It's Baton Rouge: Out to Lunch

Sometimes what makes a business interesting is not so much what it does as much as how it does it. Today, the internet and mobile platforms make it possible to do business in all sorts of new ways. Then again, the digital era has also made it possible for savvy entrepreneurs to improve on age old business models. Like the barter economy. And come up with something better. Stephanie s guests on Out...

In today s high tech world, we re increasingly isolated from one another. And yet, in some ways it s easier than ever to make connections. On this edition of Out to Lunch, Stephanie Riegel introduces two guests who are helping us connect. One, through an app that brings people together; the other, through an organization that helps start up businesses connect and find synergies that can help them...

It is not unusual for entrepreneurs to tell you that the single biggest attribute you need to succeed in business is "passion." Even if you ve heard that a thousand times you won t fully appreciate what it means till you hear the business tales of Todd Graves and Brandon Landry. These two homegrown Baton Rouge entrepreneurs have defied the odds and the expressed wisdom of their elders to follow th...

You could say we re sports crazy in south Louisiana. And with good reason more professional athletes come out of Louisiana per capita than any other state in the U.S. Maybe it s our famous cuisine. Or the chemicals in our environment Whatever the reason, It s taken us a while to capitalize on one of our greatest natural resources, but that is starting to change. Our sports obsessed culture is spaw...

There s an old proverb that says, "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day but if you teach him to fish you feed him for a lifetime." Learning something new changes one s perception of the world and opens so many doors. Being on the teaching end presents opportunities, too. On this edition of Out to Lunch, Stephanie introduces two entrepreneurs who are creating opportunities through educa...

Many a young boy aspires to play in the NFL. But only a small percentage actually realize that dream. It s similar to how many people dream of starting their own business, graduating from the work a day world, doing something they re passionate about, and making it big. On this edition of Out to Lunch, Andre Moreau sits in for Stephanie Riegel and hosts lunch with two members of a family who have...

How many times have you thought, "There s got to be a better way" to do any one a thousand tasks Stephanie s guests on this edition of Out to Lunch had the same thought. Then they went and did something about it. And in the process created a better way to get from A to B, to publish a book, to find a job, to save your precious photos and raise money for your school. Two years ago most people in Lo...

Louisiana s nickname is Sportsman s Paradise, not only because of the affinity locals here have for hunting, fishing and water sports, but because of the lush natural landscape and warm climate that make those sports possible It s the same factors that have given birth to two local entrepreneurs. Edward Daniel is the owner of Daniel Outdoors. It s an online company that sells hunting, fishing and...

Our Cajun Creole heritage in south Louisiana is famous all over the world. People come here for food, music, and historic architecture they can t get anywhere else. And for those who can t get here, or who want a taste of Louisiana once they get back home, we have some crafty entrepreneurs who have figured out how to capture our local culture, bottle it or box it and export it to folks outside Lou...

We all know the internet and the many mobile platforms it has given birth to are changing the way we do business. Still, it s always amazing to learn about some new company or tech start up that is using the latest technology to solve a problem that you didn t even know existed. Stephanie s guests on this episode of Out to Lunch include two Baton Rouge companies that are doing just that. Courtney...

When it comes to high tech innovations, sometimes it s not so much a matter of what a new technology can make happen, it s what it can prevent from happening. Today, we have two guests whose companies have come up with innovations that have exciting applications in preventing real world destruction by things like corrosion and fire. Plank Road Technologies is a joint venture that is not based on P...

Someone famously said that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. While travel can be very expensive, no one can deny that getting out and exploring new lands enhances the human experience and does, indeed, enrich the soul. It can also enrich those who make a living in the travel industry. The travel industry has changed a lot over the last 20 years, as the Internet has diminished...

As the way we do business evolves over time, so do the tools we use. Today, products and services that didn t exist 20 or 30 years ago are indispensable parts of our companies and commerce. That s particularly true in the digital economy. "Word of mouth" has a whole new meaning. And power. Like, for example, Yelp. Yelp is the go to public forum for online reviews, recommendations, and warnings abo...

