It's Acadiana: Out to Lunch

As we have seen once again, as a result of the catastrophic rain and floods in recent weeks, one of the hallmarks of life in Acadiana, including business life, is an awareness of the importance of giving back. Both during times of urgent need, and in times of less urgency, one effective way of returning wealth to the community is by way of the Community Foundation of Acadiana. Since its founding in 2000 the Foundation has received 170m from over six thousand local donors. It has distributed 80m. It currently has a further 80m to invest in the local and regional community. The President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Acadiana is Raymond Hebert. Downtown Lafayette is the economic heart of Acadiana. And it s making a considerable effort to make itself not just the physical, but also the cultural and social center, of both the city of Lafayette and the region. Downtown Lafayette is not just a place. It s also the name of an organization that creates and promotes activities Downtown including Downtown Alive , Artwalk, and a slew of other events. Downtown Lafayette is an outgrowth of the Downtown Development Authority. Its Director of Marketing and Events is Kate Durio. As Acadiana begins to be made whole again after the dive in the oil industry and the devastating floods, we can all begin to benefit from a resurgent economy. Photos at Social by Gwen Aucoin.

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You ve probably seen the cartoon where a dog is sitting at a computer. He s looking down at his doggy friend, explaining to him, "On the internet, nobody knows you re a dog." Similarly, on the internet you can be a big dog in online business, a computing superstar, and nobody knows you re in Acadiana. Like, for example, Doug Menefee. Doug is a nationally recognized leader and innovator in technology. He s advised companies like Amazon, Direct TV, and DropBox in the innovation of cloud computing. Doug s a local Lafayette boy and avid kayak fisherman. Nicholas Laborde makes video games. In 2010 he founded his company, Raconteur, reportedly without knowing anything about computer programming. Today Raconteur has 6 employees scattered across the country while Nicholas pulls the strings from here in Lafayette. The company recently launched its first game, Close Order, which has already caught the attention of Microsoft Xbox. The cavalcade of stars of Acadian computing continues with Tre King, owner and developer at iCandy Labs. iCandy designs and makes software, specializing in custom made apps for other companies for phones and tablets. They also have a couple their own apps that you can get at the Apple App store. You might find one of them useful tonight. It s called Ragin Out. It s an app that lets you discover events and nightlife in the Acadiana area as well as hooking up with your friends who are out. Photos taken over lunch at Cafe Vermilionville. For more information about Acadiana entrepreneurs Innov8 Acadiana and The Opportunity Machine.

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If you didn t live in Acadiana you d probably believe that the one constant around the world is time. In Acadiana we know that s not true. We don t divide up the year by traditional seasons. Unlike most places, it s too unpredictable. Some years we ll have a Spring that might last a week before the onslaught of Summer. Other years late Summer can provide Spring like Fall weather all the way to Thanksgiving. So we ve taken to living by more predictable seasons. For example, crab and crawfish season. For many of us crabs and crawfish are our favorite foods. As you might imagine, crabs and crawfish have favorite foods too. They re called Pogies. Pogies are a fish that are inedible to humans but are so tasty to crabs and crawfish that the promise of a pogie meal lures them into traps. When young crabs and crawfish ask their parents "Where do Pogies come from " the truthful answer is usually "Abbeville Louisiana." That s the home of a company called Louisiana Bait Products who catch, process and wholesale huge amounts of Pogies. Johnny Hollier is Sales Manager at Louisiana Bait Products. Sherbin Collette knows a thing or two about fish too. Not only is Sherbin the Mayor of Henderson, Louisiana you don t get to be mayor of anywhere without knowing a few things but he s also the owner of Collette s Seafood. And he s the representative of the wild catfish industry on the Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotion Board. Will Davis is, founder of a company called Ice Shack that makes Ice Bites. An Ice Bite is a New Orleans style snoball in a pouch, with a screw top that you can grab out of a store freezer, unscrew, and squeeze blue bubble gum, strawberry or wedding cake flavored snocone into your mouth as you bike, walk, or drive away. Ice Bites are spreading across the country, now to 30 states thanks partially to their appearance in World Market. Out to Lunch is recorded over lunch at Cafe Vermilionville in Lafayette. For more information about Acadiana entrepreneurs Innov8 Acadiana and The Opportunity Machine.

