No matter which side of the political fence you’re on, there’s probably one thing you and your friends on the other side agree on. And that is, you can’t believe anything you see, read, or hear in the news anymore.

At least, you don’t believe anything on the channels they subscribe to. And they don’t believe anything anyone says on your side.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was an organization that researched issues and published unbiased facts, without ideological partisanship or a devotion to page-views or ratings?

Well, guess what? There is! And it’s right here in New Orleans. It’s the Bureau of Governmental Research. The name might not have the zing of an exciting-sounding operation, but BGR’s reporting has a multi-million dollar impact, in New Orleans and beyond.

BGR’s President, CEO, and current Samuel Zemurray Chair in Research Leadership, is Rebecca Mowbray.

It’s hard to overstate the amount of time each of us spends doing research these days. We’ve shortened the term “research” to simply “search” and, if you’re like most people, you search e-commerce sites; you search restaurants to go out to eat, or delivery services to order in; you search for a plumber, you search the news, the weather, and the list scrolls on…

This is mostly time you spend alone. But when you look up from your computer or your phone, maybe you’d like to discuss your opinions with another person. Or, maybe you’d like to learn from an expert – an actual human - whose knowledge comes from education and experience, beyond the internet.

If you’re a woman in New Orleans, there’s a place where you can do all of this. It’s called Salon22. Salon 22 is a professional women’s club and idea hub, co-founded by 4 women - one of whom is Salon 22’s CEO, Fay Kimbrell.

Because in our regular lives most of us tell the truth most of the time, we tend to believe other people are telling us the truth most of the time, too. But, when it comes to news or information sources, it’s a different story. According to Pew Research, 86% of Americans get at least some of their news online. But only 7% of us trust that what we’re seeing is true. So, the cliché complaint, “Nobody believes anything anymore,” is actually pretty accurate.

Here’s another interesting statistic. Do you know what the most trusted online news site is? The Weather Channel.

So, if you want trusted, reliable information, other than the weather, where do you go? One answer is, the Bureau of Governmental Research. And if you’re looking for a place to sit and absorb this information, or people to network with, to learn from and discuss things with, you can go to Salon 22.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

No matter which side of the political fence you’re on, there’s probably one thing you and your friends on the other side agree on. And that is, you can’t believe anything you see, read, or hear in the news anymore.
At least, you don’t believe anything on the channels they subscribe to. And they don’t believe anything anyone says on your side.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was an organization that researched issues and published unbiased facts, without ideological partisanship or a devotion to page-views or ratings?
Well, guess what? There is! And it’s right here in New Orleans. It’s the <a href="https://www.bgr.org/">Bureau of Governmental Research</a>. The name might not have the zing of an exciting-sounding operation, but BGR’s reporting has a multi-million dollar impact, in New Orleans and beyond.
BGR’s President, CEO, and current Samuel Zemurray Chair in Research Leadership, is Rebecca Mowbray.
It’s hard to overstate the amount of time each of us spends doing research these days. We’ve shortened the term “research” to simply “search” and, if you’re like most people, you search e-commerce sites; you search restaurants to go out to eat, or delivery services to order in; you search for a plumber, you search the news, the weather, and the list scrolls on…
This is mostly time you spend alone. But when you look up from your computer or your phone, maybe you’d like to discuss your opinions with another person. Or, maybe you’d like to learn from an expert – an actual human - whose knowledge comes from education and experience, beyond the internet.
If you’re a woman in New Orleans, there’s a place where you can do all of this. It’s called <a href="https://www.salon22nola.com/">Salon22</a>. Salon 22 is a professional women’s club and idea hub, co-founded by 4 women - one of whom is Salon 22’s CEO, Fay Kimbrell.
Because in our regular lives most of us tell the truth most of the time, we tend to believe other people are telling us the truth most of the time, too. But, when it comes to news or information sources, it’s a different story. According to Pew Research, 86% of Americans get at least some of their news online. But only 7% of us trust that what we’re seeing is true. So, the cliché complaint, “Nobody believes anything anymore,” is actually pretty accurate.
Here’s another interesting statistic. Do you know what the most trusted online news site is? The Weather Channel.
So, if you want trusted, reliable information, other than the weather, where do you go? One answer is, the Bureau of Governmental Research. And if you’re looking for a place to sit and absorb this information, or people to network with, to learn from and discuss things with, you can go to Salon 22.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by <a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at<a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2024/09/16/facts-friends/"> itsneworleans.com</a>.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 14th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 14th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander's Palace restaurant.

