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>.

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>.

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.

Niche New Orleans

If you’ve lived in New Orleans for any length of time, you’ve experienced your share of natural disasters. We even measure time here by hurricanes. We put events in context by describing them, for example, as “Before Katrina” or “After Ida.”

After each one of these disasters, affected homeowners make a claim with their insurance company. Now, I don’t like to generalize, and I don’t have any statistical information to back this up, but I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with me on this… Even though insurance companies are technically in competition, the ones who are still writing policies in Louisiana seem to have adopted increasingly sophisticated justifications for reducing the amounts of money they pay out after a disaster.

Most of us who make claims and get denied throw up our hands and say, “What can you do?” But Jonathan Frazier is not taking “denied” for an answer.

Jonathan is Co-Founder of Forefront 360, a company created by a team of former insurance adjusters whose aim is to provide tools and services to property owners to get their property insurance ducks in a row before a storm hits.

So that when it comes time to make a claim, the insurance company doesn’t have a way to wriggle out of it.

When we’re not dealing with the preparation for, or aftermath of, a disaster, we New Orleanians are justifiably well-known for our propensity to celebrate the pleasures of life. 

One of those pleasures is going out to eat. When it comes to your favorite restaurant, you might be familiar with who owns it, the names of the chefs, bartenders, and your favorite servers. But one question you probably can’t answer is, “Who built the kitchen?” 

There’s very little more vital to the operational success of a restaurant than it’s kitchen. In New Orleans - and around the country too - a company called The Kitchen Guys has been designing and building commercial kitchens for 50 years. One half of their nationwide business is here in New Orleans, so there’s a pretty good chance The Kitchen Guys had a hand in building the kitchen at your favorite restaurant.

The President of the Kitchen Guys is Dustin Bennett.

In most places, people like to categorize things into groups of two. Black or white. Tall or short. Rich or poor. And so on. In New Orleans, we have our own pairs of things we use to bracket life here. But you’ll notice we don’t use the word “or” to differentiate elements. We use the word “and” to amplify them.

Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. The Marigny and The Quarter. The Saints and The Pelicans. Although it might seem slightly less obvious, two other significant, quintessential New Orleans experiences are hurricanes and restaurants.

Although one is something nobody wants to experience and the other is something we all love to experience, they’re both woven into the fabric of life here. Living in New Orleans means at some point in your week you’ll be considering a restaurant, and at some point in your life you’ll inevitably be affected by a natural disaster. So it's good to know Dustin and Jonathan have our back.

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.

If you’ve lived in New Orleans for any length of time, you’ve experienced your share of natural disasters. We even measure time here by hurricanes. We put events in context by describing them, for example, as “Before Katrina” or “After Ida.”
After each one of these disasters, affected homeowners make a claim with their insurance company. Now, I don’t like to generalize, and I don’t have any statistical information to back this up, but I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with me on this… Even though insurance companies are technically in competition, the ones who are still writing policies in Louisiana seem to have adopted increasingly sophisticated justifications for reducing the amounts of money they pay out after a disaster.
Most of us who make claims and get denied throw up our hands and say, “What can you do?” But Jonathan Frazier is not taking “denied” for an answer.
Jonathan is Co-Founder of <a href="https://forefront360.com/">Forefront 360</a>, a company created by a team of former insurance adjusters whose aim is to provide tools and services to property owners to get their property insurance ducks in a row before a storm hits.
So that when it comes time to make a claim, the insurance company doesn’t have a way to wriggle out of it.
When we’re not dealing with the preparation for, or aftermath of, a disaster, we New Orleanians are justifiably well-known for our propensity to celebrate the pleasures of life. 
One of those pleasures is going out to eat. When it comes to your favorite restaurant, you might be familiar with who owns it, the names of the chefs, bartenders, and your favorite servers. But one question you probably can’t answer is, “Who built the kitchen?” 
There’s very little more vital to the operational success of a restaurant than it’s kitchen. In New Orleans - and around the country too - a company called <a href="https://www.thekitchenguys.com/">The Kitchen Guys</a> has been designing and building commercial kitchens for 50 years. One half of their nationwide business is here in New Orleans, so there’s a pretty good chance The Kitchen Guys had a hand in building the kitchen at your favorite restaurant.
The President of the Kitchen Guys is Dustin Bennett.
In most places, people like to categorize things into groups of two. Black or white. Tall or short. Rich or poor. And so on. In New Orleans, we have our own pairs of things we use to bracket life here. But you’ll notice we don’t use the word “or” to differentiate elements. We use the word “and” to amplify them.
Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. The Marigny and The Quarter. The Saints and The Pelicans. Although it might seem slightly less obvious, two other significant, quintessential New Orleans experiences are hurricanes and restaurants.
Although one is something nobody wants to experience and the other is something we all love to experience, they’re both woven into the fabric of life here. Living in New Orleans means at some point in your week you’ll be considering a restaurant, and at some point in your life you’ll inevitably be affected by a natural disaster. So it's good to know Dustin and Jonathan have our back.
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/2024/10/07/kitchen-disasters/"> itsneworleans.com</a>.

