Discover Lafayette

Jeannie DelGreco, a Lafayette realtor with eXp Realty, joins Discover Lafayette to share her rich and storied entrepreneurial journey in sales. While Jeannie’s current career today as a mom and realtor with eXp Realty is fulfilling and successful, in this interview, Jeannie looks back at the various lessons learned and experiences she survived that made her the person she is today. And to put it into perspective, Jeannie is a highly successful real estate agent with eXp Realty, being ranked in 2023 by the firm as the #4 sales agent in Lousiana and #2 in Acadiana with $14 million in sales volume. While Jeannie has never thought of herself as a sales person, she remembers as a child launching a small business selling Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe laetivirens) plants door to door all on her own. She says, “It was a brave thing to do, knocking on doors to sell the baby plants I had placed in small egg cartons, asking people to buy one for 25 cents or 4 for $1.00! At LSU as a student, she similarly worked with a friend, painting t-shirts or party cups for sorority events to earn extra spending money. One summer changed Jeannie’s life trajectory when she was asked to spend the summer with her mother’s close friend from New Iberia, Sandra DeBlanc, who lived in Columbus, Ohio and was employed as Director of Sales for Victoria’s Secret Catalog. Sandy had served in the Air Force Intelligence during the Vietnam War, and was a wonderful role model for this young girl who needed a bit of direction. Sandy hired Jeannie to join the sales force team for Victoria’s Secret Catalog for the summer and she was on her way to learning customer relations. During the time Jeannie worked for Victoria’s Secret Catalog, it was before the internet became a dominant method way to make sales, and people had to phone in their orders. Catalogs were mailed out weekly and the sales force in Columbus were mainly college girls such as Jeannie. She loved the work and learned how build rapport with customers. She learned how to deal with people who were calling in angry about an order that had gone awry, as well as those who were just shopping, asking for assistance. Jeannie found it natural and easy to describe the garments, get the customers to envison themselves in an outift, and suggest ways to finish a look, encouraging customers to buy more, thereby increasing average order volume. She remained in Columbus, and attended The Ohio State University studying business, marketing, and human resources. “I loved the sales work at Victoria’s Secret Catalog, and I also learned key lessons from my mom’s friend, Sandy, who taught me that you have to pay your dues in the work place. Don’t expect to come in and be promoted right away. You have to earn your position.” On the day of Jeannie’s graduation from The Ohio State University, her parents were in town and attended a festival with her. While enjoying the festival, she met a milliner named Patricia Shypertt who made custom hats and holding a raffle to give away a flat travel hat to the lucky winner. Lo and behold, Jeannie won the hat and started a conversation with the milliner inquiring about her practice of designing hats. This serendipitous event led Jeannie down another path, where she decided to become a milliner. She quit her job at Victoria’s Secret Catalog, became a waitress to support herself, and started making custom hats in Columbus, Ohio. Jeannie on graduation day with mentor Sandra DeBlanc “I had always had this idea that to be artistic, it had to begin when you were very young. You couldn’t change course in your 20’s. Patricia Shypertt (the milliner who mentored Jeannie) was in her 40’s and she said, ‘Oh no, I just learned how to do this two or three years ago. I’ll help you in any way I can.” After Jeannie began garnering clients, her parents wanted to invest in her company, and took her on a buying trip to New York City. While there, her dad suggested that they explore the real estate rental options. They found a loft in Nolita (North of Little Italy) in lower Manhatten at 212 Bowery Street, just a few doors down from the famous Bowery Mission. Her dad asked her if she wanted to move to the city, and he covered the initial rental costs of securing the loft space. The loft would take about two months to be ready and Jeannie moved to NYC to open her millinery business there. Hats on display in Henri Bendel store in Columbus OH Hats in J. Peterman Store Jeannie in the Bowery Loft A small wholesale rep company, Meridian, signed Jeannie on to market her custom hats, along with other entrepreneurial artists making custom jewelry, pottery, etc for display and sale. All the supplies she needed were right there in the Garment District in NYC and her loft conveniently included an outdoor space where she could spray the toxic chemicals needed to shape and set the hat’s form. Jeannie quickly garnered a great following of Orthodox Jewish customers who wore hats every day, and before she knew it, she had a large contract to supply hats for the renowned J. Peterman company. She was careful to be professional in her business dealings, having formed an LLC to protect herself personally from liability or monetary claims. But, unfortunately, J. Peterman never completely paid Jeannie’s company for the hats she sent them as the company went into bankruptcy. Initially, they had sent her $8,000 of the $24,000 they owed, which she deposited into her LLC bank account. After bugging them daily to find out when she could expect the balance she finally learned the heartbreaking news that J. Peterman had filed for bankruptcy and there would be no further payments. She asked to have her hats back, so she could sell them, but she learned the hard way about Rule # 1 in bankruptcy: when a company or individual goes into bankruptcy, all assets are frozen and unpaid merchandise is not returned. She was left holding the bag for the remainder of the invoice. She decided to shut down her hat business, realizing that a 9 to 5 job wasn’t so bad after all, with a lot less stress. She took a job at Delia’s, one of the first factory direct sales outlets focusing on young teen consumers, which sparked a fashion revolution. All was well until the day she remembers her then-boyfriend/now-husband, Anthony, was visiting her apartment and noticed she had gotten mail from J. Peterman. Jeannie didn’t want to open it, as she was done with the retailer unless they gave her back her hats so she could recoup her losses. So Anthony opened the letter and informed her that she was being sued by J. Peterman, demanding that she send back the $8,000.00 An unbelievable outcome, until you realize Rule # 2 of bankruptcy: the bankruptcy trustee goes back 60 to 90 days from the time the debtor files for bankruptcy to retrieve any and all payments the bankrupt made to third parties during that time! While she was operating business under her LLC, the $8,000.00 check had been made payable to her personally, and she had deposited it into her LLC bank account not thinking anything of it. She was found to be personally liable and responsible for paying back the money she was paid. Pictured is the actor, John O’Hurley, who played J. Peterman on the NBC Seinfeld show, along with the actual John Peterman, founder of J. Peterman. At the 11th hour of bankruptcy proceedings of the J. Peterman company in 1999, O’Hurley bailed out the company, becoming an investor and co-owner of the company, and is a co-owner to this day. Photo attributed to today.com/video. Jeannie was never made whole for her $24,000 invoice for custom hats, and had to file for personal bankruptcy on the advice of legal counsel. “I felt like a truck hit me. J. Peterman still had my hats, and I thought, please just give them back, I can sell them and pay my expenses incurred while creating them. I got legal advice to file for personal bankruptcy, which went against my grain and upbringing.” She had to go to bankruptcy court in NYC and today looks back and feels as though she earned an MBA with all she went through as a small business owner. “Most laws are not skewed in favor of small business people. Such is life. You can either be resilient, pick up and move on, or you can be a victim. That is not me to be a victim.” In the meantime, while working at Delia’s running the sales force, Jeannie realized the company wasn’t hitting their marks on sales. She was interviewed by a consultant, who ironically had come from Victoria’s Secret Catalog where Jeannie had previously worked, who was brought in to troubleshoot for Delia’s. After a long day of him listening to Jeannie coach the sales team, the consultant asked what he could do to help and she responded, “Get me the sales people from Columbus.” The realization of the employee pool and the ever-rising costs of prime real estate in NYC led the management team at Delia’s to shut down and move the entire business to Columbus, Ohio. Jeannie, along with the 250 former employees of Delia’s sales team, received a nice severance package. Jeannie decided to get certified in yoga, and studied under the world-renowned Cyndi Lee, in Union Square, New York City. Jeannie Derouen DelGreco studied for ten months under the tutelage of the world-renowned Cyndi Lee, the first female Western yoga teacher to fully integrate yoga asana and Tibetan Buddhism. Lee founded and ran