Discover Lafayette

Chris Granger, owner of Seven Oaks Grand Coteau LLC, and Maison Title, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his growing real estate empire. He is an attorney, a married father of five young boys, and a force to be reckoned with! While Chris worked with an established law firm for 2 1/2 years after graduating from law school, he knew he was never going to work for someone else very long. In 2018 he opened up his own law practice with his wife’s cousin, Benjamin Trant, and then Justin Leger became the third business partner. Business took off. The logo/painting of Maison Title was derived from an old painting found in a rental home. Leah Graeff, Maison Title’s Marketing and Brand Strategist, redesigned the painting and the logo’s font is based upon one found on an old sweet potato label, the significance of which Chris explains, “Grand Coteau is the sweet potato capital of the world. Justin, Ben and I found an artist who came up with the font. Only 35 years old, Chris bought his first property, at $70 thousand with 10% down through a bank closing, as his family residence in Grand Coteau while in his third year of law school. It was a perfect starter home for his wife, Meghan, and their young family to live in. When they needed a larger home for their growing family, Chris decided to rent out the Grand Coteau property, which reappraised at $105K after the improvements they had done. Chris and Meghan Granger pictured with their young family. Photo from Facebook. “The light bulb went off about leveraging the $35K equity in the home. Let’s leverage what we already have. What if I scale this thing? I could own 25 rental homes. My initial goal was to have 40 by 40! That was my mantra. But it happened quicker than that.” Chris’s whole portfolio is based upon leveraging. “You can’t put down 10 – 20% equity in each house you buy.” Chris’s portfolio grew to 25 properties quickly. “I’m a big believer in community banks. Being able to walk in and talk to your local baker and explain a deal is invaluable. But they tend to have a tendency to pause you if you grow too fast. When I got to 25 houses I remember being paused. It’s a small circle. The first 25 loans were with two local banks. That lasted two years where I was stalled. So I went head in with my practice with Maison Title.” Today, Chris Granger owns several hundred residential and commercial properties, which include the former Jefferson Street Pub, now known as The Jefferson, Abacus, the historic site location of Straw Cove Baking Company at 111 Monroe Street, and 160 units in two apartment complexes in Leesville LA. Chris’s thriving real estate title closing agency, Maison Title, is also located in Freetown in the old Petro House on Jefferson Street as well as another branch in Grand Coteau LA. Chris defines himself as a “pedal to the medal guy,” doing 90% of the work. He admits, “I need help with the last 10%.” He relies on his manager of Seven Oaks Grand Coteau, Casey, to run the property management duties full-time. “Everything in my mind is about rentable doors. We have a few over 425 doors. 140 single family units.” When asked about scaling his projects, Chris has learned from experience. “You always need the extra employee before you can afford them. Learning to navigate the cash flow conundrum where you have enough work, but you also have to take a leap of faith to hire them. You always need the help before you can afford them.” We discussed the current housing market and the affordability issue. “There is a lack of housing in the $150-250K range in our housing market. Anything above $300K we don’t see a lot of in our practice. $200-300K is what we see. There’s a national, local, regional housing shortage in real estate.” Flood insurance costs are a real issue for rentals. ‘You do well when you have quantity. The goal is to net $200 to $250 per month per unit. Throw on a $1,000 flood insurance policy, which may add $75 per month to your costs for rental units, it eats at your profit. You want to dodge flood zones.” The vast majority of Chris’s tenants are females with small families. Some tenants have been with him for seven to eight years. Some he ‘inherited’ when he purchased properties, and they have been in the same rental for 25 years. “If you treat them well, they will treat you and your property well.” Rental assistance programs helped Chris get through the difficulties of COVID. He researched options and helped his tenants. Yet he admits, “I’ve evicted hundreds of people over my career. We’re typically lenient, you have to push me hard.” Chris advises tenants who hit difficulties in coming up with the rent money to communicate with their landlord. “Avoid court fees!” Chris Granger says, “The Jefferson is the coolest building downtown in my opinion. Located in the 500 block of Jefferson Street, smack downtown, with 5 apartments upstairs and the parking lot next door, it has 15,000 square feet. You can bring in any caterer, floral designer, or DJ. We provide the bar because of the liquor license issue.” Chris Granger pictured at The Jefferson. Photo by Leslie Westbrook of The Acadiana Advocate. “I’ve always been confident in my ability to make money tomorrow. I’m not money motivated. I’m more motivated in giving my boys a better start than I had. Not saying anything bad about my parents. I’m just motivated to leave more for my boys. There’s enough for all of us to eat. We’ll all do well. Why can’t we just have fun while we’re doing this?” Chris purchased the historic site of the old Pabst Beer Distributorship at 111 Monroe built in the 1940’s in the La Place neighborhood by downtown Lafayette, which was already renovated to qualify as a health department commercial kitchen. He invested to get Straw Cove Baking Company, owned by partners Dené Carroll and her wife, Morgan Angelle, off the ground in their venture to provide high-quality breads to the Acadiana market. Chris noted that soon Straw Cove will be offering baking classes to the public. Last year as Discover Lafayette conducted its yearly business recap with the Acadiana Advocate’s Business Editor, Adam Daigle, we both agreed that Chris Granger deserved to be recognized as 2023 Business Catalyst of the Year. Tellling his story is inspirational and we hope a catalyst for other business people to jump in to creating their own destiny. Chris Granger’s closing remarks to entrepreneurs looking for guidance: “Come up with a plan you believe in. Stick to it. And jump! You won’t get anywhere until you jump. I joke that a lot of what I do is jump out of the airplane and learn to fly on the way down and hope I can fly before I hit the ground. They’re educated jumps. I think that is what holds back 90% of people, they won’t jump.” Thank you, Chris Granger, for your sharing your entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. Discover Lafayette wishes all the best to you, your family, and your circle of colleagues!

