Deep Dive with Dr D

Small-Town Growth Done Right - w/guest Amy McGuffin

Growth in a rural county can feel like a slow sunrise or a sudden flood, depending on where you stand. Today we sit down with Amy McGuffin, CEO of the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, to talk about what’s changing across Ellensburg, Cle Elum, Roslyn, and the rest of the county and what we can do to keep the best parts intact while still building a future people can afford to live in. We get practical about local economic development and small business support, including why the Chamber has shifted toward resources and connections instead of trying to run everything. Amy explains why operating in silos weakens a community, how real progress comes from collaboration, and why showing up to meetings matters if you want a voice in growth decisions. We also dig into workforce development, career and technical education, and the talent pipeline, because Amy names the hard truth many towns avoid: “our biggest export is our youth.” From Winco and infrastructure to water, utilities, and affordability, we talk through the tradeoffs leaders face and why “preserving rural character” has to be more than a slogan. Amy also shares the human side of leadership: staying grounded, avoiding burnout, and keeping kindness in the room when politics gets personal and emotions run hot. If you care about Ellensburg, Kittitas County, and smart, balanced growth, hit subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. Social Media Links [https://linktr.ee/davidandkatrina] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440019/support]

Energy Healing Without The Hype - w/guest Laura White

Spiritual work gets labeled “woo” fast, especially if you’ve been burned by religion or you’re the kind of person who wants evidence before you buy in. That’s why this conversation with Laura White hits different. Laura is the owner of Spiritual Awakenings in Ellensburg, WA, and she’s built a real brick-and-mortar practice around Reiki, tarot, mediumship, and natural healing without talking down to skeptics or trying to “convert” anyone. We get into what led her here, from a painful childhood shaped by a strict Southern Baptist environment to years of questioning, research across belief systems, and learning how to live with unusual spiritual sensitivity. We also talk openly about how recovery and healing overlap: the triggers that come up when you help others, the way peace arrives in small sections, and why labels can sometimes do more harm than good. Laura breaks down Reiki and energy work in plain terms, including the idea that stress lives in the body, that intuition can feel like a sudden “download,” and that empathy is often a real sensitivity to the people around us. We explore grounding through nature, why crystals and herbs show up in spiritual practice, and the biggest misconception about tarot: a reading isn’t a fixed future, it’s a snapshot of current energies and you still have free will. If you’ve been curious but unsure where to start, this one is for you. Subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation, share this with a friend who needs a softer path to healing, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Social Media Links [https://linktr.ee/davidandkatrina] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440019/support]

Young And Building w/guest Hannah Singer

You can feel it when someone is building a life on purpose, not just collecting milestones. Hannah Singer is 21, about to graduate college, married young, a homeowner, and already growing Homestead Design Company, and she’s honest about the parts that look exciting and the parts that feel heavy. We talk about what it’s like to be ahead of your peer group in some ways, behind in others, and still unsure where you “fit” when everyone’s timeline looks different. We also dig into interior design in a way that’s practical for real homes and real budgets. Hannah explains why good home design is never just about pretty rooms, and why function matters as much as style if you want to feel comfortable and safe in your own space. She pushes back on the idea that design is only for millionaires or big city clients, and shares how she thinks about budget friendly design, problem solving, and helping clients love what they already have. The conversation keeps coming back to identity, gratitude, and ambition. We unpack “keeping up with the Joneses,” the pressure of comparing your progress to your parents or your friends, and the daily choice to stay grounded while you keep working. Hannah also shares advice for young adults who are trying to figure life out right now: ask for opportunities, follow up, build experience, and do not let arrogance replace effort. If you’re navigating marriage in your early 20s, starting a small business, choosing between college and trades, or trying to build a stable life in Central Washington, you’ll find a lot to take from this one. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with someone who’s in their “figuring it out” season, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you’re applying this week. Social Media Links [https://linktr.ee/davidandkatrina] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440019/support]

Roots And Reinvention - w/guest Rolf Williams

A lot of people think a “successful” business is one that expands nonstop, chases scale, and looks impressive on paper. We see something different when we talk with Rolf Williams, an Ellensburg native and the owner of Jerrol's, a long-running local business with deep roots that stretch back to 1947. Rolf shares how a store can survive for generations by staying flexible about what it sells while staying stubbornly consistent about who it serves. We dig into the real history of Jerrol's, from soda fountain beginnings and a drive-through diner era to the textbook years and the modern shift into retail, online ordering, and business-to-business office supply delivery. Along the way, Rolf explains the mindset that makes adaptation possible: continuous improvement, clear values, and a refusal to treat customers like transactions. If you care about small-town entrepreneurship, independent bookstore survival, and competing with Amazon through service, this conversation is packed with practical insight. The most meaningful part gets personal. As a father of an adult child with profound autism, Rolf talks about autism acceptance, disability, and how isolation can quietly shrink a family’s world when support is hard to find. We also talk about leadership, hiring, and what it takes to give people real opportunity without assumptions, plus advice for parents who have just received a diagnosis and don’t know where to start. If you want more grounded conversations on community, business leadership, and building a life that lasts, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Social Media Links [https://linktr.ee/davidandkatrina] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440019/support]

Sisters Talk Survival - w/guests Tina Wood & Cheri Gumm

You can hear it in the way we laugh and the way we hesitate before certain details: some childhoods don’t fade, they echo. I’m Dr. D, and I sit down with my sisters Tina and Cheri for a raw family conversation about what it takes to grow up in chaos and still fight for a better life. We talk about the mix of love and damage that can exist in the same home, the moves that felt like evictions and escapes, and the quiet coping skills kids build when adults aren’t safe.  Tina shares the moment a simple question from our brother forced her to look at her choices and stop repeating patterns. Cheri talks about surviving childhood sexual abuse, how it shaped her self-worth, and why becoming a police officer made her tougher but also emotionally colder. We get honest about grooming, about abusers who look “respectable,” and about the way families and communities can minimize harm when speaking up feels inconvenient.  We also shift into practical hope: how to parent after trauma without raising kids in fear. We cover real-world child safety boundaries, building trust so kids will actually tell you the truth, and tools like family passwords and only visiting homes where you truly know the adults. If you’re healing from childhood trauma, sexual abuse, addiction, or toxic relationships, you’ll hear why journaling, slowing down, and choosing the right people can change everything. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the one lesson you’re taking into your own life. Social Media Links [https://linktr.ee/davidandkatrina] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2440019/support]