It's New Orleans: Out to Lunch

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. 
You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor <a href="https://freeman.tulane.edu/faculty-research/finance/peter-ricchiuti">Peter Ricchiuti </a>conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. You can also hear the show on <a href="https://www.wwno.org/show/out-to-lunch">WWNO 89.9FM</a>.

Facts & Friends

The common wisdom we’re taught when starting up a business is, “Solve a problem that needs solving.” But the truly exceptional success stories of our time have not followed this advice.

When Coca Cola came along, nobody who was enjoying a long, cool glass of lemonade was clamoring for a sweet, syrupy, brown drink. When Uber came along people weren’t fantasizing about getting into a car with a total stranger. And when Jeff Bezos started selling books online, nobody in their right mind would give their credit card number to a person they didn’t know on the world wide web.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t Bezos’ ability as a salesman that convinced people to trust Amazon, it was the invention of a piece of software called “encryption” that made it safer to give your credit card to Amazon than to a server in a restaurant.

Today there are other online companies poised to capitalize on the next technological change to e-commerce. One of those is a local startup called Cucuron, an online art gallery based in New Orleans, founded by Megan Manning. 

You might ask, “How many people are going to pay $2,000 for a piece of artwork based on a photo on a phone?” Maybe not a whole lot, but… When augmented reality and virtual reality become a part of our device’s operating system – which they definitely will at some point – looking at a piece of art online will be exactly, in every way, like looking at a piece of art on the wall in a gallery.

Whether or not Cucuron becomes the Amazon of art is unknowable. But it’s building the architecture ready for the day when buying art online is as second-nature as buying the shoes, furniture, and mattresses people at one point said they would never buy online.

Over 55% of e-commerce shoppers say the reason they buy online is, “home delivery.” Maybe it’s the legacy of the pandemic, maybe it’s the influence of Gen Z., but more of our lives these days seem to be home-centric.

Very few New Orleanians know more about the many notions of “home” than Kristin Palmer. Kristin was Executive Director of an organization called Rebuilding Together. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Kristin led over 10,000 volunteers who rebuilt hurricane-damaged structures so New Orleanians could come home.

In 2010 Kristin was elected to the New Orleans City Council. She represented District C which includes the French Quarter, the Marigny, Treme, Bywater and Algiers.

In 2014 she founded Bargeboard, a home renovation and restoration company whose goal is to keep Old Algiers affordable and accessible through historic renovation, recycling and reuse. Bargeboard is a culmination of a lifetime of Kristin’s New Orleans-centric personal and professional passions.

In the 1940’s, Abraham Maslow, a psychology professor, came up with a pyramid-shape explanation of human existence which has come to be known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. On the bottom level of the pyramid are the most basic needs, including shelter – a home. At the top is something Maslow called Self Actualization, which includes creativity, like producing art.

Maslow’s interpretation of human existence has become a foundational teaching in understanding human motivation and behavior. But, if any place on earth was to challenge Maslow’s conventional wisdom, it would be New Orleans. Here, our homes are of course vital, but an equally vital part of our lives - that makes New Orleans New Orleans - is music, beauty, and art.