Restauranteurs and brothers, Patrick and Steven O’Bryan, owners of Bon Temps Grill and Whiskey & Vine restaurants, join Discover Lafayette to share their love of their industry, the importance of good service focused on their clientele, and their successful partnership in running a family business together since 2011. Patrick and Steven O’Bryan are respectful and loving toward one another. Wise and funny, they are full of practical wisdom for up and coming entrepreneurs who want to open their own restaurant. To understand their success, it is important to note that they both spent years working for others as they learned to hone their craft. They bring best practices of the restaurant business to their local investments in restaurants and catering. Both men had extensive experience in the restaurant business. They waited tables, cooked, and bartended. Patrick started out by bussing tables at Cafe Vermilion for Ken Veron while in college. “The first thing I learned to do was fold a napkin. It was the best job you could have in college.” Patrick also learned how to bartend in his early days at the old Ruth’s Chris formerly located where the current Whiskey & Vine is at 507 W. Pinhook Road in Lafayette. He was taught to be a flair bartender (utillizing finesse and fancy tricks) by JB Bandy when he worked at TGI Fridays in Lafayette; Bandy, incredibly, was the flair bartending coach for Tom Cruise when he was training for his role in the movie, Cocktail. The older brother by three years, Patrick moved to Dallas after years of working for local restaurants. While employed at Cypress Bayou Casino, he worked with The Freeman Group, a consulting corporation that focused on improving hospitality by teaching the behavioral and technical aspects needed to make a guest’s experience exceptional. He left Cypress Bayou to join The Freeman Group and stayed with them for 15 years, getting to travel and work with luxury establlishments all over. It honed his ability to understand what is needed to make a restaurant customer want to come back and be a loyal patron. Steven also worked at restaurants while in college and after graduation, worked with various corporate restaurants, including Copeland’s, Semolina, TGI Fridays,and Logan’s Roadhouse, the latter of which he was employed with for 15 years. Steven learned the ins and outs of the restaurant business, and shared how hard it is for restauranteurs to stay in business unless they can reach a certain threshold of dollar volume in sales. “If you can’t do over $2 million in sales per year as a restaurant ($40,000 per week), you probably won’t make it. Unless you personally serve in all the roles….owner, manager, bartender, chef, etc. People can be successful doing that but their quality of life won’t be there.” Steven realized that he was working to help others build their successful restaurant concepts and for years he asked Patrick to move home and open a restaurant with him. To build their own success. And Patrick finally agreed, it was time. Patrick and Steven O’Bryan grew up learning how to cook from their family, which always included grilling, not frying food. Steven recalls how they learned how to grill food from his dad and a friend, including the art of grilling alligator. Patrick says, “Steven is the cook! I cook just enough to be dangerous! I am a bartender. I am the front guy!” Photo by Leslie Westbrook of The Acadiana Advocate taken in front of Whiskey & Vine After a lot of brainstorming which included posting flip chart paper all over a wall with their ideas, and having the mutual agreement that they wanted to grow a business with a great team, Bon Temps Grill was created. The O’Bryans’ first chef at Bon Temps Grill was Alexis Cupich-Indest, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, which coincidentally is where their mother is from. Alexis left for a while to pursue other endeavors but is now back with the O’Bryans as Executive Chef at Whiskey & Vine as well as Corporate Executive Chef. Today, the result of the brothers’ reunion and partnership has grown into a diverse enterprise of restaurants, including Whiskey & Vine, a catering business that provides food for Warehouse 535, The Louisiana Room, Woodlawn Chapel, L’Eglise, and Louisiana Cajun Mansion, as well as a separate business providing delicious food choices at Bon Temps Concessions at the Youngsville Sports Complex and the Broussard Sports Complex at St. Julien Park. And as you’ll hear when you listen, there may be other ventures in the offing. Bar #1 at Bon Temps Grill, 1211 W. Pinhook Rd. is pictured above. When asked about how they handle the inevitable conflicts that arise in business, particularly in family businesses, they both quickly responded that everyone asks them about that and it is just not an issue. “It is very rare for us to have conflict. We have our own strengths and we stay in our own lanes. We are very supportive of each others. Patrick was gone for 15 years, so having him back is very special,” says Steven O’Bryan. And honesty, watching their body language as they interacted during our interview confirmed their mutual respect for one another. They listen to each other and think before responding. Photo by Leslie Westbrook of The Acadiana Advocate. Located less than half a mile apart on Pinhook Road near the Oil Center, the restaurants offer totally different dining experiences. Bon Temps Grill originally opened in August of 2011 on Verot School Road, where Mercy Kitchen is now located. Just a year into operations, they were already outgrowing their space, but wanted to wait a while before moving. They wanted to build brand loyalty locally, knowing that tourists want to eat where locals want to eat. Even though they had extensive experience in the industry while working for others, they still learned a great deal about managing their own business finances through the inevitable ups and downs all restaurants expereince. Patrick says, “I’m glad we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Ice storms and hurricanes can throw a business off with cash flow issues. Despite what you think, the start up of a business is the cheap part. Ongoing operation expenses can get to you. Margins in restaurants are so low.” But they did thrive. During COVID and about ten years after opening Bon Temps Grill, the restaurant relocated to the former site of the Blue Dog Café, offering a casual atmosphere with mesquite grilled food and Cajun and zydeco music. Against common wisdom at the time with all the disruption and decline in business caused by COVID shutdowns and social distancing measures, the brothers jumped at the opportunity to move into the Blue Dog space, which was over three times larger than their former location. It allowed them to serve more people, even with the COVID restrictions in place at the time, because of the increase of square footage. “We could do more business even at 50% seating than we could at our former facility at full capacity.” The menu was expanded, they brought in live music every night of the week and for brunch on weekends. At their old spot, there just wasn’t room. There wasn’t sufficient parking at the Verot School Road location. The upside was not only more happy patrons, but the opportunity to put local musicians to work. “It allowed more ‘bon temps,’ or more good times!” as the brothers both said. Bon Temps Grill is consistently busy and a go-to place for catering needs. The brothers mentioned their favorite meals (which are by no means exclusive: stuffed pork chops, crawfish etoufee, hand cut ribeyes, shrimp and tasso pasta, and Seafood Creole Cobb Salad. One of their family secrets is the genesis of the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, which is a deliciious concection created by Patrick’s love of bread pudding merged with Steven’s love of Bananas Foster. The Bananas Foster Bread Pudding is one of the most popular menu items at Bon Temp Grill. For first time visitors, they offer a a gift card for a complimentary appetizer to be enjoyed on your next visit. Seafood Creole Cobb Salad Stuffed Pork Chop at Bon Temps Grill Whiskey & Vine, the O’Bryan’s second concept restaurant, came about a few months after Bon Temps Grill relocated to the old Blue Dog site. Preston Guidry, the owner of the site of the former Jolie’s (which had closed) approached the brothers to see if they might be interested in the space just down the street from Bon Temps Grill on Pinhook. Patrick and Steven thought so. Patrick says, “Lafayette was missing a jazz club. Do you really want to go to New Orleans when you can enjoy happy hour and music here?” The brothers met at the space to check it out and spent the afternoon drinking whiskey to facilitate thinking through their next move. When they decided to expand their restaurant offerings in Lafayette, “whiskey” played a crucial role in the name of their next restaurant endeavor! Whiskey & Vine opened sixteen months ago in 2022 at 507 W Pinhook Rd near St. Mary Blvd., and is distinctly different, with an elegant setting offering traditional New Orleans dishes amidst a classic jazz club atmosphere. The brothers tore down the walls in the space to open up room for more intimate settings. A bar and seating area was added to the back corner as well as upstairs in a space that formerly just had offices, and is now known as “The Peacock Room.” Whiskey & Vine offers an elegant space for just about any occasion with three bars and plenty of room for parties. Angie, Patrick’s wife, was the designer of the remodeled space. She also designed the original Bon Temps Grill as well as the remodel of their current location on Pinhook. Whiskey & Vine’s vibe and music sticks to a jazz and blues genre, and the menu offers delicacies such as chargrilled oysters, turtle soup, shrimp and grits, and other choices which evoke a New Orleans vibe. The restaurant’s weekend brunches on Saturday offer bottomless drinks for $15.00 and week days you can enjoy happy hour. Besides their two restaurants, the O’Bryans offer catering services as well as Bon Temps Concessions at the Youngsville Sports Complex and the Broussard Sports Complex at St. Julien Park. We thank Patrick and Steven O’Bryan for this special edition of Discover Lafayette made possible with the support of Eat Lafayette, a yearlong celebration of Lafayette’s local restaurants. You will definitely want to check out both Bon Temps Grill and Whiskey & Vine, for as Steven says, “Everything we put forth is craveable!” For information on the restaurants and to see the menus, please visit https://bontempsgrill.com/ and https://wvlounge.com/, For catering needs, contact Angie O’Bryan, Catering Manager, at 337-257-8035.