the OM yoga enter, and is one of the most influential teachers of yoga in the U. S. and abroad, having trained thousands of yogis. When it was time to get back to a day job, Jeannie joined Kiehl’s, a high-quality skin care company in New York City, which at the time was located solely at Third Avenue and East 13th Street, which is now its flagship store. The company had originally opened in 1851, and had remained a small family-owned store until being purchased by L’Oreal in 2000. Jeannie was brought on as a part of the team to help transfer operations from a family owned business to the world of corporate America. Kiehl’s wanted to maintain its focus on extreme customer service and Jeannie brought just the right skills to the table. Time went on, and she and her husband, Anthony, were living in Queens, NY, with two small children, and he was an IT Director with New York Life. Anthony was tired of commuting long distances to get to work and missed seeing his young children as he left early and returned late from work each day. Plus, Anthony had always wanted to live in the South, and Lafayette was the perfect place to relocate with Jeannie’s family ties. He looked for a job and found one with a local bank in Lafayette. When Anthony informed his New York Life employer of his decision to move, they countered the next day to allow him to keep his position and work remotely from Lafayette, which was a much better fit given his years of experience with the company. This was in the early days after 9/11 when people were just realizing that you didn’t have to be onsite for a job to effectively work, but not many people were actually taking advantage of this. Off to Lafayette the DelGreco family moved. In the early days of their move, Jeannie taught yoga at Red’s and City Club, and got into the volunteer lifestyle. But she was soon ready for another business challenge, and met two friends, Jana Hickey and her mother, Charlotte Ducote, who encouraged her to get her license to become a realtor. Jeannie quickly realized she had to hustle to get clients as no one just calls you up asking for help. Jeannie jumped into the work world, learning how to service clients effectively by shadowing successful realtors and took classes. She originally started at Keller Willliams, for which she credits great training. Her first sale involved a son of someone she met at Red’s, who wanted to buy a mobile home. Her first sale involved “Wheel Estate!” Jeannie has used all the skills gained throughout her sales career to break down barriers to success in the real estate business. Her journey has helped her weather the inevitable ups and downs in the real estate business. She will cold call potential clients, and identifies opportunities which others may overlook. Jeannie generously shared her tactics during our interview, which include calling neighbors of a house which recently sold to see if they might want to sell their home as the home has the right address, the right neigborhood to successful sell. She will also call people whose listing agreement recently expired, to see if they might want to partner with her, and even reaches out to people who live in a desirable neighborhood that a client wants to live in, to see if they have considered selling. Jeannie DelGreco says about cold calling potential sellers, “I’m not trying to sell, I’m just asking if they any interest in selling. Lo and behold, people will say they really do want to sell, how did I know? That it is a sign from God that she called.” She believes in being honest with people who are looking at homes and points out issues before they become a problem, such as a perceived defect in a property. That way, all involved are informed and able to make an educated decision. A true professional. Discover Lafayette wants to thank Jeannie DelGreco for being such a gracious guest on our show. For more information or to get in touch with Jeannie, visit https://jeanniedelgreco.exprealty.com/.

Dale Clark and Ursula Quoyeser join us today to discuss the third annual Fin Feather Fur Food Festival benefiting the Team Gleason Foundation for people living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (“ALS”). Team Gleason Foundation was founded by Steve Gleason, a former New Orleans Saints safety who was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Since its inception that same year, Team Gleason has provided over $40 million to people living with ALS, supplying critically needed mobility equipment such as shower chairs, wheelchair accessories, and power seat elevators, as well as speech generating devices for those who have lost the ability to speak. Dale Clark is a Lafayette native who works as an engineer for Badger Oil. He was diagnosed with ALS in October of 2020. Ursula Quoyeser is also a Lafayette native and was an educator and coach at ESA and other schools before being diagnosed with ALS in July of 2023. The Festival, known as F5, is a cooking competition where teams compete in the Fin, Feather, Fur or Dessert divisions, along with an auction featuring items such as season tickets to UL-Lafayette’s four major sports, framed jerseys of Drew Brees and Jake Delhomme, a pellet grill with wifi, and much more. Tickets are $45 each and entitle you to taste all 45 teams’ food entries along with beer and wine included. F5 was started by Dale and his good friend, Joe Bernard, as a way to help people living with ALS. “Team Gleason was the obvious choice,” says Dale, and Joe had experience hosting other F5 events for oil and gas industry charitable fundraisers. Last year F5 raised $170,000 and in the previous inaugural year, $168,000. This year, F5 will be held at Blackham Coliseum on Thursday, April 25, from 4 to 8 pm. That day also features Festival International and Dale encourages people to drop by Blackham Coliseum first before heading out to a night of musical entertainment. You can purchase tickets to F5 by visiting https://www.facebook.com/events/787195629932250 About 5,000 people in the U. S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. It is difficult to diagnose and is often diagnosed by ruling out other diseases, which can take months or years. There is no cure for ALS, which is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles. Symptoms start with a progressive loss of muscle control. ALS kills motor neurons, causing muscles to weaken and eventually paralyze. People with ALS lose their ability to walk, talk, eat and in time, breathe. The average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years once diagnosed. 10% of cases are inherited through a mutated gene; the remaining 90% of cases occur without a family history of ALS. Military veterans are more likely to get ALS. For more information, visit https://www.als.org/ Baseball great Lou Gehrig is one of the iconic heroes who was famously diagnosed with ALS in 1938. He went on to play baseball for a full year before retiring on July 4, 1939, giving his “Luckiest Man” speech. Each year, Lou Gehrig Day is celebrated on June 2 by Major League Baseball, marking the day he became the starting first baseman for the New York Yankees. Here at home, Dale and Ursula are bravely facing ALS and doing all they can to help others with the disease, as well as working to keep up their strength. Dale is relatively lucky, having only lost the use of his right arm and developing hoaresness. Ursula exercises daily by going to Red’s Health Club and riding her incumbent bike alongside her Aussie Doodle, who wears goggles in sun to protect its eyes. They both have incredible attitudes and want to do all they can to raise awareness of ALS among us here in Acadiana. They are also both patients of Dr. Stanley H. Appel, a world-renowned neurologist at Houston Methodist, who has been at the forefront of ALS research for decades. In his 90’s, Dr. Appel is still working to find a cure for ALS. To all of my awesome family and all my amazing friends, I will be participating in the Crescent City Classic this coming Saturday! I am excited to help raise $ for Team Gleason’s ALS Foundation by participating in this event. This is a 10k run but I will have the opportunity to use my recumbent trike, (yes, I feel so lucky)! If you would like to make a donation that will go to Team Gleason please use the link below. Thank you all for the support you have shown me throughout my life in all I have done and most importantly since I have been diagnosed with ALS. https://runsignup.com/Race/65952/Donate/ganDgAvPo90t9EO5 Posted by Ursula Quoyeser on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 Advice from Dale and Ursula for persons afflicted with ALS: First, inform your nearest fire station. In the event you have a power outage, the fireman can help by bringing a generator to your house to assist in keeping your electronics running. Also, Waffle House always has electricity, so if you need a place to plug in your equipment, that is a reliable place to go. Ursula also shared that all people with ALS carry a card identifying their condition; in the event they are stopped while driving, the police officer will know their slurred speech or weakness is not a symptom of impaired driving, but of ALS. Discover Lafayette thanks Dale Clark and Ursula Quoyeser for a heartwarming discussion of ALS. We can all make a difference by donating AND supporting the upcoming F5 festival on April 25, 2024!

