TheThree 180

E30: Jose Cardenas & the Seventh Tap (Meg Davenport Interview) by Josh & Thomas

Recorded 4/30/2020, prior to the May 25th death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Judy Williams audited Dr. Michael Hicks' Centenary class "Doing Race" during the spring term. Interrupted by COVID and continued on Zoom, the class delved into the heart of our country's racial divide. Early in the Spring, Judy approached Thomas and me, suggesting an interview with Dr. Hicks on the origin of such a class, its objectives, and its takeaways, to occur after the semester drew to a close. The discussion between Judy and Dr. Hicks took place on April 30, 2020.

Clint McCommon is live streaming shows from Shreveport's Fairfield Studios, enabling otherwise idle musicians to practice, play, and pick up a few dollars through their Venmo accounts. The Shreveport native, Air Force veteran and small business owner has learned a few new skills since the shut-down with assist from Brent Latin and Young Pros Entertainment. He offers up a distinctly positive version of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis: All the good things in Shreveport . . . are still here. As he says, "There is a light." Listen in, and enjoy!

Blake Jackson of Whisk Dessert Bar is a ray of sunshine and a kick in the ass to anyone moping around during their shelter-in-place existence. His Private Chef services are shut down . . . so he sells Private Chef Dinner bonds to be cashed in later. His 9-to-5, his bakery - shut down. Enter Pinpals - he'll make the stuff and ship it anywhere you want. Voila! A whole new revenue stream just opened up for Whisk. Feeling sorry for yourself? Listen in, get inspired, and get moving. Tree cutting season might be temporarily on hold, but folks like Blake are using this economic crisis as an opportunity to sharpen their axes .

Charlie Veuleman, an RN in the ER at Willis Knighton Pierremont, gives us a report from the front lines. He says it's not too too bad out there, but that's largely attributable to folks keeping their distance. Listen in and be proud of our local medical personnel who have been preparing for this monster since late January into early February.

Twisted Root is selling toilet paper and paper towels as well as their usual menu items. Strange times indeed.

Thomas Thomas Pressly public email: hse006@legis.la.gov Resources www.sba.gov/disaster - information on SBA and EIDL lending and applications www.flattenthecurvesbc.com - a partnership of the Greater Shreveport, Bossier, and African American Chambers of Commerce www.opportunitylouisiana.com - Louisiana Economic Development (LED) resources www.agjefflandry.com - LA DOJ Consumer Protection Hotline is 1-800-351-4889 or visit AGJeffLandry.com if you live in Louisiana Give blood: Life Share - Give blood (8910 Linwood Ave. in Shreveport or 1523 Doctors Drive in Bossier City)

Grant Nuckolls talks about COVID-19 and its effect on Shreveport's business community. More importantly, we discuss government's response and ways business owners can apply for SBA loans, payroll assistance and loans to float business expenses to combat the effects of two or more months without a revenue stream. Grant is owner of Twisted Root, and (with Rhino's Andrew Crawford) part-owner of Jacquelyn's. He has seen a 60-70% drop in total revenue at both locations and has heard the same numbers from other restaurant and bar owners. The City of Shreveport, in concert with CoHab and Grant, launched www.shreve.biz to provide resources to struggling businesses in this unprecedented economic shut-down and quarantine. Listen and learn how you as a sheltered-in-place Shreveporter can help out where our city and its citizens need it most.

Andrew Crawford is a Shreveport native, a Magnet High School graduate and Baylor alum. He's of course best known in our town as the proprietor of Rhino Coffee. Long before the coffee shops, there was Crawford Design, specializing in graphic design, branding, logo services and website building. He and Grant Nuckolls acquired Jacquelyn's on Louisiana Avenue in 2019 and are continuing its tradition of serving consistently delicious lunch fare every day of the work week. Grant and Andrew collaborate with Matt Snyder on Derby Day, Crawfest, Wheels in the Hills, Bourbon and Bow Ties, and other now-iconic events highlighting Shreveport's local business, food, art and music scene. Andrew tells Josh and Thomas all about starting a business, building a brand, doing downtown, and making Shreveport a better place through day-in and day-out hard work. Enjoy!