Calogero “Carlos” Todaro, renowned for his expertise in all things relating to wine, joins Discover Lafayette to share his adventures in the U. S. over the past sixty-two years. Carlos is well-known in the Lafayette area for his hard work ethic and desire to be of service to others. For years, he and his brother, Gene, were the resident wine experts at Marcello’s Wine Market in Lafayette. After the sale of Marcello’s last year, Carlos retired from working full time, but is still providing his expertise for pairing wines with food for the grateful customers of Champagne’s Market in the Oil Center. “I have always been fortunate to have met many nice, kind and generous people throughout my life. People have been kind to me in so many ways. I try to repay as best I can.” Carlos has a rich family history. A native of Palermo, the capital of the Italian island of Sicily, he’s lived in the U. S. since 1961 when the family moved to New Orleans from Sicily. Interestingly, Carlos’ dad was already a U. S. Citizen, having been born in Pueblo CO in 1915; his dad’s family returned to Sicily when he was young. After his dad served in the Italian Army in WWII, he realized he wanted to return to the U. S. Carlos joked that his dad wrote a letter to then U. S. Senator John Kennedy asking for help and he got his Visa a few months later! Pictured in Palermo, Sicily, 1956, is the Todaro family send-off of cousin Blaise Todaro, who was headed to New Orleans. Calogero “Carlos” Todaro would follow with his immediate family members in 1961 where they relocated to New Orleans to live with Aunt Lucy. No one in Carlos’ family spoke English when they moved to the U. S. The “Marcello’s name is a tribute to brother, Marcello Todaro, who attended USL and realized there was no authentic Italian restaurant in Lafayette. Brother Gene moved to Lafayette to assist with opening the restaurant, and along with Marcello, opened the original Marcello’s on the Abbeville Highway in 1981. Carlos moved to Lafayette to open up a grocery store next door to Marcello’s, bringing along his expertise as a longtime manager of A & P in New Orleans. “Mama (Rosalie Todaro) was a very good cook, using a minimum of spices and the least amount of money. Pasta with broccoli, for example, a staple of Sicily. Feed a whole family of five people within your budget. We ate very little meat and chicken was a treat.” Marcello’s enjoyed great success and moved into a larger space at Time Plaza where it remained until the oil bust of 1987/88 forced its closure. Todaro family pictured in Glen Ellen, CA for Marcello’s wedding in 1990. Carlos moved to Memphis with his brother, Marcello, to sell wine for a liquor company and met many of the greats in the industry such as Jordan and Fetzer. In the meantime, brother Gene opened two liquor stores, one in New Orleans and one in Lafayette in the old La Promenade Mall. When Gene decided to reopen Marcello’s Restaurant in 1993, Marcello and Carlos returned from Memphis to help in the family venture. Carlos reminisced how they started selling wine on the sidewalk outside of Marcello’s to make extra money to float the restaurant’s expenses. In 1994/95, Marcello’s Market moved to its current location at 2800 Johnston Street and Carlos says, “It’s been successful since Day One.” It was the first wine retailer in the area, way before Total Wines or other box stores. With all of the acumen and discernment Carlos brought to Marcello’s Wine Market, he says he never trained formally. “I am self taught. You don’t really know anything until you go to wineries and see the process. I always learn from others. There is always someone who knows more than you.” Dustin andJolie Poirier, Kyle and Stefanie Kellner, and Tim Metcalf acquired Marcello’s Wine Market in 2023 from owners Carlos and Gene Todaro. Marcello’s has been the place to go for decades for all liquor needs including wine, beer, spirits, mixers, and specialty items. Carlos and Gene were always focused on customer service. Today, Carlos Todaro works 10 to 15 hours per week at Champagne’s, and he is very grateful to be doing what he’s doing, helping customers select the right wine, at the right price point for their needs. “I have no more keys jingling in my pocket to carry around.” Carlos knows a lot of the clientele at Champagne’s and enjoys “meeting them where they are…pricewise and tastewise, where everyone is happy.” He wants people to look good when they serve wine at special occasions. “It is very important to tie people together by picking the right wine.” Simplicity is a way of life for Carlos Todaro today. Of course he enjoys his wines and speaks highly of his favorite, Pinot Noir, although he says rising temperatures in California is changing the Pinot Noir grape skins, causing the wine to be more full-bodied. “The weather is very important. The soil stays the same.” He also enjoys “good Sicilian wines, Chianti, whatever strikes my fancy. Côtes du Rhône is always a good value. The history of wines is fascinating.” You’ll have to listen to this interview to truly hear Carlos’ humility and warm spirit. He shares tips for wines, saying that “middle of the road’ today is anything under $20. “French wine is different from California wines, as on any given day, California is about 1 degree warmer than France, especially in Bordeaux. California wines are more exuberant in taste profile because of the warmer stock. French wines are more restrained.” We thank Carlos Todaro for sharing his love of community and knowledge of wines with Discover Lafayette. Look for him at Champagne’s Market and take advantage of a treasure trove of knowledge and experience!

