Personal shoppers and assistants, once the province of Hollywood stars, are now affordable thanks to Kay Morrison's [The Occasional Wife][link1] and Mehmet Ergelen's [Bluebag][link2]

[Link1]: http://www.theoccasionalwife.com/
[Link2]: http://lovebluebag.com/

Personal shoppers and assistants, once the province of Hollywood stars, are now affordable thanks to Kay Morrison's [The Occasional Wife][link1] and Mehmet Ergelen's [Bluebag][link2] [Link1]: http://www.theoccasionalwife.com/ [Link2]: http://lovebluebag.com/

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 15th 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 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti&rsquo;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>.

Kay Morrison is an Occasional Wife. Mehmet Ergelen drives to Ikea in Houston so you don't have to.

Out to Lunch - Occasional Ikea - Out to Lunch - It's New Orleans

Things don't always work out like you planned. You know, they just don't.

Nobody gets married planning to one day get divorced. But, somehow, around 40% of people who get married for the first time find themselves at some point in that position.

For people who get married a second time, 60% of those end in divorce. And if you’re brave enough to try it a third time, your chances of getting divorced go up to 70%. 

Add ‘em all up and that’s a lot of people. It may well include you. If not, it has almost certainly included either your parents, your kids, or somebody close to you. So, you probably know how difficult it can be to navigate this period of your life.

One thing everybody in this situation has in common is, they need advice.  Who do you turn to for help? You could ask a friend who’s been through it. You could Google “Divorce attorney near me.” Or, you could get yourself a Divorce Coach at a website called Divorce Plus.

Divorce Plus has been around since 2023 and they cover every possible angle you could think of – as well as a few angles you may have never considered. Like, “Building Mental Strategies For a Healthier Divorce Process”  and “Am I Married to a Narcissist and How To Cope.”

The Co-Founder and CEO of Divorce Plus is New Orleanian, Richard Perque.

Whether you’re married, single, divorced, or any variety of parent with young kids, you need help. Whether it’s every day or just occasionally, if you don’t have a built-in helper in the form of a family member, you’re going to need daycare.

And if you happen to be a daycare provider, you’re going to need kid clients.

For both parties, what would be the simplest possible solution to this? And I mean the absolute simplest. Could it possibly be, do you think, Daycare.com? It couldn’t be that easy, could it?

Yep, it sure could. And it is. Daycare.com has over 250,000 daycare providers across the country. They’ve been dedicated to matching parents with daycare providers since 1997.

The Co-Founder and President of Daycare.com is New Orleanian, Ryan North. 

One lesson most of us learn at some point in our life, is humility. No matter how smart, accomplished, good-looking or even rich and famous we are, we can’t do everything alone. Every single one of us needs help at one time or another.

You can be the nicest, kindest, most generous, loving and caring person – or at least you can think you are – and still end up in a marriage that doesn’t work, for any number of reasons.

You can be the most devoted parent, but have no alternative but to depend on daycare.

Neither of these observations are all that revelatory. What is surprising, though, is that the solutions to both of these universal issues are coming out of New Orleans.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. Andrew Ward sits in as host for Peter Ricchiuti.

