It's Acadiana: Out to Lunch

We often think of “doing good” as the business of nonprofits. You start a foundation, apply for grants, hold gumbo cook-offs, and hope the IRS sees things your way. But what if you didn’t need tax-exempt status to make the world better? What if turning a profit and doing good weren’t opposites — but the same business plan? Turns out, a lot of small business owners in Acadiana are already doing it. No mission statements, no donor walls — just good work disguised as work.

Christiaan's guests on this edition of Out to Lunch Acadiana both run for-profit businesses that exist for something bigger than the bottom line. One makes magic — literally. The other runs a thrift store that funds community support. And both have built businesses around something very simple: joy and generosity.

If you’ve been to a library show, a school assembly, a corporate retreat, a kid’s birthday, or a surprise party gone slightly off the rails — there’s a decent chance you’ve seen this man making balloon animals. Mitch Richard is the owner of MLR Magic. He grew up in Kaplan, where he was a consummate class clown. 

Mitch's real stage debut came in 7th grade, when a teacher gave him the first five minutes of every class to “energize” the students — on one condition: Mitch had to keep a B average. By 16, he learned balloon art from Darcy Guidry — the legendary balloon guy at Hub City Diner — and started performing professionally a few years later. He’s now been “Mitch the Magician” for 25 years, doing more than 150 shows a year across Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida.

Mitch's company company books not just himself, but other performers, too. And while he performs everywhere from corporate parties to kids’ camps, his favorite shows are at assisted living facilities, where he says “people need to laugh the most.”

If Mitch works his magic through wonder, Lori Guillory works hers through generosity. Lori is the owner of Calvary Thrift, a faith-based thrift shop in Lafayette. 

Lori also runs Camp Calvary, a Christian summer camp, and Calvary Creek, an 8-acre event venue. 

Lori is a UL Lafayette grad, a lifelong thrifter, and — by her own admission — someone who didn’t set out to run more than one business, but kept doing it because she saw needs that weren’t being met.

Calvary Thrift employs eight people, sources locally donated goods, and donates profits into groups like The Hub, The Outreach Center, church ministries, and rent-assistance programs. 

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a temptation in business to want everything fast. Fast growth, fast profits, fast success. But the most durable things—the things that actually last—are often built slowly and with intention.

My guests on this edition of Out to Lunch understand that patience is a strategy. Both came to their current work almost by accident. And both are choosing growth on their own terms.

Allyson Romero is the founder of Grow Leadership Coaching. She spent eight years teaching in Lafayette public schools and later moved into management roles in the private sector. Allyson thrived as a manager, but it wasn't until she received leadership coaching as part of her own professional development that something clicked.  She realized she loved coaching, she was good at it, and it aligned with who she actually was. When she was laid off in 2024, instead of looking for another management job, she took it as a sign to start Grow Leadership Coaching.

Grow Leadership Coaching is a local firm that offers individualized coaching to help managers and executives maximize their performance and reach their goals. They work on skills like effective communication and time management through one-on-one sessions or team coaching. 

Most of Allyson's clients are already in leadership roles, and she's intentional about finding the right fit—she meets with prospective clients first to make sure it's a good match for both of them. Right now, it's a side venture for her, but one she's committed to growing with intention and a strong reputation.

While Allyson is sizing up the right client, Mary Hays is getting runners into the right pair of shoes. Mary is the owner of Geaux Run by Fleet Feet in Lafayette. 

Mary has been active her whole life—cross-country runner in high school, swimmer, golfer, paddleboarder. But she spent her career at Teche Electric before being hired as manager of Geaux Run in 2012. She bought out the shop’s owners to become sole proprietor. When the opportunity came to join the Fleet Feet franchise in 2018, she was strategic about it — and she didn't sacrifice local control. 

Geaux Run is a specialty athletic shoe and apparel retailer focused on proper fit. They carry running shoes, socks, GPS watches, inserts — everything the avid runner needs. What sets them apart is their commitment to fitting. They use 3D foot scans to ensure every customer gets the right shoe for their needs. The store also hosts free demo runs when new shoes release, collaborates with podiatrists and physical therapists to offer their customers discounts, and is a major sponsor of local running clubs and youth programs like Girls on the Run.