Ross Murphree, President of Olde Tyme Grocery Group, joins us today to discuss his family-owned restaurants, which include Olde Tyme Grocery, Sandra’s Café and Health Food Store, and BJ’s in Broussard. The patriarch behind this conglomerate of eateries is Ross’s father, Glenn Murphree, who originally purchased Olde Tyme Grocery in 1982. It has become one of Lafayette’s most iconic spots known for its classic poor boy sandwiches made on fresh Langlinais Bakery bread every day. Olde Tyme Grocery has been recognized for its excellence by national publications, being voted #1 Budget Dining in the Nation on Trip Advisor Travelors’ Choice Awards and ranked #2 in USA Today’s Best Po’Boys in Louisiana. Olde Tyme Grocery’s Glenn Murphree in the early days. Ross recounted the story of Glenn’s foray into the poor boy business. A native of Chalmette, Glenn attended USL in the late 1970’s, and enjoyed his time in college, driving a Budweiser truck for Schilling Distributing and managing the Keg. In May of 1982, Glenn bought a little grocery store at 218 W. St. Mary Blvd. near USL’s campus, named Olde Tyme Grocery. At that time, it had aisles of groceries and a small delicatessan space, which was frequented by the neighbors on small grocery runs. Short on cash, Glenn borrowed $8,000 from his dad and $8,000 from the bank, and he was on his way. Interestingly, Glenn had little to no experience in the food business at the time, having worked for only two weeks at a poor boy shop while in high school and swearing he would never do it again! Now, 42 years later, things seemed to have worked out for this highly successful endeavor. Olde Tyme Grocery’s menu is simple and hasn’t changed much in the past 42 years. Sixty per cent of its sales revolve around the highly popular shrimp poboy. “It keeps us in business,” Ross says. Besides offering deli meats and gourmet specials, Olde Tyme is known for its catering, and the restaurant feeds UL’s teams when they travel out of town. During UL’s summer football camp, Olde Tyme will prepare up to 1500 bag lunches in one day. There are different nightly specials where you can order a full-size poboy for $7.00 including tax. Monday’s special is a whole meatball poboy; Tuesday is ham; Wednesday is sausage, and Thursday is turkey. If you are looking for a filling meal or great leftovers, there is no better deal. The snowball stand, located right behind Old Tyme, is open from April 1 through September 30 each year. Olde Tyme Grocery operates at a high volume of sandwiches, averaging 700 on Monday through Thursday, and up to 1000 on any given Friday. During Fridays in Lent, business doubles, and up to 2000 sandwiches will be served. Ross says that they can go through 600 pounds of shrimp on Fridays in Lent, which are always Gulf white shrimp. Ross Murphree says, “Olde Tyme Grocery was my dad’s first child. Today, Ross serves as President, and three other Murphree children, Becca, Brad, and Greg are involved in various aspects of the business. For more information on Olde Tyme Grocery’s menu, visit https://www.oldetymegrocery.com/#/ BJ’s in Broussard is another popular lunch spot owned by the Murphrees. In the mid-1990’s, Glenn was interested in expanding Olde Tyme Grocery and came across the site of BJ’s. He and his wife, Cherie, only had three children and the timing seemed good. But plans changed when a fourth and then fifth child came along quickly and the decision was made to leave BJ’s as is. Ross gave a big shout out to “Ms. Jenny” who was employed by BJ’s several years before the Murphrees purchased the restaurant and is still there 27 years later. BJ’s food is “in the Old Tyme tradition,” and you can get the same poboys as you can at Olde Tyme. Plus, they offer two plate lunch items daily. BJ’s is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Sunday. Located at 107 N. Morgan Avenue, Broussard LA 70518, you can find more information about daily menu choices on facebook. The acquisition of Sandra’s Café and Health Food Store at 111 Rena Drive in Lafayette came about when Glenn went to buy used kitchen equipment from the owner of Sandra’s in 2007. Ross says, “In typical Glenn Murphree style, he owned the building and business two weeks later, not knowing anything about health food!” Glenn brought Chrystal, a longtime cook at BJ’s in Broussard, to run the kitchen and she is still cooking for Sandra’s after all these years. Sandra’s menu has evolved from its early days, and offers three to four different plate lunches every day, plus soup and salad at affordable prices, averaging $11.95. All produce is organic, and free range chicken/grass fed beef are offered. There are daily lunch specials such as hamburger steaks, chicken shwarma, shrimp, rotisserie chicken, and salmon, and breakfast is also offered daily. The health food section still offers groceries and health supplements, and Ross describes it as a “small Whole Foods.” Visit https://www.sandrascafeandhealthfood.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/sandrashealthfood for more information. In 2015, Glenn Murphree branched out from the restaurant business and began selling antiques he purchases at estate sales and auctions. He opened MLC Antiques & Gifts at 112 Rena Drive, across the street from Sandra’s. Humorously, MLC stands for “Mid Life Crisis.” Open from Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Glenn offers a plethora of furniture, glassware, and antique items. The location is perfect as he can run back and forth from Sandra’s to MLC throughout the day. Jan Swift and Glenn Murphree at MLC Antiques & Gifts Glenn Murphree’s 1923 Ford Model T Family business stories such as the Murphree’s are heartwarming and inspirational. Ross shared how hard his dad worked for so many years to be able to build his businesses and provide a good life for his family. He shared a nostalgic look back in time when Glenn first purchased Olde Tyme; with little cash, he ran all aspects of the business himself, relying upon the help of his college Theta XI fraternity brothers who would pitch in when needed. Pictured below is an iconic photo from 1980, which hangs on the wall in Olde Tyme Grocery, with Glenn and his close buddies memoralized as the “Panama City Studs.” The concept and success of Olde Tyme Grocery lends itself to expansion and Ross shared that he would like to see the business branch out. Perhaps first to the southside of Lafayette and then, the “big dream would be to stretch down I-10, east and west. Even beyond. We have the brand that can get us there.” Murphree children Cheri and Glenn Murphree The success of any family business is attributable to support and encouragement. Ross spoke with pride about his family, including his mother, Cheri, who worked at Olde Tyme in the early days. He also spoke lovingly of his siblings, Becca, Brad, Greg and Lauren. And of course, his dad, Glenn, who exemplifies hard work and strong character. Discover Lafayette thanks Ross Murphree for sharing his story of dedication to his family business and his commitment to Lafayette. A graduate of UL in business, he began working at Old Tyme when a freshman in high school, helping with the snowball trailer events. He worked at BJ’s his senior year, and then back at Olde Tyme in college. In 2010, he says his dad, “rooked me into working full-time at Olde Tyme, and ten years later started running the show.” He and his sister, Becca, have been active in the business for the past 14 years. Ross Murphree, pictured with his wife, Brenna.