Graham has served as Fibrebond’s President and CEO since March 2015. After joining Fibrebond in 2004, he was named CFO in January 2006. In 2014, Graham started Fibrebond Power, the company’s division that builds complex engineered-to-order projects for the data center, petrochemical, power generation, and power distribution market verticals. As President, Graham has accelerated the company’s diversification and growth strategy and led the 2015 acquisition of an Illinois-based generator enclosure manufacturer. A second generation owner of Fibrebond, Graham is a member of the Board of Directors and serves on several local business and charitable boards. Graham studied History at Sewanee, a Top 25 liberal arts college, where he graduated with honors and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned an MBA in Finance from Louisiana State University and worked in corporate banking prior to joining Fibrebond. Graham lives in Shreveport, Louisiana with his wife, three daughters and son.

Chef Anthony Felan is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in San Francisco where he began his journey in the culinary world. His experience cooking in some of the Bay Area’s best restaurants, as well as his childhood memories of working in his grandfather’s garden, instilled in him a deep respect for farm-fresh ingredients. His love for Louisiana and his family brought him back home in 2010, where he joined the team of Wine Country Bistro and quickly moved up to Executive Chef. After years with Wine Country, Anthony’s drive for something of his own and his passion for farm-to-table led to his first business endeavor-- Fat Calf Boucherie - a stationary food trailer at Red River Brewing Company, serving gastro-pub style fare utilizing locally raised meats. His popular food trailer concept evolved quickly from a 10-item menu, parked outside the building, to a move of the 40ft. trailer inside the brewery and an expansion to a full menu of shareable and small plates, burgers, and sandwiches. That stepping stone has enabled Anthony to finally fulfill his dream to have his own brick and mortar. In August 2019, Fat Calf Boucherie closed its doors at Red River Brewing and relocated to 3030 Creswell Ave in the Highland community of Shreveport. The new and evolved concept, Fat Calf Brasserie, fulfills his dream of having a small, neighborhood rotisserie based restaurant. At Fat Calf Brasserie you can expect the same farm-fresh and slow food concept that Chef Anthony has been long known for in Northwest Louisiana. In addition to their restaurant, Anthony and his wife, Amanda, have a side project, 2nd Act Supper Club, where they host underground dinners in various historic locations around downtown Shreveport. The supper club has developed quite a following, typically selling out the 70-80 available seats within 24 hours. These dinners are where Anthony really gets to let his creative juices flow, often pushing diners to try things out of their comfort zone.

The Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) helps create wealth for entrepreneurs by analyzing viable ideas and products, matching them with informed investors, and nurturing them toward rewarding markets. The EAP offers mentorship programs designed to accelerate your idea, product or existing business into a thriving company quickly by providing intensive startup support. Their team of mentors will work alongside you, working on everything from the business plan and model, market and financial analysis to prepping you to receive funding, such as angel investment. Julie Gilley, Senior Financial Analyst of the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP), a division of the BRF, provides services to high-growth entrepreneurs willing to locate to North Louisiana to spark economic development. Julie has over 18 years of experience in corporate finance, financial markets, government contracts and consulting. She has a proven record of producing high-quality deliverables in the areas of Program and Project Management, Business Process Transformation, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Six Sigma/Lean, financial modeling and business case/plan development while successfully leading diverse teams. As the Program Director for a Fortune 500 Company and leader in business security, she successfully led a team of over 125 to plan for and design a multi-million-dollar ERP implementation. As a Senior Consultant for a global consulting firm she successfully led a team to re-engineer a large bank holding company’s close process and helped build a solution to report its average daily balance to the Federal Reserve. Recently, as part of a public/private partnership between the City of Shreveport, the BRF, and a private start up, she vetted and brought an aquarium to downtown Shreveport. Julie has gained her experience around the country in Washington, D.C., New York City, Indianapolis, Boca Raton and North Louisiana. She received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Louisiana State University A&M and a Master of Business from Louisiana State University Shreveport. Nick Oliver, a Financial Analyst at the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP), a division of BRF, provides services to high-growth entrepreneurs willing to locate their companies in North Louisiana. Nick has experience in commercial and community banking, corporate finance, as well as individual and institutional investment management. As an analyst for a multinational banking institution, Nick built a database to more efficiently oversee and organize the management of over 9 million mortgages serviced by the institution. As a project manager for a regional bank, he spearheaded the implementation of a new system to better track the firm’s business development pipeline, resulting in faster execution of $129 million in new business opportunities. Nick currently works with early stage entrepreneurs in helping them commercialize their business idea through proforma financial modeling and industry research. Nick is committed to using his knowledge base to grow and develop the entrepreneurial ecosystem in North Louisiana. He received both a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University, where he received Summa Cum Laude honors and was noted as a Top Graduate in the School of Business.