Ben Broussard, Chief of External Affairs for Catholic Charities of Acadiana, joins us to discuss the nonprofit’s mission. Since 1973, Catholic Charities has worked to provide essential services to the most vulnerable people in our community who experience hunger, homelessness and poverty. A separate nonprofit organization from the Diocese of Lafayette, many services are 100% donor funded and others are buttrosed through grants from government and private organizations. The organization has traditionally taken care of our most vulnerable neighbors through outreach efforts for disaster response, as well St. Joseph Diner, St. Joseph Shelter for Men, St. Michael Center for Veterans, the Stella Maris Center, and the Monsignor Sigur Center. In the past several years, other critical services have been added to Catholic Charities’ umbrella of services including The Emily House in 2018, which offers an emergency shelter for homeless women and children. They have also added new responsibilities by taking over the Immigration Services and Deaf Action Center formerly run by the Diocese of Lafayette, as well as assuming management of FoodNet Food Bank and Rebuilding Together Acadiana.  In 2019, Catholic Charities also became entrepreneurs by taking over ownership of Crossroads Catholic Bookstore, which is now known as Crossroads Collective.  “I feel that all of us are called to do something for our neighbor who stands to suffer. It is easy to think about it during the cold weather or a disaster, but in someone’s every day disaster or situational crisis, they also need help.” The recent extreme cold snap in January 2024 has presented a challenge to the organization as our community’s homeless population has risen dramatically. And then, the ancient heating system in St. Joseph’s Diner broke on January 15, 2024, and needs to be entirely replaced. Day in and day out, Catholic Charities is here for our community. It’s time for more of us to be there for them. A quick background on Ben Broussard: for eleven years, Ben previously worked as Chief of External Affairs for the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association with the late Don Briggs. His heart was always in sync with service to others, so when Kim Boudreaux, Executive Director of Catholic Charities, approached him to serve with her organization, Ben’s temperament and ability to mobilize the troops when needed was a ready fit. Ben is an articulate and passionate spokesperson for Catholic Charities and is inclusive in his call for help in whatever way concerned community members feel they can step up. You do not need to be Catholic to be involved, nor do you need to be an active church-going member of any congregation. “The entirety of the 70501 zip code in Lafayette is a food desert. We have very vulnerable clientele come in and St. Joseph Diner is one thing they can bet on, that they can get a meal there. It is very much a very volunteer-centric operation with many volunteers coming in throughout the day.” On any given day, Catholic Charities’ St. Joseph Diner feeds 700 to 800 meals…..breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days per week. On any given night, Catholic Charities also houses about 160 people, including men, women, children and Veterans. With the recent deep freeze, Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit gave the OK for more people to be sheltered than would normally be allowed by law to accommodate the dire need for a warm space. Catholic Charities’ permanent housing program has traditionally been an extremely successful tool to help our homeless population get back on their feet in a stable environment while dealing with the underlying causes that led to homelessness, such as addictions, mental illness, physical disabilities, etc. Before COVID, Lafayette’s occupancy rates were at about 80% and Catholic Charities could work with landlords to negotiate affordable rates for their clients. Now, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida, people have come to Lafayette and ended up staying permanently, filling up the affordable housing stock which would usually be available. There are literally no housing options and folks have ended up in shelters or on the streets. Ben says, “The longer you are homeless, the barriers just continue to get higher.” And to clarify a misconception, Ben says, “Many people assume that our homeless population consists overwhelming of people from other towns. This is not true. 85 to 90% of our homeless are from right here in Lafayette and Acadiana.” Catholic Charities received a grant from the Urban Land Institute to facilitate a four part series of forums for a community -wide discussion on how to best to collaberate and find long-term solutions for our region’s homeless population. Future meetings will be held March 21 and May 5. Monsignor Sigur Center for Financial Assistance distributed $1,170,956.49 in support to 1,530 households this past year, which kept members of those homes stable and off the streets. By becoming a recurring donor or making a one-time gift, you can help the most vulnerable in our community stay afloat during difficult times. Give lasting change today at https://catholiccharitiesacadiana.org/givelastingchange In 2023, 51 long-term recovery projects were completed for homeowners impacted by Hurricanes Ida, Laura, Delta, and regional tornado events. Help by becoming a recurring donor today. Make your pledge at https://catholiccharitiesacadiana.org/givelastingchange For a comprehensive look at how you can help by contributing your time, money, or talents, please visit https://catholiccharitiesacadiana.org/. We thank Ben Broussard, Executive Director Kim Boudreaux, and the entire team at Catholic Charities of Acadiana for their tireless and effective efforts to provide life-sustaining services to our most vulnerable neighbors.