So, although both Megan's and Kristin's businesses – Bargeboard and Cucuron – theoretically represent the extreme poles of human existence, our lived experience here in New Orleans rates them as equally essential to our everyday lives.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

The common wisdom we’re taught when starting up a business is, “Solve a problem that needs solving.” But the truly exceptional success stories of our time have not followed this advice.
When Coca Cola came along, nobody who was enjoying a long, cool glass of lemonade was clamoring for a sweet, syrupy, brown drink. When Uber came along people weren’t fantasizing about getting into a car with a total stranger. And when Jeff Bezos started selling books online, nobody in their right mind would give their credit card number to a person they didn’t know on the world wide web.
At the end of the day, it wasn’t Bezos’ ability as a salesman that convinced people to trust Amazon, it was the invention of a piece of software called “encryption” that made it safer to give your credit card to Amazon than to a server in a restaurant.
Today there are other online companies poised to capitalize on the next technological change to e-commerce. One of those is a local startup called <a href="https://cucuronshop.com/">Cucuron</a>, an online art gallery based in New Orleans, founded by Megan Manning. 
You might ask, “How many people are going to pay $2,000 for a piece of artwork based on a photo on a phone?” Maybe not a whole lot, but… When augmented reality and virtual reality become a part of our device’s operating system – which they definitely will at some point – looking at a piece of art online will be exactly, in every way, like looking at a piece of art on the wall in a gallery.
Whether or not Cucuron becomes the Amazon of art is unknowable. But it’s building the architecture ready for the day when buying art online is as second-nature as buying the shoes, furniture, and mattresses people at one point said they would never buy online.
Over 55% of e-commerce shoppers say the reason they buy online is, “home delivery.” Maybe it’s the legacy of the pandemic, maybe it’s the influence of Gen Z., but more of our lives these days seem to be home-centric.
Very few New Orleanians know more about the many notions of “home” than Kristin Palmer. Kristin was Executive Director of an organization called Rebuilding Together. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Kristin led over 10,000 volunteers who rebuilt hurricane-damaged structures so New Orleanians could come home.
In 2010 Kristin was elected to the New Orleans City Council. She represented District C which includes the French Quarter, the Marigny, Treme, Bywater and Algiers.
In 2014 she founded <a href="https://bargeboardnola.com/">Bargeboard</a>, a home renovation and restoration company whose goal is to keep Old Algiers affordable and accessible through historic renovation, recycling and reuse. Bargeboard is a culmination of a lifetime of Kristin’s New Orleans-centric personal and professional passions.
In the 1940’s, Abraham Maslow, a psychology professor, came up with a pyramid-shape explanation of human existence which has come to be known as <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html">Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs</a>. On the bottom level of the pyramid are the most basic needs, including shelter – a home. At the top is something Maslow called Self Actualization, which includes creativity, like producing art.
Maslow’s interpretation of human existence has become a foundational teaching in understanding human motivation and behavior. But, if any place on earth was to challenge Maslow’s conventional wisdom, it would be New Orleans. Here, our homes are of course vital, but an equally vital part of our lives - that makes New Orleans New Orleans - is music, beauty, and art.
So, although both Megan's and Kristin's businesses – Bargeboard and Cucuron – theoretically represent the extreme poles of human existence, our lived experience here in New Orleans rates them as equally essential to our everyday lives.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by <a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at <a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2024/11/11/algiers-art/">itsneworleans.com</a>.

Algiers Art

What is fear?

Fear is a natural response to a perception of danger. All creatures on earth have it. We use fear to spur us into action - to run or take other steps to save our lives.

There are many studies listing specific fears of different societies. Believe it or not, here in the United Sates, one of our greatest fears is public speaking. In numerous studies, the fear of public speaking ranks number one – higher even than the fear of death.

I’m not a psychologist, sociologist or neuroscientist so I’m not about to embark on an exploration of why that is, but I do know there are ways to conquer this fear. And it is worth conquering. The inability to express yourself when you have something to say can severely impact your career.

In New Orleans, Chris Trew is an improv comedian who, alongside his comedy career, has turned his talents toward teaching communication skills. Chris conducts workshops for people in business. His goal is to help a business person become a better communicator, a better leader in their field, and to learn to embrace and enjoy attention rather than fear it.

In the world of New Orleans comedy, comedian Nicolo Giardina is known as “Pickle.” The name was inspired by a rap song and cemented by fellow inmates when Pickle spent time in jail, the result of a decade-long career in sales - in the drug business.

