We sit down with Washburn University President Dr. JuliAnn Mazachek to trace her path from professor to president and what she refuses to lose as Washburn grows. We dig into affordability, campus expansion, and why real connection still beats a purely online future.

• Her backstory from Topeka roots to engineering to business and an accounting PhD
• What a PhD in accounting really trains you to do
• Why internal leadership growth is rare and why it helps Washburn
• How planning shifts when technology and AI move fast
• Campus space limits with housing as the biggest constraint
• Parking tradeoffs including surface lots vs a future garage
• Enrollment growth at Washburn and Washburn Tech
• Scholarships, donors, and why finances still block college decisions
• The Advisors Excel Hall renovation timeline and what moves in
• Washburn Law’s new building impact and rising student credentials
• The “magic” of small classes and faculty who know students
• Why Topeka works for students, jobs, and quality of life
• What it means to be a municipal university and how funding works
• Rapid-fire local picks from restaurants to coffee shops to date night
• How to connect with Dr. Mazachek and Washburn online
Learn more at washburn.edu.
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0:00 - Cold Open On Student-Focused Faculty
0:16 - Washburn Snapshot And Benefits
0:41 - Meeting President Julian Mazachek
3:03 - From Engineering To Accounting Research
3:56 - Leading From Within At Washburn
7:35 - Space Housing And Parking Realities
14:38 - Growth Scholarships And Low Student Debt
18:36 - New Buildings And Law School Boom
24:09 - The Magic Of Small Classes
28:21 - Why Topeka Works For Students
32:16 - What A Municipal University Means
35:06 - Rapid-Fire Favorites And How To Connect
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Beyond the Podcast: 🎙️
Be sure to follow our Topeka Insider Socials below and check out our website for additional stories and articles pertaining to Topeka, KS

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Follow Your Hosts: 📱
Follow both Justin & Jon on their personal socials to get connected. They would love to connect and answer any questions about the show or their day to day.

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For Any Inquiries, please DM @TopekaInsider on Instagram!

We sit down with the Raising Cane’s Kansas leadership team to unpack how “one love” turns chicken fingers into a loyal fanbase in Topeka and beyond. We talk training, culture, community work, and the small operational choices that make the experience feel identical every single time.

• leadership starting in the restaurant as fry cook and cashier
• earning collars and building credibility through hands-on training
• pandemic lessons and respect for restaurant operations
• what “one love” means and why fans call themselves Caniacs
• the origin of the Raising Cane’s name and the Cane mascot story
• why Topeka was on the expansion list and how markets get chosen
• opening new restaurants by developing leaders instead of filling roles
• handling Google reviews and unrealistic complaints without losing focus
• why the menu stays intentionally small and why ranch is never coming
• Todd Graves’ business plan story and the one-thing-done-right gamble
• Plush Puppies campaigns and partnering with local pet welfare groups
• people-first culture and supporting short-staffed restaurants
• toast strategy, “the Bob,” and off-menu honey mustard
• why only managers make Cane’s sauce and how often it’s made
• catering large orders and showing up for community events
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0:00 - Cold Open And Choose Topeka
0:38 - Meet The Cane’s Kansas Leadership
3:39 - One Love And Caniac Loyalty
7:46 - Why Topeka Got A Cane’s
10:17 - Training And Promotion From Within
12:44 - Google Reviews And Guest Expectations
15:52 - Focused Menu And Founder’s Gamble
19:33 - Plush Puppies Charity And Topeka Build
23:04 - Work Hard Have Fun Culture
30:10 - Toast Tricks Off-Menu Custom Orders
33:36 - Sauce Secrets And Catering Stories
37:11 - Rapid Fire Favorites And Farewell
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Beyond the Podcast: 🎙️
Be sure to follow our Topeka Insider Socials below and check out our website for additional stories and articles pertaining to Topeka, KS

Website -- https://topekainsider.com/
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/topekainsider
Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/topekainsider/

Follow Your Hosts: 📱
Follow both Justin & Jon on their personal socials to get connected. They would love to connect and answer any questions about the show or their day to day.

Jon Griffith's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/thejongriffith/
Justin Armbruster's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/armbruster_jd

For Any Inquiries, please DM @TopekaInsider on Instagram!

We sit down with Dave Henry, executive director of ⁨@Trashmountain⁩ , to unpack how local-led partnerships transform communities living on the edges of trash dumps. We trace his path from pastor and professor to nonprofit leader, and why education is the non-negotiable engine of long-term change.

• scale of dump communities worldwide and daily survival work
• why TMP partners with local Christian leaders instead of sending staff abroad
• countries served and how language access and culture shape impact
• core supports such as nutrition, medical access and education
• education protected through funding cuts and its long-term outcomes
• alumni returning as professionals to rebuild safer homes and systems
• community transformation over relocation as a guiding value
• executive director role, fundraising, donor communication and accountability
• growing the donor base beyond Topeka through personal networks
• how to attend the Spoken fundraiser and get involved
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0:00 - The Global Reality Of Dump Communities
2:45 - Dave’s Path From Pastor To TNP
6:48 - What Trash Mountain Project Actually Does
10:45 - Why Partner With Local Leaders
13:50 - Countries, Language, And On-The-Ground Networks
18:35 - Nutrition, Medical Access, And Education
23:05 - Education As The Non-Negotiable
27:20 - Community Transformation Over Relocation
31:10 - Executive Director Role And Fundraising
36:00 - Highs, Lows, And Partner Accountability
41:00 - Growing The Donor Base Beyond Topeka
47:20 - Theology Teaching And Practical Faith
________________________________________
Beyond the Podcast: 🎙️
Be sure to follow our Topeka Insider Socials below and check out our website for additional stories and articles pertaining to Topeka, KS

Website -- https://topekainsider.com/
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/topekainsider
Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/topekainsider/

Follow Your Hosts: 📱
Follow both Justin & Jon on their personal socials to get connected. They would love to connect and answer any questions about the show or their day to day.