You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

Things don't always work out like you planned. You know, they just don't.
Nobody gets married planning to one day get divorced. But, somehow, around 40% of people who get married for the first time find themselves at some point in that position.
For people who get married a second time, 60% of those end in divorce. And if you&rsquo;re brave enough to try it a third time, your chances of getting divorced go up to 70%.&nbsp;
Add &lsquo;em all up and that&rsquo;s a lot of people. It may well include you. If not, it has almost certainly included either your parents, your kids, or somebody close to you. So, you probably know how difficult it can be to navigate this period of your life.
One thing everybody in this situation has in common is, they need advice.&nbsp; Who do you turn to for help? You could ask a friend who&rsquo;s been through it. You could Google &ldquo;Divorce attorney near me.&rdquo; Or, you could get yourself a Divorce Coach at <a href="https://www.divorceplus.com/">a website called Divorce Plus</a>.
Divorce Plus has been around since 2023 and they cover every possible angle you could think of &ndash; as well as a few angles you may have never considered. Like, &ldquo;<a href="https://www.divorceplus.com/mental-strategies-divorce-process-2">Building Mental Strategies For a Healthier Divorce Process</a>&rdquo;&nbsp; and &ldquo;<a href="https://www.divorceplus.com/am-i-married-to-a-narcissist-signs">Am I Married to a Narcissist and How To Cope.&rdquo;</a>
The Co-Founder and CEO of Divorce Plus is New Orleanian, Richard Perque.
Whether you&rsquo;re married, single, divorced, or any variety of parent with young kids, you need help. Whether it&rsquo;s every day or just occasionally, if you don&rsquo;t have a built-in helper in the form of a family member, you&rsquo;re going to need daycare.
And if you happen to be a daycare provider, you&rsquo;re going to need kid clients.
For both parties, what would be the simplest possible solution to this? And I mean the absolute simplest. Could it possibly be, do you think, <a href="https://www.daycare.com/">Daycare.com</a>? It couldn&rsquo;t be that easy, could it?
Yep, it sure could. And it is. Daycare.com has over 250,000 daycare providers across the country. They&rsquo;ve been dedicated to matching parents with daycare providers since 1997.
The Co-Founder and President of Daycare.com is New Orleanian, Ryan North.&nbsp;
One lesson most of us learn at some point in our life, is humility. No matter how smart, accomplished, good-looking or even rich and famous we are, we can&rsquo;t do everything alone. Every single one of us needs help at one time or another.
You can be the nicest, kindest, most generous, loving and caring person &ndash; or at least you can think you are &ndash; and still end up in a marriage that doesn&rsquo;t work, for any number of reasons.
You can be the most devoted parent, but have no alternative but to depend on daycare.
Neither of these observations are all that revelatory. What is surprising, though, is that the solutions to both of these universal issues are coming out of New Orleans.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at&nbsp;<a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. Andrew Ward sits in as host for Peter Ricchiuti.
You can find photos from this show by <a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at <a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2026/03/22/a-little-help-from-my-friends/">itsneworleans.com</a>.

A Little Help From My Friends

People who try and explain the complexity of human existence sometimes talk about “the seen and unseen world.”

The seen world is the world of everyday reality in which we live.

The theory of the unseen world attempts to explain some events in the real world - like love, happiness, and talent - in terms of the intangible. These explanations might range from suggestions of the existence of a soul, to past lives and karma.

There is, of course, no substantiated evidence of the existence of an unseen world. Unless you’re talking about the restaurant business.

In a restaurant, a diner’s real-world experience of sitting down at a table, enjoying a drink and a professionally prepared and served meal, is undeniably affected by a complex web of unseen causes.

The interpersonal relationships in the kitchen... Whether or not the staff have health insurance... And chains of events like the restaurant’s ability to secure a minimum order of fresh shrimp from a supplier at a decent price - the profitability of which depends on the number of customers who show up and order the shrimp special - which itself is dependent on server education and a successful social media marketing campaign.

At a big and successful restaurant, these demanding complexities are handled by a range of personnel – typically as many as 20 people – employing a range of complex systems.

Here in New Orleans, Elizabeth Tilton realized if smaller restaurants – which most restaurants in the United States are – had access to these same personnel and systems, they would greatly increase their chances of success. That’s why, in 2019, she founded her company, Oyster Sunday.

Oyster Sunday provides restaurants with concept development, financial strategy, project management, branding, marketing, PR, human resources, operations, and much more. Their clients are scattered all across the United States, and even around the world.

The comedian Steven Wright has a great line: “It’s a small world. But I wouldn’t want to paint it.”

When you step into an actual small world - like a music festival or a convention - you’ll notice there’s typically a whole other reality. It ranges from functional construction – like stages or booths - to decorations. These elements create both the infrastructure and the vibe of events. And despite Steven Wright’s trepidation, somebody has to not just paint all of that, they also have to design and build it.

Here in New Orleans, and across the country too, the fabrication of those worlds is the work of a company called Downtown FabWorks. The Founder and President of the company is Daniel Krall.

if there are two things we know something about in New Orleans – better than probably anywhere in the country – it’s eating out, and getting out and having fun. So, perhaps it’s not surprising that two industry leading, innovative businesses in these fields are the creations of two New Orleanians.

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.

