trip for Texas families. PLAN YOUR OKC VISIT with Terri's OKC Family Getaway Travel Guide with links to attractions & activities, plus Part 1& 2 of this OKC podcast series: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/terri-guthrie  KEEP UP WITH TERRI'S TRAVELS: 

Blind musician, producer, and speaker Joey Stuckey joins Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation rooted in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals on reducing inequality and building accessible communities.  Joey shares the story of surviving a childhood brain tumor, how his parents' insistence on travel and unrestricted access to knowledge shaped who he became, and what decades of navigating the world as a blind man have taught him about the gap between the appearance of accessibility and the real thing.  The conversation moves through national parks, museums, TSA checkpoints, assistive technology, and Joey's own reframing of equity versus equality — landing on a simple, practical philosophy: ask "how can I help?" and let people answer for themselves. RESOURCE LINKS: - Learn more about Joey Stuckey: https://joeystuckey.com/  - Explore more of Joey Stuckey on Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/joey-stuckey  - Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals  - New episodes of Big Blend Radio's "Table & Compass" Podcast air every first Monday, here: https://table-and-compass.podbean.com/  - Learn more about Joelle Machia & Ryan Slough, Founders & Publishers of Wanderers Compass: https://www.wandererscompass.com/  - Explore Big Blend Radio and Big Blend Magazines: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/ 

Happy Labor Day weekend! Instead of a new episode, we're digging into the archives for something special: this is the conversation from February 2021, on our Big Blend Radio Champagne Sundays show, where Shelley Whizin, transformational life coach and host of Big Blend Radio's "Soul Diving Sunday" Podcast, first joined us as an expert in the Big Blend family. Five years later, it still holds up beautifully. In this wide-ranging conversation, Shelley shares the surprising scuba-diving origin of "soul diving," why self-care feels like a luxury we don't give ourselves permission for, how to break the cycle of blame and misery, lessons on facing death consciously (including her work training VA volunteers to sit bedside with dying veterans), and why the kitchen table might be the most sacred place in the house. This one pairs beautifully with Shelley's latest Substack article, "Love in Waiting" — a piece about soup, presence, and what it really means to nourish the people we love. About Shelley: Shelley Whizin is a Life Coach, Author, Speaker, and Death Doula, and the voice behind Live & Die Happy. She's the author of "What Do You Bring to the Table? A Savory, Sensory, Inspirational Guide to Living a Yummy, Delicious Life," a book about mindfulness, food, and connection. Get the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1087932106 

Celebrate Classical Music Month with this edition of Big Blend Radio's American Jukebox! Every first Sunday, award-winning singer-songwriter Johnny Schaefer joins Lisa D. Smith to explore the music, artists, and stories that celebrate America's rich musical heritage as part of the nationwide America 250 celebration. This month's playlist turns to classical and orchestral music, tracing its deep and often invisible influence on American film, culture, and songwriting. Johnny and Lisa discuss composers including Florence Price, Michael Kamen, Morten Lauridsen, Bobby McFerrin, Philip Glass, Gustav Holst, and Mason Williams, weaving in personal connections to choral music, opera, and the marching bands that shaped their own musical lives.

Travel writer Linda Kissam — Big Blend Radio's own "Food, Wine & Shopping Diva" and host of "Sip, Savor & Travel" — pulls up a seat for a fun round of Getting to Know You.  Linda dishes on her spirit animal (koala, if you're wondering), the nonprofit she'd fund with a million dollars, her husband's boat-life drama in the Pacific Northwest, and her dream trips to England and Africa. She also talks gardens (Butchart Gardens gets a shoutout), dinner party etiquette when the menu goes sideways, and her go-to shoes — from barely-there earth shoes to sparkly five-inch heels.

Donna George of The Peanut Patch joins producer Lisa D. Smith to spice up the fall season — from the spicy side of Donna's product lineup to seasonal gift and shipping ideas as The Peanut Patch gears up for its October 1st store reopening. Then it's on to the kitchen for five recipes from The Peanut Patch's collection: Soft Ginger Peanut Butter Cookies, Ginger Date Wontons, Spicy Date Nut Loaf, Double Date Shrimp Curry, and Southwestern Grilled Salmon — plus ideas for swapping in chicken, steak, or fajitas along the way.