Carencro Mayor Charlotte Stemmans Clavier joins Discover Lafayette to share her journey in business and politics. A life long resident of Carencro, Charlotte grew up in a political family. Both of her grandfathers served as police jurors for Lafayette Parish. Back in the day when political business was handled a bit more informally, and before open meeting laws, one of her granddads, Eddie Stemmans, would include her in political outings. Charlotte remembers “being the little girl sitting on an ice chest, that would go get them a beer. After watching it a little bit, I realized I wanted to do this! I’ve seen all sides of politics, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I always enjoyed it and knew I would run for public office.” Pictured from left: Carencro Police Chief David Anderson, Mayor Charlotte Stemmans Clavier, along with City Council members Alfred Sinegal, Jordan Arceneaux, Danielle Caprito, Antoine Babineaux, Jr., and Taylor James. Charlotte graduated from Carencro High and three years later from Tulane University.  While in college, she worked as an intern for Jim Gelpi, the founder of The Alliance for Good Government. She loved the experience and it shaped her attitude in serving others at the highest level of integrity and fiscal responsibility. Studying at Tulane also shaped her and Charlotte recalled the challenging studies offered by the university with a demanding expectation that students master educational materials. With her experience of working in the family business, Stemmans, Inc. – The Horse Supply Specialists, Charlotte was used to hard work and says, “I went to work at 11, ran my first store at 12, so my idea of college was different.” Today, Charlotte is President of Stemmans, located on Gloria Switch Road, and responsible for the day to day operations of this iconic, family-owned store, originally opened in 1968 as a tack shop by her parents, Don and Janet Stemmans. She has worked in the business for 35 years. Growing up in the horse industry has shaped Charlotte’s life; she gives back to the industry by currently serving as Vice President of Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents all racehorse owners and riders in the state. While Charlotte hasn’t ridden a horse in years, she is the proud owner of racehorses and at our interview was looking forward to Evangeline Downs opening night on April 5, 2024. Charlotte served as mayor pro tempore of Carencro from 1999 until 2003, during the tenure of former Mayor Tommy Angelle. She was elected mayor in November 2022. “I love, love, love what I do. It’s the perfect job for me. I have a great group of people that work with me. Carencro is a community on the grow. We’re a blessed town. Many people are moving in, moving north, due to high insurance rates. There are 1400 homes in active development in the City of Carencro.” With its rapid growth, there are many infrastructure needs to be addressed such as sewer plants, replacing old gas and water lines. Charlotte is also advocating for a new light to be installed by DOTD at the busy intersection of Ira and University Avenue. "I am proud to announce that we are beginning the next phase of replacing our old water lines and moving one step closer to Carencro's occasional brown water issues becoming a thing of the past. Thank you to our fantastic Water and Sewer Department and Fenstermaker and Associates for moving our city forward with top-tier water infrastructure." – Mayor Charlotte Clavier Posted by City of Carencro Government on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 News of the $8.9 million Louisiana Avenue extension from Butcher Switch Road to Gloria Switch Road, is exciting news for Carencro. Not only will this open up opportunities for development, but it will greatly assist commuter traffic. The project is expected to take a year or so to complete. The City of Carencro offers lots of fun activities for residents and visitors alike. It’s highly popular, Mercredi Show recently started back up its Spring schedule of seven weekly concerts held at Pelican Park. A free event with food offered by a different sponsor each week, Mercredi Show is a family friendly event open to all. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/MercrediShow/ This November, the Carencro C’est Bon Seasoning Festival will be held at Pelican Park. Contestants can enter their seasoning blend to be judged by attendees, as well as sell their blend onsite. Visit https://cestbonseasoningfest.com/ for more information. 2024 C’est Bon Seasoning Festival Print designed by Sarah Clostio. Charlotte Stemmans Clavier is only the eighth person to serve as mayor of Carencro. Founded in 1905, Carencro has historically seen very little turnover in its public servants and has also enjoyed a history of diversity in its elected officials, going back to the 1970’s when African Americans were elected to the city council. Carencro also had the first female police chief in the 1970’s. Charlotte is the proud mother of three children, Derek, Anna Camille, and Eva. A delightful person and friend to all, we want to thank Charlotte for beautiful joie de vivre she brings to every occasion, as well as for her public service. If you haven’t checked out Carencro lately, we encourage you to drive over and enjoy its culture and magnificent scenery.

The beautiful Louisiana Swamp Base, a national conservation and high adventure recreation program created by the Evangeline Area Council, Boy Scouts of America in 2010, is our focus this episode. Swamp Base aims to immerse thousands of young people in the environment and culture of the 1.4 million acre Atchafalaya Swamp each year. It is open to the general public for all kinds of activities, including ecotourism events for travelers, and the program also partners with universities across the U. S. to expand curriculum offerings.   Jason Sikora, of RADER studios, recorded this interview with host, Jan Swift, along with Swamp Base Executive Director Ben Pierce, and Gina Beckman, Program Director. The Atchafalaya is home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals and reptiles. People who visit from across the U. S have many preconceived notions about what it means to live in Louisiana, and Ben Pierce and his team savor the opportunity to change minds and hearts. https://youtu.be/9v-_EeeBdMg Each summer, Swamp Base’s high adventure treks offer 6 day/6 night paddling trips through the Atchafalaya Swamp, covering 61.6 miles. Modeled from the Boy Scouts of America’s four National High Adventure camps and bases (Philmont Scout Ranch, Northern Tier, the Florida Sea Base, and the Summit Bechtel Reserve), Swamp Base offers a premier camping and paddling adventure opportunity for youth serving organizations from across America. A group of Scouts and registered adult leaders attending Swamp Base are called a “Trek Crew.” Each Trek Crew consists of registered Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America or other accepted youth serving organization, including a minimum of two registered adult leaders. Swamp Base daily starts two Trek Crews on their high adventure journey from June 6 – July 15. Each Trek Crew consists of 8 to 11 people, which includes a minimum of 2 adult leaders. With two crews starting daily, a Scout unit can bring 16 to 22 people on a high adventure trek. The cost are $795 per person, or with a larger group. $745 per person. Hotel stays for the first night and last night are provided (in Lafayette) and all meals are covered. Visit https://www.swampbasebsa.org/trek-1-itinerary for more information. Ben Pierce is a founding member and co-creator of Louisiana Swamp Base and originally established the program as a conservation-based activity during the Evangeline Area Council’s Centennial of Scouting celebrations in 2010. He has led the development and growth of the program as an accredited and official BSA high adventure base since 2013. Passionate about his work, Ben enjoys paddling whenever he can and finds refuge in the beautiful Cypress-filled Atchafalaya Basin. He graduated from LSU in landscape architecture and left Louisiana afterward. “I fell in love with Louisiana after I left. You don’t know what you’re missing until you’re gone. When I had a chance to return in 2009-10 and have a chance to learn how to celebrate our local landscape and culture, it had become important to me. When I came back, I knew I had to leave a lasting legacy.” Gina Beckman was introduced to Swamp Base in 2016 when she served as a summer trek guide, and returned to the program in 2022 as the organization’s Program Director. In this role, she develops and implements trek activities that align with the mission of the organization while also making sure learning and having fun are at their cores. Gina is the recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award, Venturing Silver Award, and Sea Scout Quartermaster Award. She brings inspirational enthusiasm and know-how as she educates others on this national treasure, the Louisiana Swamp Base. One of her favorite experiences occurs on day three of Trek 1 and is known as “Forgotten Cove” by Lake Dauterive. The Evangeline Area Council, BSA, is celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year and has made a lasting commitment to the Atchafalaya Swamp as its service project for the next 100 years. What began as a simple tree planting to commemorate Scouting’s Centennial in 2010 has quickly transformed into a comprehensive plan to engage Scouts, schools, and the public in a meaningful effort to preserve, protect and promote the Atchafalaya Swamp. We congratulate the Evangeline Area Council for its continued commitment to enriching the lives of young people throughout Acadiana. The crown jewel of the Atchafalaya Swamp is Lake Fausse Pointe. This 12,000 acre lake is home to the oldest cypress trees in the entire swamp and are some of the oldest in the entire state.. One of Ben Pierce’s favorite sites in which to paddle is located on the North rim of Lake Fausse Pointe. Louisiana Swamp Base bought McGee’s Landing, a longtime swamp tour outfit, in 2016. McGee’s offers swamp boat tours, airboat rides, and sunset tours of the Atchalafaya. Canoe rentals and guided photography excursions are also offered. Visit https://www.mcgeesswamptours.com/ for more information. For more information on Louisiana Swamp Base, visit https://www.swampbasebsa.org/ 2024 registration is now open and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about the Atchalafaya Swamp Base, a true national treasure.