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people discover their calling by accident. Literally. An injury or an illness or divine providence can lead to a vocation. You might call each of my guests today healers. But neither started out with the idea of becoming one. They were patients first — searching for relief when the medical system didn’t always have the answers.

That journey led them to very different paths. One through modern medicine and physical therapy. The other through the centuries-old practice of faith healing. 

Becca Begnaud is a traiteur, a Cajun faith healer. She grew up in Scott, Louisiana, in a family and community where traiteurs were part of everyday life. If you had warts, a sprained ankle, or a headache, you went to see someone with the prayer.

But it wasn’t until Becca was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989 that she began to take up the practice.  A nun suggested she look into healing work. She studied Reiki, trauma first aid and worked in hospice care. Eventually she embraced her role as a healer in Acadiana.

For Becca, healing is community, it’s connection, it’s laughter and prayer. She’s practiced for decades as a volunteer, never charging for her services, and today she continues her work from her office in Lafayette.

Philip Thibodeaux is the founder of Restore Physical Therapy and Wellness in Lafayette.

Philip grew up in Monroe and followed in the footsteps of his mother, who was a physical therapist. But his own story as a patient shaped how he thinks about care.

At 14, Philip suffered a severe shoulder injury that went undiagnosed for months. By the time doctors discovered a torn labrum, the damage was done. He suffered through three surgeries and countless hours of physical therapy before he turned 30. The experience made him determined to treat patients differently than he had been treated.

After working for a major healthcare agency, Philip became frustrated with the corporate approach — overbooking, inconsistent and inconsiderate care. In 2025, after the birth of his son, he struck out on his own. He launched Restore, a boutique clinic that emphasizes personalized care and new techniques like SoftWave therapy.

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes the best businesses don’t start with a big plan. They start with nothing: no money, no equipment, no idea what you’re doing. Just a problem to solve, a skill in your back pocket, and the determination to figure it out.

That’s how Christiaan's two guests on this edition of Out to Lunch ended up where they are. One is making home furnishings from scraps. The other turned a pine tree into a broadband company. Both, you might say, made something from nothing.

Matthew Latiolais is the owner of Cajun Salvage Company. Matthew grew up in Lafayette and got his first lesson in welding at sixteen from a boatbuilder — thanks to his grandfather, who volunteered him for the job.

After college, Matthew spent his early career in the oilfield, but when the industry hit a downturn, he found himself sending out résumés to nowhere. Eventually, he decided the only thing left to do was work for himself.

In 2015, Matthew founded Cajun Salvage, a shop specializing in woodworking, metal fabrication, and architectural salvage. His first jobs came from tearing down barns and reclaiming materials. Now he builds everything from custom cabinets to cypress tables to barn doors — often based on whatever clients find on Pinterest. He’s also a Master Craftsman and a member of the Louisiana Crafts Guild.

Chris Disher is Managing Director of Cajun Broadband. Chris is a mechanical engineer by training, born in Ponchatoula and raised in Morgan City. He spent more than two decades in oil and gas, living and working all over the world.

When Chris and his family moved to a blueberry farm in St. Martin Parish, they ran into a different kind of problem: terrible internet. Chris’s kids begged him to sell the farm and move to the city, but instead Chris and a friend stuck an antenna in a pine tree and got 60 megabits per second. That was the start of Cajun Broadband.

Founded in 2017, the company now provides fiber and wireless internet to nine parishes, and employs 10 people. Cajun Broadband grew even faster through state and federal broadband grants: the company landed a $26 million grant to connect 9,000 homes.  Chris says they started in a tree, and now their service is faster than some city providers.

Chris and Matthew's business histories, though as different as analog wood and digital fiber, are both proof that sometimes the best way forward is to stop waiting for someone else to solve the problem, and just build the solution yourself. It doesn't get much more Cajun than that. And that's how you get Cajun Salvage and Cajun Broadband.