Kitchen Disasters

In the course of childhood, we have innumerable experiences.

We spend a portion of our adult lives trying to recover from the ones that scar us. But there are also positive experiences. Joyful times and meaningful relationships stay with us. They come to define happiness.

For Brittney Hawkins Dobard, one of her happy-place emotional touchstones was with her grandmother in her kitchen, baking cookies.

As a kid, Brittney called her grandmother, “MoMo Gerald.” As an adult, Brittney was in car sales.

When you’re a car salesperson, your customer spends a bunch of time waiting around. To make the wait less painful, Brittney started bringing her customers homemade cookies. Like MoMo Gerald used to bake.

In 2019, Brittney realized her cookies were so popular - and she enjoyed making them so much - that she quit selling cars and started up NOLA Cookie Co.

Today NOLA Cookie Co cranks out up to 800 cookies a week. They sell them from their website, ship them across the country, and supply the Virgin Hotel with 300 cookies a month.

Margie Tillman Ayres called her grandmother, “Granny.”  But she started out following her in grandfather’s footsteps, as a jewelry designer.

It was only when Margie was struggling and out of necessity took a job in the art department at Jazz Fest that she discovered how much she enjoyed recreating her childhood days with Granny, painting, making sculptures and puppets.

In 2014 Margie made it official – she become an artist, muralist and illustrator, starting up her own company, Margie and The Moon.

You’ll see Margie’s work all over New Orleans – from murals at places like the restaurant Mr. Mao and music venue The Broadside – to her scenic work in movies and TV shows that are shot here. You’ve probably also seen her commercial work as an illustrator and her graphic designs for companies as diverse as Pyrex and Trader Joe’s.

Margie’s style is immediately recognizable. It’s a unique whimsicality executed with realist perfection. Margie is currently committing this style to canvases as she moves away from illustration and toward selling her pieces as fine art.

When you’re a parent or grandparent, you know that your kids or grandkids are constantly observing you. And absorbing everything. At least until they’re teenagers, when that totally flips. But when they’re young kids you never know what seemingly inconsequential thing you say or do is going to stick with them and resonate through their lives. And maybe even form the basis of an entire career.

Brittney and Margie's grandmothers, MoMo Gerald and Granny, might be  surprised at the influence they’ve had on their grandaughter's lives and careers, but they’d certainly be proud. 

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.

In the course of childhood, we have innumerable experiences.
We spend a portion of our adult lives trying to recover from the ones that scar us. But there are also positive experiences. Joyful times and meaningful relationships stay with us. They come to define happiness.
For Brittney Hawkins Dobard, one of her happy-place emotional touchstones was with her grandmother in her kitchen, baking cookies.
As a kid, Brittney called her grandmother, “MoMo Gerald.” As an adult, Brittney was in car sales.
When you’re a car salesperson, your customer spends a bunch of time waiting around. To make the wait less painful, Brittney started bringing her customers homemade cookies. Like MoMo Gerald used to bake.
In 2019, Brittney realized her cookies were so popular - and she enjoyed making them so much - that she quit selling cars and started up <a href="https://www.nolacookieco.com/">NOLA Cookie Co</a>.
Today NOLA Cookie Co cranks out up to 800 cookies a week. They sell them from their website, ship them across the country, and supply the Virgin Hotel with 300 cookies a month.
Margie Tillman Ayres called her grandmother, “Granny.”  But she started out following her in grandfather’s footsteps, as a jewelry designer.
It was only when Margie was struggling and out of necessity took a job in the art department at Jazz Fest that she discovered how much she enjoyed recreating her childhood days with Granny, painting, making sculptures and puppets.
In 2014 Margie made it official – she become an artist, muralist and illustrator, starting up her own company, <a href="https://margieandthemoon.com/">Margie and The Moon</a>.
You’ll see Margie’s work all over New Orleans – from murals at places like the restaurant Mr. Mao and music venue The Broadside – to her scenic work in movies and TV shows that are shot here. You’ve probably also seen her commercial work as an illustrator and her graphic designs for companies as diverse as Pyrex and Trader Joe’s.
Margie’s style is immediately recognizable. It’s a unique whimsicality executed with realist perfection. Margie is currently committing this style to canvases as she moves away from illustration and toward selling her pieces as fine art.
When you’re a parent or grandparent, you know that your kids or grandkids are constantly observing you. And absorbing everything. At least until they’re teenagers, when that totally flips. But when they’re young kids you never know what seemingly inconsequential thing you say or do is going to stick with them and resonate through their lives. And maybe even form the basis of an entire career.
Brittney and Margie's grandmothers, MoMo Gerald and Granny, might be  surprised at the influence they’ve had on their grandaughter's lives and careers, but they’d certainly be proud. 
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/2024/09/23/like-grandma-did-it/">itsneworleans.com</a>.

That's Funny

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