Randy Daniel joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his career in the restaurant business, an endeavor he has loved since his first gig at 14 years old working in catering services. Randy is a principal partner in OMW Restaurant Holdings, the owner and operator of La Pizzeria, as well as Kat Daddy wings, a delivery-only restaurant. OMW is the operating partner of Mercy Kitchen, Palmyre, and BJ’s Pizza House. Each restaurant offers a unique culture and cuisine. Service as a board member for the Louisiana Restaurant Association, as well as being President of its local Acadiana Chapter the past four years, has given Randy greater insight to the common struggles restaurant owners face. He says, “It is a daily struggle to make money throughout the state of Louisiana. The average restaurant makes about one cent on each dollar of sales, although of course there are some who do much better.” Prices have skyrocketed with inflation and post-COVID market forces. The industry has seen a 20% increase in food costs, a 30% increase in labor costs, and insurance premiums have gone through the roof. Even if a restaurant’s sales increase, the business may not see a profit. Also, Randy says, “We’ve gone from a cash society to a credit card society, which increases the cost of doing business. I’m personally dead set against the customer having to cover that. You bake it into the cake. There are restaurant owners trying to figure out how to pass it on. If you have a restaurant with $1 million in sales, you’re paying about $40,000 in processing fees a year.” “I always used to have a mathematical formula to figure out how much to charge for a dish. That multiplier doesn’t work anymore. Not because the math is off, but because customers aren’t willing to pay what it costs to cover the actual cost of the dish. A restaurant’s number one competitor is grocery stores, because customers aren’t willing to spend.” Photo by Scott Clause of the Advertiser. Randy brings years of experience to OMW Restaurant Holdings, having served as director of operations for Double R Restaurant Group (former owners of Romacelli, POUR and Another Broken Egg locations), as well as 18 years with the Outback Steakhouse group. Through his work with Double R Restaurant group, he worked closely with Stuart Ottinger. When Double R decided to dissolve, Randy and Stuart first operated their own restaurants before joining forces to bring unique concepts to Lafayette. Today, Stuart Ottinger, through his company, OPG, is the controlling owner of Mercy Kitchen and Palmyre restaurants; OMW is the Operating Partner. Randy credited Colleen Ottinger, Stuart Ottinger’s wife, for her incredible sense of style in creating the beautiful interiors of Mercy Kitchen and Palmyre. Recounting his much-anticipated opening of La Pizzeria in February 2020: “I was in D. C. meeting with U. S. Rep. Mike Johnson in March 2020 and learned that the government would be shutting down on March 13. That was the most fortunate I’ve ever been in a meeting. I was able to fly home, sit down with my managers, and come up with a plan. I had to say, ‘We all have two choices; we can work seven days a week, stay open and keep as many hourly staff as we can, or we can close our doors.’ We didn’t know yet about PPE. To their credit, our managers said, ‘Let’s do it!” And, the restaurant survived. La Pizzeria baked Apple Brie The Acadian Pizza at La Pizzeria Kat Daddy Wings, a “ghost kitchen,” was a result of COVID. Kat Daddy Wings sells prepared food for delivery only. It was one of the first ghost kitchens in Lafayette. With a mainly fried food menu, it was developed initially as a way for OMW to stay profitable during COVID. Randy hopes one day to see Kat Daddy Wings in a brick and mortar location. Randy shared valuable lessons he learned after purchasing popular long-time restaurants La Pizzeria and BJ’s Pizza House, the latter of which was reopened by BOG Investments, and OMW as Operating Partner, about 2 1/2 months ago. “People don’t like change. At La Pizzeria, the most popular salad is the grilled pesto pasta salad. I came in and changed the chicken to a fresh chicken breast. The past chicken breast was heavily injected with hormones to make it tender. When a customer complained about it, I said, ‘If I wouldn’t serve this to my daughter, I wouldn’t serve it to you. She understood. But the mistake I made was to change the penne pasta to a cavitappi pasta. That lasted five days and I went back to penne pasta. When you buy a restaurant, make changes subtly. When we opened BJ’s Pizza House, I didn’t change one recipe! We worked hard to keep it the same.” Mercy Kitchen was the ‘child’ of Stuart and Colleen Ottinger. “Colleen is one of the most innovative people ever. I don’t know where she gets her ideas but she is amazing! Mercy Kitchen matches high quality foods with high quality cocktails, and offers primarily shared items for groups, such as charcuterie boards, steak and frites. A new menu will be released in the near future. Mercy Kitchen is located at 1312 Verot School Road. Visit https://www.mercy-kitchen.com/menu for more information. Bao Tacos at Mercy Kitchen Fried Grouper Sandwich at Mercy Kitchen The Goat salad at Mercy Kitchen Palmyre, located in River Ranch at 201 Settlers Trace # 3011, is as “decadent as decadent gets! Colleen Ottinger was once again the brains behind it. We wanted you to walk in and feel as though you were walking into a bar in France.” Palmyre is lovingly named after Palmyre Billeaud, Colleen’s great-great grandmother. For more information visit https://www.thepalmyre.com/ OMW also caterers and just recently provided the food and beverages for Patty in the Park for over 4000 attendees. Each restaurant also offers catering for special events. In closing, we want to thank Randy Daniel for sharing his knowledge of the restaurant business in Lafayette and Louisiana. Locally-owned restaurants are what makes Lafayette so special and are an important component of our tourism industry. We also thank Eat Lafayette and Lafayette Travel for partnering with us to produce this inspiring episode.