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re going to run a good business, you’ll need to know the tools of your trade, literally and figuratively. Sometimes it’s knowing how to find talent. Other times it’s owning the crane nobody wants to buy. Because here’s the thing: every project needs both muscle and machines. And neither comes cheap these days, especially in the world of construction. 

The U.S. construction industry needs around 439,000 new workers this year just to keep up with demand, according to some estimates. So when someone says “tools,” they might mean manpower — or literally heavy machinery.

If you’ve taken on a home renovation project recently, you might have noticed that it can be hard to find the guy or gal for the job. 

Grant Alexander is Board President of the Master’s Guild of Acadiana, an organization set up to train people for the trades and fill the skills gap. Grant was born in Gulfport, lived in Lafayette, and studied communication at UL. While running an insulation business, he saw firsthand that having tools means nothing without people who can use them. 

Later, Grant opened a local home fixtures franchise and again ran into the same roadblock. They had the supplies, but not the skilled workers to install them. That experience inspired the Master’s Guild of Acadiana.

Now, the Master’s Guild teaches everything from basic construction skills to job-readiness. The goal is to help budding builders hit the job site ready to work. 

Even a skilled worker needs the right tool. And sometimes, the right tool is an excavator. Troy Dowling is Branch Manager at SitePro Rentals in Broussard. SitePro offers the machines tradespeople need but often can’t justify owning. 

Troy was born in New Iberia, and spent six years in the Marine Corps after which he carved out a career at Haliburton. He retired after 30 years, but he couldn’t sit still for long. He got a job at SitePro where oversees a tool-fleet valued at over $14 million, with everything from skid steers to massive booms, serving both contractors and DIY folks who don’t want to buy but need to lift.

There can be a lot of satisfaction in doing home repairs and renovations yourself. If you know what to do you can go on down to Site Pro, see Troy, and get the tools you need to do it. If you don't know what to do, satisfaction is replaced by frustration and it's better, faster, and ultimately cheaper to get someone who does know what they're doing to come do it for you. In Acadiana we can thank Grant and the Master's Guild for making sure we have those folks to call on. 

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellness isn’t just kale smoothies and yoga classes anymore.

It’s mushrooms as brain boosters, IV drips for recovery, tinctures, biohacking, and more. These trends aren’t fringe, they’re big business, generating $1.8 trillion in U.S. sales alone in 2024. And they’re on the move in Acadiana too. 

Christiaan's guests on this edition of Out to Lunch are building businesses in Acadiana riding these same waves — functional mushrooms, hydration therapies, supplements, biohacking — they all are part of wellness, and more than a buzzword.

Daisy Kerne is co-founder of All Caps Gourmet Mushrooms, founded in 2019 with Michael Campbell. Daisy’s from Loreauville, Louisiana, though she moved back and forth between there and Lafayette during her youth.

Daisy studied plant science at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and balances her time between her mushroom business, doing food demos, and nutrition counseling for cardiac rehab patients. As a single parent, she managed multiple gigs while homeschooling, and when Michael asked, “Hey, do you want to grow mushrooms?”, she took a leap.

Their current operations include fresh mushrooms, tinctures, seasoning blends, workshops, and growing kits. 

DeAnna Smith is founder of Dripsy IV Bar.

DeAnna is originally from Pineville, Louisiana, holds a business administration & marketing degree, then became an RN after an accident involving an 18-wheeler changed her perspective. She started doing IV hydration on weekends while working as an insurance case nurse.

Deanna gradually built a waitlist for IV treatments, and in 2024 opened the first brick-and-mortar Dripsy IV Bar in Alexandria. That’s Dripsy…as in “everybody in the club getting dripsy.” 

Since then, Dripsy has grown to three new locations, including adding outposts in Lafayette and Lake Charles in 2025. Dripsy offers IV drips, weight loss options, shots, telehealth, peptide treatments, and biohacking services.

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a reason you don’t hear people bragging about shopping for a new bank. Most of us choose one when we’re young and stick with it—even if we’re frustrated, even if it means worse service or fewer benefits. We treat it like a utility, not a relationship.