Today, rather than sit around and wait for the phone to ring to be booked at a local comedy club, Pickle has crossed over to the other side of the microphone and produces comedy shows. These shows are principally called Roast Beefin’. 

Roast Beefin’s are comedy roasts where two comedians battle each other in a kind of cutting competition. You can see Roast Beefin’ mostly at the Hi Ho –Lounge - where it’s been anchored since 2020.

Although producing comedy shows in what is principally a music venue and bar in St Claude might sound like a fun way to make a living, Pickle describes the local comedy industry as “competitive and ruthless.”

In 1946 a show opened on Broadway called Annie Get Your Gun. A number of songs from that show have survived to this day. Maybe the most well-known is a song called “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” On the one hand the song is a love letter to the world of live performance. And on the other, it’s a wry observation of the kind of addiction behavior that seems to underlie the world of entertainers.

This verse might say it best:
“Even with a turkey that you know will fold
You may be stranded out in the cold
But still you wouldn't change it for a sack of gold
Let's go on with the show”

Chris and Pickle, as producers of comedy in New Orleans, have both chosen a tough path. But although it might sound trite, it’s true – somebody has to do it. We need comedy, and comedy demands comedians. 

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

What is fear?
Fear is a natural response to a perception of danger. All creatures on earth have it. We use fear to spur us into action - to run or take other steps to save our lives.
There are many studies listing specific fears of different societies. Believe it or not, here in the United Sates, one of our greatest fears is public speaking. In numerous studies, the fear of public speaking ranks number one – higher even than the fear of death.
I’m not a psychologist, sociologist or neuroscientist so I’m not about to embark on an exploration of why that is, but I do know there are ways to conquer this fear. And it is worth conquering. The inability to express yourself when you have something to say can severely impact your career.
In New Orleans, <a href="https://christrew.net/">Chris Trew </a>is an improv comedian who, alongside his comedy career, has turned his talents toward teaching communication skills. Chris conducts workshops for people in business. His goal is to help a business person become a better communicator, a better leader in their field, and to learn to embrace and enjoy attention rather than fear it.
In the world of New Orleans comedy, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nicolo.giardina.54/">comedian Nicolo Giardina is known as “Pickle.</a>” The name was inspired by a rap song and cemented by fellow inmates when Pickle spent time in jail, the result of a decade-long career in sales - in the drug business.
Today, rather than sit around and wait for the phone to ring to be booked at a local comedy club, Pickle has crossed over to the other side of the microphone and produces comedy shows. These shows are principally called Roast Beefin’. 
Roast Beefin’s are comedy roasts where two comedians battle each other in a kind of cutting competition. You can see Roast Beefin’ mostly at the<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hi.ho.NOLA/"> Hi Ho –Lounge</a> - where it’s been anchored since 2020.
Although producing comedy shows in what is principally a music venue and bar in St Claude might sound like a fun way to make a living, Pickle describes the local comedy industry as “competitive and ruthless.”
In 1946 a show opened on Broadway called Annie Get Your Gun. A number of songs from that show have survived to this day. Maybe the most well-known is a song called “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” On the one hand the song is a love letter to the world of live performance. And on the other, it’s a wry observation of the kind of addiction behavior that seems to underlie the world of entertainers.
This verse might say it best: “Even with a turkey that you know will fold You may be stranded out in the cold But still you wouldn't change it for a sack of gold Let's go on with the show”
Chris and Pickle, as producers of comedy in New Orleans, have both chosen a tough path. But although it might sound trite, it’s true – somebody has to do it. We need comedy, and comedy demands comedians. 
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by <a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at<a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2024/10/21/thats-funny/"> itsneworleans.com</a>.

That's Funny

When you have a business that sells a product, you have two choices. You can try and sell it to everyone earth, like Coca Cola, or you can concentrate on a more targeted market.

The Coca Cola model is called Mass Marketing. The targeted approach is called Niche Marketing.