Matt Snyder is a lifelong Shreveport resident, entrepreneur, husband, and proud father of five. Matt owns PinPoint Local Marketing which represents around 25 local businesses in their marketing strategy and community involvement. He is also creator and operator of 6 annual events including Shreveport Derby Day, Tinsel, and Crawfest in Betty Virginia Park. Matt is quick to fight for Shreveport’s future and is involved in politics and non profit boards.

Kyle Baudoin was born and raised south of Lafayette, La and it was there that he met and married his wife Laura Thomas Baudoin. It is where their family began and where the couple really always thought they would probably stay and raise their two children - Porter, 8, and Camille, 4. Then in mid 2016, life threw them a large curveball and during that tough time, there were many moments of reflection that led to them deciding to make a move. By July 2017 they were residents of Laura’s hometown, Shreveport, LA. Seven years ago Laura and her mother Martha opened up a women’s retail shop named M. Five years later, in September of 2017, Kyle and Laura opened up L.E. & CHALK, a men’s store. They love living and working in the South Highlands neighborhood and are excited for the future of the City of Shreveport.

Thomas sits down with Landon Lloyd Miller, a coffee roaster in Shreveport, Louisiana. Originally a cafe manager, he often consults with other businesses as well as personally roasting the beans for Rhino Coffee. He is also an established songwriter and creative spirit. He lives in Highland with his wife Danielle and their two daughters Frances and Madeline. This conversation goes deep into the weeds about coffee roasting and production, which might not be your jam. But keep listening. On the surface, Miller is curating the beans, experimenting with roasting techniques, introducing new flavor profiles, and striving for quality. But the whole operation has created its own ecosystem. Rhino is roasting beans in the warehouse adjacent to its downtown cafe, utilizing otherwise unoccupied space. Miller is giving spent grounds to farmers (and at least one local chef) to use as mulch. Rhino's two locations (South Highlands and Downtown) are now bustling hubs of their respective neighborhoods. 624 Lofts / the old Sears building would not have its curb appeal without the cafe. Jobs have been created. And local restaurants (Jacquelyn's, Well+Fed, Marilynn's Place, Ralph's Place, just to name a few), serve Rhino coffee - brewed and roasted right here in Shreveport. Whole Foods sells our local coffee by the bag. In the last few months, the Rhino guys and the L.E. Chalk team even worked together to create a specialty blend for the men's clothing store (more on that in Episode 23). Once again, a conversation with a local talented person yields much insight into Shreveport's economic development, both at present moment and in the future. Enjoy!