That’s good news if you’re running a big bank. Not so good if you’re trying to build a bank here at home.

Joe Zanco is doing exactly that. He’s the President and CEO of Catalyst Bank, a community bank based in Opelousas with branches around Acadiana. He’s a former CPA and internal auditor who cut his teeth working for the biggest names in banking and public accounting—Arthur Andersen, Iberia Bank, Home Bank.

But the banking path wasn’t exactly his plan. Joe grew up in St. Bernard Parish, the son of a butcher with a drinking problem. He got into banking thanks to a mop, a grocery store manager, and a knack for numbers. He’s been laid off by bankrupt state agencies and global scandals—but every detour brought him closer to his real calling: helping people grow their businesses. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the world of civil litigation. Louisiana has lots of personal injuries to choose from. And that crowded competitive landscape comes with its own obstacles. 

Geremy Garcia is a managing partner of Landgrave Garcia Injury Attorneys. His path to entrepreneurship winds through geology, pool supplies, and a fraternity house visit with Exxon’s legal team.

Geremy was born and raised in Corpus Christi and came to Lafayette in 2022. He studied geosciences at Texas Tech, then pivoted to law when the oil and gas industry hit the skids. After law school at Southern University, he found his niche in personal injury—especially the kinds of cases that require digging into long backstories and legal nuance, like dog bites or offshore injuries.

In 2023, he and Logan Landgrave opened Landgrave Garcia. They’ve had to get scrappy: bootstrapping the firm, managing cash flow while fronting litigation costs, and learning to run a business from scratch.

Turns out, there are two kinds of people who enjoy long odds and long paperwork trails: personal injury attorneys and community bankers. They may work in very different industries, but both Joe Zanco and Geremy Garcia are betting on something similar: that people in Acadiana value relationships, and that service still counts for something.

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Astor Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here in Lafayette, comedy is growing up. The scene is expanding, more shows are popping up. It’s become a draw for national touring acts. And comics are choosing to stay—or come back—because there’s actually something to build here. 

That’s pretty remarkable. Lafayette wasn’t really on the map as a comedy town until the last decade or so. But comedy itself — how it works, how it’s consumed — has changed. And it’s booming nationally while other live entertainment offerings have hit the skids. 

On this edition of Out to Lunch Acadiana, Johanna Divine sits in for Christiaan Mader and she's joined by two lunch guests who both work in comedy, but from very different angles—and very different eras. One started when comedy clubs were king, the other as memes have become currency. One uses hypnosis, the other political satire. And both have made Lafayette home.

Flip Orley has been a touring comic and hypnotist for more than 30 years. He’s performed in clubs and theaters across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, blending stage hypnosis with stand-up. He’s known for treating his volunteers with respect—no chicken clucking here—and for pushing audiences to think and laugh at the same time. He’s also an author, podcast host, and something of an HR nightmare, by his own account. 

John Merrifield is the founder of Oof Comedy and the co-host of Laf City Radio. A Lafayette native, John got his start in stand-up after proposing a comedy night at a bar—possibly after one too many bad open mics. Since then, he’s built a following through viral memes, sharp political satire, and a prolific open mic scene at Cite des Arts.

John left for New York to build his chops, then returned to help grow Lafayette’s comedy scene from the ground up. 

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Two comedians walk into a sushi restaurant… Well, actually, that’s all we've got so far, we’ll leave the punchline to the professionals - when we meet Flip and John next time here on Out to Lunch Acadiana we'll hear the rest of the joke. Watch this space!

Till then, this comedy lunch was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette.You can find photos from this show by Alisha Zachery Lazard at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some things are so familiar we stop thinking about them. Bread, for example. Or curry. They show up in so many meals they’re practically background noise. Staples. Comforts. Universals.

So what happens when someone decides that’s not good enough?

On this edition of Out to Lunch we’re talking about reimagining the familiar — turning the everyday into something exceptional. It takes a mix of obsession, patience, and maybe a little defiance. It’s the kind of project that makes your friends say, “You’re doing what now?”

