BizzieSmalls

Meet Trey McGuire, founder and director of EveryWarrior.org. Listen in our conversation about his journey to creating a community for local service members; the origin story of Every Warrior, the impact of Barksdale Airforce Base on our local economy and culture, and how many jerseys it took to get Leighton on the basketball court.

Meet Bob, hard-partying restaurateur turned small business guru. Bob loves people, he loves Shreveport, and he loves Ki Mexico's poblano tacos. Listen in on our conversation about his wild college days in the kitchen, his time helping to grow Great Raft Brewing into a national brand, and how he ended up as the face of a local accounting firm.

Meet Josh Cox, a genuine, certified Great Dude™️. Listen in on our conversation about going from his role as the third generation in a family business to launching his own entrepreneurial career, important lessons in humilty and obedience, and his family's incredible journey through foster care and adoption.

Meet Luke Thaxton, attorney, entrepreneur and investing whiz. Jump into our conversation about stepping into a family business, the impact of housing authority changes on private investors, and Luke's take on the affordable housing crisis. Don't miss his helpful advice for first-time investors and his roster of favorite lunch spots!

Meet the Podfather of Shreveport, our OG podcast inspiration. In addition to his podcast, Frequency Interrupted, DJ runs Red Wolf Media, the Pork & Fork catering, meal prep, and competition empire, and Mammoth Equipment Rental. Listen in on our chat about the value of networking, what is strategic and essential in marketing these days, and what number Josh would have been in Leighton's Mys...

Meet local legend Steve Wilkinson, owner of Cardinal Music and newly minted owner of Shreveport Music Co. Steve and his family are deeply rooted in the southern music scene, and we love his passion for providing great service and fostering great local music. Listen in on his "Bucc-ees Approach", what it takes to build a loyal customer base, and what is getting him excited about our local...

Meet Brad Neffendorf, Head Coach of the LSUS Pilots. Listen in to our chat about Brad's background, what it takes to achieve a historic, undefeated season, and the leap from a good roster to a great team.

Meet Nico Manshack, local entrepreneur and the official Duke of Fun. 👑Nico is a busy guy - he manages Window World Shreveport by day, and runs Geaux Southern Rentals by night (and weekend). Listen to find out what to do when 50 Cent calls you, how to handle your first world light bulbs, and what position Leighton wants in his local Mardi Gras Krewe. PS: Shout out to Kennedy! 💛

We're back with one more solo ep before a quick mid-season break, and we cover a lot of ground. From daily rhythms and approaches to business budgets, to staying on mission as a company, to a *very* loose understanding of political campaigns and a quick music review, there is some good stuff in this one.

We have three generations of Allens on the podcast this week, and it was really special. Meet Carter Allen - plumbing intern, ABBA fan, and Leighton's son. Our second guest is Mrs. Leslie Allen; retired teacher, pastor's wife, and the hero who raised Leighton Allen. Enjoy this special conversation!

Meet Joey Guin and Myron Griffing - local creatives, entrepreneurs, and best friends. Tune in to hear the stories behind their successful businesses, gain insight on how to seamlessly merge creativity and practicality, and enjoy the BTS of a deeply supportive friendship (with a side of "picking").

Meet Logan Lewis, Executive Director of the Red River Revel. Listen in to our chat about the business behind the largest festival in Northwest Louisiana, the vital jump from civic pride to civic duty, and his passion for the details. You might also get some exciting BTS details about this year's Revel event...👀

Meet our guest this week, Coach Charles Thompson. Bossier City native, Air Force veteran, former radiologist, award-winning salesman, and current head coach of the LSUS bass fishing team - Charles has a great story, and we were honored to have him. We loved hearing about his passion for seeing young people succeed, his affection for the sport of fishing, and the journey to coaching a Top 10 fishin...

Meet Chris Simmons, a local boy turned entrepreneur, pastor, ice cream mogul, and a certified Great Dude™️. Join us as we chat about the twists and turns of his career so far, the real estate industry post-Covid, and his potential political platform.

Meet Mike McSwain, a renowned local architect with a global reach. Listen in on our conversation about Mike's passion for design, the impact of infrastructure on the Shreveport community, and the unique legacy of Mike's work.

It's a threepeat today as Jason Wood and Jamie East return to the podcast, this time to walk us through the Five Voices personality assessment. They explain how this fascinating insight into how different personalities communicate, connect and lead is helpful when building healthy teams and businesses, and we get into Josh and Leighton's "voices" and their superpowers and weapons...

Meet Rodrigo, owner and visionary behind Shreveport's smash hit restaurant Ki Mexico. His creativity and passion has led him down a fascinating path; from his initial plans of a career in marketing, to working in some of the biggest restaurants in town, to growing his family's food legacy from salsa at the farmer's market to multiple successful concepts. Rodrigo's story is almost a...

Meet Paul Reiser, "The Sonic Guy" and the host of the YouTube channel BusinessReal. Hear about his family's incredible entreprenurial legacy, Paul's journey from carhop to running 38 Sonic restaurants, and what keeps him busy these days.

Meet Todd Stanberry, VP of Metro Aviation. Join us as we hear about the origin story of this incredible company, the collaboration of nuns and news crews, Metro's brush with the cartel, and whether a helicopter could land on the Ivey's roof.

Meet Putt Putman, the owner of Putman Restoration, which was acquired by Belfor Property Restoration in 2024. Hear about the twists and turns of his career, the transition from small to BIG business, and what he loves about his role now.

Join Josh, Leighton, and Kayleigh to discuss the recent (and long-standing) controversies about Shreveport-Bossier, and hear why we embrace living here.

Meet Adam Lytle; Leighton's business partner, the leader of Team Lytle, and the Lunch Guru. Join us as we chat about the lessons he learned from his family's business, his unique path to education and real estate, his journey out of debt, and the pool noodle of the brain.

Meet Mark Mangham and Mike Mangham, the creatives behind Twin Blends Northwest History Hunters. We discuss how they turned their twin passions for old photos and local history into a series of projects that capture our nostalgia and appreciation for the Shreveport-Bossier area. Listen in to learn about a few of Shreveport's notable movers and shakers, some of Mark and Mike's favorite unearthed sto...

Thanks for joining us for the 50th episode of Bizzie Smalls - we are grateful for your support! We're chatting about keeping the right people on the bus, the battlefield of customer service, and the culture of local vs chain models.

Chris Graham is a busy guy, and we were delighted grab some time to learn more about his many successful ventures. Organizer and Chief Taste Tester of the Bossier City Farmer's Market, Owner/Operator of Man Made Soap, and the visionary behind building a thriving community of small business in our area. PSA: Prepared to be REALLY hungry after this episide!