Brent Latin is the President/CEO of Young Professionals Entertainment (YPE), a Media, Marketing, and Entertainment company located in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana. The company also functions as a professional recording studio where many local and regional artists record. A talented musician that plays several instruments, Brent has performed with various artists from across the country. In 2013, YPE was named Small Business of the Year by the Shreveport-Bossier African American Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, Brent was inducted into the ninth class of 40 Under 40 which is Young Professionals Initiative of Northwest Louisiana top 40 professionals under the age of 40. In 2019, YPE was chosen as one of the top small businesses in the greater Shreveport area by the 318 Forum and Greater Shreveport Chamber. Brent has served on many prestigious boards in our area and continues to serve. In 2011, Brent received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Louisiana Tech University and is a member of the 2007 class of C.E. Byrd High School. He is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity. In May 2013 Brent married Jessica Latin and became a father to his son, Alexander in February 2014, and his daughter Bella in 2018. He enjoys traveling, fellowshipping with friends and family, and participating in sports. Brent believes, “Loving God, Loving Yourself, and Loving People”, creates the recipe to enjoying life.

Thomas and his longtime friend Shreveport native Jimmy Campbell cover a lot of ground here. Jimmy is a 2001 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was commissioned as an armor officer on June 2, 2001 and served on active duty until December of 2006. Jimmy served as a tank platoon leader and tank company executive officer at Fort Hood, Texas. As part of the U.S. Army’s First Cavalry Division, Jimmy deployed to Iraq on March 17, 2004. His battalion was awarded The Presidential Unit Citation for their actions in the Second Battle of Fallujah. Upon completion of his year long deployment to Iraq, Jimmy commanded the Headquarters Company for the United States Army Armor Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He then served in the Louisiana Army National Guard until March of 2009. He earned his MBA from Louisiana State University in 2009. He currently represents Cost Segregation Services Incorporated (“CSSI”) as a National Account Representative, provides cost segregation and asset valuation services to real estate owners and tax professionals. Jimmy and his wife, Megan, have two daughters, Charlotte and Ryan, and one son, Witt. They also have three beloved dogs - Bridger, Roscoe, and Rocky. In addition to spending time with his family, Jimmy enjoys playing guitar, most outdoor activities, and recreational sports.

Dr. Julie Lessiter has been at LSU Shreveport for nine years in many different roles. Currently she serves as the Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, a division that incorporates Enrollment Management, Continuing Education, and all Strategic Initiatives. Additionally, she is a faculty member in the Department of the Leadership Studies. Her areas of expertise include Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, Enrollment Management, and Accreditation. Lessiter wrote the SACSCOC Level change which resulted in approval of the first doctoral program at LSUS, and shepherded the institution through its successful reaffirmation of accreditation in 2015. In her role with the Enrollment Management division she has championed various initiatives that have resulted in record enrollment for the previous two years. She has over 20 years’ experience in higher education at four different institutions. Lessiter is a nationally ranked age-group tennis player and a competitive runner.

Austin Wiseman is a Shreveport family man. He is married to Alorah Wiseman, and together they have a two year old daughter, Greta, and a son due in December 2019. Austin is a local realtor/investor who focuses his investments in the Historic Highland neighborhood. He and his wife work as a team to make old homes energy efficient, trendy and desirable.

Jordan Ring is a Shreveport native for the most part, starting the I Heart Shreveport blog earlier this year to help people remember all the great things we have to love about Shreveport. She wants people to dream big dreams for Shreveport. When she's not blogging about Shreveport, she is the Associate Director of the MLK Health Center & Pharmacy. Liz, a top assistant to former Shreveport Mayor Keith Hightower, was hired in 2010 as executive director of the city's Downtown Development Authority. Since then, Shreveport's core has come alive. She needs no further introduction of course, but this 2017 Shreveport Times article does a great job for us: https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/life/community/most-influential-woman/2017/09/07/liz-swaine-if-im-not-willing-do-it-why-should-expect-others-to/618768001/

Chef Hardette Harris - from Minden to Houston to San Antonio and back to Shreveport. Us Up North restaurant, open for lunch on Wed, Thursday, Friday. The Official Meal of North Louisiana. Greens cooked down with salt pork, cabbage, purple hulls, smothered pork chops, meatloaf, fried catfish, baked chicken, hot water cornbread, tomato and cucumber relish, pepper sauce, sweet tea and the only way to cook a white perch - fry it up whole.