Morgan Angelle is co-founder of Straw Cove Flour Mill and Baking Company. Morgan isn’t just baking bread—she’s milling her own flour, from grain she sources directly from farms she’s vetted herself. She even knows which wheat scientists developed the strains she uses. That’s commitment. But it’s more than that—it’s a philosophy. For Morgan, bread isn’t just food, it’s a story of place, labor, and connection.

Morgan’s culinary path started early. She grew up in Breaux Bridge watching PBS cooking shows and experimenting in the kitchen. She earned her culinary degree in New Orleans in 2005 and worked in kitchens across the region, but never quite felt at home behind the line. It wasn’t until she got obsessed with dough—literally, while working at Buck & Johnny’s—that she found her calling. Over eight years, she deep-dived into flour science, traveling to learn from bakers, millers, and farmers. She returned home in 2022 with a mission to build better bread from the grain up.

Sajeev Joseph is co-owner of Priya’s Indian Food. You might think you know Indian food — tikka masala, naan, maybe a samosa or two. But Sajeev and his wife Priya offer something different: food made the way it’s cooked at home in India. No artificial colors. No sugar. Lots of vegan and gluten-free options.

Originally from India, Sajeev studied theology, economics, and philosophy before settling in Lafayette in 2014. He and Priya started small, selling homemade dishes at the farmers market—she was the first Indian vendor there. In 2020, they opened their restaurant, a cozy four-table spot with a big reputation. Sajeev left his full-time job to support the business and help care for their kids. These days, their children sometimes pitch in too—making it a true family operation.

One of the knocks you hear from bigger city folks from, say, New York, New Orleans, or Austin, is that, as cool as our Cajun culture is, wouldn’t it be great if there was an awesome bakery here? Or a real, authentic Indian restaurant? 

Well, one of the benefits of living in a community like Lafayette, is that one person can make a big difference. When that one person opens an awesome bakery, and another person opens an authentic Indian restaurant, not only do we now have the kind of food you normally only find in a big city, but guess what? We also don’t have to live in - or even visit! - New York, New Orleans or Austin.

Johanna Divine sits in for Christiaan Mader, hosting this edition of Out to Lunch live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette.

You can find photos from this show by Alisha Zachery Lazard at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For every entrepreneur, the fantasy of your own business is about being in control of your destiny.  For a lucky few, that pays off with the job — and lifestyle — of your dreams. 

One way to get there is to help other folks fulfill their own fantasies. Or maybe even one — at least temporarily. That fantasy might be waltzing through an evening of elegance in the gown of your dreams. Or hobnobbing with trolls while you nosh on a turkey leg. 

If the latter is your cup of mead, you might venture to Ville Platte for the Acadiana Renaissance Faire, co-founded by Blanche Boudreaux. 

Blanche is the Faire’s creative director. She grew up going to Ren fairs as a teenager and leapt at the chance to get involved with one as an adult when she volunteered to help some friends get the Acadiana Fair started. She and her husband were pulled in as part owners, and they debuted the Acadiana Ren Faire in 2021.

The Acadiana Renaissance Faire has grown from a rented field to a full-on fantasy village in Ville Platte, complete with trolls, pirates, and fairy lands. 

Blanche is also a licensed practical nurse by day, but her passion for storytelling and spectacle is what fuels her side hustle.

If Blanche helps you live your fantasy, then Annie Bonaventure helps you dress for it. Annie is the co-owner of Bella Bridesmaids in Lafayette, part of a national franchise offering a curated boutique experience for weddings and formal events. She bought into the business in 2021 after being a customer herself and realizing she loved the model. 

Bella Bridesmaids prides itself as an all-one-shop. Bridal parties can get the whole crew styled for the rehearsal dinner to the after party. The company also boasts a virtual showroom that allows wedding parties to share favorites, order online, and get reminders.

Annie’s background is in cosmetology and wedding hair and makeup, so stepping into bridal fashion felt like a natural next step. 

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Alisha Zachery Lazard at itsacadiana.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.