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The way this show works is, we invite a couple of people who are in business in Acadiana to have lunch. Usually, they re people who we think will get along, or might enjoy meeting each other, because they have similar business interests. On this edition of Out to Lunch we re changing things up. Peter s guests at the lunch table have nothing in common. Well, almost nothing. One of them is one of Lafayette s most successful restaurant owners. In fact, he owns the restaurant they re dining at, Social. As well as Charley G s, Pete s, and The Tap Room. Peter s other guest is one of Lafayette s most successful oil and gas executives. He s Chairman, President and CEO of the publicly traded company PetroQuest Energy. The one thing these two impressive gentlemen do have in common is this they re both named Goodson. Not only that, they re both named Charles Goodson. And not only that, they re both named Charles Thomas Goodson. And they re both known as Charlie. It s not a trick question. They re not the same person. And they re not related. Even though they both live here and the Lafayette business community is not all that big they ve only run into each other a handful of times in the past 40 years. So we ve pulled off something of a coup here. It s The Charlie Goodson and Charlie Goodson Show Photos at Social by Gwen Aucoin.

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Somewhere along the line in the path of human progress we figured out fermentation. Eating fermented food might not have been all that useful in maintaining health and nutrition, but it sure felt good. And later, once we invented currency, people bought fermented goods in bottles and cans with romantic names that hinted at sophistication, like Budweiser, and Schlitz. Over the last decade, beer sophistication has become a reality. There s been an emergence of small, local artisanal breweries who make beer that does more than give you a buzz it actually tastes great. Here in Acadiana our contribution to the sum total of better tasting beer in the world is hyper local. Bayou Teche Brewing makes 9 different ales, specifically designed to complement the tastes of Cajun and Creole food. The President of Bayou Teche Brewing is Karlos Knott. After fermentation, humans came up with another way to make brain altering liquid distillation. That started out with stuff that was pretty nasty a kind of paint stripper version of gin that was so hard to swallow it was termed "medicinal" and thought to cure The Plague. Again, when we figured out we could enjoy the process of drinking and not just the effects, things started getting a little more sophisticated bringing us home to the Bayou where David Meaux owns Rank Wildcat Spirits. Rank Wildcat bottles Gold Medal winning rum under the labels, Sweet Crude and Black Gold. One of the things about alcohol consumption that s universal the world over is the social aspect that surrounds it. Most societies have created versions of the bar room, though not many of them as much fun as the many and varied establishments here in Acadiana. Nobody knows this better than Gus Rezende. Originally from Sao Paulo Brazil another place they know how to party Gus opened Dix Daiquiris in Lafayette, and before that, The Jefferson Street Pub. What could be better than a business lunch with a bunch of guys who make and sell booze Photos on this page at Social by Gwendolyn Aucoin. For more information about Acadiana entrepreneurs Innov8 Acadiana and The Opportunity Machine.

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We live in a nation where we pride ourselves on individual achievement. When things go wrong, we look for reasons and explanations. When things go right, we put it down to our own hard work. And a little bit of luck. The truth is, of course, that achieving success or sometimes just managing to get through a day takes more than individual hard work and happenstance. Sometimes we plain and simple need help. Peter s guests on this edition of Out to Lunch are all people whose businesses are about helping. Helping you feel better. And do better. Sue Schliefer is a life and career coach. Through her company, Oak Communications Coaching and Consulting, Sue provides life coaching, career guidance, and management consulting services to individuals and to organizations throughout Acadiana, the United States, and even beyond our borders. Alyce Morgan is the owner of Embody Zest, a unique exercise studio, offering Pilates, The Franklin Method, Aerial Yoga, Zestercise, Laughter Yoga and Sleeping Qigong. pronounced Chee Gong . If you re wondering what all that exactly is, they re each forms of movement designed in differing ways to make you feel fabulous. If you overdo it at Alyce s studio, or you re just feeling creaky, you might want to visit Anita Carrere. Anita is the owner of Abbeville Chiropractic Clinic which is, no surprise, a chiropractic clinic in Abbeville. What might be a little surprising is that Anita can perform chiropractic on you, and the horse you rode in on. Anita is one of only 6 people in Louisiana who is a certified animal chirppractor. Photos at Pete s Family Sports Grill by Gwen Aucoin.