Third-generation restauranteur Madonna Broussard, proprietor of Laura’s II Café, is our guest. Located at 1904 W. University Avenue, Laura’s II is named after Madonna’s grandmother, Laura Williams Broussard, who originally started a restaurant in her home kitchen on Voorhies Street in 1968. Laura’s II offers the comforting soul foods Madonna was taught to cook by her mother, Dorothy Mae Broussard, who was in turn taught by her mother-in-law, Laura. When people ask what is her secret behind her delicious food, she says “The secret is all about time and consistency. It is a science: start cooking, cook for hours, and taste, taste, taste.” The staples of stuffed turkey wings, fried catfish, fried pork chops, fried chicken, red beans and rice, smothered okra, and much more….all with a heavy emphasis of rice and gravy, are beloved by Madonna’s longtime customers as well as newcomers who flock to experience the rich soul consistently food offered day in and day out, from 10:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m. every day except Mondays. Lauras’ II opened on January 8, 2000, and just celebrated 24 years in business. The delicious food Madonna and her team offer have become known both in the U. S. and internationally due to the incredible exposure she gained through the late Anthony Bourdain and superblogger Mark Weins. People travel in from all over just to taste Laura II’s food. Locals also happily wait in line to enjoy the comforting Creole food cooked only like Lauras’ II can. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=BEbKyZSpBQk Madonna reminisced about the beautiful Sunday dinners she grew up on, at her grandmother Laura’s home: “My grandmother’s Sunday dinners were exceptional, like Thanksgiving every Sunday. We had beef tongue, rice dressing, beets, rice and gravy, every great staple you can think of.” Madonna’s grandmother was the leader of this successful restaurant business concept and the menu she originally developed in 1968 is still found at Laura’s II. Madonna’s mother, Dorothy, was the one who instilled in Madonna the need for kindness and love for their clientele. “It’s about respect for your customers. We want you to feel comfortable and come back.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC2Wz-uaDf0 Madonna says she spends “99.9%” of her time at work at the cash register. Greeting people and welcoming them into the restaurant is most important. “We want to know people’s names and have them want to come back.” She credits Sid Williams for introducing her to Anthony Bourdain in 2018, who showed up with ten minutes notice one Sunday morning to film a segment for his CNN show “Parts Unknown.” Bourdain’s team was in the area to film a Courir de Mardi Gras Chicken Run, but rain prevented them from participating. They were looking for an alternative venue to shoot on the day that was both Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day. Sid had them call Madonna and she “got ten minutes heads up. He was subtle, very subtle. To have him come, as such a Foodie, was a great experience. I met him at the door. He looked around and saw people together in the dining room and asked if it “was always like this with all these people together. He said keep it like this.’ That meant a lot to me as he gave such affirmation, particularly about our culture.” People still clamor to sit at the table where Bourdain feasted on the ever-popular stuffed turkey wing dinner. Madonna Broussard and Lauras’ II have survived 24 years in business, learning along the way how to keep the books, meet business needs, and go with the flow. The challenges presented by the COVID shutdown led Madonna to stay open, set up a tent, and learned how to be “car hops.” She described being outside in the rain and all the elements, with a note pad and pen, taking orders, while a “day care” inside consisted of kid and grandkids running around. “We curbsided a lot food!” When asked if Lauras’s would ever expand outside of the Lafayette market to meet the incredible demand for her food: “I want my eyes on everything. It’s a little old school, but I feel on that note, I think I would want it to go out my way, my grandmother’s way. No.” So to experience Lauras’ II, people fly in to taste her food. Recently, a family flew in from Orange County in California, just to eat at Lauras’ II. “They flew in, ate at our restaurant, took photos, and got back on their plane that afternoon.” The business side of running a restaurant is the hardest part from Madonna’s experience. Cooking is easy compared to paying and calculating taxes, getting the right CPA, and managing overhead. When asked about upgrading to the newest technologies, she says, “After all these years. I feel it is so OK to stay in the old school mindset. I can tell people my menu, whether I call it out, put it on paper, or have a chalkboard. I don’t want QR codes for my menu. My customer base includes many elderly people and I won’t do that to them.” Madonna’s daughter, Lacey Broussard, has worked in the restaurant since she was little, peeling potatoes at the age of two. She has great passion for the business and is an integral part of Lauras’ II, working alongside her mother every day. Madonna says, “Lacey is a mini-me. She’s great.” Madonna encourages up-and-coming restauranteurs to “Get all the business aspects together in line and in place. Have good people you can trust, who check and balance your money, keeping things on par. It’s hard to do it by yourself.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4QCEbbENyo Lauras’ II offers catering for events, both big and small, and will deliver to your place. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100044976346735 or call (337)593-8006 to place an order. Discover Lafayette is proud to showcase Madonna Broussard and Lauras’ II. If you haven’t eaten there yet, get with it! It is a true experience that showcases Acadiana’s beautiful culture and delicious food.

Our guest today is Charles Edwards, CEO and Founder of One Telemed, a telehealth service for mental health patients in underserved communities for a majority of the Medicaid Managed Care Organizations in Louisiana.  One Telemed uses innovative HIPAA video/audio technology to connect individuals in need of licensed professionals, reducing the wait time for a new patient needing to see a Psychiatrist from 90 days to 3-5 days. For more information, please visit https://www.onetelemed.com/about A native of Lafayette, Charles has worked in the mental health field since his first job out of high school 28 years ago. His life journey has been defined by the call for service, a call he heard from God who reached out to him with a distinct voice. During the interview, Charles shares the story of the persistent voice that has led him to step up and serve others. His own life was changed by a traumatic brain injury he suffered the weekend before he left for De Vries Institute. He was playing basketball with buddies, and says, “That moment changed my life forever….I went up for a dunk, me and a guy got tangled there, and I landed from eight feet up onto my head. I had a blood clot on my brain and my spine. I didn’t breathe for about 3 to 5 minutes.” He regained consciousness but his brain started swelling and he was throwing up. The doctors didn’t think he would make it due to the length of time without oxygen and the brain swelling. Charles recalls awakening from his coma in his hospital bed and hearing a voice calling him. “I hear my name, the same voice that called out to me before. I opened my eyes and saw a tunnel with a hand coming out. And I took it. I remember looking down at myself. Then I looked up and saw this ball of energy, this ball of light. It was God!” God asked him if he wanted to stay or go back and do His work. While Charles wanted to stay, God wanted him to go back and do the work he was meant to do. This near death experience introduced him to a higher force that has led him to serve others in love ever since. Charles is a persistent fellow who keeps going no matter the challenge before him. He has experienced miraculous events and circumstances that continually remind him that his life has purpose, as long as he follows God’s calling. Before Charles founded One Telemed, he worked in a series of jobs, including as Community Liaison and a Regional Director of Community Relations for one of the largest mental health providers in the state of Louisiana. It was through that experience that he learned firsthand that people in underserved communities did not have access to mental health care. He came to realize that utilizing the traditional method of delivering services would not be an effective way to resolve the need for the growing mental health crisis. So, he heeded his higher power’s call for him to serve. In August 2013, Charles pioneered the movement for Telepsychiatry services and started Advance Telehealth, a telemedicine technology company. In September 2017, he started a provider company and founded One Telemed with a goal in mind to improve patient outcomes by making mental health treatment accessible to all, no matter their income or location in Louisiana. One Telemed provides trauma and grief counseling over video conferencing technology, thus allowing individuals to talk with a licensed professional from anywhere in Louisiana in a private and safe environment for healing and growth. Other services offered include Brain Tap Therapy, Transition Care Management, and Clinical Oversight for Behavioral Health patients. Charles Edwards, owner of One TeleMed, received the Small Business of the Year Award by Junior Achievement of Acadiana in 2021. “I’ve always had a heart for service.” One Telemed now employs 27 and is actively hiring. Approximately 40,000 patients in Louisiana are being served and Charles is currently in negotiations with a national provider to expand One Telemed’s outreach to millions more across the U. S. We thank Charles Edwards and One Telemed for the critical services they are offering our most vulnerable. His story is inspirational and we encourage you to share it with others who may benefit who are in need of mental health treatment.

