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Debra Locker Griffin provides big-city caliber public relations with small-town charm by applying the same inquisitive spirit that served her so well in television news journalism. Her three-plus decades of professional excellence have put her in the absolute vanguard of her field.

Based in Kentucky, Debra’s company, the Debra Locker Group, is an award-winning boutique agency specializing in the lifestyle, spa, travel, spirits, and wellness markets, and is a constant champion for female entrepreneurs.

Debra founded DLG in 2008 after working in corporate public relations and having a successful career in TV news. The company has been chosen five times as the best PR firm in Louisville by the readers of LEO Weekly, and the editors of Louisville Business First named Debra one of 20 people to know in Advertising, PR, and Marketing.

Prior to launching DLG, Debra was the Public Relations Director for the International SPA Association. Ingrained in the spa industry since 2001, Debra received the 2020 Women in Wellness PR & Marketing Award from American Spa.

Before beginning her PR career, Debra was a reporter and producer at TV stations throughout the Southeast. She has been nominated for three Regional Emmy Awards for her production work.

Debra’s free time is spent traveling, gardening, working out, and trying new restaurants. She is married to her college sweetheart, is mom to an incredible son who is a rising sophomore at the University of Illinois, and is a fur mom to a vivacious Great Pyrenees/Border Collie mix named Freya.

https://debralockergroup.com/
https://www.instagram.com/debralockergroup
https://www.linkedin.com/in/debralockergriffin/

Kathie’s note: I've been a freelance writer receiving Debra's PR requests and introductions for stories about her clients. She has also offered up a couple of Writers Rotation podcast guests! I met Debra in real life in the fall of 2019 on a fam tour in Shelbyville, Kentucky. What a fun couple of days that was, and she is so gracious.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Steven Puri is the founder and CEO of The Sukha Company, with the mission to help millions of people find their focus, achieve more, and have a healthy work life.

Steven is one of the few people on earth who has been a senior executive at two motion picture studios and also raised over $20MM in venture capital. He’s produced the digital effects for Independence Day, which won the Oscar for Visual Effects and in addition to his film work, he’s founded three startups: one successful exit and two failures. He lectures now on the lessons in sustainable high-performance he learned working alongside some of the world’s more productive people.

Steven's career started as a newscaster/interviewer for the #1 youth news show in the DC/Baltimore market (on WTTG-TV) and then as a junior software engineer and Thomas J. Watson Scholar at IBM. After attending USC in Los Angeles, he began working in film production.

The Sukha Company - ‘sukha’ means ‘happiness from self-fulfillment’ in Sanskrit. Sukha is a focus app that bundles all the tools necessary to enter into a flow state and a have healthy, productive workday.

https://www.thesukha.co

Kathie's note: Steven is in his get-on-podcast season, so when he reached out via email one day, I said sure! We had a lovely conversation, and I must say, I'm a sucker for big words. You'll hear 'germane' and 'bifurcate' in this interview, among others. I had to edit out 'empirical' due to a glitchy glitch, but just pretend it's in there somewhere.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Jessica Dawkins, president and CEO of Historic Locust Grove in Louisville, Kentucky, has been a museum professional and local historian for over 20 years.

She received a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Louisville and a master’s degree in Business Communication from Spalding University, both of which were fully funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in Washington, DC.

She is also a graduate of the History Leadership Institute, class of 2016. Her passion lies in 19th century Ohio Valley history, and this focus brought her to work within historic house museums in the Louisville area. As the southeast regional director for the Indiana State Museum & Historic Sites, she directed three sites in Southern Indiana: Culbertson Mansion in New Albany, Corydon Capitol in Corydon, and Lanier Mansion in Madison. She then served as deputy director of the Kentucky Historical Society and was most recently the executive director of Liberty Hall Historic Site in Frankfort, Kentucky.

By taking an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to museum management, Jessica demonstrates a tangible, authentic commitment to audiences and communities served. She believes historical organizations are visitor-serving and mission-based, and they are also local businesses, economic drivers, and cultural generators.

Through inspirational storytelling, creative programming, and intentional collaboration, Jessica is a passionate advocate for history as a crucial tool in the life of the everyday citizen. She also serves on nonprofit boards and committees, including Louisville Public Media’s Community Advisory Board and Happy Birthday Park. She was Board Chair for Farmington Historic Plantation and was named one of Business First’s “20 People to Know in Tourism & Hospitality.”

https://locustgrove.org

Keep up with @HistoricLocustGrove on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok.

Kathie’s note: Debra Locker introduced Jessica and me to each other. Instant bonding! Right before our interview, lightning struck the grounds of Locust Hill and every electronic device on the property was out of commission. Lights and computers and everything, so she recorded on her phone.

I thought it was the old house's way of saying, "Enough with your technology!" and Jessica said she has always known that historic homes get what they want. For example, an unlikable employee or a visitor can get invited not to say. "But since I've come to Locust Grove, I realize the land gets what it wants," she said.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Shelley Thomas is an artist and CEO of The Mystical Creative LLC. She is a visionary composer-producer, photographer, astrologer, and Dream Fulfillment Coach. Through her multifaceted work, she creates exquisite custom music and photos for client visual media needs. As a coach, she helps people gain insight, clarity, and confidence, guiding them to heal and activate their potential. She uses modern technology alongside astrology, tarot, and her gift of intuition to assist people in realizing their goals and dreams.

She specializes in working with multi-passionate entrepreneurs to support bringing their dreams to life: whether through coaching, creating beautiful music for film + tv uniquely branded with her magical sonic signature, or delivering elegant portraits that capture the special spirit of each person.