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Cherry Fisher May, publisher of ABiz, sits in for Peter on this show to talk about healthcare. And dogs. If it seems like the conversation about healthcare in the United States is never ending, between the ever changing policies of your personal health insurance, and the government level debate over the Affordable Care Act, one thing is for sure about Acadiana healthcare nothing is going to change in the next 30 minutes. That s because Cherry has representatives of two of the biggest and most influential healthcare providers sitting around the lunch table with her. Kip Schumacher s real name is William, but everybody calls him Kip. He s a medical doctor but he s also the founder and Executive Chairman of the Schumacher Group one of the largest emergency medicine and hospital groups in the nation. The Schumacher Group treats more than 4 million patients a year. In 2015 Abiz named them Acadiana s biggest private company, with revenues of 675m. Lafayette General Health System is Acadiana s largest non profit, community owned regional health system. They have over 3,000 employees in hospitals and clinics throughout South Central Louisiana and as of the 4th quarter of 2015 a new alignment will see their revenues exceed a billion dollars. The Executive Director of the Lafayette General Health System s community revenue arm, Lafayette General Foundation, is Cian Robinson. Cherry s Entrepreneur du Jour is Leslie Mann Sandlin, co creator of Swamp Dogs of Louisiana. Swamp Dogs of Louisiana is Acadiana fashion for dogs. Not Halloween costumes or embarrassing Princess dresses Swamp Dog makes rugged alligator and cow leather collars with a local Acadian fashion flair. know Swamp Dogs of Louisiana seems like a small business compared to Kip and Cian s big enterprises, but at the end of the day what makes you feel better than a dog For more information about Acadiana entrepreneurs Innov8 Acadiana and The Opportunity Machine. Photos at Cafe Vermilionville by Gwendolyn Aucoin.

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I m sure that like most folks around here living in Acadiana has advantages that you wouldn t trade for anything. But, despite the great food, music, and generally unbeatable lifestyle, I m sure you also assume there s only so much you can achieve here. Especially in business. Things like technology innovations. They come from Silicon Valley. Right Nationally known alcohol distilleries are in places like Kentucky and New Jersey. It s time to change our assumptions. Chris Meaux has created and launched what is turning out to be a revolutionary piece of technology. It s a phone app. Called Waitr. Waitr, very simply, allows any restaurant even white tablecloth fine dining establishments to deliver food to you at home. Or work. Chris started Waitr in 2013 with five people. Today he has 126 fulltime employees and another 350 part time or contract workers. And Waitr is just getting warmed up. Trey Littel started building his company in 2011. In 2016, the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association named it the State s number one tourist attraction. It s not a museum. Or a plantation home. It s a rum distillery. It s called Louisiana Spirits, the home of Bayou Rum. Louisiana Spirits is the largest privately owned rum distillery in the United States. The huge numbers of tourists who stop in at the distillery have gone home and spread the word across America. Now Bayou Rum is growing in popularity across the country. Trey Litel and Chris Meaux s kids went to the same school, Chris and Trey went to the same school, and they live pretty close to each other. But this is the first time ever they ve gotten to sit down and talk about business. Pretty soon you can expect to see Chris s Waitrs delivering Trey s rum. A very productive, informative, and super fun, lunch. Photos at Social by Gwen Aucoin.

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One of the pieces of advice you often hear when you re deciding on a career is, "Do something you love." Inherent in this advice is the underlying assumption that "work" and things you love like enjoying yourself are two distinctly different undertakings. When we re kids that distinction is way more blurred. Everything can be fun. Even school. Starting with Pre school. Jonathan Pearce is having 4 times as much fun as a pre schooler. Jonathan is president of a group of four preschools. Sugar n Spice Preschools have two locations in Lafayette, one in Broussard, and another in Youngsville. Tommie Townsley writes and publishes books for kids. Tommie is the author of the "Cajun Tales" series of books, with 7 titles so far, including Clyde the Cajun Calf and Amos the Artistic Alligator. Tommie s company, Ally Gator Book Bites, has published 20 children s books by other local authors. It s probably not PC to call someone "nutty," but nonetheless meet Nutty Scientist Alexandra Drouant, co owner of Nutty Scientists of Acadiana. Nutty Scientists of Acadiana specializes in edu tainment a fun way for kids from 3 to 17 to learn science. Although it s a cliche, the children are our future. These three Acadiens on today s Out to Lunch are touching a lot of young lives who, before you know it, are going to be the future of Acadiana. Photos at Cafe Vermilionville by Gwen Aucoin.

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