Dr. Edmond (“Ed”) Dugas, Research Coordinator for the Athletic Network at UL – Lafayette, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his career at UL – Lafayette and his lifelong dedication to athletics at the institution. In 2002, Ed was the driving force behind creation of the Athletic Network (“AN”), which showcases athletes/sports in UL’s past. Mike Spears of Firefly Digital developed the website. AN provides an historical and educational clearinghouse of information about Louisiana athletics and the University spanning over 110 years. It also serves as a communications database for former athletes, support groups, faculty, administration and fans. Ed and his son, John Dugas, are volunteers who personally enter the data and take responsibility for accuracy of the site’s materials. It is truly a labor of love and devotion to UL – Lafayette sports! Ed is a native of Evergreen LA (located between Bunkie and Cottonport). A graduate of Evergreen High School, Ed had intended to enter the Air Force Academy but his plans were short-circuited by health issues relating to his inner ears. Luckily, the Principal of his Evergreen High School was close friends and the college roommate with SLI (now UL – Lafayette) President Joel Fletcher, who convinced Ed that he should attend college in Lafayette. And as they say….the rest is history. When Ed started college in 1958, UL Lafayette was then known as South Louisiana Institute or “SLI.” Its original name was SLII (South Louisiana Industrial Institute). In 1960, the university was renamed to USL, an acronym for University of Southwestern Louisiana, and an endeavor in which Ed was actively engaged. (The university was renamed to University of Louisiana at Lafayette in September 1999. Ed joking says that “We change our name every 39 years.” Governor Mike Foster signing legislation renaming USL to University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Ed looks back upon his time at USL with fondness and shares how student workers worked hard, up to 100 hours per month, for the sum of $40 per month, while they still had to pay $16 per month to cover room and board! But the experience was invaluable and Ed taught tennis and coached basketball as he worked with Dave Fisher. Ed went on to graduate from USL in August 1962 and was mentored by USL’s late, great basketball coach, Dutch Reinhardt. He earned a Masters and Doctorate in Physical Education and Education Administration. He looks back with admiration of the talented staff he worked with, including Dr. David Fisher, Fred Nelson, Clyde Wolf, Dr. Jim Kennison, and Al Simon. Ed served on the UL faculty in a variety of positions and ranks from 1967 until he retired in 2001. Administratively, he served in the following positions at USL: Coordinator, Men’s Physical Education; Coordinator, Graduate Studies for the College of Education; Head, Department of Health and Physical Education; and Director of Student Teaching. He was the first Executive Director of the Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In 1988, Ed was one of three graduates selected as “Outstanding Graduates” from the USL College of Education in their 25th year after their graduation date. In 2001, he was awarded the Professor Emeritus title at UL -Lafayette. Dr. Ed Dugas pictured in red jacket with the first officers of the new College of Education Alumni Chapter, with Dr. Ray Authement on far right. As you’ll hear during this interview, Ed has been anything but a retiree in the past twenty years. Ed’s life has been defined by athletics, both in teaching and reporting on the athletic history of UL – Lafayette through the Athletic Network, which provides a place for former University athletes and fans to connect and join support teams for their favorite sports. After a two-year hiatus, the Athletic Network went live again on December 13, 2023 thanks to a significant donation made to the Athletic Network by Edmond “Bruce” Bentley, USL Men’s Basketball Student Athlete and Manager from1966 to 1969. Bruce had described the importance he felt for the university to have a communications vehicle such as the Athletic Network website readily available at no charge to its athletes, support groups and the Cajun Nation, echoing the feelings of his mother, Dr. Doris Bentley, a long-time faculty member in the College of Business Administration who was a strong supporter of the Athletic Network. Pictured above are a few highlights of UL – Lafayette’s history. We encourage you to visit athleticnetwork.net to check out teams and support group members, view photo galleries, news, archives, family connections and much more, dating back to the early days of SLII. Just a little more about Ed and the exciting experiences he has had in the field of sports. He served on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under four different governors. In 1996, Ed was honored to carry the Olympic Torch (Main Street, Opelousas and Court House Program) as it made its way through Acadiana on its way to Atlanta. For more information on the Athletic Network, visit https://athleticnetwork.net/. To contact Ed Dugas, email athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu.

Mike Tarantino, President & CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the recent business developments which will change the trajectory of growth for Iberia Parish and all of Acadiana. Passionate and well-spoken about business development and the need for all community leaders in the business and government sectors to speak with one voice if they want to attract top level investment in the region, Mike loves Iberia Parish and spoke eloquently and enthusiastically about all of the newest developments while never stopping once to look at written notes. Mike Tarantino is a New Orleans native that moved to New Iberia with his family in the mid-70’s. He graduated from Catholic High School of New Iberia and never left. Mike previously served as interim director of the Acadiana Regional Airport and received the Richard E. Baudoin, Jr. Friend of Business Award in 2018 from the Junior Achievement of Acadiana Business Hall of Fame. The Iberia Industrial Development Foundation is a 501(c)(6) business investor organization. Its board is comprised of both public and private sector individuals. “Half of the board comes from the public sector such as our Parish President, all of the mayors in the towns of Iberia Parish, the Director of the Port of Iberia, the Director of the Acadiana Regional Airport, and the Superintendent of Iberia Parish Schools, while the other half consists of private business leaders. It’s a place where private businesses and government come together to discuss plans for the future. We’re the folks that cast the line to get people interested in coming to our area. It has a different mission from a traditional chamber in that it is focused on professional economic development.” Mike believes that economic development is a team sport. “It is very competitive and takes a well-honed team as well as the private and public sector working hand in hand. You have to be singing from the same sheet of music, working from the same game plan. When you market your community, many times the investors have already researched your community. Having a united front to put your best foot forward is the first step in attracting big business.” Iberia Parish is poised for growth, especially given its assets such as the Port of Iberia which offers a 2000 acre industrial and manufacturing site, its location along Highway 90/Future I-49 corridor which runs right through the parish, and the Acadiana Regional Airport, the former Naval Auxiliary Air Station surrounded by 2500 acres of developable property. The Acadiana Gulf Access Channel is currently undergoing a dredging process to deepen its access channel from 13 feet to 20 feet in depth…a huge increase which will allow heavier traffic in from the Gulf of Mexico. Iberia Industrial Development Foundation President & CEO Mike Tarantino with First Solar CEO Mark Widmar and Iberia Parish President M. Larry Richard (Courtesy: First Solar). “ Lafayette and Iberia Parishes share a workforce with a population of approximately 600,000 people who traverse the region. What positively affects one parish also positively affects the other. 