Sometimes businesses say they have a niche market as a euphemism for the fact that very few people are buying their product. But there are businesses whose products are legitimately very niche. Like, for example, human breast milk.

Human breastmilk is intended to be consumed orally by human offspring. But it also has other applications. For example, it can be an ingredient in medicinal soap.

When Shay Franklin had a baby, she discovered she was an over-producer of breast milk. When her 4 month of old daughter, Nova, was diagnosed with psoriasis and eczema, Shay used her surplus supply to make breastmilk soap.

The soap worked miracles for baby Nova’s skin condition, and Shay started selling her bars of soap to other people in need, on Tik Tok and at local farmer’s markets. But even an over-producer only has so much breast milk. So, Shay came up with other recipes. Today her company, Shay’s Organics, has a line of skincare products including soaps, scrubs, cleansers, body butter, and more.

It seems popular these days for people who care about their diet to eat what is called a “plant-based diet.” If there’s a growing number of people who predominantly eat plants, in a sort of horticultural revenge, there’s also a growing interest in plants who eat meat.

Beyond the well-known Venus Fly Trap, there are in fact a whole range of carnivorous plants. And there’s a niche market of folks who love and care for them. Locally, these folks shop at a business called, We Bite Rare & Unusual Plants.

The owner of We Bite is Carlos Detres.

One of the knocks against living in a small city like New Orleans – compared to, say, Los Angeles or New York - is the limited range of goods and services available in a smaller place.

The logic is, with a smaller population you have a smaller market to sell to. At some point the scale just gets too small to sustain a business for products that aren’t in great demand.

But when your whole reason for existing at all is a niche market – say, Black and Latina women with discerning organic skincare tastes, or self-identifying strange and peculiar people looking for carnivorous plants and fellow travelers – traditional market logic ceases to apply.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

When you have a business that sells a product, you have two choices. You can try and sell it to everyone earth, like Coca Cola, or you can concentrate on a more targeted market.
The Coca Cola model is called Mass Marketing. The targeted approach is called Niche Marketing.
Sometimes businesses say they have a niche market as a euphemism for the fact that very few people are buying their product. But there are businesses whose products are legitimately very niche. Like, for example, human breast milk.
Human breastmilk is intended to be consumed orally by human offspring. But it also has other applications. For example, it can be an ingredient in medicinal soap.
When Shay Franklin had a baby, she discovered she was an over-producer of breast milk. When her 4 month of old daughter, Nova, was diagnosed with psoriasis and eczema, Shay used her surplus supply to make breastmilk soap.
The soap worked miracles for baby Nova’s skin condition, and Shay started selling her bars of soap to other people in need, on Tik Tok and at local farmer’s markets. But even an over-producer only has so much breast milk. So, Shay came up with other recipes. Today her company, <a href="https://shaysorganics.com/">Shay’s Organics</a>, has a line of skincare products including soaps, scrubs, cleansers, body butter, and more.
It seems popular these days for people who care about their diet to eat what is called a “plant-based diet.” If there’s a growing number of people who predominantly eat plants, in a sort of horticultural revenge, there’s also a growing interest in plants who eat meat.
Beyond the well-known Venus Fly Trap, there are in fact a whole range of carnivorous plants. And there’s a niche market of folks who love and care for them. Locally, these folks shop at a business called, <a href="https://www.webitenola.com/">We Bite Rare &amp; Unusual Plants</a>.
The owner of We Bite is Carlos Detres.
One of the knocks against living in a small city like New Orleans – compared to, say, Los Angeles or New York - is the limited range of goods and services available in a smaller place.
The logic is, with a smaller population you have a smaller market to sell to. At some point the scale just gets too small to sustain a business for products that aren’t in great demand.
But when your whole reason for existing at all is a niche market – say, Black and Latina women with discerning organic skincare tastes, or self-identifying strange and peculiar people looking for carnivorous plants and fellow travelers – traditional market logic ceases to apply.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by <a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at itsneworleans.com.

Facts & Friends

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