Fall is teasing us across the country, and California's Sequoia Country — home to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Sequoia National Forest, the Giant Sequoia National Monument, and the welcoming communities of Tulare County — is right on the edge of the season's first cool breeze. In this episode of Big Blend Radio's "California Sequoia Country" Podcast, Sequoia Tourism Council members Suzanne Bianco (Visit Visalia) and Holly Streit (Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks), talk pumpkins, changing leaves, dark skies, and the harvest season events that make fall one of the best times to visit. Suzanne shares the local countdown to fall starting with Vintage Press's stuffed pumpkin dish in Visalia, and points listeners to cooler-weather hikes at Kaweah Oaks Preserve, Mooney Grove Park, and the Woodlake Botanical Garden loop around Bravo Lake and more. Holly talks changing colors in the giant forest, the importance of dark skies for migrating birds and bats, and previews the Sequoia Parks Conservancy's Dark Sky Festival (September 11–13) which will features a keynote from the scientist behind Wowsabout, the Jim Henson Company's preschool special exploring Sequoia National Park and the science of awe. The conversation covers shuttle schedules (Memorial Day–Labor Day), the foothill hikes at Potwisha and Paradise Creek, and giant forest trails including Congress Trail and the North Grove Loop. Then it's on to fall festivities: the Tulare County Fair, Visalia's Taste of Downtown (October 7) and Taste the Arts Festival, First Friday art walks, mixed-media artist Toni Best's gourd art, and early holiday-shopping tips through the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.

Wine culture starts long before the glass is poured — it's rooted in family, food, and the stories we carry with us. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wine Time with Peggy" Podcast, Peggy Fiandaca is joined by Julia Coney — writer, educator, speaker, consultant, and luxury travel advisor, and founder of Black Wine Professionals and co-founder of A Privé Journeys, a bespoke travel company specializing in curated wine and culinary experiences around the world. Julia and Peggy dig into what "wine culture" really means, why tasting rooms can feel intimidating, why local American wine deserves more space on restaurant lists, and how pairing wine with your favorite snack (Reese's peanut butter cups included) can change everything.  Julia shares the story of bringing a 30-person travel group to LDV Winery, and the episode closes with each guest's ultimate wine, meal, and movie pick — plus a very unconventional New Year's morning tradition involving bubbly and licorice.

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wander the World" Podcast, travel writer Sharon K. Kurtz takes listeners on a personal Austin staycation, joined by fellow Austinite and travel writer Marika Flatt, travel editor and associate editor of Texas Lifestyle Magazine.  Staying right on the UT Austin campus at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center, Sharon walked to the Texas State Capitol, the Blanton Museum of Art, and the Bullock Texas State History Museum, caught a live taping of Austin City Limits, and ended her trip watching over a million bats stream out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge.  Together, Sharon and Marika swap tips on live music venues, hidden-gem hotels, Lady Bird Lake, and the best spots for margaritas, museums, and shopping — everything you need for your own Austin getaway.

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Podcast, Steve and Karen Wilson chat with Dawn Bankson, owner of Star Watch Night Vision Tours, about exploring Asheville's night sky in a whole new way.  Using military-grade PVS-7 and PVS-14 night vision goggles, Dawn takes guests out to dark-sky locations around the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mount Pisgah to spot meteor showers, satellites, and unexplained "travelers" in the night sky.  Steve and Karen share their own experience catching the Perseid Meteor Shower, and the conversation wanders into UFO sightings, Bigfoot lore, and why fall and winter are the best seasons for stargazing in Western North Carolina. Plus, hear what's on tap at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast this season, and get the scoop on their in-room beer keg package for Beer City USA visitors. Follow Dawn & Star Watch Night Vision Tours: * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057159232266  * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starwatchnight  Stay at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast: https://www.lion-rose.com  More Adventures in Asheville: * Podcast Channel: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-podcast  * Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-magazine 

Award-winning journalist and author Michael J. Seidlinger joins Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts" Podcast to talk about his satirical horror novella, "Brokeula." It's a story of James Sugre, a vampire who's been broke for centuries and finally cracks under the weight of it, launching a multi-level marketing scheme to turn humans into vampires for a fee.  Michael talks about flipping the classic vampire trope of old money and aristocracy into a story about financial strain, greed, and late-stage capitalism, and how the idea came together during a joking conversation with his brother-in-law and nephew about immortality and being broke.  The conversation also digs into AI hype and marketing, the psychology of MLMs and scams, Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend," and why horror is such a good vehicle for social commentary. "Brokeula" (CLASH Books) is out now. Learn more at https://michaeljseidlinger.com/  Read our Big Blend Radio Review o "Brokeula": https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/author-michael-j-seidlinger-brokeula 

Jeannine Wolfe, CEO and founder of Soulmate Quest, joins us on Big Blend Radio to talk about what it really means to work with a professional matchmaker.  Jeannine shares how her own search for love after becoming single at 35 turned into a career, why she describes her process as "an executive search for your heart," and how she blends matchmaking with relationship coaching to help clients move past their own blind spots. The conversation covers dating app red flags, the rise of AI-generated fake profiles, why meeting the family matters, how politics and values factor into compatibility, and Jeannine's take on "uncoupling" before you're ready for a new relationship.  Jeannine is also the author of Soulmate Quest: A Matchmaker's Guide to Find True Love. Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGB1YX1Y  Learn more about Jeannine Soulmate Quest at: https://www.soulmatequestmatch.com