2023 has been a very busy and productive year in Iberia Parish with a number of new developments taking shape that present great potential for growth in Acadiana.  The biggest announcement recently was the news of First Solar investing $1.3 Billion in a 2.3 million square foot facility at the Acadiana Regional Airport, its largest latest generation solar panel facility in the Western Hemisphere. 700 to 1,000 jobs will be created at First Solar, with a starting salary of $80,000. Mike credited UL – Lafayette’s engineering department, especially Dr. Terry Chambers of the Department of Mechanical Engineering who works with UL’s Photovoltaic (converting sunlight into electricity) Applied Research Lab, along with Dr. Mark Zappi and Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, for helping attract this facility. A vendor and supplier network to help local businesses connect to provide services to First Solar is also in the works….”A real ecosystem is needed so local suppliers can work together.” Fusion One’s investment of $100 million at the Port of Iberia and Orleans is another big development. Fusion One processes used tires and plastic waste into green hydrogen. The local Iberia plant is expected to lead to 154 jobs with 110 new jobs and a $10 million annual payroll. Cutting edge research is being conducted at the Pharmaceutical Lab at the UL – Lafayette Research Center where 9000 primates are housed. A $75 million investment by state and federal partners, along with UL – Lafayette, is being made to expand the Research Center and construct the Iberia BioInnovation Accelerator drug manufacturing facility at Progress Point Business Park. These investments will lead to the creation of a Level 3 biosafety lab at NIRC, the nation’s largest non-human primate center, that will enable advanced on-site research on infectious diseases. Mike explained the hope is to create a biopharmaceutical corridor that not only leads the way in research but keeps the manufacturing process local. Delta Biofuels is investing $100 million in a bagasse pelletization renewable energy facility in Iberia Parish in Jeanerette near the Enterprise Sugar Mill. 165 direct jobs and a few hundred indirect jobs are expected to be created. Bagasse is a byproduct of sugar cane harvest such as the stalks and leaves; the product is turned into pellets to burn as energy. The product will be sold to the Asian market to replace coal in their efforts to transition away from fossil fuels. Mike Tarantino expects hiring to begin in the first quarter of 2024. Aviation Exteriors (AvEx), which specializes in painting and decaling major aircraft owned by FedEx and the airlines, is investing in new hangar expansions that will facilitate maintenance, repair and overhaul work at the Acadiana Regional Airport and create hundreds of jobs. Mike is excited about the diversity of new projects coming to Iberia Parish and the appeal of Acadiana to businesses looking to expand. “You can not beat Acadiana’s culture, its art and music scene, and the fact that people really want to live here shines through. Their employees will enjoy living here. When we tout this area, the culture is what makes us attractive.” Mike wears many hats, also serving as Executive Director of the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission, and loves sharing the region’s many attractions. New Iberia was founded in 1779 by Spaniards and celebrates its unique Spanish heritage with its annual New Iberia Spanish Festival. With an award winning downtown where many local events are celebrated, it is located along the banks of the Bayou Teche. Felicity’s landing is a new draw for events to be held on the waterfront. Farmer’s markets and a new stage at the Steamboat Pavillion are also popular attractions. Conrad Rice Mill, the producer of the Konriko rice brand, is the oldest independently-owned rice mill in the United States. Jeanerette recently launched the French Bread Festival. Mike has a podcast, The Mike Drop with Mike Tarantino, with a co-host Pat Bonin. Recorded monthly, you can find it on Spotify and learn the latest tips and trends to grow your business and learn more about why Iberia Parish is a good choice to locate. Loreauville was recently awarded the Acadian Odyssey Monument. According to the Iberia Travel blog, “The monument is one of only two in Louisiana and 17 worldwide dedicated to those who were deported from Halifax (Nova Scotia) and scattered to various locations around the globe. Other monuments already exist in Houma, La., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and France. According to the SNA (Societe’ Nationale de l’Acadie) website, the mandate of the Acadian Odyssey Commission is three-fold: to commemorate the expulsion and odyssey of the Acadian people, to promote awareness of Acadian history and culture, and to promote the region of Acadie. The monument itself is an homage to the perseverance of the Acadians whose tenacity and faith led them through the tragic event of the “The Great Upheaval” or as it is called en Francais, le Grand Derangement.” For more information on Iberia Parish, visit https://iberiabiz.org/ For more information on tourist attractions, visit www.iberiatravel.com

Dreux Barra, proprietor of C’est Tout Dried Trinity Mix, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the idea behind his product and its evolution. A humble man who is a joy to be around, Dreux and his wife, Monique, have built a home-grown company which has unlimited potential to corner the market in the U. S. and abroad. Dreux is frugal and conservative, and pays cash for the products needed to produce C’est Tout’s wares. “There is no need to go into debt to grow a company organically,” Dreux says. Pictured: Dreux and Monique Barra of C’est Tout Dried Trinity Mix. Born and raised in Lafayette near the Saint Streets area, Dreux describes himself as “Just a camp cook….not a chef.” Dreux is employed by day with Signal Security of Lafayette, a local security guard service. Monique works full-time with C’est Tout. In the summer of 2016, Dreux found himself with way too many bell peppers left over at the end of an abundant season in his home garden. Not wanting to waste produce, he used his experience in drying beef jerky to dehydrate the bell peppers along with some onions he had on hand. He then had a revelation: there was no dehydrated Cajun Trinity product (onions, celery and bell peppers) on the market anywhere. Experimentation and determination led to such a delicious blend of dried onion, celery, green onion and yellow onions that his friends encouraged Dreux to jar/preserve the mix to share with others. To ensure quality as he finalized the product, he asked his mom for her opinion one day as they ate lunch at a local assisted-living facility where she resided. His mom was an LSU grad who majored in Home Economics and knew a thing or two about proper balance in foods and how they should look. Dreux’s mom’s advice ended up playing an instrumental role in the success of C’est Tout as she advised him to add red bell peppers to the mix saying, “Every food item must have color, texture, taste and you’re missing a little color. You need a little red.” Dreux says “And don’t you know, the red bell pepper adds both color and sweetness, along with improved flavor.” This also provided a different take on the offerings from the fresh “Cajun Trinity” offered by local outlets. This beloved Cajun Trinity of onions, red and green Bell Peppers, and celery (and garlic in one version of C’est Tout) springs to life when combined with hot liquid. Four tablespoons of the trinity mix result in one cup of