Jon Griffith's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/thejongriffith/
Justin Armbruster's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/armbruster_jd

For Any Inquiries, please DM @TopekaInsider on Instagram!

We share how a unified partnership model accelerates real wins for Topeka, from downtown housing to an aviation jobs strategy at Forbes Field. We also dig into Washburn’s rapid growth, youth sports momentum, and how small signals turn visitors into residents and founders.

• How the Chamber, tourism, economic development, and downtown teams work as one
• Visitor-to-resident pipeline and new immigrant-founded businesses
• Housing demand across affordable, market-rate, and executive segments
• Six-year downtown apartments deal with modern amenities
• Shift to holistic economic development focused on place
• MRO hangar strategy at Forbes Field and job creation
• Downtown plateau and the push to a new level
• Youth sports facilities and tournament potential
• Washburn’s expansion, indoor track, and program agility
• Developers attracted by historic buildings and value near the Capitol
• Where to follow Greater Topeka Partnership updates

Apply now at ChooseTopeka.com
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0:00 - What The Partnership Includes
2:07 - Why Unifying Groups Works
3:16 - From Visitor To Resident To Founder
4:18 - Housing Surge And Market Gaps
6:00 - Six-Year Downtown Lofts Deal
8:10 - Amenities, Location, And Local Impact
9:01 - Stepping Into The CEO Role
11:18 - Rethinking Economic Development
13:30 - Wins, Realism, And Civic Pride
15:05 - Airport Bet On MRO Jobs
17:20 - Downtown Plateau And Next Level
19:00 - Youth Sports As Growth Engine
20:44 - Washburn’s Expansion And Reach
23:10 - City-University Synergy
25:05 - Rapid Fire: Local Favorites
27:15 - Developers, Unity, And What’s Next
29:00 - Where To Plug Into GTP
________________________________________
Beyond the Podcast: 🎙️
Be sure to follow our Topeka Insider Socials below and check out our website for additional stories and articles pertaining to Topeka, KS

Website -- https://topekainsider.com/
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/topekainsider
Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/topekainsider/

Follow Your Hosts: 📱
Follow both Justin & Jon on their personal socials to get connected. They would love to connect and answer any questions about the show or their day to day.

Jon Griffith's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/thejongriffith/
Justin Armbruster's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/armbruster_jd

For Any Inquiries, please DM @TopekaInsider on Instagram!

We sit down with Coach Damon Parker to trace how a girls’ wrestling experiment became the largest team in the world and why a funeral changed his path toward founding the Jones Project. The conversation moves from culture and leadership to mental health, ownership, and hope.

• Building a program that prioritized family, voice, and belonging
• Why girls’ wrestling exploded and how leadership sustains it
• Turning down trophy talk to focus on culture
• The single‑parent stat and what support looks like
• Student leaders holding teammates and coaches to account
• The resignation, grief, and the birth of the Jones Project
• Three critical steps for teen mental health
• Social media as a lifeline for students in crisis
• 29029 endurance climbs and fundraising with “bricks”
• Community, goals, and guardrails for mental health
• Topeka’s strengths, local spots, and date‑night rituals
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This podcast has been brought to you by Choose Topeka. If you're thinking about making a move, Choose Topeka can get you up to fifteen thousand dollars to relocate. Apply now at ChooseTopeka.com
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0:00 - Opening Banter & Sponsor
0:39 - Meet Coach Damon Parker
2:58 - Early Teaching And Coaching Years
5:02 - Rebuilding Washburn Rural Wrestling
6:31 - Birth Of Girls’ Wrestling In Kansas
7:19 - Building The Largest Girls’ Team
8:18 - Choosing Girls Over Boys Program
9:11 - The Single‑Parent Statistic And Its Meaning
11:26 - Coaching For Needs And Relationships
13:34 - Culture Over Trophies
16:28 - Teaching Real Family And Conflict
19:00 - Wanting It For Them Vs. Their Choice
22:07 - Student Leadership That Holds Everyone Accountable
25:56 - Introducing The Jones Project
27:28 - Resignation, Loss, And A Wake‑Up Call
30:02 - Launching A Free School Tour On Mental Health
33:05 - Word‑Of‑Mouth Growth And Impact
35:02 - Social Media As A Safety Net
37:10 - 29029 Everest Challenge As Fundraiser
40:12 - Carrying Bricks And Washington Post Spotlight
42:20 - Habits For Mental Health: Community And Goals
44:17 - The Three Critical Steps: Not Alone, Get Help, Own The Work
48:08 - Why Ownership Matters In Recovery
50:10 - Life In Topeka: Community And Schools
53:15 - Local Favorites, Food Gaps, And Date Night
1:03:33 - Closing And Where To Find The Jones Project
________________________________________
Beyond the Podcast: 🎙️
Be sure to follow our Topeka Insider Socials below and check out our website for additional stories and articles pertaining to Topeka, KS

Website -- https://topekainsider.com/
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/topekainsider
Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/topekainsider/

Follow Your Hosts: 📱
Follow both Justin & Jon on their personal socials to get connected. They would love to connect and answer any questions about the show or their day to day.

Jon Griffith's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/thejongriffith/
Justin Armbruster's Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/armbruster_jd

For Any Inquiries, please DM @TopekaInsider on Instagram!