Visiting Texas with Intention | The Vision for The Building Texas Show
As we look toward the end of 2025 and start of 2026, I want to take a moment to step out from behind the microphone and speak directly to you — our listeners, viewers, and supporters — about where The Building Texas Show is heading.
From the very beginning, our mission has been clear: to highlight the gifted people, entrepreneurs, wildcatters, and infrastructure planners who are shaping the future of Texas. Our state is riding an incredible wave of growth, and every region — from the rural Hill Country to the emerging metro corridors — has its own story to tell. Our purpose is to bring those stories to light.
The Vision for 2026
In 2026, The Building Texas Show will move with intention:
We will continue to tell stories that reveal how Texas is being built — literally and figuratively — by people with grit, creativity, and a deep sense of place.
Through our Visiting Texas campaign, we’re inviting Texans to travel within Texas. The goal is simple: to help uncover and support the hidden gems that power our local main streets, small businesses, and retail centers. The state’s own tourism initiatives encourage Texans to explore destinations within 90 minutes of home, and we’re aligning with that spirit.
These communities — from bustling county seats to quiet crossroads — preserve the history and heritage of our culture while defining what the next generation of Texas looks like. In 2026, we’ll be featuring cities, counties, and communities across the Lone Star State that embody that duality of preservation and progress.
A Personal Reflection
As I write this, I’m sitting in Center Point, Texas — one of two cities by that name in the state, but that’s a story for another day. I’m surrounded by the timeless beauty of the Texas Hill Country, a region that perfectly captures what The Building Texas Show is all about.
Center Point represents what I love most about rural Texas: a place where history still whispers through the trees, but where new life and ideas are always taking root. Here in Kerr County, you’ll find a handful of “doers” who continue to drive this piece of Texas history forward into its next generation of discovery.
If I had to make a prediction — I’d say Houston will soon “discover” Center Point, calling it the Gateway to West Texas. They’ll find themselves at the Zanzenberg Tavern, or unwinding with some darksky Hill Country Glamping at the Charmadillo — a perfect stop either on your way to Big Bend State Park or during a slow, restorative re-entry into reality on your way home. Our if you want an easy island escape, find Toucan Jim’s.
The Frontier Continues
Texans are incredible. Every trip, every interview, every story reminds me that the frontier isn’t gone — it’s simply evolved. It’s now found in innovation, in rural revitalization, and in the people who continue to build, shape, and reimagine this state we love.
As we move into 2026, The Building Texas Show will carry forward with that same pioneering spirit — telling the stories that make Texas more than a place.
It is a movement, an evolving wayfinding vision that is following the work and impact of everyday Texans.
And the story is still being built.
How You Can Support the Movement
If you believe in what we’re doing — in showcasing the people, towns, and ideas that make Texas thrive — there are several ways you can be part of the journey:
Like and follow us on social media to stay connected to the latest stories and behind-the-scenes moments.
Subscribe to The Building Texas Show on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform to catch every episode. Help us get to 1000 and we always appreciate a good referral.
Nominate a guest or community — we’re currently scheduling audio-only interviews by appointment, and spots are filling up fast. You can nominate your city, county, business, or a remarkable Texan who deserves to be featured. Email me at [email protected]
We’ve also started aggregating Texas news — now in Spanish, too — and it’s been an incredible way to meet new businesses, highlight innovators, and shine a light on the meaningful work happening across Texas every single day.
For deeper coverage and exclusive features, visit our Building Texas Show Online Newsroom — where we feature guests from the show and highlight special stories from across the state. It’s becoming one of the best ways to follow the people, places, and projects shaping the Texas frontier of today.
Every like, subscription, nomination, and contribution helps us build momentum — and ensures the next chapter of Texas is written by those who live it.
— Justin McKenzie
Host, The Building Texas Show