vegetables when one cup of boiling water is added. With a stable shelf life of two years with no preservatives, C’est Tout is definitely a must for every serious chef’s pantry. Dreux originally offered C’est Tout at the Moncus Park Farmer’s Market in 2017, and still finds this a wonderful place to market their product. At the taping of this show in mid-December, Dreux and Monique would be working their 47th Saturday at Moncus Park in 2023! They also participate on the first Saturday of each month at the Delcambre Farmer’s Market which Dreux says, “are real cooks who are showing up to buy the $3.00 per pound shrimp off the boat.” Dreux and Monique Barra, husband and wife, are hard-working partners, with Monique working full-time in packaging and shipping the product. It is a manual process to fill the bags while utilizing machinery that precisely measures the product. Orders ship within twelve hours of being placed. Dreux never envisioned selling to local stores. He thought online and farmer’s market venues would be a dream come true. But after a visit at Heleaux’s Grocery on Verot School Road with then manager, Paul, who fell in love with C’est Tout and ordered many cases of the product, Dreux realized there was a local demand. Today, the product may be bought locally at Champagne’s Grocery, Rouse’s, Fresh Pickens, Nunu’s, Louisiana Hot Stuff, and other vendors. 99 % of online sales of C’est Tout products go outside of Louisiana. Products are particularly popular with residents of Texas, Florida, and California, and have been shipped to Portugal, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and throughout the United States. Dreux says, “There are lots of displaced Cajuns!!” For Discover Lafayette listeners who order C’est Tout online, you will receive free shipping by using the Promo Code “Free Ship.” C’est Tout also offers home chefs an easy way to cook gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee or other local favorites by streamlining meal prep while maintaining high nutrient quality.  Orders for packaged dried meals may be ordered at https://thisiscajun.com/. This interview is full of witty commnts from Dreux which will entertain and also inspire you to learn more about Cajun cooking. “I have become a flour scientist. When you toast the flour for an (oil-less) roux. It wisps white vapors. It’s not just puffing the flour, its actually shrinking the gluten out of the flour.  The gluten is the bitterness of the gumbo. The longer your render, the less bitter it gets as the gluten shrinks.  By toasting the flour, we’re actually cooking out the bitterness. When you open the package and put it in the pot on your stove, the bitterness is gone.” Discover Lafayette is proud to showcase C’est Tout Dried Trinity Mix and its newest meal packages. Thanks to Dreux and Monique Barra for their unique contribution to Lafayette and Acadiana!

Blair Broussard, owner of Bee Positively Social, a social media consulting firm, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss effective digital marketing tools for small business owners in today’s market. Blair has also been an active real estate agent with District South by Real Broker in Lafayette since 2017. A chance to play middle blocker for the UL – Lafayette women’s volleyball team lured Blair to Lafayette. Transferring from Centenary College after her freshman year, Blair recounted her first trip to Lafayette down I-49 with her dad and spotting a dead alligator on the side of the road. As a native of Mesquite TX you would think she would have been scared by this, but Blair thought it was cool and such a different experience from her years growing up in Dallas. The deal was sealed upon arriving at UL, where she was given a tour of the swamp on campus and of course, another chance to see an alligator! Blair Claypoole Broussard was lured to Lafayette LA to play middle blocker for the Ragin Cajuns’ volleyball team. Noting the vastly different cultural experiences (including the alligators!), Blair says that “Volleyball is how I came to know and love Cajun Country!” While Blair graduated in Education from UL – Lafayette and also earned an MBA from the university, she was self taught on how to market her real estate services to garner effective social media presence. She is a big fan of organic activity on social media, i.e., posting experiences as they happen rather than relying solely on scheduled posts, so that the social media algorithms don’t pick up your activity and identify it as a ‘robot.’ With that said, she does recommend that you schedule posts to occur daily and consider using paid ads for important messaging. Blair is driven to help others tell their stories, especially small business owners who don’t know how or where to start in marketing their business. While we may wish we could just print a paper flyer and post it at the local coffee house or restaurant, the days of that being an effective marketing strategy are long over. Blair Broussard is the proprietor of Bee Positive Social, assisting small business owners in systemizing and automating the appropriate social media tools to effectively grow their business. Today, people “post” their flyers and other advertising materials on social media. The particular platform you should select for your business is dependent upon your target business clients as every social media platform has its own demographic. Facebook and Instagram are by far the most popular but again, your preferred platform will be tied to the referral network you want to tap into. Millennials and younger people will gravitate more to Tik Tok and YouTube, especially YouTube Shorts. “YouTube shorts (short 20 second video clips) are a great way to expand your reach and grow your business. You can use that link on so many other platforms.” For clients that are new to social media promotion, Blair will have them just pick one to start and “get their user friendly ability up.” But most businesses today have at least one medium where they post and she will help them expand their repertoire to two. Blair advises that your social media page should answer the most FAQ’s such as, “Where are you located? How can I purchase or sign up? How can I contact you?” “Small business word of mouth referral networking is changing dramatically. Millennials are not going to leave a Google review. They will share the Instagram profile of your business. Not just your phone number. That’s how small business word of mouth is happening.” Blair recommends utilizing Linktree or Milkshake apps that optimize your social media traffic by streamlining all of your info, products and links (website, blogs, social media platforms, etc.) to be accessible in one click in your bio. Blair is a proponent of blogging as it establishes your credibility as an expert in your field. Plus, one blog post can provide weeks of content on social media posts. “All you have to do is include images and recycle your content.” It also helps you become someone that people can “know, like and trust” which will entice new clients to give you a shot. Canva has become an incredibly popular tool for designing websites, creating high-quality graphic designs, edit photos, and much more with its built-in templates, stock images, icons and fonts. This tool, along with others, can help you build your ‘branded library’ which has your company logo, colors, and creative posts which identify your company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvpCdKA8aC4&t=8s Blair Broussard is an active agent with District South by Real Broker in Lafayette and may be reached at 337-704-7101 or blair@blairbroussard.com or https://www.districtsouthre.com/agents/blair-broussard/. On a personal note, Blair is married to Bennett Broussard and the mother of three very young sons. She is an active member of Asbury United Methodist Church. We thank her for her contributions to our community and encourage you to reach out to her for social media or real estate assistance!