Chad Landreneau, developer of the app, AnimalFindr, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his mission to connect breeders, buyers, and sellers of livestock such as cattle and horses, as well as family pets. Animal Findr is available on the Apple App store and Google Play. Animal Findr connects buyers and sellers across the nation for any and every pet enthusiast. As Chad’s website says, “Whether you are looking for a Catahoula, a calico, a cobra or a cockatiel,” you can search on the go as you travel. Buyers and sellers can communicate about a potential sale in real time. The app uses GPS geolocation, geofencing, and real-time motion tracking technology, which allows you to find the animal of your dreams within a 500-mile radius of your location, across the U.S. The app is free, unless you want to subscribe so as to have access to breeding records, registration papers, or the extended family tree of the animal. Subscriptions run from $19.99 monthly to $97.99 for a six-month period. Chad grew up in Mamou, part of a third-generation farming family. He had a couple of horses while growing up, as well as farm animals, so he was always comfortable around animals. A graduate of McNeese State University, Chad worked on a Western Pleasure Horse farm while in college and enjoyed the experience. When he moved back to Lafayette after a stint working in Dallas, he came across a horse trainer who convinced him to buy a horse and give racing a whirl. Chad says, “I got bit by the bug. First we traveled to races in South Louisiana, then across Louisiana.” It was during that time that he spent many weekends in the stands waiting for a race with his horse to occur and he had plenty of time to notice the behavior of other people sitting around him. “You only compete for a couple of minutes when your horse races. The rest of the time you just sit in the stands. I noticed that everyone’s heads were down. I walked through the venue and saw that everyone was scrolling on their phone or an IPad. They were looking for their ‘winner’. I wondered how I could effectively connect people who want to buy animals with those who want to sell.” When he searched online for horses, he found sites that sell the animals by discipline, such as Barrel Racers, Race Horses, or Western Pleasure. But no sites just listing horses of all backgrounds. “I wanted a one-stop shop where all horses, as well as cattle, dogs, cats, sheep, birds, or exotic animals could be bought and sold. So, Chad created an app where users can post in real time and find their desired animal. “If I get in a truck and drive down the road for 3,000 miles, I wanted something that had the GPS technology that would reload other opportunities to buy or sell animals depending on where I was located in the country. I wanted people to find animals for sale outside of their usual territory of where they lived, as they might be traveling for horse shows or vacations. And I wanted instant messaging so if you see something you like, you can connect with the owner. It’s a way to truly connect buyers and sellers in real time, on the go.” In October 2023, Chad launched Animal Findr and the app was recently updated in February 2024. “I wanted to make sure the app works, and is rock solid in all capacities, in Android and Apple before we did the hard push. Now we have hundreds of users….buyers and sellers.” Animal Findr connects the buyer and seller, but is not involved in the actual exchange of the animal or the payment. The customers handle the actual purchase and no money is made by Animal Findr off the sale. Josh Richard of Burning Stick Creative has helped Chad market this new app. Chad recounts how he’s had to learn about Tik Tok, Instagram, FaceBook, and the ins and outs of working a website. He also shared how starting a business is not always easy. His first website programmer took his money and then hit the road. Chad eventually partnered with Accolades IT, located in downtown Lafayette, to build Animal Findr’s website, with whom he is very pleased. As with any business endeavor, Chad is learning about people’s preferences as his app is catching on. While he initially created Animal Findr to help people buy and sell horses and cattle, today the majority of transactions involve cats and dogs. “I’d really love the app to go more on the horse and cattle side!” Advice to aspiring business owners: “Get credible references to make sure that your providers are qualified. Also, I’ve learned the importance of self-funding and saving your money.” For more information on how to utilize Animal Findr, visit https://animalfindr.com/.

Lafayette native Brennan Robideaux. recently made big news with the release of his film, Born to Fly, a feature documentary about another Lafayette native, pole vaulter  Armand “Mondo” Duplantis. Born to Fly is a coming-of-age tale about one of the greatest athletes of our generation. Mondo Duplantis is the best pole vaulter in history; he currently holds the world record indoor and outdoor pole vault titles, and won a Gold Medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. This story is about love of craft and the determination of Brennan Robideaux, a young filmmaker who risked everything to capture an evolving story. He traveled on his own dime for much of the filming of Born to Fly, was taken under the wing of the Duplantis family as they allowed him to travel with them to Europe to capture their son’s pole vaulting competitions, and only came to acquire financial assistance after several years of filming, directing, and editing the footage that would become an historical documentary, Born to Fly. Brennan Robideaux says, “I’m very passionate about telling Louisiana stories. My main one I’m working on now is the 1991 gubernatorial election with Edwin Edwards and David Duke. That historical story hasn’t been delved into and my generation, frankly, was born after it. We have no idea about this election. I want to make a film that tells how we got to that point. Louisiana loves emperesque dictators. We love eccentricities in Louisiana.“ Brennan started getting jobs while in high school at STM by filming local athletics. He realized he could make a living in film, and enjoyed taping live events for television. He moved up, becoming a camera operator, filming football games from a perch 40 feet high in the end zone for hours at a time. Brennan loved working with adults while still a youngster and joked that he earned the nickname “Two Cents,” probably due to sharing his opinion on how things should be done a few too many times! He counts his blessings that by the time he became serious about cinematography, the quality of digital cameras mimicked what you would expect to see from a true film camera. The cost barriers were lower. Traditional film such as used by director Quentin Tarantino are cost-prohibitive for emerging filmmakers operating on a budget. A short film, “A Riehl Blacksmith,” featuring Sam Riehl, another STM student who was the youngest professional operating as a blacksmith in Louisiana and America, was a breakthrough accomplishment for Brennan. He says, “This short film really taught me how to tell a story in a short period of time.” The short won a few awards: Filmconvert (a New Zealand filmmaker software company) awarded Brennan an honor for filming, editing, and directing, and Soul Pancake, a company founded by Rainn Wilson (of “The Office” fame) licensed the short and put it on its YouTube channel. It was enough to excite Brennan to look at this avocation as a career. And, he was only a Senior in high school. Brennan was invited to attend NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth) in Seattle due to the success of A Riehl Blacksmith. While he wasn’t able to attend, it was the only film festival he made it into until Born To Fly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNzKXBiYcV8 Brennan attended UNO for a short time but dropped out to pursue his passion of filmmaking. By the time he was 21, he was back in Lafayette living with his parents and looking for a project to energize him once more. That motivational project came to life in 2017 after Brennan read a story in the Daily Advertiser about a Lafayette High student named Mondo Duplantis, the world junior record holder in pole vaulting. Brennan was familiar with the Duplantis family as the parents were both incredible athletes (Greg Duplantis was one of the best pole vaulters of his time and Helena represented Sweden in the heptathlon at international championships), and both participated at LSU in track and field events at the same time as Brennan’s own parents, Joel and Bobette Robideaux. Brennan got Greg Duplantis’s number from his dad and called to get permission to film Mondo as he practiced and competed in events. Greg said he needed to talk to Mondo himself to see what he thought, and Brennan sent a very long, “novella-length” text with a message basically saying, “It would be good to capture this for history.” In typical teen talk, Mondo replied, “I mean, sure, I guess.” Brennan’s family lived across the street from Lafayette High, so he would walk over every day after school to document Mondo’s training. But things developed real fast as Mondo was set to compete in the Senior Men’s World Championship as a 17-year old. Three months into filming, Brennan took his first trip to Europe. Brennan had never been to Europe, but that is where he was headed as major track and field events are almost exclusively conducted overseas. (The sole facility in the U. S. of any importance is located at the University of Oregan’s Hayward Field in Eugene, OR, known as TrackTown USA, the place of the U. S. Olympic Team Trials.) “Mondo came in 7th in that competition, but the fact that he made the finals was incredible. The heights he jumped in high school were good enough for him to win, but you have to deliver on that day. It doesn’t matter that you’re a prodigy.” “It was undeniable that I never met anyone like Mondo. He was so serious. There was nothing else that mattered other than pole vaulting. Pole vaulting was everything to him and had always been everything to him.” The Duplantis family took Brennan in as the filming continued, and allowed him to stay with