 

People who try and explain the complexity of human existence sometimes talk about &ldquo;the seen and unseen world.&rdquo;
The seen world is the world of everyday reality in which we live.
The theory of the unseen world attempts to explain some events in the real world - like love, happiness, and talent - in terms of the intangible. These explanations might range from suggestions of the existence of a soul, to past lives and karma.
There is, of course, no substantiated evidence of the existence of an unseen world. Unless you&rsquo;re talking about the restaurant business.
In a restaurant, a diner&rsquo;s real-world experience of sitting down at a table, enjoying a drink and a professionally prepared and served meal, is undeniably affected by a complex web of unseen causes.
The interpersonal relationships in the kitchen... Whether or not the staff have health insurance... And chains of events like the restaurant&rsquo;s ability to secure a minimum order of fresh shrimp from a supplier at a decent price - the profitability of which depends on the number of customers who show up and order the shrimp special - which itself is dependent on server education and a successful social media marketing campaign.
At a big and successful restaurant, these demanding complexities are handled by a range of personnel &ndash; typically as many as 20 people &ndash; employing a range of complex systems.
Here in New Orleans, Elizabeth Tilton realized if smaller restaurants &ndash; which most restaurants in the United States are &ndash; had access to these same personnel and systems, they would greatly increase their chances of success. That&rsquo;s why, in 2019, she founded her company, <a href="https://www.oystersunday.com/">Oyster Sunday</a>.
Oyster Sunday provides restaurants with concept development, financial strategy, project management, branding, marketing, PR, human resources, operations, and much more. Their clients are scattered all across the United States, and even around the world.
The comedian Steven Wright has a great line: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a small world. But I wouldn&rsquo;t want to paint it.&rdquo;
When you step into an actual small world - like a music festival or a convention - you&rsquo;ll notice there&rsquo;s typically a whole other reality. It ranges from functional construction &ndash; like stages or booths - to decorations. These elements create both the infrastructure and the vibe of events. And despite Steven Wright&rsquo;s trepidation, somebody has to not just paint all of that, they also have to design and build it.
Here in New Orleans, and across the country too, the fabrication of those worlds is the work of a company called <a href="https://www.downtownfabworks.com/">Downtown FabWorks</a>. The Founder and President of the company is Daniel Krall.
if there are two things we know something about in New Orleans &ndash; better than probably anywhere in the country &ndash; it&rsquo;s eating out, and getting out and having fun. So, perhaps it&rsquo;s not surprising that two industry leading, innovative businesses in these fields are the creations of two New Orleanians.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at&nbsp;<a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at <a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2026/03/15/the-seen-and-unseen-world/">itsneworleans.com</a>.
&nbsp;

The Seen and Unseen World

When you’re the CEO or Executive Director of a company, you’re responsible for, well, everything. If the company does well, you’re a genius. If the company does poorly, you’re fired.

Typically, the definition of business success is how much money a company makes. And that can be a function of market share. Both of my lunch guests today are executives of major New Orleans companies. Each of these companies has 100% market share. Yes, 100%. Meaning, everybody in New Orleans who uses the products they sell uses their products.

One of the companies supplies water, and removes sewerage. It’s called The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans.

At this point if you’re saying, “Wait up, that’s not actually a private company,” well, you’re kind of right. Kind of. What the sewerage and water board isn’t, is a simple city department, like you find in New York City, Chicago, and Houston. Neither is it a wholly private company contracted by the city, like in Los Angeles or Phoenix.

Instead, it’s a hybrid. It’s largely controlled by city politicians – the Mayor automatically serves as the board president – but it operates independently. It is not meant to make a profit, but it has its own revenue separate from city departments, and contracts with for-profit companies to provide some services. In short, it’s a public utility that’s run like a political board but expected to perform like a professional infrastructure company.

And sitting on top of this complicated setup is the Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, Randy Hayman.

If your house or business is hooked up to gas, sometime in 2025 you stopped paying Entergy for it and started paying a company called Delta Utilities. Nobody asked you if you wanted to switch your gas supplier from Entergy to Delta, Entergy just decided to sell off its gas division and Delta Utilities was the company that bought it.

Delta Utilities is what’s called a “regulated utility.” Its operations, rates, service quality, and infrastructure investments are regulated by the State. But it’s a private company. Delta Utilities is owned by a private equity firm – Bernhard Capital Partners. It’s set up to serve customers, and to make a profit for its owners.

