Twenty-plus years ago, Julie Mac was fighting fires right out of high school with the Hungry Horse Ranger District. A couple years in, she gave up the firefighting career after they offered a supervisory position — there was just one problem — her crew would be all men.

That was a nonstarter for the 2000 Whitefish High School grad.

So it was off to college to study marketing and television at Montana State University, where she went on to work in the industry for years — just not in the Flathead.

Now she’s returned home to Whitefish and started another venture — Montana’s Best TV — a program that showcases small businesses and small towns across Montana, places even many Montanans probably haven’t been to. The production headquarters are also in Whitefish.

Mac said the show is designed for visitors and locals alike. It purposely avoids the overdone Montana attractions, like Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, to tell stories that are off the beaten path.

“You don’t have to take an Allegiant Flight to Vegas,” to have an enjoyable vacation, Mac notes.

In one episode, for example, Mac and her crew visit Glendive, where they hunt for fossils and ride ATVs. In another, they visit ZooMontana.

The show has been buoyed by a Montana Big Sky Film Grant through the Montana Film Office, but Mac said they’re also in talks with Montana CBS stations to broadcast the show statewide.

The program first started filming in 2020, with a crew of five traveling the state.

She said the goal of the program is to visit all six regions of the state. It’s also helping gig workers, as there’s a lot of talent in the film and production industry in Montana, but they often have to leave for other regions of the country to find work.

The hope is to help film industry workers be able to stay here. The company also encourages businesses showcased in the program to share the show online and through social media.

In essence, it’s a win-win.

“What really make our hearts happy is hearing from featured Montana businesses that they are full with reservations and seeing an increase in visitations. I always get a kick when a second or third generation Montanan is amazed that they didn’t know that certain attractions existed. We all consider it an honor that parents feel comfortable putting our channel on their child’s smart device to watch.” Mac said.

Viewers can watch full episodes at: www.montanasbesttv.com