them as they traveled with Mondo to European competitions. Brennan lived on peanut butter, slept on the floor, or took the couch or chair if that was available. Helena Duplantis’ family had a place in Sweden they would let Brennan stay during the summers. “The Duplantis family gave me every resource possible. And, they never said, ‘Turn off the camera’.” Track and field events (as well as other sports) do not allow recording of the action for commercial purposes, unless you have a license from the appropriate sports league. So Brennan had to tell the story of what happened around the competitions, the leadup to the event, and the aftermath. Brennan caught the action that happened on the bus or in the hotel room before the events. And then had to pay hefty license fees to gain access to the film that depicted Mondo winning competitions. Brennan looks back on the years-long filming of what became Born to Fly and sums it up, “It was a coming of age story that simultaneously documented this incredible athlete. How he became this world-renowned, greatest athlete in the world, while also growing up. These were his most formative years. There were so many mental hurdles he had to grow through. Mondo competes against himself. While pole vaulting is very competitive, when you’re out there, it’s just you. Mondo had a bunch of ups and downs, and I heard a well-known track and field star say, ‘The road to greatness is littered with the bodies of prodigies. But Mondo had a “Rocky” story. In the film you get to see how he handled intense competition.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y2dcdGsLNg In 2020, Mondo broke the world record in pole vaulting. Then Mondo won the Gold in the 2020 Olympics. Brennan thought that equity investments in the film would come in at that point, but that did not happen. He then turned to Kickstarter to raise $100,000 but came up way short, raising about $30,000 from local sources. A producer counseled him that accepting the Kickstarter money was a no-win for independent filmmakers and could make his life more difficult down the line, so he canceled Kickstarter and returned all the money. Brennan eventually sold the film as a presale to Sveriges Television (“SVT”), Sweden’s #1 broadcast platform and national public television broadcaster, to assist in costs to complete the project. He had been working making commercials and also for DoorDash to make some cash, and his wife was working double shifts at the hospital to keep them afloat. With SVT’s support, he was able to bring on an editor and producer in Sweden, as well as a U. S. producer and entertainment attorney Bill Ramsey in New Orleans for guidance. He got to work with a music composer for the first time. Brennan had filmed over 500 hours of video, and had to edit down the final cut to 90 minutes. “I don’t like watcing my films,” says Brennan. “I know a lot of incredible moments that didn’t make it.” Editing took two years. Brennan spent time going back and forth to Sweden to get the film ready and brought on Red Bull Studios as the production partner. Born to Fly will be out in the U. S. before the Summer Olympics this year. It is available to watch in Europe and selling well. Attendees of Lafayette’s Southern Screen Film Festival as well as patrons of the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge were privileged to watch local screenings of Born to Fly in the past few months. Discover Lafayette would like to congratulate Brennan Robideaux for his love of craft and sheer determination to see this important documentary through to the finish. We look forward to watching Born to Fly as well as watching Brennan’s career soar!

Travis Schugg, Vice President of Staffing Services at VieMed Healthcare Staffing (“VHS”), joins Discover Lafayette to share how VHS utilizes technology to meet the burgeoning staffing needs across all healthcare specialties in the U. S. He is responsibile for steering the company’s long-term strategic direction and day-to-day operations.  Travis moved to Lafayette in 2021 to join VHS after a meeting in Phoenix with VieMed founder, Casey Hoyt. The challenges of recruiting and retaining staff during COVID were issues everyone was trying to figure out, when all of a sudden you couldn’t go into people’s homes to care for their medical needs. Travis says that respiratory therapists and ICU nurses were the hottest commodities out there at that time. The two men picked each other’s brains on this topic: Travis had fifteen years experience in recruiting, and Casey, along with Michael Moore and the VieMed team, were building the best in class respiratory therapy in the U. S. “Over the course of our thirty minute meeting, it became a chess match as to who could pick each other’s brain best!” A few weeks after that initial encounter, Travis reached out to Casey Hoyt and jokingly said, “I think I can do some damage with you!” Casey asked him to create a business plan for VieMed to get into the medical healthcare staffing arena. Travis came up with a 50-page business plan and they were off to creating VHS. VHS is a complementary service for VieMed. Historically, healthcare systems, government agencies, and organizations like VieMed would recruit through their Human Resource departments, posting a job and hoping people would apply. “We flipped the script. Recruitment should be more on the offensive, it should be outbound. We promote our brand….we don’t just sit and wait for people to apply.” VHS started out by visiting every hospital in Louisiana and telling their story. Then they spread across the Gulf Region. Today, just a bit over two short years after inception, VHS recruits for positions open in Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont, Washington, Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina, and other places across the U. S. VHS has staff in 15 states, and is building organically. Travis believes that VHS offers the best recruitment and workforce team anywhere between Dallas and Atlanta, South of Nashville, being based right here in Lafayette LA. The main specialties in which VHS currently recruits are in nursing, social workers (public and private sector), respiratory therapy, and physicians. VHS also recruits in the allied care fields for workers in pharmacy, imaging and lab techs. They serve employers needing assistance with locum tenens and correctional health positions.There are currently 2400 jobs and when you visit https://jobs.viemedstaffing.com/, you will see an incredible listing of jobs available. Staffing is a $170 billion industry and healthcare staffing accounts for $44-45 billion of that number. It is a unique niche that has been waiting to be met. VHS is growing as it helps their clients, both practitioners and health facilities, by getting to understand their clients’ needs. The “why” behind a hiring allows VHS to recruit more successfully and meet the individual needs of each client. Travis explained that the health industry has changed dramatically regarding outside contract help. Fifteen years ago, people wanted a hospital with very few contract workers. The barrier has broken down and this mindset has flipped. Studies show that institutions with a more diverse workforce have better health outcomes for their patients. The contract workers have experienced more, worked in different settings across the country, and bring a plethora of skills to the job setting. Today, facilities are keeping 20- 30% of their workforce as contract labor, and thes health contractors fill in as needed, on weekends, nights, or other, which benefits everyone involved. A new dynamic is that many professionals want to travel as they work. It is a more acceptable career path and they can build their resumes up as they see the country. Providers are more selective as to where they want to go. Travis says, “In the past people would want to know what you were running from or were you in trouble? Today, people ask what hospitals can I work at to build my resume and experience up? That way, when they do settle down, the can be the cream of the crop in their community.” Once VHS places an employee, they become the employer of record for W-2 staff. Based upon the employee specialty, such as nursing or allied staff, “It’s W-2. We do payroll weekly for all of our staff. It is a differentiator in the market paying weekly. Per diem and lodging may also be provided based upon the locale the employee chooses. VHS pays the taxes and has hundreds of people out on assignment processing payroll and managing benefits.” VSH’s internal staff is at 28 right now. VHS utilizes AI technology to scan resumes. In real time once an application is submitted, “We can tell you where you would most likely work next, what states would be a good fit with someone of your experience level. We can tell a nurse his or her top five jobs automatically. There is no need for a human to try to catch you between shifts to discuss possibilities. Historically, this was all done by an HR person.” VHS places a big value on maintaining a nurturing and fun workplace. They created bingo cards for fun to keep things light, and also to keep staff members up when feeling bad about issues that inevitably come up at work, to loosen up the environment. Travis Schugg says, “You have to put in a process to develop your team. Then put in a culture to make them want to stay with you. There is no such thing as perfection. It’s about facilitation. At the end of the day, they need to know that you trust them.” Travis Schugg has been married to his wife, Ashley, for 19 years and they are the proud parents of an 8th grader and Junior in high school. Recounting how the family moved from Arizona to Lafayette in the middle of the school year, Travis says, “God opened the door so wide it was easy to walk through. We knew nothing about Lafayette or Louisiana but love it here.” Travis is also active with One Acadiana, serving on its Executive Board, saying “I’ve been mentored on how to be a better leader.” We thank Travis Schugg and VieMed Healthcare Staffing for sharing this incredible story of growth in the healthcare industry, and for being based right here in Lafayette! For more information, visit https://www.viemed.com/staffing-services/.