E15: Danielle Richard & LeVette Fuller Oct 25 E15: Danielle Richard & LeVette Fuller Danielle Richard is the Owner and Creative Director of Richard Creative. In 2009, with a one-year-old at home, Danielle left a fulfilling position in the print industry to begin a freelance career. In the 10 years since, the business has evolved and grown into a full-fledged creative agency, employing a team of freelance designers, writers, photographers and content managers. With husband James managing the business aspects since 2016, and Danielle serving as Creative Director, they are passionate about helping businesses grow and thrive with marketing and design strategy that is both pretty and practical. LeVette Fuller is the Shreveport City Council representative for District B. She is a graduate of Caddo Parish Magnet High School and Centenary College. In addition to her work with local schools and community partners through the public library system, she serves on the Leadership Council for Step Forward, an organization focused on cradle-to-career success for North Louisiana. Fuller has also served as a board member for the Shreveport Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission and is a founding member of Re-Form Shreveport, an organization dedicated to bringing citizens together to share ideas and find implementable solutions to improve Shreveport’s built environment.

John Perkins is a third-generation Shreveport resident working as a freelance television producer. You've seen his work over the years on networks from ABC on to MTV. He became interested in Infrastructure and the built environment of Shreveport after a chance encounter in 2015 at Buffalo Wild Wings on Youree Drive on his way home from covering the Lafayette Theater Shooting for Good Morning America. He thinks out loud on Facebook about Shreveport's infrastructure and Urban Planning and is active in local groups, Allendale Strong and the Allendale Corner Store Co-op.

In terms of identifying and cultivating a cultural identity here in Shreveport, this is the most important conversation we’ve recorded. Grant Nuckolls, proprietor of Twisted Root and Jacquelyn’s, interviews Winston Hall, a local musician, songwriter, and historian. These two have known each other for a few years and have a passion for our local historical music scene - from Huddie Ledbetter to Van Cliburn to James Burton, the Hayride, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Elvis leaving the building and Stan’s Records selling to Robert Allen Zimmerman (Bob Dylan) in Minnesota . . . “It’s in the dirt” says Winston Hall. Shreveport history, Louisiana history, American history, and world history were made with the music that originated here in Bottoms blues clubs, music that Elvis heard, that the Beatles heard, and sounds that were broadcast around the country on the KWKH Hayride. So listen in and pay close attention to the discussion of a Shreveport Music Museum. We deserve to think better of ourselves and celebrate our history. WHY BUILD IT? The tourists are already coming, WHY NOT build it?

Candice Battiste is the Power Coalition’s North Louisiana Organizer where she is committed to building voices and power in traditionally disenfranchised communities and bringing together groups across the North with a mission to organize in impacted communities, educate and turn out votes, and fight for policies that create a more equitable and just system in Louisiana. She graduated from Haughton High school where she was elected the first black woman student body president in their 100 year history, is an alum of Louisiana State University and earned her law degree from the Southern University Law Center. There, she served as President of Law Students for Reproductive Justice and was a recipient of the prestigious Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Fellowship. Upon graduation, Candice helped form the Family Law Unit of Legal Services of North Louisiana. She was the past LA State Director of Project ID, former Shreveport-Bossier Field organizer with the Unanimous Jury Coalition/Yes On 2 campaign, worked for Mayor Adrian Perkins' campaign as his Public Relations and Social Media strategist, serves on the Citizen She Board of Directors, was recently elected to the ACLU of Louisiana Board of Directors, past Vice President of the Women's Democratic Club of Northwest Louisiana, serves on the executive board of the New Leaders Council as the Selections Co-Chair, is on the Downtown Development Authority for Shreveport, and was selected as a United Nations Association Delegate. When Candice is not discussing progressive politics and working to affect positive change, she is with family and friends or can be found traveling to one of Louisiana’s many food and music festivals.

