EPISODES
Episode #161 - The New Cuba - Habana Port Cigar Merchants
Luis Molina and his father started Habana Port Cigar Merchants 13 years ago in August, 2010. Habana Port has the largest and most diverse selection of cigars in the state of Louisiana. Due to being a tobacconist and advocate for the cigar consumer, their prices are the lowest one can find in Louisiana! Luis’ father...
Episode #160 - Customization, Cabinetry, Casework, Oh My - Gator
What exactly is millwork? Don’t worry; Chad Foster, CEO and President of Gator, has you covered! At Gator, they do woodwork, cabinetry and specialty items for residential and commercial buildings. You can see their work in places such as Jinya Ramen Bar, the LSU Arboretum, LSU’s Communication Academic Center for Student Athletes, Walk-On’s, St. George...
Episode #159 - Rubber Air With Lots of Flair - Animated Art Baton Rouge Balloon Decor
Tabitha Miller left her career in Instrumentation to follow her passion for spreading joy to those in her community through face painting and balloon decor! In the beginning, she performed at restaurants and events, showcasing her art in the medium of face painting. With the emergence of Covid, her face painting took an abrupt halt;...
Episode #158 - Pay It Back, Then Pay It Forward - Facilities Maintenance Management
Steven Davis, once a self-proclaimed “trouble child,” changed his ways and eventually opened up Facilities Maintenance Management — a turnkey maintenance and construction company. However, the road to his success started out rocky. His first business took a hit with the 2008 recession and, unfortunately, never bounced back. He closed the business and eventually paid...
Episode #157 - Singular. Unequaled. Extraordinary. - Emergent Method
After graduating from LSU with a degree in Finance, Nick Speyrer—CEO & Founder of Emergent Method—struggled to find which path he wanted to venture down in the business world. After working for firms in Atlanta and New York, Nick decided it was time to move back to Baton Rouge in 2007. Four years later, he...
Episode #156 - Let’s Par-Tee - Golfballs.com
For Tom Cox, who worked in a country club and had an interest in all things technology, an online business selling golfballs seemed like the perfect match. However, creating an online business 28 years ago presented some unique challenges. For one, e-commerce wasn’t yet a thing, and then there was the “.com crash” of 2000....
Episode #155 - A Trip to the Mountains - The Backpacker
Initially wanting to open a ski store in Baton Rouge after organizing LSU’s very first ski trip in the ‘60s, Michael Matthews’ father quickly realized that the market for ski apparel and equipment in Louisiana wouldn’t last long. Instead, he opted to open up a store that serviced all things outdoors, from camping and fishing...
Episode #154 - But First, Tequila - Mestizo
Jim Urdiales has been working in and around the restaurant industry since he was eight years old. After telling himself he wouldn’t go into the business two generations of his family went into, a voice called him back and told him to open a restaurant serving Louisiana-Mexican-based cuisine. After an arduous first year in business...
Episode #153 - Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good - Regymen & The Covery
Being let go from 12 different sales positions might have discouraged the average person, but Edward Keith “EK” Navan used this time to help pursue his true passion – creating businesses. EK is a consummate entrepreneur who adopts a beginner’s mindset and always asks, “Why?” After opening the Regymen in 2016 with the hope of...
Episode #152 - Home Sweet Holmes - Holmes Building Materials
Founded in 1957 as a brick and salvage company, Holmes Building Materials is now a 4th generation building materials company in Baton Rouge and Denham Springs. After taking his Dad’s advice of having work experience outside of the family biz, Matthew ended up in Shreveport; however, after a few years, he eventually found his way...