Did you ever wonder who scored that perfect 100th percentile on the A.C.T. Meet Craig Gehring. Craig is a Baton Rouge native who got a perfect score on his ACT and has turned his genius, test taking ability into one of the fastest growing companies in the area. Mastery Prep started out preparing individual students for the ACT and in just a few short years it has created an entire brand of test pr...

Baton Rouge may not be the first place you think of in connection with high fashion. But there s one notable exception Haspel. It s the company that invented the seersucker suit more than a century ago. Today Haspel continues to redefine that classic staple of the southern wardrobe, while also designing some of the trendiest and most sought after looks for fashion conscious gentlemen. Laurie Aaron...

Fifteen years ago, no had heard of an app. They didn t exist. Today, there are more than 1.6 million of them available to download on your smart phone or tablet. And new ones are being designed every day. Apps are an integral part of commerce and communication in our digital age, and here in Baton Rouge we have companies not only using cutting edge apps to improve their business, but designing the...

Nearly 50 of Louisiana s land mass is covered by forest. That s a whopping 14 million acres of tress. And these tress aren t just sitting there beautifying the countryside, they re hard at work. The forestry industry in Louisiana is the state s second largest employer. And there s a huge private sector in the world of woods as well. Warren Peters has built a career around tending to Louisiana s fo...

In South Louisiana folks often say we we don t eat to live, we live to eat. Stephanie s guests on this edition of Out to Lunch have taken that Louisiana passion for food and turned it into business enterprises. Ryan McNeil is the founder and co owner of Fresh Kitchen, a growing company that sells freshly prepared, prepackaged and healthful meals from two Baton Rouge locations. Fresh Kitchen has on...

Sight, sound and tatse are three of our five senses. They re also the raison d ewtre of three very different Baton Rouge businesses. SoundIf you spent any time by the pool or at the beach this summer you might have encountered products made by Audio Bomb. The Baton Rouge company makes portable, waterproof, inexpensive, audio equipment. And it keeps coming out with ever cooler products in ever ever...

We may have heat and mosquitos in Baton Rouge, but we re also blessed to have beautiful surroundings and lush greenery everywhere. Much of the old growth and verdant landscaping is a natural part of the flora and fauna here in south Louisiana, but much of it is cultivated through hard work and attention to detail. Mitch Mayes is the owner of Louisiana Nursery, which was established by Mitch s fath...

Baton Rouge has a bustling economy and plenty of entrepreneurs with great ideas, but baton Rouge doesn t have an ecosystem for entrepreneurs. Whether it s a culture, a lack of capital, or a little of both, Stephanie s guets on Out to Lunch each have a unique perspective on what it will take to build a better ecosystem for entrepreneurs. Byron Clayton is President and CEO of the Research Park Corpo...

Hansel Harlan has taken the hook fanged scourge of Louisiana s disappearing wetlands and turned it into a dog s best friend. Hansel is the co founder of Marsh Dog, creators of doggy treats in the form of biscuits and jerky, made out of nutria. If you think giving your dog nutria treats is a little unusual, meet Niki Hansen. Niki can give your pet a lot more than a unique dog biscuit. Niki is the f...

One thing you hear a lot from people who come to Baton Rouge after having been a way for awhile is how different it is. How much the city has grown, improved, and special mention is most often made about the rebirth of downtown and revitalization in other up and coming neighborhoods. All this redevelopment didn t happen by accident. There has been a lot of planning over the past 25 years to bring...

Whether you live in Baton Rouge, work in Baton Rouge or just pass through Baton Rouge every now and then, you have experienced the Capital Region s notorious gridlock. Baton Rouge ranks among the very worst mid sized cities in the nation for traffic congestion. Business leaders last year in a Chamber survey listed traffic as the single biggest problem facing Baton Rouge. The issue commanded a lot...

In the age of Internet shopping, retail is an increasingly difficult way to make a living. When shoppers don t care if you re local and, no matter where they live, want current fashion and accessories at a fair price, how does a local business compete Scott Berg says it starts with service. Scott has other strategies too, and proven successes to back them up. Scott is Baton Rouge Market President...