Episode 11: Sara Hebert - In Pursuit of Quality by Josh & Thomas

Demetrius Norman is an energetic and passionate advocate for STEM education and out-of-the-box thinking. From Queensborough to Shreveport Job Corps to Grambling to NOLA to his newly-created Maker's Space, Demetrius is a born tinkerer. He applies this same engineer-brain thinking to Shreveport: Take a problem, break it down into its component parts, figure out how it works, perform diagnostics, and put it back together in a better way. Listen in and enjoy!

Tim Wright is a civil engineer and downtown enthusiast, passionate about connecting people who see Shreveport’s potential. He writes, explores and shares ideas about what makes a city great. Re-Form was born out of what he saw as the key issue defining Shreveport: finding areas of our underpopulated city that needed to be invested in and re-formed to help address today’s challenges. Tim sees educating Shreveport’s leaders as only one piece of the puzzle, the other is getting the citizenry involved in small projects that make their block of the community better. If Shreveport’s leaders can be in tune with the citizenry, and the citizens can in turn trust local leaders, then the city’s trajectory can only be pointed upwards.

Demetrius Norman is involved amazing projects such as this upcoming weekend's Shreveport-Bossier Mini-Maker's Faire, NWLA Makerspace and the North Louisiana STEM Alliance. Demetrius is helping change the future of Shreveport. We can't wait until you guys hear what he has to say!

Killer Bees. ECS. JRM Ventures. Andress Ford remodel. Shreveport Music. Red River Brewing. Investor. Mentor. Bass player. And helluva nice guy. Meet the creative force behind a number of exciting ventures here in Shreveport. Six months ago, a conversation between Jim, Thomas, and Josh was essentially the genesis of the Three180 project. Jim is a doer. He follows his passions and inspires others to do the same. His latest project, the Andress Ford Artist and Entrepreneurial Center, has been officially announced. Sitting one block off the corner of Common and Crockett streets in downtown Shreveport, this shell of structure was once a showroom and garage for Ford automobiles. Listen in to see how Jim has reimagined the space and will reconfigure the building to serve the creative forces at work in our area -- both in the entrepreneurial and visual arts sectors of the community.

Tim Huck, owner of the Sandbar and the former Phoenix Underground, Chairman of the DDA, and all-around entrepreneur talks about growing up in Pizza King, learning the bar & nightclub business from the ground up, attracting and keeping customers, street lights, late nights, and the perception problems of downtown SHV.

Jason Brady, head chef of Parish Taceaux & the former Wine Country on Line Avenue(among many others) talks to Josh and Thomas about sourcing local ingredients, farm/field-to-table trends, what the market wants, the Line Avenue corridor and the revitalization of Downtown Shreveport. Though reluctant to consider a buffet concept, the idea of a downtown BBQ joint peaks his interest. As does bison tongue. Enjoy!

Jared Beville goes deep into the craft beer business, the MPC, his work with EAP (the Entrepreneur Accelerator Program), parking lots and brew pub eats. We discuss Red River Brewing's 2018 pivot into a space where a butcher, a meat shop, a brewery, a glass-blowing space, an event venue, and a bar can co-exist and thrive at 1200 Marshall Street. Now a mentor to other entrepreneurs at EAP, Jared shares his knowledge with other budding business owners and helps them avoid some of the same pitfalls that he went through. Long episode and worth every minute.

Katy Larsen talks shopping local, making stuff, doing business, and allowing creativity to infiltrate the downtown corridor to continue moving Shreveport in a positive direction.

Local real estate pros talk pros & cons about the commercial and residential opportunities here in Shreveport.

Chase Boytim talks shop with Josh & Thomas: Bar Biz, Red River District, the Art of the Cocktail and the Clinebell Ice Machine that he drove all the way to Philly to buy.