Shelley has a B.F.A. in World Music from CalArts and an M.A. from Berklee College of Music in Interdisciplinary Music Studies, as well as numerous accolades, international tours and multiple Grammy-winning credentials. She is a world-class vocalist and musician who plays oud, percussion piano, and guitar.

She also draws upon a depth of intense life experiences including heartbreak, addiction, illness, trauma, creative blocks, depression, and anxiety. These blessings in disguise have given her immense empathy and wisdom to share in her work with others. She learned to heal through 7 years of sobriety, deep spiritual work, self-love, and the power of artistic alchemy.

Her purpose is to uplift and inspire people through her work, shattering limitations and empowering others through creative expression.

Listen to Shelley’s singles, including her spring '26 release of "Infinite Sea" and watch her music videos on her website.

Shelley Thomas
www.themysticalcreative.com

www.instagram.com/themysticalcreative

Kathie’s note:
One day during a one-hour or three-hour Caveday session (www.caveday.org), I looked at all the people on the Zoom screen and saw someone playing an instrument. Was that a lute? It was definitely of the string kingdom, guitar class, but I had no idea what genus.

It turned out to be Shelley playing her oud. But without any audio, wah.

She's super chill, always a calming presence. So enjoyed talking with her on this episode.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Katie Fussenegger serves as Executive Vice President of the Kentucky Derby Museum, where she helps lead one of Kentucky’s most iconic cultural attractions with vision, creativity, and a deep love for the stories of the horse.

Before joining the museum, Katie spent more than a decade as President & CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism, where she built a reputation for innovation, collaboration, and community impact. She’s a proud University of Louisville graduate and holds her CTIS certification through Indiana and Purdue Universities.

Katie has held leadership roles across the state and beyond, serving as chair of the Kentucky Tourism Industry Association & KY Bourbon Horses & History Region, President of the Kentucky Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, and twice as President on the international stage of Skal International Louisville. She’s also a graduate of Leadership Kentucky, Leadership Louisville, and Leadership Shelby.

Her work has earned her recognition as one of the Lane Report’s Top Women in Business, Louisville Business First’s 20 People to Know in Tourism & Hospitality, recipient of the Way to Go Woman in Leadership Award by Today’s Woman Magazine, and a 2024 Forty Under 40 honoree by Business First, chosen from over 600 applications.

A passionate advocate for tourism, hospitality, and community growth, Katie brings both strategy and heart to everything she does.

Kentucky Derby Museum

https://www.derbymuseum.org/

https://www.instagram.com/derbymuseum/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/kentucky-derby-museum

Connect with Katie on Instagram @CocktailsandTeacups

Kathie’s note: You know how some people just remind you of sunshine? That’s Katie Fussenegger. Always happy, always smiling. I met her on a fam trip (which stands for familiarization, not family) with three other freelance writers in the fall of 2019. We toured a Saddlebred farm in Shelby County, a pumpkin patch and several other tourist attractions, and had some fabulous meals and camaraderie. I still think about those people and places!

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Patty Pell is an 80-year-old new playwright. She has written snippets all her life, including poems, short stories, two children’s theatre programs, sales training videos, radio spots, and the finest, most talked about obituary tribute that the P-burg Sentinel ever published.

Patty and her daughter, Laurie, wrote Momma Won’t Die based on the last weeks they spent with Gigi in the summer of 2021. Those days of living with three generations of Southern women became the most important time in Patty’s life. Everything else seemed a footnote.

Like the characters in her favorite plays, Steel Magnolias and Crimes of the Heart, Patty hopes audiences will see the characters in Momma Won’t Die and say, “I know these people.” Patty gives special thanks to the Del Shores Writers Workshop for their suggestions and support. She brought in a revised scene every week for two years. She could not have finished this play without them. Momma Won’t Die became a true collaboration of love!

Follow Patty and “Momma Won’t Die” on FB and IG.
https://www.facebook.com/mommawontdie
https://www.instagram.com/mommawontdie

Join the Kickstarter campaign (March 17 to April 16, 2026) to fund the stage premiere of the play in June in Dallas.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pattypell/momma-wont-die-a-world-premiere-play

Kathie’s note: Patty and I were roommates and workmates a thousand years ago! She is quite entertaining, and always gracious.

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Patty McGee is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker, and educator with a passion for transforming classrooms into spaces where language and learning come alive.

With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and advocate for delightful literacy practices, Patty has worked alongside educators across the country, partnering to unlock the full potential of their students through innovative and practical teaching strategies.

Not Your Granny’s Grammar is her third book. Connect with Patty at www.pattymcgee.org.

Kathie’s note: Patty sent me an email out of the blue! What a delightful note it was, and I said absolutely yes to inviting her on the podcast. My mom was a teacher, so I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them. Yay for teachers.

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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Kelly Erickson leads Wild Horse Heart Consulting & Creative, where she helps mission-driven teams turn complex ideas into clear plans, simple systems, and meaningful learning experiences.

At her core she’s a connector of people, ideas, and words, using sketchnotes and visual maps to align teams, invite collaboration, and make hard things easier to talk about.

She lives in North Central Washington, where she tends a small orchard and keeps a stack of horse books close by.

Connect with Kelly through her website and on LinkedIn.

www.wildhorseheart.com

www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-erickson-pmp

Kathie’s note: I met Kelly through Caveday.org, where she is a guide and a participant. I can't remember which title she was using, haha, the first time I saw her smiling face, but she is known in that community for beaming out a lot of positivity. And I do love a good beam! Plus, she's a multifaceted entrepreneur, so what's not to love?

Writers Rotation intro/outro recorded at Dynamix Productions in Lexington, Kentucky.

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