One of the people responsible for administering this complex structure is the Chief Administrative Officer of Delta Utilities, Jeremy Turner.

If you live in New Orleans, you’re 100% certain to have a relationship with the Sewerage and Water Board. Even if you have a septic tank in your back yard and you get all your water from your own well, you’re still going to be dependent on the infrastructure that keeps the city’s streets – and your house – free of flood water.

And if you don’t have gas at your house, you can be pretty sure your favorite restaurant does.

So, one way or another, the Sewerage and Water Board and Delta Utilities are woven into fabric of the everyday life of every person here in New Orleans. 

In the immortal words of Leslie Neilsen in the movie Airplane, “Good luck. We're all counting on you.” In the movie, that was a running joke, delivered even as the plane was in severe danger of crashing. In New Orleans, we often feel like we’re on the brink of disaster, but unlike Airplane, it’s not a joke. We are, in fact, all counting on Jeremy and Ryan.

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&rsquo;re the CEO or Executive Director of a company, you&rsquo;re responsible for, well, everything. If the company does well, you&rsquo;re a genius. If the company does poorly, you&rsquo;re fired.
Typically, the definition of business success is how much money a company makes. And that can be a function of market share. Both of my lunch guests today are executives of major New Orleans companies. Each of these companies has 100% market share. Yes, 100%. Meaning, everybody in New Orleans who uses the products they sell uses their products.
One of the companies supplies water, and removes sewerage. It&rsquo;s called <a href="https://www.swbno.org/">The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans</a>.
At this point if you&rsquo;re saying, &ldquo;Wait up, that&rsquo;s not actually a private company,&rdquo; well, you&rsquo;re kind of right. Kind of. What the sewerage and water board isn&rsquo;t, is a simple city department, like you find in New York City, Chicago, and Houston. Neither is it a wholly private company contracted by the city, like in Los Angeles or Phoenix.
Instead, it&rsquo;s a hybrid. It&rsquo;s largely controlled by city politicians &ndash; the Mayor automatically serves as the board president &ndash; but it operates independently. It is not meant to make a profit, but it has its own revenue separate from city departments, and contracts with for-profit companies to provide some services. In short, it&rsquo;s a public utility that&rsquo;s run like a political board but expected to perform like a professional infrastructure company.
And sitting on top of this complicated setup is the Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, Randy Hayman.
If your house or business is hooked up to gas, sometime in 2025 you stopped paying Entergy for it and started paying a company called <a href="https://deltautilities.com/">Delta Utilities</a>. Nobody asked you if you wanted to switch your gas supplier from Entergy to Delta, Entergy just decided to sell off its gas division and Delta Utilities was the company that bought it.
Delta Utilities is what&rsquo;s called a &ldquo;regulated utility.&rdquo; Its operations, rates, service quality, and infrastructure investments are regulated by the State. But it&rsquo;s a private company. Delta Utilities is owned by a private equity firm &ndash; <a href="https://www.bernhardcapital.co">Bernhard Capital Partners</a>. It&rsquo;s set up to serve customers, and to make a profit for its owners.
One of the people responsible for administering this complex structure is the Chief Administrative Officer of Delta Utilities, Jeremy Turner.
If you live in New Orleans, you&rsquo;re 100% certain to have a relationship with the Sewerage and Water Board. Even if you have a septic tank in your back yard and you get all your water from your own well, you&rsquo;re still going to be dependent on the infrastructure that keeps the city&rsquo;s streets &ndash; and your house &ndash; free of flood water.
And if you don&rsquo;t have gas at your house, you can be pretty sure your favorite restaurant does.
So, one way or another, the Sewerage and Water Board and Delta Utilities are woven into fabric of the everyday life of every person here in New Orleans.&nbsp;
In the immortal words of Leslie Neilsen in the movie Airplane, &ldquo;Good luck. We're all counting on you.&rdquo; In the movie, that was a running joke, delivered even as the plane was in severe danger of crashing. In New Orleans, we often feel like we&rsquo;re on the brink of disaster, but unlike Airplane, it&rsquo;s not a joke. We are, in fact, all counting on Jeremy and Ryan.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at&nbsp;<a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at<a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2026/03/08/two-of-your-favorite-people/"> itsneworleans.com</a>.

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