Melinda Taylor, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity, joins Discover Lafayette to share the work of her organization. A native of Wichita, Kansas, Melinda has served as ED of Habitat since 2000, the year she moved to Lafayette, after serving in a similar position in Hattiesburg, MS. Interestingly, her realtor at the time of her move here in 2000 served on the board of Habitat and encouraged Melinda to apply for the first ED position to be filled here in Lafayette. Now, 24 years later, Melinda is still exemplifying what it means not only to lead, but to inspire others to volunteer and make meaningful change in our community. Habitat serves as both a building contractor and the lender for qualified clients, and helps individuals acheive homeownership who can’t otherwise access the commercial lending market. Qualified Habitat clients must make less than 80% of the median income in our region. Although they are individuals with low to moderate income, they are steady in life and willing to partner and work with Habitat toward their goal of homeownership. Some may have no credit or negative credit scores, so they are unable to qualify for a conventional mortgage. Melinda points out that Habitat’s clients have the capacity to make the payments of their monthly rent, which unfortunately is sometimes up to 1/3 to 1/2 of their income. It can be more expensive to rent a home in Lafayette than it is to pay for a Habitat mortgage payment. Lower rents are usually tied to substandard housing options, so applicants are eager to get into a Habitat home and enjoy an affordable, well-built, and energy efficient home. Many more applicants apply for the program than can be helped, and some people have a lot of work to do before they qualify. Habitat will send these individuals to other organizations who can help them work on their credit so that they can successfully re-apply. LCG’s Community, Development & Planning Department offers a Neighborhood Counseling Service that brings in professionals to teach how to work on getting credit in better shape and stabilizing income in preparation for homeownership. Also, First Horizon’s Congress St. branch offers “Hope Inside,” a class that helps people work on their credit and learn about home ownership. The Louisiana Housing Corporation offers online training and financial literacy program, and assists low to moderate income individuals prepare for homeownership. Individuals who have judgments or liens against them are precluded from qualifying until these issues are cleared. It can take 18 months to two years for a successful applicant to get into their new home. Patience is needed. The journey to home ownership includes completing an educational process, volunteering time to build other Habitat homes as well as the one they will move into, and of course, the actual build time to construct the house. Funding is derived from a variety of sources and Melinda says “We never get enough funds to build the whole house. HOME grants from HUD are earmarked locally for building affordable housing, and Habitat also leverages these funds with other resources, such as in-kind and monetary donations of all sizes. In 2022, Lafayette Habitat received an unsolicited $2.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Also, as Habitat homeowners pay their mortgage, the payments go back into the process, so as they make their payments, they are paying it forward because it’s reinvested back into the program.” Pictured is a Women Build Team from Catalyst Bank in February 2024. Melinda Taylor says, “Volunteers really drive our work. They are the engine that keeps things going. Not just on our construction site but also at our ReStore. We have regular volunteers from the University as well as future homeowners themselves who work alongside our crew. We work with volunteers at all levels. Our crew is patient and teaches our volunteers whatever they need to know. Our quality control is outstanding!” Houses built with HOME funds are mandated to maintain a 15-year affordability period, and the public is given notice of this by a Deed Restriction filed in the parish conveyance records. This prevents the homeowner from flipping the home or selling it quickly to someone not otherwise qualified as low-income. If the home is sold on the open market to someone who doesn’t qualify under the guidelines, a predetermined amount of the HOME funds (based upon length of ownership within the 15 year period) must be paid back upon the resale. Lafayette Habitat partners with LCG in utilizing HUD HOME monies to build affordable homes. Habitat’s aim is to build ten homes per year and has built over 40 homes in the McComb-Veazey neighborhood over the past few years. They have also gotten into performing owner-occupied home repairs in focused areas of revitalization so as to improve the quality of life across the board for a neighborhood. Melinda says, “We support the efforts of residents to improve their neighborhoods, to return to a majority of homeowner occupancy rather than rental properties.” Neighborhoods such as McComb-Veazey and LaPlace in Lafayette’s downtown urban core area have experienced game-changing revitalization through the dedicated focus of Habitat for Humanity. Most adjudicated properties are in Lafayette’s downtown core neighborhoods and are predominantly African-American. In addressing efforts to utilize adjudicated properties that are predominantly found in older African-American neighborhoods in Lafayette’s core, Melinda Taylor says,“People were worried that developers would come in and change everything, not in keeping with what they wanted to see in their neighborhood. So the local ordinance that we have now enables us to use a Louisiana state law that is now informally called the “Habitat For Humanity Statute.” It enables donations of adjudicated properties to a nonprofit for the purpose of building affordable housing. It keeps affordable housing in the neighborhood for those who may already live there or want to come back. We take guidance from local residents as to what they want to see. They want livable outdoor spaces, front porches, the look that is already going on in their neighborhood.” When asked how we can develop a larger pool of affordable housing in our market, Melinda pointed out that as a nonprofit, Habitat can utilize a different business model than a for-profit builder as they get their funding from a variety of sources. “We are subject to the same market forces as everyone else. We sell our homes at appraised value but that isn’t often what it costs us to build. We are sometimes upside down. We do that because its part of our mission to focus on creating wealth and creating a better space in the neighborhoods that we serve. But not all for-profit builders can do that, as that is not an acceptable business model that is sustainable. Even we struggle with that.” Across the country, affordable housing options, as well as the decline of many neighborhoods, is a major problem with low homeownership rates and many homes needing substantial rehabilitation or replacement. Dilapidated homes have been abandoned, undermining neighborhood stability and the local tax base. Melinda mentioned a bipartisan act being contemplated in Congress, the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, that would provide funding incentives for market rate developers to build homes that may not appraise at what it cost to build. The funding mechanism would recapture the builder’s loss and the hope would be to incentivize enough building of affordable homes to turn a neighborhood around, and then let market forces take over. Visit https://neighborhoodhomesinvestmentact.org/proposal for more information. Lafayette Habitat for Humanity is celebrating the merging of its two Lafayette stores into one, which is located at 3124 NE Evangeline Thruway, Lafayette LA 70507. Special sales and discounts will be offered March 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. ReStore is a 30,000 square foot facility stocked with building materials, home furnishings, lighting fixtures, and home decor items donated by local residents. Contractors performing remodels or small repair jobs can do their work for less by using low cost building supplies and you can spruce up your home with slightly used furniture such as sofas, chairs, bedroom furniture, etc. Volunteers are always needed for not only building homes but working at ReStore. Habitat offers an online portal to sign up for volunteer shifts, which are Tuesday through Saturday. Visit https://habitatlafayette.org/give-time/ to learn more and sign up. With the help of Habitat for Humanity and many volunteers, Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and their families. They can build generational wealth and turn around their fate. We thank Melinda Taylor and her entire team at Habitat for Humanity for their ongoing work to improve Lafayette’s housing market.